Having Jiang Yu accompany Consort Zhang for conversation wasn't really necessary, as she didn't have much to say.
She wasn't the type of person who was good at initiating conversations.
Nor was she particularly skilled at comforting others.
However, having Jiang Yu keep the children company turned out to be perfect.
Perhaps because their intellectual levels matched, they could communicate effectively.
Though she was supposedly there to accompany Consort Zhang, Jiang Yu actually spent the entire day with the children.
Mainly because Consort Zhang looked very serious, quite different from the warm woman she had seen previously.
Jiang Yu didn't know what to say, even when forcing herself.
In the village, elderly women who had lost their children were the most pitiful.
Mom once said not to show eyes of sympathy or pity to others.
It wasn't good, as the other person didn't need sympathy or pity at that moment.
Without truly understanding their feelings, such sympathy was actually just condescension from above.
She really didn't know what to say.
She never imagined that she, a mere girl, would one day have the honor of being commanded to accompany someone.
Consort Zhang's demeanor was so serious that Jiang Yu felt tense sitting before her.
To divert her attention, she went to play with the children.
Indeed, in such a formal setting, talking with children immediately made her feel relaxed and less constrained - it was like breathing a sigh of relief.
The children were wonderful,
Like cotton balls - soft when you hit them, and the bounce back doesn't hurt.
It was much more comfortable talking with them.
Consort Zhang actually thought this was fine.
If someone had truly tried to converse with her, she wasn't in the mood and didn't want to speak.
Then it would have been unclear who was accompanying whom - the Princess or her.
But having the Princess accompany the children and comfort them actually made her feel relieved.
Watching the Princess play with the children, speaking earnestly without being perfunctory, and not hovering around her, Consort Zhang was deeply moved.
She felt Princess Caiyi was truly a good person, very sincere.
Others had come to see her too, bringing expensive gifts, but they barely paid attention to the little ones - perhaps thinking that since their father was gone, they were of no use anymore - and ignored them completely.
People always fawn over the powerful and look down on the weak.
But Princess Caiyi didn't care about any of that. Her accompanying the children was the best comfort she could offer.
When it was dark and time to leave the palace, the children were somewhat reluctant to part with Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu hadn't really said much, just talked about her childhood back home, going mushroom hunting in the mountains, picking wild vegetables, fishing, weeding, picking fruits, making various foods - things the children seemed quite interested in.
Having taken care of her younger sister since childhood, Jiang Yu was quite experienced and attentive with children.
Oh, after a long day, she finally returned home.
She felt guilty - she was supposed to accompany Consort Zhang, but ended up spending all her time playing with the children instead.
That's how it turned out.
Surprisingly, the palace rewarded her with another large pile of gifts.
Really...
Jiang Yu couldn't make sense of it.
These rewards came too easily; she felt guilty accepting them.
The next day she was asked to accompany Consort Zhang again.
And the third day as well.
Three times now.
On the first day, Jiang Yu chatted with the children.
On the second day, she simply took them to dig wild vegetables in Consort Zhang's courtyard, which was large enough with its own private garden.
On the third day, she took them to cook, busying themselves in the kitchen.
The fourth day... there wasn't a fourth day.
The Fifth Prince's case had concluded, considered solved, and it was time for the funeral.
The household had been put in order, and the children had to go observe mourning for their father.
There were many noble etiquette rules that Jiang Yu couldn't understand, so she couldn't teach much. She just privately gave them some loquat candy.
"Keep them in your pocket. If you get hungry, you can secretly suck on one. If your throat hurts from crying, you can also have one. Don't eat anything else that others give you," Jiang Yu said seriously.
Aunt Yin thought: ...you're also "others."
But seeing how innocently silly she was, and that the young masters had already accepted the candy, she let it go.
Only she would give people food at such a sensitive time and then tell them not to accept food from others.
"I'm not an outsider, I'm their sister too, we're family."
...
The Fifth Prince's funeral.
The Jiang family, being relatives, had to attend.
Some officials attended as well.
It really depended on how favored the prince was.
If it was an emperor's favorite prince, the funeral would be like a national mourning.
The Fifth Prince's mother was a favored consort, and though not the Emperor's favorite, she was well-liked enough, not disliked, so quite a few officials attended.
But because it was a sudden death, the funeral didn't last long.
For sudden deaths, the Ministry of Rites had to choose a special day for burial.
Then they had monks chant sutras for the deceased.
Cotton attended too.
Winter funerals were truly cold.
No amount of clothing seemed warm enough.
Following the crowd.
She was among the children. Whether ancient or modern times, losing a father was an eternal void in one's life journey.
Cotton felt terrible, her eyes red either from the wind or something else, and with everyone around crying, it was easy to cry too - these cries were truly of grievance and fear.
Generally, elders don't attend the funerals of younger people.
That day, neither Consort Zhang nor the Emperor left the palace.
In prison, when the Sixth Prince learned of his fifth brother's burial today, he knew he was finished.
He had no chance of appealing his case.
What he never expected was that besides his brother's concubine's testimony, one of his advisors had also testified against him.
If an advisor could betray him, they were probably planted by someone else, and perhaps his brother's concubine had also betrayed him early on, belonging to others while he remained smugly confident.
He regretted it, regretted doing such things that gave others the opportunity to take advantage.
He regretted not pretending to be foolish from the start, not studying, not having ambition.
He had studied, but not enough.
He had ambition, but wasn't ruthless enough.
The fight for the throne was always a matter of life and death, yet he had hoped to be chosen by his father through showing excellence - he was too naive.
But now, it was all too late, far too late.
This cell had once held his Crown Prince brother.
Perhaps this was the closest he'd ever been to the Crown Prince.
Thinking of the future, he would either die mysteriously like the Crown Prince, or be confined like his eldest brother, locked up like an animal.
The Sixth Prince trembled at the thought of such a future.
He gave up.
...
On the day of the Fifth Prince's funeral, the Sixth Prince took his own life in prison.
He left a letter.
The letter was delivered to the Emperor through the Imperial Secretary.
No one wanted to touch this unfortunate matter.
Jiang Changtian took the letter and gave it to the Emperor.
The Emperor closed his eyes and said, "Second Jiang, read it to me, let me hear what that unfilial son wrote."
Afternoon.
In the palace.
There was sunlight.
Not warm, but bright.
Second son of Jiang family sat there, as if possessed by the spirit of the fan-holding Sixth Prince.
"Father Emperor, your son has been unfilial.
Your son never killed Fifth Brother, never. When we were young, Fifth Brother always gave me things - grass, sticks, stones. They were everywhere - on my desk, in my bag, in my bedroom. I knew Fifth Brother liked me, which is why he filled my surroundings with traces of himself, wanting to prove his presence.
Once when I was young, I said I was afraid of the dark when sleeping. That day, Fifth Brother stuffed a note in my pocket, saying it was written by you, Father Emperor. He said keeping it in my pocket would help me sleep without fear. It was his, but as the elder brother, he gave it to me.
Fifth Brother was sincere in nature, and I deeply regret that my strange thoughts were exploited by others.
Concubine Cui was originally a woman I saved. I thought she was loyal to me, but by twist of fate, she became Fifth Brother's concubine. Afterward, I never ordered her to poison anyone. I can swear to heaven, but I know no one will believe me. Your son can only prove it with death.
Your son used to think that as long as I studied hard and trained my body well, Father Emperor would eventually favor me. I didn't dare lack in virtue, considering myself a gentleman, but I was wrong. From the moment I wanted to become Crown Prince, I was gravely mistaken. A gentleman cannot be Crown Prince, so I pay with my life, though I pity Fifth Brother who knew from the start not to compete for the Crown Prince position, yet was still implicated.
Your unfilial son can no longer serve at Father Emperor's side. In cold weather, please keep warm. In hot weather, please don't seek too much coolness. Father Emperor's health is not good, tolerating neither cold nor heat. From now on, I cannot attend to you, you must take care of yourself.
Because I am a gentleman, and a gentleman wrongly accused can only end his life, your son cannot live in disgrace. I am a gentleman, I cannot live dishonorably.
Your son is unfilial, yet also filial, for I have lived up to the name you gave me, Chu Buqi.
Death does not frighten me; what frightens me is a long, hopeless life.
Father, I am leaving now, going to find Fifth Brother."
...
Jiang Changtian sat in his chair, and in that moment, a gust of wind swept by. His posture was upright and dignified, like an orchid.
The Emperor seemed to see the Sixth Prince swaying with his fan.
"Father, I'm leaving now, going to find Fifth Brother."
The Sixth Prince smiled, fanning himself gently.
The wind was cool.
It made the Emperor's tears flow freely down his face.
...
