Chapter 2: Not Over Yet?

The sound of the mahjong tiles clacking back and forth was crisp, and the hand gradually began to take shape.

“With the Princess taking this so seriously, it seems she won’t be playing the ‘money-giving boy’ today.”

Empress Dowager Wen’s playful remark made the palace maids and eunuchs nearby burst into laughter.

“You old women, still thinking about her little one?” The Empress Dowager laughed as well, then turned to Lin Yunyan and said, “Keep all your salary for now; today, I’ll let you win a little extra.”

Lin Yunyan sweetly agreed, which made the Empress Dowager even more delighted.

All of this was just banter.

After all, the money spent on mahjong games to pass the time in Cining Palace was merely small change—a drop in the bucket compared to her salary.

Few young ladies of the court could match her family’s wealth.

And this wealth stemmed from her mother.

Her mother was the niece of the Empress Dowager’s maternal family. Over a decade ago, when the Emperor was still a prince, she met her end while saving the imperial grandson, leaving behind a daughter barely a year and a half old.

The Empress Dowager was heartbroken, and the Emperor felt both guilt and gratitude. After ascending the throne, he bestowed upon Lin Yunyan the title of Princess of Ning’an, granting her the stipend of a princess.

In the past, Lin Yunyan believed she would never want for money in her lifetime.

It was only after being swept up in a diabolical conspiracy that she realized: what the imperial family gives, it can also take back.

This was true of her title as Princess, and it was true of the Lin family’s noble rank as well.

Every single item of gold, silver, treasure, jade, and deed on the registry was taken back—every last penny, with interest. To be left with just a single room to shelter from the wind and rain was, in itself, a vast display of imperial grace.

She and Xu Jian were like two soggy, mud-covered statues, utterly incapable of even lending a helping hand to their own kin.

Recalling her circumstances in her previous life, Lin Yunyan’s breath caught in her throat, as if searing flames were engulfing her once more.

It was truly no pleasant experience!

Fortunately, she still had the chance to make some changes now.

Just as she was about to reach for the tiles, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of a corner of the curtain lifting. Lin Yunyan looked over and saw that it was Eunuch Yu entering.

The eunuch, in his early thirties, had a very kind face. He bowed according to protocol before speaking: “Your Highness, the Imperial Study has sent a pot of coral.”

The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow.

Eunuch Yu clapped his hands.

Soon, the eunuch waiting outside entered and presented the pot of coral before the card table.

Lin Yunyan examined it.

This coral was naturally formed and uncarved; though not particularly refined, it possessed a natural charm that should very much appeal to the Empress Dowager.

“Such a large specimen,” the Empress Dowager nodded slightly in approval. “Was it a tribute from the provinces?”

Eunuch Xiao Yu replied, “The Emperor summoned the Duke of Fu; this coral was presented by His Lordship.”

Lin Yunyan’s long lashes fluttered.

In the tenth year of Yongjia, Duke Xu Mang passed away, and the sixteen-year-old Xu Jian inherited the title.

It was also in this year that Xu Jian fought against the Xiliang enemy forces at Yumen Pass, distinguishing himself in battle, yet losing his right leg in the process. Not only was he unable to continue fighting on the battlefield, but he could not even walk without a wheelchair.

Earlier in the side hall, Lin Yunyan had estimated the current year based on her reflection in the mirror—it must be the eleventh or twelfth year, certainly no earlier. If that were the case, Xu Jian would already be unable to walk properly.

At this thought, a deep sense of regret welled up from the depths of her heart.

It was truly a great pity.

With Xu Jian’s talents in both civil and military affairs, had it not been for his incurable injury, he would surely have achieved further feats of valor.

The imperial court lacked talents like him. If he could still lead troops and take the field, offering his contributions as leverage, how could he have been suppressed and driven to such a desperate state in the years that followed?

Favor, titles, and lineage—in the power struggles of the imperial court, these were all illusions. To avoid becoming a sacrificial pawn, the only thing one could rely on was “value.”

As a comrade-in-arms for many years, she wondered if she could do anything to help him…

Beside them, the Empress Dowager smiled warmly at Coral for a long moment before asking, “What wind is blowing today? Why has he gone so far as to present a treasure?”

Eunuch Xiao Yu’s expression hardened. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke the truth: “I’ve heard, Your Majesty, that the Duke is here to submit his resignation. He no longer wishes to serve in the Ministry of War.”

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager’s eyes darkened.

Lin Yunyan, however, had figured it out.

In the eleventh year of Yongjia, Xu Jian reported for duty at the Ministry of War after the New Year, but after more than half a year of coming and going in a wheelchair, he resigned from that post.

Now, it was precisely the time for him to resign.

Lin Yunyan had heard him mention the reasons a few times, though he always stopped short of explaining fully. However, after several years of marriage, she had managed to glimpse some of the underlying causes.

To put it bluntly, nine times out of ten, it had to do with the Liu family.

Though he lived alone in the Duke’s mansion, Xu Jian was not entirely without family; his parents were still alive, and he had a younger brother and sister.

The old Duke, Xu Mang, had a distinguished military career. After his first wife passed away, he never remarried and had only one daughter.

He had originally intended to find a son-in-law who could carry on his legacy, but unexpectedly, his daughter was rescued from danger by Liu Jing, a newly appointed imperial scholar. As they spent time together, they fell in love.

Xu Mang did not stand in their way; he took a step back, changing his plan from taking a son-in-law to giving his daughter in marriage, with only one condition: that the first son born to the couple must take the Xu surname and be raised at the Duke’s mansion.

That boy was Xu Jian.

Separated from his parents at a young age, he called Xu Mang “Grandfather” and was raised studying martial arts and academics.

Liu Jing, gifted with exceptional talent and having married the Duke’s daughter, rose rapidly through the ranks over the course of a decade, eventually attaining the position of Minister of the Imperial Household.

Logically, the two families were closely related, and the Liu residence was not far from the Duke of Fu’s mansion, yet they rarely visited each other. This was especially true after Xu Jian broke his leg; since he had to use a wheelchair to get around, it was quite inconvenient, and he grew even more reluctant to go.

In Lin Yunyan’s experience, they only made an appearance at the Liu residence during major holidays or when they simply couldn’t refuse an invitation.

She would sit with her mother-in-law and younger sister-in-law—whom she didn’t know well—exchanging polite small talk about family matters, and then head home as soon as Xu Jian and Liu Jing emerged from the study.

Sometimes, Xu Jian’s younger brother—the Liu family’s nominal eldest son—would also be in the study.

But whether the conversation involved two or three people, Xu Jian never shared the details with her.

Lin Yunyan had tried asking, only to have him change the subject; she could only tell from his expression that those conversations were far from pleasant.

There had even been a few occasions when Xu Jian couldn’t control his emotions; his gloomy gaze and tight lips clearly revealed his anger and dissatisfaction.

Even though his temper wasn’t directed at her—and Xu Jian wasn’t the type to take his frustrations out on others—Lin Yunyan still remembered those moments vividly.

Because she was powerless to help him in any way.

No matter how estranged parents and siblings might be, they were still bound by blood. Since Xu Jian was unwilling to speak of it, Lin Yunyan naturally had no way to intervene.

Though they shared a bond forged by having been “trapped hand-in-hand in a raging fire,” as comrades-in-arms, they had failed to achieve true openness and sufficient trust; naturally, as husband and wife, they fell even short of that.

“It must be his leg injury, then?”

Hearing the Dowager Empress speak, Lin Yunyan raised her eyes to look at her.

The Dowager Empress spoke slowly: “He appears able to walk, and he walks steadily, but I once took a closer look and noticed he actually limps slightly. It’s just that the Duke is too proud to let anyone easily notice it.”

As the Empress Dowager let out a sigh, Lin Yunyan’s eyes widened suddenly.

He can walk?

He limps?

Xu Jian’s leg… isn’t broken?