After the rain, the sky had just cleared. Jiang Rongyin sat at the entrance of Guanghua Dian, watching the rain drip from the eaves.
“Princess.”
The palace maid Baoyin stepped forward and met her gaze with a look of heartache.
“His Highness has returned from Jiangnan. He is currently at Kunning Gong. This servant just ran into Aunt Zhong, who said the Empress requests your presence.”
At these words, Jiang Rongyin rose abruptly to her feet, her heart sinking another inch.
How could Jiang Yun have returned so quickly?
Then her plan…
Jiang Rongyin clenched the hand hanging at her side.
She did not want to see Jiang Yun.
Even more, she did not want to see him and be forced to recall those unbearable, agonizing nights.
Her wrists rubbed red, the crimson corners of her eyes stained with Jiang Yun’s breath, and the words he forced her to say.
To Jiang Rongyin, every single one was something she did not wish to remember.
A year ago, Jiang Yun had returned to the capital with the Wei family’s great army, and Jiang Rongyin, the legitimate princess, suddenly became a false princess.
Jiang Yun, whose place Jiang Rongyin had occupied for sixteen years, was installed as Crown Prince, basking in boundless glory.
Only then did everyone learn that Jiang Rongyin was merely a counterfeit the Emperor had found back then to placate Empress Wei.
Jiang Rongyin also understood why, for these sixteen years, Empress Wei had never liked her—and why, after her identity was exposed, she wanted Jiang Rongyin sent to Dayue for a marriage alliance.
But no one had expected that the one who would speak up to keep Jiang Rongyin would be Jiang Yun.
He was kind and a true gentleman, not holding against her the hardships of sixteen years of wandering, and he gave Jiang Rongyin a place to belong.
So they all said Jiang Rongyin should be grateful to the Crown Prince.
But if she had known the price of staying was to become Jiang Yun’s forbidden concubine for the rest of her life, Jiang Rongyin would rather have gone to Dayue for the marriage alliance.
Even if she died on the road, even if she died in Dayue, she would have accepted her fate.
With these thoughts churning, Jiang Rongyin reached the entrance of Kunning Gong. Empress Wei’s laughter drifted out from within, and her footsteps halted.
“On this return from Jiangnan, with the private tax case, your Imperial Father cannot praise you enough. In another month comes the Yanshe Yan—a perfect occasion to select a crown princess for you as well.”
“Once you are married, I will find some pretext to marry Jiang Rongyin off. I hear the young master of the Qin family has grown close to her, and your Imperial Father shares the idea. She will have gotten off cheaply.”
Empress Wei’s voice was gentle, full of maternal affection—words she had never once spoken to Jiang Rongyin.
Even after sixteen years as her daughter, she had never shown Jiang Rongyin a kind face for a single day.
But Empress Wei’s next words turned Jiang Rongyin’s face somewhat pale.
She had mentioned Qin Shiyan to Jiang Yun.
“The Ninth Princess? Why are you standing at the door without coming in?”
The female official Zhong stepped out, saw Jiang Rongyin, and after a brief pause, said with a smile.
Jiang Rongyin explained that she had only just arrived.
“This servant will take you in.”
“His Highness brought back quite a lot from Jiangnan this time.”
After saying this, Official Zhong looked at Jiang Rongyin, who stood with her head lowered in silence, and sighed inwardly.
“Your Highness, the Ninth Princess has arrived.”
Hearing Official Zhong’s words, the smile on Empress Wei’s face faded. She cast a faint glance at Jiang Rongyin, who had walked in: “Sit. The Crown Prince brought you things—see what you like.”
Empress Wei had never liked Jiang Rongyin. Even though over the years Jiang Rongyin had tried every modest, ingratiating gesture, she felt it was because of Jiang Rongyin that her son had been unable to return.
Whether it was a son or a daughter who had been taken out of the palace back then—how could Empress Wei not tell?
After the Emperor brought Jiang Rongyin into the palace, he never again sent anyone to search for Jiang Yun’s whereabouts.
How could Empress Wei possibly be amiable toward Jiang Rongyin?
But since she was someone the Emperor had brought back, Empress Wei could not treat her too harshly either. Over the years, things had simply remained cold between them.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Jiang Rongyin sat down and lifted her eyes toward Jiang Yun’s direction. After just one glance, she lowered her head again.
Jiang Yun never allowed Jiang Rongyin to call him Imperial Brother.
‘Little Nine, are you worthy?’
At the thought of those words, Jiang Rongyin dropped her gaze. She was not worthy. How could a counterfeit be worthy of calling him Imperial Brother?
Jiang Yun had followed the Wei family’s uncle into the military. The killing aura about him had been forged through slaughter on the battlefield. Now, having shed his armor for fine brocade, he was naturally noble and peerlessly aloof.
His fingers, resting on the armrest of the chair, tapped once. Jiang Yun suddenly let out a laugh. “This prince forgot—the gift for Little Nine is still in Donggong.”
Hearing this, Jiang Rongyin’s expression changed. “It’s no matter. As long as Your Highness remembers Rongyin, I—”
“Little Nine, come with this prince to Donggong.”
Before Jiang Rongyin could finish speaking, Jiang Yun’s words followed.
His tone brooked no doubt—firm and unyielding.
Empress Wei glanced at Jiang Rongyin, who looked about ready to shrink into a quail. “Go on. The Crown Prince remembers you. You should know to repay kindness with gratitude.”
With Empress Wei’s words, Jiang Rongyin could no longer refuse.
No matter how much she did not want to go to Donggong, she had to go.
Jiang Yun rose to his feet, bowed to Empress Wei, and walked out. Jiang Rongyin followed in his steps.
Now she understood—summoning her to Kunning Gong had never been about retrieving some gift.
It was to make her hear Empress Wei’s words.
On the secluded palace path, Jiang Yun walked ahead while Jiang Rongyin followed behind, always maintaining a distance of five paces.
“I heard Father intends to grant you and Qin Shiyan a marriage?”
He spoke without warning, and Jiang Rongyin’s heart lurched. “He only mentioned it.”
“Do you want to marry?”
The moment those words fell, Jiang Yun’s steps halted. Jiang Rongyin had been walking with her head down and nearly collided with him.
“I will do as Your Highness says.”
She stopped short in haste. Jiang Yun turned around, those dark eyes like an unfathomable abyss.
“Do as this prince says?”
Jiang Yun’s breath was mere inches away. He raised a hand and gripped her chin, forcing Jiang Rongyin to look up. “On my way back, this prince saw Qin Shiyan.”
Jiang Rongyin’s pupils widened slightly. Jiang Yun let out a cold scoff and called her: “Little Nine.”
“Your Highness…”
The Jiang Yun before her seemed to transform into a monstrous ghoul with a bloody maw, ready to devour Jiang Rongyin whole in the next breath.
Jiang Rongyin was terrified—afraid of what Qin Shiyan might have told him, and even more afraid for Qin Shiyan’s life.
The world praised the Crown Prince as clear and noble as the breeze and moon, a gentleman as refined as fine jade, the very best of men.
But only Jiang Rongyin knew of the obsession, the ruthlessness, and the cold-bloodedness in his bones.
She knew Jiang Yun had ways to make Qin Shiyan disappear without a trace.
But she feared even more that Jiang Yun would learn what she had done behind his back during his absence.
“Qin Shiyan is going to take a wife. When the time comes, this prince will bring Little Nine to attend the wedding banquet.”
“After the marriage, he will go to Lingnan. In this life, he will never return to the capital.”
With every word Jiang Yun spoke, Jiang Rongyin’s face turned a shade paler. He knew everything.
He knew that, in order to escape him, she had asked the Emperor to grant her and Qin Shiyan a marriage.
“Your Highness, could you—”
“If you plead for him, this prince will have him die on the road to Lingnan. Think carefully before you speak.”
The hand gripping Jiang Rongyin’s chin tightened, and red marks appeared on the young woman’s fair face. A single sentence left Jiang Rongyin not daring to make another sound.
Jiang Yun met Jiang Rongyin’s frightened, uneasy eyes, and unexpectedly felt a trace of peculiar delight rise in his heart.
She should stay by his side forever, never to break free in this lifetime.
To properly repay him for what she owed.
“No need to return to Guanghua Dian. Go to Donggong.”
Jiang Yun’s hand fell. His gaze swept across Jiang Rongyin’s face, and a smile curved at the corner of his lips as he asked in return, “Having done something wrong, shouldn’t you admit your fault to Gu?”
With that, Jiang Yun turned and left.
Jiang Rongyin was dazed, collapsing to sit on the ground. Baoyin stepped forward to support her, her eyes full of heartache. “Princess.”
“I knew it. He wouldn’t come back without reason.”
Going to Jiangnan to investigate the private taxes—Jiang Yun had said it himself. She had been foolish, walking right into his trap, thinking she could use the opportunity to completely sever their relationship.
She had never imagined that in the end, she would harm both others and herself.
Jiang Yun simply wanted her to be his caged bird for a lifetime, never able to escape the palace—this prison!