Chapter 21 Consort Jiang Ning, she likes you very much.
The hunting grounds were patrolled by Imperial Guards and the Sixteen Guards, with sentries and guards stationed both inside and outside.
After the relocation order was issued, many wealthy merchants and gentry traveled to relocate, carrying countless treasures that were conspicuous and attracted the attention of bandits.
Recently, banditry has become exceptionally rampant.
Chen Liangyu had no duty to guard her today, so he wandered around and looked around. Outside the Hunting Garden Palace, Xing Rui, dressed in the armor of the Imperial Guard, had a drooping mouth and looked so aggrieved that he was about to cry. Gao Guan passed by him and muttered something under his breath.
Chen Liangyu stepped forward and patted Xing Rui on the shoulder, "What's wrong?"
"Boss, do you know how awful they were saying? They said I sided with the right person, that when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs rise to heaven. But why didn't anyone ask if the chickens and dogs wanted to rise to heaven?"
Gao Guan snorted twice, unwilling to listen to his unambitious rhetoric any longer. He put his hands behind his back and retorted, "Forget it, you didn't even sweep the floor very well. Whether you like it or not, you've already been promoted. All the imperial relatives and nobles are resting here. This place is close to the Imperial Concubine's sleeping quarters. If you stand here with a sour face, wouldn't that be bad luck if the nobles saw you?" He then flattered Chen Liangyu, saying, "Commander, this kid listens to you. Please help persuade him. I have a duty to perform; I don't have your leisurely life."
"Go ahead." She didn't want this leisurely life.
Gao Guan was extremely dissatisfied with Xing Rui, and before leaving, he did not forget to scold him: "Why is this kid so stubborn? The Imperial Guards have always been selected only from the sons of aristocratic families. A commoner like you would be beheaded if you even approached the palace. If it weren't for the fact that the Sixteen Guards were being reorganized and there were vacancies, you wouldn't even be in the running! And you're acting like you're being wronged!"
After the division of powers in the Southern Office, it became a combination of the local militia and the Imperial Guards. The Sixteen Guards were expanded into four prefectures and twelve guards, collectively known as the Sixteen Guard Prefectures.
The Four Offices were the Left and Right Thousand Oxen Offices and the Left and Right Gatekeeper Offices, which commanded the inner army. Among them, the Left and Right Thousand Oxen Offices were the royal guards, responsible for the emperor's personal protection; the Left and Right Gatekeeper Offices were in charge of palace gate security. Because they were used to the name, people still habitually referred to the Four Offices as "Guards" in their speech.
These are the Left and Right Thousand Ox Guards and the Left and Right Gate Guards.
Gao Guan was appointed as the Left General of the Thousand Ox Guard, serving as a close bodyguard for the imperial family and relatives. Chen Liangyu was granted the title of General of the Twelve Guards, leading the imperial troops and guarding the capital.
However, as a reserve military force, the imperial court was stingy with its rations and pay during peacetime, only allocating them some farmland. After training, they would work the land like farmers, becoming self-sufficient, and only be conscripted during wartime. Under such arrangements, the Twelve Guards Generals were only "remotely leading" the Fubing (Fubing) during peacetime, essentially holding a nominal title. They did not necessarily have command authority during wartime, and the emperor would usually appoint a Grand Marshal on a temporary basis.
Although on the surface her authority and status were still above Gao Guan's, as Gao Guan said, she was still a leisurely official.
Emperor Xuanyuan's promotion of her was merely superficial; he did not intend to grant her any real power.
Princess Jiangning's warning was overreacting; she was not in a position to oppose the Crown Prince at present.
"Why don't you want to be a member of the Imperial Guard?" she asked.
Xing Rui lowered her head and said, "Everyone has their place. My parents are ordinary people, and I am just an ordinary person with no special skills. I don't have the ability to be a royal guard, and I won't take on this job."
Ordinary people? Chen Liangyu raised an eyebrow.
As Gao Guan said, the Imperial Guards of Daqing were indeed selected from the sons of aristocratic families, or at the very least, sons of military households whose ancestors or fathers had served as centurions or chiliarchs in the army. Xing Rui had arrived at the Southern Office a few days earlier than her, so she had not paid attention to how he had arrived.
In retrospect, there's more to this than meets the eye.
It's not difficult to change a farmer's household status to a military household status, but to change a farmer's household status to a military household status and then transfer them to an official post like the Southern Palace that guards the imperial city requires the rank of a third-grade vice minister of the Ministry of War.
Moreover, no one from the same cohort as Xing Rui was transferred to the Southern Office.
In other words, the Ministry of War went to such great lengths just to transfer Xing Rui over.
Moreover, this kid was unwilling; as soon as he arrived, he poured a pot of hot tea on Gao Guan, and then demoted him to sweep the floor.
As Gao Guan paced back and forth, he frequently glanced back at them, seemingly sensing something. He returned, pulled Chen Liangyu aside, and whispered, "Commander, his parents are indeed just vegetable farmers. Since he came to the Southern Court, there must be a reason for it. There's no need to ask too many questions; being a little confused isn't so bad."
Chen Liangyu already had a rough idea of what was going on.
She listened to Gao Guan's words and didn't press the matter further, just as he said, there's no need to ask too many questions.
"Don't want to get involved in royal conflicts?" she said bluntly.
Ying Rui nodded, but kept her head down.
“I am my parents’ only son, and I have to take care of them in their old age.”
Chen Liangyu slapped him on the back, and Xing Rui immediately straightened his drooping head and stood up straight.
"Do your duty. There are bandits in the Xiling area, which is only thirty miles from the hunting grounds. Be vigilant. Once the new batch of soldiers has finished their training, I will write a note to the Ministry of War to remove you from the newly added military household register and send you back to sweeping. Your Highness is not in good health, so don't add to the gloom."
She had long heard that the Imperial Concubine was frail, and today, seeing the Imperial Concubine being helped down from the sedan chair, she truly looked as delicate as if she had no bones and was too weak to withstand the wind.
Lady He had some prior acquaintance with the Imperial Concubine. When Chen Liangyu came, her mother entrusted her with the task of visiting her on her behalf. However, the Imperial Concubine refused to see outsiders, and her health was not suitable for accompanying the Emperor. Nevertheless, she still accompanied the Emperor to the hunting grounds.
Chen Liangyu glanced at the high wall over there, trying to recall the face of the Imperial Concubine, but instead the face of Princess Jiangning appeared in her mind.
Daughters often resemble their mothers, and that's probably true.
Just as she was about to leave, a young eunuch rushed out and said, "Commander Chen, Her Highness the Imperial Concubine requests your presence in the palace."
Led by a young eunuch, she entered the inner chamber, where a faint medicinal fragrance filled the air. The Imperial Concubine reclined on a soft couch, her entire body supple and graceful. She was dressed in luxurious clothes, her hair neatly combed and adorned with pearls and jade.
"Your subject Liangyu sends her regards to the Imperial Concubine on behalf of her mother."
"Come closer." The Imperial Concubine extended her hand and said softly, "I have not yet thanked you for rescuing Jiang Ning from the bandits."
"Your Majesty is too kind. It is my duty."
She finally got a clear look at that blurry face up close.
Beauty, a beauty of annihilation, devoid of life.
His skin was pale, not a translucent white, but the kind of paleness that comes from years of being bedridden and deprived of sunlight.
She is unhealthy.
A person so sickly can still possess a captivating beauty.
Upon seeing her, the legendary tale of how His Majesty, in a fit of rage, stormed into Yongdu to abduct her as his bride, found its basis in her mind.
The Imperial Concubine took Chen Liangyu's hand and exchanged pleasantries. She held out a beautifully crafted hand warmer, her palms warm. "You and Yun Zhou are quite alike, but you resemble Chen Yuanqing even more. Jin Ge, what do you say?"
The maid Jin Ge, standing to the side, scrutinized her, smiling gently, a few fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes. "Your Highness is right, she does resemble Marquis Xuanping more."
The Imperial Concubine's eyes held a gentle smile, and she spoke softly.
Rumors circulated that she suffered from madness, lived in seclusion in a remote palace, and often failed to recognize people. Yet she was clearly normal, only physically weak.
"Back then, Yunzhou, your mother, and I were close friends. We often competed for the title of the First Talented Woman. Later, Yunzhou revised your maternal grandfather He Guogong's self-created military strategy, 'He's Six Volumes,' and I forgot who made the final decision to give Yunzhou the title of the First Talented Woman."
It turns out that the original six-volume edition of the He family was revised by the mother.
The misfortune that befell my maternal grandfather's family was caused by these two books of military strategy written on paper.
Someone obtained a copy and fabricated facts to falsely accuse the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion of treason. When He Yunzhou was hastily married, she set fire to the library, and from then on, the He family never wrote down their military strategies again.
Aunt Jingge smiled and said, "But you've been given the title of the most beautiful woman, which is like carrying water on a carrying pole and keeping both ends steady, without favoring either side."
"The physical body is the most illusory thing; why should I compete for this title?"
The Imperial Concubine smiled as well.
"At that time, although your father and mother were not engaged, they were a well-known couple. Later, when the world was in chaos, Chen Yuanqing went to the front line. That scoundrel said that people who went to the battlefield did not know when they would die on the battlefield, and he was reluctant to marry Yunzhou. Yunzhou waited and waited, and she became an old maid. Can a young lady wait? With this delay, the best years of her life passed."
Years later, one could still hear how dissatisfied the Imperial Concubine was with the young Marquis Xuanping, disdaining the polite titles and official ranks and addressing him by his full name.
It's not a good sign when someone who's been holding back for too long suddenly opens up and starts recounting their past.
But she seemed to be able to do nothing more than listen.
Unlike Princess Jiangning, who was gentle yet sharp-tongued, this imperial concubine was truly without temper or anger. Despite the downfall of her family and years of neglect from her husband, she showed no resentment whatsoever.
She just sat there, smiling, as if telling a story that happened to someone else.
"Speaking of which, fate has truly spared neither of us, your mother nor I. When the men of my clan were defending the city, none of them survived. A few years later, your maternal grandfather was falsely accused of colluding with the Northern Yong to plot a rebellion, which brought misfortune to our family. When Yun Zhou and I were young, we always competed with each other. But after both of our families suffered misfortune, neither of us started competing with the other anymore."
She spoke at length, reflecting her youthful appearance. She remained silent about everything that happened after she entered the palace, and not a single word about the Emperor could be heard from her.
Aunt Jin Ge repeatedly reminded the Empress that she should rest, but she was so engrossed in her conversation that she coughed but refused to stop.
As she spoke, a sense of sorrow crept into her eyes.
"My child, I have a favor to ask of you today."
Chen Liangyu immediately replied, "Your Majesty is too kind. Please give your orders."
The Imperial Concubine held her hand tightly again.
But she was so weak that no matter how tightly she held on, she had no strength.
“In this world, I only have Jiang Ning as my bond. Originally, she was being raised by the Crown Prince, so I had nothing to worry about. But now, the Eastern Palace…”
She paused, swallowing back the words she shouldn't have said.
"Having lived in the inner palace for many years, I have long since lost any old friends I can entrust with my life. After much thought, the only thing I can talk about is my friendship with your mother from many years ago. Now that I have met you, I would like to use this friendship to make some plans for Jiangning."
She coughed again, and after a moment, she held the handkerchief covering her mouth in her hand. Chen Liangyu could clearly see that the handkerchief was stained with blood.
"Jiang Ning likes you very much. I would like to ask you to take care of Jiang Ning in the future, protect her, and not let anyone bully her."
Chen Liangyu was still dazed when she left the warm hall filled with the smell of medicine. Aunt Jingge came out to see her off, and only turned back into the hall after she had walked a few steps away.
Feeling that the hall was getting a bit chilly, Aunt Jin Ge instructed a maid to add another brazier and bring a white fox fur blanket to wrap around the Imperial Concubine, attending to her with meticulous care. "Your Highness, although Miss Chen is young and promising, she will eventually get married and live a secluded life in the inner courtyard of the mansion. How can she spare the time to look after the princess?"
The Imperial Concubine was helped to lie down; she had spoken too much and was exhausted.
“You’ve been by my side all these years, witnessing countless events, big and small. How come you didn’t notice? That child walks with a confident stride, her back straight and her waist strong. At a glance, you can tell that Yun Zhou and his wife have no intention of raising their daughter into a well-mannered, sheltered woman. They’re grooming her to be a military talent. They’re not looking for a husband for her, but rather a future for her.”
Clutching his chest, he frowned and coughed lightly. After catching his breath, he sighed and said, "Why isn't she a man? What a pity. If she were a man, Jiang Ning would have someone to rely on for the rest of her life."
A note from the author:
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