Chapter 387 In This Life, She Didn’t Want to Miss Him Again

Chapter 387: In This Life, She Did Not Want to Miss Him Again

Inside the warm pavilion of the Beiling palace, incense curled gently, and hot steam filled the air.

Jiang Shuning was concentrating on applying acupuncture to the Empress of Beiling.

She twisted the slender silver needles between her fingertips, precisely inserting them into the acupuncture points.

These days, this had become almost a daily routine.

The medicinal herbs in Beiling were potent in nature, and the Empress’s constitution, depleted from earlier years, was like a piece of parched, cracked earth utterly unable to absorb this torrential rain; instead, it suffered harm.

Jiang Shuning first cleared her blocked meridians, then gently nourished her with mild medicinal meals.

The effects were remarkable.

Within just over a month, the Empress’s sallow face had taken on a healthy flush, the dark circles under her eyes had faded, and even her figure looked plumper than before—no longer the frail, sickly appearance that seemed ready to collapse at the slightest breeze.

Xiao Huaijin stood in the corridor outside the hall, quietly watching the scene inside through the half-open window lattice.

At first, seeing Jiang Shuning so dedicated and his imperial sister’s health improving day by day, he felt comforted, even secretly delighted.

But this delight, like the brief winter sun, was soon swallowed by surging dark clouds.

He watched as his imperial sister held Jiang Shuning’s hand, chatting and laughing, full of intimacy and trust.

Their relationship grew closer by the day.

A terrifying thought, like a venomous snake, suddenly burrowed into his heart, coiling around it and suffocating him.

What if… what if, under Jiang Shuning’s care, his imperial sister truly conceived imperial offspring? Then Jiang Shuning would become a great benefactor to the Beiling imperial family.

By then, her bond with his imperial sister might even surpass that between him and his own sibling.

If Jiang Shuning took that opportunity to ask his imperial sister to let her go, would his imperial sister… agree without hesitation?

This thought sent a chill through his entire body.

He absolutely could not allow such a thing to happen.

He had brought her to his side with such difficulty; how could he ever let her slip away again?

Today, after watching Jiang Shuning finish the acupuncture for the Empress and then chatting with her for quite a while before taking her leave, his unease grew even stronger.

Seeing Jiang Shuning leave, he straightened his robes, took a deep breath, and stepped into the hall.

“Imperial Sister.”

The Empress was leaning against a soft pillow, her face beaming with a contented smile. When she saw him, her smile deepened.

“Fifth Brother, you’re here. Sit down.”

“Seeing such good color on your face, I am relieved,” Xiao Huaijin said, sitting down on an embroidered stool beside her. His expression was gentle and refined, as always.

“All thanks to Miss Jiang,” the Empress said, praising Jiang Shuning endlessly. “She is truly a wonder. Not only is her medical skill superb, but her character is also excellent. I feel my heart is light when talking to her.”

Xiao Huaijin nodded in agreement, then shifted the conversation. “Imperial Sister, I came today to tell you some good news.”

“Oh? What good news?”

“I have already contacted Grandfather’s family. They will soon ship the first batch of supplies and gold from Daye to support Beiling.” Xiao Huaijin’s voice was calm, but every word carried weight.

Upon hearing this, the Empress was deeply moved and shocked.

She grasped Xiao Huaijin’s hand, her fingertips trembling slightly.

“Fifth Brother, you… you and Miss Jiang are both great benefactors to Beiling! I… I truly don’t know what to say!”

“Imperial Sister, we are family; we should support each other.” Xiao Huaijin held her hand in return, his expression sincere, yet a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.

“Now in Daye… although His Majesty is on the throne, almost all court power has fallen into the hands of Fourth Brother, Xiao Lingchuan. After all, he carries half Nanyue blood in his veins. I truly worry that Daye’s state will be ruined by him sooner or later.”

He deliberately emphasized the words “Nanyue blood.”

The Empress’s expression indeed became complicated.

She had seen Jiang Shuning’s child, Little Yejun.

The child’s features were a near-perfect replica of Jiang Shuning’s, but upon closer inspection, there was no trace of Xiao Huaijin.

Instead… a flash of insight struck her mind: she vaguely felt the child’s outline bore an indescribable resemblance to her fourth brother, Xiao Lingchuan, who had been abandoned in the cold palace since childhood.

Associating this with the polite distance between Xiao Huaijin and Jiang Shuning, a bold guess took shape in her heart.

This child was probably Xiao Lingchuan’s.

Not only the child, but Jiang Shuning was likely Xiao Lingchuan’s woman as well.

No wonder Xiao Lingchuan had so easily seized control of the court, while her fifth brother, with his wealthy maternal family, had to take another man’s wife and child, wandering far from home, seeking refuge in Beiling.

Thinking of this, the Empress’s gaze toward Xiao Huaijin was filled with pity and tenderness.

“Fifth Brother, rest assured,” the Empress said solemnly, her tone unprecedented in its firmness. “Your imperial sister and His Majesty will protect you and your wife and child. We will never let Xiao Lingchuan come to Beiling to snatch your family!”

A genuine smile finally appeared on Xiao Huaijin’s face, the gloom swept away, leaving only relief and ease.

“Thank you, Imperial Sister. Rest assured, I am drafting a plan to revitalize Beiling. Once the supplies and gold arrive, we can begin implementation immediately!”

“Good,” the Empress nodded approvingly. “Your imperial sister and His Majesty await good news.”

Jiang Shuning treated the Empress for over three months, and finally, in early spring of the following year, good tidings came—the Empress had conceived imperial offspring.

The Empress was barely able to contain her excitement. She tightly grasped Jiang Shuning’s hands, tears glistening in her eyes, her voice choked: “Miss Jiang, thank you. You are my benefactor!”

Jiang Shuning was also sincerely happy for her. A soft light glimmered in her eyes as she spoke in a low voice: “Your Highness, may this commoner woman beg a favor of you?”

“Speak, without hesitation!”

“Your Highness, to be honest, I am not Prince Ning’s wife, nor is Jun his flesh and blood. Jun and I were both forcibly brought to Beiling by him, far from our homeland. I beg Your Highness to have pity and help me return to Daye—my parents are there; I miss them so much that I cannot sleep at night.”

Upon hearing this, the Empress’s gaze shifted slightly, avoiding her plea: “Miss Jiang, do you know how much effort Fifth Brother has expended for your sake? Now that Prince Jing is pressing hard, he was forced to abandon his identity as the Prince of Ning in Daye and come all the way to Beiling, just to stay with you forever. You are separated from your parents by a thousand li, but is he not also separated from his mother and sister?”

Jiang Shuning’s heart sank, as if falling into an ice cave, a bone-chilling cold piercing her.

“So, Your Highness, you are unwilling to help?”

“Exactly,” the Empress’s tone was gentle but brooked no dissent. “I am unwilling to see you separated, nor do I want you to leave Beiling. Miss Jiang, stay. Fifth Brother will spare no effort to protect and love you for life. He will surely make a name for himself here in Beiling and provide a stable, prosperous life for you and Jun!”

Jiang Shuning couldn’t help but take a step back, her figure trembling slightly, as if all hope had been drained from her, leaving her pale and powerless.

"Empress, I had thought that by helping you conceive the imperial heir, you would grant my request. I never thought you'd deny me even this small wish!"

Pity flickered in the Empress's eyes as she said softly, "Miss Jiang, if you return to Daye, wouldn't you be falling right into Fourth Brother's hands? Do you truly wish to go back to him?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Jiang Shuning nodded, a fierce determination blazing in her eyes. "Yes, I must return to his side!"

The Empress seemed not to expect such straightforwardness. She looked surprised. "Miss Jiang, why would you lie to me just to return to Daye? I know that you and Fifth Brother have a deep entanglement, and you have been struggling to escape his grasp!"

"Your Majesty, you don't understand." Jiang Shuning's lips curled into a bitter smile. "We already lost each other once. In this life, I refuse to lose him again!"