Chapter 116 (None)
"Yang Ying, someone wants to stay in this duty room. You need to move out immediately! Make sure it's cleaned thoroughly. I'll come and check it myself when I get off duty. If it's not done properly..."
Zhang Shan, with his sleeves in front of him, glanced sideways at Yang Ying. He didn't continue speaking, only giving a forced smile before swaggering away. The unspoken meaning was self-evident.
Yang Ying was originally a confidant of Yuan Changsheng and occupied a small courtyard all to himself. Now that Yuan Changsheng is gone, Yang Ying should have been sensible enough to give up his residence long ago. Zhang Shan disliked Yang Ying no matter what and was determined to teach him a lesson.
Jiang Ling wouldn't allow him to cause any trouble; he simply followed the rules and had Yang Ying move out, which wasn't considered creating any problems.
"Pah!" Lai San spat at Zhang Shan's retreating figure, cursing, "You treacherous villain who abuses his power! You used to call me 'Second Brother Yang' with more respect than your own father. You dog, you've turned your back on me!"
"Say less, or you'll bring trouble upon your second brother," Chen Fushun said sternly, frowning as he quickly advised.
Lai San was indignant and wanted to retort, but seeing Yang Ying's gloomy face, he quickly shrank back and remained silent.
Compared to Yuan Changsheng, Lai San and his group feared Yang Ying more. Yuan Changsheng was taciturn and appeared cold, but in reality, he rarely bothered with them. Yang Ying, on the other hand, was truly ruthless. Once in his hands, they would likely be wishing for death.
Yang Ying's expression was cold as he stared at the dark clouds drifting in the distance. He said in a sinister tone, "Zhang Shan is narrow-minded. He has become Consort Hui's lackey. Once he gains power, where will you and I find refuge?"
After Yuan Changsheng's incident, his former friends disappeared. Now they are weak and powerless in the palace, and dare not utter a word when bullied by Zhang Shan.
Chen Fushun's expression also turned serious. He sighed and said with a worried look, "Second brother, Zhang Shan didn't assign us any shifts. He just left us out in the cold. He definitely has ulterior motives and is trying to trip us up."
Lai San couldn't help but interject, "He's trying to find something on us. If we don't work, we won't get our monthly pay. We might even get a beating and be kicked out of the palace."
Chen Fushun was taken aback and quickly said, "Second Brother, Lai San is right. Moving is a small matter, but not seeing anyone when on duty is a clear indication that Zhang Shan has something to use to punish us."
Yang Ying's expression shifted constantly, a sinister glint in his eyes, and he said, "Don't act rashly yet, let's move it first."
Chen Fushun opened his mouth, but for a moment he was at a loss. He suppressed his panic and asked Lai San to call a few of his confidants to come inside and tidy up.
The group worked up a sweat, packing their bags and moving them into Chen Fushun and Lai San's room. The room, which originally housed six people, was now only occupied by Chen Fushun and Lai San. Yang Ying had so many trunks that after they moved in, the room was so cramped that it was difficult to even turn around.
It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. The cramped room had only a small window, as big as a palm, and was as stuffy as a steamer. They no longer had ice, and even sitting still made them sweat profusely. After tidying up their valuables, they looked as if they had been pulled out of water, even their underpants were soaked.
As evening approached, the wind howled, and the room gradually darkened, with only a faint light shining through the window lattice.
Yang Ying sat on the bed, panting heavily, staring intently at the window frame in front of him, his hatred blazing.
It was cooler by the door, so Lai San squatted down to enjoy the breeze, afraid of blocking the airflow. Hearing Yang Ying's movements, he felt a chill and took out a tinderbox to come inside and light the lamp.
"It's going to rain," Lai San explained dryly. He had just opened the lid of the tinderbox and was about to blow on it when Yang Ying suddenly stood up and walked outside.
Lai San quickly stepped aside, pressing himself against the edge of the bed, and asked anxiously, "Where are you going, Second Brother?"
Chen Fushun lay on the bed pretending to be asleep, then suddenly sat up, slipped on his shoes, and was about to follow.
"Don't follow me!" Yang Ying said, glancing up at the sky. Large raindrops began to fall. He lowered his head and descended the steps, disappearing into the night in a few quick movements.
*
Jiang Ling put away the booklet and said, "It's about to rain outside, you should go back to your residence soon."
Zheng Xiang, Sun Xiang, Guo Xiang, and the Ministers of Personnel and Revenue all stood up to greet him, saying, "We take our leave."
Jiang Ling nodded in return and walked out first. Zheng Xiang stood respectfully, and after Jiang Ling left the room, he followed.
Minister Wang of the Ministry of Personnel stepped forward, his face beaming with smiles. “Prime Minister Zheng, please wait a moment. The Ministry of Personnel has some matters to attend to. I will accompany you to the Hall of State Affairs.”
Zheng Xiang secretly rolled his eyes at Wang Shangshu and said, "Isn't it going to rain? I'm not going back to the Hall of State Affairs. I'm leaving the palace now."
Minister Wang pretended not to hear and followed behind him, saying, "Prime Minister Zheng, you must make a decision for the Ministry of Personnel regarding the selection process."
"Minister Jiang is here, go ask him for his opinion." Prime Minister Zheng immediately pushed him and turned to point at Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Revenue.
Jiang Shangshu looked at them and roughly understood what was going on. His eyelids twitched.
"Why don't we all go to the Ministry of Personnel and have some tea?" Minister Wang thought for a moment, and decided to invite not only Minister Jiang, but also Prime Minister Sun and Prime Minister Guo.
Sun Xiang and Guo Xiang remained noncommittal, while Minister Jiang lowered his eyelids slightly, waiting for Minister Zheng to speak.
Prime Minister Zheng nodded and said, "It would be good to sit down and have a cup of tea at the Ministry of Personnel. Summer rains come and go quickly. We can go back to the government office after the rain stops."
The group left the Chuigong Hall together and sat down in the office of Minister Wang of the Ministry of Personnel. Minister Wang took out his treasured Dragon and Phoenix Tea and personally brewed several cups.
Zheng Xiang took a few sips of tea and laughed, "Minister Wang has some good tea hidden here. No wonder I never see him usually. He's been hiding away and enjoying it all by himself."
Minister Wang smiled and said he dared not, but his expression changed, and he said with great worry, "This Dragon and Phoenix Tea is a gift from His Majesty. I usually can't bear to eat it. I am loyal to the Emperor because I eat his food. If I eat the tea bestowed by the Emperor and do not perform my duties well, where will I put my old face!"
Minister Sun and Minister Jiang sipped their tea with eyes downcast, as if trying to savor every nuance of its flavor. Minister Guo, who usually kept to himself, put down his teacup and said, "Minister Wang is absolutely right. Officials are on the side of the Emperor, protecting the country. The Ministry of Personnel must select officials without the slightest mistake."
Minister Wang was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "I wonder what insightful opinion Minister Guo has?"
Guo Xiang said, "I dare not presume to teach you all, but I think that Your Majesty is open and honest. If someone in the court accuses her of interfering in politics in the harem, the charges cannot be formed with a stroke of the pen. Your Majesty should be allowed to defend herself."
Prime Minister Sun frowned, looking troubled: "It's unheard of for the concubines in the harem to defend themselves; this is something that has never happened before. I'm afraid it's inappropriate!"
Guo Xiang argued forcefully, saying, "In the marketplace, disputes are always settled. When officials of the previous dynasty impeached concubines in the harem, they did not allow the concubines to defend themselves and quickly convicted them. Your Majesty does not intend to engage in verbal battles with them in court, and there is nothing wrong with that."
Sun Xiang remained silent, Zheng Xiang smiled without saying a word, and Minister Jiang, gazing at the dense rain outside the window, sighed, "Her Majesty has asked us to produce the resumes of those you are impeaching, along with the tax and population records from their previous posts. Her Majesty says that not only must they defend themselves, but she also wants a thorough investigation. Did they deliberately conceal anything during their tenure, promotions, or transfers? Deliberately concealing—Her Majesty is being too polite; this is an investigation into favoritism and corruption."
Minister Wang looked worried and said, "I have a clear conscience and I am not afraid of Your Majesty's investigation. Over the years, the Ministry of Personnel has always followed the evaluation rules in selecting, transferring and promoting officials, and has always requested the Emperor's approval. It is Your Majesty who is determined to confirm that the inner palace is interfering in politics."
At this moment, Prime Minister Zheng put down his teacup and asked, "According to Minister Wang, you think Her Majesty shouldn't investigate?"
Minister Wang was stunned. His mind raced, and he said, "If Her Majesty wants to investigate, how dare I disobey? I am only worried for Her Majesty. Recently, there have been frequent incidents in the inner palace, and rumors about Her Majesty have never stopped. Her Majesty has directly interfered in the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue. If this gets out, I'm afraid it will be difficult to handle!"
Zheng Xiang said, “Since Minister Wang wants to ask me for advice, I will say a few more words. Her Majesty already bears the reputation of interfering in politics from the inner palace. Why not take this opportunity to clear her name? In my opinion, since Her Majesty has made up her mind, she can handle this situation. If she can't, then you and I are just wasting our time and can't help her. Her Majesty doesn't want to bring up the past, but these people are forcing her. To criticize others, one must first be upright; otherwise, it is hypocrisy and seeking fame.”
Sun Xiang and Guo Xiang exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement. Minister Jiang, ever the smooth talker, quickly echoed their sentiment. Minister Wang, seeing this, understood perfectly well. The others silently sided with Jiang Ling, his anger rising, but he remained silent, his face darkening.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ling returned to his bedroom, where Emperor Yuanming was dozing against the headboard. His chin was piled up, his mouth was slightly open, and loud wheezing came from his nose.
"You're back." Emperor Yuanming paused, his eyelids lifted, and he shifted his body, mumbling a complaint, "What have you been doing all this time?"
Jiang Ling poured tea and said, "To clear my name, I need to explain things clearly to Prime Minister Zheng and the others."
Emperor Yuanming said with dissatisfaction, "I told you not to pay them any attention, but the more you argue with them, the more aggressive they become. I suppress their anger and ignore them, and after a while, they will give up. But your insistence will make the court lively again, which is really giving me a lot of trouble!"
"The Emperor knows better than anyone whether I have interfered in politics. Those who are impeaching me are only looking down on the Emperor, thinking he is stupid and can be fooled by me."
Jiang Ling took a sip of tea angrily and said, "Although I am a magnanimous person, I cannot let them throw mud at me like this. Besides, the mud has even splashed on the Emperor. This is intolerable!"
Initially, Jiang Ling wanted to summon several court officials to impeach her, but Emperor Yuanming was not entirely in favor of it. However, seeing that she was quite angry, he reluctantly agreed to let her summon Minister Zheng, Minister Wang, and others to an audience.
Jiang Ling usually doesn't even want to read memorials to him, so how could she be interfering in politics? If she were interfering in politics, wouldn't that be an insult to his intelligence, implying that he's been fooled by her?
Emperor Yuanming's face instantly turned ugly. He said, "I think they're courting death! Go ahead and do it. With me behind you, let's see who dares to disobey. Give them a good beating!"
Of all the officials in the court, very few could withstand thorough scrutiny. Especially after reading their memorials, she could confidently guarantee that if asked about the detailed figures, very few of them could answer accurately.
For example, court officials who passed the imperial examinations and entered officialdom generally started in local areas. When governing a local area, the main assessments were on education, taxation, and the number of people and households. Leaving education aside for the time being, the local land, population, and taxes were interdependent, and these factors were always a murky mess.
If Jiang Ling were to use the mathematical logic learned in later generations to test them, it would be truly bullying.
Jiang Ling summoned several officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel to the Hall of State Affairs, their actions a calculated scheme. She had already extended her influence into the imperial court, and this opportunity would allow her to advance further, while simultaneously eliminating Consort Liu and all her opponents!
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