Chapter 113 (None)

The summer sun was bright and intense. Yuan Changsheng stood under its rays, his pale face as if covered in frost. He was lifeless. If it weren't for his uncontrollable rapid breathing, he would appear like a living dead, a truly chilling sight.

After an unknown amount of time, Yuan Changsheng's face finally regained some color, and a very faint smile appeared on her face. "Consort Hui, this servant's life is worthless, and I have long since disregarded life and death."

Jiang Ling casually hummed in agreement. She walked to the flowerpot where jasmine was planted, picked a blooming jasmine flower, and brought it to her nose. The delicate fragrance of jasmine filled the air.

Yuan Changsheng's gaze followed Jiang Ling closely, gradually growing restless and uneasy. His body was still weak after his injury; his legs were sore and weak, and he slumped down on the stone steps of the veranda, clutching a cloth, head bowed, panting heavily.

"Are you scared?" Jiang Ling walked over and asked.

Yuan Changsheng slowly raised his head and looked over. He smiled mockingly, "I've already said, my life is worthless. You may kill me or torture me as you please."

"You've taken good care of the flowers and plants in your yard. Look at these balsams and jasmine. These flowers and plants may not be worth much, but they are quite useful. Balsams can be used to make nail polish, which has a bright color that lasts a long time. Jasmine tea has a strong jasmine flavor, and the aroma of the tea can never overpower the fragrance of the flower."

Jiang Ling pointed to the tidy courtyard and said slowly, "Fear is the most normal thing, because you have things to care about in this world. Like this garden full of flowers and plants, a peaceful and tranquil life. I remember telling you before, don't be so weak-kneed, always talking about kneeling. Let me say one more thing to you, don't take your own life for granted, and don't take other people's lives for granted either."

Yuan Changsheng was suddenly jolted, staring intently at Jiang Ling, his expression gradually turning pained. He smiled bitterly and said, "Consort Hui is kind-hearted and compassionate, and has never looked down on us eunuchs who are neither male nor female. Consort Hui's insights are extraordinary. I'm just sorry, I have nothing but this worthless life to risk."

Jiang Ling frowned and asked curiously, "When you entered the palace as a eunuch, did you receive any guidance from someone?"

Yuan Changsheng stiffened, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and he remained silent.

"Indeed." Jiang Ling smiled knowingly, without mentioning Consort Liu's name.

Yuan Changsheng castrated himself to enter the palace because of the guidance of Consort Liu.

“You are indeed willing to go all out. Being a eunuch is not easy. It is extremely painful, both physically and mentally tormented. You only survive by passing through the gates of hell. If there were any other way out, who would want to suffer like this?”

Jiang Ling sighed and shook her head. She picked another bunch of jasmine and gestured in front of her, saying, "You are beautiful, jasmine is far inferior to you. A beautiful appearance is rare, it is a gift from heaven. Once you enter the palace, it is only natural that you will rise to the top."

Yuan Changsheng froze, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, shifting his body anxiously. Seeing Jiang Ling calmly scrutinizing him, he instinctively lowered his eyelids, clenched his teeth, and remained silent.

"I have something to tell you, something you probably don't know yet," Jiang Ling said with a smile, looking at Yuan Changsheng.

"Consort Hui, stop talking! I don't want to hear it!" Yuan Changsheng suddenly opened his eyes. The sun was blazing, and his face contorted and trembled as he growled in pain.

"The eldest princess came to see the emperor with a pair of sharpened scissors. Although she is young, she has always been calm and intelligent. Why has she suddenly changed? I don't know the consequences of this action."

Jiang Ling spoke softly, pointing to the flowers and plants in the courtyard, and asked, "If you were to pull up all these flowers and plants you've been growing, you would definitely feel bad. The eldest princess is almost of marriageable age. Alas, such a well-behaved, obedient, and sensible young lady, she just gives them up like that."

Yuan Changsheng seemed unable to bear it any longer. He suddenly stood up and staggered into the house. After a few steps, he stopped, leaning against the wall, his forehead pressed against it as he gasped for breath. After a long while, he turned back to look at Jiang Ling, his eyes bloodshot.

"Your Highness comes from an official family and was raised in seclusion. To even mention a brothel in front of Your Highness would be considered presumptuous and would offend Your Highness's ears."

Yuan Changsheng's expression calmed down. He leaned against the wall, tilted his head slightly, and looked up at the distant sky. The sky stretched out endlessly, with tiny white clouds occasionally drifting by.

"Whether male or female, in brothels, a good appearance can fetch a good price. With this appearance, patrons will flock to bring gold and silver treasures, earning fine wine and delicacies, fine clothes and luxury cars, sweet words and vows of eternal love. The younger the age, the better, a virgin, the more money can be made."

Jiang Ling listened quietly. She roughly guessed that his mother's death, the fire at the brothel, and his escape must be related to this.

Chicks can be sold for a higher price.

"Isn't it the same outside? Even if you're fair-skinned, you'll be teased and provoked. If you don't enter the palace, what else do you think Your Highness can do? Be a male prostitute, a male servant, or a slave?"

Yuan Changsheng's brows relaxed, revealing an unprecedented ease and composure. He smiled, a smile as if flowers were in full bloom.

“Your Majesty, thank you for your kindness. I have no regrets or remorse in my life. If there are people I have wronged or owed anything to, I cannot make amends. As for those who owe me, I will not seek repayment one by one. The debts of this life are settled in this life.”

After saying this, Yuan Changsheng bowed deeply to Jiang Ling, got up and went into the house without looking back.

Soon, a "thump" was heard from inside the house.

As the sun climbed higher into the sky, Jiang Ling stood there, her hands and feet icy cold. She steadied herself and walked into the house.

Wenjuan and the others were worried and quickly followed. When they arrived at the main house, they saw Jiang Ling standing in front of the east room. Wenjuan walked over and couldn't help but gasp.

The east room was simply furnished, with a slightly worn bamboo couch and two small tables and stools placed by the window.

The bamboo window lattice rolled up, letting in light that shone on Yuan Changsheng's back. He lay face down on his side, blood splattered all over the room.

"Your Majesty..." Wen Juan looked at Jiang Ling in alarm, her eyes welling up with tears, and she stammered, "Your Majesty, he..."

Jiang Ling's vision was filled with crimson, a strong stench of blood assaulting her senses, strangely mingled with the scent of jasmine. She raised her hand in confusion, noticing the jasmine branch she was still holding.

In the blink of an eye, the jasmine flower withered.

Jiang Ling remained silent, turned and left. She walked down the stone steps, crossed the courtyard, and exited through the gate.

Upon reaching the vicinity of the Chuigong Hall, Jiang Ling walked out of the alleyway and headed towards the Kunning Palace. Most of the Kunning Palace had been incorporated into the Fanying Pavilion, and the main gate was tightly closed, with only a few lowly eunuchs and servants left to guard it.

When the palace attendants saw Jiang Ling arrive, they hurriedly came out to pay their respects. Jiang Ling instructed them, "Go in and search carefully, smell carefully, and see if the soil has been disturbed."

Although they didn't understand the meaning behind Jiang Ling's words, the group didn't dare to ask any more questions and quickly followed her instructions to go inside and search carefully.

Jiang Ling stood outside the door waiting. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, an old eunuch ran out in a panic. He could barely speak and stammered, "Your Majesty, behind the wall of the inner palace, there are... there are two corpses. The corpses are already decomposed. Judging from their hair and the clothes and shoes they are wearing, they should be two palace maids."

Then the others ran back and knelt down, begging for mercy.

"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! This servant has no idea where the corpse came from. It was hidden in the back wall, a place rarely visited by anyone. This servant never expected this!"

When Jiang Ling told Yuan Changsheng that she knew the whereabouts of the wolfberry water lily, it was actually a flash of inspiration on her part.

The palace was spacious and crowded with masters and servants. The main hall and other halls were heavily guarded, and the inner palaces were also occupied, making it extremely difficult to hide corpses.

The only vacant buildings are Kunning Palace and Fanying Pavilion, where Jiang Ling once lived. Fanying Pavilion has plenty of staff, and since it is still her palace, she could very well return at any time.

Kunning Palace, however, was different; it had been vacant for many years. The eunuchs who were cleaning it were perfunctory, simply wiping down the main hall and other areas.

In the summer heat, the corpses would quickly decompose into bones. Even if the remains were collected afterward, their whereabouts might forever remain a mystery.

Whether the two women were alive or dead at the time, to get them into Kunning Palace, one had to be familiar with the guards' patrol routes and the times.

Perhaps it was the heat, but Jiang Ling felt a tightness in her chest. She took a deep breath and said to the kneeling eunuchs, "If you want to live, you'd better keep your mouths shut. Hurry up and clean up!"

"Yes, yes, yes, this servant obeys the order." The few people who had escaped death scrambled to their feet and ran off to collect the corpses.

Jiang Ling returned to the Chuigong Hall and entered the Qionghua Pavilion. She said to Huang Liang, who came to greet her, "The body of Gouqi Shuilian has been found in the Kunning Palace."

Huang Liang was shocked. "What? Who is so audacious as to hide a corpse in Kunning Palace!"

"I've already told them to pack it up. Send someone to collect it neatly and send it out of the palace for burial."

Jiang Ling paused for a moment and said, "Yuan Changsheng has committed suicide. Find a coffin, put it in ice, and don't send it out of the palace yet."

Huang Liang seemed unable to react. His eyes widened as he stammered, "Yuan Changsheng is dead?"

Jiang Ling's lips twitched slightly. She didn't want to say anything more and turned to go back to the side room.

Zishan brought tea into the room and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor asked where you had gone and told you to come back quickly."

Jiang Ling leaned back in his chair, took a couple of sips of tea, rubbed his temples to rest for a moment, then tried to cheer himself up and went into his bedroom.

Emperor Yuanming was reviewing memorials when he glared at Jiang Ling with displeasure. "I was just asking a few questions, why did you take so long?"

Jiang Ling sat down on the brocade bench and said, "Your Majesty, the body of Gouqi Shuilian has been found. It's on the back wall of the Kunning Palace's sleeping quarters."

Emperor Yuanming was taken aback at first, then flew into a rage: "You scoundrels, are they really planning a rebellion! Investigate, investigate for me! I will exterminate their entire clan!"

Jiang Ling advised, "Your Majesty, please do not be hasty in your anger; your health is of utmost importance!"

Emperor Yuanming was so angry that he trembled and overturned the table in front of him to the ground, scattering memorials everywhere.

"Kunning Palace is the central palace, the Empress's residence! The Empress is the mother of the nation! If even Kunning Palace dares to be disrespectful, then my Chuigong Hall will not be taken seriously either. Next, it will be Chuigong Hall's turn!"

The more Emperor Yuanming thought about it, the angrier and more uneasy he became. He waved his arms and shouted hoarsely, "Investigate! Go and find out the truth for me!"

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, rest assured."

Jiang Ling quickly comforted Emperor Yuanming, pressing down on his arm and saying with concern, "Your Majesty, be careful not to aggravate your injured leg."

Emperor Yuanming grabbed Jiang Ling's hand, his eyes filled with terror, and said urgently, "You don't understand, Kunning Palace is more than just the face of the royal family... Who knows about this? Kill them all!"

Jiang Ling suppressed his disgust and said gently, "Your Majesty, many people already know. If we want to kill people, I'm afraid we won't be able to kill them all."

Emperor Yuanming's vision went black, and he nearly fainted. He gritted his teeth and gasped for breath, his expression terrifying, as if he wanted to devour someone.

Jiang Ling said patiently, "Your Majesty, please take a breath and let me explain in detail."

"I want them all dead!" Emperor Yuanming leaned against the headboard, his whole body radiating murderous intent, his voice escaping through clenched teeth, chilling and menacing.

"Your Majesty, Yuan Changsheng is dead," Jiang Ling said softly.

Emperor Yuanming couldn't immediately recall who Yuan Changsheng was. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Who?"

Jiang Ling paused for a moment, then said again, "It's Yuan Changsheng."

Emperor Yuanming frowned as he thought of him, saying, "He's incompetent and can't even handle twenty strokes of the cane. It's all because he's unlucky. It's hot, so hurry up and bury him outside. Keeping him around is bad luck!"

Although he already knew Emperor Yuanming's temperament, Jiang Ling still had to desperately restrain himself to suppress the emotions churning in his chest.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have spoken with Huang Liang and he has already taken care of it."

Jiang Ling felt heavy-hearted. She really didn't want to say anything more to Emperor Yuanming, let alone bring up anything else. She bent down to pick up the memorial and put it away, saying, "It's time for lunch. I'll go serve the Emperor his meal."

After lunch, Emperor Yuanming began to rest. Jiang Ling lay on the couch in the outer room, staring wide-eyed at the caisson ceiling above him, a sense of desolation lingering in his heart that he couldn't shake off.

Inside, Emperor Yuanming was fast asleep, his large body snoring loudly.

Jiang Ling sat up straight, slipped on his shoes, and hurried toward Gong Zhengsi.