A Rebirth: Joined As One - Chapter 5

The eldest daughter of the Jing family was going to become the Princess Royal’s study companion, yet Prime Minister Jing had punished Jing Ya by making her kneel in the ancestral hall for an entire day.

Within less than a day, everyone in the capital knew about both of these things.

When the news reached the Princess Royal’s residence, the Princess Royal was drinking her medicine.

“I heard people say that when Miss Jing came out of the ancestral hall, she had to be supported by her maid. She couldn’t even stand up or walk on her own!”

After finishing the medicine, the Princess Royal held a candied fruit in her mouth. Only when the bitterness had faded did she glance toward Xue Chan, who had spoken, and ask, “Are you that concerned about her affairs?”

Xue Chan smiled and said, “Isn’t it just watching the excitement?”

The Princess Royal raised a brow. “Since you like excitement, then why don’t I hand you an even livelier task?”

“What task?” Xue Chan’s face was full of anticipation.

The Princess Royal said, “You. Go to the Jing residence and pass on an oral command from me.”

Xue Chan immediately put away the anticipation on her face and asked seriously, “What does the Princess Royal wish to pass on?”

“Pass on…” The Princess Royal casually tapped the table twice with her fingers. After thinking briefly, she said, “Have Jing Ya come to the residence once the first month is over.”

“Come to the residence as soon as the first month is over? Won’t that be too early?”

The Princess Royal gave a low laugh. “Isn’t she my study companion now? If she doesn’t come live in the residence, how is she supposed to accompany me in study? You only need to go pass the message.”

“Yes.” Helpless, Xue Chan could only follow the Princess Royal’s wishes.

And so, after Jing Ya finished kneeling in the ancestral hall and rested for one day, she was once again punished by Prime Minister Jing and sent to the ancestral hall, where she kept the Jing family ancestors company for another entire day.

The matter of the eldest daughter of the Jing family being punished by Prime Minister Jing to kneel for two days in a row thus became a topic of conversation among all the households in the capital.

However, after Jing Ya finished kneeling in the ancestral hall for the second time and rested for another two or three days, not as many people paid attention to this matter anymore. Even the New Year atmosphere, which had originally begun to fade, suddenly grew lively again.

The reason was none other than the Lantern Festival was approaching.

The fifteenth day of the first month, the night of the Lantern Festival.

That evening, Jing Ya brought only Wang Lan with her and went out to stroll through the streets and admire the lanterns.

There were far too many people on the streets, a sea of heads and shoulders. Wang Lan followed closely beside Jing Ya, without even the time to admire the decorative lanterns. She only stared at Jing Ya, afraid that if she lost focus for even a moment, she and Jing Ya would be swept apart by the crowd.

Seeing how hard it was for her, Jing Ya considerately found a teahouse and went upstairs to sit down.

Wang Lan stood behind Jing Ya, fanning herself with one hand as she panted. “There are too many people. In past years, there weren’t this many people out on Lantern Festival night.”

Jing Ya poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her. “There are indeed a bit more.”

Wang Lan accepted it and drank. After finishing it, she held the teacup and said, “Miss, why don’t we go back first? There are lanterns in the residence too, and they’re very exquisite. They just don’t have as many styles as the ones outside.”

Jing Ya smiled and shook her head. “The outside has its own charm. It is different from home.”

As she spoke, she turned to look out the window at the street below.

Her table happened to be right beside the street, so as long as she pushed the window open, she could see the entire street below hung full of all kinds of decorative lanterns.

Pedestrians bustled through the street. It was extraordinarily lively. Though it was full of worldly noise and clamor, it still made one unable to help feeling close to it.

In her previous life, after she entered the palace, she had never celebrated the Lantern Festival again. Later… there had been no later for her…

Wang Lan watched Jing Ya gazing downstairs in a daze. Those scattered, unfocused eyes were somehow covered with an inexplicable layer of sorrow, and the sight made one’s heart ache.

“Miss…” Wang Lan called softly, a little worried.

Jing Ya came back to herself and once again returned to her usual calm indifference. She smiled faintly at Wang Lan and said, “It’s nothing. Let’s go back.”

Wang Lan smiled too. “Miss, is there any lantern you like? I’ll go buy one for you.”

Jing Ya stood. “All right. I like that large revolving egret lantern at the end of the street. Go buy it for me.”

“Ah? That lantern… That lantern is too big. Miss, please choose another one…”

Jing Ya smiled as she walked ahead. “Why choose another? I only like that one. I don’t want any of the others.”

Wang Lan followed behind Jing Ya, saying as they walked, “Miss, Miss, please have mercy. Why don’t I buy that nine-petaled lotus lantern instead? That one is beautiful too…”

“No. I only want that revolving egret lantern.”

The mistress and servant walked out of the private room joking with one another. Just as they were about to go downstairs, by sheer coincidence, they ran into another group of people who were also heading down.

The moment Wang Lan saw them, she inwardly cried that things were bad and quickly pulled Jing Ya to stand aside.

The group that was also about to go downstairs was none other than the Princess Royal and her party.

It was truly a chance encounter so coincidental that it could not be any more coincidental.

Without letting anything show, Jing Ya lightly swept her gaze over the Princess Royal standing at the very front of the group opposite her, comparing her with the Grand Princess in her memories. She felt there was not much difference. She still possessed that same proud and noble bearing, as though she had been born to stand high above others.

A Princess Royal like this was the wise ruler Jing Ya sought.

This wise ruler was like a bright pearl, dazzling and radiant, standing at the highest peak and drawing everyone to look up to and worship her.

And Jing Ya would also accept the guidance of this bright pearl’s light, bringing the entire Jing family with her onto the correct path, to reach the peak the Jing family had originally been meant to reach.

The Princess Royal looked toward Jing Ya and lifted the corner of her mouth in a smile that was not quite a smile. “Miss Jing likes revolving egret lanterns? Why don’t I give Miss Jing one?”

Jing Ya lowered her head, took a step back, and saluted the Princess Royal. In a perfectly proper manner, she replied, “Many thanks for the Princess Royal’s favor.”

The Princess Royal originally had no intention of making things difficult for Jing Ya here. But the moment she saw Jing Ya’s familiar expression and that tone, both of which were the same forbearing manner of Jing Ya’s she had grown used to seeing in her previous life, she remembered the events of that past life. Her heart instantly felt unpleasant again. And so, she no longer held herself back. Lifting one side of her mouth with a somewhat targeted air, she said, “Since you know it is favor, then you had better remember clearly who it is that bestowed this favor.”

“Is Miss Jing’s memory good or bad? Can you remember such a small thing clearly?”

The people following behind the Princess Royal immediately laughed and mocked, “Hahaha, Eldest Miss Jing is now Your Highness’s study companion. If she cannot remember, Your Highness can have her read it aloud several times every day. I guarantee she’ll be able to recite it!”

“Exactly, exactly. Eldest Miss Jing’s talent is famous throughout the entire capital.”

“It’s just that no one knows whether Eldest Miss Jing’s reputation for talent has been watered down or not. With the Princess Royal’s method, it can perfectly help Eldest Miss Jing set her reputation straight, can’t it? Hahahaha…”

Jing Ya naturally did not take those people’s words to heart. They were only insignificant people. What she should pay the most attention to now was still the Princess Royal.

However, the Princess Royal’s attitude just now seemed to carry a bit of targeted hostility…

Jing Ya thought back for a moment, and her brows immediately furrowed slightly. In an instant, she became extremely cautious. Jing Ya suddenly connected it to the chance encounter of her own return to life… and she could not help beginning to suspect whether the Princess Royal had also encountered such a miraculous chance.

If the Princess Royal was the same as her… then the matter of Jing Ya preparing to pull the Jing family onto the Princess Royal’s great ship would have to be paused for the time being.

After all, when counted from their previous life, the two of them had been enemies, not friends.

If the Princess Royal knew that Jing Ya had been the one to make twelve years of her painstaking work come to nothing overnight, then forget allowing her to pull the Jing family aboard. Even leaving the Jing family a path of retreat would be a matter with slim hope.

Jing Ya rubbed the fingers hidden inside her sleeve together. In her heart, she had already decided to test her.

Although rebirth was far too mysterious, she had no choice but to rule out every possible answer…

There was one matter from her previous life that only she and the Grand Princess knew. At that time, the Grand Princess had even warned her not to tell anyone else.

That matter should have happened in autumn of this year. The current Grand Princess should not know about it.

Once her mind was set, Jing Ya no longer hesitated. She took the initiative to raise her head again, looked at the Princess Royal, and asked, “Has the Princess Royal spoken with Changshou?”

After asking, Jing Ya stared closely at the Princess Royal, not daring to miss even the slightest subtle reaction from her.

Every tiny detail here could determine whether the Jing family would survive or perish in the future. She did not dare gamble. She could only strive to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Yet the Princess Royal did not reveal the slightest flaw. She did not answer Jing Ya’s words. Instead, with a faint air of questioning, she asked Jing Ya in return, “How do you know about Changshou?”

Jing Ya’s heart settled halfway. She smiled faintly and replied, “I only happened to hear my father mention it once.”

After receiving her answer, the Princess Royal no longer questioned her, but she also did not answer Jing Ya’s question.

Jing Ya did not give up and asked that question once more. Only then did the Princess Royal reply impatiently, “Why would I speak with it? Could it be that there isn’t even a person by my side who can understand human speech?”

Only then did Jing Ya’s heart fully settle. She sincerely apologized to the Princess Royal.

The Princess Royal merely gave a cold hum. With an unhappy expression, she flung her sleeve and went straight downstairs, not staying any longer. As for the group following behind her, they looked at one another, unable to draw any useful conclusion. In the end, they could only hurriedly bid Jing Ya farewell and immediately jog downstairs to continue acting as the Princess Royal’s entourage.

Only after that group had left did Wang Lan dare to secretly let out a deep breath.

“Miss, what did that question you asked the Princess Royal mean? And what is Changshou?” The little maid had regained the wits that had been frightened out of her and immediately had energy again to reflect on what had just happened.

Jing Ya, however, did not intend to reflect on it with her. She only said, “Nothing. Just a little thing.”

“Let’s go. We’re going back.”

“Ah, Miss, Miss, slow down. Miss, wait for me!”

On this side, mistress and servant set off for home. On the other side, however, the Princess Royal was still carrying anger she had nowhere to vent. Her old anger had not yet faded when new anger was piled on top of it. No matter what, she was very angry.

Had she known, she should have revealed a little just now, so she could frighten that little mouse and stop her from being so pleased with herself.

However, this way was not bad either…

After all, the little mouse had exposed herself. Now the Princess Royal was hidden in the dark, while the little mouse was out in the open. In the future, there would be plenty of times for that little mouse to suffer…

And this little mouse also suited the idea she had come up with earlier.

The little mouse Jing Ya was the same as her. They had both walked one path, lost one game, and returned. A Jing Ya like this was someone the Princess Royal could use with peace of mind.

As the Princess Royal fumed, she suddenly smiled. The wealthy young masters and young ladies following behind her were all utterly bewildered, completely unable to understand how the Princess Royal’s mood had changed so quickly. Clearly, everything had been perfectly fine earlier…

And so, this group of “considerate” young masters and young ladies swiftly took their leave and slipped away before the Princess Royal’s mood could change again.

The Princess Royal waved her hand, without the slightest intention of keeping them, and casually let them go.

Xue Chan followed behind the Princess Royal and asked, “Princess Royal, shall we continue strolling? It is getting late. Why don’t we return to the residence early so you can rest? After all, you have only just recovered from illness.”

The Princess Royal nodded. “Let’s go back.”

Her purpose in coming out tonight had only been to gather that group of followers. She had not done such a thing in more than ten years, and now that she had picked it up again, she even felt somewhat rusty.

As for catching that little mouse and even making that little mouse expose herself, that was truly an unexpected gain.

In that case, this trip tonight could not be considered a loss.

The two of them turned back toward the residence. Xue Chan held herself back the entire way, until they reached the main gates, when she finally could not endure it anymore and asked, “Princess Royal, that… Changshou… what exactly is it?”

The Princess Royal gave her a sideways glance. “You want to know?”

Xue Chan nodded desperately. “I do.”

Seeing her face full of thirst for knowledge, the Princess Royal’s mood improved quite a bit. She even smiled at Xue Chan before saying, “Guess.”

Xue Chan: “…”

The author has something to say:

The Princess Royal and Jing Ya finally met~ Tossing flowers~ Though it wasn’t exactly harmonious, lol.

Love you all, mwah~