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There were few attendants in the Ban Yue Palace. By the time the servants noticed the fire, Consort Shu had already been burned beyond recognition in the blaze.
The palace guards seemed to have timed it perfectly. When they pried open the burning palace gates, the fire had reduced Consort Shu to a pile of bones.
Even in those remains, it was evident that she had curled up tightly, her hands clutching her stomach as if protecting something most precious.
Chen Zhao made public her final letter, exposing their scandalous affairs. The authority of the throne had been greatly challenged. Consort Shu’s reputation was utterly ruined; she was stripped of her noble consort status and quietly buried in the chaotic burial grounds outside the city at Jiuli Slope.
After Consort Shu’s death, Jiang Qionglin was removed from the torture chamber and moved to the Yinghui Pavilion to recover.
From then on, Chen Zhao never mentioned his crimes again. Unexpectedly, she threw the once-favored Zhao Xianzhi into the torture chamber. Within two hours, he was tortured to death, his body hastily wrapped in a straw mat and discarded.
A few days later, when Jiang Qionglin’s injuries began to heal, An Suyun brought the letter to him and asked, “Lord Jiang, this is Consort Shu’s last letter before she died. Would you like to read it?”
Jiang Qionglin shook his head: “I’ve always known my purpose. Being with her was to drive her to suicide. This was the path she chose, and it was also the path I chose. Reaching the end is liberation for both of us. Why add more trouble?”
“Yes, Lord Jiang understands clearly. This servant takes her leave.”
After An Suyun left with an expressionless face, not long after, Jiang Qionglin received another visitor.
Left Chancellor, Gongsun Miao.
“Your subordinate pays respects to Left Chancellor.” Jiang Qionglin dragged his battered body and knelt to greet him.
“You spent time in the torture chamber, yet upon your release, you still observe propriety. This makes me look at you with new eyes,” Gongsun Miao raised an eyebrow and said lightly: “Do you know why I’m here?”
“To persuade me to willingly accept death,” Jiang Qionglin didn’t even lift his eyelids, directly revealing Gongsun Miao’s intentions.
Gongsun Miao nodded approvingly: “The late emperor personally bestowed the title of Consort Shu upon her, known for her virtuous character. Your illicit relationship with Consort Shu insults the late emperor. Initially the male favorite of Empress Chen, then involved with Consort Shu, you are a stain on the lives of two emperors. But an emperor cannot have stains.”
Word by word, Gongsun Miao pierced Jiang Qionglin’s heart, extinguishing his last desire to live.
Yes, he had long foreseen this outcome.
He only regretted that henceforth in the treacherous depths of the palace, he could no longer assist her in any way.
He never wanted to be a stumbling block in her life... He had always placed Her Majesty’s interests above all else. He wanted to become her support, aiding her to become an emperor of the ages.
This was always his mindset, but inevitably, in the end, he became her burden.
She was unwilling to execute him, which was why Gongsun Miao appeared before him. Just this fact alone made him feel his ordeal was not in vain.
“Your subordinate knows what to do. Thank you, Chancellor Gongsun, for your guidance.” Jiang Qionglin’s gaze was unfocused, speaking slowly.
“You are a wise man.” After saying this, Gongsun Miao left, dragging his aged body away.
After Gongsun Miao left, Jiang Qionglin wrote a confession. Upon finishing, he handed it over to the waiting guards.
After completing everything, he collapsed onto the bed as if drained.
He was utterly exhausted. At this moment, it was the most relaxed he had felt since his family’s downfall.
He would no longer be plagued by nightmares, nor would he see the person he cared about daily, embracing someone she didn’t love, while he served women he disliked.
He would no longer have a tomorrow, but he would die as he wished.
This was his endpoint, the ending he desired.
...
The next day during the morning court session, Gongsun Miao publicly announced Jiang Qionglin’s handwritten confession.
In the confession, he admitted to ten major crimes: offending royal dignity, corrupting the palace, lacking ministerial etiquette, being greedy and accepting bribes, disregarding laws, disrespecting superiors, discord with subordinates, arrogance, forming cliques, and eliminating rivals. Every word was incisive, leaving no room for doubt. It was a rare article of self-condemnation, perfect in wording and phrasing.
Anyone who read it would consider him utterly unforgivable.
As Gongsun Miao read it aloud in court, Chen Zhao’s heart grew increasingly pained.
Others might not know, but she understood Jiang Qionglin’s true character best.
“Gongsun Miao, don’t push too far!” Chen Zhao suddenly stood up, brushing aside the pearl curtain.
She stood before the throne, glaring fiercely at Gongsun Miao.
“This humble servant considers Your Majesty’s reputation. Historians won’t appreciate Jiang Qionglin still being alive. His existence will only bring shame upon you,” Gongsun Miao crossed his arms, appearing calm.
“So what if the world condemns me? Do I fear others’ criticism?” Chen Zhao said: “Ever since I took the throne, I have been the target of all arrows! I aim to be the unique ruler of this land. I fear no one!”
“You may not fear them, but as long as this humble servant lives, I will never let Jiang Qionglin survive. If you want to protect him, step over my corpse!” Gongsun Miao spoke calmly, appearing impartial and leaving no room for argument.
“Gongsun Miao! You...” Chen Zhao pointed at him, unable to speak for a long time.
“This humble servant seconds the motion.”
“We second the motion.”
In the great hall, half of the civil officials knelt down.
“Fine, fine, fine... All of you, fine...” Chen Zhao collapsed back onto the dragon throne, her body swaying unsteadily.
...
After the morning court session, Jiang Qionglin was thrown back into the dungeon.
Usually solitary, without emotional ties, he awaited execution alone in the dungeon. On the night before his execution, he thought he could finally sleep soundly, but unexpectedly, someone visited him in the middle of the night.
Wu Rui’an brought a roasted chicken and a jar of Immortal Drunkenness, tossing them in front of him: “Nothing much to offer, just some food so you can die a full ghost.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Jiang Qionglin shrugged, smiled understandingly, and generously picked up a drumstick to feast.
“The food brought by Prince Wu is especially delicious.” Jiang Qionglin ate while smacking his lips, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
“Is it really that good?” Wu Rui’an questioned.
“Of course!” Jiang Qionglin smiled, appearing carefree: “I was an orphan from the start. My parents passed before me. In the capital, I have no close friends or relatives. To have Prince Wu remember me on the eve of my death, bringing fine wine and delicacies, I feel no regrets. Otherwise, becoming a starving ghost on the road to the underworld would be truly desolate...”
The more Wu Rui’an listened, the colder his heart felt. It seemed he wasn’t afraid of death at all, nor did he have any regrets.
“You knew long ago this would be your fate?” Wu Rui’an asked.
“Mm.” Jiang Qionglin nodded, stuffing his mouth with chicken, paying little attention to talking.
“If you knew this from the start, why did you go to the Ban Yue Palace? Why did you become involved with Consort Shu?” Wu Rui’an suddenly raised his voice, showing anger and disappointment.
“It was Her Majesty’s purpose for summoning me to the palace. All I could do was follow her orders and remove Consort Shu for her.” Jiang Qionglin laughed indifferently, continuing to eat.
“Why didn’t you run away?” Wu Rui’an frowned.
Jiang Qionglin thought for a moment, took a large gulp of wine, swallowed his food, and slowly said: “I tried to escape, but if I ran, she would continue to sink deeper. I couldn’t let hatred ruin her life.”
“What do you mean?” Wu Rui’an looked confused.
“Is my meaning hard to understand?” Jiang Qionglin smiled: “Her Majesty isn’t an emperor indulging in pleasures and infatuated with male beauty. She is diligent in governance and loves her people, a ruler of the ages. Her thoughts should focus on national matters. These entanglements of love and affection, I will resolve them for her.” Finishing his words, he smiled indifferently and took another large gulp of wine.
With a belch, he continued under the influence of alcohol: “In this way, she can be happy in the future, right? This way, I’ve repaid her for promoting me, haven’t I?”
“Just promotion?” Wu Rui’an hesitated, finding it difficult to describe their relationship, feeling somewhat awkward about his own position.
“Just what?” Jiang Qionglin paused, then said: “Just walking side by side day and night, as if one person?”
Wu Rui’an nodded: “Yes.”
“But between us, nothing improper ever happened.” Jiang Qionglin smiled slightly, a smile that could topple kingdoms.
“... “
Whether stunned by his words or dazzled by his smile, Wu Rui’an remained silent for a long time.
Seeing Wu Rui’an lost in thought, Jiang Qionglin continued: “She is a good emperor, a good woman, and a good mother.”
Wu Rui’an looked astonished, remaining silent for a long time, muttering: “You’re the first person to evaluate her this way.”
“Because I understand, I don’t want her to be sad. Whatever she desires, I try my best to fulfill. Like you towards Miss Di, this is how a man protects the woman he loves, and the meaning of my life.” Finishing his words, Jiang Qionglin closed his eyes.
After a long silence, Jiang Qionglin sighed: “I’ve never feared death. There were countless times in the past when I thought of ending my life. Until I met Her Majesty, my life underwent tremendous changes. Gradually, I began to fear death—not because of worldly riches, nor for myself.”
“I just felt that if I died, Her Majesty would be left alone again. How could I bear to see her sad?” Jiang Qionglin shook his head and chuckled. After expressing his thoughts, he realized standing in Wu Rui’an’s position, perhaps it wasn’t appropriate for him to hear these words. After all, he was the son of Chen Zhao and Emperor Xian.
“Apologies, pretend you didn’t hear any of this. From now on, there will be no me.” After finishing the last jar, Jiang Qionglin neatly placed the wine jar beside Wu Rui’an’s feet.
Wu Rui’an, having spoken so much, knew that nothing he said would help. The situation had developed to this point; no one could save him.
Seeing Jiang Qionglin’s nonchalant demeanor made him even angrier.
He wished Jiang Qionglin would curse the heavens, curse the earth, curse everyone, curse fate’s unfairness, curse heaven and earth’s cruelty. But he didn’t.
On the contrary, he was content and enjoyed himself.
Seeing Wu Rui’an’s displeased expression, Jiang Qionglin smiled faintly, consoling: “Having broken through the barrier of life and death, whether coming into life or going out of it, having seen through fame and fortune, gaining or losing, it’s all just a journey through the mortal world. Knowing what you want is enough. What I wanted... I already obtained. You needn’t feel sorry for me.”
“... “ Hearing this, Wu Rui’an’s heart felt even more stifled: “I hope you truly don’t feel sad.” Finishing his words, he felt he couldn’t stay any longer and turned to walk out of the cell.
“Don’t blame Her Majesty; she loves you.” Jiang Qionglin called out behind him.
By the time he finished speaking, Wu Rui’an had disappeared. The stone door of the dungeon heavily shut behind him, sealing off the free and clean sky outside.
Accompanying Jiang Qionglin were once again the endless night and silence.
...
After the court session ended the next day, Chen Zhao sat in the Taiji Palace for a long time until the female official in charge came to ask: “Your Majesty, the white silk has been prepared. Shall we send it?”
Chen Zhao lifted her head, her eyes filled with sorrow.
After a long while, she had no choice but to wave her hand and nod.
She ultimately wouldn’t offend a group of loyal ministers for a male favorite. Even she herself didn’t understand her feelings toward him.
As An Suyun carried the white silk to leave, Chen Zhao stopped her: “Not the white silk, change it to poisoned wine.”
“Yes.” An Suyun nodded and respectfully retreated.
...
When An Suyun arrived before Jiang Qionglin with the poisoned wine, he was caressing the painting “Spring Trees and Hundred Flowers Competing for Beauty.” He hummed a cheerful and relaxed tune, each note echoing in the dark dungeon like hellish chants, soothing the condemned prisoners awaiting death and his soon-to-be-ended life.
“Servant escorts Lord Jiang on his journey.” An Suyun said indifferently.
Her voice held no emotion, merely mechanically announcing his death sentence.
Jiang Qionglin gazed at the poison wine shimmering eerily, exhaling a breath of relief.
His eyes held no fear, no hesitation, but were instead filled with tenderness.
He smiled, genuinely happy.
Because Chen Zhao still remembered.
She remembered his words: “If one day you wish for my death, remember not to use a dagger; swords are merciless and would leave my body incomplete. Nor should you grant me white silk; it would make my neck unsightly. I wish to come whole and leave whole, dying as if simply sleeping.”
“Please convey a message to Her Majesty for me.” Jiang Qionglin said softly.
An Suyun didn’t respond, neither nodding nor shaking her head.
Regardless of whether she agreed, Jiang Qionglin stubbornly continued: “Please tell Her Majesty: ‘It was you who gave me a beautiful hope, an enviable future. It was you who gave me a bright future, letting me attempt to spread my wings. Though you also broke my wings, I will forever remember, without you, I would never have experienced soaring.’”
After finishing, Jiang Qionglin said no more, nor did he expect An Suyun to respond.
He drank the poisoned wine in one gulp.
Thus, the world would no longer have the Peony Lord, no longer have Jiang Qionglin.
There would only remain a legend about a male courtesan, becoming gossip for tea-drinkers, despised by the world.
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