I have A’fu and my consort husband… I can’t abandon them.”
I felt melancholic too. The cold wind was chilling, and I had to constantly prevent her from falling into the river. Was I here to comfort her or to create trouble for myself?
At this point, she found my hand to hold, looking at me earnestly, “We are both wanderers. A’yao, you must understand my pain.”
“Father the Emperor wants to arrange a marriage between you and General Shen. He asked me to persuade you privately. I know you love Official An and dislike General Shen. But the Shen family has been loyal officials and generals for generations, holding military power and remaining faithful. Marrying him would be beneficial for your future ascension to the position of Crown Prince. This is Father’s careful consideration, paving the way for you.”
I was confused. I knew Emperor Hong wanted to match me with Shen Dan’ding, but I hadn’t realized his considerations were like this. I was grateful but would never accept.
Yun Qiao sighed deeply. “Loving one person yet having to marry another. Are the sisters of the Jiang family destined to bear such a fate?”
She finally fell silent, returning to the table to embrace the wine jar, drinking the last drop, then collapsed like a malfunctioning wooden doll onto the table.
Speechless, I called for sobering tea, had her drink plenty, and with the waiting guards, sent her home. Consort E was calm, expertly carrying her to her room.
The direct consequence of this farce was—I caught a cold.
I was sick and delirious, feeling alternating heat and cold, dizzy and aching all over. When Jiang Yun Qiao came to see me, I was curled up in bed, shivering. She felt guilty, regretting bringing me to drink, and ending up drunk herself. However, she claimed to have no memory of that night’s conversation, appearing completely innocent.
I struggled to open my eyes, weakly saying, “It was nothing. Just mentioned something about snow, about a youth.”
Jiang Yun Qiao’s expression changed dramatically, becoming incredibly complex.
Then, I heard a story.
