Xiao Jin stood aside and watched.
She indeed felt that Rong Lian’s words were extremely sincere, even a bit hurtful.
However, Nan Jin still smiled and looked at Rong Lian, asking, “Why?”
Rong Lian remained silent.
After a moment, Rong Lian raised her hand and pointed to the nameless sword on the wall. “I like this sword not only because it gives me a familiar feeling, but also because it is sharp and straight, and won’t be easily stained by blood and mud.”
Nan Jin smiled thoughtfully. “So, you like things that are upright and clean. But what if one day, this sword also gets stained with mud and you can’t wash it clean?”
Rong Lian replied, “Then I will break it.”
Nan Jin frowned. “But earlier, didn’t you say that you liked it? Why are you so eager to destroy it once it gets dirty?”
Rong Lian remained calm. “Although I am not clear about the origin of this sword, seeing it as all white and its blue light, I think it must be a good sword, which is why I have come to love it.”
“But if one day, it becomes stained with mud and falls into the dust, not to mention the real owner of this sword, even if this sword has a soul, it would rather be a broken sword than become what it hates.”
After hearing Rong Lian’s words, Nan Jin sobered up from her drink.
She realized that she had done something very foolish, because even if the moon in the sky fell into the bowl, it would only reflect a false illusion.
The moon was still the moon in the sky, and the bowl was still a bowl for holding water.
Thinking of this, Nan Jin’s lips curved slightly, lifting a mocking smile.
She reached out and stroked Rong Lian’s cold face, “So it’s better to be broken jade than complete pottery, isn’t it?”
“Miss Shen Rong Lian, I hope that when that day truly comes, you will still think the same way.”
…
After Nan Jin sobered up, she felt that she had played for too long, and she herself had almost fallen into the play.
At this moment, Nan Jin remembered her original intention.
She had allowed Consort Ning to send Rong Lian to Jianjia Building because she wanted to see this person fall into the dust, kneeling on the ground begging for mercy.
But now, things had changed.
Shen Rong Lian had not changed.
She still kept Shen Lang’s sword and arrogantly said that she liked that kind of sword and that kind of person.
Nan Jin sighed with regret as she spoke to Ling Shiyi, “If Shen San did not succumb to my seduction and did not become like me, then what use is there for me to keep her?”
Ling Shiyi nodded, “Shen San had no use in the first place.”
Satisfied with the agreement of her subordinates, Nan Jin asked about another matter, “I heard that after Consort Ning gave birth to a prince, the emperor intends to let her enter the main palace. What do you think?”
Ling Shiyi frowned and answered cautiously, “In my opinion, Consort Ning’s power in the palace is growing stronger day by day. Being proclaimed empress by the emperor was also expected… But in recent years, Consort Ning’s actions have been too ambitious, and it seems that she has extended her hand to Qi Country. She says she has no ulterior motives, but it’s hard to believe.”
Nan Jin suddenly smiled, “You said Consort Ning has ulterior motives, but I wonder if her intentions are to betray Yao Country or to betray me?”
Ling Shiyi remained silent for a while and finally chose a safe answer, “I don’t know.”
“That’s true,” Nan Jin looked at the peach blossoms outside the window, her tone very gentle, “I cannot tolerate any kind of betrayal, so Consort Ning is now abandoned. I don’t want her anymore.”
Ling Shiyi tactfully said, “My lord, but it’s difficult for us to cultivate another informant in the short term and send them to the emperor.”
“Don’t worry,” Nan Jin lowered the bamboo curtain, isolating the spring light outside, “I already have a suitable candidate in mind.”
…
Even though she knew that Nan Jin would probably send Rong Lian to the Yao palace, Xiao Jin never expected that the reason would be so simple.
In short, Nan Jin only found the situation boring because Rong Lian was not susceptible to her influence and could not become like her. She wanted to see interesting things happen.
So Nan Jin regarded Consort Ning as an abandoned child and let Rong Lian wade into this muddy water, leaving her isolated and without support in the palace.
Xiao Jin sighed.
Compared to Nan Jin, Chu Shao looked abnormal but was indeed much less harmless.
On the other hand, Nan Jin used a mysterious prophecy to send Rong Lian into the palace, and she quickly became a concubine.
After that, Nan Jin seemed to have little concern for Rong Lian’s life or death.
She ate, slept, and occasionally rode horses, traveling outside the capital in a carriage with a green pheasant pattern.
Nan Jin looked at the bamboo sea of Yunqin Country and the barren land near Yao Country border, where the tough honeysuckle flowers grew.
Looking at those flowers, white and goose-yellow, Nan Jin remembered an interesting story. “I heard that the Marquis of Pingcheng had a good daughter who was quite tenacious like honeysuckle. She became the chief imperial physician of Yao Country as a woman and surpassed all those old fogies, really showing the spirit of our women.”
Ling Shiyi smiled. “The person the Master is talking about seems to be Su Tan, the imperial physician. She has a wonderful bedside manner, superb medical skills, and has treated many common people. After they recovered, they praised her as the top physician of Yao Country.”
Hearing this name, Nan Jin suddenly remembered something else. “This Su Tan, is she the imperial physician who brought medicine to Concubine Rong when she had a cold?”
Ling Shiyi hesitated for a moment before answering, “Yes.”
Nan Jin looked at the honeysuckle flowers all around and didn’t say anything.
After a long time, the wind stopped.
Nan Jin picked a branch of honeysuckle and smiled, “She dared to give medicine to Concubine Rong despite the pressure from the Empress. She’s really a good child.”
“As for her private study of poison, there is no need to publicize it.”
Ling Shiyi frowned, “Master, what about the plan to bring down the Marquis of Pingcheng?”
Nan Jin smiled slightly and said to Ling Shiyi, “There are many ways to bring down the Marquis of Pingcheng. We don’t need to rush to use this matter to discredit her. After all, Yao Country needs a miracle worker, doesn’t it?”
Ling Shiyi remained silent for a moment before responding, “What the master said is extremely true.”
However, her eyes were vaguely worried.
If it were the usual, Nan Jin would not easily let go of any opportunity to exploit someone’s weaknesses.
But now, because of Shen Ronglian, she seemed to have made too many concessions.
A year later, this worry became a reality.
News came from the palace that the Concubine Rong of Liuli Palace was pregnant.
When the news arrived at the National Teacher’s Mansion, Nan Jin was painting, focused on a withering peach tree.
Standing under the tree was a woman in blue with silver sleeves, holding a long sword with a snow-white body engraved with silver-blue patterns.
Nan Jin looked at the sword in the woman’s hand, furrowing her brow, as if she had vaguely guessed something.
But if it were true, it was a bit unbelievable.
After thinking for a long time, Nan Jin still didn’t understand and decided to stop thinking about it.
At this time, Ling Shiyi quietly approached and told Nan Jin some good news: “Master, the Concubine Rong of Liuli Palace is already two months pregnant.”
The tip of her brush dripped with ink.
The snow-white sword was instantly stained black.
Nan Jin looked at the smudge of ink and felt that she had already gotten what she wanted, but she couldn’t feel any joy.
After a while, she said, “It’s good news.”
Before Ling Shiyi could ask where the good news was, Nan Jin put down her brush and tore up the painting.
Then she smiled and crumpled the paper into a ball.
“This shows that Shen Ronglian has really risen above the mud and is willing to serve the emperor rather than lowering herself to ask for my help.”
“With this kind of temperament, it’s no wonder she’s a Shen San, but she’s really talented.”
Nan Jin threw the paper ball away and stared at Ling Shiyi. “Do you think she might be Shen Lang?”
As someone who knows the plot, Xiao Jin greatly admires Nan Jin’s insight.
However, Ling Shiyi is not familiar with the plot and only feels that Nan Jin has become obsessed with Shen Ronglian.
Perhaps Nan Jin herself felt that this speculation was too absurd, so she didn’t mention it again later.
On the same day, Nan Jin did two things.
First, she went to appease her ally, Concubine Mei, and told her that although Rong Lian had a lowly background, she was only pregnant and not a threat.
Second, she ordered someone to bring a bowl of abortion medicine.
The brown potion was poured into a glass vase, and Nan Jin stirred it leisurely with a silver spoon until the potion and peach soup gradually merged into one.
After the sediment settled, they turned into the same color.
Nan Jin looked at the bright color floating in the cup and suddenly remembered a day many years ago when the peach blossoms were in full bloom.
At that time, the sun was shining, her father and mother were present, and her beautiful maids were also present.
She sat under a peach blossom tree, drinking a cup of peach blossom soup, and listening to her mother tell stories.
It was a very long story about Peach Blossom Mountain.
Her mother said there was a sect called Tianya Sect on the mountain, and the disciples of Tianya Sect were all heroes who wielded a sword and traveled the world. They helped the poor and the needy, hated evil like an enemy, and received the admiration and love of the people.
At that time, she was still a noble lady named Chu Jin, and she was fascinated by the story.
She grabbed her mother’s sleeve and said, “Mother, mother, I also want to be a hero.”
Her mother smiled and asked why Jin’er wanted to be a hero.
The little noble lady explained to her mother that if she became a hero with great martial arts skills, she could help many, many people.
After that, Jin’er would be like the people in Tianya Sect, wielding a sword to punish evil and promote good.
When bad people heard Jin’er’s name, they would be very scared and not dare to do bad things anymore.
This way, there would be no more evil people or bad people in the world.
Her mother sighed slightly, but still had a gentle smile on her face. “Okay, when Jin’er becomes a hero in the future, mother and father will become Jin’er’s little followers and travel the world with Jin’er.”
The little noble lady hugged her mother’s waist and said firmly, “Really, mother. There will really be such a day. When that time comes, mother and father must not deceive people and must follow Jin’er to travel the world together.”
…
The sound of the glass cup breaking was very crisp.
At first, Nan Jin smiled and looked at the scattered fragments of glass without picking them up.
After a while, she finally bent down and picked up the pieces one by one.
In her heart, she thought that the words she had said before had indeed come true.
Now, anyone who hears her name would feel afraid.
The servants heard the noise and came running, but when they saw the scene in front of them, their faces turned pale with fright. “Master Guoshi, your hand…,” one of them said, pointing to Nan Jin’s hand.
She looked down and saw that broken pieces of porcelain had pierced her palm and cut her hand, which was bleeding.
She didn’t like the color of blood, so she put her hand behind her back and ordered, “Make another bowl.” After thinking for a moment, she changed her mind and said, “Make a bowl of peach blossom soup.”
After the doctor removed the fragments and bandaged her wound, Nan Jin picked up a food box and went to the Liuli Palace.
The palace was heavily guarded, but as the National Teacher of the country, she walked into the palace without anyone daring to stop her.
Every decoration in the Liuli Palace was exquisite and luxurious, as it was specially selected by Nan Jin for Rong Lian. It was also a golden cage built for a bird with clipped wings. Nan Jin didn’t really want to see Rong Xuan, but with each step forward, her pace quickened.
When she finally entered the palace and found that there was no one inside, Nan Jin stopped and began to call Rong Lian’s name.
Her voice became a little louder and alarmed the palace maidens, who quickly came over to explain: “Master Guoshi, Concubine Rong is in the courtyard enjoying the flowers. If you want to find her, the maidservants will inform her for you.”
Nan Jin realized her own loss of composure just now and waved her hand, saying, “No need to inform her. I’ll go see her myself.” The palace maidens stepped back.
This palace was built by Nan Jin, and she drew the blueprint herself. So every path, she walked leisurely, but did not feel unfamiliar.
When the light in the courtyard became visible, Nan Jin stopped in the corridor and looked quietly.
She saw a person leaning against a peach tree blowing a flute, and petals falling all over her clothes and hair, as if she saw herself playing the flute under the tree several years ago.
Nan Jin suddenly wondered if, at that time, Shen Ronglian was hiding in some corner, watching her.
Now when she looked at Shen Ronglian, it was like looking at a torn painting, a piece of jade covered in dust.
But did Shen Ronglian think the same way when she looked at her back then?
Thinking of this, Nan Jin suddenly felt that everything she had done was meaningless.
Because she had worked so hard to build the stage and set up the play, just to make Shen Ronglian become a person like her.
But now, she suddenly realized that the slight deviation may not be due to the lack of proficiency in swordsmanship, but due to the inexplicable compassion in her heart.
Shen Ronglian should not have sympathized with a traitor, just as now she should not sympathize with a righteous disciple.
But the surging compassion in her heart made Nan Jin’s hands and feet cold.
She hated it so much and wondered how she could have such disgusting thoughts and how she could love someone who wanted to kill her.
Why did she regret everything she had done?
Nan Jin stood in the corridor, wanting to reach out and strangle Shen Ronglian, or strangle herself, so that at least she would still be herself.
But when Shen Ronglian finished playing a tune and saw her, Nan Jin’s sharpness and venom seemed to converge, and she walked slowly forward with a smile like spring breeze: “Greetings to Madam Shen Rong.”
Shen Ronglian paused, put away the flute, and said, “No need for formalities.”
Nan Jin held the food box, smiled and stared at Shen Ronglian, but said nothing.
Finally, Shen Ronglian moved her gaze away and asked faintly, “I don’t know why Your Excellency is here?”
It was as if Nan Jin had just remembered why she came here.
She took out a glass cup from the food box and smiled as she handed it to Shen Ronglian, “I heard that Madam likes to eat peach blossom soup, so I specially found one for you, hoping that you’ll accept it with a smile.”
Looking at the scene in front of her, Xiao Jin was also very impressed with Nan Jin.
After all the twists and turns, the wound in her palm started bleeding again, but Nan Jin could still smile and say something playful.
She really didn’t take a small injury seriously.
Shen Ronglian did not take the glass cup from Nan Jin’s hand, but just stared at the bandage on her hand for a while.
After looking at it, her voice was still cold, “I won’t eat it.”
“Why?” Nan Jin asked with a smile.
Shen Ronglian looked at Nan Jin and said, “I don’t know if the food you gave me has been poisoned or not.”
Nan Jin was stunned.
It must be said that Shen Ronglian understood her quite well.
She knew that a treacherous minister like her was unlikely to do anything good.
After thinking about this, Nan Jin smiled.
She then let go of the glass cup, which fell to the ground and shattered.
“It’s a shame. Since you don’t like it, this thing is useless.”
Nan Jin walked out of the Liuli Palace and met a bright sunny day.
The sunlight was good, and as she looked up, she saw the same bright spring light she had seen when she was young.
She suddenly remembered that it was also a clear day when she got drunk and ran into the Jianjia Building.
As soon as she entered, she vomited all over the floor, frightening the madam who promptly sent her to Rong Lian’s room.
She was too drunk to see Rong Lian’s expression and only knew that she was causing trouble while drunk, flipping the covers and knocking over the cups on the table.
The sound of things being smashed echoed throughout the entire building.
It was fortunate that Rong Lian had a good temper and did not throw her out of the window.
The temperature of the wet towel on her forehead after being soaked in hot water was warm, like when she was sick as a child, and her mother would touch her forehead and heart with her hand.
This warmth was like a dream, and she was afraid that if she cried, she would wake up.
So she didn’t cry, just went to the person who was wiping her forehead and hugged them before vomiting again.
When her head no longer hurt, it was already deep into the night.
Someone was touching the mole on her eyebrow with their fingers.
She reached out and grabbed it, knowing that it was Rong Lian.
She took the wet towel covering her forehead and pressed it against Rong Lian’s lips, and they then had sex once again.
While being held in Rong Lian’s body, she suddenly burst into tears, unknowingly shedding a lot of tears.
She watched the silver-blue petals scattered on Rong Lian’s shoulder, as if she had seen a Peach Blossom Mountain.
Was that her hometown or Rong Lian’s hometown?
She didn’t remember, but Rong Lian’s body was warm, making her feel like she had returned to her hometown.
…
When Rong Lian was pregnant, Nan Jin killed many people.
She was already familiar with all the tricks and schemes in the palace.
She could easily identify the people who were trying to harm Rong Lian, whether by open attack or secret poisoning.
She tortured those people with the cruelest methods, and eventually, no one dared to plot against Rong Lian again.
However, Nan Jin knew that the person who had caused the most harm to Rong Lian was herself.
Not long after, Rong Lian gave birth to a princess.
The eunuchs reported the good news to the emperor, who looked at Nan Jin and smiled.
He thanked her for finding such a worthy woman to be his Concubine, and asked for her suggestion on a name for the princess.
Nan Jin suggested the name “Shao.” After that, she no longer paid attention to news about Rong Lian, until one day she heard that Shen Lang had been looking for his sister.
Nan Jin released the news and withdrew some of the guards, allowing Shen Lang to enter the palace.
Nan Jin thought that the next day, her worries would disappear.
But to her surprise, the spies reported that Shen Lang had left the palace alone, carrying a white nameless sword and a secret book.
All Rong Lian had left her was a sword that she could no longer wield, and a set of sword techniques she had developed throughout her life.
Nan Jin didn’t want to know why Rong Lian had left these things behind, nor did she care.
She could wait patiently until Rong Lian regained her martial arts skills and stabbed her in the heart, just as she had done in the past.
Nan Jin looked forward to that day.
She thought that being killed by Rong Lian might be the happiest moment of her life.
However, during the long waiting period, Nan Jin met Rong Lian’s daughter one day.
The princess was still young and had no attendants with her.
She seemed a little confused and didn’t know where she was or why she was there.
She only stared curiously at a row of dusty bells.
The bronze bells hung on a huge rack, and the young prince in his court robes reached out and touched the cold surface of the bell, looking at the old eunuch beside him. “Can you make them ring, Grandpa?”
This old eunuch was not an ordinary servant. Although he was physically disabled, he had served the emperor for a long time, and knew many secrets of the palace.
The little prince hung his head disappointedly and let out a sound of “Oh.”
The princess watched curiously from behind the curtains as she remembered vaguely that this eunuch had a bad temper.
Her maid had also told her that he had killed many people before, and even when he grew old, he still often did things for the emperor and chopped off many people’s heads.
However, at this moment, the eunuch’s face was full of tenderness and indulgence.
Under the little prince’s gaze, he raised a wooden hammer and struck the row of bells, producing a deep and magnificent melody.
Princess Shao did not know how much internal strength was required to produce such a sound from the jade chimes.
She just widened her eyes and watched as the eunuch finished playing a tune, then lowered the wooden hammer and took the little prince’s hand.
When he bent down to hold the little prince’s hand, his posture was extremely respectful and gentle.
Then he disappeared at the end of the palace.
Princess Shao stared blankly at the scene in front of her, not even noticing when Nan Jin approached her with slow steps.
She just felt a little disappointed, thinking that no one had ever spoken to her patiently with such a gentle and friendly expression.
No one had ever played a piece of music for her either.
Xiao Jin, reading the little princess’s mind, was surprised and couldn’t help but feel a little amused.
She didn’t expect that Chu Shao from childhood still had such naive thoughts.
After a moment, Xiao Jin looked at the slender figure hiding behind the curtains and felt pity in her heart.
Although she knew that she was just a transparent body now and couldn’t touch Chu Shao, she still crouched down and stared at the little Princess Shao.
Very naive, very lovable.
At this time, Chu Shao had not yet grown crooked, but was lacking in love.
With this thought in mind, Xiao Jin couldn’t help but reach out and touch Chu Shao’s head, saying, “Grow up quickly.”
As soon as the words were spoken, Xiao Jin suddenly felt a little inappropriate.
After all, growing up may not necessarily be a good thing for Chu Shao.
There was a moment when Xiao Jin really wished she could be the one who could arrange the fate of all the characters, so that this little princess in front of her could directly skip over the sadness and hardships, grow into a brave adult, and then someone would smile at her and talk to her softly.
Unfortunately, there are no such good things in this melodramatic world.
But it’s not too bad either.
Xiao Jin looked at Princess Shao, as if coaxing a child, and involuntarily slowed down her voice: “Little Princess, I was thinking…if after a long time, if that person still hasn’t appeared, maybe I can be that kind of person.”
“By then, I’ll talk to you softly, hold your hand, and sing to you.”
“Okay?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: Hello everyone, I’m back 👋. Sorry for the late update, as I’ve been busy with other things. Anyways… I have found the raw chapters of this story, so I can continue updating chapters from now on. However, some words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs might seem inaccurate compared to previous chapters, as I lost my notes for this story. I hope you understand.
Sigh… Nan Jin is too dense. But she deserves to be ignored by Shen Lian or Shen Ronglian. 🙂
TO BE CONTINUE…
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