After Yang Duoming had left, Yuxi remained alone in the room. After a long while, she muttered to herself, "You want to be a love sain...
After Yang Duoming had left, Yuxi remained alone in the room. After a long while, she muttered to herself, "You want to be a love saint1 by guarding your body like jade2 for Yuchen? Then I'll grant your wish." If Jiang Hongjin were to die, it would be letting him off too easily. In her previous life, Yuxi had suffered countless white eyes3 and ridicule because of Jiang Hongjin. Now, she wanted him to taste it as well. Only then could she rid herself of her hatred.
After leaving the Yun residence, Yang Duoming did not immediately seek out a physician to prepare the secret medicine, but instead returned to the place where he and his wife were staying.
When Fu Qingluo saw Yang Duoming, she asked, "What did Madam call you over for?" Ever since he took on this responsibility, she had been constantly on edge, afraid that Yuxi might send him on a dangerous mission.
Yang Duoming would naturally not tell Fu Qingluo the truth, but he also did not want to lie to her. "This matter is very confidential; no one can be told." After saying that, he added, "Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous—just a bit troublesome." It was only about dealing with a Tongzhi4, so his life was definitely not at risk.
Hearing that there was no danger to his life, Fu Qingluo stopped asking further. However, she brought up another matter: "Duoming, Yun Qing has already been granted the title of Wang. I wonder when my Dage will come to Haocheng?"
Yang Duoming's expression changed slightly as he replied, "This isn't something you or I can decide. The General and Madam must have their own considerations." In truth, Yang Duoming had no desire to see Fu Tianlei at all.
Fu Qingluo sounded a little sad as she said, "I haven't seen my Dage and Dasao for more than two years." As Yang Duoming was involved in intelligence work, she was also aware of the situation concerning Fu Tianlei and Chen Shi. Fu Tianlei had mostly recovered and just needed more rest to make a full recovery, while Chen Shi's condition had also improved significantly. However, the couple had now reached a point where they had nothing left to say to each other. Fu Qingluo was very worried about this, but she couldn't leave.
Yang Duoming said, "There will always be a chance to meet." However, given that Fu Tianlei had once wanted to kill him, it was clear that the two of them could never coexist peacefully. So he hoped that any meeting would be as far in the future as possible.
Yuxi returned to the inner courtyard and told Yun Qing, "Herui, we can't just sit and wait for death." If they didn't want to wait for others to come to their door and wipe out their entire family, they had to take action.
After pondering for a moment, Yun Qing responded, "Given the current situation in the northwest, it's not suitable to use military force." Moreover, if one were to rebel, there must be a good reason—rebellion without justification would certainly fail.
Yuxi smiled. "Not to mention, we don't have the resources right now, and the timing isn't right either. I just think we should make proper defensive preparations; the rest can be discussed later."
Yun Qing nodded. "Alright!" If Yuxi had told him to rebel now, he would definitely refuse. But since she was only suggesting defensive measures, he naturally couldn't decline.
Yuxi then thought about how others addressed Yun Qing and said, "The Imperial Court has granted you the title of Pingxi Wang, yet didn't grant me the title of Wangfei. I wonder if they forgot, or simply don't take me seriously?" In the capital, the usual process was to first grant the wang title, then have the person submit a memorial requesting that his principal wife be formally named consort. But the northwest situation was special, and since Yuxi controlled the region, the Imperial Court's actions naturally displeased her.
Yun Qing didn't care for the title of Pingxi Wang. "There's no need to bother with them." In the past, he still had some loyalty to the Imperial Court. Now, however, that loyalty had long since disappeared. This just goes to show that a woman's influence in private shouldn't be underestimated.
After spending three days and a hundred taels of gold, Yang Duoming finally obtained a colourless, odourless pill that would render a man incapable. With the medicine in hand, he prepared to set off for Luoyang.
Fu Qingluo insisted on going along, valuing Yang Duoming so much that she wanted to follow him wherever he went. Yang Duoming was not annoyed, but this time the situation was special. He refused. "I'll be back soon. Wait for me at home." After all, Jiang Hongjin was only a tongzhi4, so he should be easy enough to deal with.
However, Fu Qingluo was unwilling and insisted on going along.
With no other option, Yang Duoming spoke plainly: "You cannot get involved in this matter. Madam has ordered that no one else is to know about it."
Fu Qingluo exclaimed, "Even Yun Qing doesn't know?" That was unusual—she had thought that the husband and wife shared everything and held nothing back from each other.
Yang Duoming could not tell the truth about this, however. "I don't know whether the General is aware, but I cannot tell you. Qingluo, these are the rules."
After a pause, Yang Duoming added, "Also, from now on, you must change how you address them. Don't call the General and Madam by their full names, understood?"
Fu Qingluo nodded in reluctant agreement.
Five days later, Yang Duoming arrived in Luoyang. Yan Xi, who had arrived a few days earlier, reported all the information he had gathered in detail: "Jiang Hongjin is the legitimate second son of Jiang Wenrui, the Minister of Revenue. He is also the half-brother of Jiang Hongfu, who is about to take up a position as Vice Prefect in the northwest."
Yang Duoming already knew this. One could tell the connection just by hearing the names Jiang Hongfu and Jiang Hongjin. He asked, "What else?"
Yan Xi replied, his expression growing slightly strange, "Jiang Hongjin's wife, Han Yurong, is Madam's half-sister." At first, he didn't know what their mission was about, but once he had uncovered Han Yurong's identity, he realised it was connected to Yuxi. He speculated that Madam and Han Yurong likely had a grudge from their days in the inner chambers.
Yang Duoming was very surprised; he hadn't expected Jiang Hongjin's wife to be Madam's younger sister. His first reaction was that Yuxi and Yurong were feuding. However, he quickly dismissed this idea because Yuxi had asked him to deal with Jiang Hongjin, not Han Yurong. Even if Jiang Hongjin were to become a eunuch, Han Yurong could still choose to divorce him.
With this in mind, Yang Duoming asked, "Has Han Yurong borne any children?" The secret medicine he had obtained was extremely potent—once taken, recovery would be very difficult unless a miracle physician were alive.
Yan Xi replied, "No. It's said she was once pregnant, but miscarried after being frightened on the way to Luoyang." Yurong was young and inexperienced and didn't even realise she was pregnant. They encountered bandits on the road, and although they escaped, the shock caused her to lose her child.
After answering, Yan Xi added, "Jiang Hongjin currently has only Han Yurong by his side—he has no concubines or bedchamber maids." Back in the capital, Yurong had not arranged any for him, and even less so now in Luoyang. The Jiang family followed strict rules: before there was a legitimate eldest son, there must absolutely not be an illegitimate one.
Yang Duoming smiled slightly—having no children was even better. Once Jiang Hongjin took the drug, he would never be able to father children for the rest of his life.
"Achoo…" Yurong, the subject of the two's conversation, suddenly sneezed loudly. Wiping her nose, she wondered aloud, "I wonder if San Jie is talking about me?" Now that Yuchen had become Empress, she, as the younger sister, shared in the honour.
Luye smiled and said, "That must be it." Momo Gui was a woman of her word as she fulfilled her promise with Lucao back then. Consequently, Lucao did accompany Yurong to Luoyang.
Because Yurong had an elder sister, Yuchen, who was the Empress, all the noble ladies and madams in Luoyang came to curry favour with her. Despite the drawback of its proximity to the dangerous northwest, Yurong's life in Luoyang was much more comfortable and carefree than in the capital.
Yurong said regretfully, "It's a pity Luoyang is so far from the capital." Being pampered and held in high regard here naturally made her happy. However, aside from the lack of safety in Luoyang, there were many things that couldn't be bought, even when you had money. Deep down, she still wanted to return to the capital. Of course, this depended on her having surviving offspring.
Luye was not as eloquent as Lucao and didn't know how to persuade Yurong at that moment.
After the mistress and servant had talked for quite a while, and bedtime was approaching, there was still no sign of Jiang Hongjin. "Go and ask when the Second Master will come over."
After a while, an old woman servant came to report, "Second Master said he won't be coming tonight and will rest in the front courtyard." Jiang Hongjin had come to Luoyang in great haste and hadn't brought many attendants with him. Aside from his trusted aides, the servants currently attending him had been bought locally in Luoyang. However, Yurong had previously managed things very well and kept everything in order.
Upon hearing this, Yurong's face immediately darkened. When they first arrived in Luoyang, Jiang Hongjin stayed in the front courtyard and rarely visited the inner quarters. At that time, Yurong was recovering from a miscarriage, so she didn't mind his absence. However, her health had recently improved, and she was ready to have children again, so she was unwilling to accept his absence. How could she possibly have children if he didn't come to the inner courtyard? The couple had quarrelled over this several times. Ultimately, with no other option, Yurong even threatened to reveal to the people of Luoyang that Jiang Hongjin was a eunuch if he continued to make her live like a widow5.
All this fuss was simply because Yurong wanted a son to rely on. Once she had a son, even she wouldn't be willing to let Jiang Hongjin into her room. It was just such a shame about her previous pregnancy. Otherwise, she'd be due to give birth any day now. Every time she thought of the child she had lost, Yurong was filled with hatred. She hadn't wanted to come to Luoyang in the first place; she had been forced into it by Yu Shi's shouting and pressure. If she hadn't come to Luoyang, the child would surely have survived.
Jiang Hongjin cared deeply about his reputation and pride. Under such pressure, he naturally gave in. He promised Yurong that, unless something urgent arose, he would remain in the rear courtyard until she had given birth to their legitimate eldest son.
Lying in bed, Yurong tossed and turned, unable to sleep, so she simply called Luye to keep her company. She asked bitterly, "Tell me, how can people with the same father have such vastly different fates?" Not to mention that Yuchen had become Empress, and Han Yuxi had also become a Wangfei. Moreover, both were cherished by their husbands, especially Han Yuxi, who was even governing the northwest. But what about her? Without comparison, it might have been bearable, but once compared, Yurong felt she had led a truly pathetic life.🦊
Yurong had long regretted it. Had she known that Jiang Hongjin was this kind of man, she would have ended the engagement years ago. Even then, given her status, she wouldn't have struggled to find a suitable partner, even if she were a few years older. Unfortunately, there was no cure for regret.
Luye didn't know how to comfort Yurong. In her opinion, Yurong was already very fortunate, having been born into a noble family and given the best education. Although her husband couldn't compare to the Emperor or Pingxi Wang, becoming a fifth-rank official at twenty-one was still a great achievement for a young man. In Luoyang, many ladies greatly envied her mistress.
Yurong, however, found Luye rather dull; Lucao had been much better. However, since Momo Gui herself had arranged Lucao's marriage, Yurong couldn't refuse and had to agree. Thinking of this, Yurong asked, "Luye, you're already seventeen this year. What kind of man would you like to marry?"
Luye hurriedly replied, "Mistress, I don't want to marry. I'll serve you for life." For a personal maid, seventeen was not considered old; even waiting another year to arrange a marriage wouldn't be too late.
Yurong shook her head. "It's better to settle your marriage early, so that there won't be any unexpected changes." Once arranged, there would be no more accidents. Although Luye wasn't as clever as Lucao, she was loyal. It was better to arrange her marriage early to avoid complications.
Lowering her head and blushing, Luye said, "I will follow whatever Mistress decides." Matters of marriage were decided by the master, so it was best not to say too much in case the mistress suspected that she was having a secret relationship.
Yurong was very satisfied with this answer and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll choose a good one for you."
Footnotes Full List
- 情圣 (qíng shèng): A man considered supremely devoted or ideal in love.
- 守身如玉 (shǒu shēn rú yù): to remain chaste and morally pure; to carefully preserve one's virtue (traditionally referring to s3xual purity, especially for women).
- 白眼 (bái yǎn): Cold looks, disdain, or being looked down upon.
- 同知 (tóngzhī): government sub-prefect
- 守活寡 (shǒu huó guǎ): A married woman living like a widow because her husband neglects or avoids her.
- She forgot how her sister advised her not to marry Jiang Hongjin, and yet she was still adamant to marry him.
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