Chapter 104 (None)

After the acupuncture, Emperor Yuanming's leg pain lessened somewhat, but the soreness and swelling were still quite uncomfortable. Seeing Huang Liang and Jiang Ling talking in hushed tones nearby, he frowned and said displeasedly, "What's going on? What are you doing, sneaking around like that!"

Huang Liang hurriedly bowed and apologized. Jiang Ling then recounted what had happened outside the palace. Emperor Yuanming frowned as he listened, and she said, "Your Majesty, I'll go out and take a look."

Emperor Yuanming nodded. "Go ahead and tell them to go back. I'm not dead yet, so what are you crying for!"

Jiang Ling turned and walked out of the room, deliberately muttering a complaint: "Really, knowing that the Emperor is unwell, they still made such a fuss, making the Emperor worry."

With silver needles stuck in his legs, Emperor Yuanming was unable to move. Hearing Jiang Ling's words, he became even more depressed and lay on the edge of the bed groaning in frustration.

The atmosphere in front of the main hall was tense. Yuan Changsheng stood in front expressionlessly. Zhang An, a member of the Imperial Guards, spat at the ground with disdain. The guards and imperial guards of the palace stood behind them, facing each other with swords drawn.

Consort Zhao, whom I hadn't seen for months, was so thin she was practically skin and bones. If it weren't for Granny Xie supporting her, it seemed a gust of wind could blow her away. Her eyes were red, and she sobbed softly from time to time, wiping away her tears with her hand.

Jiang Ling slowly approached, and all eyes turned to her, bowing respectfully. She stopped at the palace entrance, surveying the crowd with unparalleled authority. Her gaze lingered briefly on Yuan Changsheng before she sternly declared, "To cause trouble in front of the Chuigong Hall is utterly disgraceful! Is this some kind of rebellion?!"

Yuan Changsheng's eyes darkened. He raised his hand in a salute and said loudly, "Consort Huishu, this servant is on duty patrolling the palace as a servant of the imperial court. This servant is the Commander-in-Chief personally appointed by His Majesty, and I only act according to His Majesty's orders. Now that I am being blocked outside the palace and cannot enter, this servant would not care about dying, but I am worried about His Majesty's safety!"

Jiang Ling subtly accused him of plotting a rebellion, but he reacted swiftly and decisively, deflecting the accusation. As he spoke, he stepped forward, followed closely by his guards, their hands resting on the swords at their waists, as they approached the palace gate.

Yuan Changsheng's expression sharpened as he roared, "Zhang An, what exactly are your intentions? What have you done to the Emperor?!"

Normally, the Imperial City Guard and the guards of the Imperial Palace dislike each other, but they keep to themselves and manage to get along.

When Zhang An saw Yuan Changsheng immediately accuse him of having ulterior motives, he retorted without hesitation, "Bah! Yuan Changsheng, I'm not afraid of you, you pretty boy! Don't spew nonsense! The Imperial City Guard is responsible for protecting the Emperor's safety, a decree personally issued by the Emperor. What, do you intend to force your way in?"

As he spoke, he drew his sword from his waist, and the other guards followed suit, their icy blades flashing, a fight about to break out.

"How dare you!"

Jiang Ling strode forward and stood before Yuan Changsheng, a half-smile on his face. "I had no idea that the Chuigong Hall had become your domain. You think you can just barge in like that? Fine, today I'll see! Yuan Changsheng, if you've got the guts, kill me first and step over my corpse!"

Yuan Changsheng's eyes were icy as he stared intently at Jiang Ling. "First it was Prince Rui, then the Second Prince was taken into the Chuigong Hall, and they disappeared without a trace, neither alive nor dead. Even Consort De couldn't see him one last time. Consort Hui blocked me from seeing the Emperor. Consort Hui even tried to forcibly stop me. This matter is indeed suspicious, and I can't help but be suspicious!"

"Heh, what gives you the right to question me?"

Jiang Ling raised an eyebrow, her expression calm. "I don't want to waste words with you. The Imperial City Guard taking over the Chui Gong Hall is His Majesty's decree." She looked at Zhang An and coldly ordered, "Zhang An, anyone who tries to force their way in will be treated as a traitor and executed without mercy!"

When Jiang Ling had previously arranged for the Imperial City Guard to take over the defense of the Chuigong Hall, Ding Shang had increased the number of elite imperial guards stationed there. Compared to the soldiers and officers of the Imperial City Guard, the palace guards, who were only patrolling the inner palace and were all eunuchs, were far inferior to the Imperial City Guard in terms of both manpower and weaponry.

Zhang An, having received Jiang Ling's order, loudly agreed, glanced contemptuously at Yuan Changsheng, waved his hand behind him, and said menacingly, "Archers, prepare!"

The sound of a bowstring being drawn echoed through the night sky, the cold arrow carrying the metallic scent of steel, sending chills down one's spine.

Yuan Changsheng's expression was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water; his handsome face was now as pale as paper. He pressed his thin lips tightly together, his hands clenching and unclenching, as if he were trying his best to suppress and restrain himself. His crimson robes stretched and loosened in front of him.

After a long pause, Yuan Changsheng finally waved his hand and said, "Let's go!"

As the guards left with Yuan Changsheng, Jiang Ling didn't mince words and said, "Zhang An, send someone to find Ding Shang and ask him to reinforce the troops!"

Yuan Changsheng paused slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised anxiety, and a chill ran down his spine.

From the moment Jiang Ling appeared, he was aggressive, directly accusing him of treason. Although he fought back, Jiang Ling remained unmoved and even reinforced the Chuigong Hall with troops right in front of him.

Ding Shang was Emperor Yuanming's man, and now she was under Jiang Ling's command. She didn't care about Xiao Yunjue and Consort Zhao at all, and she had everything under control.

With only the few people he had dealing with in the palace, he was no match for the Imperial City Guard. He had already tested Jiang Ling's attitude, and now he feared that his retreat would be futile; Jiang Ling would press on relentlessly!

Consort Zhao, who had been observing coldly, stepped forward and said, "Consort Hui, I want to see the Emperor. I am a weak woman with no weapons; would Consort Hui allow me to enter?"

Jiang Ling laughed and said, "Consort Zhao, the way you put it makes it sound like I'm some kind of messenger or gatekeeper. Consort Zhao claims she's unarmed, but is that implying she doesn't have the ability to assassinate the Emperor?"

Consort Zhao smiled sadly and said, "My son was taken away for no reason, and his life or death is unknown. In my panic, my mind was not clear, and I said the wrong thing. Consort Hui, please be magnanimous and don't hold it against a confused person like me."

“Consort Zhao, Zhang Shan should have made it clear to you that the Second Prince was not taken away for no reason. He committed a serious offense and was punished by the Emperor by being banished from the palace.”

Jiang Ling sized up Xie Mama and said unhurriedly, "I kindly suggested that you send people to serve the Second Prince, but Consort Zhao seems not to have listened. However, what Consort Zhao thinks is your business, and I won't interfere. Consort Zhao, if you want to see the Emperor, he may not necessarily see you. Let me give you another piece of advice: it's better for Consort Zhao not to go see the Emperor."

Consort Zhao said, "Thank you for your kindness, Consort Hui. However, Consort Hui has not understood what my son and I have gone through and thinks I am overestimating myself. I am indeed overestimating myself. I carried A-Jue for ten months and gave birth to him with great difficulty. Even if it costs me my life, I will see the Emperor."

Jiang Ling didn't try to stop him further, saying, "Alright, you can wait and see. Whether the Emperor will see you or not, I don't know."

Consort Zhao was now at her last gasp and not worth Jiang Ling's attention. She had more important matters to attend to, so after giving Zhang An a few more instructions, she turned and returned to Qionghua Pavilion.

Wu Shishan and the imperial physician had finished administering acupuncture to Emperor Yuanming and returned to their rooms. Huang Liang was personally brewing medicine under the eaves, and the courtyard was filled with the aroma of medicine.

Jiang Ling entered the bedroom. Emperor Yuanming opened his eyes and looked at her, his brows furrowed. He asked, "Why has it taken so long? What happened?"

"Your Majesty," Jiang Ling said, plopping down on the brocade stool and patting his chest, his face still showing lingering fear, "Your Majesty, we almost came to blows!"

"What?" Emperor Yuanming was shocked and sat up abruptly. His movement was too big, which aggravated his injured leg, and he couldn't help but scream.

As expected, Emperor Yuanming reacted violently upon hearing about the fighting and killing. Jiang Ling's mind worked quickly. Emperor Yuanming could only deal with one thing at a time. For example, even if he was asking about clothing, as long as she steered the conversation to the topic of dining, he would follow suit.

However, leading him by the nose wasn't so easy; Jiang Ling already had his own methods. First, show him intense concern, emphasizing his importance, supreme status, and imperial majesty. Second, use his most cherished possessions—his life and the empire—as a pretext.

"Your Majesty, please be careful," Jiang Ling hurriedly reassured him, but Emperor Yuanming interrupted him anxiously, "Don't worry about me, tell me quickly, how did the fighting start?"

"The imperial guards protecting the Chuigong Hall, along with the bodyguards led by Yuan Changsheng, all drew their swords."

Jiang Ling's eyes widened, her voice trembling with fear. She recounted the events that had occurred in front of the palace in a way that was both truthful and evasive.

"The Imperial Guards guard the Chui Gong Hall, while Yuan Changsheng's guards patrol the inner palace. They work together to protect the palace. Yuan Changsheng claimed that something had happened to Prince Rui, that the Second Prince had disappeared without a trace, and that the Emperor was in danger, so he had to come in to protect him. Look at what he said! Why should he tell him where the Second Prince went and what happened to him? It's as if everything that happens to the Emperor must be reported to him truthfully."

Xiao Yunjue, the Chancellor of the State Affairs Hall, and Grand Secretary Wei jointly drafted the regulations, which Emperor Yuanming then decided upon and dealt with. Upon hearing that Yuan Changsheng dared to question them, his expression changed, and he angrily said, "How dare that mere eunuch pry into matters concerning me? He deserves to die!"

“Yes,” Jiang Ling echoed, “I won’t reveal a single word about matters concerning the Emperor, no matter who it is, let alone in front of so many people. Yuan Changsheng walked forward, and his guards, who obeyed him without question, followed him forward.”

She gestured, her hand on her waist, "They looked like they were about to draw their swords. When I saw that I couldn't stop them by shouting, I mustered my courage and stepped forward, saying that if they had the guts, they should kill me first. I was afraid that Yuan Changsheng and the others would really dare to break in, so I pretended to scare them, saying that if they dared to break in, it would be treason, and they would be executed without mercy. My legs are still weak now, Your Majesty. I was really scared at the time. If it weren't for the fact that there were so many guards, they might have really killed me with one blow."

Emperor Yuanming's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth as he cursed, "You bastard, does he intend to rebel?!"

Jiang Ling let out a long breath, gently patting her chest, still shaken, and said, "Your Majesty, the incident in the Second Prince's palace was reported to you personally by Yuan Changsheng. How could he not know why Your Majesty was angry with the Second Prince? He even deliberately spread rumors. Your Majesty, Yuan Changsheng... sigh, I can't explain it either. Your Majesty trusts him, but my mind is in turmoil. I don't know whether to believe in his loyalty or doubt his intentions."

"What ability does a mere eunuch have to rebel!" Emperor Yuanming sneered, "He's just relying on my favor to bully others."

"What if he's colluding with someone?" Jiang Ling shook her hands wildly, as if she were too frightened, and began to have wild thoughts: "He patrols the inner palace, he wanders around the inner palace all day long, and he used to be able to come and go freely in front of the emperor. It would be too easy for him to collude with the inner palace..."

As she spoke, she suddenly stopped, staring intently at Emperor Yuanming with wide eyes.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Emperor Yuanming asked, annoyed by Jiang Ling's direct gaze.

"Consort Liu!" Jiang Ling cried out, grabbing Emperor Yuanming's hand tightly, and said in a panicked and urgent voice, "It must be Consort Liu!"