Chapter 106 (None)

Yuan Changsheng had been in charge of patrolling the palace for many years, and Zhang Shan knew that his sudden arrival would inevitably lead to difficulties. He arrived at the guard post with utmost caution, only to find Yuan Changsheng's men all there. He immediately assumed a posture, had someone bring the roster, randomly called out names, and assigned patrol personnel.

To Zhang Shan's surprise, none of them objected; they all respectfully obeyed the arrangement. Zhang Shan, who served before the emperor, never dared to be arrogant, believing it was his power that made his subordinates obedient.

Everything was going too smoothly, and Zhang Shan became increasingly cautious. He was not familiar with patrolling, so to be on the safe side, he personally led the guards on patrols, just as Yuan Changsheng usually did.

Zhang Shan had been in the palace for many years and was extremely familiar with the palace's routes. After nightfall, apart from the sound of their footsteps walking along the alleyways, the inner palace was quiet and peaceful.

As they walked through the narrow lanes, everything seemed normal. A gentle early summer night breeze carried the rich fragrance of gardenias, and Zhang Shan's anxious heart gradually relaxed.

Suddenly, a dark shadow darted out from the wall of the alley like lightning, followed by a scream like that of an infant. The shadow landed in front of him, and Zhang Shan, caught off guard, stumbled backward in fright. Before he could react, he stepped on something and fell forward.

"I hit the hilt of the knife." Zhang Shan's voice was muffled as he pointed to his nose with a mournful face. He spoke while pointing to his injury, wincing in pain.

“I saw it clearly, it was a stray cat.” Zhang Shan caught her breath and continued, “Stray cats often come and go in the palace. They run fast and disappear in a flash. No one pushed me, and I didn’t bump into anyone. I just stepped on a pebble. It’s not surprising that there are pebbles on the road.”

Jiang Ling sneered and said, "The stray cat just happened to jump down from the wall, you just happened to step on a pebble, and you just happened to fall like this. Even if you investigate, you won't find anything wrong. You just had bad luck and fell. It's a perfect accident."

"I don't know why, but I don't believe it at all. I firmly believe that someone is deliberately trying to make things difficult for me and give me a hard time. I felt uneasy from the moment I arrived at my post."

Zhang Shan looked dejected and pounded her palms in frustration. "I'm stupid and can't find any flaws. Even if I know I've been framed, there's nothing I can do."

Jiang Ling frowned and asked, "How is Yuan Changsheng?"

Zhang Shan said, "Yuan Changsheng was hit with twenty strokes of the cane, his back was covered in blood and gore, many people saw it, and he is now lying in the ward recovering from his injuries."

Jiang Ling was not surprised. Since Yuan Changsheng wanted to slip away unnoticed, he had to put on a show of sincerity for Emperor Yuanming.

Zhang Shan looked puzzled and asked, "Your Majesty, what I don't understand is, if you were dissatisfied with me, why did you make me fall down just to give me a hard time? The task is still in my hands. Luckily, I'm magnanimous. If I had been petty and retaliated, wouldn't I have lost more than I gained?"

Jiang Ling glanced at Zhang Shan but didn't call him out on his boast about his magnanimity. Zhang Shan wasn't exactly petty, but he was certainly not magnanimous. Having suffered such a humiliating defeat so early in his term, he would definitely hold a grudge.

"They treat you with utmost respect and obey your orders obediently, so you can't find an excuse to dismiss them and replace them with your own people."

Jiang Ling frowned and carefully analyzed the reactions of the palace guards who were scheming. "You are in the open, while they are in the dark. It's impossible to guard against them all. If you suffer too much, you will become furious. Once you lose your composure and start randomly finding fault and punishing people, you will incite public anger. You may be dismissed from your post, or you may cause dissatisfaction among the guards and lead to chaos."

Chaos erupted in the camp!

When the palace guards go berserk, it's far more serious than a military uprising. After all, the palace guards are in the most danger, as are the people within the palace itself!

Jiang Ling's heart skipped a beat. Seeing Zhang Shan's unease, she quickly restrained herself and said solemnly, "Right now, it's all just your speculation, without any evidence. Just think of it as you tripping and falling, and don't act rashly."

Zhang Shan was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty is right. This servant has no other choice but to come and complain to Your Majesty."

Jiang Ling said, "Be careful and wait for the right moment. I suspect you're thinking of hastily replacing your own people, but you'd better give up that idea. There are about sixty guards working for the palace, and Yuan Changsheng has already built a tight network of them. If you suddenly become their superior, hoping for a promotion, how can those with influence within the palace submit? You only have a few trusted confidants, and they all serve in the imperial court. The eunuchs there don't allow you to make any changes. Besides, replacing just a few people won't solve any problems."

Zhang Shan did indeed have the idea of ​​replacing his own confidant with someone else. After Jiang Ling spoke up, he could not hide his unease and anxiously asked, "Your Majesty, what should this servant do?"

“If the guards cause any disturbance, the Emperor will be the first to object.”

Jiang Ling was extremely frustrated. The number of guards, nearly sixty, was not actually that many. There were nearly four hundred eunuchs in the palace, and replacing them all would be enough.

The difficulty lies in the fact that Yuan Changsheng has led the palace operations for years without a single mistake, and Emperor Yuanming trusts them implicitly. Replacing him with a major overhaul is something Emperor Yuanming will not agree to.

Jiang Ling sneered, "You stay put and just lead them to do their jobs as usual."

Since Yuan Changsheng was using retreat as a tactic to advance, she might as well send him on his way and make him retreat completely!

Having no other choice, Zhang Shan could only obey Jiang Ling's orders. "This servant understands, Your Highness. Rest assured, this servant will endure it to the death and perform my duties well."

The sun rose, and the weather grew increasingly hot. Jiang Ling preferred bright and airy spaces, so Wen Juan propped up the window lattice and half-rolled up the gauze curtains. Huang Liang approached, his face beaming, and asked, "Wen Juan, are you busy?"

Wenjuan replied with a smile, "I'm not busy, I just opened the window to let some fresh air in. Is Huang Daban here to see Your Highness?"

"I was thinking that if Your Majesty has some free time, you could go in and have a chat with the Emperor."

Huang Liang frowned and said with a wry smile, "His Majesty has been unwell lately. If Your Highness goes there, please open the window as well to let some fresh air in."

Wenjuan asked in surprise, "I saw Imperial Censor Jiang earlier, and the windows were closed?"

"Indeed, sigh." Huang Liang looked up at the sky with his hands in his sleeves and sighed. "Imperial Censor Jiang has been here for quite a while, I don't know what he's talking about in the room. The doors and windows are closed and there's no ventilation, I'm afraid the Emperor will get too hot and his body won't be able to take it."

Wenjuan paused for a moment, then quickly said, "I will go and tell Her Majesty that she will go to serve His Majesty."

Huang Liang nodded. "Thank you for your trouble, Wenjuan." He said, then turned and went back to his bedroom.

Wen Juan hurried inside and relayed Huang Liang's words to him. She had stayed outside to keep an eye on the court officials' arrival to see Emperor Yuanming. Jiang Ling had already learned that Imperial Censor Jiang was coming to meet the Emperor.

The Censor-in-Chief was responsible for impeaching officials, and Censor-in-Chief Jiang was a high-ranking official in the court, whom Emperor Yuanming valued highly.

Huang Liang never engaged in casual small talk; he specifically brought up Imperial Censor Jiang. Jiang Ling's expression changed slightly; Imperial Censor Jiang's meeting with Emperor Yuanming must be related to her.

"I'll go there." Jiang Ling immediately got up and walked outside.

Huang Liang, who was guarding the door, saw Jiang Ling arrive and quickly bowed to greet her, saying, "Your Majesty, there is someone in His Majesty's room."

Jiang Ling glanced into the room and called out, "It's hot and humid. Open the windows to let in some fresh air. His Majesty's health is of utmost importance. Physician Wu is here. Go and call him. He hasn't taken His Majesty's pulse yet today. Brew some cool tea and bring it in. Oh dear, it's been almost half a day. His Majesty can't afford to be tired."

Huang Liang hurriedly followed Jiang Ling's instructions to open the window and roll up the gauze curtain. Her voice was loud and clearly carried into the room.

Soon, Imperial Censor Jiang emerged from the room, his expression clearly displeased. He dared not directly question Jiang Ling, but after bowing to her, he strode away.

Jiang Ling sensed something was wrong. She entered the bedroom and saw Emperor Yuanming leaning against the headboard, looking at her with a gloomy face. "I am meeting with my court officials. What kind of behavior is this, making a scene outside!"

"Your Majesty doesn't look well. Is your wound hurting again?"

Jiang Ling didn't respond, but said with concern, "Your Majesty, please bear with it. I'll send someone to fetch Physician Wu, who will administer acupuncture to Your Majesty shortly."

As the weather warmed up, Emperor Yuanming's leg pain subsided, though the bandaged area remained unbearably itchy. He had been bedridden for too long, leaving him weak, listless, and irritable. Hearing Jiang Ling summon Wu Shishan, he said impatiently, "A bunch of quacks! They haven't been able to heal my injury after all this time! What use are they? Get out of here! I don't want to see them!"

Seeing that Emperor Yuanming was short-tempered, Jiang Ling, fearing that innocent people might be harmed, said to Huang Liang, who was carrying cool tea into the room, "Tell Physician Wu and the others to go back. Give me the tea, and I will serve His Majesty tea."

Huang Liang put down his teacup and hurried out to deliver the message. Jiang Ling poured a cup of tea and offered it to him, saying, "Your Majesty, anger is harmful to your health. Have some tea to calm your nerves."

Emperor Yuanming snorted, glanced sideways at Jiang Ling, took the teacup, and took a sip. The tea, with added mint, was refreshing and helped him catch his breath a little.

"Your father and elder brother are always causing me trouble outside, they really never give me a moment's peace!"

Jiang Ling was slightly startled. Jiang Xiuwen and his son Jiang Chengwang had two advisors watching over them, so they certainly wouldn't cause any trouble. Moreover, Qin Shanggong was also overseeing things at the Ministry of Revenue, and everything was normal. Their trouble must have been a setup.

"Your Majesty, what has my father and elder brother done wrong?" Jiang Ling asked.

"What have they done! They're incredibly audacious. Zhao Yongli and Madam Gao went to the Jiang residence, but the gates were tightly shut, and they wouldn't let him in. There was quite a commotion in front of the Jiang residence. The Jiang family was extremely arrogant, trying to force Zhao Yongli and Madam Gao to kneel. Now that Zhao Yongli and Madam Gao have both knelt down, the news has spread throughout the capital. Madam Gao is over sixty years old, and Zhao Yongli is a vice minister, yet the Jiang family dares to accept their kneeling!"

Madam Xue and Madam Gao were both ladies of the same rank, and Madam Xue was younger. As a junior, Madam Gao's kneeling earned her a reputation for disrespecting elders.

Zhao Yongli was the Vice Minister of War, a higher rank than Jiang Xiuwen and Jiang Chengwang. While Madam Gao's kneeling was insignificant, his kneeling made the matter much more serious.

For court officials, the hierarchy was strictly defined. The principles of ruler-subject and father-son relationships were the foundation of the Great Yin Dynasty's rule.

Yesterday, Zhao Yongli, the Vice Minister, went to the Zheng residence like a headless fly to find Prime Minister Zheng, but Prime Minister Zheng had not yet entered the palace, and he did not know the situation. Today, Zhao Yongli ran to the Jiang residence and knelt down. He couldn't think of such a way, and he must have had some expert guidance behind the scenes.

Although Jiang Ling couldn't guess who was directing things behind the scenes, she was certain that it was all aimed at her.

Emperor Yuanming coldly said, "The Jiang family is arrogant and domineering, and the censors are rushing to impeach them. I am unable to attend court, so Censor Jiang came in person, saying that there are still censors impeaching A-Jue and Zhao. A-Jue is being held captive in the imperial estate. Although Zhao is stupid, why are you pressing her so hard and trying to kill her?"

Jiang Ling remained silent for a moment, offering no explanation. She then summoned Wen Juan and gave her a few instructions: "After His Majesty has examined it, he will surely have his own judgment on what is right and wrong."

Wenjuan came in carrying a rosewood box, which Jiang Ling took and placed on the edge of the bed before opening it.

Emperor Yuanming peered over, and he froze, exclaiming in surprise, "An iron certificate of merit?"

"It is an imperial edict, His Majesty still remembers it."

Jiang Ling replied, closed the box, and told Wen Juan to take it back and put it away. "Your Majesty, the imperial edict has always been in my hands. I have never told my father and elder brother about it. I just wanted them to be careful and not to bully the weak. My father is only a secretary in the Ministry of Works, and my elder brother is only a junior official. They know their own limitations and don't have the ability to become high-ranking officials. They never scheme or rely on me to seek official positions."

Upon seeing the imperial edict, Emperor Yuanming's expression softened considerably. Indeed, as she had said, Jiang Ling had never sought any official position for the Jiang family.

She herself was the same, managing the Imperial Household Department, and when she moved to Qionghua Pavilion, she brought all the wealth she had accumulated. The few boxes of personal belongings she kept mostly consisted of gifts he had previously bestowed upon her.

"This is outrageous!"

Jiang Ling's face suddenly darkened, and she said angrily, "Since Vice Minister Zhao and Madam Gao harbor such treacherous intentions, why did they inexplicably kneel before the Jiang family's gate? If I had known this would happen, I should have given Father the imperial edict. If anyone dares to bully us, we should just kill them outright!"

Emperor Yuanming's eyes widened, and he coughed involuntarily, saying awkwardly, "You're talking nonsense again. How can you kill people so easily? Never mind, never mind, don't be angry. Impeach me if you want, I'll ignore it."

Jiang Ling objected, "The Jiang family and the Zhao family have never had any dealings. Why did Madam Gao, the wife of Vice Minister Zhao, kneel down in front of the Jiang family's door? What are their intentions! My father and elder brother are honest and simple. They escaped this time, but who knows if there will be a next time. They will be terrified. Your Majesty, this matter cannot be left like this. We cannot let honest people's hearts be broken!"

Emperor Yuanming's head began to throb after Jiang Ling's outburst. Seeing her aggrieved expression, he couldn't bear it and quickly comforted her, saying, "Alright, alright, I'll grant your wish. I'll have someone investigate and clear your father and elder brother's name."

Jiang Ling's mind raced, and he said, "Your Majesty, let the ministers of the Council of State investigate. Let Minister Zheng go; he is the head of all officials and has authority. Also, let Envoy Ding of the Imperial City Guard; the Imperial City Guard protects the capital and has many men, so they can investigate quickly!"

Emperor Yuanming rubbed his temples and chuckled, "Look at you, after following me for so long, how come you can say that Prime Minister Zheng is authoritative and that the Imperial City Guard has many people? Alright, alright, stop arguing, oh dear, you're giving me a headache."

Jiang Ling chuckled inwardly, and seeing that his goal had been achieved, he stood up abruptly. "I'll go and deliver the message on behalf of the Emperor!"