Chapter 312: Chapter 286: Monumental Mistake
The north wind howled, and snow whirled chaotically.
The entire Eastern Capital Luoyang seemed engulfed in an atmosphere of chaos and confusion. The faces of the people were frozen with numbness from the wind and snow, and even their emotions and actions grew numb. As they watched the Emperor’s Imperial Carriage pass through the streets toward the city gates, they forgot to bow and salute.
At 9:00 AM, the Emperor, surrounded by the Imperial Guard, boarded the Dragon Chariot and grandly departed from the Eastern Capital he had managed for years, heading south to Jiangdu, a place of dreamlike mulberry paddles and verdant birds singing in spring.
Four hundred thousand troops set out through four city gates, taking an entire day to completely leave the Eastern Capital.
When the last troops walked out of the city gates and disappeared into the snowstorm, Empress Jiang, who stood on the city tower to see them off, was already cold all over, but she seemed oblivious to the chill. Her gentle and affectionate eyes were not frozen in the snow, a trace of warmth lingered as she gazed at the people who had already walked far into the snow.
At this moment, the soft voice of Princess Xinyue sounded from behind—
"Mother, Father has gone far, shall we go back?"
"..."
Empress Jiang remained motionless. Her thick fox fur had gathered quite a bit of snow, and even her eyebrows bore a touch of frost.
A delicate hand took her arm, and only then did Empress Jiang seem to come to her senses, turning around to see Princess Xinyue dressed in a goose-yellow garment with rings of white, fluffy fox fur at the collar and cuffs, which made her cheeks appear even more moon-like, her skin snowy white. Standing amidst the wind and snow, it seemed even the snowstorm paused for her.
She said softly with concern, "Mother, your health is important."
"..."
"You have been standing here for most of the day. If you keep getting blown by the wind, your illness will worsen."
"..."
"Mother, do you not wish to recover soon and go to Jiangdu to find Father earlier?"
Hearing this, a slight relaxation appeared on Empress Jiang’s face, and she nodded silently, "Let’s go."
Princess Xinyue, along with Eunuch Lu and several accompanying palace maids, sighed in relief. She hurriedly supported Empress Jiang as they slowly walked to the stairway, yet before leaving the city tower, Empress Jiang couldn’t help but look back once more.
This time, she looked not only at the desolate snowy scene outside the city but also at the bleak scenes within.
Then, she sighed lightly and descended the city tower with her daughter’s help.
As soon as they reached the bottom, soldiers guarding the city immediately stepped forward to salute, with the Deputy General of the guard respectfully asking, "Empress, should we close the city gates?"
Empress Jiang said, "Ordinarily, the city gates are not closed until 3:45 PM, isn’t it not yet?"
The Deputy General said, "Indeed, it’s not yet, but—"
He hesitated, glancing around.
Empress Jiang also looked up towards the open city gates. Though four hundred thousand troops had already left today, the gates were bustling rather than quiet, with more people continuously leaving. They either drove carriages, rode horses, or carried large and small bundles, revealing their intentions to move out of Luoyang.
These people had long planned to leave, fearing encounters with rebel army bandits on the road, so they stayed until today to leave with the Emperor. At least, rogue bandits dared not harass such a large group.
Watching the struggling figures of these people, Empress Jiang sighed lightly.
"The people are innocent."
She said, "No need to close the gates early; close them when the time comes."
"Yes."
Empress Jiang then turned with Princess Xinyue and boarded the sedan chair. Soon, the surrounding palace maids, eunuchs, and guards gathered to escort her to Ziwei Palace.
And at the chaotic, snow-swirled city gates, several tall, strong men moved against the flow of people into the city, exchanging glances with several lines of people who had been waiting inside the city for a long time. They all dispersed, soon vanishing into the turbulent crowd within the Eastern Capital City.
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Empress Jiang’s complexion was even paler than before.
Princess Xinyue stayed by her side as she lay down on the couch in the inner hall, then ordered ginger soup from the Imperial Kitchen. Drinking it steamingly warm finally dispelled the coldness from her body, bringing a bit of color to her pale, thin cheeks.
Princess Xinyue said softly, "Mother, you mustn’t continue to disregard your health like this."
Seeing her daughter’s caring manner, Empress Jiang smiled gently, her expression full of warmth and solace.
Just as Princess Xinyue was tucking the blanket more snugly around her, she inadvertently noticed several bundles placed on the other side of the couch, with several large trunks packed away in the corner, seemingly packed luggage. She couldn’t help but ask, "Mother, why are you packing?"
Empress Jiang glanced at her without speaking.
Princess Xinyue said, "Mother, are you planning to go to Jiangdu Palace with Father? But didn’t Father say to wait until you’ve recovered before setting off, there’s no rush."
"..."
Empress Jiang looked at her again, this time hesitant to speak.
This daughter of hers, clever and charming, cherished as the imperial jewel since childhood. Perhaps because she herself understood too well the weight and hardship of responsibility, she always protected her daughter well, not allowing her to engage in court or harem affairs from childhood to adulthood. And Chu Yang doted on this daughter immensely. Thus she had grown to sixteen, still innocent and pure, lacking any wariness or defenses.
Even less were those tumultuous and treacherous schemes and traps.
But now, she regretted it.
There is, after all, no eternal permanence in the world. If she cannot always protect her daughter’s utopia, she should never have let her live only within it from the start...
Now, truly, she regretted it somewhat.
Noticing a trace of melancholy creeping into her mother’s gentle gaze, Princess Xinyue asked curiously, "Mother, what’s wrong?"
"..."
Empress Jiang looked at her deeply, and after a long time, finally said softly, "It’s not just my own luggage. I’ve even had people help you and Fei’er pack your things as well."
"We?"
Princess Xinyue widened her bright almond eyes, puzzledly saying, "Mother, we’ve just seen Father off, and your health hasn’t recovered yet. We don’t need to hurry on our way."
"No, you must set off."
"But Mother, you—"
"We are not taking the same path."
"...What?"
Princess Xinyue looked at her mother’s face, which was gradually turning pale again, in astonishment. Although she did not yet understand the meaning of her words, her sensitive heart immediately sensed a bit of unease, even foreboding.
She softly asked, "Mother, are you going to be separated from us?"
"..."
"Where are you going?"
Empress Jiang reached out and gently held her slightly trembling hand, saying, "As Empress, naturally, I must accompany the Emperor. So, I will follow your father, heading south to Jiangdu Palace."
Princess Xinyue’s mind grew more chaotic, and she said softly, "But, aren’t we supposed to go together? Didn’t you say before that your health was poor, and Xinyue and my brother would stay in the Eastern Capital to accompany you until you recovered, and then—"
"No,"
Empress Jiang interrupted her, shaking her head lightly, "You will not follow me."
Princess Xinyue’s breath caught, and she softly asked, "Then, where do you want us to go, Mother?"
"..."
"Why are we separating?"
"..."
"Mother, what are you going to do?"
The feeling of unease and foreboding grew increasingly stronger, as if a massive stone had been placed on her heart. The more Princess Xinyue spoke, the more breathless and difficult her heartbeat became. She slightly gasped, clutching Empress Jiang’s hand tighter, but her own hand had already started to uncontrollably shake.
Seeing her daughter like this, regret surged to an unparalleled extent in that moment.
But, it was too late for regret.
Empress Jiang gave a serene smile, then gently said, "Xinyue, do you remember when Mother once told you that everyone has selfish motives?"
Princess Xinyue nodded stiffly.
Empress Jiang said, "As Empress, it is inevitable that I have personal inclinations, and this inclination is—for my own family, I am always forgiving, excessively forgiving."
"..."
"For small mistakes, they can be tolerated; for big mistakes, they can be pardoned."
Princess Xinyue said, "Because family is special and can be protected by selfishness."
Empress Jiang nodded lightly but then continued, "But what if an unforgivable mistake is made?"
"..."
Princess Xinyue was stunned.
This question was something that neither her mother, the Empress, nor her teachers in the study had ever taught her. In her beautiful, simple world, there were small mistakes and big mistakes, but she had never considered that there could be an ’unforgivable mistake,’ and for a moment, she did not know how to respond.
After a pause, she looked at her mother, dazedly saying, "Xinyue doesn’t know."
"..."
"An unforgivable mistake... can it be tolerated? Or forgiven?"
The smile on Empress Jiang’s face gradually faded, replaced by an almost harsh solemnity. She said, "An unforgivable mistake is an unforgivable mistake; it cannot be tolerated, nor forgiven."
Princess Xinyue’s heart sank heavily, as if the stone just pressed upon it had instantly multiplied in weight, making her nearly unable to breathe.
She struggled to ask, "Why?"
Empress Jiang said word by word, "Because people can have selfish motives; but people also need to be clear about right and wrong."
Princess Xinyue suddenly felt a tremor, as if some coldness had risen from the deepest part of her heart, instantly spreading through her limbs and bones, so cold that it seemed as though all her blood would freeze at this moment.
She suddenly spoke, her voice trembling, "Mother, who are you talking about?"
"..."
"Who is it that has made an unforgivable mistake that cannot be tolerated or forgiven?"
As she spoke, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, and her voice choked, "Mother, are you talking about—"