Chapter 4
For a moment, countless eyes in the hall turned toward me.
“I told you. Even the crown prince despises her. What good is being a princess now?”
“She may be the late empress’s daughter, but repeatedly tormenting the Sixth Princess like this is going too far.”
“They say she’s won military honors, but what could a mere woman accomplish? Perhaps she claimed someone else’s victories just to get back to the capital…”
People in the capital had always been quick to see which way the wind was blowing.
Now that Jiang Yanjun clearly wasn’t on my side, they dared gossip and speculate to my face.
And Jiang Yanjun.
My dear brother.
Without another glance at me, he went to Jiang Jingyue, sheltered behind Li Wuzhe.
“Are you hurt?”
His voice softened at once when he spoke to her.
He even took her hand and examined it with care.
Only when he saw that her fair, delicate wrist was unmarked did he relax.
Jiang Jingyue shyly withdrew her hand.
“I’m all right, Brother. I’m sure our third sister didn’t mean it either.”
“It’s just… I accidentally broke the bracelet…”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s only a bracelet. It should have gone to someone it suited in the first place.”
Her guilt made Jiang Yanjun all the more tender toward her. He softened his voice to coax her.
“In a few days, I’ll choose an even better one for you.”
Jiang Jingyue smiled through her tears. “Then could you please stop punishing Sister? She only lost her temper for a moment.”
Standing to one side, I couldn’t help laughing aloud.
“Wonderful. Truly a wonderful performance!”
“Shall I build a stage right here, Brother, so you and your newly acquired darling sister can perform it again for everyone?”
“Outrageous!”
Jiang Yanjun whirled around and snapped,
“Jiang Shuyi, I ordered you to kneel outside and reflect. Why aren’t you kneeling?”
“You may have retaken three cities, but you were only earning a pardon for your crime. Do you think killing a few people puts you above me—above Father himself?”
“Do you know the punishment for defying imperial authority?”
There it was: a grave charge laid at my feet.
Sheltered behind them, Jiang Jingyue couldn’t resist flashing me a triumphant smile.
I straightened my spine and tightened my grip on my sword.
Slowly, I raised the bloodstained tip before my eyes and studied it for a moment.
Then I shook my head with a trace of regret.
“So you do remember I was sent to the frontier as a criminal.”
“Have you forgotten how I came to be guilty, Brother?”
As Jiang Yanjun’s expression changed sharply, I went on,
“If I hadn’t taken the blame for you, would you be sitting safely in the capital as crown prince? The winds are bitter and the snow is deep on the frontier. A pampered good-for-nothing like you would have died a hundred times over, Jiang Yanjun!”
“All that comfort in the Eastern Palace hasn’t given you any sense. It’s only turned you into a tiresome old eunuch who won’t stop talking!”
My lips curved into a cold smile.
“You want me to kneel? Fine. Ask my sword if it agrees.”