Chapter 118 (No further information)

After Jiang Ling moved to Qionghua Pavilion, she was unwilling to spend time with Emperor Yuanming and preferred to rest early on the couch in the outer room.

As dawn broke, Emperor Yuanming coughed and cleared his throat inside. Jiang Ling opened her eyes and pulled the thin blanket over her head. When she couldn't breathe, she pulled the blanket off to catch her breath. The door outside was gently pushed open.

Jiang Ling got up and went to wash up. Huang Liang led the eunuchs in to attend to Emperor Yuanming. After she finished washing, she went to see Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunlang. The two of them had already gotten up and were wildly hacking at the flowers and trees with wooden swords.

Upon seeing Jiang Ling, Xiao Yunzan quickly hid his wooden sword and smiled ingratiatingly at her. Xiao Yunlang, unaware of anything amiss, instinctively withdrew his hand before turning to look.

"Things don't happen more than three times. This is the third time," Jiang Ling said expressionlessly, holding up three fingers.

The two dared not argue, and with their heads hanging low, they stepped forward and reluctantly handed over the wooden sword.

Jiang Ling laid down rules for the two of them, and their actions, like her words, were to be prioritized based on urgency and importance. For example, matters involving human life were of utmost importance and urgency, and no disobedience was permitted; they had to act immediately. Destroying flowers and trees was not considered too important, but they still couldn't be carelessly trampled upon. They were at an age where even dogs disliked them, and the two of them were never at peace. Jiang Ling had already warned them some time ago that this was a third offense; if they were caught again using wooden swords to cut flowers and trees, the swords would be confiscated.

Although the two were mischievous, Jiang Ling always kept her word. They had developed a habit of following her example, and after handing over the wooden sword, they obediently went back to their room for breakfast.

Jiang Ling's headache started to flare up early in the morning after her outburst of anger. She thought of the parents in later generations who broke down raising and guiding their children, and then compared that to Xiao Yunrui and Xiao Yunjue, which calmed her down.

While not the best, they were better than the worst; for the princes and grandsons of the feudal dynasty, they could be considered to have high moral character.

Just as Jiang Ling was about to return to her room, Xue An ran over and said, "Your Highness, Chen Fushun is here. He's been pestering you outside, insisting on seeing you."

"Chen Fushun? He came alone?" Jiang Ling was stunned; she recognized the name. When Gouqi Shuilian had the incident, he and Yang Ying were off duty, and he was also one of Yuan Changsheng's confidants.

Xue An said, "Yes, he was all alone. I saw that he came so early, he must have something important to say. I asked him, but he refused to answer, saying that he wanted to tell Her Majesty in person."

Jiang Ling hesitated for a moment, then said, "Take him to the inn."

Xue An hurriedly agreed. Jiang Ling summoned a palace attendant and asked him to go inside and inform Emperor Yuanming that the weather was hot and he had no appetite early in the morning, so he should eat later.

Jiang Ling arrived at the inn, where Xue An and two guards stood menacingly to one side. Chen Fushun, empty-handed, stood with his head down in the middle.

An ice chest sat in the inn, radiating coolness. Chen Fushun's crimson robe was soaked with sweat on the back, leaving a noticeable dark stain. He bowed respectfully, and Jiang Ling called out to him. As he looked up, Jiang Ling noticed fine beads of sweat rolling down Chen Fushun's forehead.

"What do you want? Speak," Jiang Ling said, sitting down at the head of the table and observing him discreetly.

"Your Majesty, this servant must speak to Your Majesty in private." Chen Fushun's hands were sweaty, and he tried his best to calm himself down, but his throat tightened.

Jiang Ling paused for a moment, then dismissed Xue An and the others from the room. "You may speak," she said.

Chen Fushun knelt down with a thud, prostrating himself on the ground, and said, "This servant has something important to report to Your Majesty. After Zhang Shan took over the boss's job... after Yuan Changsheng's previous job, he suppressed this servant, Lai San, Yang Ying, and others, preventing us from taking duty. Yesterday, Zhang Shan made Yang Ying move out of his residence and put him in a small room with this servant, Lai San, and me. Yang Ying told this servant and Lai San to go to duty today, taking the opportunity to incite the guards to cause trouble."

Jiang Ling raised her eyebrows upon hearing this. She knew that Zhang Shan had not arranged for them to be on duty, but Yang Ying was kicked out only after she had instructed that no further complications should arise.

Given Zhang Shan's character, Yang Ying and his group could easily incite the guards to cause trouble. The Chui Gong Hall had long been guarded by the Imperial City Guards, and there were also a bunch of old people, women, and children in the inner palace.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, Jiang Ling first summoned Xue An and instructed him: "Take a few men and bring Yang Ying here. Remember to do it quietly and don't make a fuss. Bring Zhang Shan back as well."

Xue An's expression changed slightly. He didn't dare to delay and hurried over.

Jiang Ling sized up Chen Fushun and asked, "Where is Lai San? Why did you come to me to inform on me?"

“This servant dares not conceal from Your Majesty that Yang Ying went out alone yesterday and no one knows where he went. He was released late at night and ordered this servant and Lai San to go and report for duty. Since Yang Ying left, Lai San has been restless and has been waiting for Yang Ying to return. Hearing footsteps, Lai San hurriedly went to open the door. Yang Ying was frightened and slapped Lai San so hard that his face swelled up and bled.”

A bitter expression appeared on Chen Fushun's face as he said, "If trouble were to break out, whether it succeeds or fails, Lai San and I would surely die. Yang Ying did not allow us to question her, and Lai San secretly got up and slipped away at night, disappearing without a trace. After I got up, I came to see Your Highness, and Your Highness spared me because of my honesty."

Jiang Ling roughly understood that Yang Ying was harsh and unforgiving, and that the group was probably only superficially friendly.

"Guess who Yang Ying went to see?"

Chen Fushun hesitated for a moment, then said, "This servant guesses that he went to see Consort Xian. Yang Ying used to often run errands for Consort Xian."

Just as Jiang Ling had guessed, Consort Liu would not let go of any opportunity to retaliate and would sacrifice Yang Ying without hesitation.

Jiang Ling didn't continue the topic. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Did you kill Gouqi and Shuilian?"

Chen Fushun paused for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, this servant did not kill Gouqi Shuilian. When this servant saw them, they were already dead. This servant only helped to hide their bodies."

Jiang Ling gave an "oh" and said calmly, "Hiding their corpses in Kunning Palace, just for that one thing, you should all be beheaded. How come you're not afraid of death now?"

Chen Fushun's expression was complicated. He remained silent for a moment, not answering the question, but said, "After the boss died, he had nothing left. He distributed all the money he had saved to his subordinates and a few beggars in the capital who were almost starving to death. They were loyal to the boss and willing to give their lives for him. The boss once told us that if he died, we should not seek revenge for him, but protect our own lives. Don't tell those people in the capital either. If there is an afterlife, forget the suffering of this life, don't know each other, owe each other nothing, and live our own lives."

Righteousness often comes from humble beginnings; no wonder Yuan Changsheng died so decisively. He was protecting not only Consort Liu, but also everyone around him.

Jiang Ling remained silent for a moment, then said, "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

Chen Fushun knelt down and kowtowed heavily, choking back tears as he said, "The eldest brother once said that Your Majesty values ​​rules the most and is a true gentleman. I know I have done wrong and have no other way out. I dare not presume to ask Your Majesty for forgiveness. I only beg Your Majesty to spare my life. Whether I live or die is up to fate."

Even ants cherish their lives. Jiang Ling looked at Chen Fushun's swollen forehead and sighed inwardly, "Go back to your room and wait. Don't let your mind wander, or you won't be able to hold onto your breath."

Chen Fushun's heart, which had been in his throat, finally relaxed a lot. He quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude and respectfully withdrew from the room.

At this moment, Xue An hurriedly returned and said, "Your Majesty, Yang Ying has been captured by us at his residence. Does Your Majesty wish to interrogate him?"

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Ling said, "Let's lock him up for now, but only lock him up. Don't do anything else. Let's see how he reacts."

Xue An should have left, but Zhang Shan rushed back, covered in sweat and looking excited. He said, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

Jiang Ling remained calm and asked, "What is it?"

Zhang Shan sniffed and said mysteriously, "Yuan Changsheng's confidant, Lin San, came to inform me that Yang Ying was planning a rebellion."

Jiang Ling asked curiously, "How does Yang Ying plan to start the uprising?"

Zhang Shan took a deep breath, her voice filled with righteous indignation, and said, "Yuan Changsheng is adept at winning people's hearts. Those people in the palace are loyal to him, recognizing only Yuan Changsheng and not His Majesty or the Empress. After Yuan Changsheng's death, they spread rumors everywhere, saying that I was killed by the Empress on her orders. Yang Ying plans to incite them to revolt and avenge Yuan Changsheng. If the guards cause trouble, it will be because I didn't do my job well. I might even be beheaded by the Emperor, and Your Majesty will also be implicated. Your Majesty, I will go and arrest Yang Ying right now, so he can no longer cause trouble!"

Jiang Ling stared intently at Zhang Shan. His words were half true and half false; if the guards caused a disturbance, he would indeed be held responsible. His words and Chen Fushun's had their sources; human nature is complex, and Jiang Ling would naturally not believe either side.

Zhang Shan's loyalty to Jiang Ling is beyond doubt. He has his own ulterior motives, wanting to use Jiang Ling to firmly control the imperial palace guards.

Jiang Ling asked, "Where is Lai San?"

Zhang Shan said, "Lai San is cunning and treacherous. He came to inform on us with ulterior motives. We had to be on guard, so we tied him up first to prevent him from causing any more trouble."

Jiang Ling was in a bad mood and impatient with Zhang Shan's pretense. His face darkened slightly, and he asked directly, "Is Lai San dead or alive?"

Zhang Shan glanced at Jiang Ling's face and his heart tightened instantly. He dared not say anything more and stammered, "Lai San was beaten with twenty lashes and was injured, but he is still alive."

Jiang Ling closed his eyes briefly and said, "I understand. Since the guards didn't cause any trouble, you can leave Lai San alone for now and hand him over to Xue An. You can go about your duties as usual, and pretend nothing happened."

Zhang Shan couldn't figure out Jiang Ling's thoughts. He awkwardly greeted her and took his leave, but as soon as he turned around, Jiang Ling called him back.

"Zhang Shan, let me remind you again, don't cause any unnecessary trouble."

Zhang Shan subconsciously sensed that something was wrong. He quickly agreed, but his mind raced as he tried to recall where he had offended Jiang Ling.

The sun had already risen. Jiang Ling asked Wen Juan to invite Consort Lin, and she went back to the side room and had a few sips of tea and snacks.

Consort Lin arrived very quickly. Although it had been some time since I last saw her, she was still thin, but her spirits had improved somewhat.

The two exchanged greetings, and Consort Lin sat down opposite Jiang Ling. Looking at the tea and snacks she had eaten on the table, she said, "Recently, there have been many things happening in the palace. I thought Consort Hui was too busy to disturb her and cause trouble."

Jiang Ling didn't mince words, saying, "Your Highness is absolutely right. I have indeed been quite busy. I had to deal with one thing this morning and didn't even have time for breakfast. I just ate a few bites of tea and snacks. I don't eat sweets, and these tea and snacks were specially prepared by the Imperial Kitchen according to my taste. They are very light and good for my health. Your Highness, please try them. If you like them, I will give you the recipe."

Consort Lin readily took a piece of rice cake and tasted it. The rice cake was mixed with other grains, but it was not sweet at all, leaving only the taste of the grains themselves.

"It is indeed bland." Consort Lin examined the rice cake and smiled, "Consort Hui has returned to simplicity. I am not wise enough to eat it."

Jiang Ling did not insist, saying, "Even His Majesty is not used to it. It must be sweetened with sugar and fried in oil."

Consort Lin arrived at the Chui Gong Hall, and according to custom, she should have gone to pay her respects to Emperor Yuanming. However, she did not go. Upon hearing Jiang Ling mention him, she picked up her teacup, sipped her tea, and remained silent.

It seems that Consort Lin's disgust for Emperor Yuanming has reached a point where she no longer cares about formalities and is no longer bothered to conceal it.

Jiang Ling smiled and said, "I summoned Your Majesty here to ask you to preside over a matter. All palace maids who have reached the age of eighteen, regardless of whether they are female officials or nannies, may apply to leave the palace and return to their hometowns. No one may obstruct or force them."

Consort Lin looked surprised, but she quickly recovered and said, "The palace is indeed a bit crowded. Too many people make it chaotic and cause trouble everywhere. It would be good to let some out. However, people come to the palace every year, and nothing has changed after they are let out. Does Consort Hui have any plans?"

Jiang Ling said, "It's not because the palace is too crowded and chaotic. The palace can accommodate and support them. Life outside the palace may not be better than living in the palace. What I'm thinking is to give them another choice, the opportunity to make their own decisions."

Consort Lin froze, a myriad of emotions welling up in her heart.

Let alone palace maids who were born into poverty and sold into the palace against their will. Even noble ladies from gentry and powerful families, like her, have they ever truly made their own decisions?

Before her marriage, she grew up in the pampered and privileged environment of the Lin family, enjoying all the comforts she could ever want. Her only path and choice was to contribute to the prosperity of the Lin clan.

After marriage, she held a noble status and wielded great power in the palace.

Whether it was her family or her power, it was all fleeting, like a mirage.

Because she had never truly controlled anything. Everything she thought she had was something someone had given her, which she happily held in her hands, treating as a priceless treasure.

Consort Lin had a general understanding of the situation in the imperial court and the inner palace. The civil affairs were handled by the Hall of State Affairs, and the military affairs by the Imperial City Guard, both of which were under the control of Jiang Ling.

Consort Lin gazed at Jiang Ling before her. She used to be indifferent to such things and looked down on them.

Now, she has gradually become the one who gives alms, whether in the harem or the imperial court!