Chapter 6 — Leaving the Jiang Estate

Following that, my reputation as the lady A-Hui eventually reached the ears of the Emperor himself. When the Emperor came to dine with the Empress, he specifically summoned me before him. After surveying me from head to toe with a sharp, piercing gaze, he widened his tiger-like eyes and boomed:

"Oh, so you are the A-Hui of the Kunning Palace? The Empress praises you as if there is no one else like you under the heavens, claiming that thanks to you, she has been spared a mountain of troubles."

"Now that I look at you, you do not seem all that extraordinary."

I felt a surge of tension, my mind racing as I searched for the right way to respond. The Empress took a slow sip of tea and chided him with a gentle, playful smile:

"That is enough, Your Majesty."

"This girl is timid by nature. If you frighten her like this and she falls ill, what shall I do?"

Minh Duc took that moment to place the final black piece onto the go board.

"Indeed, Father. Regardless of anything else, she is someone I have personally trained, so you must not intimidate her."

The Emperor sighed with a look of helpless resignation.

"Very well, very well. I truly have no way to deal with the two of you."

He turned back, his expression softening as he looked at me.

"Let us do it this way. In a few days, the palace will hold a grand banquet, and all the powerful officials and nobility of the court will attend. I am entrusting the management of this event to you."

"If you handle it well, I will bestow a great gift upon you."

I did not know what grand gift the Emperor spoke of, but the Empress wore a look of quiet approval, and even Minh Duc offered a silent nod. I could find no excuse to refuse, so I knelt and bowed low.

"This servant shall obey the imperial decree."

10

As time slipped by, the day of the banquet arrived. Officials arrived with their families, taking their seats in an orderly fashion. Amidst the harmonious sounds of lutes and flutes, the Emperor entered to the reverent bowing of the court. Only then did I let out a breath I had been holding for hours. Footsteps echoed behind me, followed by a familiar scent of dragon incense.

"Are you afraid?"

I turned to see Minh Duc. I did not know when he had slipped away from his seat, but he now stood right beside me. I nodded slightly.

"I am afraid, yet I am also not."

I was terrified of disappointing the Empress. I feared that if I were careless and caused a disaster, it would drag her into the ruin. Minh Duc handed me a small silk box. Inside lay several pastries shaped like flower petals.

"I have watched you since the morning; you have been so tense that you have barely eaten a morsel. Your stomach is delicate, and you cannot handle hunger. Eat a little to settle yourself."

I subconsciously rubbed my abdomen, which throbbed with a dull ache. The years of hardship I endured in the Jiang household had left me with a chronic ailment. Yet, how could Minh Duc have known? Seeing my hesitation, he stepped closer, blocking the view of the crowd.

"Rest assured, with me here to shield you, no one will see."

His tall, broad frame stood before me, concealing me from the eyes of the court. I wanted to say something, but the words died in my throat. I simply took a pastry and nibbled on a small piece. It was truly sweet.

11

I proceeded with the utmost caution, yet as the banquet drew to a close, a mistake occurred after all. Before long, news arrived from the front hall that the little princess, born to the Imperial Consort, had been struck and injured by someone. When I arrived, a crowd was already kneeling on the floor. My father, mother, Jiang Ying, and even Xia Si Gui were present. I had known since early that day that my family would be in attendance; I had even personally arranged their seating. But that was the extent of my involvement. Even as my mother's gaze followed me repeatedly, I remained unmoved. I did not understand why the incident involved the Jiang family until a guard knelt and reported:

"Your Majesty, the little princess was injured by this eldest young lady of the Jiang family."

"At the time, the young master Ha was strolling by the side of the Tai Dich lake with several noble ladies. Young lady Jiang saw them, argued with him for a time, and then stormed off in a rage."

"She could not swallow her fury, so she grabbed a stone and threw it at random, not realizing it would strike the little princess standing nearby."

The truth became clear to me in an instant. This was exactly the kind of thing Jiang Ying would do. On the surface, she was gentle and refined, but my mother had spoiled her until she was rotten. At the Jiang residence, she was accustomed to having whatever she desired. But Xia Si Gui was a living, breathing man. He had his own relationships and his own thoughts; he could not be entirely controlled by her whims. In a fit of pique, Jiang Ying had shed her mask, acting like a petulant, unreasonable child. My father knelt, his face ashen.

"Your Majesty, it is this old subject's fault for failing to discipline his daughter. The entire blame lies with me."

My mother also began to kowtow repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, all the faults are mine. But my daughter is still young; I beg you to show mercy and grant her a way to live..."

As for Jiang Ying, her panic-stricken gaze darted around the room until it landed on me. Suddenly, she shrieked at the top of her lungs:

"Your Majesty, it was A-Hui--it was Jiang Hui!"

"She is the one who instigated me to harm the little princess. She is the true mastermind behind all of this."

It was the same old story. I closed my eyes, a mocking smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. But before I could utter a single word, Minh Duc stepped forward.