Chapter 46 (None)

Curiosity killed the cat. Jiang Ling instinctively felt she shouldn't listen, but she couldn't suppress her curiosity. While she hesitated, Consort Lin smiled and said, "You are in charge of the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau, so both matters are related to you. Not only you, but I was also implicated. We were both caught up in the scheme."

Judging from her implied meaning, they were now in the same boat. Jiang Ling was extremely troubled; she used to be considered an extra, but now that was no longer the case.

Consort Lin came specifically to inform her of this matter, undoubtedly to form an alliance with her.

It concerns the family, their wealth and honor, and even their life and death.

In the imperial harem, there are no eternal enemies, nor are there eternal friends.

As the sun set, its rays shone on the gauze windowpanes of the warm pavilion. Consort Lin sat with her back against the window, her fair and slender face serene as water, while behind her lay a crimson hue resembling blood.

Jiang Ling remained silent for a moment, then bowed and said, "I would like to hear the details."

Consort Lin then recounted: "Fang Sideng came from Yangshan County in Ganzhou Prefecture, and her family lived in Huaihua Lane in the north of the county town. Her original surname was Luo, and her given name was Xiaoni. Her father was Luo Jincai, and her mother was Wei. She had two siblings. Her ancestors left behind a general store. They were not very wealthy, but the money they earned from the store was enough to support the family."

The selection of palace maids, though ostensibly a selection process, was in reality a form of coercion. Raising an infant to adulthood was no easy feat, and for a daughter who was nearly ten years old, there were only three possibilities for her to enter the palace.

First, some were so poor they couldn't afford to eat that they voluntarily sent their daughters to the palace. Second, families who couldn't bear to send their daughters to the palace bribed the officials in charge of the selection process to have their daughters enter the palace in their place. Third, some hoped to be chosen by the emperor to become concubines, and if they could bear him a son or daughter, their entire family would rise to prominence.

The Luo family wasn't starving; they always had some savings and could afford to send someone to the palace in their place. Luo Xiaoni being sent to the palace was the last possibility.

Jiang Ling declined to comment on the Luo family's actions.

It is said that once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea, and you'll never see your family again. This applies not only to ordinary people, but also to those from noble families. After marriage, they must serve their parents-in-law and raise their children. Even though they live in the capital, they can only return to their parents' home a few times a year.

The imperial palace is the most strictly governed place in the world, but also the most peaceful and stable. Even if one enters the palace to do the dirtiest and most tiring menial work, at least one can be well-fed, clothed, and have a place to live.

Consort Lin said, "Luo Xiaoni entered the palace voluntarily."

Jiang Ling was stunned, utterly astonished. Luo Xiaoni was only eight years old when she entered the palace; how could she have the courage to leave her parents and hometown to become a palace maid in a strange palace?

"The palace was not short of maids. Back then, Ganzhou Prefecture suffered from a locust plague. Many families sold their children, so the prices were low. Many families competed to send their daughters to the palace. Luo Xiaoni found out that the officials in charge of selection had come to the village head's house. She took the initiative to go to the house. The officials in charge of selection saw that she was pretty and clever, so they selected her to enter the palace."

Consort Lin paused, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and lowered her eyes, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, she continued speaking.

"Luo Jincai was good at business, and his grocery store did quite well. He would use his spare money to go find male prostitutes. Wei died when Luo Xiaoni was seven years old, and her older sister Luo Dani, who was three years older than her, also died of illness when she was nine. It was rumored in Huai Shu Lane that Wei and Luo Dani were both beaten to death by Luo Jincai."

Jiang Ling looked at Consort Lin in shock. She nodded quietly. "From Ganzhou Prefecture to the capital, it only takes about twenty days to travel back and forth by fast horse. I sent people to inquire in Huaihua Lane, and everyone knows about the Luo family. Luo Jincai never remarried, and Luo Dalang married twice, both of whom died young without leaving any children. Luo Dalang is very much like his father, fond of visiting prostitutes and drinking, and he is extremely violent when drunk. His two wives could not bear the torment, one threw herself into a well, and the other hanged herself. Luo Xiaoni was also often beaten back then. If she hadn't run away, she probably wouldn't have lived long either."

Although the government might not necessarily intervene, Jiang Ling couldn't help but ask, "Has no one reported this to the authorities?"

Consort Lin said, "Since Wei's family is gone, even Luo Dalang's wife's family came to make trouble. The Luo family gave them some money to send them away. Beating one's wife is not a big deal. The two of them committed suicide. If we take it to the government, at most the Luo family will only have to pay some money to settle the matter. It is only natural for a father to teach his son. For a son to sue his father is disobedience and unfilial."

In fact, this situation is not uncommon in later generations. Knowing that this would be the result, Jiang Ling still couldn't help but feel sad and said, "Since she has changed her surname to Fang, let's still call her Fang Sideng."

Consort Lin raised her eyebrows and readily agreed. She suddenly smiled and said, "The Luo father and son have already passed away."

Jiang Ling was surprised for a moment, then let out a long breath and said, "Evil has its retribution. It would be truly unjust if they lived well."

"Whether justice exists in this world or not, I have never seen it and cannot answer you."

Consort Lin said calmly, "The Luo father and son both died suddenly on the night of the Ghost Festival, the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month. It's all over Yangshan County that they must have been killed by vengeful ghosts. With Fang Si Deng in the palace, the Luo father and son have no relatives or help, and no one will seek justice for them. The government has asked the neighbors to help with a hasty burial, and the general store has been temporarily taken over by the government as if someone had died normally, and that's the end of it."

Jiang Ling was stunned and said, "Does Your Highness mean that the deaths of the Luo father and son are related to the palace?"

"The neighbors said that the father and son were in very good health. On the evening of the Ghost Festival, they even bought wine and meat from a familiar shop to eat at home. The next day, the grocery store was not open, but the neighbors did not think much of it, assuming that the father and son had drunk too much and gone to visit prostitutes again. Until the third day, the grocery store was still closed. Someone went to see what was going on out of curiosity and smelled a stench coming from the store. The person knocked on the door and received no response. Realizing that something was wrong, he found others to help open the door and found the father and son lying on the bed, their bodies already infested with maggots and rotting. Although the Luo father and son were not human, they had not made any deadly enemies with anyone."

Consort Lin paused for a moment and said, "That's not quite right either. If we're really going to talk about it, Fang Sideng has a life-or-death feud with them."

Jiang Ling couldn't help but recall that Fang Sideng had always been a loner and had a solitary nature.

Perhaps for her, it wasn't power and wealth, but the hatred for the deaths of her mother and sister that sustained her through the hardships of the palace. Upon learning of the deaths of the Luo father and son, she felt completely liberated and resolutely chose to die.

"Even after Fang Sideng became a female official, the government still sent a message to the palace to inform them of the deaths of the Luo father and son. Fang Sideng ignored it. Not long after, the incident in the main hall on the Mid-Autumn Festival occurred, and Fang Sideng committed suicide. This was not a coincidence; Fang Sideng was giving back."

Consort Lin smiled and said, "This move was truly ingenious. Her ability to control people's hearts is truly masterful. Fang Sideng has avenged his great enemy and can leave without any worries. From now on, there will be no one to testify against him."

Jiang Ling felt a tightness in his chest and asked, "What about Consort Gao?"

"Gao Meiren's family lived in Changshui County, a suburb of the capital. Her father was a county magistrate, so she came from an official family and was sent to the palace to serve as a court attendant. The Gao family lived in Yangjiao Lane in Changshui County, next to the Zhang family, who ran a fur shop. The two families often visited each other. Zhang Sanlang was close in age to Gao Meiren. He married two years ago, but his wife died during childbirth along with her unborn child. Last year, Zhang Sanlang sent furs to the capital and sent a message home saying that the furs from the north were of good quality and that he planned to go and buy some. The Zhang family was very worried. Their business was managed by his elder brother, and they feared that he was not knowledgeable enough and would be deceived. So they sent their second brother, Zhang Erlang, to find him personally. The owner of the Zhang family's fur shop, who was familiar with him, said, 'Where would one go to the north?'" Fang was involved in selling leather goods. One day, he accompanied his mother to Guanghan Temple to offer incense and encountered Zhang Sanlang nearby. Zhang Sanlang said he was going to Guanghan Temple to pray for his parents. In the vast capital city, Zhang Erlang had nowhere to search. He searched Guanghan Temple but couldn't find Zhang Sanlang, so he had to return to Changshui County. After some time, Zhang Sanlang still hadn't returned, and the Zhang couple, worried, sent Zhang Erlang to look for him again. This time, Zhang Erlang searched diligently and finally found him. In a ditch at the foot of Huangmiao Mountain, someone found Zhang Sanlang's body. Because he had no belongings and his head and face were smashed, he was taken to the mortuary. Zhang Erlang recognized him by the clothes he was wearing and the mole behind his ear.

Consort Lin looked at Jiang Ling and said slowly, "The Imperial Temple and Guanghan Temple are separated by a mountain and look at each other from afar."

"Zhang Sanlang and Gao Meiren..." Jiang Ling stammered, looking stunned.

“Zhang Sanlang used to deliver leather to familiar shops without ever making a mistake. But this time was different. He lied to his family and stayed in the capital, loitering near the Imperial Temple.”

Consort Lin, sharp and intelligent, dissected the matter, saying, "There are many rocks near the Imperial Temple. In winter, the rocks are slippery, so it's not surprising that someone might accidentally fall down the mountain. According to Consort Gao's rank, once discovered, she would be exiled to the Imperial Temple, just like Su Yue. Zhang Sanlang is dead, and Consort Gao also died from carbon monoxide poisoning."

Jiang Ling couldn't help but recall that when she turned around and went back into the house to question Gao Meiren, her reaction was indeed peculiar, as if she didn't care about being exiled.

Now, after hearing Consort Lin's words, Jiang Ling suddenly realized. Consort Gao might actually be planning to be banished to the Imperial Temple so she could elope with Zhang Sanlang. The Imperial Temple is guarded, and Zhang Sanlang knows nothing of palace affairs; someone must be acting as a go-between between the two.

Consort Lin chuckled and said, "After Consort Gao entered the palace, the Zhang family quickly arranged a marriage for her. The maid who served Consort Gao died of a sudden illness less than three months after she entered the palace."

If Gao Meiren and Zhang Sanlang had ever had an affair, neither family would have allowed even the slightest hint of it to leak out; at best, they would be killed, and at worst, their families would be raided and wiped out.

The hasty marriage and the death of the maid who knew about it all seemed like an attempt to cover something up.

"Zhang Erlang sent the letter home, and soon the elderly Zhang couple and Zhang Dalang arrived at the mortuary. After they had a good cry, they took away Zhang Sanlang's body and buried it hastily. These two old friends from their youth died three days apart. Neither the Gao nor the Zhang families ever mentioned them. Their deaths seemed to be a good thing for both families."

Consort Lin smiled, but her eyes were icy cold. She said, "Truly a brilliant scheme. The death of someone is in vain, and no one will question it. The best way is for someone to die than to live. It's all a coincidence, without a single flaw. Unfortunately, there are no such coincidences in this world. Only meticulous planning can lead to suspicion. The more flawless the plan, the more suspicious it becomes."

As darkness fell completely, the servants stood at a distance, and the lanterns under the eaves cast a dim yellow light, making the warm pavilion dimly lit.

Jiang Ling admired the methods of the person in charge, but at the same time felt a chill run down his spine and involuntarily hugged his arm.

"No matter how clever the methods, how meticulous the plans, or how exquisite the control over people's hearts, if one thing is missing, it will all be in vain."

Consort Lin looked directly at Jiang Ling and said, "Consort Jiang, who do you think has such great ability to mobilize and command people to do these things?"