Chapter 119 (None)
The room was cramped and stuffy, making it difficult to breathe. Yang Ying opened his mouth wide and gasped for air, and soon his mouth and nose were filled with the smell of decay and mold, mixed with a faint stench of blood.
The wall behind him was damp and sticky, and his bound legs gradually became stiff and numb. His eyes were covered with a black cloth, so he could not see any light and had no idea what time it was. All around him was silent, as if he had fallen into a bottomless abyss.
Having served as a patrolman for many years, Yang knew deep down that he was still imprisoned in the palace, locked in darkness, merely as a form of punishment. A coward would be terrified and run away at the mere thought of being bound and locked up.
He used to enjoy watching those locked up break down, looking down on their cowardice and weakness. Now, however, he was the one locked up. He could hear his own heart pounding like a drum, like an old ox pulling a broken cart. Yang Ying trembled all over, a warm flow gushing from below, the stench of urine filling his nostrils.
"Guards! Guards! Let me out! Let me out!"
Yang Ying screamed and twisted frantically, his voice hoarse. The rope, made of cowhide, had become increasingly tight after swelling from sweat and urine.
He shouted until his voice was hoarse and burning, but the surroundings remained deathly silent.
Yang Ying knew there were people around, enjoying his miserable state. Terrified, he couldn't help but scream, "Lai San and Chen Fushun killed me! They killed me! I didn't do anything, I didn't do anything! It was Lai San and Chen Fushun who did this!"
After calling out for a while, no one paid any attention, and everything remained the same.
Yang Ying's throat was dry and stinging, and his eyes were bloodshot. He gasped for breath and shouted desperately, "It was Consort Liu! It was all Consort Liu's doing!"
Xue An, standing outside the door, looked furious and quickly gestured for the guards to come inside and gag Yang Ying. "Watch carefully!"
Jiang Ling discussed the specific details of releasing the palace maids with Consort Lin. After seeing her off, he returned to his room to have lunch with Emperor Yuanming. Less than half an hour into the lunch break, several prime ministers from the Council of State Affairs and Minister Jiang from the Ministry of Revenue arrived together.
"These are the accounts, land deeds, and field deeds that Her Majesty requested." Minister Jiang respectfully stepped forward, holding a thick stack of account books. Jiang Ling nodded in thanks, and Wen Juan took them and placed them on the table to her right.
Guo Xiang then stepped forward with the Ministry of Personnel's evaluation documents, looking slightly embarrassed. He said, "Your Majesty, Minister Wang is unwell and is recuperating at home. I will go to the Ministry of Personnel to obtain the evaluation documents. Minister Wang is not here, which has caused some delay. Please forgive me."
Jiang Ling had already witnessed Minister Wang's attitude last time; his claim of illness and refusal to attend court was a form of opposition and protest against her.
Jiang Ling didn't care. She constantly reminded herself not to be a person who would dictate and be autocratic.
The court and the nation need diverse voices. When someone raises objections, as long as the reasons for those objections are stated, it will stimulate deep thought. Together, we can discuss, identify gaps, and make up for deficiencies.
"It's hot, so please take care of yourselves and avoid heatstroke."
Jiang Ling spoke with genuine concern, glancing over to see that Zheng Xiang and the others were all dressed neatly in court robes, official hats, and boots. Although the summer court robes and official hats were made of breathable silk, wearing three layers upon three layers, and with an ice chest placed in the guesthouse, they were still drenched in sweat.
“It’s really too thick. Prime Minister Zheng, you should go and discuss with the court officials whether to change your court robes to something as light as the ones you wear in your residences. Especially the court boots, which are prone to dampness, decay and stench due to the presence of insects and ants. I think that when the weather is hot, cloth shoes are sufficient, and there is no need to wear court boots.”
Court boots were made of materials such as leather and cloth, and all reached the calves. Tucking the trouser legs into them made a person appear tall and dignified.
Zheng Xiang and the others involuntarily looked down, their toes twitching inside their boots.
The official attire was certainly impressive, but it was only worn in the summer. The boots were stuffy and didn't breathe well; my feet would be drenched in sweat in less than half a day. When I took them off at my residence in the evening, my feet were soaked in sweat, turning white and peeling, itchy, and terribly smelly.
"I know this is the rule of etiquette, and the rule of etiquette cannot be violated. However, I think it is more reasonable to adapt to local conditions and times. This is just my opinion, and your opinion should prevail. You might as well discuss whether the rule of etiquette is more important, or whether the body's comfort and suitability are more important."
Jiang Ling smiled as she flipped through the accounts and documents. She didn't force any changes, but rather offered gentle suggestions. Whether or not to change was up to them.
The established system of rites and rituals, passed down for thousands of years, was very important to them, and they used it to enjoy various privileges. The inviolability of these rites and rituals was a means for them to maintain their power.
However, judging from Zheng Xiang's and the others' reactions, Jiang Lingduan believed that they would change their minds.
Because no one wants to suffer. "No pain, no gain," and those who are already successful are even less willing to endure hardship.
The banner of etiquette can be torn open even with a small opening, but one day it will be completely shattered.
For example, the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, obedience to husband and son, men being in charge of external affairs and women being in charge of internal affairs, and the admiration and worship of power, etc.
Jiang Ling couldn't do that much; what she was doing now was not just to retaliate against Consort Liu.
Those in the court who opposed her. If it was only about her abilities, she would have no objections. But since the reasons given in the memorials against her were all about the empress's inability to interfere in politics—that is, using the banner of women not being allowed to hold power—she had to suppress them severely!
After all, Emperor Yuanming was entitled to be emperor simply because he had an extra piece of flesh under his body, and no one would question that.
Jiang Ling spent every day and night with Emperor Yuanming. He was neither virtuous nor capable; he was unworthy!
"I find this account from Jizhou Prefecture quite puzzling. In the third year of Qingfeng, the acreage of the land remained unchanged, but the ownership of the land deeds changed drastically, with nearly a thousand acres of land changing hands. Land can be bought and sold at will, so these things are irrelevant. What is important is that among these thousand acres, some of the best land fell into the hands of Zhang Fangqi. Who is Zhang Fangqi, and how did he become so wealthy? How did Zhang Fangqi pay taxes? Did he pay deed tax when the land deeds were transferred? I haven't seen any of that in this account."
Jiang Ling slowly flipped through the accounts, casually and without any particular purpose, pointing out anything she didn't understand.
"Selling land, selling children—it must be due to a disaster. Please bring me the geomantic records of Jizhou Prefecture and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's records from the third year of the Qingfeng era so I can take a look. When a disaster occurs, the imperial court must provide relief. Hmm, the accounts record that a disaster occurred, and the imperial court issued an edict exempting the autumn tax. Without the autumn tax, the people should be able to barely survive. If a large amount of land is sold, many people must have starved to death and fled to other places to beg for food and a way to survive."
Jiang Ling then picked up the population register of Jizhou Prefecture. "Huh? The population isn't decreasing; in fact, it's increasing. That's amazing."
Prime Minister Zheng looked at Minister Jiang, his expression one of utter shock. Prime Ministers Guo and Sun sat there, momentarily speechless.
The amount of taxes levied by local prefectures and governments was reconciled annually with the Ministry of Revenue. The taxes and grain payable were collected according to the land area, number of people, and other relevant data verified by the Ministry of Revenue.
As Jiang Ling said, land could be bought and sold at will, and the Ministry of Revenue did not concern itself with it. As for the changes in land ownership, what was involved behind them was not the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Revenue would not investigate them in detail.
However, when several changes are linked together, especially when changes in taxes, poll tax, deed taxes, weather conditions, and population are placed together, the discrepancy becomes immediately apparent.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Ling tossed down the booklet, looked up at the group, and said, "I don't need to look at the Ministry of Personnel's evaluations. In the third year of the Qingfeng era, Vice Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Rites was appointed Prefect of Jizhou. Let Vice Minister Zhao explain the contradictions in the evaluations first."
First, we need to understand the various accounts of Jizhou Prefecture. After all, if Zhao Shilang was promoted from the prefect of Jizhou Prefecture to the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and if his resume and achievements during his tenure in Jizhou Prefecture were fabricated, then the Ministry of Personnel's evaluation would not be worth looking at.
Jiang Ling did not step forward; she only mentioned Jizhou Prefecture before handing over the assignment. She did not give it to any one person, but instead handed it over to both the Council of State Affairs and the Ministry of Revenue.
"I don't need to look at the others. Prime Minister Zheng, I'll trouble you to lead a few people and, following my method, carefully resolve the contradictions in the accounts and have them explain them one by one. Minister Jiang, all the officials from the Ministry of Revenue should go and listen together, so that the Ministry of Revenue will have a better understanding when auditing accounts in the future."
Zheng Xiang was already lost in thought, his heart filled with inexplicable shock.
Jiang Ling remained calm and composed throughout, her attitude neither aggressive nor confrontational. However, her meticulous questioning was akin to tearing a person apart, leaving no one able to answer without making a single mistake!
Zheng Xiang tried his best to calm himself down and quickly agreed, "Your subject obeys the decree and will go to do it immediately."
Sun Xiang and the others looked at each other, then agreed as well.
Jiang Ling's decision not to entrust this matter to any one person was also carefully considered. By smoothly getting Zheng Xiang and his associates to take over the task, she avoided putting any one person in the spotlight. By pushing the Council of State Affairs and the Ministry of Revenue together, she effectively tied them to the same boat. With these powerful government departments stepping in together, the anger of the court officials could not be ignited.
What pleased Jiang Ling the most was that no one thought of Emperor Yuanming!
Just after seeing off Zheng Xiang and the others, Xue An rushed over, extremely nervous, and said, "Your Majesty, Yang Ying is shouting and yelling, claiming that he was instructed by Consort Xian."
Jiang Ling looked out the door. The sun was just beginning to set in the west. Yang Yinglian hadn't been able to hold on for most of the day!
"This matter is of utmost importance and cannot be based on biased information. Hmm, we must not wrong Consort Liu. Have Imperial Envoy Ding interrogate her, along with the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Grand Secretary Wei. Remember, only Imperial Envoy Ding should appear in person; everyone else should listen in secretly. Lai San and Chen Fushun should be interrogated together. Remember, no torture or forced confessions are allowed. Have Yang Ying sign the interrogation documents, and after the interrogators have verified that everything is correct, they should all sign to confirm."
Jiang Ling thought carefully and made detailed arrangements: "The confession document cannot be considered as evidence of Consort Liu's crimes. It can only be considered as the confession of Yang Yinglai and Chen Fushun. Consort Liu should be given a chance to defend herself."
Xue An was stunned. Ding Shang was a master of interrogation; Yang Ying was already terrified and confessed without any further questioning. The Minister of the Imperial Clan intervened because Consort Liu was a first-rank consort conferred by the Ministry of Rites, but she was also a member of the imperial family. The Ministry of Rites could not arbitrarily revoke her title, and the Minister of the Imperial Clan, who oversaw imperial affairs, could not depose a consort. However, the intervention of someone from the imperial family demonstrated sufficient legitimacy.
The presence of officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, as the authorities responsible for adjudicating cases, underscored the authority and fairness of the trial's outcome.
As for Grand Secretary Wei, he has always been upright and impartial. His role is self-evident.
With the corroboration of Chen Fushun and Lai San, the results of the interrogation can basically be considered as the case file for closure.
Consort Liu's fate is almost clear!
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