20demayo Chapter 439
Chapter 439
"i'm not afraid!"
"others fear you, dread you, and dislike you because they don't understand you. they learn about you from your enemies, and they fear your integrity, your refusal to stoop to their level. they fear your rise to power, fear that you will hold them accountable, which is why they smear your name."
"i'm not afraid of you because i know you—stubborn on the outside but soft-hearted, a truly good person. i'm glad they don't understand you; it gives us a chance to grow closer. but it pains me to see how misunderstood you are. i... mmph!"
before she could finish, ma yiyang pulled her into his arms with a commanding force. her slender waist fit perfectly in his palm, and with just a slight tug, her entire body was pressed against his chest.
his large hand cradled the back of her head, deepening the fierce kiss.
the heat from his hand on her waist was almost scalding, and jiang yunxia found herself breathless, her hands pushing against his chest as she struggled for air.
sensing her struggle, ma yiyang loosened his grip slightly, the intensity of the kiss softening into something tender and deliberate—a silent promise.
when jiang yunxia finally caught her breath, the blush on her cheeks remained, making her look like a ripe, enticing apple.
after a moment of heavy breathing, her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings. "when... when will you come to my family to propose?"
even now, she hadn't forgotten her desire for ma yiyang to marry her.
ma yiyang chuckled, holding her close. "go home and wait for me. don't wander around. the capital isn't safe these days. once i've resolved the case of the assassination attempt on her majesty, i'll come to propose."
he knew she wouldn't rest easy without a firm answer. having made up his mind, he wanted to give her the reassurance she needed.
jiang yunxia nodded shyly, her heart finally at ease. whatever ma yiyang said, she would follow.
after ensuring jiang yunxia returned home safely, ma yiyang hurried back to the ministry of punishment.
goguryeo had been scheming for a long time, and the capital of great yan was likely infiltrated by spies. taking advantage of the smear campaign against her majesty, this was the perfect opportunity to root them out.
with both the ministry of punishment and the ministry of justice working together, finding the sources of the rumors wasn't difficult. zhu qianyi's impassioned speech at the teahouse, along with the people he had arranged to stir up the crowd, had proven useful for the time being.
the most vocal spreaders of the rumors had already been reported by their neighbors.
the remaining spies, hidden deeper, would undoubtedly try their best to stay concealed, which was why ma yiyang had warned jiang yunxia not to wander around.
jiang yunxia dodged her sister's reaching hand, lifting her skirt as she ran down the corridor. jiang yuncai hesitated for only a moment before giving chase. "oh, you're in for it now! just wait till i catch you!"
in the palace—
the issue of noble consort jin's body remained unresolved.
as a princess of goguryeo who had died under suspicious circumstances in the great yan palace, the goguryeo envoys stationed in great yan were demanding her body be returned for burial in her homeland.
consort liang was fuming. "this is sheer provocation! noble consort jin is now a consort of great yan. how can we allow her body to be taken back to goguryeo? if we set this precedent, what will become of great yan's dignity?"
consort shu nodded in agreement. "they're using this as an excuse to put us in a bind. if we refuse, they'll use it as grounds to sever ties with great yan. if we comply, not only will great yan lose face, but who knows what they might do to the body to frame her majesty later?"
since ancient times, no princess sent for marriage had her body returned to her homeland instead of being buried in the imperial tomb.
noble consort ye frowned worriedly. "his majesty is still at mount dongshan for the ancestral rites, and now this mess with noble consort jin. if it weren't for the fact that the king of goguryeo is her brother and they've always been close, i'd almost suspect goguryeo orchestrated this whole thing themselves."
otherwise, how could they have been so quick to demand her body after her death?
didn't that suggest they knew something in advance?
jiang xinyue sat at the head of the room, her head throbbing from the recent chaos.
with the emperor away, all the memorials had landed on her desk, including those from some bitter old ministers who openly criticized her, blaming her for the turmoil.
she knew that silencing them would only backfire, so she chose not to punish those who spoke against her.
the world's prejudice against women couldn't be dispelled with words alone. actions were what truly mattered.
shi ruojun, with her fiery temper, had little patience for such convoluted schemes.
"your majesty, why not issue an edict appointing third yan of the piaoqi general's family as the commander to lead a campaign against goguryeo? i've heard this third son is a brilliant strategist, once the right-hand man of his eldest brother. your majesty, appoint him as the general and me as his deputy. i swear i'll resolve this for you."
the piaoqi general had three sons. the eldest, yan daoming, had followed his father to the battlefield at the age of eight. now twenty-five, he rarely appeared in the capital.
after marrying the daughter of the prince of ruyang in june, he had returned to the border, accompanied by princess weishu.