Extra 15. The Protagonist’s Current Life · 1

In the autumn of the first year of Yongning, the sisterly bond between Jiang Zhiyi and Baojia faced its first “crisis” in over a decade.

This predicament began when Baojia moved from Chang’an to Guzang.

Earlier in the year, the fourth imperial son, Qi Yan, ascended the throne, and Baojia was elevated from princess to grand princess. Qi Yan had intended to renovate and expand her estate, and Li Dafeng, with peace now reigning in Hexi, had requested leave from Yuan Ce to settle down permanently in the capital with Baojia.

However, after Jiang Zhiyi narrowly avoided being sent to marry into Western Luo, Baojia grew utterly weary of the cold, unfeeling palace. Moreover, as the younger sister of the former crown prince, staying in Chang’an risked entanglement in royal intrigues. Thus, she disbanded her estate and decided to relocate to Hexi to keep Jiang Zhiyi company.

On their journey westward, Baojia and Li Dafeng took the opportunity to travel leisurely, enjoying the scenery along the way. It took them nearly half a year to reach Guzang, where they purchased a residence directly across from Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce’s Yaoguang Garden.

Separated only by a narrow inner street, the two households became like one big family. The sisters visited each other frequently, often crossing back and forth every few days.

Yuan Ce was still at home recuperating and hadn’t yet returned to the Xuan Ce Army, while Li Dafeng also enjoyed his leisure. Naturally, whenever the sisters visited each other, these brothers-in-law tagged along as well.

One day, Yuan Ce couldn’t help but cross his arms and scrutinize Li Dafeng: “I can’t help but feel—I see you more now than I ever did in the army.”

Li Dafeng caught the hint of weariness in his tone and sighed, folding his arms. “The feeling is mutual.”

Of course, while both men outwardly appeared to grow tired of each other’s company, deep down, they hoped the sisters’ lives would remain lively. They readily agreed to any recreational outings proposed by Jiang Zhiyi and Baojia.

As the four grew closer, a long-standing, thorny issue finally came to the forefront—it was time to address it.

Baojia had remained unaware of the existence of the Shen twins for years. She continued to refer to Yuan Ce by his name or spoke of past events as if he were Shen Yuan Ce.

This secret was safest when known by as few people as possible—for the safety of the Shen family and to avoid implicating more individuals. Since Baojia had been under the emperor’s watchful eye in Chang’an, neither Jiang Zhiyi nor Li Dafeng had dared to disclose the truth about the Shen family. However, now that everything had settled, and Yuan Ce no longer intended to hide this from his sister-in-law—especially since they would all be living under the same roof—it was time to clarify matters sooner rather than later.

Yet, the tangled web of events spanning two decades was so complex that no one knew where or how to begin explaining. This delay stretched on for several days.

Finally, one day, as Jiang Zhiyi was having tea at Baojia’s residence, Baojia suggested inviting Yuan Ce over for a game of cards that evening.

Jiang Zhiyi, who had never hidden anything from Baojia before, blurted out the truth without thinking: “A Ce-ge might not come. I told him to spend today learning from your husband and come tomorrow instead.”

Baojia laughed. “What kind of joke is that? There’s no gambling game in this world that Shen Yuan Ce doesn’t know. It’d make more sense for Dafeng to learn from him!”

Jiang Zhiyi glanced silently at Li Dafeng nearby.

Having missed the opportune moment to speak earlier, there was no way to cover up the truth now. After hesitating for a long while, Jiang Zhiyi bit her lip, took a deep breath, and said: “Sister, what if I told you that there truly isn’t a gambling game in this world that Shen Yuan Ce doesn’t know—but that A Ce-ge might not actually be Shen Yuan Ce? What would you think?”

Each word was clear to Baojia, but the meaning behind them left her utterly baffled.

“Have you ever wondered why Zhiyi and Shen Yuan Ce seemed to be such bitter enemies back then—and yet somehow ended up together?”

Baojia was completely confused. “Didn’t you say yourself that you two were just pretending to be sworn enemies?”

Jiang Zhiyi gave an awkward smile. “If I told you my brain wasn’t working properly when I said that, would you believe me?”

“What do you mean?” Baojia turned to look at Li Dafeng. “Was Zhiyi’s brain really malfunctioning? Real or fake?”

Li Dafeng cleared his throat softly. “Real.”

Baojia blinked blankly. “So…”

“So, it’s impossible for me and Shen Yuan Ce to have been lovers. And the person I’m with definitely isn’t Shen Yuan Ce.”

“Not…” Baojia pointed toward the Yaoguang Garden across the way. “Then who exactly is married to you if not Shen Yuan Ce?”

Jiang Zhiyi hesitated before speaking slowly: “Could it be… Shen Yuan Ce’s twin brother?”

It was as if someone had struck a gong beside her ear. Baojia looked at Jiang Zhiyi, then at Li Dafeng, gripping her forehead as the room spun around her.

“Sister!” Jiang Zhiyi rushed forward anxiously. Li Dafeng took Baojia’s wrist to check her pulse. “Your sister’s blood pressure is rising. Let me help her inside to rest. I’ll explain everything.”

Jiang Zhiyi watched as they went inside, pacing anxiously back and forth on the corridor. When Yuan Ce arrived after hearing the news, she tearfully lamented to him: “My sister must be furious with me…”

“It’s not your fault. I’ll go apologize later. For now, let’s go home and have dinner,” Yuan Ce consoled her, escorting her back home.

After dinner, Jiang Zhiyi sat restlessly in the pavilion, glancing repeatedly toward the opposite estate. Just as she prepared to send someone to inquire about the situation, Jingzhe arrived to announce that the princess and her husband had come to visit.

Baojia’s voice preceded her arrival: “Such an incredible story—one that might not come along in two lifetimes—and you didn’t tell me!”

Jiang Zhiyi hurried forward to link arms with Baojia, pulling her toward the pavilion. “Sister, don’t be angry. I was planning to tell you everything from the start.”

“I’ve already heard it all,” Baojia entered the pavilion, casting a glance at both Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce. “You two, so young and already defying moral boundaries—quite the scandal!”

“Sister, you can’t lump us together! I didn’t know anything back then,” Jiang Zhiyi pulled Baojia to sit on the railing, shaking her head as she pointed at Yuan Ce. “He’s the one who defied morality—he’s the real culprit!”

“…” Yuan Ce opened his mouth to say something but realized he had nothing to defend himself with.

Baojia looked Yuan Ce up and down, seemingly impressed by the person before her. Turning to Jiang Zhiyi, she said, “But I really didn’t notice anything unusual about you back then.”

“That’s because the story was written based on my version!” Jiang Zhiyi replied.

“Well, it was certainly convincing. When you were little, you always followed the fourth prince around, calling him ‘Brother Ayan’ over and over again. So when I heard you call him ‘Brother Ace,’ it didn’t strike me as odd…”

Jiang Zhiyi’s grip on Baojia’s arm suddenly tightened. Glancing up, sure enough, she saw Yuan Ce slowly lifting his eyelids.

“…” Jiang Zhiyi cleared her throat and laughed nervously, trying to play it off. “Sister must be mistaken. When have I ever called anyone ‘Brother’? Haven’t I always referred to them as ‘Crown Prince Cousin,’ ‘Second Cousin,’ or ‘Fourth Cousin’?”

Baojia’s gaze slowly swept across Yuan Ce’s face, and she nodded. “Oh—then it seems Sister was mistaken. Yes, mistaken indeed.”

________________________________________

That evening, inside the inner chambers of Yaoguang Garden, Baojia followed Jiang Zhiyi into the bedroom. “Why insist that I sleep with you tonight?”

“Didn’t you see the look Brother Ace gave me just now? If you don’t stay with me tonight, I’ll end up calling him ‘Brother’ all night!” Jiang Zhiyi clung tightly to Baojia’s arm as if it were a lifeline.

Baojia couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, does Yuan Ce often brag to Li Dafeng about you calling him ‘Brother’?”

“Is that so? I’m not aware of it. What do you mean, Sister?”

“Li Dafeng asked me if I could call him that too. These men—they’re so boring.” Baojia feigned disdain while her lips curved into a faint smile.

Jiang Zhiyi chuckled. “Who knows? Every time I call him ‘Brother Ace,’ he practically grows a tail from happiness.”

The two sisters exchanged laughter in the room, while outside in the pavilion, the autumn wind rustled through the ginkgo trees, scattering golden leaves onto the edges of the chessboard.

Yuan Ce held a black chess piece in his hand, paying no attention to the board as he casually placed it down.

Opposite him, Li Dafeng twirled a white piece between his fingers and glanced at him. “If you don’t feel like playing, just go to bed. No one’s forcing you.”

“What, can you fall asleep so easily?” Yuan Ce lifted his eyelids and shot him a glance.

Li Dafeng turned his gaze toward the inner chambers and sighed. “You can’t blame me for this one, can you?”

The last time Jiang Zhiyi and Baojia shared a bed was just a few days ago, after Baojia had argued with Li Dafeng and stormed out to Yaoguang Garden.

Whenever something happened in one household, it inevitably affected both. If one family wasn’t at peace, neither household got any rest.

Yuan Ce snorted. “When it was your fault, I never saw you apologize to me.”

“Then why don’t you see if there’s still a chance to salvage things tonight? I’ll make it up to you.”

On any other night, Yuan Ce wouldn’t have minded skipping this one, but tonight, the sound of Jiang Zhiyi calling out “Brother Ayan” echoed endlessly in his ears. Alone and restless, how could he possibly sleep?

“Or—” Yuan Ce tilted his head slightly. “Shall we use the old method?”

A quarter of an hour later, Jiang Zhiyi and Baojia were just about to bathe and prepare for bed when they suddenly heard a knock at the door—startlingly urgent.

“Miss, the young general has collapsed! Physician Li examined his pulse and said it’s due to emotional distress. He urgently needs comforting, or it may harm his internal organs!”

Jiang Zhiyi: “…What?”