Chapter 37 Jin Ling 37
"I did trespass into the Xianju Palace, but..." Jin Ling smiled and looked at Madam Wan: "I was also in a hurry and had to act as an impolite guest."
"Zhong Sizhi is, after all, a female official in the Shanggong Bureau. It's really... for my sister to punish a female official of that rank without asking for the reason." Concubine Zhao turned to look at the Queen Mother, her face becoming serious. "I and your servants serve the Queen Mother, so we should, like the Queen Mother, persuade her with reason. Furthermore, the Shanggong Bureau is under the command of the Queen Mother, and I and your servants are merely assisting her. How can I interfere in her affairs?"
Jin Ling made the final decision, characterizing Concubine Xian's behavior as an abuse of power. The Empress Dowager, seated in the upper seat, nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with Concubine Zhao's words.
"You're slandering me!" Madam Wan, unable to bear the sight of Jin Ling's ascendancy, quickly jumped out and rebuked her loudly, "The Xian Concubine punished Zhong Sizhi because she followed your instructions and deliberately made things difficult for her. This is why the Xian Concubine must punish her severely and serve as a warning to others!"
"What a small punishment, but a big warning!" Jin Ling also broke her usual temper for the first time: "I didn't know that the harem is run by the virtuous concubine. Even a high-ranking female official can beat a palace maid at will!"
After saying this, she immediately knelt down and apologized to the Queen Mother: "If the virtuous concubine wants to punish me for trespassing into the palace, I will accept the punishment without hesitation."
"But I have a clear conscience. I grew up in the Shanggong Bureau. In terms of emotion, Zhong Sizhi is like a half-mother to me; in terms of reason, since I have received orders from the Empress Dowager, it is natural that the Concubine Xian cannot bypass me when dealing with the female officials of the department level."
"Even if it happens again, I will never stand by and watch the virtuous concubine act recklessly and disrupt the upright atmosphere in the palace that the Empress Dowager has worked so hard to establish!"
The speech was sonorous and powerful, with outstanding style. Not only did it shock the virtuous concubine and her daughter, but it also made Li Yi, who was listening to the whole thing outside the door, feel overwhelmed with emotion.
You are indeed the person I admire.
"Good! My beloved concubine has such a noble character that she will not let me marry her with the surname Zhao." Li Yi praised as he strode into the palace and helped Jin Ling, who was kneeling in the hall, to her feet, completely ignoring the virtuous concubine and her daughter beside him.
Empress Dowager Zheng softened her expression when she saw her son wasn't there to plead for Concubine Xian. She saw Concubine Zhao and her son standing together, their eyes locked, their perfect rapport, a match made in heaven, and her heart began to waver.
"Even if she had her reasons for trespassing into the palace, what about deliberately ostracizing and making things difficult for Concubine Xian?" Madam Wan saw that the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and quickly jumped out. She brought up the matter of the curtains and tablecloths again and began to investigate the palace from the perspective of Concubine Zhao abusing her power and dictatorially excluding dissidents.
"I did indeed order the Zhong Sizhi to change the gold brocade with a lotus background and a hundred flowers pattern originally requested by Concubine Xian to a silver satin with a green background and a peony pattern."
The same opening made Concubine Xian and her daughter both feel bad. Sure enough, Jin Ling changed the subject:
"However, I am not deliberately making things difficult for Concubine Xian because of any grudges with her. It is out of practical considerations."
"First, mauve is certainly elegant and graceful, but this is not just a family banquet. Many of our noble relatives and noble ladies will be attending, so green is more appropriate with the rosewood round table. Furthermore, since we're here to enjoy the flowers, the tablecloth shouldn't dominate the scene; green will really complement the flowers."
"Secondly, the disaster relief efforts of the previous dynasty are a critical juncture. A few days ago, the Empress Dowager set an example by issuing an edict prohibiting excessive extravagance in the palace. Brocade is inherently valuable, especially when it comes to the new style of gold brocade that Concubine Xian has devised herself. Regardless of whether the Shanggong Bureau can complete it in such a tight timeframe, the sheer expense alone is likely enough to feed the entire palace for a year."
"It is for this reason that I have discussed with Zhong Sizhi and decided to use a batch of silver satin with a green background and peony patterns that we already have in the warehouse. This will not only save the royal family from disgrace, but also avoid excessive waste. As for other matters like this, most of them have their reasons. The Queen Mother and Your Majesty only need to summon Concubine Ruan and ask her."
Without waiting for Concubine Xian to speak, Li Yi had already sent the eunuch beside him to invite Lady Ruan.
At this point, Madam Wan naturally understood that she had been tricked by Concubine Zhao. She secretly reached out to warn Concubine Xian to avoid her attack, but she didn't notice that Concubine Xian was staring at Li Yi and Jin Ling's clasped hands, her eyes already blazing with anger. She couldn't suppress her jealous rage, especially when she thought of Jin Ling's claim that she had benefited from her to become a concubine.
"Zhao Fei also pushed my Empress!" Wanhua saw that things were just as Wanru said, and completely leaned towards Zhao Fei. Thinking of Wanru's words in her heart, she couldn't help but stand up for their Empress Xian Fei.
The virtuous concubine stared at her, waiting for Jin Ling to confess like she had done twice before, and then she would speak first to nail her down, and would never give Jin Ling the chance to lie.
"How could you wrongly accuse me like this?" Jin Ling took two steps back and fell into Li Yi's arms in disbelief. "When did I ever lay a hand on your Concubine Xian? She clearly pushed me to the ground."
With a buzzing sound, Concubine Xian's brain exploded. She couldn't believe that Concubine Zhao would dare to tell such a direct lie this time. Then she was ecstatic: "Are you sure I pushed you?"
Jin Ling frowned, as if she was completely disappointed in Concubine Xian. "I know you've always misunderstood me. I thought we could finally make peace. I didn't expect you to be so deceitful as to frame me."
"Are you sure it was me who pushed you?" Concubine Xian completely ignored the hints of dirty water in her words and just insisted on saying that, forcing Jin Ling to admit it.
"Yes, I'm sure." Jin Ling shook her head and admitted it "disappointedly".
The virtuous concubine immediately looked at the emperor, and her heart ached when she saw his disgusted look.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. As long as His Majesty sees Concubine Zhao's true face, we can start over. He will definitely fall in love with me, he will definitely fall in love with me."
Wan Baoxian ignored the panic in his heart and quickly turned his gaze to Qiuju behind Jinling: "My maidservant's words are not enough to prove anything. Your Majesty, why don't you ask Concubine Zhao's maidservant?"
Jin Ling raised her head and looked at Concubine Xian quietly for a while. When she looked away first, she glanced at Qiu Ju calmly and said, "Then tell me what you saw."
"I saw it with my own eyes. It was Concubine Zhao who pushed Concubine Xian to the ground."
An imperceptible joy flashed across Qiuju's determined eyes, and she finally made the same choice as in her previous life.
The hall fell silent again. Concubine Xian looked at Jin Ling excitedly, as if she had seen the scene of her being rejected, and forgot to speak for a moment.
The Queen Mother also looked at Jin Ling hesitantly, waiting for her explanation.
Only Li Yi lowered his head, fearing that she would be angered by the palace maid who had betrayed her master, and he ran his big hand along her back to gently soothe her.
"Wealth fascinates the eyes, money moves the heart..."
Jin Ling did not respond to Qiuju's correction. Instead, she leaned in Li Yi's arms as if she was extremely tired, and let out a deep and tired sigh.
No one understood what she meant for a moment, but Li Yi's expression changed and he realized something. He pulled Jin Ling closer to him, and his eyes turned cold when he looked at Qiuju.
"Since you were assigned to Cheng Huan Palace, how many benefits have you received? How much information have you passed on to Concubine Xian?"
Jin Ling didn't even raise her head, her voice taking on a faint nasal tone: "I also came from the palace maid, I understand the hardships of servants. I have always turned a blind eye to you. I didn't expect that you would betray me even in such a matter."
At this point, everyone present naturally understood what Concubine Zhao meant. Qiu Ju, who had been so righteous, was now sweating profusely, her face pale, and she knelt on the ground, unable to utter a single word of defense.
The virtuous concubine also lowered her head guiltily, leaving Madam Wan, who had wanted to deny it, helpless.
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