After Ming Xun left, the sound of the zither in the Yan Mansion disappeared, and it suddenly became quieter.
In her free time, Xiao Jin would stand in the courtyard and watch Bai Zhu sweep away the fallen leaves with a broom. Seeing the leaves turn yellow, she realized that autumn had come again.
It had been a year since then. Unfortunately, Xiao Jin always felt like something was missing in her heart, to the point that whether it was a year or a day passing, it seemed no different to her.
Ancient people would write congratulatory words and make wishes, often saying “year after year” and “age after age,” but if there were no familiar people by one’s side to accompany them, even if one lived for ten thousand years, it would be just like that.
Xiao Jin knew she was being too decadent, completely lacking the demeanor that a transmigrated person should have. But something like one’s mental state was not something she could control. The people she knew either left or died.
Diving into fragments of memories, the people she accompanied countless times were nothing more than fleeting illusions left behind from the past. They could be seen but not touched, unable to speak or be embraced.
If this state continued, sooner or later, Xiao Jin would either die or go insane.
As expected, one day, when Xiao Jin was getting bored to the point of madness, she found a good sword from the storeroom.
Looking at the silver-blue blade that was cold to the touch, unable to hide its sharpness, she knew that if she swung it, it would surely be able to sever a throat in one strike.
Xiao Jin held the nameless sword but had no desire to seek death. She just smiled and moved on. She would make do with how the days passed.
And so, Xiao Jin continued to live in a clear-headed manner for two more years, a total of seven hundred and thirty days.
Every day, she would have the same dream. She knew why because something that couldn’t be grasped would always remain vivid and deeply etched in memory. In her fragmented memories, she reached out to grab that white sleeve, but she could only watch as the severed sleeve slipped through her transparent fingers.
She would try to grab it in her dreams as well, but upon waking up, there was nothing. Fortunately, before Xiao Jin completely lost her mind, the armies of Yao Country arrived at the border and attacked.
Speaking of which, Chu Shao’s speed was truly terrifying. If there could only be one book in the world about speedrunning, the title page would surely bear the name of Chu Shao.
In the first year, she gained control of the new Yao Country. In the second year, she restored the country. In the third year, she attacked the Qi Country. If the old emperor of Qi Country had a spirit in the afterlife, knowing that something he had never achieved in his entire life was accomplished by Chu Shao within three years, he would probably open his coffin and jump out.
This speed couldn’t be described as breaking through barriers; it was simply a sweeping conquest. In the letter sent by Ye Juege, apart from being shocked, there was only deep admiration from the bottom of her heart.
“Your Highness knows how to recognize talents and make good use of them, diligently seeking governance. She can be called the female equivalent of Yao and Shun.”
After reading this letter, Xiao Jin didn’t have much of a reaction. She just felt that Ye Juege was indeed a bit off-track. At a time like this, why was she still calling her “Your Highness”? She should change it and call her “Your Majesty” instead.
Xiao Jin had been calculating in her heart how much longer she would have to wait until Chu Shao arrived at the city gates and witness the grace of the Empress. But she didn’t expect that the person who would arrive first, before Chu Shao, was another yet-to-be-crowned monarch who held great power.
The person who came to inform her was Bai Zheng.
“Your Highness, Tang Ling wants to see you.”
At that moment, Xiao Jin was drinking tea and had just swallowed a sip. Feeling that the temperature was a bit hot, she furrowed her brows and asked, “The Yao Country’s armies are about to reach the capital, and she isn’t in a hurry to handle state affairs. Why does she want to see me?”
Tang Ling is probably overly influenced by legendary tales. Does she really think that pushing me out as a target will make Chu Shao retreat?
Bai Zheng smiled and shook her head, saying, “I don’t know Tang Ling’s intentions either.”
Xiao Jin looked at the snow falling outside and thought for a moment before putting on a cloak and following Bai Zheng out.
Today, she was not crowned, but she tied up her hair with a band that was draped over her shoulder.
Walking on the palace road, the snow fell even heavier. It was as white as small dumplings, forming a thick layer that covered the entire palace’s glazed tiles.
A group of guards followed closely behind Xiao Jin, following Tang Ling’s orders without leaving her side.
Staring at the figure in front of her, Xiao Jin couldn’t help but have a doubtful expression.
One of them deliberately fell a few steps behind and couldn’t help but ask, “Boss, who exactly are we following?”
“I don’t know, perhaps it’s some young miss from a prominent family who rarely leaves her house.”
Some of the guards who were more experienced had already recognized the woman ahead, but they firmly closed their mouths and dared not speak the truth.
When they reached Taiye Pond, the group of people surrounding Xiao Jin dispersed.
Xiao Jin turned around and stood still, looking at the frozen pond water and the small building built on the side.
The building appeared grand and magnificent, not something that could be built in just a day. The person who built this must have put in a lot of effort and dedication.
At the entrance of the building, a Fengling Guard stepped forward and saluted, “Your Highness, please.”
Xiao Jin walked in.
After walking up a flight of stairs, she saw Tang Ling standing under the window, standing with his hands behind his back.
Although Tang Ling’s surname was Tang, he couldn’t wear bright yellow clothing like the Emperor. However, as a regent, he shouldn’t be dressed so lightly in a simple blue garment.
However, when he turned around, he was still wearing that blue garment.
The light filtered through the paper on the window lattice, casting a shallow golden hue on Tang Ling’s brows and eyes.
Tang Ling smiled and introduced, “This small building was originally a proposal I made to Xiao Yu several years ago, for him to build it for Princess Zhao Yang’s residence.”
“Unfortunately, Princess Zhao Yang was proud and had already prepared an escape route for herself. The things I painstakingly built for so long ultimately had no use.”
It was only after everything had settled down that Tang Ling dared to reveal her true identity as a double agent.
After three years had passed, Xiao Jin approached and mentioned the events of the past, “When did you join the Crown Prince?”
Tang Ling shook her head, “There was no joining or not joining. I was always a pawn in Emperor Taizong’s game.”
“When he valued Princess Zhao Yang, I was the knife in the hands of the eldest princess. When he was disappointed in Princess Zhao Yang, I had no choice but to join Xiao Ye’s camp and become his inside agent.”
“Why was Emperor Taizong so certain that you would let him manipulate you?” Xiao Jin asked.
Tang Ling smiled and said, “Because he believed that he held enough leverage over me by sending people to monitor my birth mother. He thought that by having that leverage, he could make me obedient to him.”
“But in the end, you not only betrayed my aunt but also betrayed the Crown Prince.”
Tang Ling nodded and openly admitted it.
Xiao Jin stared at Tang Ling’s eyes and asked, “So, your birth mother, she died?”
Tang Ling replied, “Yes.”
Xiao Jin remained silent.
After all, if Tang Ling didn’t even consider herself a person, then she couldn’t treat Tang Ling as one either.
Tang Ling smiled at Xiao Jin and said, “Your Highness, do you now think that I am too treacherous and heartless?”
Xiao Jin responded, “Otherwise, what else?”
Tang Ling chuckled, “It seems that Princess Zhao Yang really kept her promise and didn’t reveal my true identity to anyone, not even you.”
Xiao Jin was taken aback.
True identity? What other identity does Tang Ling have?
Tang Ling told Xiao Jin a story.
The beginning of the story was a long river. A painted boat was built by the riverbank.
Inside the boat lived a mad He Jue woman who often leaned on the railing, gazing into the distance. Her amber eyes were filled with tears as she looked towards the direction of the capital.
She was waiting, waiting for her lover to come and take her away.
One day, the woman finally waited. But what they took away was only her child.
Year after year, who knows which year it was, the child of the prostitute was sent to the princess’s residence and became the commander of the Fengling Guards. That princess had a beautiful title, called Zhao Yang.
Later on, the commander of the Fengling Guards became the trusted confidante of the National Teacher of the Yao Country. Her new name was Ling Shiyi.
The conclusion of the story was a big fire.
That fire burned for days and nights, destroying the entire National Teacher’s residence. After that, the child of the prostitute became a commanding officer, and everyone knew her name.
This was Tang Ling’s early life, with nothing particularly remarkable.
Strangely enough, Tang Ling only told the story up to this point and did not describe how she concealed himself and plotted for power afterward.
Tang Ling explained, “My early life is enough for me to reminisce about for a lifetime. Everything I experienced afterwards was just surviving.”
Xiao Jin was somewhat surprised. What Tang Ling wanted to reminisce about the most was not the moment she devised unbeatable strategies and became the ultimate winner?
“Why?” Xiao Jin asked.
Tang Ling smiled faintly and said, “Because you all got it wrong. I am not that prostitute’s child, nor am I the child of the Tang family head.”
Xiao Jin was stunned, “So, the story you just told from the beginning was fake?”
“The story is real, only I am fake.”
“I was just a refugee after the defeat of the He Jue, bought by a trafficker and sold on the black market. I didn’t know who my birth mother was, nor what my name was.”
“Until one day, a boy was brought in by the trafficker. He had a pair of beautiful amber eyes. He told me her name was Tang Ling.”
“The nobles of the Qi Country, when they had nothing to do, liked to watch trapped beasts fight. The winner would survive, while the loser would be beaten to death.”
“That day, it was my turn to fight Tang Ling. I won, and he was dragged out and beaten into a bloody pulp.”
“Afterward, a prostitute came to the black market with gold, silver, and pearl hairpins, wanting to redeem her child. That woman went crazy when she saw that my eyes were amber, so she grabbed my hand and called me Tang Ling.”
“I responded to her call. From then on, I became Tang Ling.”
After listening to Tang Ling’s words, Xiao Jin remained silent for a long time before asking, “So, does Auntie know about this?”
Tang Ling smiled and said, “Princess Zhao Yang is different from Emperor Taizong. She didn’t look down on me because I was the child of a prostitute, so naturally, she wanted to investigate my background thoroughly.”
Xiao Jin asked in a soft voice, “What happened afterward?”
“Afterward, Princess Zhao Yang personally took away my records, destroyed them, and replaced them with new ones. She told me that she wouldn’t use this matter to blackmail me, and apart from her, no one else would know about it.”
“In return, I needed to be loyal to her and monitor the movements of Emperor Taizong on her behalf.”
Xiao Jin felt a headache. So it turned out that Tang Ling was the ultimate undercover agent. After lying dormant for so long, it seemed like she was loyal to everyone but actually loyal to no one, always working for herself.
Xiao Jin sincerely asked, “Commander Tang, aren’t you tired?”
Tang Ling casually replied, “For someone like me, just being able to survive is good enough. What’s the point of talking about tiredness?”
Xiao Jin nodded, signaling her to continue.
Tang Ling continued, “Then, I took a sword for Princess Zhao Yang, and her trust in me grew even stronger. She sent me to Yao Country to accomplish an important mission.”
“I infiltrated the Jianjia Building and accompanied Nan Jin through life and death, assisting her for eleven years.”
“Nan Jin only doubted me once, during the incident when Princess Zhao Yang wanted to obstruct the marriage alliance between Taizong and Princess Fengxuan, and she had me take action in advance.”
“At that time, Nan Jin told me she suspected me. However, she also said she wouldn’t investigate me because I was the person she trusted the most. If she couldn’t trust me, then she wouldn’t have anyone she could rely on.”
Xiao Jin already knew the outcome, “But in the end, you betrayed her.”
Tang Ling said, “Yes, I betrayed her.”
At that time, I begged Princess Zhao Yang to let me leave Yao Country. I was willing to go anywhere except Yao Country. I could do anything except betray my master.”
“But Princess Zhao Yang didn’t agree. She said only I could do this task. After it was done, I would become the Commander of Qi Country.”
Xiao Jin looked at Tang Ling and suddenly remembered the reason why her aunt wanted Nan Jin to fall into despair.
She commanded Tang Ling to betray Nan Jin and steal the city defense map to pave the way for the original owner.
When Yao Country fell into chaos, the original owner could easily accumulate military achievements. At the same time, during the campaign against Yao, she could shoot an arrow and disable her leg, making the various forces in the capital relax their guard.
Afterward, the plan could swiftly eliminate the Fourth Prince, following the logical course.
In this way, it seemed like the perfect plan for her aunt. However, there were two significant hiccups in the middle.
One was that Tang Ling’s heart turned cold, and the other was the death of the original owner.
Therefore, everything was lost.
Everyone’s wishes were perfectly dashed, and there was not a single winner.
Xiao Jin suddenly understood why Tang Ling chose to end the story at the moment she became the Commander. Because neither before nor after would there be a moment where everyone was completely defeated.
Afterward, Tang Ling said many more things, but Xiao Jin didn’t pay much attention. She didn’t listen carefully.
Finally, Tang Ling stood under the window and handed the other half of the Tiger Talisman from the Shenji Camp Troops to her, saying, “Prince Yan, because of you, Nan Jin died. But I don’t resent you. After all, I am not even Tang Ling. What right do I have to hate others using Tang Ling’s identity?”
“Prince Yan, you are the jade that Zhao Yang has carefully polished for so many years. I don’t want to see you waiting for the country to be destroyed and dying in the Yan Mansion. You should take this talisman and die in the battlefield. This is the ending I have chosen for you.”
Sunlight shone through the window once again. Tang Ling finished speaking and waved her sleeve, urging Xiao Jin to leave. “Alright, Prince Yan, you can leave now.”
Xiao Jin remained silent for a long time. In the end, she didn’t expose the fact that Tang Ling wanted to give herself a way out. She simply asked, “And what about you?”
“Me?” Tang Ling smiled with a twinkle in her eyes, placing her hand behind her back, appearing carefree and content. “I don’t bear the surname Xiao, and I can’t issue a self-punishment decree. Naturally, I will take advantage of the fact that the country hasn’t fallen yet and hide in this small building, continuing to enjoy the snow and listen to music.”
….
Xiao Jin walked out of the small building. Just as she took a few steps, she heard a faint sound of the window being opened upstairs. Then, with a thud, something landed on the icy surface of the Taiye Pond.
The palace maids and eunuchs seemed to be screaming and shouting the name of a person. However, Xiao Jin continued walking forward without turning back to look. After all, Tang Ling wasn’t really Tang Ling, and calling out someone else’s name wouldn’t wake her up.
Clutching the Tiger Talisman in her hand, she left the palace and looked up to see the light dancing in the falling snow. Suddenly, she remembered those amber-colored eyes.
Before a cup of tea, that person stood beneath the brightly lit window, with a slight curve of the eyebrows and eyes, saying, “People in the capital always say that I’m good at everything, except my eyes weren’t born good. If it weren’t for these eyes, I suppose my official position could have been even higher.”
“But one day, Nan Jin looked at me and said, ‘Shiyi, in everything about you, there’s a hint of indifference, except for your eyes. They were born the best, clear and bright, shining like stars.'”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: Sigh… Why are all the characters in this book so eager to commit suicide? Sigh… I think they’ve grown tired and lack reasons to stay alive. Sigh… After all the strategies, schemes, and plans they undertake, the ending simply involves them committing suicide, and nothing more. 😔🙂
TO BE CONTINUE…Â
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