Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 21

The morning following the tumultuous events, everyone quickly prepared to depart.  

The Seventh Princess’s carriage was among the last to leave, as most guests had already gone.  

“Princess Jia Ning, please wait a moment.” A voice called from behind—it was the Duke of An’s son, Xu Songyan.  

The carriage came to a halt. Jiang Libai lifted a corner of the curtain. “Have there been any developments from last night’s incident?”  

Xu Songyan nodded and stepped closer to the carriage, lowering his voice. “The woman was Zhou Yan’s cousin. His original plan was to ruin the consort’s reputation by involving him. However, for reasons unknown, it ended with Zhou Yan himself being intimate with the woman. Once the matter broke out, and before the rain had even stopped, the Zhou family hastily escorted both of them back to Anyang Earl Manor.”  

Jiang Libai’s expression shifted subtly. She studied Xu Songyan closely, skeptical. With the resources and influence of the Duke of An’s household, Xu Songyan couldn’t possibly have failed to investigate how Gu Yun escaped the trap. Yet, he glossed over that part entirely.  

Xu Songyan, perceptive as ever, quickly discerned her suspicion and spoke again, even more quietly. “Rest assured, Princess. This matter will not implicate the consort in any way.”  

Jiang Libai smiled faintly. “In that case, my thanks to you, Duke’s son. This favor, I’ll remember.”  

With that, she lowered the curtain, her smile fading as soon as she was out of sight.  

As the carriage rolled away from the manor, Jiang Libai leaned back and rubbed her temples in frustration.  

Gu Yun shifted slightly closer to her. “Princess, are you unwell?” She had heard everything Xu Songyan had said and recognized the veiled implications.  

Having navigated the treacherous waters of imperial politics in her previous life, Gu Yun understood the Duke of An’s intentions. His overtures toward the Seventh Princess were clearly calculated, though his ultimate goal remained unclear.  

Familiar with Gu Yun’s scent, Jiang Libai didn’t instinctively recoil this time. Instead, she was lost in thought, pondering Xu Songyan’s motives.  

After a long silence, she raised her eyes to meet Gu Yun’s.  

Xu Songyan’s maneuver was obvious—he sought to leverage his protection of Gu Yun to establish a favor owed by the Seventh Princess. It was exactly the type of scheming she loathed. But for Gu Yun’s sake, she had no choice but to accept the debt.  

“Princess, is something troubling you?” Gu Yun’s voice was tinged with concern as she observed the girl’s gloomy expression.  

Jiang Libai hesitated. Ultimately, she decided against telling Gu Yun. Their relationship was superficial at best, limited to the facade of marriage. Besides, Gu Yun was only involved because of his  position as Jiang Libai’s consort.  

“It’s nothing,” Jiang Libai replied curtly, shutting her eyes as though to rest.  

Gu Yun glanced at her for a moment but chose not to press further.  

—

By the afternoon, the carriage had entered the city gates.  

The lively bustle of street vendors stirred Jiang Libai from her rest. She lifted the curtain briefly to glance outside and, recognizing the route back to her residence, lowered it again.  

“Head to the Prince of Jinping’s manor first,” she instructed the driver.  

As the carriage turned down another street, Gu Yun’s voice broke the silence. “Will the Princess be accompanying me?”  

After last night’s shared experience, Gu Yun harbored a faint hope, though she knew better than to expect too much.  

Jiang Libai, however, didn’t look at her. “I’ll be returning to the princess’s residence.”  

“I understand.” Disappointment flickered briefly across Gu Yun’s face, but she quickly composed herself.  

A short while later, the carriage came to a stop.  

The driver, Mu Jiang, jumped down to place the footstool. “Princess, Consort, we’ve arrived at the Prince of Jinping’s manor.”  

Gu Yun glanced at the princess, who remained seated with her eyes closed, seemingly indifferent. Without another word, she stepped out of the carriage. “Take care, Princess.”  

As the carriage jolted slightly with her departure, Jiang Libai opened her eyes. Seeing the empty space beside her left her inexplicably irritated. She closed her eyes again, trying to clear her thoughts.  

—

Two days after their return to the capital, Jiang Libai found herself increasingly restless. Everything annoyed her, and even food tasted bland.  

Though she vaguely sensed her irritation was related to Gu Yun, she refused to dwell on it, fearing the implications of what she might discover.  

That morning, Mu Jiang reported that Chen Meipo, the matchmaker, had requested an audience. Only then did Jiang Libai remember her plan to arrange concubines for Gu Yun. Her feelings were complicated, but she instructed Mu Jiang to escort Chen Meipo to the study.  

After getting ready, she met the matchmaker.  

“Princess, there’s a matter… I wouldn’t dare not report…” Chen Meipo glanced nervously around, reluctant to speak.  

Jiang Libai dismissed everyone but Chunxi. “What is it?”  

After a moment’s hesitation, Chen Meipo mustered her courage. “The second daughter of the Dali Temple Assistant Minister… she has fallen for someone else and is unwilling to become the consort’s concubine. Unable to defy her father, she attempted to hang herself last night…”  

“What?!” Jiang Libai exclaimed.  

The matchmaker quickly elaborated, “Please don’t worry, Princess. She was rescued in time and is unharmed. However…”  

“Speak clearly! What happened to her?” Though Jiang Libai had no personal connection to the girl, her attempt to take her own life weighed heavily on her conscience—she was directly responsible for selecting her as a candidate.  

“She was unhurt, but the Assistant Minister has confined her, determined to send her to the consort once the arrangements are finalized. This matter has been kept quiet—I only learned of it through a contact in the family.”  

Chen Meipo hesitated before continuing. “Princess, considering her unwillingness, would you still want to proceed? Forcing her to become a concubine could tarnish the consort’s reputation…”  

Relieved that the girl was safe, Jiang Libai’s initial anger gave way to frustration with the Assistant Minister’s coercive actions.  

“If her heart lies elsewhere, then forget it. Neither the consort nor I would force anyone.”  

Chen Meipo had expected this response and took her leave.  

Afterward, Jiang Libai called Chunxi over. “Investigate this matter thoroughly, and also look into whether the daughter of Yan Youcheng is willing to become a concubine of her own accord.”  

By afternoon, Chunxi had completed her investigation.  

Finding Jiang Libi in the pavilion, she hesitated before speaking. “Princess… it seems you cannot seek an imperial edict to grant a marriage for the Assistant Minister’s daughter…”  

“Why not?” Jiang Libi asked, startled.  

Chunxi leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Because… the person she loves is a woman.”