Chapter 91

Jiang Yi had been quietly waiting for the right moment, seizing what he desired most in one decisive move. This was how he had climbed to his current position in the officialdom over the years, and it was the same with Yan Yiming.
Initially, he had paid more attention to her when Princess Ming arrived in the capital because he suspected collusion between Chancellor Jian and the Prince of Jiangxia. He never expected it would lead to such an outcome.
One coincidence could be a coincidence, but two coincidences were enough to arouse his suspicion. When more overlaps appeared, Jiang Yi could no longer avoid focusing his attention on Yan Yiming. After repeated probing, he feigned giving up, allowing her to finally let down her guard, and then he seized the decisive evidence in one fell swoop.
After A'Ming's death, he had collected all her handwritten notes and kept them close. They were merely poems she had casually transcribed while accompanying him in reading, yet over seven years, those words had been deeply engraved in his heart.
Now, seven years later, seeing that familiar handwriting again, Jiang Yi stood alone under the dim candlelight and suddenly shed tears.
He should have been overjoyed, and indeed he was, she was alive, wasn't she?
But the feeling at that moment was far too pale and shallow to be described merely as joy. A dream he had never dared to hope for was gradually overlapping with reality over the years, filled with anticipation and unease, until it finally merged completely.
Seven years ago, A'Ming had died, and the seventeen-year-old youth had shed all his tears in front of everyone. Seven years later, the handsome young man who had shed his youthful innocence moistened his eyes alone under the moonlight, in a place where no one could see.
That night, Jiang Yi thought about many things.
He was grateful to the heavens that A'Ming was still alive, but afterward, he pondered why such an unbelievable thing had happened. Princess Ming and A'Ming bore no resemblance except for the red mole at the corner of their eyes. He had investigated and confirmed that Princess Ming had indeed grown up by the Prince of Jiangxia's side, and A'Ming had been confirmed dead and buried in the Jiang family ancestral graves. So why had A'Ming become Princess Ming?
And if she was A'Ming, why did she pretend not to know him?
The phrase “not knowing him” struck his heart like a bloody wound. They had shared four years of feelings, hadn't they? She had once agreed to marry him, hadn't she? So why was it like this now?
If they were so distant now, what had it all been back then? Was everything false, a deception?
He couldn't understand, and even when he thought he did, he wished he had never figured it out.
He longed to find Yan Yiming the next moment and demand a clear explanation, but in the end, he did not. He sat under the cold moon for an entire night, spending half of it in a daze with no clear thoughts, and the other half finally setting aside all distractions to piece everything together and sort it out clearly.
Unable to explain why someone who had died years ago could reappear with a different identity and appearance, Jiang Yi, who had never believed in ghosts or spirits, found himself helplessly entertaining the absurd thought, could she be a fox spirit from those strange tales?
A wandering fox spirit, who had left an indelible mark on his youth only to vanish like smoke. Those years he had considered the happiest and most unforgettable of his life might have been nothing more than a fleeting whim, a casual game to her.
Was that it?
The paper in his hand crumpled into a ball as a sudden pang of pain seized his heart. His eyes, usually devoid of any emotion, seemed to blaze with boundless madness in an instant. Yet, moments later, his tense, nearly out of control expression smoothed back into its usual calm.
Jiang Yi looked down at the crumpled paper, gently smoothed it out, and carefully folded it again.
He shouldn’t think this way. Back then, when he arrived at the Jiang family alone and unloved, it was she who had given him the greatest warmth in his life, hadn’t she? The time they spent together was real, wasn’t it? What he had touched and felt was genuine, wasn’t it?
He shouldn’t blame her. She had been the warmest light in his bleak youth. She had never wronged him, had she?
His love for her ran so deep that even blame felt unbearable. No sooner had a single reproach formed than countless justifications surged uncontrollably, or perhaps, before he could even begin to blame her, he had already chosen forgiveness and understanding in an instant.
Jiang Yi did not confront Yan Yiming because he didn’t want to alert her. He needed to see clearly what she wanted and why.
He couldn’t bear to be angry with her or let her feel wronged, but neither would he love so humbly and passively. Even as a neglected child, he had always carried the proudest spirit. Some grievances, he was unwilling to accept.
For now, with no other less absurd explanation to convince himself, he could only hold onto this far-fetched assumption. And with this assumption, certain things began to seem strangely fitting. Like the Crown Princess, whom the Crown Prince held dear in his heart, the one with a red mole in the same spot, the same preference for Biluochun tea, the same childhood name “A'Ming.”
When he first heard of Princess Ming’s unexpected actions from the Crown Prince, Jiang Yi had only suspected her motives. But now, upon reflection, even someone as close to the Crown Prince as himself knew very little about the Crown Princess, after all, the Crown Prince deeply disliked anyone mentioning her.
So, how could an outsider from thousands of miles away know such intimate details, step by step provoking the Crown Prince’s anger to achieve her goals?
Unless she was the one who knew the Crown Princess best.
Jiang Yi closed his eyes. He admitted that this speculation filled him with uncontrollable jealousy. But he couldn’t rush. Take it slow, he told himself. Sooner or later, he would uncover the whole truth.
So it seemed now, whoever she was, she retained her original preferences, like Biluochun tea. She seemed to intentionally or unintentionally keep the nickname “A'Ming,” perhaps because it was truly her childhood name. And there was always that red mole at the corner of her right eye, perhaps a distinctive feature of her true appearance.
However, the Crown Prince had long since been decisively cast aside by her without a shred of mercy, which slightly improved Jiang Yi's mood.
Rumors about Princess Ming and Jian Yuyan were now spreading throughout the city. He had long known of the secret collusion between Chancellor Jian and Prince of Jiangxia, so this matter did not come as a surprise to him.
But why stir up such a storm and muddy the waters in an attempt to cover things up? It could be explained, but it was unnecessary. With her abilities, she could have easily avoided public attention and communicated privately. This seemed like an excessive move.
Or perhaps she was deliberately doing this to make someone suspect something?
Moreover, Jian Yuyan had been despondent for years over that actress. Why would he agree to cooperate with her now? How did she manage to persuade Jian Yuyan?
Jiang Yi put himself in Jian Yuyan's shoes for a moment. If he were in that position, how would he proceed? Since Jian Yuyan's despondency stemmed from that actress, using her as a breakthrough would surely yield twice the result with half the effort. Perhaps A’Ming had done the same?
This was still uncertain and required further investigation.
Aside from these two questions, there was one last issue. He had initially thought that the collusion between Chancellor Jian and Prince of Jiangxia was solely the Chancellor's idea. But now, it seemed that was not the case. Jian Yuyan had not rejected A’Ming, which meant he was also involved.
So, what role was Jian Yuyan playing in all this? Or, why did A’Ming deliberately approach Jian Yuyan and even spread such rumors? What was she after from him?
With so many unanswered questions, Jiang Yi could not yet piece everything together and needed to investigate further. Perhaps it was time to inform the Emperor. Prince of Jiangxia was a dangerous threat, and preparations needed to be made early.
As for A’Ming, she had deliberately left so many clues. It seemed she was not particularly fond of her identity as Princess Ming. Since she disliked it, he would help her resolve it quickly.
After all, the rumors of her intimacy with Jian Yuyan had been circulating for a long time, and he had grown tired of hearing them.