Chapter 80 Final Chapter
"Your Majesty, I, your subject, do not understand..." Jiang Rongjia was bewildered, his words even becoming slightly stuttered.
Xiao Yanchu was still smiling, but a trace of something like plaintive melancholy seemed to flicker in the depths of his eyes as he gazed at Jiang Rongjia and said plaintively, "Does Jiajia truly not understand, or is it that you do not wish to understand?"
Jiang Rongjia opened his mouth, but his throat seemed choked by something, leaving him unable to speak.
Xiao Yanchu had acted on impulse today. Although he was somewhat disappointed at not receiving Jiang Rongjia's answer, he was not entirely surprised. Unwilling to pressure Jiang Rongjia further, he took a slight step back.
Only then did Jiang Rongjia unconsciously let out a small sigh of relief and relax considerably.
But the next moment, he heard Xiao Yanchu say, "...There is only one person in the world fit to be this emperor's empress. If I can gain that person companionship, it will naturally be my lifelong fortune. If I cannot, then I will simply be a lone ruler for the rest of my life."
Xiao Yanchu's tone was gentle, yet the resolute determination in his words was unmistakable. They fell on Jiang Rongjia's ears like a clap of thunder. His body trembled slightly, and he looked at Xiao Yanchu, almost unable to believe what he had just heard
In the end, Jiang Rongjia still could not give Xiao Yanchu the answer he desired. Even after being personally escorted home by the carriage and guards sent by Xiao Yanchu, and seeing the imperial guards take their leave, his mind remained in turmoil and his spirit unsettled.
He took a deep breath, vigorously rubbed his face, and then put on his usual expression before stepping through his home's doorway. Instinctively, he did not want his family to know about his matters with Xiao Yanchu, at least not before he had figured things out for himself.
Jiang Rongjia was intent on hiding it, so Jiang Chenghan and Yan Jingshu did not notice anything. The next day, when he returned to the Hanlin Academy and was initially troubled about how to face Xiao Yanchu, Jiang Rongjia did not receive any further imperial summons from the emperor, which made him sigh with relief.
The days that followed seemed no different from the past. Xiao Yanchu did not seek out Jiang Rongjia again, nor did he make any other moves. Jiang Rongjia simply went to and from his office on time each day as usual. This gave him a faint illusion, as if the words he had heard that day were merely his own delusion, and that nothing had actually happened at all.
But Jiang Rongjia knew that some things could not be truly treated as if they never happened just because he pretended to know nothing. Especially since, although he could not attend court, as Xiao Yanchu's reign progressed and court affairs stabilized, the matter of appointing an empress and taking consorts had reached a point where delay was no longer possible.
Besides the court officials pressing him relentlessly, many restless clan relatives also took advantage of the situation to fish in troubled waters, stirring up quite a few incidents. Yet Xiao Yanchu remained unchanged in his original intention, refusing to yield on this matter no matter how earnestly the court officials and imperial clan pleaded or urged.
Jiang Rongjia couldn't help but worry for Xiao Yanchu. He wanted to see him, but didn't know what to say, feeling both anxious and conflicted.
As the situation seemed to intensify, even rumors began spreading rampantly among the common people, with some even circulating that Xiao Yanchu might be impotent. Jiang Rongjia finally couldn't bear it anymore. Shortly after a morning court session ended one day, for the first time, he took the initiative to go to Zhaohua Palace and request an audience with Xiao Yanchu.
Jiang Rongjia actually didn't know what to say to Xiao Yanchu upon meeting him, but no matter what, he could not keep avoiding him like this. This matter had to be resolved one way or another.
On the way there, Jiang Rongjia kept thinking about the scene of meeting Xiao Yanchu again, what Xiao Yanchu might say, and what he should say in return. However, he had considered many possibilities, but the one thing he never expected was that Xiao Yanchu would refuse to see him.
Having never been refused by Xiao Yanchu before, Jiang Rongjia froze on the spot upon hearing the palace attendant's reply, momentarily unsure how to react.
"Is Brother Moyan angry with me? Is it because I have been avoiding him and refusing to meet all this time?"
Jiang Rongjia felt somewhat wronged. Although he hadn't taken the initiative to seek him out, Xiao Yanchu had also never summoned him since that day. He had initially felt a sense of relief, but now, upon reflection—after confessing such heartfelt words, to then withdraw completely without a single meeting—could it all have been merely to toy with his feelings?
Jiang Rongjia pressed his lips together without saying a word, turned around, and was about to leave. He would never come here again, he thought to himself, stepping heavily down the stairs in front of Zhaohua Palace, one step at a time.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. "Quickly, quickly, the imperial physicians are here—"
Jiang Rongjia instinctively paused his steps and looked towards the sound. He saw one of the palace attendants who served closely by Xiao Yanchu's side leading several imperial physicians, rushing hurriedly into Zhaohua Palace.
A moment later, Jiang Rongjia abruptly spun on his heel and broke into a run, charging back toward Zhaohua Palace. Disregarding the attendants' attempts to block him, he pushed the door open and barged in, heading straight for the bedchamber with the familiarity of one who knew the way well.
"Lord Jiang, Lord Jiang, you must not—" The attendant trying to stop Jiang Rongjia chased after him inside but was unable to hold him back.
His eyes were shut, his features drawn with exhaustion as he lay reclined on the bed. One hand pressed against his temple in a slow, circular motion, while the other arm lay limp over the edge of the bed. His sleeve was rolled up, revealing a forearm stained with bright red blood.
In the bedchamber, there were imperial physicians and palace attendants, creating a somewhat noisy atmosphere. Because of this, Xiao Yanchu did not initially hear Jiang Rongjia's footsteps. It wasn't until the palace attendants who were trying to stop Jiang Rongjia chased inside that he opened his eyes and looked over. "Jiajia?"
After a moment of surprise, remembering something, Xiao Yanchu hurriedly pulled down his sleeve to cover his forearm. But by then, it was already too late.
The stark, vivid red blood caught Jiang Rongjia's eye. His pupils constricted sharply, his expression changing drastically. "What happened? Who hurt you?"
Even though the injury was on his own body, Xiao Yanchu didn't seem the least bit nervous. He even smiled to reassure Jiang Rongjia, saying, "Jiajia, you know my skills. Who could possibly hurt me? Don't worry, it's just a superficial wound. It'll heal in a few days."
But Jiang Rongjia wasn't someone Xiao Yanchu could fool with just a few words. His face remained stern and grave. He stopped engaging with Xiao Yanchu and instead stood silently to the side, watching the imperial physicians examine and treat Xiao Yanchu. After the physicians finished taking Xiao Yanchu's pulse and bandaging the wound, their diagnosis matched what Xiao Yanchu had just said—confirming it was indeed only a superficial wound with no other serious issues. Jiang Rongjia still said nothing.
Once the treatment was finished, the imperial physicians took their leave and departed. Seeing that Jiang Rongjia's expression still hadn't softened in the slightest, Xiao Yanchu felt somewhat helpless. He then dismissed all the palace attendants as well.
Only then did Jiang Rongjia speak, looking directly at Xiao Yanchu. "What exactly happened?"
Just as Xiao Yanchu opened his mouth to offer an explanation, Jiang Rongjia cut him off, his voice firm and leaving no room for evasion. "Don't even think about trying to deceive me. If you choose not to tell me the truth today, then you need not ever speak of it again."
Xiao Yanchu paused. The words on the tip of his tongue ultimately didn't dare come out. Seeing Jiang Rongjia's resolute expression, he had no choice but to say, "It's really nothing. I just drank some soup that had something added to it. To alleviate the effects of the drug, I made a small cut on my arm, that's all."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Rongjia immediately frowned. "Someone dared to drug you?! Are the effects resolved? Could it affect your health?" Since Xiao Yanchu had already told him it was just a superficial wound, those physicians naturally had to follow Xiao Yanchu's lead in their statements.
Xiao Yanchu shook his head. Knowing this matter couldn't be brushed off lightly, he explained truthfully: "It was just Hehuan San (a type of aphrodisiac). It's not harmful to the body, but the effects are strong, and it came on quite violently. The effects have now been resolved, so it's fine."
Jiang Rongjia was not an ignorant child, he naturally knew what Hehuan San was, which made him even angrier. Using such a filthy thing on Xiao Yanchu to force his compliance was utterly despicable.
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