Chapter 14: Playing the Victim Card?

Mass slaughter?

A momentary flicker of blank confusion passed over A Sang’s face.

“So many people…”

She murmured. But quickly, determination flared in her eyes. She dropped the broken, snapped chopsticks.

“Then I’ll go get my spear!”

Shen Yuezhuang: “……”

“No, wait!”

Shen Yuezhuang hurriedly grabbed the woman’s clothes and pulled her back. “Aiya, you! When you were little, you were so steady. How have you grown up to be such a hothead!”

She pressed down on A Sang’s shoulders, trying to force her to sit back down. But A Sang stood as straight and firm as a pine. No matter how hard Shen Yuezhuang pushed, the woman’s form didn’t budge an inch.

A Sang stood tall and straight. “I, A Sang, have been deeply indebted to my mistress since childhood. And since my mistress and Miss Shen are like sisters, I, A Sang… mmmph.”

A piece of mung bean cake was shoved into her mouth, successfully stopping her declaration of loyalty.

Shen Yuezhuang, rarely the one to be left speechless by someone else, hastily silenced A Sang. She nodded perfunctorily. “Yes, yes, yes. You’re loyal to your mistress. And I’m friends with her, and friends with you, too. The bond between you and Sister Pei is your business. There’s no bond of gratitude between us. You don’t need to repay me with your life, alright?”

A Sang’s gaze was clear and bright. She quickly said, “My mistress and I are one. Since Miss Shen is my mistress’s close friend, I, A Sang, trust you!”

Shen Yuezhuang: “???”

Shen Yuezhuang: “Trust me with what?”

A Sang bit her lip, looking a little embarrassed. “I, A Sang, was born a criminal slave. If it weren’t for my mistress, I wouldn’t have even been a lowly maid.”

Shen Yuezhuang knew that much.

In fact, A Sang and Liu Yun’s background before entering the palace was quite similar.

In the forty-first year of Xuanwu, Liu Jie was convicted of dereliction of duty and beheaded. Liu Yun became a criminal slave.

In the forty-fifth year of Xuanwu, Chen Bin was tried for treason. A Sang was reduced to a criminal slave.

In the forty-third year of Xuanwu, Liu Yun entered the Shen mansion.

In the forty-sixth year of Xuanwu, A Sang became a servant of the Pei mansion.

The difference was that A Sang’s father had committed high treason, one of the ten unpardonable crimes. So whether it was Emperor Jiande’s accession or Emperor Rongxing’s, even with a general amnesty, she was not included in the pardon.

Moreover, there was no bond of fellow soldier between A Sang’s father and Lord Pei. She had once been an insignificant daughter of a concubine in the Chen household, forced to live by the matriarch’s whims. Later, she became an insignificant little criminal slave, forced to live by her masters’ whims.

Back then, A Sang had been brought into the mansion weak and sickly. If Pei Shangyu hadn’t seen how young she was and kept her close, she would likely have been bullied to death by the other servants who liked to trample on those beneath them.

Shen Yuezhuang understood her gratitude and loyalty to Sister Pei. But A Sang’s words still confused her.

Somewhat amused, she asked, “So what do you trust me with?”

A Sang was silent for a moment. Then, abruptly, she clasped her fists and knelt on one knee.

“I can’t follow my mistress into the palace. I can’t help her. This one life of mine is now of no use to her.”

She looked up at Shen Yuezhuang, her gaze burning. “If this life of mine can be of any use to Miss Shen, I would gladly give it with all my heart. I only hope that in the future, Miss Shen might do my mistress a favor when the occasion arises.”

Ah~

Shen Yuezhuang had a moment of epiphany.

“A transfer of gratitude?” She considered for a moment. “That’s just… playing the victim card!”

“Playing the victim” sounded ugly. A Sang wanted to deny it, but after mulling it over, she couldn’t find anything wrong with Shen Yuezhuang’s description.

Fortunately, she didn’t see any sign of annoyance on Shen Yuezhuang’s face. So she added, a note of hope in her voice, “If Miss Shen agrees, from now on, I, A Sang, will follow your lead!”

“No, no, no!” Shen Yuezhuang quickly waved her hands. “You’ve seen me. I’m just a profligate in the capital. My reputation is beyond repair. You say you can’t enter the palace, but I don’t have much hope of entering either. We’re both in the same boat. You’re losing big by latching onto me!”

A Sang sighed softly, a trace of regret on her face. “But in the capital, I only know Miss Shen.”

That much was obvious.

If A Sang knew anyone else, she wouldn’t have chosen to “play the victim” with Shen Yuezhuang.

Shen Yuezhuang pulled A Sang up from the ground and poured her a cup of tea.

“To be honest, I think you’re way more capable than me. I can’t do any physical labor, I can’t tell one grain from another, I got into trouble the moment I entered the palace, and I just make people angry when I come home. In short, I’m useless. But you—you have martial arts!”

Shen Yuezhuang, with great self-awareness, reasoned with her. “In my opinion, for people like us who don’t rely on our brains, the most important thing is to be obedient. Being obedient means getting into less trouble. Getting into less trouble is helping!”

“You say you want to repay your mistress with your life and find a reliable helper for her. But have you discussed this with her?”

“…No.” A Sang was indeed hesitant. “But if I told her, she would definitely disagree!”

“There you go!” Shen Yuezhuang patted A Sang’s arm. Melon seed skins fell off her clothes with the movement. “If your mistress disagrees, it must be because she has other plans. If you act on your own, you might mess up her plans. That would be the opposite of helping, wouldn’t it?”

Downstairs, the storyteller had changed. Whatever tale he was telling now, the whole hall erupted in a cheer.

As if infected by the lively commotion, Shen Yuezhuang bent her knee and rested her foot on the crossbar of the chair, propping her elbow on it. “If you trust that your mistress won’t hurt you, if you trust that she has a plan in her heart, if you trust your mistress’s…”

Shen Yuezhuang faltered, thought for a moment, then slapped her knee. “Anyway, if you trust your mistress, then tell her about your plan. If she agrees, then go ahead. If she doesn’t, then just do your thing. Stop thinking about repaying her with your life!”

Seeing that A Sang’s resolve was wavering, Shen Yuezhuang patted her shoulder. “In short, it was your mistress who was good to you back then. If she ever finds out that you’ve been following someone else’s lead without a word, she’d be the one who’s pissed off!”

“If that happens, whether or not you actually helped, that bond will definitely be broken!”

A Sang bowed her head and remained silent. Shen Yuezhuang said no more. She cracked melon seeds and waited for A Sang to figure it out on her own.

Her gaze drifted back to the storyteller below. But his story wasn’t very interesting. After a few sentences, her thoughts wandered.

She thought of Liu Yun.

It was inevitable. A Sang’s background was so similar to Liu Yun’s. Seeing her, she couldn’t help but think of Liu Yun.

A Sang was seventeen. Pei Shangyu had entered the palace, and she thought to trade her life for a good ally for Pei Shangyu.

Liu Yun had also been seventeen when she entered the palace.

But compared to her, Liu Yun was a much better calculator!

Back then, Governor Yang, the Governor of Jinzhou, was a powerful warlord, arrogant and proud of his achievements. The palace had let it be known that the Emperor wished to marry the daughter of a military commander to keep him in check.

When the late emperor’s edict for the consort selection came down, both the Huo and Shen families were deeply worried.

Given Shen Yuezhuang’s nature, being confined in the palace was the least of the problems. The real danger was that she might not even survive.

Later, Liu Yun volunteered to enter the palace. In the eyes of Old Madam Huo—indeed, in the eyes of everyone at the time—this was a win-win situation, for both Shen Yuezhuang and the Shen family, and for the Emperor.

On the one hand, Liu Yun could gain the support of both families. On the other hand, she was using her own future and prospects to trade for a chance to clear her father’s name, a chance for revenge!

No one was dissatisfied with this outcome… except Shen Yuezhuang!

She didn’t want to enter the palace herself, and even more, she didn’t want Liu Yun to enter!

In her eyes, the palace was a man-eating place.

It had devoured Seventeen.

But Seventeen was of the imperial family. Blood ties, favor and honor, greed and ambition—she couldn’t escape those.

But Liu Yun could have avoided all of this!

Shen Yuezhuang couldn’t understand, couldn’t comprehend, couldn’t forgive!

She only knew that in broad daylight, she had seen the changed world within the Jade Hibiscus Palace. And that very night, she was told that Liu Yun was going to take her place in the consort selection!

She only knew that Emperor Jiande had been chronically ill for years and was close in age to her father.

She only knew that a concubine with no children would spend the rest of her life guarding the imperial tombs in solitude.

She disagreed. So she made a huge scene…

“Miss Shen?”

A Sang’s voice brought Shen Yuezhuang back to the present.

She blinked. “What?”

A Sang looked hesitant. “Miss Shen, do you have any way to send a message into the palace?”

“I want… to ask about my mistress’s arrangements.”

“Ah!” A smile blossomed on Shen Yuezhuang’s face, brilliant as the July sun, chasing away the clouds.

“That’s more like it!”

Shen Yuezhuang agreed readily. But A Sang looked as if she had lost her anchor.

Since arriving in the capital, the only thing that had kept her going was figuring out how to do one last thing for her mistress. Now, even that had been shot down by Miss Shen.

Anxiously, she asked, “Then… what should I do now?”

Shen Yuezhuang dusted off her clothes and rose gracefully. “Leave the thinking to those who are good at it. The capital is a bustling place—it would be a shame not to enjoy it a little. Come on, I’ll take you out for some fun first!”

~~~

In the palace, at Longevity Palace.

The Emperor had finished discussing matters with his ministers in the Imperial Study. The sky was already dark.

Evening crows returned to their nests. A chill settled in. The young emperor had his evening meal in the main hall of Longevity Palace, and then all the servants were dismissed.

The two got straight to business, discussing the deployment of troops along the northern border.

Since the founding of Great Liang, the only two formidable enemies were the Xiongnu in the north and the Chu State in the south.

But for the present Great Liang, compared to Nanchu, the greater threat was Governor Yang of Jinzhou. By relying on his resistance against Nanchu, he had grown increasingly powerful, entrenched in the region for years, acting tyrannically, and framing loyal officials. He had long become an even larger poisonous sore than Nanchu!

The Emperor would inevitably have to lance that sore. But before the timing was right, the Xiongnu in the north, who attacked and then fled, had been harassing the border people for years—that was the more pressing issue.

In short, the second fire of the Emperor’s new reign was aimed at military power!

He wanted to get rid of Governor Yang, this “local emperor” who had been acting tyrannically for years, and also eliminate the troublesome Xiongnu threat!

This war with the Xiongnu was inevitable. He needed to stabilize his rear, establish his authority through this campaign, and, through it, select a crop of good generals!

On the list of good generals was Liu Yun’s younger brother, Liu Lusheng.

The news from the north, sent express by Liu Lusheng, had just arrived in the capital.

They discussed the enemy situation in the north for a long time. After tacitly agreeing on the main general, the Emperor finally let out a light sigh. Looking at the nearly full moon outside, he sighed again and said, “The full moon is almost here again. Your body…”

“It’s nothing.” Liu Yun lowered her lashes and didn’t say much. But Li Jianyun continued, “There are many candidate consorts in the palace now. It’s easy for people to find an opening, or for someone to lose patience. In my opinion, you should leave the palace for a few days.”

“Master Yuanhui of the Precious Flower Temple is skilled in medicine. We can say that my late father’s death anniversary is approaching and that you’ve gone out to pray and reflect. That should be a plausible excuse.”

Liu Yun’s breathing was very quiet. Li Jianyun wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but he felt that even illuminated by the orange candlelight, her face was pale to the point of translucence.

A hint of anger crept into his brow. But when he saw those emotionless eyes looking back at him, the anger in his heart subsided.

Liu Yun let out a faint, careless laugh. “The people around me are at least trustworthy. As long as I keep Longevity Palace secure, I’m not afraid of what those outside might be plotting.”

“Besides, it’s right in the middle of the consort selection. How can the palace be without someone in charge?”

Li Jianyun was silent for a long moment.

“If she finds out, she’ll get angry with you again. Back then, she was…”

He didn’t say who. But Liu Yun’s brows twitched instantly. The deathly stillness that had settled on her like an old monk in meditation came alive, and her face took on a strange vibrancy.

“She won’t find out.”

Liu Yun immediately cut off Li Jianyun’s words, as if arguing with him, or convincing herself. “Once she becomes a female official and finishes collecting this debt, whether or not she marries in the future, she’ll at least be able to take care of herself.”

Li Jianyun glanced sideways at her.

He didn’t say that once she became a female official, Shen Yuezhuang would never be able to marry.

He didn’t say that Liu Yun was only deceiving herself and trying to cover up the truth.

The three of them had grown up together. There was no need to say much about Shen Yuezhuang. But he considered himself the person in the world who best understood Liu Yun’s temperament!

He understood Liu Yun’s helplessness. He understood her rationality and willingness to let go. He also understood her sickness and possessiveness.

Her rationality told her that Shen Yuezhuang could never enter the palace. Her rationality told her that letting go was the best choice…

But people were never rational.

Li Jianyun’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Are you… content with this?”

Liu Yun lowered her eyes and didn’t answer.

There was nothing to answer. She was the one who had walked, step by step, to the place Shen Yuezhuang hated the most.

Li Jianyun licked his lips. A flash of anger crossed his brow as he turned his head away. His tone was extremely unpleasant. “Since we were kids, she’s always listened to you the most! Even something as against the norm as ruining her reputation and marriage prospects to become a female official—you told her to do it, and she obediently listened. If you were willing…”

“It’s not that she does as I say.” Liu Yun’s thin lips parted. Her gaze was distant. “She knows that the first couple of years after a new emperor’s accession aren’t easy. You sought her out, so she helped you. To her, you and I are the same.”

Li Jianyun’s fingers curled. After a long while, his shoulders sagged, and he sighed again.

The two sat in silence for a long time, listening only to the sputtering of the candle flame. After a while, Ruixue knocked on the door. It was a message from the secret guard who had been sent out of the palace to follow Shen Yuezhuang.

Liu Yun didn’t avoid Li Jianyun. She opened the confidential letter and read it.

Picking someone up from Yongle Lane?

That must be that Pei family maidservant.

Then, listening to stories at the teahouse, strolling down Peace Benevolence Street, encountering Duan Liang, the son of the Imperial Observatory Director, at the Thousand Gold Workshop…

Liu Yun read each word, just as she did every day, her gaze lingering tenderly over the stiff script.

But suddenly, her gaze turned cold. Her fingers, gripping the paper, tightened abruptly.

Li Jianyun immediately sensed Liu Yun’s change. He took the letter from her hand and roughly scanned it. At the very end of the letter were three large characters—Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion!

Below “Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion” was a line of smaller text, like a footnote: “Spent a fortune on Ninth Lady of the Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion. Stayed up late into the night talking. Has not yet returned.”

Li Jianyun took a quick glance at the storm clouds gathering on Liu Yun’s face. He pressed his lips together tightly to suppress a smile.

He furrowed his brow with effort. “A young lady of the boudoir, going to a place like this late at night… it’s utterly disgraceful.”

He cleared his throat and said with righteous indignation, “I believe this is exactly the kind of thing that the palace should set an example for and put a stop to. What does Her Grace the Empress Dowager think?”