Chapter 18 Meeting the Saint
[Your Highness, you must understand that only when you are well will your mother remain well.]
Dressed in plain clothes, An Lingrong knelt at the entrance of the Hall of Diligent Governance. "I, An Lingrong, have come to apologize to the Emperor."
Be patient. The Emperor won't like women from the harem interfering in politics, so you need to be extremely patient and sincere.
"Your Majesty, Consort An is still kneeling outside."
Glancing at the Emperor, who was engrossed in reviewing memorials, Su Peisheng steeled himself and stepped forward to report. He couldn't refuse; the Emperor, preoccupied with state affairs, might forget about Consort An's existence. But now it was raining outside, and if a concubine knelt in the rain, it would damage the Emperor's reputation if passing officials saw it.
"Um?"
Yongzheng then remembered that there was someone else outside. He had no impression of An Lingrong before, but recently, because of the An Bihuai incident, the harem was in turmoil, and Yongzheng remembered her, but not in a good way.
"Hmph, she's so devoted to her father, why is she here to plead for Anbi Huai?"
Yongzheng threw the memorial on the table, his eyes cold and piercing.
Su Peisheng cautiously approached and reported, "Consort An said she came to apologize."
"Apologize?"
He guessed it was a new trick to plead for leniency, but glancing at the thunder and rain outside, and for the sake of his reputation, and also considering that she had been kneeling for so long, Yongzheng looked at Su Peisheng and said, "Let her in. I want to hear what she has to say."
"Your Majesty, I, An Lingrong, greet you. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."
Soaked to the bone and utterly disheveled, An Lingrong knelt before Emperor Yongzheng and kowtowed deeply, saying, "This concubine has come to beg for forgiveness."
Remember, do not plead for mercy; consider things from the perspective of the Emperor and the greater good.
Why are you apologizing?
The loss of grain supplies is the responsibility of the officials escorting them. As one of the escorts, Ambiya needs to bear the corresponding responsibility and should not evade the issue.
“My father, An Bihai, as an official in charge of transporting grain, failed to protect the grain when it was attacked by bandits. He is truly to blame and has failed the Emperor’s grace. As his daughter, I should also be punished.”
"Do you really think so?" Yongzheng looked at An Lingrong with some surprise. Was she not pleading for mercy, but truly apologizing?
Food supplies are the lifeline of an army; losing them could affect the progress of the war in the Northwest.
"Yes, although I haven't read many books, I know the importance of provisions. If the war in the Northwest is affected by the loss of provisions, I will be guilty even if I die a thousand deaths."
"I didn't expect you to have such awareness." Yongzheng was somewhat surprised, not expecting An Lingrong to have such a broad perspective.
[This led to a power struggle within the harem; he confessed and pleaded guilty.]
"I have another fault. When I first heard about this, I was completely flustered and pleaded for mercy everywhere. It was all because I lost my composure and disturbed the peace of the harem."
"You're quite frank." Yongzheng nodded. Putting aside An Bihuai, he now felt a certain appreciation for this woman he had never paid attention to before.
Praise him.
"Your Majesty is ashamed. Your Majesty is known for your wisdom and discernment. You are a wise and virtuous ruler. The loss of grain is a serious matter that requires investigation to find out the truth. I presume that Your Majesty has imprisoned those involved in order to find out the truth and those responsible as soon as possible. Your Majesty is so fair and just. I realized this too late, which is why I rushed here to beg for forgiveness."
An Lingrong's words were simple yet sincere, praising Yongzheng to the point of feeling completely comfortable, but she couldn't help but probe: "Oh, aren't you afraid that I will really find out your father's crimes?"
[Being free from official duties is a great relief; let Anbihai know who's in charge. Continue praising.]
"Your Majesty, I trust that Your Majesty is wise and just. If my father is guilty, he deserves to be punished. Even if he was not implicated in the loss of the grain, he was still derelict in his duty as the one escorting the grain. Therefore, I implore Your Majesty, even if my father is innocent, he is incompetent, so please dismiss him from his post."
"Dismissed from office?" Yongzheng was genuinely surprised this time. "Do you know what you're saying? If your father loses his official position, you will no longer be an official's daughter."
“His Majesty loves his people like his own children. Even if you are not an official, Father is still His Majesty’s subject and still under His Majesty’s protection. Moreover, I am very fortunate to have entered the palace to serve His Majesty, which is already a great blessing. I should set an example and punish Father for his mistakes. He should not be pardoned because of my status as a concubine.”
Upon arriving here, Yongzheng truly put aside his probing and looked at the unassuming young lady before him with a completely new perspective.
"I understand. You may go back now. Since you know you have made a mistake, go back and copy the palace rules ten times and reflect on your actions in seclusion."
Even after abandoning his suspicions, Yongzheng still subconsciously tested the waters once more.
An Lingrong remained calm and accepted the punishment without hesitation, finally bowing to Emperor Yongzheng.
"Yes, Your Highness."
...
Ever since she learned that An Lingrong had forced her way into Yichenzhai to plead with the Fourth Prince, Yixiu's expression had been very unpleasant, furious that An Lingrong dared to involve Hongli.
He intended to punish her, but An Lingrong changed into plain clothes after leaving Yichenzhai and knelt at the entrance of Qinzheng Hall to plead for mercy.
Not wanting Yongzheng to know about this, Yixiu could only let her off the hook for the time being, while warning the people in the garden not to reveal the matter. In particular, it must not be revealed to the Emperor; a concubine asking a prince for help would invite a lot of criticism if it got out.
"Your Majesty, Consort An has gone inside."
"Hmm? The Emperor is willing to see her?"
Yixiu was somewhat surprised. The Emperor didn't seem like the kind of person who would soften his heart, and An Lingrong was not favored. So what had she done? Or was someone behind her directing her?
Remembering that An Lingrong had left from Hongli's courtyard, Yixiu paused, "Keep watching and see how the Emperor reacts."
"yes."
Soon, Jianqiu was sent back, informing An that she had been confined by the Emperor and punished by copying palace rules.
"Your Highness, Consort An has surely angered the Emperor. Should I..."
Jianqiu's meaning was clear: she wanted to use this opportunity to teach An Lingrong a lesson. But Yixiu shook her head solemnly, "No rush, let's see first. If she has truly angered the Emperor, this punishment is too lenient."
Soon, news spread throughout the garden that An Bihai, the biological father of Consort An, was not primarily responsible, but was guilty of dereliction of duty. Therefore, although he was released, he lost his official position and became a commoner.
Before they could even laugh at An Lingrong, they heard that she had received an imperial decree promoting her from a mere accomplice to a high-ranking concubine, and was given the title "Yi". On the very day of her promotion, she was freed from the ban on serving the emperor.
“Proper conduct is called ‘yi’ (仪), and conformity to rules is called ‘yi’ (仪),” An Lingrong’s promotion was granted directly by the Emperor, bypassing Yixiu. She was used to this kind of situation and didn’t have time to be angry. Instead, she seemed thoughtful. “An Lingrong doesn’t have this ability… so, it was Hongli who helped her…”
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