She Is Such A Jerk, And Yet She’s The One Crying! - Chapter 51.1

In the fifth year of the Qianqing era, the Emperor fell gravely ill. The Imperial Preceptor returned to the capital and prayed for the Emperor’s blessings at the Nianshi Platform, granting a general amnesty to the world.

Qiangning felt extremely surprised. The Emperor had been perfectly fine; how could he suddenly fall ill?

Moreover, this general amnesty came at an inopportune time. Many former officials who had committed crimes during the previous dynasty were released. The world was already in a state of chaos, and releasing these people at this juncture—was it not adding chaos to chaos?

Lin Dongruan had entered the palace and had not returned for a long time. Qiangning originally intended to go to the palace to fetch her, but just as she stepped out the door, she was stopped by two individuals dressed suspiciously.

It was raining heavily outside. These two people closed their oil-paper umbrellas and pulled back their hoods—it was actually Jiang Weilan from Sanqi, who had come along with Jiang Nianyang.

Qiangning asked, “You two are—?”

“The two of us have come under the orders of the Imperial Preceptor to receive Your Highness.” Jiang Weilan quietly took an object from his bosom; it was a letter written in Lin Dongruan’s own hand. He said, “Half of the eight camps of the Hongwu Army are in the capital, and the other half are stationed in the capital outskirts. We only need to wait for a signal from the Imperial Preceptor to invade the capital in one fell swoop.”

Qiangning knew that Jiang Weilan had always been following her, but she looked at Jiang Nianyang beside him and did not dare to fully trust the other’s loyalty.

Jiang Nianyang knelt on the ground and presented the tiger tally of the eight camps with both hands: “This general is willing to follow Your Highness and honor Your Highness as the new Emperor.”

“General, for your loyal following, this Princess will certainly remember it. When I ascend the throne in the future, I will surely not treat the General poorly.” Qiangning assisted him to rise and accepted the tiger tally that could command the eight camps.

Lin Dongruan had not informed her of her purpose before leaving. Qiangning never expected that the other person had entered the palace in such a hurry to take the Emperor’s life. She had called Jiang Weilan and Jiang Nianyang to follow her, partly to plot for the cause and partly to protect her own safety.

But what about Lin Dongruan? She had entered alone. Who knew if the Emperor was faking his illness or if he would go mad and harm her?

The more Qiangning waited, the more anxious and worried she became. Yet, she could not simply lead the army to storm the palace. If she provoked the Emperor, it might put Lin Dongruan in even greater danger.

“There are eight guards of the Forbidden Army in the palace, with a total of seven officers of the sixth rank or above. Although they are all soldiers from noble families, they total more than twenty thousand men,” Qiangning discussed with Jiang Nianyang. “It would take us more than an hour to command the troops from the eight camps to break into the capital. If it truly comes to the point of raising weapons and armor, how can the Imperial Preceptor’s life be guaranteed? Who will guarantee it?”

“When His Majesty fell gravely ill and granted the general amnesty, some generals from our old units in the eight camps returned to the palace. They once taught the younger soldiers in the Forbidden Army and hold considerable prestige among them,” Jiang Nianyang said. “I have already sent them to restrain the Forbidden Army. Once war breaks out inside and outside the capital, we must protect the common people and reduce unnecessary casualties on both sides.”

Jiang Weilan also said, “Your Highness, please trust the Imperial Preceptor’s abilities. The Imperial Preceptor has calculated that tonight there will be dark thunder and lightning, the rising sun will sink in the west, the Emperor’s star will fall, the mountains will crumble, and the world will mourn. If nothing unexpected happens, it will not come to the point of a forced coup.”

Qiangning: “…”

Lin Dongruan had not told her a single word about these matters.

Initially, she only wanted to marry the other person as her wife. Not long after, she was inexplicably pushed to the forefront of the storm. By the time she regained her senses and prepared to plan properly, the other person had actually gone straight to the Emperor’s side to stage a rebellion. Perhaps by daybreak, the matter would already be accomplished.

In the entire process of the rebellion and coup, she only had time to participate in the ending.

She couldn’t describe the feelings in her heart, because the inner Qiangning had no heart left to blame Lin Dongruan. The wind was strong and the rain was heavy outside; Lin Dongruan was in the palace waiting for the Emperor’s demise, and it was unknown if she was in danger.

Qiangning thought, the Emperor’s grave illness came without warning; was it… also related to Lin Dongruan?

Would a great sage as merciful and kind as Lin Dongruan do such a thing?

She recalled in Wusang Town, Lin Dongruan would not let her hands be stained with blood and could not bear to see casualties among the common people. Why then, when it came to the Emperor, could Lin Dongruan steel her heart to do it?

If the Emperor’s illness truly originated from Lin Dongruan… Qiangning thought of this, then denied the notion.

She would rather believe that Lin Dongruan saw something in the divination and acted upon it, rather than violating her own principles for a promise from years ago, or even indirectly harming someone for her sake.

Murdering the Son of Heaven would carry the karmic consequences of ten thousand lifetimes.

In the end, Qiangning was still uneasy and prepared to send a team of skilled shadow guards into the palace to protect Lin Dongruan.

“We still need to find a trustworthy general to handle this matter.” Qiangning turned back to look at Jiang Nianyang and asked, “Who does the Minister think can lead the team?”

In the Palace, Hall of Nourishing Benevolence.

Lin Dongruan looked down at the gravely ill sovereign and placed the medicine brewed by the palace attendants aside, not requesting him to take it.

Without the protection of the Emperor’s purple aura, the once proud and arrogant youth had become a withered and frail figure, lying on the dragon bed like dry bones held up by skin.

In just a few short years, things had changed.

Once the process of destiny’s decay began, the outcome was destined to be so.

“Teacher, help Zhen up; it is time for Zhen to take the medicine.” The Emperor looked at the bright yellow canopy above, wanting to give Lin Dongruan a difficult smile, but he failed. He coughed self-deprecatingly a few times and said, “Every day and night in this palace, I missed Teacher and hoped you could return to the capital to see Zhen once more. When I was gravely ill in bed, I didn’t want Teacher to see this sickly appearance… However, if Zhen were not this ill, Teacher, you wouldn’t have come back, would you?”

Lin Dongruan did not help him, nor did she give him the medicine: “Your Majesty, that medicine is bitter to the taste; it is better not to drink it.”

“But if I do not drink the medicine, Zhen’s illness will never get better, and it will make Teacher worry.” After thinking it over, the Emperor struggled to rise. “If it is bitter, then let it be bitter. No matter how bitter, it cannot be more bitter than being locked alone in this deep palace.”

Lin Dongruan complied with his wish and handed him the medicine.

The Emperor did not take it, but asked softly, “May I trouble Teacher to feed me personally as you did before?”

The handle of the medicine spoon hit the edge of the bowl with a “ding.” Lin Dongruan shook her head, her eyes filled with a bit more sorrow: “Your Majesty, you have grown up; it is no longer the scenes of childhood. You must take the medicine yourself. I… will go get some honey-pickled plums for Your Majesty to cleanse your palate.”

“Good, then good. Zhen will drink it himself.” The young man took the medicine bowl and swallowed it mouthful by mouthful with a frown. After finishing, he tossed the bowl aside and saw Lin Dongruan returning with the plums. “Teacher still remembers what Zhen likes to eat.”

“The harvest was not good for the people this year; plums are hard to come by.” Lin Dongruan handed the plums over and said, “Fortunately, the palace does not lack such things; Your Majesty can still taste them.”

The Emperor pinched a plum and took a very small bite, smiling: “The plums are sour this year. Even though they are honey-pickled, Zhen cannot taste even a bit of sweetness.”

Lin Dongruan said, “Your Majesty’s illness has reached the stage where you have lost the sense of taste and sensation; it is not that the plums are sour.”

“Teacher didn’t want Zhen to drink the medicine; do you also feel that Zhen cannot survive?” The Emperor did not finish the remaining plum but put it aside. “In truth, Zhen could not even taste whether the medicine was bitter or not.”

Lin Dongruan took out a handkerchief, took a few plums, and silently tested their flavor without responding.