This was by no means what an ordinary blind woman should look like.
Jiang Linyue slowly let out a breath, the white vapor dispersing in the cold air.
She suddenly recalled some old archives she had seen in the Directorate of Palace Affairs (Shanggongju) in her past life. Consort Lin came from a scholarly family in the Jiangnan region. Before entering the palace, she was famous throughout the capital for her literary talent, excelled in the four arts of the zither, go, calligraphy, and painting, and was even well-versed in pharmacology. Would such a person be easily poisoned? Would her daughter be easily poisoned and blinded?
And then there were the rumors regarding the Quiet Moon Pavilion; though the Seventh Princess was blind, she could navigate complex courtyards completely on her own, recognize positions by sound, and identify people by their aura.
At the time, she simply thought it was palace gossip exaggerated by attendants. But thinking about it now, what if those things were true?
What if the Seventh Princess’s blindness was not a total disability? What if she had forged an entirely different way of perceiving the world in the dark? What if she was not as fragile and helpless as she appeared on the surface?
Jiang Linyue’s heart began to beat wildly.
A bold thought, like a tender sprout breaking through the soil, pushed open the thick, frozen earth of her heart,
What if the Seventh Princess, Xiao Wangshu, was never a lamb to be slaughtered at will?
What if her blindness was a disguise, or some sort of unavoidable protective color?
What if that seemingly calm pool of stagnant water at the Quiet Moon Pavilion was actually undercurrent-ridden?
What if she had been able to survive her past life, and if she could see, the throne might not necessarily have belonged to the Third Princess?
This idea was too crazy, too shocking.
Yet once it sprouted, it grew like wild grass, impossible to suppress ever again.
Jiang Linyue steadied herself against the window lattice, her fingertips icy cold. She gazed at the overlapping silhouettes of the imperial palace in the night, the flying eaves and bracket sets tracing stern lines in the dark like a giant net, trapping the destinies of countless people.
In her past life, she was an insect caught in the net, crawling along lines woven by others and ultimately plunging into the abyss.
What about this life?
What if she chose a different line?
What if she chose that overlooked, hidden dormant dragon?
Heh Jiang Linyue let out a low laugh, the sound carrying a few parts of self-mockery and a few parts of resolute determination in the quiet night.
She closed the window.
Walking back to the desk, she picked up her brush once more. This time, the tip of the brush fell steadily, writing a single name on the blank sheet of paper,
Xiao Wangshu.
Then, starting a new line, she began to write.
Not fragmented memories, not speculative guesses, but a plan.
A plan regarding how to approach the Quiet Moon Pavilion, how to observe the Seventh Princess, how to judge whether she truly was a dormant dragon, and if she truly was, how she should make her choice.
The brush moved across the paper, making a rustling sound.
The candlelight flickered, casting her shadow onto the wall, stretching it long and firm.
On this night, the candlelight in Jiang Linyue’s room burned until dawn.
And when the first ray of morning light pierced the night and shone through the window lattice, she finally put down her brush.
The paper was densely covered with characters, and at the very bottom was a conclusion she had circled:
The Quiet Moon Pavilion must be visited. The Seventh Princess must be seen. The path of this life, perhaps, lies right there.
She stood up, stretched her stiff wrists, and walked over to the bronze mirror.
The young girl in the mirror had faint dark circles under her eyes, but that pair of eyes shone astonishingly bright.
There was no longer the confusion, ambition, or despair of her past life.
There was only a kind of near-sharp clarity and a resolve to burn the boats behind her.
Jiang Linyue slowly curved the corners of her lips at the mirror.
In this life, she said softly, her voice clearly audible in the morning light, I will no longer miss any dormant dragon.
Especially that dragon who, just before her death, burned herself into the depths of her soul with a pair of empty, solitary eyes.
The morning bell had rung three times when Suqin, the senior maid by Lady Rong’s side, arrived.
By then, Jiang Linyue had just finished washing up and was adjusting her official uniform before the mirror. The bronze mirror reflected Suqin’s figure, in her early twenties, wearing the light green official robes of a first-rank maid of the Directorate of Palace Affairs, a fresh autumn begonia pinned to her temple, and a perfectly measured smile on her face.
Greetings, Official Recorder Jiang. Suqin curtsied near the doorway, her voice crisp. Lady Rong invites you to come over, saying she has matters to discuss.
Jiang Linyue’s hands paused slightly in their movement.
What was bound to come had finally arrived.
In her past life, it was on this exact morning that Lady Rong officially summoned her for the first time. Back then, she was flattered, believing her diligence had finally been noticed by her superiors, unaware that from the moment she stepped into Lady Rong’s study, she had become a pawn on the Third Princess’s chessboard.
In this life, how would it turn out?
Thank you for making the trip yourself, Sister Suqin. Jiang Linyue turned around, a gentle and proper smile already hanging on her face. I shall accompany you right away.
Suqin nodded, her gaze sweeping over her frame with a hint of deep meaning: Official Recorder Jiang has been diligent in her duties these past few days, and Lady Rong has seen it all. Summoning you today is a good thing.
Jiang Linyue lowered her eyelids, concealing the cold glint in her eyes: Thank you for the hint, sister.
To get from the Office of Records to the Hall of Prudent Reflection (Shensitang) where Lady Rong handled official business, one had to cross half of the Directorate of Palace Affairs.
Along the way, female officials and palace maids continuously bowed and greeted Suqin, while the looks they cast at Jiang Linyue were mixed with curiosity, envy, and faint jealousy. For a female official who had only been promoted to a sixth-rank recorder three days ago to be summoned alone by the highest authority of the Directorate of Palace Affairs was in itself a signal within the strictly stratified imperial court.
Jiang Linyue walked straight ahead, following steadily behind Suqin with a level pace. The autumn sun cast their shadows onto the bluestone slabs, one after the other, like two parallel lines.
In her heart, however, she was calculating rapidly.
She knew Lady Rong inside and out. In her past life, Lady Rong was both her benefactor and the guide who led her into the Third Princess’s faction. This person was shrewd, capable, and governed with extreme strictness, but she also had a fatal flaw: she was overly devoted to the merit of supporting a dragon, convinced that the Third Princess was bound to accomplish great things, and thus staked the entire future of the Directorate of Palace Affairs on the Third Princess.
In this life, Jiang Linyue must never step into that trap again.
Yet she could not simply refuse outright. Lady Rong had managed the Directorate of Palace Affairs for twenty years, with disciples and old acquaintances spread across the Six Bureaus and Twenty-Four Departments; offending her would make her future path ten times harder.
She needed to find a balance, neither arousing the suspicions of Lady Rong and the Third Princess nor failing to secure her own chance to go to the Quiet Moon Pavilion.
As she pondered, the Hall of Prudent Reflection came into view.
This was a three-bay hall with dark green tiles and grey walls, featuring six stone beasts symbolizing the six bureaus standing on the ridge of the roof. Two old osmanthus trees were planted in front of the door; at this time, their flowering season had passed, leaving only dark green leaves that rustled in the wind.
Suqin stopped at the steps and turned back to say, Official Recorder Jiang, please wait a moment. I will go in and announce you.
Trouble you.
Jiang Linyue stood at the foot of the steps, looking up at the ebony plaque of the Hall of Prudent Reflection. In the sunlight, the two characters Prudent Reflection (Shen Si) radiated a gloomy luster, like a pair of eyes coldly watching everyone who stepped into this place.
When she first stood here in her past life, her heart beat like a drum, full of longing and anxiety for the future.
In this life, she only found it ironic.
Official Recorder Jiang, please enter. Suqin quickly emerged, stepping aside.
Jiang Linyue took a deep breath and stepped onto the stone steps.
The light inside the hall was slightly dim.
Against the north wall of the main hall sat a large sandalwood desk, behind which sat a woman in her early forties. She wore the rank-five official uniform of the highest-ranking official of the Directorate of Palace Affairs, dark cyan, with spreading green phoenixes embroidered on the collar and sleeve edges. Her hair was neatly combed into a round bun, held only by a single jade hairpin. She wore no other adornments on her body, yet she naturally radiated an unquestionable authority.
It was Lady Rong.
Jiang Linyue walked to the middle of the hall and bowed according to protocol: This servant, Jiang Linyue, pays respects to Lady Administrator.
Rise. Lady Rong’s voice was calm, revealing no emotion. Grant a seat.
Suqin brought over an embroidered stool, placing it three steps away from the side of the large desk. Jiang Linyue expressed her thanks and sat down sideways, resting on only half of the chair surface, her spine straight and hands crossed over her knees; this was standard etiquette for a subordinate seeing a superior, respectful without being sycophantic.
Lady Rong picked up the celadon teacup on the desk, used the lid to skim the foam without drinking, and asked slowly and leisurely: Promoted to Official Recorder for three days, are you still adjusting?
Replying to Milady, the affairs of the Office of Records are complex, and this servant is still learning, Jiang Linyue replied with lowered eyes. Thanks to the guidance of my colleagues, I am still able to manage.
I heard you went to the Quiet Moon Pavilion yesterday? Lady Rong changed the subject abruptly.
Jiang Linyue’s heart tightened, but her expression remained unchanged: Yes. This servant was inspecting the provisions of various palaces and saw eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department embezzling the Seventh Princess’s rations, so I handled it according to palace rules.
She deliberately framed the matter as strictly professional, leaving no room for personal emotion.
Lady Rong glanced at her. That gaze was like a probe, sweeping carefully across her face as if searching for some flaw.
After a long while, she said: You are indeed bold. People avoid the Quiet Moon Pavilion like the plague, yet you dared to meddle in its affairs.
This servant wouldn’t dare call it bold, Jiang Linyue continued to lower her eyes. I only thought that the Directorate of Palace Affairs oversees the Six Bureaus and Twenty-Four Departments, and supervising the provisions of each palace is inherently my duty. If everyone turns a blind eye out of fear of trouble, wouldn’t the palace rules become mere scraps of paper?
These words were watertight, simultaneously stating her position and elevating the authority of the Directorate of Palace Affairs.
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Lady Rong’s eyes. She put down her teacup, leaned forward slightly, and lowered her voice a fraction: Jiang Linyue, you are a smart person. In the palace, smart people often have two endings: either they rise to great heights, or they die without a burial place.
Jiang Linyue’s fingertips trembled slightly as she raised her head, showing just the right amount of apprehension: Milady, this servant is dull-witted; please give me your instruction.
No need to be nervous. Lady Rong waved her hand, a faint smile appearing on her face. I see you are promising timber, which is why I am saying a bit more. Do you know that in this palace, choosing the right person to follow is more important than anything you do?
It has arrived.
Jiang Linyue sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she adopted a listening posture: This servant is willing to listen to Milady’s teachings.
Lady Rong leaned back into her chair and slowly said: Her Highness the Third Princess is recently preparing for her birthday, and the Directorate of Palace Affairs needs to select capable female officials to assist. I looked at the roster of the Office of Records; although your seniority is shallow, you handle matters steadily and are well-versed in literature, which makes you quite suitable.
She paused, her gaze landing on Jiang Linyue’s face: If you can win the favor of the Third Princess, your prospects will be boundless.