Chapter Nineteen: The Little Princess of the Jiang Dynasty

"Princess, I am Red Candle, sent by Her Majesty to stay and look after you. If you need anything, just let me know," she said.

Jiang Jiu nodded. "Aunt Red Candle, could you tell me about Jiang Country and my childhood?"

"Of course! I watched the little princess grow up," Red Candle replied warmly.

Jiang Jiu patted the end of her bed, signaling for Red Candle to sit.

Afraid of overstepping, Red Candle settled on the carpet by the bed's corner and began her tale.

"Princess, you just turned fourteen this year. You are the treasure of the King and Queen’s hearts. They are deeply in love and have never taken concubines. You, the eldest prince, and the second prince are the future of our Jiang Country. When you were five, you were so mischievous that you angered a vicious dog outside the palace, which bit your leg, leaving a scar—it's still there now. At that time, the second prince was only twelve. Seeing your leg bleeding, he resolved to study martial arts to protect you. As a martial artist, he's a bit rough around the edges," Red Candle said.

Jiang Jiu rolled up the leg of her undergarments, revealing a fang-shaped scar on the back of her calf.

"And did the eldest brother study literature?"

"Princess, you are so clever! The eldest prince is thoughtful. He reasoned that both brothers shouldn’t pursue martial arts, lest there be two brutes and no one to speak reason, so he studied the classics. All the palace staff envy the princess's splendid fortune," Red Candle enthused.

Jiang Jiu smiled demurely.

"I see the princess is much more reserved than before, almost like a different person. But that's fine; once you recover, you'll conquer the city again," Red Candle teased.

Jiang Jiu felt embarrassed. Was the previous Jiang Jiu truly so unruly? Her demeanor was entirely changed. It seemed she would have to let herself loose in the days to come.

"So, was I really that mischievous before?"

"You were a handful, but your antics always turned out for the best."

"Ah?"

"When you were three, you kicked Eunuch Lin’s nose—he’s the King’s personal attendant. When he went to the imperial hospital, they found a tumor in his nose, fortunately discovered early."

"And at seven, during a scorching summer, you demanded grapes from the borderlands, claiming they were sweeter, and specifically requested General Huo to fetch them," Red Candle’s smile deepened.

"Who is General Huo?"

"General Huo is Jiang Country’s greatest commander. When he heard the princess wanted grapes, he led an army to the borderlands under the pretext of inspection. There, he captured a notorious thief who had been on the run for three years. The thief had planted a vineyard and was sunning himself as the grapes flourished. General Huo tasted the grapes, found them delicious, and was about to buy them when the thief saw him and tried to escape, only to trip on a vine and be caught on the spot."

Red Candle watched Jiang Jiu’s bewildered face and continued recounting her illustrious deeds, from afternoon until deep into the night.

Jiang Jiu was astonished. Her identity was truly remarkable: wanting grapes led to catching thieves, kicking people uncovered illnesses, and even when Daoists failed to summon rain, her own efforts succeeded. Whenever she disliked someone, that person invariably had some flaw.

No wonder, despite her mischief, no ministers ever complained. With such fortune, didn’t the ministers practically worship her?

"That’s not all, Princess. Your stories would take days to recount. It’s late now; I’ll fetch water for your evening wash, and tomorrow I’ll continue."

"Yes, Aunt Red Candle," Jiang Jiu replied.

After washing, Red Candle kept watch outside. Jiang Jiu lay in bed, unable to sleep, marveling at how the real Jiang Jiu was truly heaven’s favored child.

Heaven: Sweet one, come, have a bite. Careful, it’s hot~

Jiang Jiu: Get lost, I’ll smash your bowl.

Heaven: Darling, my mistake. Today’s dishes weren’t to your liking. Next time, I’ll make your favorites~

Jiang Jiu shook off her fanciful thoughts.

It was terrifying to imagine heaven so shameless!

[Master, what’s so terrifying?]

[Why did it take you so long to report to the main god?]

The entire afternoon without that nagging voice felt odd, though her words remained sharp.

Reporting a matter that could be summed up in three sentences took an afternoon? She suspected the little rascal was slacking off!

[Not at all! The main god promoted me, so now I know even more. Let me tell you about your legendary background.]

[No need. I already have a general understanding.]

[Ah? Well, what about Jiang Jiu’s brothers?]

[I know about them too.]

[Then...~_~ okay.]

The little rascal was crestfallen. Once a treasure book, she now found her abilities replaced—how pitiful!

Wait! [Master, do you know who pushed you into the water?]

[Speak.]

[Hehe, I knew you still needed me!]

[…]

[It was the daughter of the current Prime Minister, Shen Yue Ru!]

Shen Yue Ru...

The Shen family was Jiang Country’s earliest supporters, their legacy spanning over three centuries. Before Jiang Jiu’s father, the present emperor, unified the realm, Shen’s ancestor played a pivotal role, earning the titles Duke Shen and Prime Minister Shen.

However, Shen’s ancestor was ill-fated and died of illness, causing the emperor to mourn. Shen Yue Ru’s father, Shen Zhao, inherited the title, and from then on, the Shen family became a thorn in the king’s side.

Shen’s ancestor had three sons: the eldest died young in battle, the second cared little for politics and frequented the pleasure quarters, while the youngest, Shen Zhao, was once harmless and held his father’s hopes.

After inheriting the dukedom, Shen Zhao’s greed for wealth and power became apparent. As the top minister, he opened numerous businesses, secretly pocketing taxes—only half of which were paid yearly, the rest swallowed up.

Mindful of Shen’s ancestral merits, the king refrained from acting against them, letting matters slide.

Recently, Shen Zhao grew bolder, manipulating court affairs, recruiting ministers, forming factions, and scheming to insert his daughter into the palace.

His legitimate daughter, Shen Yue Ru, famed for her intellect, benefited from Shen Zhao’s well-cultivated reputation and earned the epithet "Celestial Beauty."

Shen Zhao spread rumors that Shen Yue Ru was destined to marry either prince, and the capital was abuzz.

Jiang Jiu, believing the rumors, held a poor opinion of Shen Yue Ru, but for the sake of royal dignity and her father’s leniency toward the Shen family, she stayed silent.

Perhaps brainwashed by her father, Shen Yue Ru became interested in the position of prince’s consort.

Driven by ambition and power, Shen Yue Ru hatched a plan: instead of directly causing Jiang Jiu’s death, why not play the savior and earn a good name?

She arranged for Jiang Jiu to fall into the water, intending to rescue her and appear benevolent. Unfortunately, Jiang Jiu struck a stone and died instantly.