Chapter 75 She Died

Chapter 75: Her Death

The pond had long been frozen, resembling a giant cold mirror. The hardy fish fry that Jiang Wanrou had specially raised were nowhere to be seen. A thin layer of frost covered the green bricks, and in the biting cold wind, the withered branches trembled violently, creaking as they fell.

Jintao, wrapped in a thick cotton coat, hurried to the corridor. The maid at the door quickly stepped forward to take the tray from her hands and handed her a hand warmer, saying eagerly, "Miss Jintao, it's so cold today. You could have sent one of the other maids. Why did you come yourself?"

As she spoke, the white breath she exhaled instantly condensed into frost. Jintao stomped her feet and smiled, "It's just a short walk, no trouble."

Lately, the weather had grown colder.

Jiang Wanrou had developed a liking for lamb soup. Tender lamb, simmered with red dates, goji berries, and a touch of angelica root, yielding a rich, mellow flavor that warmed one from head to toe with just one sip.

After moving to a new residence, most of the servants in the mansion were assigned by the Imperial Household Department, and their loyalty was uncertain. Jiang Wanrou dared not use them lightly. Everything she ate had to be personally supervised by Cuizhu and Jintao.

After a brief exchange with the maid at the door, Jintao lifted the heavy curtain and entered the room.

Inside was a world apart from the outside. Outside, the cold wind was biting, while inside, it was as warm as spring. Jintao looked at Jiang Wanrou, who was leaning by the window reading a novel, and said softly, "Princess Consort, the lamb soup is best served hot."

Jiang Wanrou put down the novel in her hand and lazily said, "What about Huai Yi? Has he had his meal?"

Jintao hesitated for a moment and tactfully replied, "The young master is hard at his studies. He asked me to tell you that he will come to Jinguang Courtyard for dinner tonight."

Jiang Wanrou understood the underlying meaning. Lu Huaiyi was very particular about his food. When she was around, he behaved better, but when she wasn't, no one could control him. Previously, she had invited him to Jinguang Courtyard for dinner, and coincidentally, Lu Feng had some free time recently and also came to dine with her in the evenings. The child, upon seeing his father, sat up straight as if facing a stern authority, not daring to speak much and even being quizzed on his studies. Jiang Wanrou pitied him and didn't like to call him over often.

Jiang Wanrou rubbed her slightly sore neck, and Jintao quickly stepped forward to massage it for her. The cold touch of Jintao's fingers on her fair skin made Jiang Wanrou shiver.

"This servant was careless. Please forgive me, Princess Consort."

Jintao quickly knelt down, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes. She had warmed her hands using the hand warmer before coming in, but perhaps it was too cold outside. Though her hands felt warm to her, compared to Jiang Wanrou's body temperature, they were still cold.

Jiang Wanrou, not concerned about Lu Huaiyi's meal, quickly told her to rise and sighed softly, "I'm not blaming you. You're just too cautious."

She looked at Jintao's red, frozen fingers and asked, "Has the weather gotten colder again?"

Jintao thought for a moment and replied, "It's colder than yesterday."

The Prince of Qi's residence was strategically located—close to the palace, not far from the Duke's residence, and also near the other princes' mansions. After managing the household affairs, Jiang Wanrou took the time to visit her new "sisters-in-law"—the princess consorts of the various mansions. No matter what they thought in their hearts, they all greeted each other politely on the surface. She then received several groups of guests. Yao Jinyu and Zhou Ruotong also came to visit, as did the Marquis of Ning'an's residence. Aunt Li, who lived a reclusive life, naturally did not come out. Jiang Wanrou set aside the invitations from the Marquis's residence, and after about three or four times, the Marquis's residence gradually stopped sending them.

Having met all the necessary guests, the weather grew colder. In such cold weather, unless it was something particularly important, guests rarely visited. Since winter began, the number of banquets hosted by the various mansions in the capital had decreased. These were all distinguished families, and hosting a banquet was meant to be a joyous occasion for both hosts and guests. Receiving an invitation in such weather posed a dilemma—attending would be a hardship, but not attending would offend the host. So, they simply closed their doors and handled matters quietly.

Visibly, the number of invitations Jiang Wanrou received gradually dwindled. Now that Lu Feng had just taken charge of the Ministry of Revenue, people were lining up to "show their respect." The Ministry of Revenue was the imperial treasury, and everyone was generous. But Jiang Wanrou was not one to be easily swayed. She hadn't yet figured out the rules and dared not get involved. This further reduced the number of invitations, leaving only a handful.

Thus, Jiang Wanrou fulfilled all the necessary social obligations. Recently, with no visitors, she had been staying in her room for several days without going out. Only when she opened the window and felt the biting cold wind did she realize how harsh the winter was.

She lowered her eyelashes and murmured, "This winter is truly strange."

It is said that auspicious snow heralds a bountiful year, but this winter, there had been little snow, and what little there was came in scattered flurries. The only unusual thing was the extreme cold, a phenomenon not seen in over a decade.

If we go back more than a decade, when Jiang Wanrou was still under Madame Qin's control, such weather could have frozen her to death.

With this thought, the melodramatic stories of lovesick men and women in the novels suddenly seemed dull. Jiang Wanrou asked, "Are there any refugees outside?"

Jintao thought for a moment and replied, "The inner city is relatively stable for now, and the number of beggars has decreased significantly. The outer city... is not so peaceful. The number of refugees is increasing, and the Capital Prefecture is blocking them. Recently, the checks at the city gates have become stricter."

Jiang Wanrou's heart sank. The situation was worse than she had imagined.

The capital, being at the feet of the emperor, was home to the wealthiest families. It was normal for the inner city to be stable, but the significant decrease in beggars... that was not a good sign. In times of famine or plague, the first to suffer were the wandering beggars. Healthy people couldn't just disappear out of nowhere, could they?

Was it the Capital Prefecture's decision to block the refugees from entering the city, or was it the emperor's?

Now, the living expenses of the Prince of Qi's residence are all provided by the Imperial Household Department. Despite having been the mistress of the household for many years, Jiang Wanrou still retains the habit of paying attention to household essentials. Recently, the rice price fluctuation has just passed, and since the onset of winter, the price of charcoal has skyrocketed, followed by increases in the prices of cotton, cotton clothes, and cotton fabric. In major pharmacies, lung-moistening and cough-relieving loquat is in high demand. Knowing that Aunt Li suffers from a cough, Jiang Wanrou realizes it's due to the cold weather.

A thin ledger in the inner residence reveals the hardships of the people.

...

"Princess Consort?"

Seeing Jiang Wanrou lost in thought, Jintao reminded her, "The lamb soup is getting cold."

She had already skimmed off the foam and fat with a spoon, adding goji berries and angelica for flavor. However, lamb is naturally strong-smelling, and if left too long, the smell might become overpowering.

Jiang Wanrou lifted her gilded fingernail protector, stirring the porcelain spoon. She drank slowly, and when the soup was nearly finished, she suddenly stood up, rummaged through the bed curtains for a while, and brought out a stack of silver notes.

She handed them to Jintao, saying, "This is five thousand taels. Go buy some cotton clothes and firewood. It doesn't have to be the best quality cotton; even old cotton will do, as long as it's thick."

"Set up a booth outside the city to distribute them. Do not reveal that it's from the Prince of Qi's residence. Say... say it's from an itinerant merchant who came to the capital to earn goodwill."

"If no one else is distributing outside the city, then let it be. But if there are other wealthy and benevolent families, follow suit. Don't draw attention; just finish distributing the items and return immediately. Do not linger."

Jintao took the stack of silver notes, pondering Jiang Wanrou's words. She asked in confusion, "Princess Consort, this is a good deed for earning goodwill. Why... make it seem like we're doing something sneaky?"

For the Princess Consort, it would also be a positive reputation. Why do good deeds without leaving a name?

Jiang Wanrou smiled, lightly tapping Jintao's forehead, and said, "Yes, treat it as if you're doing something sneaky. Never reveal that your lady is behind this."

If she were still the lady of the Duke of Lu's residence, she would have eagerly sought fame, perhaps even redeeming some of Lu Feng's infamous reputation. But now, Lu Feng is the Prince of Qi, the emperor's trueborn son.

The other Princess Consorts are all keeping a low profile. As a Princess Consort who assumed the position midway, making a grand show of charity would only cause unnecessary attention!

Jiang Wanrou has some understanding of the disposition of the one sitting on the dragon throne. Last year, she accompanied Lu Feng to a royal family banquet, where the conversation was dominated by the men. The various Princess Consorts kept their eyes down, as if they were statues on lotus pedestals, doing their best to be mere decorations. Jiang Wanrou, having come into the position midway, observed that her fellow Princess Consorts had been the emperor's "daughters-in-law" for many years. Following their lead would not cause her to err.

The common people are indeed pitiable, but as a wife and mother, her first priority is the survival of her family. Every brick and tile in the residence, the meat soup she drinks, and the esteemed scholars teaching Huai Yi are all earned by Lu Feng. If she were to lose sight of this and insist on "generous charity," Lu Feng would be viewed with suspicion by the emperor and envied by his brothers. That would be a true loss.

Huai Yi once read to her, saying, "When in prosperity, benefit the world; when in adversity, cultivate oneself." Jiang Wanrou found this very reasonable. Before doing good deeds, she must first take care of herself, right?

Jintao still didn't fully grasp the implications. She rubbed her forehead where Jiang Wanrou had tapped it and bowed, saying, "Your servant obeys."

Whether she understood or not, for her, following her lady's orders was enough.

Jintao has always been clever, and it's rare to see her so confused. Jiang Wanrou smiled and said, "You're only a year older than Cuizhu, yet you always have such a serious face, like an old nanny."

The heated floor in the room made Jintao's face slightly red. She lowered her head and said, "Princess Consort... please don't tease me."

"It's not necessarily a bad thing. You're all beautiful young ladies. Being lively has its charm, and being reserved has its own beauty. You're just too serious, always keeping things to yourself. I'm afraid you'll bottle up too much."

Jintao has something on her mind. A while ago, she asked Cuizhu to investigate, but Cuizhu, being unreliable, couldn't find out anything and came back cheerfully saying, "Sister Jintao is doing well. You're overthinking it."

Jiang Wanrou sighed helplessly. Later, with the move to the new residence, she was too busy and forgot about Jintao's concerns.

She said softly, "Don't think I always keep Cuizhu by my side because she's better. She only behaves when she's under my watch. If anything happens, the person I trust the most is still you."

Jintao is meticulous, clever, and dutiful.

For example, over the years, from the Duke of Lu's residence to the Prince of Qi's residence, Lu Feng's clothes and shoes have all been made by Jintao, and Lu Feng has never noticed. If it were someone less careful, holding the lady's "secrets," they might either try to curry favor with the master or take advantage of the lady's reliance on them to slack off. Jintao has always been dutiful. Even during the time she was sent away, she didn't forget to make a pair of boots for Lu Feng.

Jiang Wanrou said, "If you have any difficulties, just tell me. Some things that seem like a big hurdle to you might be just a small matter to me."

Jintao's parents had passed away. Over the years, she received ample monthly allowances and rewards. The men in the mansion wouldn't dare mess with anyone in her courtyard. Moreover, Jintao was more authoritative than Cuizhu, and no one dared to bully her.

Jiang Wanrou couldn't think of any troubles Jintao might have. She appealed to her emotions, and Jintao's face showed a slight change. After a moment of silence, she lowered her head and said, "This servant... has no troubles. Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort."

Jiang Wanrou had once appreciated Jintao's discretion, but she never expected that one day this trait would be directed at herself. She gave a helpless smile and said, "Alright."

"I still say the same thing. Whenever you encounter difficulties, you can always come to me."

If she didn't want to talk, fine by me. Even as a mistress, could she control Jintao's heart? She had done her duty as a mistress.

***

Jiang Wanrou didn't dwell on this matter. Due to the cold weather, she sent a message to Huai Yi, telling him not to come to Jinguang Courtyard for meals, but he had to have four dishes and a bowl of white rice for dinner. Although she wouldn't be there, she would send someone to make sure he ate properly.

After withdrawing five thousand taels, Jiang Wanrou spent the afternoon inventorying her personal stash, killing time while waiting for Lu Feng to return for dinner. But for some reason, after several days of smooth sailing, today the food had been reheated three times. Jiang Wanrou had drunk a bowl of mutton soup in the afternoon and was now starving, but Lu Feng was still nowhere to be seen.

Cuizhu led a group of maids to set the table for the fourth time. She whispered, "Princess Consort, maybe you should go ahead and eat. The prince hasn't given any specific time."

Jiang Wanrou, also hungry, was about to sit down and eat when the maids outside chimed in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Is he back?

Jiang Wanrou quickly put down her chopsticks and stood up to greet him. Lu Feng had already stepped into the room. A young maid helped him remove his cloak and outer robe. These tasks were usually handled by Jiang Wanrou. The maids in Jinguang Courtyard had been trained by her and brought from the Duke's mansion to the prince's mansion. They shouldn't be unaware of the rules.

Could the maids in the room have gotten too bold?

Jiang Wanrou didn't think her people were that foolish. She stepped forward, "Let me—"

"Stay where you are."

Lu Feng said indifferently, and Jiang Wanrou grew even more suspicious. Another maid knelt down, holding up a copper basin for Lu Feng to wash his hands. Suddenly, Lu Feng said, "Do you remember your half-sister?"

Jiang Wanying? Had she said something again to tarnish her reputation?

Thinking of the previous drama, Jiang Wanrou felt a surge of resentment. Today, Lu Feng was acting very strangely. She cautiously replied, "It's been so long, I almost forgot about her. What happened? Did something occur?"

"Forgotten... that's good."

Lu Feng lowered his head, his cold, hard face hidden in the shadow of the candlelight, making it impossible to discern his emotions. "Since you've forgotten, there's no need to remember her in the future."

He scooped up clear water from the basin and washed the bloodstains from his hands.

He said calmly, "She's dead."