The next day brought a light, drizzling rain. Sunlight struggled to break through the smoky gray clouds, and raindrops pattered down, squeezing through the gaps between leaves.
The food box had been left near the rockery by the kitchen staff. By the time Qing Su went to fetch it, the rain had already begun to fall.
Jiang Yitang ate a lukewarm breakfast.
Qing Su was simmering with anger, keeping her head down and saying nothing.
With only Jiang Yitang and Qing Su in the room, Jiang Yitang thought of Xie Yuzhao’s words from the previous day and said softly:
“Just endure a few more days.”
Hearing this, Qing Su wiped her face and looked up abruptly. She felt it was unfair to her mistress, her eyes reddening with emotion.
She didn’t understand her mistress’s words and wanted to ask but held back, saying instead:
“This servant will go warm the food. The one in Songrong Courtyard is still waiting.”
Regarding matters at Songrong Courtyard, Qing Su had suddenly become much more proactive. Her only thought now was for that noble person to recover quickly, so that everyone who now treated her mistress with cold indifference would come to regret it!
Jiang Yitang did not stop her.
However, since it rarely rained in the past, Song’an Yuan did not deliberately keep umbrellas in stock. There were only two oil-paper umbrellas in total. The other day, Jiang Yitang had left one at Songrong Courtyard, so now she and Qing Su could not go together.
Jiang Yitang carried the food box in one hand and a prepared jug of hot water in the other, tucking the oil-paper umbrella between her neck and shoulder, using her head and shoulder to keep it in place.
She struggled out of the covered walkway and had only taken a step when she felt raindrops pattering down on her head.
Jiang Yitang instinctively tilted her head further and strained her shoulder upward, afraid the umbrella might slip.
She made her way with difficulty to Songrong Courtyard and only breathed a sigh of relief once she reached the shelter of the walkway.
Glancing around, she saw the umbrella she had left at Songrong Courtyard still resting on the windowsill. Jiang Yitang shook the umbrella in her hand and leaned it against the wall as well. Just as she was about to take out a handkerchief to wipe her cheeks, she suddenly paused.
Guiltily, Jiang Yitang thought, if she looked a bit more disheveled, wouldn’t Xie Yuzhao be more concerned about her?
Still haunted by the outcome of her previous life, Jiang Yitang ultimately decided not to wipe away the raindrops that had accidentally fallen on her face. In fact, she even deliberately tousled a slightly damp strand of hair by her cheek.
After these little maneuvers, Jiang Yitang felt a bit embarrassed.
Not daring to overdo it, she quickly picked up the food box and went inside. The room was as cold and quiet as usual, and Xie Yuzhao was already awake.
Jiang Yitang glanced up briefly before lowering her head again.
Xie Yuzhao was sitting up against the headboard.
A faint suspicion crossed Jiang Yitang’s mind—had Xie Yuzhao recovered this quickly in her previous life?
Unable to recall such details, Jiang Yitang gave up on the thought.
Listening to the rain outside, Xie Yuzhao was certain he had heard only Jiang Yitang’s footsteps earlier. Seeing her struggling with the food box and hot water, he suddenly coughed violently twice, his body trembling slightly.
Startled, Jiang Yitang immediately set down the food box and stepped forward to pat his back gently, helping him catch his breath, her face filled with alarm:
“Xie Yuzhao!”
After a while, Xie Yuzhao’s coughing gradually subsided. He raised a hand to signal he was fine, closed his eyes for a long moment, and then said hoarsely:
“Qing Su didn’t accompany you?”
Instinctively, Xie Yuzhao reached out to smooth the hair by the woman’s cheek.
He wanted to wipe her dry, but as soon as the thought arose, he remembered he had been bedridden for days—where would he have a handkerchief?
And even if he did, would he dare to let Jiang Yitang use it?
Xie Yuzhao’s eyes darkened, a hint of gloom flickering within them.
Jiang Yitang guiltily lowered her eyelids, concealing the emotions in her eyes as she murmured:
“Last time, I left my umbrella here. Now there’s only one umbrella in the courtyard.”
The experience of being imprisoned in her past life had left Xie Yuzhao with few emotional fluctuations, but now he couldn’t help but let his expression turn slightly cold.
He recalled Qing Su’s suggestive words that day.
The kitchen forbade Song’an Yuan from collecting meals, and Xie Yuzhao wasn’t surprised that Song’an Yuan was effectively sealed off and isolated like Songrong Courtyard. While fear of death was one thing, could Shangshu Fu truly be unaware of Song’an Yuan’s situation?
Knowing it was raining, if they had cared at all, the umbrella should have been delivered along with the meal box to Song’an Yuan. How could they not even provide an extra umbrella?
Ultimately, it was a matter of indifference.
The servants below were adept at interpreting the intentions of their superiors. When the masters of the mansion took no action, the servants naturally acted according to the situation.
Xie Yuzhao vaguely guessed Shangshu Fu’s thoughts.
His father and mother were childhood sweethearts who supported each other. Before his father ascended the throne, his mother endured many hardships alongside him. After his father became emperor, within just three years, his mother fell ill and died in the palace. Consumed by guilt, his father poured all his remorse and affection into him.
He was the eldest legitimate son.
At six years old, he was named Crown Prince and resided in the Eastern Palace, raised and cared for personally by his father.
His father had eight sons. Aside from the seventh and eighth princes, who were too young to understand, Xie Yuzhao dared say that the other six princes combined could not match the favor he received from his father.
But people’s hearts change.
Before the seventeenth year of Jinyuan, his father indeed favored him excessively. However, after the seventeenth year of Jinyuan, Xie Yuzhao gradually sensed his father’s wariness and veiled probing.
His father was growing older. Like many who sat on that throne, he began to cling to power and grew wary of his maturing sons.
In fact, his father started promoting other princes in court to counterbalance him, preventing his influence from becoming too dominant.
But his father was ultimately aging.
Xie Yuzhao had occupied the Crown Prince’s position for fourteen years. While other princes struggled to see a clear path forward, that was enough time for many ministers to tacitly accept him as the next to ascend the throne.
His maternal clan was the Zhongsun family of Wen Gong Mansion.
The bond his mother shared with his father, forged through shared hardships, led his father to treat Wen Gong Mansion kindly. Later, out of pity for his young age and fear that others might slight him, his father tacitly allowed Wen Gong Mansion to flourish. By then, his position as Crown Prince was no longer something his father could easily depose.
His father’s efforts to elevate other princes came too late; it was already impossible for them to form a balanced rivalry with him.
But the court officials below, observing his father’s attitude, naturally began to entertain other ideas. Now that he had contracted smallpox and was expelled from the Eastern Palace, a Crown Prince whose life hung in the balance was enough to make many reconsider the political landscape.
Wen Gong’s fief was far away in Lingyang, which was why he ended up at Shangshu Fu in the end. Otherwise, he would have gone to Wen Gong Mansion.
His interests aligned with those of Wen Gong Mansion, which would only be more concerned about his illness than his father.
Jiang Zemin was forced to take him in, hoping he would recover while also leaving a way out for himself. It was this indecision that led to the current situation.
Otherwise, how could the Jiang family matriarch’s weeping and wailing alone have stopped Jiang Zemin’s decision?
It was merely an excuse, and Jiang Zemin conveniently seized the opportunity.
If he recovered, he would owe Shangshu Fu a debt of gratitude. Even if there were slights during his convalescence, it would be seen as Jiang Zemin’s unavoidable compromise.
If he were to die from illness, Jiang Zemin could also use this to clear his name with the other princes, offering it as a pledge of allegiance.
A trace of faint mockery flashed imperceptibly in Xie Yuzhao's eyes.
But Jiang Zemin had not anticipated that the Emperor would issue a second decree, reprimanding the Shangshu Fu for incompetence.
The Emperor was indeed aging and had begun to harbor wariness toward him, but after twenty years of father-son affection, how could the Emperor allow others to neglect him?
Once this decree was issued, Jiang Zemin immediately sent Jiang Anyu to Songrong Courtyard, disregarding the fact that Jiang Anyu had just been punished with a beating.
Later, Jiang Yitang was summoned by the old madam for a talk, instructing her to visit Songrong Courtyard more often to look after things. Jiang Zemin did not object.
Jiang Yitang merely thought the Shangshu Fu was heartless and that the old madam could not bear to see Jiang Anyu overworked.
But what she did not know was that this was also Jiang Zemin's way of currying favor with him.
If Jiang Zemin could not even keep a clear grasp of what happened within the Shangshu Fu, his tenure as Shangshu would come to an end.
Even if Jiang Zemin was unaware, from Jiang Yitang's later ability to freely come and go from Songrong Courtyard, he could easily guess his intentions.
In his previous life, out of consideration for Jiang Yitang's status and fearing that if the Shangshu Fu fell, she would face an awkward situation in Jingcheng, he had never targeted the Shangshu Fu.
It was only after seeing the woman for the last time and beginning to settle accounts that he classified the Shangshu Fu as part of the Third Prince's faction, leading to their execution.
Now, looking back, it was indeed too late.
Xie Yuzhao suppressed a cough. He took the handkerchief from Jiang Yitang and gently wiped her face clean.
Xie Yuzhao's expression was focused, his movements exceptionally careful, not causing her the slightest pain.
Jiang Yitang suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
In her previous life, Xie Yuzhao had never mistreated her. Was it necessary for her to scheme against him like this?
After a long while, Jiang Yitang whispered softly:
"I'm fine."
Xie Yuzhao remained silent.
After finishing breakfast, Jiang Yitang did not leave.
On the fifteenth day, after paying her respects, Jiang Yitang would stay in Songrong Courtyard for a long time. Since Xie Yuzhao could not get out of bed, if she were not there, Songrong Courtyard would be left with only him.
Just imagining it made Jiang Yitang feel the place would be too desolate.
Jiang Yitang was weaving a decorative knot. Her hands were very skillful, twisting and turning as her fingers moved through the threads. Soon, the knot took shape. She had always loved osmanthus flowers, so she wove it into an osmanthus knot pattern.
Jiang Yitang did not neglect Xie Yuzhao. She looked up and spoke to him:
"Xie Yuzhao, what is the Eastern Palace like?"
In her previous life, after Xie Yuzhao recovered from his illness, he had always lived in the Crown Prince's Residence outside the palace. Jiang Yitang had rarely visited the palace and knew very little about the Eastern Palace.
She had been to the Eastern Palace once, but the visit was rushed, and she left even more hastily, never taking a proper look.
Xie Yuzhao lowered his gaze:
"It's nothing special, just a few courtyards, quite cramped."
After all, the imperial palace was the Sheng Shang's domain. The Eastern Palace was only a small part of the palace, and compared to residences outside the palace, it could be described as cramped.
Xie Yuzhao quietly watched the woman. The name "A Li" was about to slip from his lips when he suddenly remembered that, in this life, the woman had not yet told him her name.
Let alone her childhood name.
Xie Yuzhao's eyes darkened slightly:
"What do they call you in the residence?"
Jiang Yitang was taken aback for a moment. It took her a while to realize she had never told Xie Yuzhao her name.
Just as the three characters "Jiang Yitang" were about to leave her lips, she suddenly remembered Xie Yuzhao's question and fell silent.
After a long while, Jiang Yitang whispered softly:
"A Li."
"Concubine used to call me A Li."
Jiang Yitang had always known that she was not the child Concubine had hoped for.
The concubine did not enter the mansion willingly. Before being brought into the household, she had a childhood sweetheart with whom marriage was nearly arranged. Yet, how could commoners contend with the power of the Shangshu Fu?
After being forcibly taken into the mansion by Jiang Ze Min, the concubine was confined to a small courtyard. Jiang Yitang remembered from her childhood how the concubine would often hold her close, sitting quietly beneath the covered walkway, gazing toward the world beyond the mansion’s walls, softly calling her "A Li."
Thinking of the concubine, who found no peace even in death, Jiang Yitang pressed her lips tightly together.
The concubine had always longed to leave the Shangshu Fu.
Even her childhood name was "A Li"—"the one who departs."
As the concubine grew older, Jiang Ze Min no longer doted on her as he once had. In truth, there had been a chance for her to leave the Shangshu Fu.
But she gave it up.
Though Jiang Yitang was not the child the concubine had hoped for, in the end, she became the reason the concubine remained trapped.