The moon sets and the sun rises. No matter how great the happenings in the world, the laws of nature remain unchanged.
When Jiang Ning'an woke up early in the morning, she found it hard to open her eyes. She asked someone to bring a bronze mirror. Looking at it, she saw that her two eyes were red and swollen, a sight too awful to behold.
Fortunately, Meng Chun had anticipated this. "My Lady, I've had someone ice a handkerchief. Lie down for a while longer."
Jiang Ning'an looked at her. "Your eyes are also terribly swollen."
"I'm fine, My Lady," Meng Chun blinked. "I'm perfectly okay."
Jiang Ning'an lay back down.
Soon, a maid brought up the handkerchief.
Meng Chun carefully placed it over Jiang Ning'an's eyes. "My Lady, it was all my fault last night."
The handkerchief was cool, instantly relieving the discomfort in her eyes.
"What does it have to do with you?" Jiang Ning'an said. "Do you mean you colluded with Chu Yu and Xu Linchuan?"
"Of course not! I've always been by your side, My Lady. How could I possibly have had the time to collude with them? Besides, I wouldn't even want to!" Meng Chun replied.
"Since that's the case, why blame yourself?"
"If it weren't for me, My Lady wouldn't have gone to the Linjiang Tower, and none of this would have happened..."
"It's not your fault," Jiang Ning'an said. "Don't think so much."
She didn't doubt Meng Chun's loyalty.
In that dream, Lin Ji and Meng Chun had protected her. One had tried to assassinate Chu Yu, and the other had gone after Xu Linchuan. Of course, neither of them had returned.
Their willingness to go to such lengths for her was enough to prove their loyalty.
Moreover, last night's incident was ultimately because she had underestimated her enemies.
No one else could be blamed.
Thinking of last night, Jiang Ning'an frowned slightly.
When she woke up, she had thought she'd be as restless as before when she couldn't see Xu Linchuan, but she wasn't.
It seemed that the control she'd been under last night was only temporary. Chu Yu or Xu Linchuan must have done something.
Xu Linchuan... didn't have that much power. The problem must lie with Chu Yu.
There must be something extraordinary about Chu Yu.
It seemed she had to find an opportunity to test her.
After a quarter of an hour, Jiang Ning'an got up, and the redness and swelling in her eyes had completely subsided.
Jiang Ning'an nodded in satisfaction. Suddenly, she remembered something. "By the way, didn't Jiang Ye say he was going to hold a poetry gathering? Is it almost time?"
Meng Chun nodded. "It's tomorrow."
Seeing Jiang Ning'an lost in thought, Meng Chun couldn't help but ask. "My Lady, you're not going to the poetry gathering, are you?"
"Yes. I've never been to one in my life," Jiang Ning'an said. "Since there's an opportunity, how can I not go and have some fun?"
"My Lady..." Meng Chun couldn't help but feel anxious. "You just... last night. Rest for a few more days!"
Now, Meng Chun was almost getting a psychological shadow from such gatherings.
Jiang Ning'an glanced at her. "What are you afraid of? Lin Ji, bring more people. If Chu Yu or Xu Linchuan shows up, just stop them."
Meng Chun blinked.
Was this... feasible?
Lin Ji had already agreed.
Seeing her deep in thought, Jiang Ning'an couldn't help but laugh. "What, are you so scared that you're not going to go out for the rest of your life?"
Meng Chun had no choice but to sigh. "I understand, My Lady."
Lin Ji felt the heavy responsibility on his shoulders.
---
Just as Jiang Ning'an had finished lunch, a maid from the second gate suddenly came to report that De Shan had come.
Jiang Ning'an went over and saw that, as usual, De Shan had brought a whole carriage of gifts. But different from the past, he was also holding an imperial edict in his hand.
"What's this?"
De Shan said cheerfully. "Congratulations, My Lady!"
Saying that, De Shan handed the imperial edict forward.
The servants knelt on the ground in a row, and the secret guards also emerged from the shadows and knelt on the ground respectfully.
However, Jiang Ning'an didn't need to kneel to receive the edict. She took it as casually as if it were an ordinary object.
Opening it, Jiang Ning'an was immediately shocked.
The emperor had actually issued an edict doubling her fief as a princess!
Although the Grand Princess of Zhenguo had passed away, the emperor, out of nostalgia, had allowed Jiang Ning'an to inherit the Grand Princess's fief on top of her own. Now, the emperor was doubling her fief again. There had never been a princess with such great power in any dynasty!
"Uncle's imperial study will probably be bustling soon, won't it?"
"Oh, there are always people coming and going in the imperial study. It's never quiet. My Lady doesn't need to worry too much!"
Actually, the emperor had issued two imperial edicts today.
One was to double Jiang Ning'an's fief, and the other was to depose a top - ranking scholar's title on the charges of forming cliques and disrespect.
So, there would be plenty of excitement in the imperial study in the near future.
Jiang Ning'an laughed. "Then please, Father - in - law De Shan, help me thank Uncle when you go back."
"Yes."
After De Shan left, Jiang Ning'an gave the imperial edict to Meng Chun and told her to put it away carefully.
---
Lin Ji had been busy arranging for the poetry gathering. But as soon as it got dark, Jiang Ning'an called him out and gave him an even more important task.
"Go and kill Chu Yu."
Lin Ji was silent for a moment. "...My Lady, is this so sudden?"
Jiang Ning'an had seemed perfectly fine during the day, eating well, sleeping well, and looking sunny. Where had this sudden urge to kill come from?
Jiang Ning'an nodded.
It wasn't really sudden. She had actually been thinking about it all day.
Chu Yu's methods were too mysterious. She could even control Jiang Ning'an's every move when she was in a clear state of mind. This couldn't be explained by ordinary means.
Chu Yu was the female protagonist, so it wasn't surprising that she had all sorts of things. In that case, both to test her and to vent her anger, she should be decisive. If the deed was done, there would be no more worries in the future. If not, she wouldn't lose much either. She could just be more careful when facing Chu Yu in the future.
It was all gain and no loss.
"You handle this personally."
Lin Ji left after answering.
Although the Grand Princess's Mansion was large, Lin Ji knew every corner of it with his eyes closed.
Soon, he silently reached the servants' courtyard where Chu Yu lived.
The lights in the courtyard were all out, indicating that the people living here had already gone to rest.
He leaned against the window of Chu Yu's bedroom and listened to the even breathing sound inside.
To be on the safe side, Lin Ji slipped a stick of sleeping incense in and waited for a while before climbing in.
Lin Ji's steps were so light that they were even lighter than Chu Yu's breathing.
He stabbed a knife into the bed, but his pupils suddenly shrank -
There was no one on the bed!
He turned his head and saw that except for the window he had just climbed through, which was half - open, the others were all tightly closed.
How could this be?!
He refused to believe it and rummaged through the room, searching every place where someone could hide, but he didn't see Chu Yu's figure.
He had clearly heard the movement in the room and was sure there was someone inside. But a living person... had disappeared into thin air?!