Chapter 94: So Be It

Jiang Chenbi’s words left Cui Wangshu momentarily stunned, her pupils contracting slightly as if she had suddenly snapped back to reality. She turned her head away to gaze out the window and fell silent.

She had demanded too much these past few days. She and Jiang Chenbi could never return to how things were before, so what right did she have to expect Jiang Chenbi to be the same as she was five years ago?

She had been too overjoyed lately, unable to distinguish illusion from reality, convinced that the Jiang Chenbi before her was the one from the illusion—where they had never endured life-and-death separations and had spent those five years together.

The hands resting on her knees clenched slightly, and Cui Wangshu’s jaw tightened as she remained utterly silent.

Seeing her like this again filled Jiang Chenbi with exasperation. How had she never noticed before that Cui Wangshu had the potential to be such a stubborn gourd?

The former Minister of Rites, who oversaw diplomacy and ceremonies with a silver tongue, now found herself speechless in front of Jiang Chenbi.

Jiang Chenbi let out a long sigh and turned to watch the scenery outside as well. A heavy atmosphere permeated the carriage, and neither spoke another word until the carriage arrived at East Lake.

In this season, the lotus flowers on East Lake bloomed in full splendor. Gazing at the lake covered in lotuses eased Jiang Chenbi’s mood considerably.

Watching Wanyan Aqi disembark on the other side, Jiang Chenbi asked, “Shall we take a boat out, drink some wine, and admire this magnificent sight together?”

Wanyan Aqi stared at the lotus-covered lake in awe. The Yuan Kingdom lay on the grasslands, where such scenery was nowhere to be found.

She nodded and smiled lightly. “Very well. I’ll follow your lead, Miss Jiang.”

The three of them were dressed as ordinary commoners, at most resembling young ladies from noble families, so Wanyan Aqi addressed Jiang Chenbi simply as Miss Jiang.

The guards blended into the nearby crowd for covert protection, while even the escort troops patrolled from a distance.

Seated on the boat, Jiang Chenbi poured wine and chatted with Wanyan Aqi about some folk legends of the Capital City—tales both magnificent and eerie. Wanyan Aqi listened with wide eyes, a breeze raising goosebumps on her skin.

“Miss Jiang, is it really as magical as you say?” Wanyan Aqi asked cautiously, clearly having bought into the stories.

“Of course! And there’s more…” Finding it amusing to tease her, Jiang Chenbi continued spinning more tales to fool her.

Cui Wangshu sat quietly beside them, listening to their conversation. When Jiang Chenbi recounted half-truths about the events in the Imperial Mausoleum, weaving in other embellishments for Wanyan Aqi, Cui Wangshu’s lips curved imperceptibly, a faint smile flickering in her eyes.

She had taken an Illusion Pill that day and couldn’t drink, so Cui Wangshu declined, claiming she had memorials to review upon returning.

Jiang Chenbi pursed her lips, thinking her no fun, and continued drinking and storytelling with Wanyan Aqi.

As the sun set, the lake shimmered with rippling light, golden flecks dancing on the water. Jiang Chenbi’s face bore a drunken flush, her nose and cheeks rosy, the fragmented reflections of the lake making her eyes appear misty.

Wanyan Aqi turned and caught sight of her like this, her breath hitching. She quickly looked away, glancing covertly at Cui Wangshu, only to find her gaze locked intently on Jiang Chenbi.

Her pupils were pitch-black like ink, her stare glued to Jiang Chenbi’s face without shifting, raw desire unmasked in her eyes.

Wanyan Aqi pressed her lips together, her ear tips reddening.

Miss Jiang was indeed beautiful, but did the Female Emperor have to be so obvious? It made her feel embarrassed, as if she were intruding on them.

Jiang Chenbi was drunk, propping herself on the boat’s side with one hand while trailing the other in the lake, gently stirring the water. A bright smile lit her face as she spotted two women on another boat and called out, “Ladies, would you like to join us for a drink?”

The women on the other boat turned toward Jiang Chenbi. Clearly drunk themselves, one slurred back, “Drinking? Sure!”

Cui Wangshu eyed the somewhat familiar faces and narrowed her eyes. As the boats drew nearer, she met Xun An’s familiar icy expression, and a wave of speechlessness washed over her.

Cui Wangshu: “…”

Xun An: “…” Finally a break, and now she had to run into the Female Emperor.

She glanced at the thoroughly intoxicated Jiang Ci, who was chatting nonsensically with Jiang Chenbi, then shot Xun An a look urging her to keep her in check.

Xun An could tell from their attire what was going on. Pretending not to understand Cui Wangshu’s intent, she shifted her gaze to Wanyan Aqi and greeted her.

Cui Wangshu: “…”

The two boats drew alongside each other. Jiang Ci squinted at Jiang Chenbi. “Why do I feel like you look so familiar?”

Jiang Chenbi frowned, her words slurring a bit. “Familiar? Maybe I just have one of those common faces?”

Jiang Ci scrutinized her for a long moment before suddenly realizing, exclaiming in shock, “I remember now! You’re Jiang Chenbi!”

Jiang Chenbi lunged forward to cover her mouth. Cui Wangshu startled and hurriedly shielded her, fearing she’d bump into something.

Jiang Ci mumbled through the hand over her mouth. Jiang Chenbi frowned, warily scanning the surroundings before whispering, “Shh! Don’t shout! If Cui Wangshu hears, she’ll come kill me. Got it? Don’t shout!”

Cui Wangshu froze mid-motion, frowning coldly at the two. Xun An and Wanyan Aqi shrank back, wishing they weren’t there.

Jiang Ci blinked, nodding as if she’d heard a great secret. Once Jiang Chenbi released her, she leaned in and whispered, “Why would Cui Wangshu kill you?”

The two drunks thought they were being quiet, but their words rang clear to the other three.

Jiang Chenbi looked mysterious. “Do you know who I am?”

Jiang Ci shook her head. “Aren’t you just Jiang Chenbi?”

Jiang Chenbi tsked and revealed a “well-known secret.” “I’m Cui Wangshu’s blood sister. She’s trying to kill me now that she knows.”

Cui Wangshu’s face went beyond cold. Xun An moved to pull Jiang Ci away, but Cui Wangshu ground out through gritted teeth, “Let her speak.”

Xun An pressed her lips together and didn’t dare move, silently praying Jiang Ci wouldn’t say anything reckless.

Wanyan Aqi, overhearing “blood sister,” felt her soul leave her body. She regretted ever coming here—the Female Emperor would surely kill her now.

Jiang Ci frowned in confusion. “Why would she kill you? Hasn’t she been searching for you all along? The ghost marriage and divine statue were all for you.”

Wanyan Aqi’s heart turned to ash. From now on, nothing could shock her anymore.

Jiang Chenbi frowned. “What ghost marriage? What divine statue? What are you talking about?”

Seeing she didn’t know, Jiang Ci grew anxious and slapped her thigh. “You don’t even know? Back then, she married you. Your Life Gu shattered, so she had to hold a ghost marriage.

“As for the divine statue… sigh, her master tricked her. When you died, she tried to take her own life multiple times. To keep her alive, he said they could use incense offerings to reform your primal spirit.”

Her words stunned everyone present. Xun An swallowed hard, glancing covertly at Cui Wangshu’s face. Her body was rigid, her jaw trembling, hands clenched on her knees with veins bulging on the backs.

Xun An thought it was over and couldn’t help blurting out, “Jiang Ci!”

Startled by the shout, Jiang Ci looked at her bewilderedly. “What was that for, Xun An?”

Xun An closed her eyes in despair, squeezing out two words through clenched teeth. “Your Majesty…”

Jiang Ci frowned. “Your Majesty?”

She turned and met Cui Wangshu’s darkened face. The alcohol fled her system in fright; she froze in place, barely daring to breathe.

After a long moment, her voice trembled as she forced out, “Your… Majesty…”

Cui Wangshu’s pupils were inky black, chillingly cold. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and said slowly, “There’s no ‘Your Majesty’ here—only Cui Wangshu.”

Her gaze fell on Jiang Chenbi’s face, which had clearly sobered as well. She narrowed her eyes and said gravely, “You three, take one boat and leave.”

Jiang Chenbi’s face still held a flush as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, saying nothing.

Xun An hurriedly helped Wanyan Aqi over and rowed away.

Now alone on the boat, Cui Wangshu stared at Jiang Chenbi and murmured darkly, “Do you really think I’d kill you?”

Jiang Chenbi had mostly sobered from Xun An’s shout and realized what she’d said. Choosing to play possum, she feigned sleep and didn’t respond.

She hadn’t known… that Cui Wangshu had built the divine temple for this reason.

Cui Wangshu sneered, eyeing her pretended slumber. “You thought that if I found out about the Twin-Born Daughters secret you hid, I’d kill you, so you’ve been avoiding me all these years, right?”

Hearing her own thoughts voiced, Jiang Chenbi bit her lip, opened her eyes, and met Cui Wangshu’s gaze. Deciding to clear the air today, she said, “Yes.”

Recalling how she’d refused her touches lately, Cui Wangshu added, “You thought I’d remarried someone else, so you hid in Zhongnan Mountain, planning to live out your days alone. But then you ran into Ji Yunwei investigating a case and fled overnight, fearing I’d find you, right?”

Jiang Chenbi looked at her, unsurprised she’d uncovered Zhongnan Mountain. “Yes.”

Cui Wangshu sneered. “If I hadn’t caught you in Luozhou, you planned to flee all the way to the Southern Frontier and never see me again, right?”

Jiang Chenbi closed her eyes briefly and gritted out, “Yes.”

Veins throbbed at Cui Wangshu’s temple as she fought to restrain herself, snarling through clenched teeth, “Jiang Chenbi, how dare you?”

How dare she hide from her for five years? How dare she try to flee to the Southern Frontier even after learning she was searching?

How dare she… abandon her?

Jiang Chenbi averted her gaze. Since Cui Wangshu wanted answers, she’d get some too. Her voice hoarse, she asked, “And what about you?”

“I’ve tried to talk things out with you time and again—who’s the one dodging? What’s with the Jade Face Asura under your pillow? Do you even know what you’re doing?”

Cui Wangshu’s eyes narrowed, surprised she’d discovered the Illusion Pill. She scoffed, “What I take is none of your business.”

Jiang Chenbi froze, not expecting Cui Wangshu to offer no explanation about the Jade Face Asura—not even a denial, just dismissing it as irrelevant?

So she’d been the fool all along, meddling where she wasn’t wanted. Cui Wangshu had never intended to hash things out or return to their old relationship.

All she wanted was Jiang Chenbi’s body; her heart meant nothing.

Hahaha.

She was the deluded one, desperately trying to mend things, attributing Cui Wangshu’s reticence to personality, even foolishly believing this woman was the same as the Cui Wangshu from five years ago—the one who loved and cherished her.

Wangshu didn’t know: five years could wear down even the deepest bonds.

That “Be a good empress in peace” had meant exactly this.

Jiang Chenbi looked at Cui Wangshu, disappointment welling in her eyes as she gave a bitter, wry smile.

So be it. So be it.