Chapter 42 (None)

Emperor Yuanming lay outside, while Jiang Ling, wrapped in a quilt, pressed tightly against the wall. There was still plenty of room for the two of them to lie down in the middle.

"Don't get angry, or you'll get sick and no one can take your place. Amitabha, Amen..."

Emperor Yuanming heard her mutter incoherently for a while, but soon she calmed down and began to breathe evenly.

From childhood to adulthood, Emperor Yuanming had never slept with anyone. As the impulse to be angry with her subsided, waves of discomfort and unfamiliarity washed over him. He couldn't help but turn his head to look; in the dimly lit bed curtains, she was curled up, looking exactly like a plump silkworm cocoon.

He learned etiquette and rules, and whether standing, sitting, or even sleeping, he was required to maintain proper demeanor and manners.

In public, she could still put on an act, and no one could find fault with her manners. In private, however, she was carefree and could lie on the couch for an entire day.

"What a terrible sleeping posture." Emperor Yuanming couldn't help but chuckle.

Accompanied by her peaceful slumber, the crisp fragrance of winter plum blossoms wafted through the air, though he wondered where she was hiding. He, who had been wide awake, couldn't help but yawn; drowsiness washed over him, and he drifted off to sleep.

After a good night's sleep, Huang Liang came to wake him. Emperor Yuanming awoke refreshed and turned to look at Jiang Ling, who was sleeping inside. She pulled the covers over her head, stirred a few times, and then lay still.

She woke up in a good mood, but Emperor Yuanming didn't want to hear her scolding, so he signaled Huang Liang and the others not to disturb her and went to the side room to get dressed.

After washing up, Jiang Ling went to the main room. He had already gotten up, dressed, and curtsied. Emperor Yuanming was surprised and asked, "Why are you up?"

"Your Majesty works tirelessly day and night, so I should rise to serve you. It is proper etiquette not to be disobeyed," Jiang Ling replied respectfully.

Emperor Yuanming lifted his eyelids and carefully examined her from head to toe. Seeing her head bowed, gentle and compliant, she was completely different from the woman he had heard about. He suppressed a smile and said, "Let's have our meal."

Jiang Ling agreed and went to sit down at the table. Emperor Yuanming remembered her temper and stopped interfering with her meals, finally enjoying some peace and quiet.

After the meal, the eunuchs and maids cleared away the food and served tea. Jiang Ling glanced at Huang Liang and the others serving in the room, her expression hesitant, thinking to herself, "With so many people around, she seems to be acting guilty even though she's clearly in the right. It's better to talk about it privately. After all, she's his darling; if she offends him, he might feel embarrassed and lose face even if it's not real..."

Emperor Yuanming, his face stern, was filled with annoyance. She rose respectfully, and although no one attended to her, she surprisingly refrained from cursing inwardly. But she only managed to hold out for a short while before launching into more nonsense!

However, seeing her furtive and furtive appearance, Emperor Yuanming could not bear it any longer. He raised his hand to dismiss the eunuchs and maids serving in the room and asked, "What do you want?"

Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report. Please wait a moment."

Emperor Yuanming nodded. Jiang Ling took the key from Wen Juan, went to the bedroom, took out the golden toad from the box, and said, "Your Majesty, this is the golden toad that Consort Li brought to give to me."

"Did Consort Li give this to you?" Emperor Yuanming was taken aback. He took the golden toad and weighed it in his hand. Thinking of the recent events at the imperial gardens, his expression turned rather unpleasant.

"Yes, a few days ago, Consort Li brought a golden toad to me. I don't know Consort Li's intentions. I can't accept a gift without having done anything for it. The golden toad is too precious for me to accept. But if I return it, I'm afraid Consort Li will be angry and think that I look down on the golden toad and despise her, and that I won't even accept the gift. I've thought about it for a long time, but I really can't think of a proper way to handle it. I wanted to ask Your Majesty to give me a suggestion. I wanted to report back to Your Majesty as soon as possible, but Your Majesty has been busy with state affairs these days, so I've delayed until now."

Jiang Ling didn't mention Li Jieyu's intentions, not wanting to wrong her, nor wanting to be dragged into it for no reason and end up taking the blame. She wasn't aloof or looking down on money.

On boring winter nights, she would take out the golden toad several times and secretly touch it.

By informing Emperor Yuanming about Consort Li's gift of the golden toad, she had two reasons: first, to extricate herself from trouble in advance; and second, to openly possess the golden toad for herself.

Emperor Yuanming looked down at the golden toad, his heart filled with rage. He raised his eyes and saw Jiang Ling floating towards the toad from time to time, and was speechless for a moment.

Knowing that she often talked about gold and silver, Emperor Yuanming knew she would be angry if he took the golden toad away. He handed the golden toad over and said, "Since I've given it to you, you can keep it. I understand."

Jiang Ling was overjoyed, unable to suppress her smile. She stepped forward and accepted the golden toad with both hands, sincerely curtsying to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty. It would be impolite of me to refuse."

Seeing her happy, Emperor Yuanming couldn't help but laugh along, and casually said, "The Golden Toad is crudely made. Apart from the gemstones, it's worth a few taels of silver. At most, the Golden Toad is just a gold nugget."

"Yes, Your Majesty is right. I am ignorant and cannot discern the quality of the craftsmanship," Jiang Ling replied smoothly, but inwardly she was filled with sarcasm: "It's just a gold nugget, bastard, what a big mouth! You are the emperor, rich and powerful, so you are right. You look down on gold nuggets, but can you give me a few?"

Emperor Yuanming, having been framed, naturally wouldn't give her any gold. Too lazy to listen to her nonsense, he got up and left.

Having returned to the matter of the Golden Toad, whatever Yuan You and Consort Li do is no longer her concern.

Although Emperor Yuanming did not express his opinion, Jiang Ling did not press the matter. He happily returned to his room and put away the golden toad. He lay on the couch, hugged the soft cushion, and went back to sleep contentedly.

Time flies, and the New Year is just around the corner. The festivities will continue until after the Lantern Festival before the New Year celebrations are truly over.

The etiquette and rules were complicated. Although there was no need to do heavy work, the various palace banquets kept people constantly on the go. By the end of the day, they were so tired that their whole body ached and they just wanted to lie down and sleep forever.

Fortunately, the New Year passed peacefully, and the flowers and trees in the garden continued to grow. Qin Shanggong of the Imperial Bedchamber was very capable and handled the tasks perfectly. Jiang Ling was happy to be a hands-off manager and let her handle everything.

After the Lantern Festival, Jiang Ling was able to relax and slept until almost noon the next day. The spring sun was shining brightly outside, and she said to Wen Juan, "Move the tea and snacks to the warm pavilion. The sun is shining, so leave a few windows open."

Wen Juan accepted the order and went to do so. After a while, she tidied up the warm pavilion and came to invite Jiang Ling out.

A breeze blew in through the window, carrying none of the biting chill of winter, yet still felt cool against the skin. Wenjuan, ever thoughtful, had lit incense in the warm room. Sitting on the soft cushions, it wasn't too cold.

Jiang Ling was extremely satisfied. Gazing at the garden full of spring sunshine, she ate spoonful after spoonful of apricot milk. The various pastries and creams in the palace were always made sweet, but the chefs in the kitchen prepared a less sweet version to suit her taste.

Wenjuan sat on a small stool brewing tea and said, "My lady, please have half a bowl first. In a little while, I will go and fetch lunch. Someone from the kitchen said that we have spring bamboo shoots today, and they are here to be served for you to try."

Upon hearing the word "bamboo shoots," Jiang Ling's eyes lit up immediately, and he said, "Go and tell the kitchen to make braised bamboo shoots."

Wenjuan agreed and said, "This servant will send Aruo."

"A'Ruo, Xun Xiu, just send Fang He there," Jiang Ling said.

Wenjuan hesitated for a moment, then said, “My lady, Fanghe has been rushing to run errands lately. I’m worried that Fanghe is taking advantage of the Emperor’s favor to bully others and cause you resentment.”

Jiang Ling was stunned, and said with a self-deprecating smile, "So the people from Fanying Pavilion can bully others by taking advantage of my power. Go and have A'Ruo go and call Fang He over. I'll ask her about it."

Wenjuan went to find Aruo, and Fanghe came to the warm pavilion, curtsied, and said, "What do you need from me, my beauty?"

"Sit down," Jiang Ling said, pointing to the small stool.

Seeing her serious expression, Fanghe slowly turned sideways and sat down on the small stool, twisting her dress with her hands, unable to hide her nervousness.

Jiang Ling didn't mince words and said directly, "Fanghe, whether it's you, Wenjuan, or Aruo, any eunuch or maid in Fanying Pavilion is strictly forbidden from flaunting their status outside, accepting bribes, or promising to do favors for others. If anyone violates this rule, I will disregard past relationships and send them all to the Palace Justice Department!"

Upon hearing Gong Zhengsi's name, Fanghe trembled slightly, her face gradually turning pale. She lowered her head and responded, biting her lip tightly, her expression conflicted.

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Ling sensed something was wrong and said in a deep voice, "Fanghe, what do you have to say? If you tell the truth, I might let you off the hook. But if you hide something and I find out, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Fanghe was startled and immediately raised her head, saying hurriedly, "My lady, I'll tell you everything!" She knelt down on the ground and said in a trembling voice, "Some time ago, Hongye, who served Consort Li in Cuiwei Pavilion, gave me a gold-inlaid hairpin, saying that it was a gift from Consort Li to you. You were too embarrassed to accept it in person, so you asked me to put it away for you. I put the hairpin in the box on the left side of the wooden cabinet. I didn't see you wearing it, so I assumed you didn't like hairpins and didn't ask any further questions."

Jiang Ling disliked the dizziness caused by her swaying gait when walking, so she rarely wore it. She locked away all her valuables, with Fang He keeping the keys.

Jiang Ling only kept some inexpensive trinkets in the box on the left side of the wooden cabinet, and rarely opened it. She gave Fang He a cold look, got up abruptly, and hurriedly ran back into the house.

Fanghe panicked and got up to follow. Wenjuan, after instructing A'ruo, returned and, seeing the situation, hurriedly followed her inside, anxiously asking, "My beauty, what happened?"

Jiang Ling took out a box from the wooden cabinet, opened it, and rummaged through several old purses to find a vermilion silk purse.

Inside the purse lay a gold-inlaid jade hairpin shaped like a plum blossom branch. The plum blossom branch and petals were both made of gold, and the stamens were inlaid with a jade so green it seemed to drip with moisture.

When Wenjuan saw the hairpin, her eyes widened in disbelief. "I've never seen this hairpin before. How could such a precious item be kept in this box?"

Fanghe looked frightened and said hastily, "My lady... I didn't tell you that I was not doing my job properly. Please punish me."

Jiang Ling was so angry that her hands were trembling. She shouted, "What benefits did you receive from Hongye! Speak!"

Fanghe opened her mouth, but seeing Jiang Ling's fury, her legs went weak and she knelt on the ground with a thud, stammering, "Hongye...she...she gave me a golden cicada as a thank you gift."

"Go get it!" Jiang Ling shouted angrily, waving his arms.

"Yes, this servant will go get it right away." Fanghe scrambled to her feet and ran outside, and Wenjuan quickly followed her, bringing the cicada in together.

The cicada is about the size of a thumb, with eyes inlaid with tiny grains of glass, and wings made of gold foil as thin as cicada wings. The cicada must be solid, as it has a considerable weight in the hand.

"The cicada is so precious, and Hongye gave it to you as a thank-you gift. You know in your heart that there's something wrong with what she asked you to do. The fact that you hid the hairpin under the box and didn't dare to tell me proves that you have a guilty conscience."

Jiang Ling had previously criticized A'Ruo Fanghe, saying they were too stupid to accomplish anything significant, much less capable of being bad people. To try and rise above others in the harem was nothing short of a pipe dream.

Emperor Yuanming commented that the gold toad was crudely made, and since toads are auspicious and bring wealth, it was not unusual for gold to be crafted into the shape of a gold toad; such things are common.

Consort Li could not prove that the golden toad was a gift from her, but the fact that a hairpin with the palace insignia was placed in her room must have been an indication that she had accepted a bribe.

Li Jieyu probably never expected that Fanghe would be so easily bribed and discovered. With a little intimidation, she hurriedly confessed.

Jiang Ling, expressionless and utterly disappointed, slowly said, "Fanghe, I told you back in Xiefang Pavilion that nothing comes for free. When Su Yue gave you and A'ruo benefits, I found out, but since you hadn't caused any consequences yet, I let you off the hook. Later, I repeatedly warned you to be careful and keep to your place. You saw how easygoing I was and never took it to heart."

Fanghe knelt on the ground, trembling, and pleaded, "This servant was wrong. This servant was blinded by greed. Please, my beauty, spare my life! Hongye gave the hairpin to you, my beauty. I thought you got a hairpin for free. I'm stupid and didn't think that far ahead. Please, my beauty, forgive me this time!"

Jiang Ling looked at the exquisitely crafted golden toad, feeling a mix of emotions.

Fanghe was obsessed with money, and when she got the Golden Cicada, she probably felt the same way she did when she got the Golden Toad.

Even beheadings and confiscation of property couldn't stop corrupt officials. Jiang Ling dared not overestimate her willpower. If Li Jieyu had taken a few more golden toads, she probably would have been bribed.

One golden cicada is enough to cover Fanghe's monthly allowance accumulated through years of hard work serving in the palace.

Jiang Ling closed his eyes briefly, hardening his heart, and said, "Fanghe, if you can survive in Willow Lane, I'll find a way to let you leave the palace. You can take everything you've accumulated in the palace, including the golden cicada. If you can't survive, that's your own fault, and it's the price you have to pay!"

In her terror, Fanghe's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed softly to the ground.

Jiang Ling felt distressed watching this, and fearing she might soften her heart, she said to Wen Juan, who was standing silently to the side, "Go and find Song Gongzheng."

Wenjuan snapped out of her daze and quickly agreed. As she stepped outside, a eunuch from the Chuigong Hall, drenched in sweat, rushed over and stopped her, saying urgently, "Don't go! The Emperor has decreed that Consort Jiang and her maids be summoned immediately for questioning before him!"