Li Shan had also been to the battlefield. He held deep respect in his heart for a general who had sacrificed himself to protect his country and people. If anyone else had taken down the Imperial Proclamation, Li Shan would certainly have handled the matter strictly according to procedure.
But the young lady standing before him was General Jiang’s only surviving child, and Li Shan could not help feeling a pang of sympathy.
“Thank you, Miss Jiang, for picking up the Imperial Proclamation that was blown down by the wind. I’ll have someone put it back up right away.”
Jiang Youning froze. She had not expected Li Shan to say that.
If the Imperial Proclamation had truly been blown down by the wind, the young constable in charge of guarding it would at the very least have to suffer a beating. He might even be driven out of Jingzhao Prefecture and lose his livelihood because of it.
He knew this, yet he was still giving her a chance to change her mind. A trace of warmth rose in Jiang Youning’s heart.
She smiled at Li Shan. “Thank you for your kindness, but I really did intend to take down the Imperial Proclamation. Please trouble yourself to inform your superior.”
“Miss Jiang, have you thought this through? Once you enter the government office, it will be too late to regret your decision.” Li Shan could not bear to leave it at that and urged her again.
Qingyang grew anxious. “Miss, perhaps you should think it over—”
Jiang Youning raised her hand and stopped Qingyang from trying to persuade her. Looking at Li Shan, she said solemnly, “My decision is made.”
Seeing this, Li Shan said no more. He gestured invitingly. “Miss Jiang, this way, please.”
When the Prefect of Jingzhao heard that someone had taken down the Imperial Proclamation, he immediately came out to receive her. “May I ask which young lady has taken down the Imperial Proclamation?”
The Imperial Proclamation clearly stated that only the legitimate daughter of a fourth-rank official could take it down. Regardless of who the woman was, he naturally would not dare to slight her.
Li Shan stepped forward. “To answer Your Excellency, she is Miss Jiang Youning, the legitimate daughter of Jiang Congjian, the Grand General of Guide.”
Qiu Jingcheng reacted much as Li Shan had earlier. He—or rather, every official in Dayue—held reverence for any soldier who had died on the battlefield.
The Imperial Proclamation had been posted for three months, and no one had taken it down. It had given him an enormous headache. Now that someone had finally answered the proclamation, he had come out full of delight, never expecting that the person would be General Jiang’s legitimate daughter—the only bloodline General Jiang had left in this world.
What a mess this was…
Qiu Jingcheng cautiously asked the same question Li Shan had. “Miss Jiang, have you thought this through?”
Jiang Youning took out a Birth-Date Card and handed it to Qiu Jingcheng. “Your Excellency, this is my Birth-Date Card.”
Seeing that Jiang Youning had even brought her Birth-Date Card, Qiu Jingcheng realized that she had come prepared. He had no choice but to have Li Shan accept it.
“Miss Jiang, please rest assured. I will enter the palace at once and report this matter to His Majesty.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Your Excellency. There is one other matter I would like to ask of you. I wonder if you might be willing to make things a little easier for me?”
“Miss Jiang, please tell me.”
*
Even after leaving Jingzhao Prefecture, Qingyang still had not recovered from her shock.
She walked alongside Jiang Youning for a while before suddenly letting out a loud cry. The sound startled Jiang Youning.
“Qingyang, what’s wrong?”
“Waaah, waaah! Miss, how could you take down that Imperial Proclamation? That Prince Jing is… waaah… he’s a dying man! Waaah~~~ Miss, weren’t you going to marry the Young General? Waaah~~~~ What will happen to the Young General now?”
The Imperial Proclamation had only one central point: a legitimate daughter from the household of a fourth-rank official was to be selected as Princess Jing.
Prince Jing, Jun Wuyou, was the reigning emperor’s Ninth Imperial Brother. At the age of fifteen, he had already followed the former emperor onto the battlefield to kill the enemy.
After His Majesty ascended the throne, Prince Jing had helped him stabilize the court and repel the invasions of Dayan, Cangwu, and other kingdoms. His Majesty’s trust in him had made him the only Prince Equal to the Emperor in all of Dayue. Seeing him was the same as seeing His Majesty.
No one had expected Prince Jing to suffer severe injuries two years earlier while fighting Dayan. After returning, he had remained unconscious. Countless palace physicians and physicians from among the people had been summoned to treat him, but none had been of any use.
The palace physicians had declared that if Prince Jing did not awaken within three years, even the immortals would be unable to save him.
There was only one year left now, and His Majesty was extremely anxious. He suddenly thought of the folk method of using an auspicious wedding to dispel misfortune.
Perhaps marrying a princess to Prince Jing to bring him good fortune would wake him.
If this had happened before, Prince Jing would have been the ideal husband in the hearts of countless women in the capital. But now, the matter was rather difficult to arrange.
Given Prince Jing’s status, Princess Jing would have to be entered into the imperial genealogy. It was impossible for just any woman to become Princess Jing.
For the sake of his reputation as a wise ruler, His Majesty could not force a minister to marry his daughter to Prince Jing and ruin the rest of her life.
In the end, he had no choice but to issue an Imperial Proclamation seeking a woman who was willing to become Princess Jing. She also had to be the legitimate daughter of a fourth-rank official or higher.
A family whose head had risen to fourth rank or above naturally had other uses for its legitimate daughter.
She could be married into the household of an official of equal rank or a superior, or she could enter the palace and become a consort. Any of those choices was better than marrying a prince who was about to die.
If Prince Jing died right after she married him, not only would her entire life be ruined, but a valuable political piece would also be wasted.
Although Prince Jing was highly valued by His Majesty and held authority over two hundred thousand troops, possessing power that reached the heavens, everything would return to nothing after his death.
Families that truly cherished their daughters would be even less willing to marry them to a dying man.
Moreover, Dayue still retained the former dynasty’s custom of accompanying the dead in death. When the previous emperor passed away, some consorts without children had been buried with him.
Considering how highly His Majesty regarded Prince Jing, if Prince Jing died, His Majesty might, in his grief and fury, order Princess Jing to accompany him in death.
Thus, although the Imperial Proclamation had been posted for three months, no one had taken it down.
Lord Qiu had been urged several times by His Majesty and was frantic with worry, but he could not possibly force the legitimate daughter of a fourth-rank official to marry Prince Jing. All he could do was delay the matter for as long as possible.
If they still could not find someone in the end, His Majesty might lower the requirements. If even the daughter of an ordinary family could marry into Prince Jing’s Residence, then there would be nothing to worry about.
Now that someone had finally answered the proclamation, Qiu Jingcheng immediately turned around and entered the palace to report the matter to His Majesty after Jiang Youning left. At least he had fulfilled his duty.
Meanwhile, Jiang Youning watched Qingyang cry without pause. She found it somewhat amusing, but she also knew that Qingyang truly had her best interests at heart.
“Qingyang, what do you think of Xu Qiming’s treatment of me?” Jiang Youning asked.
Caught off guard by the question, Qingyang sniffled. “The Young General naturally treats Miss—”
She suddenly stopped. To her surprise, she found that she could not say the word “well.”
Everyone in the residence knew that Miss liked the Young General. She was always chasing after him, often personally delivering delicious food to him. She would even stay up all night making clothes, hats, shoes, and socks for him.
She had accompanied Miss to a temple and personally heard Miss swear before the Buddha that she would marry no one but the Young General in this life.
Besides, ever since she and Qinghe had followed Miss to the Xu Residence, Madam Xu had constantly said that Miss would marry the Young General in the future. Everyone in the residence, including Qingyang herself, had naturally come to regard Miss and the Young General as a pair.
But now that Miss had asked this question, Qingyang thought about it carefully and realized that something seemed wrong.
The things Miss made with her own hands had never been used by the Young General.
She would deliver the pastries Miss had made, only to see the Young General give them to the servants as a reward. He would not eat even a single bite himself.
As for the clothes, hats, shoes, and socks, the Young General always wore those made by Brocade Pavilion. He would not even touch the ones Miss made.
Afraid that Miss would be hurt if she found out, Qingyang had never told her.
Looking at it this way, it seemed that between Miss and the Young General, Miss had always been the one taking the initiative. Although the Young General accepted everything Miss gave him, he had never responded to her feelings.
He had not even given Miss a gift on her birthday. Only when she came of age had he sent her an ordinary jade hairpin as a token gesture. Miss treasured it like a priceless object and could not bear to wear it, afraid that she might accidentally damage it.
Seeing Qingyang at a loss for words, Jiang Youning smiled, though there was bitterness in that smile.
See? Once Qingyang had been prompted, she had also realized that Xu Qiming had never had any feelings for her. In her previous life, Jiang Youning had been so deeply involved that she had been unable to see the truth.
Or perhaps Xu Qiming had acted too well. At crucial moments, his verbal concern and thoughtfulness had always made her firmly believe that he had her in his heart.
“Qingyang, Prince Jing is the War God of Dayue. He once charged alone into the enemy camp, took the enemy general’s head, drove back the opposing army, and safeguarded Dayue’s peace. How can someone like that be allowed to die alone?” Jiang Youning said.
“But, Miss, you aren’t a physician. If you marry Prince Jing, will that make him better?”
“How will we know if we don’t try? Perhaps your Miss is simply a bringer of good fortune. Maybe he’ll recover after marrying me.”
Qingyang still wanted to say something, but Jiang Youning silenced her with a single sentence. “The imperial decree will probably arrive in a few days.”
Indeed, now that things had come this far, there was no way back.
“Miss, I believe you can wake Prince Jing.”
Qingyang did not understand why her mistress had suddenly made such a decision, but she was willing to believe in her. To Qingyang, every decision her mistress made was right.
As for Jiang Youning, whether Prince Jing could awaken or not, this was the only way she currently had to escape the Xu Family’s control over her.
Revenge had to be taken slowly.
Only a dull knife cutting into flesh caused the deepest pain.
As for waking Prince Jing?
Perhaps she could give it a try.