After the rain cleared, Jiang Rongyin sat at the entrance of Guanghua Palace, watching the raindrops dripping from the eaves.
“Princess.”
The palace maid Baoyin came up and met her gaze, revealing a look of heartache.
“Your Highness has returned from Jiangnan and is currently in Kunning Palace. I just met Aunt Zhong, who said that Her Majesty the Empress invites you to come over.”
These words made Jiang Rongyin stand up abruptly, and her heart sank a little.
How could Jiang Yun have returned so quickly?
So what was her plan…?
Jiang Rongyin clenched her hands at her sides.
She didn’t want to see Jiang Yun.
I don’t want to see him again, or to relive those unbearable and painful nights.
Her wrists were red from being worn down, and the corners of her crimson eyes were tinged with Jiang Yun’s scent, along with the words he had forced her to say.
For Jiang Rongyin, none of these things were things she wanted to recall.
A year ago, Jiang Yun returned to the capital with the Wei family army, and Jiang Rongyin, the legitimate princess, suddenly became a fake princess.
Jiang Yun, whose position had been occupied by Jiang Rongyin for sixteen years, was then made crown prince and enjoyed immense prestige.
Only then did everyone realize that Jiang Rongyin was merely a fake that the emperor had found to appease Empress Wei.
Jiang Rongyin also understood why Empress Wei had never liked her in the past sixteen years, and even after her identity was exposed, she wanted her to marry into the Dayue Kingdom.
No one expected that it would be Jiang Yun who spoke up to keep Jiang Rongyin.
He was kind and a virtuous man. He did not care about the suffering he had endured during those sixteen years of wandering and gave Jiang Rongyin a place to stay.
Therefore, everyone said that Jiang Rongyin should be grateful to His Highness the Crown Prince.
But if she knew that the price of staying was that she would be Jiang Yun’s captive for the rest of her life, Jiang Rongyin would rather marry into the Dayue Kingdom.
Even if she died on the road, even if she died in Dayue, she would accept her fate.
Thinking about these things, Jiang Rongyin walked to the entrance of Kunning Palace. She stopped in her tracks when she heard Empress Wei’s laughter coming from inside.
“Your father praised you highly after your return from Jiangnan regarding the private tax case. The Yan Archery Banquet is in a month, which is a good opportunity to select a Crown Princess for you.”
“After you get married, I will find a pretext to marry Jiang Rongyin off. I heard that the young master of the Qin family is close to her, and your father also has this idea. It would be a good deal for her.”
Empress Wei spoke softly and lovingly; she never said such things to Jiang Rongyin.
Even after being her daughter for sixteen years, she never treated Jiang Rongyin with a kind smile for a single day.
However, Empress Wei’s next words made Jiang Rongyin’s face turn pale.
She mentioned Qin Shiyan to Jiang Yun.
“Ninth Princess? Why are you standing at the door instead of going in?”
When Lady Zhong came out and saw Jiang Rongyin, she paused for a moment, then smiled and said something.
Jiang Rongyin explained that she had just arrived as well.
“Let me take you inside.”
“Your Highness brought back quite a few things from Jiangnan this time.”
After finishing her speech, Lady Zhong looked at Jiang Rongyin, who was bowing her head and remaining silent, and sighed inwardly.
“Your Majesty, the Ninth Princess has arrived.”
Upon hearing Lady Zhong’s words, Empress Wei’s smile faded, and she glanced lightly at Jiang Rongyin who had entered: “Sit down. The Crown Prince brought you some things. See what you like.”
Empress Wei has always disliked Jiang Rongyin. Even though Jiang Rongyin has tried to please her in various ways over the years, she still feels that it is because of Jiang Rongyin that her son has not been able to return.
Empress Wei could easily tell whether the child taken out of the palace was a son or a daughter.
After the emperor brought Jiang Rongyin into the palace, he never sent anyone to look for Jiang Yun’s whereabouts again.
How could Empress Wei be so kind to Jiang Rongyin?
Empress Wei couldn’t be too harsh on the people the emperor brought back, so she just kept them cold all these years.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Jiang Rongyin sat down, looked up at Jiang Yun’s direction, and then lowered her head again after just one glance.
Jiang Yun never allowed Jiang Rongyin to call him “Royal Brother”.
‘Little Jiu, are you worthy?’
Thinking of this, Jiang Rongyin lowered her eyes. She was not worthy. How could a fake be worthy of calling him “Royal Brother”?
Jiang Yun joined the army with his uncle from the Wei family. His fierce and imposing demeanor was forged in the battles. When he took off his armor and put on brocade clothes, he was naturally noble and unique.
Jiang Yun tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair and suddenly laughed: “I forgot, the gift for Xiao Jiu is still in the East Palace.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Rongyin’s expression changed: “It’s alright, Your Highness, it’s enough that you remember Rongyin, I…”
“Xiao Jiu, come with me to the East Palace.”
Before Jiang Rongyin could finish speaking, Jiang Yun followed up with his words.
His tone was unquestionable and very forceful.
Empress Wei glanced at Jiang Rongyin, who was shrinking into a quail: “Go, the Crown Prince remembers you, you must know how to repay kindness.”
After Empress Wei’s words, Jiang Rongyin could no longer refuse.
Even if she didn’t want to go to the East Palace, she had to go.
Jiang Yun stood up, bowed to Empress Wei, and walked out, with Jiang Rongyin following behind him.
Now she understood that the reason she was brought to Kunning Palace was not to receive any gifts at all.
The purpose was to let her hear what Empress Wei had to say.
On the secluded palace path, Jiang Yun walked ahead, with Jiang Rongyin following behind him, always keeping a distance of five steps.
“I heard that Father Emperor intends to arrange a marriage between you and Qin Shiyan?”
Suddenly, he spoke up, and Jiang Rongyin’s heart skipped a beat: “I only mentioned it.”
“Want to get married?”
After those two words were uttered, Jiang Yun stopped walking. Jiang Rongyin, who was walking with her head down, almost bumped into him.
“I will obey Your Highness.”
She stopped abruptly, and Jiang Yun turned around, her dark eyes like a bottomless, dark pool.
“Listen to me?”
Jiang Yun’s breath was right next to hers. He raised his hand, pinched her chin, and forced Jiang Rongyin to look up: “On my way back, I saw Qin Shiyan.”
Jiang Rongyin’s pupils widened slightly, and Jiang Yun coldly called out to her, “Xiao Jiu.”
“Your Highness…”
Jiang Yun before her eyes seemed to have transformed into a monster with a gaping maw, ready to devour Jiang Rongyin in the next instant.
Jiang Rongyin was terrified, afraid of what Qin Shiyan had said to her, and even more afraid that Qin Shiyan’s life was in danger.
People praise His Highness the Crown Prince as a person of integrity and virtue, a truly exceptional individual.
But only Jiang Rongyin knew the obsession, ruthlessness, and cold-bloodedness in his bones.
She knew that Jiang Yun had a way to make Qin Shiyan disappear without a trace.
But she was even more afraid that Jiang Yun would find out what she had done behind his back during the time he was away.
“Qin Shiyan is getting married, and I will take Xiao Jiu to the wedding banquet.”
“After the marriage, he will go to Lingnan and never return to the capital in his life.”
With each word Jiang Yun uttered, Jiang Rongyin’s face turned deathly pale for a moment; he knew everything.
He knew that in order to get rid of him, she had asked her father, the emperor, to grant her a marriage with Qin Shiyan.
“Your Highness, could you please…”
“If you plead for him, I will let him die on the way to Lingnan. Think it through before you speak.”
The hand gripping Jiang Rongyin’s chin tightened its hold, leaving red marks on the woman’s fair face. With a single sentence, Jiang Rongyin dared not utter another sound.
When Jiang Yun met Jiang Rongyin’s fearful and uneasy eyes, a strange sense of joy rose in his heart.
She should stay by his side forever and never be able to break free.
She should repay him properly for what she owes him.
“No need to go back to Guanghua Hall, go to the East Palace.”
Jiang Yun’s hand fell, his gaze sweeping across Jiang Rongyin’s face, a smile playing on his lips as he asked, “Having done something wrong, shouldn’t you apologize to me?”
After saying that, Jiang Yun turned and left.
Jiang Rongyin was stunned and slumped to the ground. Baoyin stepped forward to support her, her eyes full of heartache: “Princess.”
“I knew he wouldn’t come back for no reason.”
Jiang Yun himself told her to go to Jiangnan to investigate private taxes. She was foolish and fell into his trap, thinking she could take this opportunity to completely sever their relationship.
Unexpectedly, in the end, it harmed both himself and others.
Jiang Yun wanted her to be his caged bird for life, never to escape the palace!