Arc 3: Chapter 13
The emperor thought to himself, maybe the empress dowager was the one who got her brain rattled. Lin Yuan had just shown he was resolute in resisting marriage, if Jiang Qian was killed, then when Lin Yuan woke up, he would definitely choose to die.
“Mother! Do you know the effects of your words?” The emperor said sternly: “If you care about Prince Chu’s life, then you must not touch Jiang Qian. Have you forgotten what Prince Chu just said? If Jiang Qian dies, then Prince Chu would follow.”
The emperor’s words brought the empress dowager back to her senses. Although she couldn’t stand Jiang Qian’s existence, she had to tolerate him for Prince Chu.
Forcing Prince Chu to death because of a male pet would cause an uproar in society and shame the descendants of the royal family.
Lin Yuan was moved to a side room in Taiji Hall. The imperial physician arrived and checked Prince Chu’s whole body carefully before diagnosing that Prince Chu’s life was not in danger. The imperial physician let out a sigh of relief and walked out of the room to report to the emperor.
The emperor nodded in approval at the imperial physician and looked at the empress dowager: “Mother, a lot has happened in half a day, you must be tired. Why don’t you return to Yining Palace to rest first? I will let someone report to you every two hours about Prince Chu’s situation.”
The empress dowager didn’t agree immediately. She gazed at the direction of the side room and said: “Go call Jiang Qian to come out. Say the aijia has something to ask him.”
At this moment, Jiang Qian was guarding beside Lin Yuan. He was worried and also afraid. He was afraid that the teenager who treated him sincerely, who cherished him, would disappear from his eyes because of the pressure from the outside world.
Before, Jiang Qian didn’t dare let himself reach out and hold the teenager. He felt that his current status was unworthy, he had struggled too much in the dark and mud. He was unsuitable for the noble, kind little prince. He was also apprehensive that if he reached out to the teenager, the other’s heart would change one day, and would get tired of him and abandon him. For Jiang Qian, that would be more unbearable than physical pain.
That was why Jiang Qian had always kept his heart far away. So even if Lin Yuan married a girl and had children, even if Lin Yuan preferred the new to the old, he would not feel anything.
But Jiang Qian never expected Lin Yuan to profess his love in front of the empress dowager and ask for marriage. Lin Yuan declared that he would not marry a girl or have children even under the force of drugs. He was even willing to die to prove his conviction.
How could Jiang Qian reject Lin Yuan?
He thought he was alone. He had no family anymore, and he had nothing to his name. But someone was willing to want him, willing to shelter him from the wind and rain, and willing to give him their complete and earnest affections.
Jiang Qian no longer left a second choice for himself. Even if being with Lin Yuan was entering a pit of fire and swords, he was willing to do so.
【Di! Congrats host, the villain’s blackening value has decreased to 90%.】
Jiang Qian sat on the edge of the bed, and tightly grasped Lin Yuan’s hand. He placed it over his cheek and rubbed gently. He said softly: “Me too. Me too, Lin Yuan.”
The beaded curtain was lifted and someone came in and said: “Jiang liuyuan, the empress dowager wants to ask you questions.”
Jiang Qian knew that the empress dowager would not kill him now, but he didn’t want to leave Lin Yuan’s side. His heart was a little annoyed, but he couldn’t disobey the empress dowager’s summons.
“Yes, this slave knows.”
Jiang Qian turned his head slightly. His warm lips brushed past Lin Yuan’s palm and dropped an invisible kiss. He put down LIn Yuan’s hand, adjusted the blanket, and whispered: “The emperor and empress dowager has called for this slave. Wait for this slave, this slave will come back quickly.”
Jiang Qian followed the servant into the main hall and knelt down in front of the empress dowager.
The body of a slave can only humbly grovel.
The empress dowager’s cold eyes looked at Jiang Qian from above: “Seems like aijia hasn’t seen Jiang liuyuan for a year. Aijia didn’t have the leisure to see you closely because of Prince Chu’s matter. Since Prince Chu likes you so much, raise your head for aijia to look.”
Jiang Qian answered and raised his head.
The empress dowager’s eyes swept over Jiang Qian’s face and she said heartlessly: “Indeed, unsurpassed charm, an appearance like an immortal, it’s not Prince Chu’s fault for being obsessed with you. Thinking of when you were liuyuan, and your name was famous across the country, you must’ve been the ideal man of many girls. Who knew that the Jiang family would be executed because of treason, and now you are the only one left, now just a slave.”
“Aijia originally thought that for a scholar who studied ancient texts, even if one fell into the mud, would remain like a winter plum and keep their plum fragrance. Aijia didn't expect that in just one year, the first liuyuan in history would act like a courtesan from a brothel, like a fox demon.”
The empress dowager’s laugh dripped with sarcasm: “Jiang Qian ah, aijia is curious, as the past liuyuan, how do you serve a man?”
Jiang Qian’s expression distorted slightly, but he responded lightly: “The empress dowager exaggerates. This slave and the prince are mutually in love. The prince treats this slave wholeheartedly, and this slave does the same.”
“Mutually in love?” The empress dowager struck the table in front of her, and the layers of gold and ruby accessories hit the table with a sharp clang.
“Jiang Qian, do you think aijia is a fool? Before your Jiang family was accused, your father Jiang Heng was already choosing a wife for you. Why didn’t aijia hear that you liked men then? But now being demoted to slavery, you start making promises to your master, Prince Chu. Must be fate.”
Jiang Qian lowered his head and said: “Empress dowager, please understand. A year ago, when this slave was released from prison, this slave was bought by the son of Prince Yanping. Every day, he tortured this slave. This slave could not bear the pain and humiliation, thus lost all senses for several months. When this slave regained sobriety, this slave was in Prince Chu’s mansion.”
“The prince saved this slave from hell. Ever since this slave entered Prince Chu’s mansion, Prince Chu personally cared for this slave. This slave is not a rock, and in the face of sincere love, this slave can’t help but be moved.”
The empress dowager seemed slightly calmer: “Seems like aijia was mistaken. Since Prince Chu treats you so, you should also consider Prince Chu’s responsibilities. Aijia can be indifferent to your relationship with him, but……”
Her tone instantly chilled: “Prince Chu’s mansion must have a lady, and Prince Chu must have a son to inherit the clan. Aijia is afraid that Prince Chu won’t even listen to the emperor’s words, he will only listen to you.”
Jiang Qian was silent for a moment and then kowtowed again and said: “Empress dowager, you just said that this slave used to be a scholar, this slave doesn’t know if these words still hold? As a scholar, the prince treats the slave well, and this slave will inevitably repay him by a hundred fold. This slave will not persuade the prince to do anything. This slave would rather die than let the prince down.”
He now had nothing left, only Lin Yuan.
The empress dowager knew that Lin Yuan could no longer be persuaded, but she didn’t expect Jiang Qian to be the same.
But while the empress dowager was unwilling to treat Lin Yuan badly, she had a lot of ways to threaten Jiang Qian.
“Unwilling?” The empress dowager sneered: “Jiang Qian, aijia will get to the point. If you are willing to do this for aijia, aijia will allow the deceased Jiang family members to be laid to rest in your hometown. If you are unwilling, then aijia will have people burn their bones, whip their corpses, smash them into a thousand pieces, and throw the rest to feed to the dogs.”
Jiang Qian’s anger almost burned through his reason. He never anticipated that the empress dowager would threaten him in this way. But he had no power with his current status, he could only endure.
A dark flame burned in Jiang Qian’s light amber eyes. He grit his teeth with so much force that he could taste blood.
Jiang Qian kowtowed again. His voice trembled slightly: “The Jiang family committed treason, and this crime goes against the heavens. If the empress dowager really wants to treat the bones of the deceased this way, then this slave has nothing to say. Now this slave is a person of Prince Chu’s mansion, and is Prince Chu’s person, so this slave can no longer think about other families. The empress dowager, please understand.”
Seeing that her threat didn’t make Jiang Qian bend, this situation embarrassed the empress dowager.
The emperor looked at Jiang Qian, who was kneeling, with complex eyes.
Jiang Qian no longer looked like a scholar pursuing wisdom, instead, he was more like a soldier from hell.
The emperor said to the empress dowager: “Mother, regarding the matter of Prince Chu and Jiang Qian, let them do what they want. Will you not let go until Prince Chu abandons his life?”
The empress dowager said angrily: “Marrying a wife and having children is the way of the world. Two men being together, how can aijia allow this kind of transgression?”
The emperor said: “Mother, Lin Yuan also has an older sister. We can have Prince Chu adopt one of Princess Pingyang’s children. Don’t force them too much.”
The empress dowager impatiently got up and said: “Aijia doesn't care anymore. Go back to the palace.”
The emperor smiled and said: “This son will send mother off.”
The emperor also faced Jiang Qian: “Go in and accompany Prince Chu.”
Jiang Qian bowed: “Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.”
Jiang Qian walked back into the side room and leaned down and rested his forehead against Lin Yuan’s shoulder.
He closed his eyes and hid his tears and hatred.
【Di! Host, please pay attention, the villain’s blackening value has risen to 95%.】
After an unknown period of time, Jiang Qian finally controlled his emotions and locked them away in his heart. His trembling body calmed down.
He opened his eyes and traced Lin Yuan’s face. His voice was extremely gentle: “Sui Sui, wake up quickly. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”