Chapter 130 Despite all precautions, a palace coup is hard to prevent! ...
After the silkworm-raising ceremony was successfully completed, Shen Lingyue slept for a whole day before recovering.
It felt like when she was in high school, during the school's sports meet, she was selected for the flag guard team, and she had to go to school to assemble and train every morning before dawn.
It was glorious, but it was also really tiring.
What's more, this is a national-level sacrificial ceremony, and the first time Princess Tong'an has publicly presided over such a grand ritual. Who knows, her and Yan Yi's names might even be recorded in history books, hehe~
Although they only realized it afterward, they had forgotten to inform their husbands beforehand.
But none of that matters, since they have no choice but to obey anyway.
After a good night's sleep, Shen Lingyue was fully recharged and happily went to find Yan Yi, only to find her dressed as if she were about to go out.
Yan Yi explained, "Recently, several doctors at Yunshao Girls' School have been trying to improve the irrigation waterwheels. The princess told me that I could go and take a look when I have time."
She did not hide her skills from Princess Tong'an, but limited by the current productivity, all she could do was improve efficiency as much as possible based on the work of her predecessors, and she could not make a breakthrough in technology.
To be honest, Yan Yi has been "sharpening her knives" for a long time regarding some of the textbooks used in the girls' school. Of course, the Four Books and Five Classics should be studied, but why can't some basic principles of science and engineering be added?
Although "Tiangong Kaiwu" was lost in the fictional Great Ye Dynasty, surely "Mengxi Bitan" still exists? Yan Yi is an absolute pragmatist.
Now that she and Little Moon have dragged half of the Marquis's mansion (a mahjong table) into the mess, this time the betting and team selection can only succeed, failure is not an option.
After hearing her plan, Shen Lingyue was once again amazed by her friend's efficient execution.
Princess Tong'an had just used the sacrificial ceremony to win over the hearts of the people, while her daughter Yan Yan was already thinking about how to revitalize the country through science and education?
"The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, the second best time is now."
Yan Yi said in a serious tone, "Compared to the imperial examination system that has lasted for nearly a thousand years, Yunshao Girls' School started too late. Why not take a different approach and overtake it?"
Shen Lingyue was confused, but she always supported Yan Yan unconditionally, so she immediately decided, "I'll go with you, and we can also go see Heng Jie'er and A Zhi."
She took Yan Yi's arm and leaned on her shoulder, sighing, "What would I do without you?"
With her intermittent bursts of ambition followed by a continuous slacking off, and then getting stuck with Pei Jinghuai, who is equally irresponsible, she'll probably be living off her parents for the rest of her life.
But Yan Yan is different. I always felt that no matter where she went, she could live well on her own based on her talents.
What does it mean that knowledge is power?
"But all I want is cheese."
Shen Lingyue looked at her longingly, "I also want to be a top student, but I just can't do it..."
"Okay, stop overthinking."
Yan Yi patted her little head and emphasized very seriously, "Don't make assumptions. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today."
The existence of Little Moon is her greatest support and reliance.
Only when they look at each other can they remind themselves not to forget the path they came from.
Shen Lingyue was coaxed into pouting, and even when the carriage stopped in front of Yunshao Girls' School, she was still clinging to Yan Yi and refusing to let go.
Ugh, another day of being jealous of Pei Jingyi!
What did he do to deserve marrying such a perfect Yan Yan!
...
Shen Lingyue first took Yan Yi to meet with the doctors who were improving the waterwheel. They arranged to meet by a pond behind the girls' school. Princess Tong'an had specially allocated this land as an experimental field. It was said that students over the age of thirteen would have to go to the fields to learn farming in class units, and the yield per mu would be included in the year-end assessment.
Yan Yi was like a fish in water as soon as she joined the discussion. Shen Lingyue tried hard to listen in for a long time, pinched her thigh several times, and finally gave up and ran to the school to peek at Heng Jie'er's class.
Chen, the garlic-headed Lingyue: No matter how hard I try, I'll always be an outsider.jpg
She wandered around and happened to arrive just as the elementary school was letting out. A group of little kids in blue and white school uniforms came running out like chicks released from their coop, chattering away.
Shen Lingyue looked up and noticed a young woman standing at the school gate, smiling as she watched the children leave. She seemed somewhat familiar.
She raised her hand and covered the lower half of the woman's face from a distance.
...My goodness, isn't this Consort Gao's stand-in, Wang Hairuo?
She was actually kept at the girls' school by Princess Tong'an?
Shen Lingyue had a lot of questions on her mind when Taoli, the female official, came to find her and said that Princess Tongan had arrived.
Upon seeing the princess, she eagerly asked, "Your Highness, what about Wang Hairuo...?"
"Oh, it was the Imperial Concubine who sent her here to me."
Princess Tong'an seemed to have anticipated her question and said calmly, "My father originally wanted to give her poison, but Consort Gao couldn't bear it and spared Wang Hairuo's life, asking me to find her a place to stay."
Wang Hairuo used to be a pampered young lady who never lifted a finger. Now that her family is all in Liaodong, sending her there to reunite with them would just mean one more person suffering from the cold.
"As you can see, it's hard for her to survive on her own outside. It would be better for her to stay at the girls' school and become an enlightenment teacher. At the very least, she can teach people to read and write."
Princess Tong'an will not let go of any useful person.
Moreover, this can be considered as repaying a favor to the Imperial Concubine.
Shen Lingyue breathed a sigh of relief, but secretly harbored some resentment towards the old emperor.
...It was Prince Heng who coveted your concubine, yet he wasn't given poison. Why should Wang Hairuo be buried with him?
Yes, she made a mistake and cheated on you, but the entire Wang family was exiled. If Wang Hairuo hadn't been unlucky enough to be taken away by Prince Heng, he might be living a peaceful and ordinary life in Liaodong now.
As a result, she was first captured by Prince Heng and made a substitute mistress, and now that the matter has come to light, she is to be silenced by the old emperor.
Shen Lingyue couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "No wonder everyone wants to be the emperor."
The feeling of wielding the power of life and death, of being able to send someone to their death with a single word, is terrifyingly wonderful.
But then again, if they hadn't exposed Wang Hairuo's existence and used her to bring down Heng Wang, perhaps she could still be a wealthy and privileged canary now.
She couldn't very well go and ask Wang Hairuo which kind of life she preferred.
A cold sweat inexplicably broke out on Shen Lingyue's back.
It seems that no matter what choice she makes, someone will suffer as a result.
Is this the real Game of Thrones?
"Ah Yue, snap out of it."
Princess Tong'an walked up to her at some point and firmly grasped Shen Lingyue's hand.
Shen Lingyue raised her head, her eyes flickering unnaturally for a moment, "Your Highness, I..."
I understand what you're trying to say.
Princess Tong'an seemed to see through her thoughts, her calm eyes revealing an unwavering determination.
"I cannot promise you that I will never wrongfully kill any innocent person in my life. Perhaps when I sit in that position, I will also make decisions that are not in my own hands. This is the price of wielding power."
"But Xiao Zhuoying will promise you that he will never let Shen Lingyue and Zhou Yanyi down in this life. If he breaks his vow, may Heaven not forgive him."
"Your Highness..."
Shen Lingyue's eyes reddened and her nose stung with tears. She wished she had a hundred and eighty magic tricks to quickly send her princess to the throne.
What does it mean to say, "If you treat me like a national hero, I will repay you like a national hero"?
Why think so much? Just do it!
Princess Tong'an chuckled and gently pinched the tip of her nose. "Why are you crying? A few sweet words won you over. Don't you want to be a high-ranking official?"
Shen Lingyue twisted her fingers sheepishly: "Mainly... I don't want to go to work..."
In a sense, she and Pei Jinghuai were truly a perfect match.
Princess Tong'an was stunned for a moment before she reacted. The corners of her lips curled up, and she sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation: "I know, I'll arrange a job for you that doesn't require you to be on duty every day. The hours are flexible, and you can arrange them as you please. Is that alright?"
Shen Lingyue: "Okay!"
Hehe, the promises the boss makes sound so tempting! ^_^
Years later, when Shen Lingyue was in Yangzhou arresting corrupt officials one day and about to board a ship to Guangzhou the next to inspect customs duties, all she wanted to do was hold Pei Jinghuai and cry:
"Never believe the emperor's lies!"
...
After leaving Yunshao Girls' School, the two went to Jishan Hall in the south of the city to deliver gifts to Princess Lekang.
Since Min'en Temple took over several charity halls in the capital, unified their management, and strictly controlled their accounts, the lives of the elderly, widows, and children living there have greatly improved.
When they arrived, Princess Lekang was playing "Eagle Catches Chicks" with a group of children, and the courtyard was filled with laughter.
The children didn't seem to know Princess Lekang's true identity, calling her "Sister Yingying," and some even dared to ask her for candy.
Shen Lingyue whispered to Yan Yi, "This is one of the advantages of marrying a female imperial consort."
The old emperor got a satisfactory son-in-law, and Princess Lekang and Jiang Yunlin could also cover for each other—a triple win!
As they were talking, the new manager of Jishantang arrived, and it was another familiar face.
"Madam Wen?" Shen Lingyue was delighted to see her, looking at her new clothes. Her face was no longer filled with sorrow, but rather with anticipation for a new life. "What are you doing here? Where's Yaya?"
Wen Mingyue smiled and said, "Yaya is playing inside. It's all thanks to Princess Lekang's kindness that she allowed me to bring my daughter to do this work after learning about my family's situation."
Shen Lingyue learned after asking her in detail that Wen Mingyue had come to work at Jishantang last year. At that time, the Prince An’s rebellion had not yet been exposed, and she just wanted to find a job to supplement her family’s income.
Later, Jishantang was completely taken over by Min'en Temple. The previous manager was arrested by Shuntian Prefecture because he was involved with the Prince An's Mansion and was suspected of embezzling public funds.
Wen Mingyue is hardworking and young and eager to learn. This year she was finally promoted to the new manager, and her monthly salary is enough to cover her daughter's medical expenses.
“Princess Lekang is kind and specially invited a physician named Wen to examine Yaya. She said that although Yaya was born weak, she was not incurable. With a few more years of careful conditioning, when she turns ten, we can try using acupuncture to clear the blockages in her meridians.”
"It's Physician Wen! That's good, she's very capable." Shen Lingyue said with relief, "Now you have something to look forward to."
Wen Mingyue nodded gratefully and was about to thank the two of them again: "If it weren't for you clearing my name of the murderer and getting rid of my scoundrel in-laws, Ya Ya and I would never have dared to dream of this day..."
Yan Yi stopped her from kneeling down and gently comforted her, "Heaven helps those who help themselves. You became the manager here because of your own abilities. Things will only get better from now on."
On the way back, Shen Lingyue leaned against Yan Yi's chest and suddenly blurted out, "Seeing Lady Wen today made me realize that what we've been doing still has meaning."
"Of course, you just need to be a little more determined." Yan Yi patted her. "If you're destined not to be perfect, then you can only have a clear conscience."
"By the way, why did the Imperial Concubine save Wang Hairuo?"
As Shen Lingyue's mood improved, her gossip-loving spirit was reignited. "Isn't she afraid of angering the old emperor and ending up like Consort Ying?"
Yan Yi struggled to keep up with her train of thought: "...After all, Consort Gao has been favored by the emperor for many years, so she must be better able to understand His Majesty's thoughts than we are. Besides, even if you want to make a comparison, she is at the same level as Consort Xi."
In truth, Wang Hairuo is more like the unfortunate Consort Ying.
"Ah, palace intrigue is indeed not something ordinary people can handle." Shen Lingyue stroked her chin, lost in thought. "Then why do you think Consort Gao agreed to form an alliance with Princess Tong'an? I thought she wanted to adopt the Eighth Prince and follow the storyline of ruling from behind the curtain."
Recent major events have led Shen Lingyue to admit that she may have underestimated Consort Gao in the past.
If she didn't have that ambition and courage, she wouldn't have produced that inexplicable edict after the old emperor's sudden death.
Although she almost messed things up because of the palace coup of Prince Heng, didn't she eventually become the Empress Dowager with real power with the help of Qi Xiuyuan?
“Consort Gao is a smart woman. When her abilities are insufficient to support her ambitions, forming an alliance with Princess Tongan is the safest option.”
Yan Yi said softly, "I also asked Your Highness this question. How did she persuade Consort Gao? Was it just based on that hastily written storybook?"
Princess Tong'an told her that what Consort Gao wanted was actually very simple.
What she wanted was not power, but freedom, which could only be obtained by having power.
...
A few days later, news spread from the palace that Prince Heng had been demoted to a commoner and stripped of his imperial lineage.
Shen Lingyue was stunned. Could it be that Consort Gao had made another move?
After all, this time bomb cannot be left unattended, and this has completely dashed Prince Heng's ambitions to seize the throne.
She was happily enjoying her melon when news broke just two days later that Consort Lin had suddenly fallen seriously ill and died.
This time, we can't just watch the spectacle, because ladies of high rank from outside the palace will be going to the palace to mourn.
Shen Lingyue was not qualified; Pei Jinghuai was only a sixth-rank official, and it was just a nominal title.
But Emperor Qingxi, for some unknown reason, seemingly to give Consort Lin the full honors she deserved after her death, ordered all members of noble families in the capital to attend the ceremony and posthumously conferred upon her the title of Imperial Noble Consort Huixian.
Shen Lingyue was fuming with anger as soon as she woke up. As soon as she saw Yan Yi, she started ranting: "...You expelled his son from the clan, and he was so angry that he died. Who are you trying to impress with this big show?"
She had been living here for several years, and this was the first time she had ever worn mourning clothes, and it was for Prince Heng's mother—it was truly outrageous.
Pei Jingyi had to go on duty, so the task of escorting the two into the palace once again fell to Pei Jinghuai.
Emperor Qingxi was not yet senile; he dragged court officials along to mourn his concubine.
According to palace rules, Consort Lin's coffin had to remain in her palace for seven days before she could be buried in the imperial mausoleum.
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi could only go out early and return late every day to mourn, truly making early mornings feel like going to a grave.
However, both of them received a special ginger-infused handkerchief from Meng Wanyin. Those who couldn't cry would secretly smell it, and immediately burst into tears.
As Shen Lingyue wiped away her tears, she observed and discovered that it wasn't just her family doing this; other ladies were also using their own methods.
Among the many noblewomen kneeling on the ground, perhaps only Princess Heng was truly heartbroken, and half of them were crying for her husband who was still imprisoned in the imperial jail.
Behind her were the heir apparent of the Heng Prince's mansion, Princess Rongcheng, and others, all of whom were wailing loudly, their cries filled with misery.
A subtle vacuum formed around the women of the Prince Heng's mansion; everyone knew that this family held an awkward position and dared not approach them.
On the fifth day of the interment, Shen Lingyue was already able to kneel on the prayer mat and doze off skillfully when a shrill cry suddenly came from outside.
"Mother!!!!"
She snapped out of her daze and saw Prince Heng rushing in, dressed in plain clothes, his hair disheveled, looking emaciated. He kowtowed repeatedly before the memorial tablet of Consort Lin, weeping uncontrollably.
Good heavens, did he escape from prison?!
Shen Lingyue staggered to her feet, grabbed Yan Yi with one hand and Meng Wanyin with the other, and quickly retreated to the side.
Then, a well-informed Lady Hou whispered gossip: "I heard that the eldest son of the Emperor Heng... learned of the death of Consort Xian in the imperial prison and has been on a hunger strike for several days. He even bit his finger and wrote a ten-thousand-word blood letter, begging His Majesty to release him so that Consort Xian can have a final send-off."
Lady Hou shook her head and sighed, "He's a filial son after all."
Shen Lingyue lowered her head and curled her lips.
The day after they entered the palace to mourn, they learned from Princess Tong'an that Consort Lin had not died of illness at all, but had hanged herself.
"She probably wanted to use her own death to gain the last bit of pity from her father for her elder brother."
Regardless, Consort Lin was the woman who accompanied Emperor Qingxi the longest, besides the late Empress, so there was still some affection between them.
Shen Lingyue rolled her eyes at the departing figure of Prince Heng, who was wailing and lamenting.
What a filial son! Where were you all this time?
But soon, she encountered an even more "filial" one—
Princess Rongcheng suddenly stood up, strode over to Prince Heng, and forcibly pulled him up.
“Father, you were the eldest son of the emperor, but you were framed by treacherous people who deceived our grandfather and caused you and your father to drift apart!”
The county magistrate of Rongcheng grabbed the plates and bowls from the offering table and smashed them to pieces. She glanced at the group of surprised and uneasy noblewomen and their families in front of her and sneered.
"Today, I ask you all to bear witness that my father will set things right, punish the wicked concubine, and cleanse the court of corrupt officials!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the sounds of fighting and the earth shaking came from afar outside the palace.
Shen Lingyue's heart sank, and she closed her eyes in despair.
Just what I feared most came to pass.
Despite all precautions, a palace coup is hard to prevent!
Prince Heng, you are truly a filial son!
-----------------------
Author's Note: Rongcheng: Let me show you just how terrifying a person with a love-struck mind can be after they awaken! [Die]
(By the way, I also gave a spoiler about the future division of labor between Yuezai and Yanyan, because I'm not sure if I'll write about this part, maybe I'll put it in a side story? After all, the melon fields in the capital have almost been cleared bare by the two of them [covering face and peeking])
And in yesterday's chapter, the Imperial Concubine didn't actually want to preside over the sacrificial ceremony. Although, according to my research, the sericulture ceremony has always been presided over by the Empress. If there's no Empress, a concubine is used to perform the ceremony, presumably to conform to the Confucian ideal of "men plowing and women weaving." In any case, no princess would preside over it. For Princess Tong'an to obtain this sacrificial right, the Imperial Concubine had to serve as a control group, because the officials felt the Imperial Concubine was unsuitable and that the princess would be better off. Even the Imperial Concubine's feigned temper was to convince the old emperor himself and find a reason for Tong'an's sacrifice. The two were essentially allied and working together.
//The changes in the plot involving the Imperial Concubine and Rongcheng mainly follow the storyline of this lifetime. It's like a butterfly effect caused by Yuezai and Yanyan's transmigration. Times change, and I think each character will make different changes and choices based on the situation at the time, rather than just blindly following the process like a tool. This change is definitely a chain reaction. The protagonist can't be omniscient and omnipotent. Being able to adapt to changing circumstances is actually quite exciting, right? (covering my face with a pot on my head) Anyway, that's roughly my idea. If it's not well written, it's because my ability is limited [please]. I'll try to improve in the future [hugs].
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