Chapter 297: Chapter 294 Dead End

Sang Yan ultimately didn’t soften her heart to let He Ying visit Sang Ruoshui.

Yet, she herself was quite diligent in visiting.

For three consecutive days, she reported daily.

Of course, Sang Ruoshui had no desire to see her.

Sang Yan knew this and didn’t stay long each time she visited; she just glanced at Sang Ruoshui’s complexion, asked the Imperial Physician a few questions about her recuperation, and then left as if just going through the motions.

That day, after leaving Yuesang Palace and returning to Qingning Palace, she unexpectedly encountered He Ying.

Oh, and there was also a young man kneeling on the ground, dressed in azure cloth.

The youth was tall with wheat-colored skin and handsome features, but his eyes betrayed a hint of arrogance.

His black hair was loose, held only by a jade hairpin, and his wide-sleeved robe endowed him with an air of stern detachment.

“Who is this?”

Sang Yan glanced at the kneeling young man, then turned her gaze to the man who was drinking tea on the chair.

He Ying’s countenance wasn’t good, but it softened when he saw Sang Yan return.

At the same time, he introduced, “This is the author of that book. Jiang Duan.”

Sang Yan: “!!!”

Jiang Duan?

Isn’t that Xuanrao’s fiance?

Turns out she had inadvertently denounced her own fiance?

What a coincidence!

She had even said that during her grand wedding with He Ying, she would invite Xuanrao to bring him along, yet they were meeting under such circumstances.

“You are Jiang Duan? The younger uncle of Jiang Chongyu?”

She was genuinely shocked.

Jiang Duan was much calmer, or rather, had been expressionless from the start.

“Precisely.”

His thin lips moved slightly, emitting two indifferent words.

Sang Yan wondered how Xuanrao could tolerate such a cold person?

No, that wasn’t fair to say.

When she first met He Ying, he too had the aura of a cool male deity, but once they got to know each other, that persona crumbled!

Not only was he lovesick, but he was also a lech.

From this, who knows what Jiang Duan was like in front of Xuanrao?

However, those matters were irrelevant to her.

Sang Yan refocused and went straight to the point, “Jiang Duan, as a great scholar, why did you write such a book?”

Although there wasn’t anything too graphic in the book, the story itself was provocative enough–it actually alluded to her and He Ying!

Jiang Duan had anticipated he might get caught while writing the book, so he had already prepared his defense, “You are a femme fatale, the Emperor is bewitched by your beauty, committing one foolish act after another for you. As a subject of Da He, it is my natural duty to take some action. The rise and fall of the country is everyman’s responsibility.”

He spoke with conviction, his words filled with righteous indignation.

Sang Yan nodded after listening, “The rise and fall of the country is indeed everyman’s responsibility, but your duty is not to incite the public against the Emperor, but to guide public opinion correctly.”

“What do you mean?”

“You call me a femme fatale, so first tell me, what wrong have I done?”

She intended to refute his accusations point by point.

Jiang Duan guessed her intention and was about to list her faults–

“Enough!”

He Ying, unable to bear criticism of Sang Yan, interjected with a menacing tone, “Jiang Duan, be aware that your actions could lead to the downfall of the Jiang Family! Now, I am giving you the opportunity to admit your mistake!”

“The commoner has done no wrong.”

Jiang Duan, just like his nephew Jiang Chongyu, was a stubborn man, unwavering in his beliefs or causes, not easily swayed.

“How dare you!”

He Ying slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his eyes ablaze with fury and intent to kill.

Seeing this, Sang Yan hurried to soothe him, “Xinyuan, don’t speak yet. I’ll handle this.”

Suppressing his rage, He Ying said, “He’s digging his own grave!”

Sang Yan walked over with a smile and patted his chest, tenderly persuading him, “I know. I know. I’ll guide him onto the path of life.”

He Ying: “…”

Guide what?

Kill him and be done with it!

But Sang Yan wouldn’t allow him to kill!

She simply had too much reverence for life!

Little did she know, some people’s lives were just not worth much!

He Ying coldly eyed that unworthy life, pondering how to kill him without anyone noticing.

Seeing that he had fallen silent, Sang Yan then said to Jiang Duan, “Please, continue.”

Jiang Duan was not intimidated by He Ying’s earlier demeanor and continued, “You were born with a husband-killing fate. After entering the palace, you stole your sister’s favor and disregarded human relations!”

Sang Yan was about to retort–

He Ying cut in, “You’re mistaken. It was I who fancied her first, forcefully taking her away. At the start, she was completely unwilling.”

Sang Yan: “…”

Is it really okay for an emperor to confess his shortcomings so openly?

Jiang Duan was also taken aback by He Ying’s words, but after a pause, he said, “Although the Emperor is at fault, Miss Sang is the root of the problem. Regardless of how the story started, later on, she still did not firmly reject him and has become entangled with you until now.”

Sang Yan, upon hearing this, countered, “I believe I have the right to pursue happiness. I do not wish for a husband-killing fate. Nor do I believe in such a curse.”

She spoke the latter part with a hint of guilty conscience.

Sure enough, Jiang Duan immediately cited examples, “Ever since you and the Emperor have been together, numerous misfortunes have befallen Dahe. Including your exile, the Emperor went to great lengths to find you, even returning the hard-won cities of Marshal Rong and countless soldiers, all because of you! Tell me, are you not the fateful disastrous beauty–”

“Shut up!”

He Ying exploded with rage again, “She is my wife, the Empress chosen by me. When she was abducted by traitors, should I have simply stood by and done nothing? Faced with Beiqi, a few cities are indeed valuable, but they cannot compare to her safety! If we gave those cities back to Beiqi, then we will just take them back! The soldiers of Dahe are men of valor. Do you think I should sacrifice my Empress to protect those cities?”

“She’s not the Empress yet!”

Jiang Duan retorted, “Even if she marries the Emperor in a grand wedding, with such a tarnished reputation, she is unworthy to be the Empress!”

In the end, it was still her poor reputation.

Sang Yan found it very embarrassing to listen to Jiang Duan discredit her in person.

However, she steadied herself and asked back, “Then who, in your opinion, is fit to be the Empress?”

This question instantly stopped Jiang Duan.

Even living in seclusion in Duan City, he knew the Emperor had not favored any woman for many years, and in the vast harem, not a single woman had his favor.

So, if the Emperor did not wish to favor other women, who could be fitting as the Empress?

Seeing Jiang Duan stumped, Sang Yan continued, “Regardless of whether I am a calamitous beauty or not, it is ridiculous and incompetent to blame all the Emperor’s actions on a woman. If you can’t persuade the Emperor, you take it out on me, a weak woman–is this not bullying the weak and fearing the strong? You, a great scholar, do not think of serving your country and educating people, but instead attack me vehemently, a weak woman; do you not feel ashamed?”

Jiang Duan was at a loss for words again.

He had not expected Sang Yan to be so eloquent!

“You’re… not a weak woman!”

Jiang Duan, insistent although nervous, said, “I am serving Dahe… by eliminating you, the disastrous beauty!”

“What ‘nation’ are you serving!”

A sharp and angry female voice rang out.

Sang Yan turned to look and saw Xuanrao, dressed in fiery red, rushing in.

“The commoner Xuanrao pays respect to the Emperor, the Empress–”

She strode in, knelt next to Jiang Duan, performed a courtesy, then immediately pointed at Jiang Duan’s forehead, berating, “Are you out of your mind? Did you just ignore everything I told you about the Empress’s virtues? And you still write such books! You’re like an old man looking for death!”

Sang Yan: “…”

And there was the man who had been so arrogantly criticizing her and the Emperor just moments before, now as quiet as a mouse, being fiercely pointed at by Xuanrao without uttering a word in refute.

Indeed, what overcomes one thing will in its turn be overcome by another?