Chapter 10 The Paradox of History In the original history, Tuo Baxiao chose…

Chapter 10: The Paradox of History In the original history, Tuo Baxiao chose...

Jiang Congyan had considered that Tuo Baxiao might seek her out, but she didn't expect him to act so swiftly and decisively, taking her completely by surprise as he directly prompted the Emperor of Liang to issue an edict.

At dawn yesterday, the capital region's general led five thousand troops to Tongling Garden, then escorted the Emperor of Liang and his entourage back to Chang'an.

Though the assassination attempt failed, it injured many ministers and the emperor's consorts, enraging the Emperor of Liang, who ordered the arrest of all involved to await punishment.

The incident also caused widespread discussion in Chang'an. While the Emperor of Liang was busy calming his officials and investigating the assassination attempt, Tuo Baxiao sent a messenger to tell Zhu Cheng he had already chosen his bride.

Though the Emperor of Liang had been in a state of anger and agitation these past two days, his mood lifted upon hearing this news. But when the messenger revealed the woman's identity, he fell silent.

Jiang Congyan, the only daughter of King of Chu Jiang Huai, was titled Princess Shun'an.

This title was given in the fifth year of Yong'an, after Jiang Huai's twin children fell into the water, and his son died young. Jiang Huai specifically requested this title for Jiang Congyan.

Shun'an, which means obedient and peaceful.

The Emperor of Liang understood Jiang Huai's intentions and approved his request, ignoring his decision to send his daughter to Liangzhou. At the same time, he arranged for Jiang Huai to marry a Zhao family woman as his second wife.

Years passed, and Jiang Huai indeed grew disheartened, spending his days in the King of Chu's residence in a drunken haze.

Originally, the Emperor of Liang no longer needed to worry about Jiang Huai. As the Son of Heaven, he ruled the entire realm, while Jiang Huai was merely a titular king with no real power, unable to even visit his fief, with every move watched by the emperor, incapable of causing trouble.

For some reason, the Emperor of Liang still felt uneasy about him, and then he remembered Jiang Huai's daughter, who had grown up in Liangzhou.

Liangzhou, though only a single province, was rich in soldiers and generals, with its warriors known for their bravery and skill in battle. Fifty years ago, during the chaos of the previous dynasty, when warlords rose everywhere, the Zhang family focused solely on defending against external enemies, harboring no ambition to dominate the world. They repeatedly repelled the barbarians, Qiang Di, and Wusun, blocking the nomadic tribes from advancing south and safeguarding the peace of the northwest.

The previous head of the Zhang family, Zhang Zhiheng, admired the heroic spirit and military prowess of the Founding Emperor Jiang Shiying, who was undefeated in battle. Eventually, Zhang was persuaded to submit, but he insisted on retaining control of the military. The Founding Emperor, knowing that the Zhang family had long governed Liangzhou as local rulers and that they were dedicated to protecting the region and its people, promised that as long as they did not rebel, Liang would never attack Liangzhou. He even made a verbal agreement for a marriage alliance, arranging for his granddaughter to marry his imperial grandson.

This was originally a good thing, but when Crown Prince Zhaowen died young, the Founding Emperor's throne passed to his younger brother, the King of Huaiyin, who became the previous emperor. The Zhang family's attitude then became less cordial.

Zhang Zhiheng had pledged allegiance to the Founding Emperor, and Zhang Wei had followed Crown Prince Zhaowen. The Zhang family's loyalty had never been to the King of Huaiyin, nor to the current emperor. When the Founding Emperor passed away and the King of Huaiyin ascended the throne, Zhang Wei, in order to protect Jiang Huai, sent his ten-year-old daughter to Chang'an to marry him.

This powerful and formidable Zhang family, however, did not heed his imperial decrees, which became a thorn in the Emperor of Liang's side, a source of frustration he wished to eliminate. Yet, with the northern nomadic tribes eyeing the border, only the Zhang family's presence in Liangzhou could deter them.

If he were to rashly turn against the Zhang family and Liangzhou's army invaded, his throne might not remain secure.

Unable to subdue or eliminate them, the Emperor of Liang could only use the Zhang family while remaining wary of their strength.

Two years ago, he suddenly remembered that Jiang Huai had a daughter in Liangzhou, now grown and fifteen years old, of marriageable age. Realizing this, he felt a chill down his spine and quickly took covert measures to have the King of Chu's residence bring her back to Chang'an.

He absolutely could not allow the King of Chu's residence to form a marriage alliance with Liangzhou!

Even though Jiang Huai was disheartened, he still had to guard against any potential disloyalty. Even if Jiang Huai himself had no intention of usurping the throne, what about the Zhang family? With their strong military, marrying Jiang Huai's daughter could provide them with a pretext to mobilize their troops.

All these factors made it impossible for the Emperor of Liang to ignore the situation. The best solution was to marry Jiang Huai's daughter off to someone he could trust.

This had been his plan, but now Tuo Baxiao had intervened.

The Emperor of Liang was extremely reluctant to see things slip out of his control, as it made him feel insecure.

The Emperor of Liang sat on the imperial throne in the Hall of Governance, deep in thought. The twelve tassels of his crown cast shadows on his face, making him appear inscrutable.

He had ascended the throne at the age of twenty-seven and had ruled for fifteen years. Now in his early forties, he was well-preserved, with black hair and tight skin. His upper lip and chin were adorned with neatly trimmed short beards, and he bore the dignified appearance characteristic of the Jiang family. His slightly plump figure, accentuated by the imperial robes, exuded a unique majesty.

Zhu Cheng knelt cautiously before the desk, thinking that the emperor would readily agree, given how much effort had been expended over the past few days and how the Prince of Mobei had finally relented. To his surprise, the emperor seemed somewhat unwilling.

It's not like she's his own daughter, so why the reluctance? Or perhaps it would have been better if she were his own daughter, but now that it's her, he has to think twice. Zhu Cheng thought to himself.

The Emperor of Liang thought long and hard but still couldn't make up his mind. He looked up and noticed Zhu Cheng kneeling before him, and then casually inquired, "What's your take on this, my dear minister?"

Zhu Cheng thought to himself, 'Just agree already so I can get rid of this nuisance.' But he didn't dare say that out loud, so he answered respectfully, "Your Majesty, I think this is a great idea!"

"Great idea?" The Emperor of Liang raised his eyebrows, his tone questioning.

"The Prince of Mobei has been in Chang'an for days now and still hasn't picked a noble lady. Now that he's come forward with a candidate, why not just agree and get the Xianbei envoy out of here as soon as possible? If they stick around Chang'an too long, who knows what might happen! Plus, the Prince of Mobei is arrogant and doesn't know the first thing about etiquette. If we turn him down, he might take it as an insult and break the alliance in a fit of rage, leaving Your Majesty in a tough spot. Your Majesty has been working non-stop to keep Liang State stable!" Zhu Cheng spoke as if he had no clue about the Emperor's worries, laying out the facts and even throwing in a bit of flattery at the end.

He'd climbed to his current position thanks to his silver tongue.

Hearing this, the Emperor of Liang thought it made some sense. "But this choice..." The Emperor hesitated, his voice laced with guilt. "Shun'an is the only daughter of the King of Chu and the last living descendant of the late Crown Prince Zhaowen. I really can't bring myself to send her away, or I'd feel like I'm betraying my brother."

Zhu Cheng felt a twinge of unease but kept a straight face as he advised, "Sacrificing one person to save thousands—what's there to hesitate about, especially when it's just a woman! Even if Crown Prince Zhaowen were still around, he'd probably be willing to give up his daughter for the good of the state."

Yeah, it's just a woman. The Emperor's eyes brightened. As long as it didn't involve the Zhang family, it wouldn't cause any trouble. Moreover, after marrying far away to Mobei, she would have no support and would be lucky to survive.

With his thoughts cleared, the Emperor made up his mind. "Good! Your words are wise, my dear minister." He then ordered the edict to be drafted.

Zhu Cheng smiled, kowtowed, and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

As he walked out of the audience hall, Zhu Cheng wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, feeling a great weight lifted from his heart. With the marriage candidate decided, the Prince of Mobei would likely depart soon. He could almost see a bright future ahead.

As for the Emperor's attitude towards the Chu residence... well, it wasn't his concern.

——

At the Chu residence, after the envoy finished reading the edict, he presented it to Jiang Congyan with both hands, "Please accept the decree, Princess."

Jiang Congyan was helped up by Ruo Lan and slowly walked forward to receive the edict that would change her fate. She turned around and saw the King of Chu and Consort Zhao Shi of Chu.

Consort Zhao's face was filled with undisguised delight, and she even pretended to offer a few words of congratulations. She hadn't expected the plan to go so smoothly. The Prince of Mobei had indeed been captivated by her beauty and chosen her. It was truly heaven's will.

Jiang Congyan paid no attention to Consort Zhao's smug expression and instead looked at the King of Chu beside her.

When the edict was being read, the King of Chu's clouded eyes seemed to clear for a moment, revealing a terrifying glint of light before it quickly disappeared, making one wonder if it was just an illusion.

After the envoy left, Consort Zhao, with the help of her maids, swaggered back to her residence, Jingzhenju, while the King of Chu was carried back to his pavilion in Lishuiyuan by two strong servants. He had been drunk before the edict was read and was hastily cleaned up and brought over by his attendants.

As the crowd dispersed, Jiang Congyan stood expressionless, her delicate fingers clutching the silk edict, creasing it with her grip.

Her aura became ethereal and indistinct, her thick lashes covering her dark pupils as if her soul had been drained, leaving only a shell in the mortal world.

"Young lady..."

Ruo Lan and Si Zi watched her carefully, afraid she might do something drastic. But in this situation, they didn't know what comforting words to offer. Any words would seem inadequate.

Jiang Congyan was now thinking about one thing—who had Tuo Baxiao chosen in the original history?

If she hadn't been reborn into this little girl's body, the real Jiang Congyan would have died young along with her brother ten years ago.

Since "Jiang Congyan" didn't exist, who had Tuo Baxiao chosen after forming an alliance with Liang State?

Or was it that her presence now was the cause, and the future history had become what she knew because of her arrival.

This was a historical paradox.

If history had truly changed because of this, how terrifying it would be! She could only follow a predetermined trajectory!

This meant that no matter what she did, or precisely because of what she did, it became history.

Attempting to change history, only to become a part of it.

Jiang Congyan was momentarily lost, unsure of the purpose of her time travel.

Was it just to live a few more years and see this land of Huaxia devastated and torn apart? Was it only to watch her loved ones scatter one by one in the chaos of the times? To see the Zhang family, generation after generation, fight to the death on the battlefield in their resistance against the barbarians?

"Miss!"

A gentle, steady female voice pulled Jiang Congyan back from her thoughts. "What is it?"

"Miss, don’t despair," Ruo Lan couldn’t help but embrace her, choking back tears. "No matter where you go, we’ll be with you."

She had just watched the light in her mistress’s eyes fade away, followed by an overwhelming sadness that seemed to press down on her shoulders with invisible weight, almost crushing her.

Though her mistress seemed fragile, her inner strength was remarkable. Even in life-and-death situations, she had never seemed so vulnerable. Ruo Lan didn’t know why her mistress was like this now, but she only wanted to protect her with all her might. She never wanted to experience the helplessness and despair of failing to protect someone again.

"I’m alright," Jiang Congyan raised her arms to hug Ruo Lan back, bending slightly to rest her face on her aunt’s shoulder, whispering softly, "Auntie, don’t worry. I won’t lose heart."

She cherished her life. Having been given a second chance, regardless of whether history was already set in stone, she was determined to live it well.

After they comforted each other for a while, Jiang Congyan stepped back from Ruo Lan’s embrace. "Let’s go to the Li Shui courtyard."

As before, they arrived at the pavilion in the Li Shui courtyard. Pushing open the door, as expected, the floor was strewn with wine jars, the room filled with the stench of alcohol.

Jiang Congyan instructed Ruo Lan and Si Zi to wait outside with the servant boy, then stepped in alone. Gazing down at the King of Chu sprawled on the floor, her voice was gentle but firm, each word carefully chosen, "Father, you’ve been drunk for ten years. Isn’t it time you sobered up?"