revenge
When Jiang Jin woke up, Wei Shu was sitting in a chair looking at memorials. "You're back?"
Jiang Jin looked at Wei Shu's face through the bed curtains, "Is there something His Majesty wanted to discuss with you today?"
"Song Zhimin's problems might be connected to someone behind the scenes." Wei Shu knew without explicitly naming names that Jiang Jin was related to Song Zhimin.
"You met him in Beizhou." Seeing the situation, Jiang Jin no longer concealed anything. "Back then, His Highness valued his talent, so he and I went to great lengths to save him. However, His Highness had a backup plan: he left his aunt and cousin in the capital." Jiang Jin put on her cloak and got off the bed.
"Are you here today to resolve this matter?" Wei Shu noticed the mud on her shoes and knew the answer in his heart.
"Well, since it was His Highness and I who made mistakes, we naturally have to make amends." Jiang Jin touched a strand of hair hanging over his chest. "Don't worry, no matter how powerful he is, it's impossible for him to have such abilities in just a few years. There might be an even bigger person behind the scenes."
Jiang Jin suddenly remembered the letter Zi Yuan had sent. "Abei, go and bring in the letter we received yesterday."
"Although Ziyuan was kidnapped, she still sent us two letters." As Jiang Jin spoke, Abei handed over the letters.
"Seize the throne and seek revenge?" Several figures flashed through Wei Shu's mind as soon as he saw the words above.
"Although we don't know if it's true or false, it's still a clue." Jiang Jin sat opposite Wei Shu, looking at the memorials on his desk.
"The powerful families are impeaching Chang Yi and Princess Zhaoyang, accusing them of disregarding propriety and indulging in extravagance and debauchery, and claiming that the princess's residence is excessively luxurious and exceeds the permitted standards." Wei Shu was writing a memorial impeaching the powerful families.
"It seems those aristocratic families have finally realized what's going on." Jiang Jin sneered. "The prince is weak and incompetent, relying on the aristocratic families to become a puppet. His Highness will never agree to that. The aristocratic families will be eradicated sooner or later."
"That's why His Majesty bestowed upon Princess Zhaoyang a dowry far exceeding that of ordinary princesses." Jiang Jin naturally knew the list of Lou Xuan's dowry; the silks and satins alone could fill thirty large chests, along with pearls, jade artifacts, land deeds, jewelry, and headdresses—a total of two hundred pieces of dowry.
"Rumor has it that many ornaments in the Consort's palace were broken back then, but they were all later replaced." Jiang Jin covered her mouth and chuckled.
"When it comes to extravagance and debauchery, no one in their aristocratic families can claim to be second or first. Take the Dou family for example. Their mansion is close to the capital. The entire thirty-acre mansion has forty or fifty small kitchens alone, as well as thousands of servants and young men. The banquets they hold in just one year can afford to feed ordinary people in the capital for three years."
Although Jiang Jin hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Lou Xuan knew that those aristocratic families' mansions were much larger than the princess's residence, yet they didn't necessarily claim to be extravagant and dissolute.
"Although the Liu family is a rising star, their mansion is not much smaller than the Dou family's." Wei Shu had visited the Liu family to congratulate them on their wedding; their front yard alone was half the size of the entire Wei residence.
"Isn't this something that can be impeached so easily?" Jiang leaned back in his chair, casually sipping the tea on the table.
"Wouldn't it be inappropriate for Your Majesty to attack the aristocratic families now?" Jiang Jin felt that rashly disturbing the aristocratic families was like a tiger forced to rest, constantly watching for an opportunity, ready to seize it even if it was only for a fleeting moment.
“It’s just a disagreement. Besides, everyone knows that Princess Zhaoyang is His Majesty and the late Empress’s only daughter, so naturally they should be more favored. It’s not a problem for the princess’s residence to be bigger. It’s just making trouble out of nothing. I understand His Majesty’s thoughts now that I’ve come to impeach them.” Wei Shu pinched Jiang Jin’s cheek. “Are you hungry? If you’re hungry, we’ll serve dinner.”
"I didn't intentionally hide his identity from you at the time. It was just inconvenient for you to know. If you knew, you would definitely be in a difficult position, wondering whether to tell His Majesty. So I simply kept it from you." Jiang Jin poured Wei Shu a cup of tea ingratiatingly.
"I knew everything, so I didn't blame you. Actually, I felt his identity was a bit strange at the time, but since he was your colleague, I didn't investigate further." Wei Shu smiled, looking at the guilt in Jiang Jin's eyes.
"Just like you said back then, I won't tell you about the people I've placed in various mansions. We all have our own difficulties, so why criticize you?" Wei Shu grasped Jiang Jin's hand.
"It's a bit chilly. Is the charcoal fire in the room not burning bright enough?" Wei Shu was about to ask someone to add more charcoal when Jiang Jin stopped him.
"It's normal for hands to be cold in winter, don't make a fuss." Jiang Jin looked at the full brazier and pressed down on Wei Shu's hand.
"Is there anything suspicious about Song Zhimin?" Wei Shu asked, not wanting to disturb Jiang Jin who was lost in thought.
"He returned to the capital once to see me and even gave me a necklace." Abei, noticing Jiang Jin's expression, turned and went to the storeroom to retrieve the necklace.
"This doesn't look like an ordinary item; he's quite willing to spend money on it." Wei Shu secretly resolved to buy Jiang Jin ten even better necklaces.
"I had Ah Bei put it in the innermost part as soon as I got back. It doesn't look particularly special." Jiang Jin flicked the tassels, making a crisp sound as the metal stones clashed together.
"Actually, if Ziyuan were in Song Zhimin's hands, I wouldn't be so worried. If Song Zhimin really wanted to harm Ziyuan, he wouldn't have revealed what poison she was poisoned with in the first place." Jiang Jin knew that Song Zhimin still had some lingering reluctance, and that was enough.
"Alright, let's have dinner first. I'm going to Pingkang Lane to see an old friend tonight." Wei Shu nodded, and the servants waiting outside quickly served dinner. Jiang Jin, preoccupied with other matters, only ate a few bites before finishing, changing her clothes, donning a veil, and leaving the room.
"Do you know who your wife met?" Wei Shu asked, looking at Abei who was tidying up his clothes.
"This servant does not know." Abei lowered her eyes, waiting for Wei Shu's instructions like an ordinary servant.
"Never mind, you can go now." Wei Shu watched as Jiang Jin left, and Jiang Jin became like a wooden statue, unable to get anything out of her.
Before curfew, Jiang Jin nimbly navigated the alleyways to Pingkang Ward. Although she wore a veil, the madam recognized her at a glance.
"Xiao Niang is on the second floor. I'll have Mei Niang take you up." Jiang Jin nodded. Mei Niang, who was greeting guests, led Jiang Jin upstairs.
"Xiao Niang heard that the corrupt official in Beizhou has been dealt with and her complexion has improved." Mei Niang opened the door for Jiang Jin and stood outside without going in.
"I'll keep watch for you, madam." Mei Niang smiled and closed the door. The furnishings inside were the same as last time, except this time Xiao Niang was sitting on a stool watching Jiang Jin.
"Little Moon, you've come." Although Xiao Niang was thin, her face was noticeably more lively than before, no longer as lifeless as it had been.
"Xiao Niang, things aren't peaceful right now. Why don't you wait a while before going to pay your respects to Lord Kou?" Jiang Jin sat down and took Xiao Niang's hand; thankfully, it was still warm.
"Thank you. I know the affairs of Beizhou are beyond my control, but I'm not a fool. I imagine you've suffered a lot to bring so many corrupt officials to justice." Xiao Niang looked at Jiang Jin's noticeably thin shoulders, her eyes filled with guilt.
"Don't worry, His Majesty is not a foolish ruler. How can the Great Yan be at peace if the parasites are not removed? He hasn't suffered much." Jiang Jin took out a packet of flower seeds from his pocket. "These are flowers unique to Beizhou. If you have some strength, you can grow them in your room. It's a way to cultivate your mind and body."
"I will live a good life." Xiao Niang knew that Jiang Jin was afraid that she would lose all hope of living. "At first, I thought that fighting against overwhelming odds was just wishful thinking, but now I realize that I was just making assumptions. Little Moon, you said that someone like me can live a good life, right?"
"Xiao Niang is insightful and knowledgeable. She's been here for many years yet still retains her original aspirations. I believe you can definitely have a different life." Jiang Jin looked outside and saw that night was deepening, probably because curfew was approaching.
"Xiao Niang, I'll be leaving now and come see you another day." Jiang Jin picked up the veil beside her and hurriedly left Pingkang Ward. She happened to arrive just as the Imperial Guards were preparing for their duty. Jiang Jin rushed towards the Guards' residence and finally returned home just before curfew.
“Madam.” The steward could tell from Jiang Jin’s appearance that she had almost run into curfew. “Madam, why be afraid? If you reveal your identity as a general, the Imperial Guards will not dare to do anything to you.”
Jiang Jin leaned against the wall, panting heavily. The Imperial Guard's gaze was fixed on him, probably waiting for the curfew to be lifted. "Wouldn't that give them a handle to use against me? The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people, let alone a mere clerk like me."
Jiang Jin rested at the entrance for a while, and only after feeling a bit stronger did she slowly walk into the mansion. Mo Niang was walking from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard.
"Did Mo Niang go out today too?" Jiang Jin asked the gatekeeper beside her.
"Yes, I heard that family members have come to the capital, so I went to meet them." Servants of the Wei household are not allowed to leave the mansion at will, except for the Imperial Guards around Wei Shu and the people around Jiang Jin, so the servant at the gate did not stop them.
"I understand." Jiang Jin held her breath and followed behind Mo Niang. She noticed that after Mo Niang entered the inner courtyard, she simply returned to her room and didn't do anything strange.
"What are you doing?" a resentful voice sounded behind Jiang Jin.
"Zhai Wan, you almost scared me to death!" In the dim light of the lanterns in the dark night, Zhai Wan, dressed in white, appeared behind Jiang Jin. If it weren't for the familiar voice, Jiang Jin would have instinctively attacked.
"People say if you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear. Have you done something wrong?" Jiang Jin looked around to make sure no one was watching before pulling Zhai Wan into the side room.
"Why did you come out? Weren't you supposed to stay in the palace today?" Jiang Jin noticed that Zhai Wan didn't seem to have been kicked out.
"The Imperial Concubine insisted on some kind of beauty essence, but I told her that the ingredients for that stuff are hard to find and that we have to go to the mountains outside the city to pick fresh ones. And here I am, with a token right away." Zhai Wan twirled the token in her hand. "I heard that this token can bypass the Imperial Guards and the city's garrison soldiers and go straight out. I don't know if it's true or not."
"If you leave today, the impeachment memorials tomorrow will pile up all over His Majesty's desk." Jiang Jin sat down in the chair and watched Zhai Wan place the token on the table with a cold face.
"It's just a test. Maybe the Imperial Concubine's men will arrest me as soon as I step out of the city gate, and I'll be charged with stealing the token." Zhai Wan sneered, looking at Jiang Jin.
"The people in the palace are really cunning; they test you at every turn. One wrong step and you're dead." Jiang Jin nodded in agreement. "Do you have any return gift?"
“Of course, I’m someone who never suffers a loss.” Zhai Wan put the token into her waistband and smiled at Jiang Jin. “I’m here with you today; things aren’t peaceful outside.”
"Okay, I'll have Abei tidy up and add some more charcoal braziers for you." Jiang Jin lit a candle and looked at Zhai Wan, who was resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
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