QT: The Rescue Of The Miserable Bigshots-Chapter 321 - 10.22

The affairs and people within the palace seemed to be separated by a towering palace wall, divided into two entirely different worlds, so close, yet impossibly distant.

Zhang An, clad in armor, stood outside the palace gates. His posture was straight and rigid, filled with stubborn resolve, as he stared unblinkingly at the closed gates for two or three hours without moving.

He had traveled day and night to return, accompanying Jiang Qingshan.

Or rather, it was mostly his own insistence.

Jiang Qingshan had already guessed the outcome and made his decision long ago. Although he still wished to test Xiao Jinan’s intentions toward his son, everything had already been settled. He knew very well that arriving a day earlier or later would not change the result.

But Zhang An was different.

As Jiang Jiamian’s subordinate and someone who regarded Jiang Qingshan as family, he could not allow himself to be calm. Since he was anxious, Jiang Qingshan naturally could not remain indifferent either, and so he quietly followed Zhang An’s pace without complaint.

"Deputy General Zhang, please return. His Majesty is currently having breakfast with the Empress and will not receive visitors."

This was the second time the eunuch messenger had relayed the message.

Zhang An’s expression stiffened. "I returned to the capital together with General Jiang to meet His Majesty. Why am I not allowed to enter with him?"

He had thought that by traveling day and night, he would be able to see him sooner, his young general.

Yet upon arriving early this morning, he was stopped at the palace gates.

Only General Jiang had been allowed inside.

What unsettled him even more was that Jiang Qingshan still had not come out.

Too much time had passed.

How was he doing inside?

That Xiao Jinan surely wouldn’t use imperial authority to forcibly detain General Jiang in the palace... or do something worse?

If he truly dared to harm General Jiang, how could he possibly be trusted to treat the young general well?

"I’m here to see the Empress, not the Emperor." Zhang An said stiffly, his hand tightening around the hilt of the blade at his waist. "Furthermore, I am the deputy general of the Jiang family army, a fifth-rank official, and General Jiang’s personal deputy. Wherever General Jiang Jiamian goes, I must follow."

His voice grew sharper. "Now you’ve blocked me at the palace gates. Where have you taken General Jiang Qingshan? He’s been inside for so long and hasn’t come out. If anything has happened to him, I will force my way in and demand an explanation!"

Zhang An’s loyalty went beyond duty.

He not only held deep feelings for the young general Jiang Jiamian, but also regarded Jiang Qingshan as a father figure.

It was Jiang Qingshan who had taken him in, raised him, given him a chance to become a soldier, and allowed him to stand tall and make a name for himself.

But now so much time had passed, and there was still no news.

"General Jiang?"

The eunuch paused, startled. "Ah, so no one came to inform you? His Majesty, considering General Jiang Qingshan’s long journey, has arranged lodgings for him inside the palace so he can rest. General Jiang hasn’t met Her Majesty the Empress yet. He will likely leave the palace after lunch."

Then the eunuch added kindly, "Deputy General Zhang, you should return first."

Zhang An froze.

"You mean... General Jiang Qingshan didn’t have a conflict with the Emperor?"

How could that be!?

How could General Jiang calmly accept the young general becoming some damned Empress?

The entire journey, Jiang Qingshan had clearly been anxious and furious. How could he possibly reconcile so easily?

Zhang An remained standing outside the palace gates for a long time, unmoving.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jiamian and Xiao Jinan knew nothing of this.

At that moment, they had already finished breakfast and rested briefly. Considering Jiang Qingshan’s exhaustion from traveling, they guessed he would need proper rest. Thus, the two of them enjoyed a rare moment of leisure and went for a walk in the Imperial Garden.

Firstly, Jiang Jiamian’s earlier sarcastic tone had made Xiao Jinan uneasy. He was curious to see who was causing trouble and intended to give them a warning.

Secondly, since ascending the throne, he had been overwhelmed with stabilizing the court, especially filling the vacancies left after the conquest of the capital. He had been so busy that he hadn’t even had time to truly be with Jiang Jiamian.

He had lived in the palace for nearly half a month.

And the Imperial Garden?

As emperor, he didn’t even know what it looked like.

During the coup, he had gone straight for the Imperial Palace and Study. There had been no leisure for strolls.

With the new dynasty just established, everything urgently needed rebuilding. Meanwhile, in the northwest, the kingdoms of Gele and Tuojia were growing increasingly restless after the fall of the Jiang family, repeatedly attempting incursions.

The more power Xiao Jinan gained, the less he dared to relax.

In truth, this coup had been nothing more than inheriting a massive mess.

The old emperor’s mishandling of the Jiang family had nearly doomed Great An. If not for the coup, the nation would likely have been invaded and carved apart by Gele and Tuojia.

Whether this mess could be redeemed depended on whether he and Jiang Jiamian were capable of hauling it back upright.

Today was a rare moment of ease after relentless hardship. Xiao Jinan finally decided to accompany his empress for a stroll.

"Ah, who made the daughter wait in longing, never to see him return..."

A soft, lingering female voice suddenly drifted through the garden.

Xiao Jinan’s face instantly darkened.

Who?

Who dared do this in the Imperial Garden?

No wonder even Jiang Jiamia, normally carefree and unrestrained, had earlier pinched his nose and spoken to him sarcastically.

So this was what the Imperial Garden was like?

"Who is it?! Who’s there!"

Xiao Jinan’s voice turned cold as he shouted toward the indistinct figure behind the tree.

The figure startled violently and hurried out from behind the tree. Upon seeing him, her gaze quickly swept over the black dragon robe. The panic on her face shifted almost imperceptibly into delight, hidden deep within her eyes.

She stepped forward two or three paces, then fell gracefully to her knees, feigning terror.

"Your Majesty!? Your Majesty, please forgive me! This servant did not know Your Majesty had arrived. I was singing privately and disturbed Your Majesty’s peace. I beg Your Majesty to spare my life!"

Jiang Jiamian silently stepped back, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow as he adopted the posture of someone watching a fine show.

"Oh my!"

He clicked his tongue leisurely.

"Where did this beauty come from? A small oval face, big almond eyes, a delicate nose, jet-black hair, snow-white skin..."

"And that slender waist, hiding behind a tree while singing... truly stunning."