The turmoil in the court had nothing to do with the Jiang family.
After the Thirteenth Prince's death, Jiang Chenghan and Yan Jingshu returned to the capital. Then, together, they went to Prince Rui's residence to pick up Jiang Rongjia and Jiang Rongkang and bring them home. Life seemed to return to its usual peace. During this time, Jiang Rongjia followed the plan and participated in the imperial examinations. He first passed the preliminary imperial examination and earned the status of Xiucai, a qualified scholar. He then sat for the provincial-level examination, achieving a high ranking on the list of successful candidates.
He had planned to advance to the next stage by taking the national-level metropolitan examination. However, on the eve of that examination, the emperor suddenly passed away, leading to its cancellation.
However, compared to the cancellation of the exam due to the emperor's death, another event shocked Jiang Rongjia even more. On the day the emperor passed away, Jiang Chenghan returned home from the palace and brought them a piece of news.
In front of the emperor's spirit hall, when the various imperial grandsons were again on the verge of armed conflict over the throne, Prince of Chuxiang, Mu Chongyan, appeared with an imperial decree. The decree, written in the emperor's own hand, restored the title of Crown Prince to Xiao Yanchu's father, the former crown prince, and named Xiao Yanchu as the imperial supreme grandson, the official heir to the throne.
Jiang Rongjia didn't listen to the subsequent upheaval in the palace caused by this. His mind was fixated on a few words—Brother Moyan has become emperor.
Jiang Rongjia was happy for Xiao Yanchu. He even felt that this was what Xiao Yanchu deserved. After all, he was the crown prince's son. If the crown prince had not been harmed, he would still be the official heir to the throne now. But while feeling happy for Xiao Yanchu, he couldn't help but feel a trace of melancholy.
Xiao Yanchu had become emperor. In the future, he probably could never be the same with him as before. This realization left Jiang Rongjia's heart aching and heavy, filled with an indescribable sense of despondency and bewilderment.
The emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne. Jiang Rongjia originally thought that he would not see Xiao Yanchu again for a short time, but he did not expect that on the very next night after the emperor's passing, Xiao Yanchu appeared outside his window, dressed in black.
"Brother Moyan?!" Xiao Yanchu's appearance was completely unexpected for Jiang Rongjia. In his surprise, he instinctively called out the childhood name for Xiao Yanchu.
Hearing this long-lost form of address, Xiao Yanchu's smile immediately softened. It felt as if a sweet spring had welled up in his heart, warm and soft, filling his entire body with warmth and joy.
He leaped in through the window in one fluid motion and came to the side of Jiang Rongjia, who was staring at him in a daze. In a slightly hoarse voice, he said, "Jiajia hasn't called me that in so long. It really brings back memories."
Jiang Rongjia snapped back to reality. Meeting Xiao Yanchu's intensely focused gaze, which felt somewhat burning, his heart inexplicably flustered. Instinctively, he tilted his head to avoid it. Then, remembering something, he looked up at Xiao Yanchu again and hurriedly said, "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in the palace? The emperor has just passed away, and you are the crown prince. How can you leave the palace at a time like this? What if someone discovers you? Hurry, go back quickly." As he spoke, he pushed Xiao Yanchu toward the door.
But Xiao Yanchu grabbed his hand and said with a laugh, "Don't worry, Jiajia. I've made all the arrangements in the palace. With Granduncle there, no one will find out."
Mu Chongyan's mother and the old emperor's mother were sisters, making them cousins. As the old emperor's grandson, Xiao Yanchu should rightly address Mu Chongyan as Granduncle.
Although Xiao Yanchu said this, Jiang Rongjia still couldn't relax. Frowning, he said, "Better safe than sorry. Right now, who knows how many people in the capital are watching you, waiting to catch you making a mistake. How can you be so reckless? What are you doing coming here?"
Even though Xiao Yanchu was now the confirmed crown prince and future emperor, Jiang Rongjia found it difficult to change his attitude toward him and spoke as casually as always.
Xiao Yanchu didn't feel offended at all. Seeing that Jiang Rongjia was still very familiar and casual with him, without any distance or barriers, he felt completely relieved. The smile on his face grew even more genuine as he said, "I missed you. I just wanted to come see you."
When they were younger, Xiao Yanchu often spoke to Jiang Rongjia like this. Every time they were separated for some reason and met again, before parting, Xiao Yanchu would always say, "Jiajia, you have to miss me. I'll miss you too." And when they met again, he would ask, "Do you miss me, Jiajia?" or "I missed you so much."
When Jiang Rongjia was young, he would always honestly say "yes." But as he grew older, he became too embarrassed to say such things. Perhaps sensing this, Xiao Yanchu gradually stopped saying them to him. He never expected to hear such words from Xiao Yanchu again today, especially since Xiao Yanchu had taken such a risk, leaving everything in the palace just to see him.
Jiang Rongjia couldn't quite describe how he felt. Although he was already sixteen, an age where marriage proposals could be discussed, whether it was Jiang Chenghan and Yan Jingshu, or Mu Chongyan, Xie Huan, and Xiao Yanchu, they had all protected him too well, leaving him still inexperienced in matters of love. Faced with Xiao Yanchu's near-confession, he only felt instinctively at a loss, unsure of how to respond.
After stammering for a while, he finally managed to say, "Okay, okay. Now you've seen me. I'm fine, alright? Hurry back to the palace. What if something goes wrong if you delay any longer? Quickly, go back now!"
Xiao Yanchu wasn't surprised by Jiang Rongjia's obliviousness. He hadn't planned to make his feelings known today—he had just missed Jiang Rongjia and wanted to see him. Now that he had seen him, his heart was content.
Not wanting to make Jiang Rongjia worry any further, he didn't insist on staying. He obediently followed Jiang Rongjia's instructions, left the Jiang residence, and returned to the palace.
After Xiao Yanchu left, Jiang Rongjia found himself completely unable to sleep. One moment, he envisioned Xiao Yanchu dressed in imperial robes; the next, he recalled Xiao Yanchu smiling at him and saying he missed him.
His mind felt like a tangled ball of yarn. Lying in bed with his eyes open, he stared at the patterns on the canopy above, unable to sort out his thoughts all night.
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