Isolated town in northern border region

On the evening of the fifth day, they returned from outside the city.

The setting sun bathed the upturned eaves of Wenshu City in a warm golden hue.

Jiang Min walked beside Xiao Lie, her pace slower than usual, and she still held the bow in her hand.

She suddenly stopped and spoke.

"Xiao Lie, there's something I still need to apologize for."

Xiao Lie also stopped and looked at her.

Jiang Min took a deep breath.

"I want to stay in Jing Kingdom."

She didn't look at him; her gaze was fixed on the two long shadows cast by the setting sun on the ground.

"I know that you taking me away is the best outcome."

"But I'm not reconciled! My elder brother has been imprisoned, and my father has suddenly passed away!"

"I don't believe it's just a coincidence! I want to find out the truth!"

"These five days... I've had a great time. After this, I might..."

She paused for a moment.

"There will never be days like this again."

Xiao Lie remained silent for a moment.

Then he reached out and grabbed Jiang Min's wrist, turned around and walked towards the palace.

Jiang Min stumbled slightly as he pulled her.

"What are you doing?"

Xiao Lie did not turn around.

"How could such a small matter possibly delay my marriage?"

"Go directly to Jiang Jun and ask him directly!"

"You want to find out the truth, right? Then just ask him."

Jiang Min paused for a moment, but Xiao Lie did not let go of her hand.

She watched his retreating figure, then stopped struggling and followed him quickly into the palace.

Dusk fell as the palace gates closed behind them, shutting out the five days of romantic moments under the setting sun, leaving only the empty and cold palace before them.

The door to the Imperial Study was pushed open, and Xiao Lie walked in, holding the neck of an Imperial Guard, while also leading Jiang Min by the hand.

"Your Majesty! I'm just accompanying the princess back to her parents' home, why are there so many strange rules!"

"Especially this commander of the Imperial Guards, he actually dared to lay a hand on me, the King!"

Jiang Jun held a memorial in his hand, staring blankly at the scene of a prince from the State of Chu leading his sister and choking his general.

Jiang Jun never imagined he would see this scene in his life!

"Your Majesty...! Your Majesty..."

The Imperial Guard Commander's voice startled Jiang Jun awake. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the commander was rolling his eyes.

Jiang Jun quickly got up.

"King of the Northern Frontier, quickly release your grip!"

"Ugh! What a mess this is!"

"Listen to my command: From now on, when the King of Northern Frontier and Princess Minyue return to visit their relatives, there will be no need for notification, and there will be no curfew."

Xiao Lie relinquished command.

"Alright, stop pretending. I didn't even use any force!"

"Now that we know you're loyal, you can report back and you're not leaving?"

"Whoever listens to what I'm about to say will die!"

Upon hearing this, the commander of the Imperial Guards, who was still coughing, immediately bowed to Emperor Jing and took his leave, leading the Imperial Guards who had been following him to a distance of fifty paces.

Jiang Jun glanced at Jiang Min and sighed.

"Eunuch Xianji, please stay. The rest of you, please leave the Imperial Study."

Jiang Min knew that some problems would have to be faced sooner or later, and Xiao Lie's ability to directly bring Jiang Min to confront him was actually quite convenient.

After everyone left, Jiang Jun turned around and sat back on the dragon throne.

"Are you... here to interrogate me?"

"Explain in detail. First, let me know which crime you are asking about."

Xiao Lie released Jiang Min's wrist, turned around and closed the door of the imperial study, handing the conversation over to her.

Jiang Min stood at the door, looking at Jiang Jun sitting on the dragon throne, her voice a little strained.

"Brother, were you present when Father passed away?"

Jiang Jun did not avoid her gaze.

"exist."

Jiang Min's voice tightened even more.

"Did you do it?"

Jiang Jun looked at her in silence for a moment, then gritted his teeth and squeezed out a single word.

"Yes."

Jiang Min's breathing suddenly stopped.

Jiang Jun stood up, walked to the desk, and was only a few steps away from Jiang Min.

"It was I who did it."

"My father was already unconscious at the time. The first thing he said when he regained consciousness was, 'Kill me.'"

"Father ordered me, as his elder brother, to personally see him off on his journey."

Jiang Min clenched her sleeves tightly.

"Impossible... Why would he...?"

Jiang Jun took a porcelain bottle out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

"Because someone poisoned Father Emperor!"

"The contents of this bottle are called 'Nourishing Spirit Pills'."

His gaze fell on the porcelain vase.

"Presented by Jiang Taijin!"

"After Father Emperor took that elixir, his mind became increasingly confused, and his behavior became more and more mechanical, like a puppet."

He began to listen to Jiang Taiyan's every word, and even publicly said that he wanted to change the crown prince.

He knew what he was doing, but he couldn't control himself.

Jiang Min's face began to turn pale. Jiang Jun continued.

"The only night my father was lucid, it lasted less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"My father used all his strength to write a decree ordering me to execute Jiang Tai."

"Then my father grabbed my sleeve and forced me to do it!"

He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice.

"My father is a wise and virtuous ruler. How could he be willing to be manipulated like a puppet, a clown?"

Jiang Min opened her mouth, as if to say something, but her throat felt blocked.

At this moment, the old eunuch named Xianji walked out from the side of the hall.

He was the personal eunuch of the late Emperor Jiang Jue.

Xianji knelt before Jiang Min.

"Your Highness, this old servant was right beside the imperial bed that day."

"During the days when the late emperor was delirious, this old servant kept watch outside the door all night, not daring to close my eyes."

"That night, the late emperor suddenly regained consciousness and personally wrote down that edict."

"The late emperor did not wish to live as a puppet."

Jiang Min's body began to tremble. She looked at the eunuch, then at Jiang Jun, and then at the porcelain vase on the table.

Jiang Jun pushed the porcelain bottle over.

"If you don't believe me, you can find a good doctor to examine the residue in this bottle."

Xiao Lie took it, opened it, and sniffed it. He immediately frowned.

"Damn it! This smells like 'Bingyongsan'!"

"Xu De spent over half a month in Bingzhou treating my injuries, and he studied this every single day!"

"I would never be mistaken!"

Jiang Min took half a step back; she seemed to have lost the ability to hear those sounds.

Jiang Jun looked at her.

"There's one more thing..."

"That assassination attempt on you in Bingzhou was also instigated by Jiang Tai!"

Jiang Min didn't say anything more. She stood there, staring at the porcelain vase on the table for a long time.

She remembered when she was a child, Jiang Tai held her hand and took her to stroll through the Imperial Garden.

She recalled the first time she debated with Shen Guanchao, when Jiang Tai sat in the audience and gave her a thumbs up.

She recalled that a few years ago, the late emperor wanted to marry her off to the State of Qi, and it was Jiang Tai who knelt down in the court to say so.

"I am willing to pay this marriage contract with my military merits."

The images, like shattered glass, slipped from her hands one by one and fell to her feet.

She opened her mouth as if to call out "Royal Brother," but the word rolled in her throat and eventually turned into a very soft breath.

Then her body swayed and she fell to the side.

Xiao Lie reacted quickly and caught her immediately.

Jiang Jun stood behind the imperial desk, shaking his head and sighing helplessly.

"Since ancient times, royalty...has shown no kinship!"

Xiao Lie looked up at him.

"When I mistakenly believed that the Emperor of Chu had poisoned my father, I almost started a rebellion!"

"But I was concerned for the people of Great Chu!"

"You, holding the imperial edict, managed to refrain from killing Jiang Tai? I'm impressed!"

Jiang Jun sat on the dragon throne, looking exhausted.

"I have lost my father. If I kill my third brother, that silly girl Min'er will probably hate me for the rest of her life."

"By then, I will truly be all alone!"

Xiao Lie took a deep breath and made no comment.

"I have lived in the north for a long time, but when I arrived in your Jing Kingdom, I suddenly fell ill and was bedridden due to the change in climate and water."

"But the Northern Frontier cannot be without a ruler for even a day, so we can only ask Jiang Min, the future Queen of the Northern Frontier, to return to the Northern Frontier to take charge of the overall situation."

After listening, Jiang Jun remained silent for a moment, then he rose from the dragon throne again, walked to Jiang Min, and tidied her stray hairs.

"You seem to trust Sister Min'er."

Xiao Lie looked down at the pale face in his arms.

"My eyes are not blind."

The night breeze blew in through the half-open window of the imperial study, stirring the few unfinished folds on the table.

Xiao Lie carried Jiang Min and turned to walk towards the door. His steps were steady and unhurried.

Jiang Jun stood behind the imperial desk, watching the door that was gently closing in the wind.

The moonlight outside the door was just right, merging the two shadows into one.