The oil-paper umbrella shifted away, revealing Xiang Ming's face, and Jiang Rongyin's smile froze.
If Xiang Ming had come to Guanghua Dian, no one but Jiang Yun could have ordered him.
"Ninth Princess, His Highness requests your presence at Donggong."
Hearing Xiang Ming's words, Jiang Rongyin sat up straight. "Understood."
In her heart, she was a hundred, a thousand times unwilling, but if she didn't go, Jiang Yun would come himself.
And if he came, he wouldn't bother with discretion.
Jiang Rongyin sighed and removed all the hairpins and ornaments from her hair.
If any of these things were left behind at Donggong, Jiang Rongyin would be dead.
The rain outside wasn't heavy. Baoyin held an umbrella for Jiang Rongyin as the three of them walked toward Donggong.
After arriving at Donggong, Xiang Ming and Baoyin stood guard outside while Jiang Rongyin entered.
Inside the bedchamber, cool air drifted in through the open latticed window. Jiang Yun was sitting on a small couch reviewing memorials.
"Your Highness."
Jiang Rongyin bowed, and Jiang Yun merely glanced at her sideways.
In the silence, only the sound of rain outside and the scratch of Jiang Yun's vermilion brush as he marked the memorials could be heard.
Jiang Rongyin's legs had gone numb from standing. She looked out the window somewhat boredly, and then heard Jiang Yun's voice: "Are you a block of wood?"
"Huh?"
"I summoned you here—do you plan to stand in Donggong until nightfall?"
Jiang Yun raised a hand to prop up his head and looked at Jiang Rongyin.
"Or is it that these past two days, Little Nine has been living too comfortably at Guanghua Dian?"
Hearing Jiang Yun's words, Jiang Rongyin didn't dare reply. His words—he was angry that she hadn't taken the initiative to come to Donggong to seek him out, wasn't he?
"I merely saw that Your Highness has been busy with state affairs these past few days."
Jiang Rongyin weighed her words before responding.
Jiang Yun let out a scoff, his gaze sweeping over her from head to toe. "Is it that I'm busy, or that you're busy?"
If he didn't seek her out, she wished she could make him forget she ever existed.
Jiang Rongyin's days at Guanghua Dian were simply too carefree.
"Come grind ink."
Jiang Yun withdrew his hand and sat up straight again, leaving only that one instruction.
Jiang Rongyin took a deep breath and stepped forward to grind ink for him.
Everything in Donggong was of the finest quality—even the ink carried a hint of pine fragrance.
"Father told me today that he wants to arrange another marriage for you."
Jiang Yun kept his head down dealing with official business, but still found time to say something that made Jiang Rongyin's heart race.
"What did Your Highness say?"
Jiang Rongyin swallowed, and Jiang Yun's gaze drifted imperceptibly to her hand grinding the ink.
"He does dote on you. The candidates he picked are all from outstanding families, not inferior to Qin Shiyan in the slightest."
"Your own affairs, and you ask me?"
Jiang Yun stopped what he was doing and reached out to grasp Jiang Rongyin's wrist.
Jiang Rongyin's hand paused, and some ink splattered out, landing on the memorial before Jiang Yun.
"Rongyin's marriage is naturally for Your Highness to decide."
Besides, what right did she have to choose her own husband?
"The ink spilled. You were distracted, Little Nine."
Jiang Yun held her hand and used a handkerchief from the side to wipe the ink from her fingers.
Her thoughts turned back to an hour ago.
In Zichen Dian, the Emperor and Jiang Yun had just finished discussing matters when the Chief Steward Guo Guangyi announced that the Empress had arrived.
Empress Wei and the Emperor had had a somewhat delicate relationship because of the matter concerning Jiang Rongyin.
Now, with Jiang Yun in the picture, Empress Wei was willing to be close to the Emperor again.
She had come to Zichen Dian for the sake of Jiang Rongyin's marriage.
Between their words, it was also said that now that Qin Shiyan and Chu Qingyin were betrothed, if Jiang Rongyin remained unmarried much longer, outsiders would inevitably suspect that Jiang Rongyin was avoiding marriage because of Qin Shiyan.
Better to take this opportunity and arrange a betrothal for Jiang Rongyin as well.
Empress Wei brought a register of names. The Emperor flipped through it and could find no fault, so he casually asked Jiang Yun a question.
Jiang Yun said nothing much, letting them decide for themselves.
He knew Empress Wei did not like Jiang Rongyin and had always wanted to marry her off.
But Jiang Rongyin was the little bird he kept. If he did not let go, how would she dare fly away?
Jiang Yun had naturally looked through that register. They were all families of pure reputation, each with their own merits. The only thing they had in common was that none of them were in the capital.
Empress Wei wished Jiang Rongyin would marry far away, ideally never to return to the capital again.
Jiang Rongyin probably wished just as much to be far away from him.
The refusal could not come from Jiang Yun's mouth.
"Father Emperor asked you. How did you answer?"
Her tender white fingers had already been rubbed red by Jiang Yun. Jiang Rongyin frowned, wanting to pull her hand back.
She saw Jiang Yun raise his head to look at her, his gaze as though he wanted to devour her.
"Rongyin does not wish to marry. She only wishes to serve at Father Emperor's side."
Jiang Rongyin's hand was gripped tightly by him, unable to break free in the slightest.
"Xiao Jiu, be good. Do not do things that displease me."
"Even if your heart and words do not match, as long as I do not know, I will treat it as wholehearted devotion. But if you intend to use this opportunity to escape—"
Jiang Yun suddenly yanked her. The force sent Jiang Rongyin sprawling onto the table.
"I would not mind locking you up for a lifetime."
His heart was deeply uneasy—so uneasy that it felt as though Jiang Rongyin might vanish the very next moment.
Jiang Yun knew how much Jiang Rongyin resisted him.
But she had not said it aloud, so he could pretend nothing had happened.
Jiang Rongyin looked up at her wrist held in Jiang Yun's grip. His strength was great, and the pain made her want to cry.
"I—I understand."
She was terrified. Now, when there was not even a shadow of a marriage, Jiang Yun was already so displeased.
If on the day of the Yanshe Yan she truly ran away, what would Jiang Yun do?
Jiang Rongyin did not dare to think, but she would not give up either. She absolutely could not stay by Jiang Yun's side and be his Waishi for a lifetime.
The girl's eyes were slightly red, brimming with tears. Jiang Yun raised his hand to wipe away her tears and released her wrist.
He rose and stepped down from the small couch, then lifted her into his arms.
The ground ink stained her all over. Jiang Rongyin curled up in his embrace without speaking.
Outside the window, the rain was misty. White vapor rose from the bathing pool. Jiang Yun pressed her against the edge, one hand gripping her leg.
"Xiao Jiu, what do you call me?"
He dropped the words, tightened his grip, and then obtained from her a trembling "Huizhi."
Huizhi? Jiang Rongyin was somewhat puzzled.
But in the past, the courtesy name she called Jiang Yun—was it not Chengyun?
Before Jiang Rongyin could ponder further, her thoughts were pulled far away by him again.
On the bed, Jiang Yun only let Jiang Rongyin call him by his courtesy name.
Jiang Yun's gaze was dark and heavy. A drop of sweat fell onto Jiang Rongyin's collarbone.
He did not like the address "Imperial Brother," nor "Your Highness."
Too distant, as though it could dissipate in an instant.
But a courtesy name was different. It was the most private of things—two intimate characters.
Only when the rain outside the window gradually ceased did Jiang Yun let Jiang Rongyin go and let her sleep.
That night in the Donggong, Jiang Rongyin slept very uneasily.
She dreamed that she ran out from the Yanshe Yan, crossed the Yuheng Shanmai, and went to Tingzhou.
And then, there was Jiang Yun's furious face, rain streaming down his cheeks, an iron chain in his hand, saying she had been disobedient.
So he was going to lock her away in the side courtyard for the rest of her life.
She would never escape again.
Jiang Rongyin suddenly opened her eyes, gasping for breath.
Baoyin, who had been keeping watch nearby, immediately stepped forward: "Princess, you're awake?"
The familiar bed curtains—but not the sleeping chambers of Guanghua Dian.
"His Highness has gone to the morning court."
Baoyin said this in response to Jiang Rongyin's roaming gaze.
But when she reached out to help Jiang Rongyin up, she cried out in alarm: "Princess, you're burning up."
Jiang Rongyin raised her hand to her forehead—it was so hot it felt like it was about to cook through.
Last night, Jiang Yun had held her down in the bathing pool and tormented her for a long time, and with the rain on top of that, she had probably caught a chill.
He was always like this—once his interest was roused, he never cared about her at all.