In the midst of the chaos, Zang Ge seized A-Fei and leaped over the city wall. Murong Yan gave no order, and thus, no one dared to loose an arrow. With a few swift bounds, Zang Ge cleared the West Flower Gate and vanished into the distance. Jiang Sanyi was the first to recover, shouting loudly, "Pursue them! Do not let the rebels escape!"
The Patrol Battalion reacted first, leading men in pursuit. Jiang Sanyi approached Murong Yan and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister is incompetent; I have allowed Your Majesty to be startled."
Murong Yan did not look up. How could he not understand Jiang Sanyi’s underlying meaning? The man simply wanted to know how to deal with Zuo Canglang. Murong Yan looked again at the woman nearly drenched in red. It was as if all the sunlight in Jinyang was concentrated upon her; the heavy saturation of blood was beautiful to the point of being piercing.
From this moment on, would there truly be no possibility left between them?
Yang Lianting’s death had become a wound between them that would never stop bleeding. He should immediately order her to be dragged away and beheaded as a warning to others. Keeping such a person by his side could only lead to disaster. But why could he not speak the words?
He lowered his head and heard a voice whisper in his ear: *“Master, am I dreaming of you again? ...Then again, besides you, what else would I dream of?”*
Memories were like blades with jagged edges, stabbing into his chest and twisting through his vitals. They left the exterior intact while the interior was torn apart in silent, agonizing screams.
He took a deep breath, slowly straightened his body, and said, "Since the rebel has been brought to justice, let us return to the palace."
Having spoken, he turned away indifferently, his crimson robes fluttering in the light breeze of Jinyang. *Zuo Canglang, where exactly did I meet you all those years ago? And why did I have to meet you at all?*
Ban Yang quickly gained an understanding of the situation within the palace. Currently, the most favored was undoubtedly Consort Xian, Jiang Biyao. However, she had no children. Queen Jiang Bilan was her biological sister and had borne two princes, yet it seemed the King rarely visited her quarters.
There was also a low-ranking Lady named Ke Qing, though she had never heard the King mention her.
What surprised her most was the resident of Nanqing Palace. She held no official rank, yet she acted as the mistress of her own palace and was even raising the Third Prince, Murong Xuan. Ban Yang was not a particularly ambitious woman; she had married into the Yan Palace only because her country was broken and her family gone; the people of Wuzhong needed her to ease the relationship between the two nations.
On this day, she had just settled into Zhongmo Palace when she heard a palace maid whisper, "Who did Lady Liang offend to be placed in a place like Zhongmo Palace? I fear that in the future, His Majesty..."
Ban Yang overheard this and called the maid over, asking, "Did something happen in Zhongmo Palace?"
The maid hurriedly knelt, slapping her own mouth. "Lady Liang, it was my big mouth! I shouldn't have spoken nonsense!"
Ban Yang smiled and said, "You needn't be afraid. Just tell me the truth."
The maid finally whispered, "In the past... to frame the lady of Nanqing Palace... the Queen drowned the little princess here in Zhongmo Palace. His Majesty was exceptionally fond of the little princess, so..."
Ban Yang began to understand. In this palace, the Queen no longer managed affairs. All matters of the inner court were arranged by Consort Xian, Jiang Biyao. Whose idea could it have been for her to stay in Zhongmo Palace? Though she lacked ambition, she was still the daughter of the King of Wuzhong; she could not allow herself to be harmed for no reason.
That same day, she went to the residence of Lady Ke Qing. Knowing she was the newly titled Consort Liang, Ke Qing was naturally extremely polite.
There were few consorts in the palace, and Ban Yang already knew that Ke Qing had been bullied by Consort Xian. She asked, "I have heard that the Queen and His Majesty were childhood sweethearts. In the past, His Majesty even raised an army in a rage for her sake to conquer the world. Why is it that now, it is your younger sister who is more favored?"
Ke Qing bit her lip. She had been in the palace for some time, and since Ban Yang asked this way, she clearly harbored no goodwill toward Jiang Biyao. She said, "Your Ladyship might not know, but when His Majesty was young, there was once a palace maid..."
Rumors in the palace always traveled far; no secret could be kept forever. Many knew of the incident where Consort Rong had chopped off a maid's hands to make soup simply because Murong Yan had praised them.
Ban Yang said, "Are you saying that Consort Xian has a birthmark on her hand identical to that palace maid's?"
Ke Qing replied, "Exactly. That maid must have passed away long ago. Even if Consort Rong had spared her life, she would be forty or fifty by now. Yet this Consort Xian happens to have the exact same birthmark—don't you think that's a bit too coincidental?"
Ban Yang understood perfectly. "It is indeed a coincidence. If that is the case, she and His Majesty truly share a destiny forged in a past life."
Ke Qing smiled and said nothing more. Ban Yang did not linger, rising to say, "I have just entered the palace and am unfamiliar with the people and the place. I hope Sister Ke Qing and I can visit each other often in the future. I will not disturb you further today. I shall come to visit you again another day."
Ke Qing hurriedly rose to bow, escorting her to the door.
Zuo Canglang was ill for a month. Murong Yan never visited, only ordering the imperial physicians to tend to her. A new Consort Liang had joined the palace, but he was unwilling to go to Zhongmo Palace. What the palace maid said was indeed true. Jiang Biyao was secretly triumphant; the people in the palace were all observant—even with a newcomer, she remained the sole favorite. Naturally, they followed her lead.
Ban Yang was clever and did not usually bicker with her. She responded to all etiquette with politeness. Occasionally, when Jiang Biyao intentionally tried to suppress her, she simply endured it.
However, Jiang Biyao was still unsatisfied. Meeting Jiang Sanyi on the way to the Royal Study, she said, "I don't know what's wrong with His Majesty. Although he no longer goes to Nanqing Palace, he has no intention of dealing with that woman either!"
Jiang Sanyi said, "Unexpectedly, we underestimated her weight in His Majesty's heart."
Jiang Biyao snorted coldly. "And now there's another Ban Yang in the palace—all thanks to her meddling!"
Jiang Sanyi didn't care about that. "The King is the King, after all; the inner court will become lively sooner or later. Your Ladyship should not worry too much."
Jiang Biyao said, "She's just a little wench; I can handle her. It's just that Father is still only a third-rank Grand Secretary. I don't know when he will be restored to his original post. I've mentioned it several times, but His Majesty always changes the subject."
Jiang Sanyi said, "Gan Xiaoru is the King's man. As long as he makes no mistakes, the King will not remove him. Bi Chengjing is serving for the second time, so the King will inevitably be extra cautious and won't move him easily. It's a pity that when Zuo Canglang rescued the rebels, Bi Chengjing and the others weren't involved. Otherwise, it would have been perfect."
Jiang Biyao said, "Bi Chengjing is getting on in years. To live to such an age and still not die... it's truly annoying."
Jiang Sanyi turned to look at her and suddenly said, "That is well said. Bi Chengjing is so old; if he were to die suddenly, I suppose it wouldn't be considered strange..."
Jiang Biyao glanced at him, seemingly understanding something.
On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, during the Mid-Autumn Banquet.
Zuo Canglang claimed illness and did not attend. However, she had Zhitong bring Murong Xuan, who could now run and jump. Jiang Bilan also brought Murong Dui out for some fresh air. Jiang Biyao led Murong Ze. With several children present, the palace banquet was lively and much improved.
Jiang Bilan sat beside Murong Yan. She was still beautiful, yet she had grown much thinner. Murong Yan did not look at her; instead, he scanned the surroundings. That person was not there. His expression suddenly darkened—why did he still subconsciously search for her?
That woman should never have appeared in his life in the first place. Meeting her was a mistake; keeping her was an even greater one.
But why did the wine in his cup taste so bland?
He toyed with the golden goblet in his hand, trying to concentrate, but the music of the strings and flutes could no longer enter his ears. There were crabs at the banquet. Seeing his distraction, Jiang Biyao rose, washed her hands in the chrysanthemum water, and began to peel a crab for him. Just as she was removing the shell, Ban Yang, who was nearby, let out a soft cry: "Consort Xian, your hand..."
Everyone’s gaze shifted, landing on Jiang Biyao’s hand. Startled, Jiang Biyao slowly looked down. She saw that the birthmark on her right hand had blurred, and the water droplets around it had turned a pale pink. She tried to pull her hand back, but Murong Yan glanced over and asked, "What is it?"
Jiang Biyao hid her hand in her sleeve. "No... it's nothing."
Murong Yan slowly grasped her hand and pulled it before his eyes. With his right hand, he took a square of white silk and gently wiped the birthmark on the back of her hand. The pink, petal-like birthmark slowly faded away.
Murong Yan looked at the pink stain on the white silk. Jiang Biyao’s face turned deathly pale.
In Nanqing Palace, Zuo Canglang woke up. Wei Wei was by her side and said, "General, you're finally awake. Would you like something to eat?"
Zuo Canglang asked, "Today is Mid-Autumn. Yuan Xi and the others should all be back, right?" Wei Wei nodded. "Yes. They are all in the palace. It's a pity the General is ill, otherwise..."
Zuo Canglang did not let her finish, saying instead, "Back then, Master Xue Zhan told me that if there ever came a day when I felt regret, I should remember the Manjusri Bodhisattva, the left attendant seated beneath the Tathagata at Fachang Temple in Jinyang." Wei Wei didn't understand and asked, "What?"
Zuo Canglang said, "I think there is something hidden inside the Manjusri Bodhisattva statue. Go find Wang Nan and go to Fachang Temple with him to see if that thing is still there. If it is, help me retrieve it."
Wei Wei agreed and went out. Not long after she left, chaos broke out outside.
Murong Yan looked at Jiang Biyao’s hand for a long time, then smiled and said, "This tattoo of yours, my dear consort, is quite interesting."
Jiang Biyao hurriedly knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, I..." Murong Yan watched her quietly. "You what?" Jiang Biyao’s lips trembled, and she no longer knew how to speak. Murong Yan said, "Speak. I am prepared to listen to how you plan to explain this."
Jiang Biyao turned her head and looked again at the basin of chrysanthemum water used for washing hands. She suddenly turned her head and glared at Jiang Bilan, shouting, "It was you! You framed me, didn't you?!"
Jiang Bilan said, "Consort Xian, His Majesty is questioning you. Instead of answering, you shout at me. Is this the upbringing and etiquette of a consort?"
Jiang Biyao cried, "Why did you harm me!"
Jiang Bilan sneered, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Murong Yan stood to the side, watching these two women, then looked at the water on the table. Having been used to wash hands, the water had already begun to turn murky. Just like the hearts of people along the journey. Those clear, transparent, and pure things that could break a heart—where exactly had they been lost?
***
