Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 91.1

Before dawn, birds outside the window were already perched on the branches, chirping incessantly.  

Jiang Libai, who was a light sleeper, suddenly woke up from a bizarre dream, her forehead covered in sweat from the fright. Realizing it had just been a nightmare, she groggily lifted her head.  

Lying beside her, Gu Yun was already awake and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “It’s not dawn yet. Why don’t you sleep a little longer?”  

Last night, the Seventh Princess had been too worried about Xingxing to sleep, tossing and turning in bed. She had only managed to rest for an hour or two in the latter half of the night.  

Jiang Libai was exhausted, but at this moment, she had no sleepiness left in her. “No more sleep. Let’s get up and prepare to bring Xingxing back as soon as possible.”  

Jiang Ying wanted the Imperial Seal—her intentions were obvious.  

So although Jiang Libai was deeply concerned about Xingxing’s safety, she didn’t want to actually give in to Jiang Ying’s demands.  

Before going to bed last night, she and Gu Yun had already discussed a plan: Gu Yun would disguise herself as Jiang Libai’s maid and enter Jiang Ying’s estate with her. Then, they would present the box supposedly containing the Imperial Seal and demand that Jiang Ying bring Xingxing before them to confirm her safety.  

Once the exchange was made, Gu Yun would use her powers to subdue Jiang Ying’s people…  

This way, they could take Xingxing away and ensure that the seal wouldn’t fall into Jiang Ying’s hands.  

—

The sun rose high, and a gentle spring breeze blew.  

Stalls lined both sides of the street, vendors shouting their wares with enthusiasm, marking the start of another ordinary day.  

A seemingly ordinary carriage rolled in from the street corner. Since the road was crowded, the driver tightly held the reins and moved slowly.  

Inside the carriage, Jiang Libai sat tense, silently counting the time until they would arrive at Jiang Ying’s estate.  

As she lifted the curtain to peek out again and again, unable to contain her impatience, the noise around her finally faded, and the carriage came to a steady stop.  

Jiang Libai lifted the curtain, grasped her skirt, and quickly jumped down.  

A young maid walking beside the carriage lowered her head and reached out to support her. “Princess, mind your step.”  

Hearing the familiar voice, though slightly altered in pitch, Jiang Libai subtly glanced at the “maid” beside her.  

A moment later, she retracted her gaze.  

Under the guidance of an attendant, she entered the Fifth Princess’s estate, with Gu Yun, disguised as her maid, following closely behind.  

—

In the lush courtyard, clusters of green leaves swayed in the breeze. Petals fluttered down in spirals, landing softly on the vibrant grass.  

Not far away, a small pavilion was entwined with vines, its dense foliage partially obscuring the view inside.  

However, upon spotting Qiu Ju standing outside, Jiang Libai immediately knew that Jiang Ying was inside the pavilion.  

“Seventh Princess.” Qiu Ju bowed respectfully before stepping aside. “Please.”  

Seeing that Qiu Ju showed no sign of recognizing Gu Yun despite her disguise, Jiang Libai silently sighed in relief.  

Inside the pavilion, a stone table and several stone stools were arranged neatly. The vines climbing up the columns acted like walls, filtering the sunlight and casting dappled shadows.  

As soon as Jiang Libai stepped inside, she saw Xingxing in Jiang Ying’s arms.  

“Xingxing?!”  

She took a step forward but, fearing that any sudden movement might provoke Jiang Ying and put Xingxing at risk, she forcibly stopped herself.  

Xingxing seemed to be asleep. Hearing the familiar voice, her eyelashes quivered slightly before she opened her round, bright eyes.  

“Mother…”  

The little one’s voice was soft and sticky, her sleepy expression relaxed and at ease.  

“I brought the Imperial Seal. Give me Xingxing.”  

Although things were not quite as Jiang Libai had expected, she remained highly cautious.  

Watching Xingxing fidget in Jiang Ying’s arms, her small hands grabbing at Jiang Ying’s robes, Jiang Libai feared she might annoy Jiang Ying and be thrown aside.  

“The seal is here.” She took the box from Gu Yun and gave it a slight shake.  

However, Jiang Ying didn’t even glance at the box. She simply held Xingxing, her expression gentle as she teased the child. After seeing that smile—so much like Xiao Qi’s—she finally looked up, the corners of her lips curving slightly. “It seems you do care for Xiao Qi after all. Even knowing that I wouldn’t tolerate you, you still dared to step into my estate.”  

Jiang Libai felt dizzy for a moment upon hearing this, but the next second, she saw Jiang Ying’s gaze shift behind her.  

…Jiang Ying recognized Gu Yun?!  

The thought struck her mind, and Jiang Libai instinctively moved to shield Gu Yun. “I’ve brought the seal. Now give me Xingxing.”  

Jiang Libai’s wary stance did not escape Jiang Ying’s notice. She chuckled indifferently. “To think you’d disguise yourself as a woman just to stay by Xiao Qi’s side… I had underestimated your feelings for her.”  

As she spoke, a twinge of bitterness crept into her chest.  

When she saw Gu Yun, now dressed as a woman, holding Xiao Qi’s hand and stepping forward, Jiang Ying raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll have my people shoot you full of arrows?”  

Gu Yun had already used her spiritual power to scan the surroundings. To her surprise, aside from the few guards stationed outside, there were no hidden sentries…  

So she knew Jiang Ying was merely bluffing.  

But she didn’t bother arguing—she only wanted to retrieve Xingxing as soon as possible.  

“Even if there were people here, you wouldn’t be able to harm either the princess or me,” Gu Yun said. After finishing, she prepared to use her powers to subdue the guards outside and snatch Xingxing from Jiang Ying’s arms.  

The wheelchair moved slightly as Jiang Ying placed Xingxing on the ground, holding her little hand as she slowly led her forward.  

“Take her back.”  

Placing Xingxing directly into Jiang Libai’s arms, Jiang Ying watched as she immediately clutched the child tightly. Tears welled up in her eyes, glistening as they threatened to fall.  

Jiang Ying’s grip on the wheelchair tightened.

“Take good care of her. Don’t lose her again.”

After saying this, she casually glanced at the box on the stone table and reached out to pick it up.

“You may leave.”

Gu Yun stared at her intently, the strange feeling in her heart growing stronger.

But if they didn’t leave now, when would they? She supported Jiang Libai’s shoulders and turned to walk out.

“Xiao Qi.” Watching that departing figure, Jiang Ying’s eyes held an unhidden longing.

Yet, when she saw those hurried steps suddenly pause, she found herself at a loss for words.

After all, some decisions had already been made.

And some things could no longer be undone.

She opened her mouth, but in the end, she only softly reminded, “Rest well and take care of yourself.”

Jiang Libai felt a deep discomfort in her heart. She had thought that after all Jiang Ying had done, they were no longer the close sisters they once were.

So now, hearing these words of concern, she only felt irony and disgust.

After thinking for a moment, she did not respond. Without looking back, she left the Fifth Princess’s residence completely.

It was already midday, and the sun had risen even higher.

Qiu Ju entered the pavilion and immediately noticed the box left on the stone table.

Recalling the Fifth Princess’s instructions, she was somewhat puzzled. “Princess… are you really accepting this jade seal?”

Jiang Ying did not take the box. Instead, she pushed her wheelchair forward. “There is no jade seal inside.”

Leaving the dim pavilion, she looked up at the cloudless sky. Remembering Xiao Qi’s grief-stricken expression earlier, her eyes instantly turned cold. “Is he dead yet?”

Qiu Ju followed behind her, pushing the wheelchair toward the back courtyard.

“Not yet. He has endured all kinds of torture, but the Third Prince is still hanging on by a thread.”

A flash of cruelty flickered in Jiang Ying’s eyes. “Let’s go see him.”

—

In the underground prison, the damp and dark surroundings felt eerily empty. The candle flames flickering on the walls cast weak light, barely illuminating the surrounding stone walls.

The crack of a whip striking flesh echoed from below, one after another, accompanied by the sound of splitting skin, but no screams came from the one being lashed.

As the wheelchair was pushed to the lowest level of the prison, Jiang Ying saw Jiang Heng, already tortured beyond recognition.

She lifted a hand slightly, and the dark guard wielding the whip immediately stopped. Seeing the look from Qiu Ju, the guards silently retreated.

With the sudden silence, Jiang Heng raised his face, which was half-hidden behind disheveled hair, and stared at her with his single remaining eye for a long time.

Then, he coughed twice and laughed hoarsely, “You… despicable traitor…”

“Despicable?” Jiang Ying looked at his wretched appearance, her voice devoid of emotion. “The day you and I formed an alliance, I told you one thing—do not touch Xiao Qi.”

Yet he had secretly laid hands on Xiao Qi and repeatedly concealed it from her.

Jiang Heng’s jaw had been dislocated, and blood poured endlessly from his mouth. “Zhao Hua(the little princess)… was just a child… You couldn’t get the jade seal… I just wanted to help you…”

Seeing him still trying to justify himself, Jiang Ying sneered coldly. “The one who planned for Xiao Qi to be violated—was you.”

At these words, Jiang Heng’s body stiffened.

“You knew very well how much Xiao Qi meant to me, yet you dared to let her suffer such harm.”

And this time, Xingxing was Xiao Qi’s own daughter, the child Xiao Qi cherished like the apple of her eye. Yet he had still bypassed her watchful eyes and instructed his hidden guards to abduct Xingxing!

He had caused Xiao Qi days of sorrow and suffering.

“You deserve to die.” Her tone was calm, but the killing intent within it was overwhelming.

Jiang Heng was not afraid of death. Years ago, he had already been living like a walking corpse.

“Yes, I deserve to die. So kill me. Kill me, and then kill my uncle’s entire family…”

His one remaining eye fixed firmly on Jiang Ying.

But unfortunately, the words she uttered next extinguished the last glimmer of light in his gaze.

“I know what you want. But too bad—you have displeased me, so I will not grant your wish.”

Jiang Heng’s desire was simple.

He wanted his mother, the consort, and his maternal uncle’s entire family to be eliminated.

Jiang Heng desperately wanted to shout, but his dislocated jaw no longer allowed him to make loud sounds.

“You can’t… break our… alliance…”

He was unwilling! He was utterly unwilling!

He had been so close—so close to exposing Chancellor Leng’s assassination plot against the emperor! The Leng family was nearly facing annihilation!

Just a little more! And he could have avenged Xu’er…

Thinking of the early death of Xu’er, Jiang Heng’s numb heart twisted in even greater pain.

Watching him laugh and cry at the same time, Jiang Ying’s lips curved slightly. “You made one unforgivable mistake—you laid hands on Xiao Qi and Xingxing. Had you obediently followed my plans, I might have granted you what you desired.”

But unfortunately, Jiang Heng had already lost himself to madness, daring to defy her.

So, she had suppressed evidence of the Leng family’s assassination attempt. As long as that information remained buried, the Leng family would not face disaster.

And with that, Jiang Heng’s last hope was extinguished.

Jiang Ying watched as the light faded from his eyes, his body finally losing all its strength, his breath barely hanging on. With a wave of her hand, she signaled to Qiu Ju, “Let’s go.”

Jiang Heng was already dead.

The moment he dared to harm Jiang Libai and Xingxing, his fate had been sealed.

As she left the prison, the sunlight fell upon Jiang Ying.

She tilted her head up, squinting against the harsh light, and raised a hand to shield her eyes.

“Where is General Zhao’s army now?” she asked casually.

Qiu Ju had long known this day would come. She tightened her grip on the wheelchair’s handles and replied in a low, solemn voice, “Approximately the day after tomorrow, General Zhao’s army will arrive at the outskirts of the capital…”

Once General Zhao led his troops into the city, their situation would become dire.

Even though the emperor remained unconscious, and the Fifth Princess had been managing state affairs under the guise of assisting her father, General Zhao had an imperial edict bearing the jade seal. They could not openly defy it.

Most importantly… after realizing Xiao Qi’s true feelings, the Fifth Princess no longer had any desire to ascend the throne.

“Understood.” Jiang Ying remained indifferent. She glanced around at the familiar scenery, letting her gaze linger on the places where Xiao Qi had once stayed. Then, she sighed lightly. “Prepare to leave the capital.”

— 

The next morning at court, the ministers waited for some time, but the ever-diligent Princess Jiayi did not appear.

As murmurs spread among them, Grand Eunuch Sun, looking utterly exhausted, arrived at the hall. Avoiding all questions, he announced that General Zhao was returning to the capital and revealed that Princess Jiayi and the Third Prince had plotted to harm the emperor in an attempted coup.

“…Princess Jiayi has already fled the capital… The emperor has yet to awaken…”

Some ministers questioned how Eunuch Sun had discovered that the emperor’s condition was linked to Princess Jiayi and the Third Prince.

Eunuch Sun wiped away his tears. “Princess Jiayi poisoned His Majesty and bribed Imperial Physician Liu to secretly add more poison to his medicine over time… That is why His Majesty has remained unconscious for so long…”

Imperial Physician Liu had already confessed, and evidence of Princess Jiayi’s coercion had been found.

Thus, the case of Princess Jiayi attempting to murder the emperor was irrefutable.

A search of the Fifth Princess’s residence uncovered no further evidence of treason, but in the underground prison, the corpse of the Third Prince was discovered.

As General Zhao set out to capture the fleeing Princess Jiayi, the court debated and ultimately decided to appoint the Fifth Prince as regent.

As for Emperor Yu, after stopping the poisoned medicine, he remained unconscious for another half a month before finally waking. However, his health had greatly deteriorated.

Seeing that Jiang Wei had become adept at handling state affairs, the emperor decided to issue an edict of abdication, passing the throne to the Fifth Prince. He then took the title of Retired Emperor and moved to the palace retreat to recuperate.