Chapter 86 Peony Fireworks

Chapter 86: Peonies in the Night Sky

Jiang Shuning couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

The drunkenness in her eyes deepened, making her stunningly beautiful.

"You're right, Third Brother. If he doesn't die, I'll personally send him to hell!"

The two of them laughed heartily. Ling Wu, watching from the side, felt a twitch in her eye, her heart hammering with anxiety.

She must never let the young mistress drink again. When drunk, she has no filter and will say anything—it's downright scary!

The newly brewed fruit wine from the East Market seemed sweet and light, but its kick was surprisingly strong.

Before long, the maids and matrons in the courtyard were all tipsy and unsteady on their feet, swaying and stumbling.

Seeing this, without another word, Ling Wu helped Jiang Shuning to her feet. "Young Mistress, you're drunk. Let me help you back to your room to rest. Be careful not to catch a chill!"

Jiang Shuning was dead drunk. She rested her head on Ling Wu's shoulder, looked up at the pitch-black sky, and suddenly giggled. "Your Highness, the sky's so dark and lonely. How wonderful it would be if it were covered with gorgeous peonies?"

Ling Wu dismissed it as drunken rambling and paid it no mind, carefully supporting her back to her room.

Jiang Tianze, standing nearby, however, his expression darkened, jealousy churning inside him.

A prince? Which one?

The current Emperor ascended the throne by stepping over the blood and bones of his own brothers.

Back then, only the young Prince Yong narrowly escaped death, but he was exiled to a desolate, frozen land a thousand miles away, forbidden to return to the capital for life.

Jiang Shuning had been sheltered deep within the women's quarters since childhood and likely had never even laid eyes on Prince Yong.

So, who was this 'Your Highness' she spoke of?

To make her utter such charmingly naive words in her drunken state?

Jiang Shuning's drunken stupor lasted until lunchtime the next day.

Upon waking, she felt a splitting headache. Fortunately, Ling Wu had already prepared a hangover cure and promptly brought it for her to drink, which slightly alleviated her discomfort.

"The hangover from that East Market fruit wine is this bad? I only had a few cups, yet I ended up so drunk!" Jiang Shuning massaged her throbbing temples, speaking with a hint of annoyance.

"Indeed!" Ling Wu replied. "Half the maids and matrons in the courtyard are still hungover, all waking up late today!"

"With the New Year's festival approaching, there aren't any urgent matters in the courtyard. Let them rest properly." Jiang Shuning asked with some concern, "I didn't do anything inappropriate after drinking, did I?"

Ling Wu chided, "Of course you did! The young mistress kept shouting about sending someone to hell. If I and Xia Chan hadn't stopped you, you might have even shouted out the Third Prince's name!"

Hearing this, Jiang Shuning was instantly mortified.

"Quickly dispose of the remaining fruit wine in the courtyard. From now on, I won't drink a single drop!"

Not only did this wine have a strong kick, but it also caused her to have a night of lingering, amorous dreams, all scenes of her past life's intimate moments with Xiao Lingchuan.

Waking up, her entire body felt sore and weak, as if weary from the marital bliss of her past life.

It was all the fault of this wretched fruit wine!

"Yes! I will definitely help you dispose of this fruit wine!"

Ling Wu thought to herself, what a pity to just throw the fruit wine away.

The young mistress couldn't handle a strong kick, but someone else could.

Ling Feng, consider yourself lucky!

After freshening up, Jiang Shuning was about to have her meal when Jiang Tianze arrived before she could even pick up her chopsticks.

"Tianze, have you had lunch yet?"

Jiang Tianze's gaze fell on her face. Remembering her charmingly naive and radiant appearance from last night, he lied through his teeth, "Not yet."

"Then sit down and eat together!" Unaware of his strange mood, Jiang Shuning warmly invited him.

She noticed faint dark circles under Jiang Tianze's eyes, mistakenly thinking he too was suffering from a hangover, and a pang of guilt struck her.

"Did Third Brother also have a hangover from last night? It's all my fault, I didn't think it through. I thought the East Market fruit wine was like the manor's, something you could drink freely. I never imagined it would make you all so drunk."

"Elder Sister needn't blame yourself. It's fine." Jiang Tianze forced a smile, trying to conceal his true inner turmoil.

He had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, his mind filled with that ambiguous "Your Highness" she had uttered. It was like a thorn deeply embedded in his heart, making him restless and unable to eat or sleep peacefully.

"Ling Wu just gave me a bowl of sobering soup. There should be more in the kitchen. I'll have her bring some for you right now."

"No need to trouble yourself, Elder Sister." Jiang Tianze looked at her and couldn't resist asking, "Last night, Elder Sister mentioned 'Your Highness' in your drunken ramblings. Tianze is curious, who exactly is this 'Your Highness' you spoke of?"

Hearing this, Jiang Shuning instantly flushed crimson.

She thought dreaming of Xiao Lingchuan while drunk was absurd enough, but she never expected to have muddledly called out "Your Highness"!

Meeting Jiang Tianze's probing gaze, she felt even more mortified.

"Just drunken babbling... idle chatter. Third Brother shouldn't take it seriously." Jiang Shuning picked up some food and placed it in his bowl. "Third Brother, you eat first. I'm full. I'll return to my room now!"

With that, she shot to her feet and beat a hasty retreat.

Jiang Tianze watched her retreating figure, his eyes dark and inscrutable.

Returning to her room, Jiang Shuning pulled Ling Wu aside and asked nervously, "After I got drunk last night, besides saying I wanted to kill Xiao Xiuzhan, did I say anything else? Did I mention 'Your Highness'?"

Ling Wu thought for a moment, then nodded. "You did mention it. The young mistress said, 'The sky is too lonely. How wonderful it would be if it were covered with peonies!' I didn't understand what you meant."

Jiang Shuning pressed her fingers to her forehead. She really had said it!

"Ling Wu, promise me you must forget that sentence immediately. Act as if you never heard it, understand?"

Seeing her so serious and anxious, Ling Wu quickly nodded. "Yes, Young Mistress!"

Late at night, Ling Feng came to meet her on the rooftop of the Prime Minister's residence.

Ling Wu specially brought several jugs of fruit wine. "This fruit wine has too much of a kick. The young mistress drank it, talked nonsense, and told me to dispose of it. Consider yourself lucky!"

Ling Feng took the wine jugs and said with a smile, "Today, the Third Prince headed west under imperial orders to suppress bandits in Xiyu. I'll bet Miss Jiang is thrilled?"

"More than thrilled? Last night, she drank quite a bit of fruit wine and almost said in front of everyone in the courtyard that she hoped the Third Prince would die in the bandits' lair. She also talked nonsense, calling out 'Your Highness.' Today, she was extremely nervous and insisted I must forget about it."

"Your Highness? Which prince?" Ling Feng instinctively pressed.

Recently, influenced by the Fourth Prince, he had become particularly sensitive to any men connected to Miss Jiang.

"I don't know either. I only heard the young miss say, 'The night sky is so desolate; if only it could be filled with peonies.'"

Ling Feng was completely puzzled. "That is indeed perplexing."

"Not really. I know what she desires."

In Jinghe Palace, the flickering candlelight cast a warm glow throughout the room, softening the sharp angles of Xiao Lingchuan's profile.

The corners of his lips curved into a gentle smile. "Whatever she wishes for, I will do my utmost to grant it."

Ling Feng was more confused than ever. Such a cryptic remark could elicit such a rare expression from the Fourth Prince. In this world, the only person who could so easily stir His Highness's feelings was probably this Miss Jiang.

On New Year's Eve, the Prime Minister's residence was adorned with lanterns and decorations, bustling with excitement.

Jiang Shuning went to the main hall to enjoy the New Year's Eve dinner with her father, mother, Jiang Yaozhen, and the entire third household.

Perhaps because the Third Prince, Xiao Xiuzhan, had been dispatched to suppress bandits in Xiyu, Jiang Yaozhen seemed to feel she had lost her backing. Tonight, she was uncharacteristically subdued, refraining from her usual arrogance and not provoking Jiang Shuning with her words.

Jiang Shuning managed to have a relatively pleasant New Year's Eve for a change.

The only regret was that her elder brother, Jiang Tianen, had already passed away and could no longer sit with them at the table, sharing this warm moment of family reunion.

After the reunion dinner, she returned to her courtyard and sat in the pavilion, gazing up at the sky.

The heavens were just as they had been in her previous life—clear, dark, and desolate.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom echoed from nearby, followed by streaks of brilliant light rending the night sky. Countless dazzling fireworks burst forth in a riotous competition across the firmament.

People in the Prime Minister's residence were captivated by this unexpected display, gathering in the courtyards to look up in delight, cheering excitedly: "They're peonies! They're peonies!"

Jiang Shuning looked closely. The fireworks blooming in the night sky were indeed all varieties and colors of peonies—a myriad of forms, all vying in splendor, a dazzling, overwhelming spectacle.

A shudder ran through her, unable to believe it.

In her previous life, after marriage, there was one night when she was overwhelmed by a heart heavy with sorrow. She slipped alone to the kitchen to drown her sorrows in wine.

He followed her trail and found her drinking alone. "Why are you drinking so much?" he asked.

He might as well have been asking a question he already knew the answer to. If not for his entanglement with her half-sister Jiang Yaozhen, why would she be in such pain?

She looked up at the night sky and smiled bitterly. "Your Highness, the sky is too dark and lonely. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it could be filled with beautiful peonies?"

In truth, she wanted to tell him that she was as lonely as this sky.

And wanting his love was as impossible as filling the sky with peonies.

"What's so difficult about that?" he merely said lightly, then scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the bedchamber.

Amidst the tides of passion, her tears flowed like a spring.

In his heart, she was merely a tool to satisfy his desires.

A few months later, he ordered fireworks to be set off all night above Prince Jing's residence. Each firework was in the shape of a peony.

Under the night sky filled with dancing peony fireworks, a rare hint of pride appeared on his originally handsome yet aloof face.

"See? Now the sky is full of peonies."