Chapter 122 (No further information)
Before long, Huang Liang returned, covered in sweat, and reported, "Your Majesty, the eldest princess has come with me, saying she wants to see you. The eldest princess... alas, I can't get rid of her. Does Your Majesty wish to see her?"
As the sun gradually rose, court officials entered the palace one after another to carry out their duties, and memorials were framed and sent to the Qionghua Pavilion.
According to the rules of the Great Yin Dynasty, memorials were first sent to the Hall of State Affairs. In case of urgent matters such as military affairs or disasters, the ministers of the Hall of State Affairs would handle them first. Ordinary greetings or other memorials would be selected by the civil and historical officials of the Hall of State Affairs before being sent to the Emperor.
Apart from officials who could directly reach the emperor's ears, ordinary memorials had to be selected by the Council of State Affairs before being sent to the emperor, hence the Council of State Affairs held a high position and great power.
However, the Council of State Affairs was not a single, all-powerful body; it also had the Censorate and the Imperial Censorate for supervision. The Imperial Censorate was further divided into three departments: the Censorate Department, the Palace Department, and the Inspection Department, corresponding to the various ministries of the court.
Ding Shang, along with Zheng Xiang, Sun Xiang, and Guo Xiang, entered the palace early in the morning to request an audience with Jiang Ling, while Grand Secretary Wei and Prince Lao Xian went to see Emperor Yuanming.
Jiang Ling didn't have time to deal with Xiao Jiatong, and said to Huang Liang, "Have her wait in the side room first, I'll talk to her after I'm done here."
Huang Liang hurriedly withdrew. Jiang Ling arrived at the inn, and the others rose to greet him. Prime Minister Zheng looked nervous and said, "Your Majesty, Vice Minister Zhao is dissatisfied, claiming that Your Majesty deliberately picked a fight with him, which is actually a deliberate act of revenge. The others feel the same way, thinking that if you want to review past accounts, you must treat everyone equally."
Jiang Ling had already guessed that the Ministry of Revenue's accounts couldn't withstand close scrutiny since Minister Jiang hadn't appeared. With Vice Minister Zhao and his group dragging other officials into the mess, if Jiang Ling dared to investigate further, he might be branded a wicked concubine to appease public anger.
Jiang Ling had anticipated this outcome, which was why she entrusted the matter to the Council of State Affairs and the Ministry of Revenue. Minister Jiang was cunning, and Prime Minister Zheng and his associates were even more slippery; seeing the situation was unfavorable, they immediately pushed the matter onto Jiang Ling.
If we compare the Great Yin Dynasty to a large ship, Jiang Ling is the one who steers it, not the boatman. Forced into the palace intrigues, Jiang Ling's ultimate target was never the other concubines.
Whether acting as regent or participating in government, the struggles with court officials were far more intense and carried far greater responsibility than those in the inner palace.
Because, at most, those who lost in the power struggles within the harem were sent to the imperial temple to fend for themselves.
If the previous dynasty made a wrong decision, it would be like a mountain pressing down on the countless ordinary people who were powerless to fight back and as insignificant as dust.
"You must come up with a solution before you report back to me. I will emphasize again that the solution must focus on two aspects: the advantages and the disadvantages. Both the advantages and disadvantages must have a basis; they cannot be fabricated out of thin air."
Jiang Ling's attitude was gentle yet resolute. She adhered to her consistent policy of never making decisions unilaterally, but rather pooling wisdom and efforts to prevent the large ship from running aground.
"You are all ministers who have consolidated the foundation of the Great Yin Dynasty. You all have your own unique insights into the court, the court officials, the world, and the people. Now is the time for you to demonstrate your abilities. The historians will record everything truthfully and in detail, including myself, without alteration or embellishment, good or bad. As for merits and demerits, let future generations judge them."
The group exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions a complex mix of shock, surprise, and embarrassment.
What was shocking was Jiang Ling's reaction. Logically, given the strong reaction from Vice Minister Zhao and his group, she should have backed down to appease them. However, her attitude showed no sign of backing down, and she seemed determined to pursue the matter to the end.
Surprisingly, Jiang Ling mentioned historians. Very few officials are capable of leaving a mark on history books, and as officials, none of them don't hope to be remembered for eternity.
Moreover, Jiang Ling asked them to come up with a solution, and judging from her request, she had no intention of shirking responsibility. On the contrary, she was methodical and planned to genuinely adopt their decisions.
The ability to accept advice should be viewed from two perspectives: one is a wise and capable ruler, and the other is a weak and incompetent ruler.
Judging from Jiang Ling's recent actions, Zheng Xiang and others are well aware of whether she is easily fooled or has a sharp mind.
The difficulty lies in the fact that this matter is extremely thorny, and if not handled carefully, it could cause turmoil in the court.
What are the benefits if handled properly?
Zheng Xiang looked thoughtful and turned to Jiang Ling, saying, "Your Majesty, Wuzhou suffered from drought followed by heavy rains and floods this year. The harvest was completely lost, and Wuzhou has sent an urgent memorial to the capital requesting relief from the court. Your Majesty, this is a natural disaster, and the situation in Wuzhou is critical. I believe the court should issue an edict to provide relief to the victims, open the granaries, and exempt Wuzhou from this year's autumn taxes."
"Prime Minister Zheng, the disaster situation in Wuzhou Prefecture is urgent. Let me first explain my approach to the situation for your reference."
Jiang Ling's gaze slowly swept over the group, her expression calm and her tone even. For some reason, Zheng Xiang and the others subconsciously lowered their eyes, not daring to give her instructions.
Although Prime Minister Zheng's action was to report important court matters directly to Jiang Ling, and she had officially begun handling state affairs, she was seething with anger. She hated unclear data the most. It was like building a house; if the foundation was flawed, no matter how magnificent the structure, it might collapse at any time.
"We need to provide a geomantic report detailing which specific areas of Wuzhou have been affected by the disaster, and verify this with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. We need to know which rivers flow through Wuzhou, which counties and villages they pass through, the number of local households, and the extent of farmland. We also need to verify whether Wuzhou's granaries truly have sufficient grain for relief. Opening the granaries and distributing grain, along with exempting the autumn tax, can solve the immediate crisis. How to restore agriculture after the disaster and eradicate diseases caused by the floods are also of paramount importance. The imperial court's relief efforts must be truly effective. Next year, we need to verify the population and household count of Wuzhou Prefecture."
Jiang Ling had witnessed countless instances of relief grain being embezzled, and while she couldn't completely eradicate it, she strived to ensure more people survived. Verifying the household registration in Wuzhou Prefecture was the most direct method.
"The disaster situation is urgent, so you should deal with it quickly. Put aside the matters concerning Vice Minister Zhao and the others for now. Remember, the imperial decree must be issued by tomorrow morning at the latest."
Zheng Xiang, Guo Xiang, and Sun Xiang hurriedly agreed to leave and went to handle the matter. Ding Shang, who had witnessed Jiang Ling's methods, became even more cautious. He presented the interrogation confessions of Yang Yinglai, San Chen, and Fu Shun with both hands and said with utmost respect, "Your Majesty, the confessions of Yang Yinglai, San Chen, and Fu Shun are all here. The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, the old Prince Xian, and Grand Secretary Wei have all signed and testified to them."
Jiang Ling picked up the confessions and looked them over. The confessions of the several people differed, and they all tried their best to cover up their crimes. However, the confessions all pointed to one person, namely Consort Liu.
Ding Shang could not hide his worry and said, "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Wei and the old Prince Xian have gone to see the Emperor. Would Your Majesty like to go and see them?"
Jiang Ling looked up at Ding Shang, then casually closed the document. "I have no guilty conscience, so I'm not afraid of what they might say to the Emperor."
She was indeed unafraid. Emperor Yuanming might have possessed some intelligence before. Since his injury, he had become easily startled, afraid of trouble, arrogant, and dull-witted.
The accusations leveled against her by the old Prince Xian and Grand Secretary Wei were nothing more than accusations of the concubines interfering in politics. Emperor Yuanming would find these arguments tedious, and he believed she lacked the ability to govern.
"Your Majesty, what about Yang Ying and the others...?"
Ding Shang first wanted to ask Jiang Ling how to deal with them, but then he realized what he was doing and quickly changed his mind, saying, "I believe that since Yang Yinglai, San Chenfushun, and the others have confessed, their crimes are unforgivable and they should be dealt with according to the rules."
Jiang Ling thought of Chen Fushun and, after a moment of contemplation, said, "They should be dealt with according to the rules. Chen Fushun and Lai San were meritorious in their accusations, and neither of them were the ringleaders, so their crimes should be punished more severely. Moreover, Lai San has already been punished, so his sentence should be reduced."
Ding Shang was taken aback, then quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I will go immediately."
Jiang Ling sighed and explained, "Buddha said that all living beings are equal, and all things have a spirit. Even the life of an ant is a life."
Ding Shang's throat tightened, and he thought of his origins for the first time in a long time. He was born into poverty and had no other choice but to join the army. Later, he infiltrated the Imperial Guard as a lowly soldier and rose step by step to become the Imperial City Envoy.
He appears different from Chen Fushun and Lai San, but in reality, they are no different. His hands are also stained with blood, he wields great power, and he could fall from grace overnight.
Jiang Ling checked the time and went to the side room. A'Ruo, who was guarding the door, hurriedly came to greet him. Seeing her sullen expression, Jiang Ling smiled and asked, "Did something upset you?"
Aruo, unable to bear it any longer, said, "Your Majesty, the eldest princess calls me in every now and then to urge Your Majesty. I tell her that Your Majesty has something important to do and asks her to wait, but the eldest princess gets angry and scolds me for deliberately making excuses, for being a snobbish person, for bullying my master, for abusing my power, and for being a lowly servant."
Jiang Ling patted A'Ruo's arm to comfort her and said with a smile, "You can curse people in different ways, and you're quite quick-witted. Go to the market and have a battle."
Aruo's anger turned into a smile, and she said, "Your Highness, this servant will go in and tidy up first. The cups, plates and tea are all spilled all over the floor."
Jiang Ling shook her head. "It's alright." As she spoke, she stepped into the house.
Just as A'Ruo had said, the room was a mess of cups and plates, the low table was overturned, tea was spilled, and crumbs of pastries were scattered all over the room.
Xiao Jiatong's face was deathly pale, and she paced around the room like a trapped beast. Hearing the noise, she turned around abruptly, and when she saw Jiang Ling enter, her eyes widened, and she rushed forward.
Aruo reacted swiftly, stepping in front of Jiang Ling and grabbing Xiao Jiatong's arm, saying sternly, "Your Highness, you mustn't be rude!"
Xiao Jiatong was thin and weak. She was no match for A'ruo and couldn't break free. She screamed in desperation, "Get out of the way! I want to see Her Majesty!"
"If you want to see me, I'm already in front of you." Jiang Ling frowned, noticing that Xiao Jiatong seemed a bit mentally unstable, and said, "A'Ruo, let her go."
A'Ruo carefully released her grip, still watching her warily. Xiao Jiatong waved her arms, anxiously spinning around, "Your Majesty, Consort Xian wants to kill me! Consort Xian wants to kill me! Your Majesty, you must save my life! Your Majesty, save me!"
Jiang Ling looked Xiao Jiatong up and down and gently comforted her, "The Consort Xian is not here, you are alright."
Xiao Jiatong froze, as if gasping for breath, clutching her clothes before letting go. Her fingernails were bitten raw, stained with blood. She was extremely agitated, seemingly asking Jiang Ling, yet also talking to herself, "Your Majesty, what should I do? What good is living? Your Majesty, perhaps I should let Consort Xian kill me; death would end it all. Living is so hard, day and night are both arduous. What am I to do now? What should I do?"
A'Ruo was completely bewildered by Xiao Jiatong's ramblings, but Jiang Ling understood perfectly.
She freely studied history and the classics, learning how to govern a country and bring peace to the world. She would not be a princess, nor would she be content with mediocrity. Returning from her hopes and dreams to reality, she was utterly lost and confused.
Jiang Ling was neither a god nor a healer. She had no answer to Xiao Jiatong's question.
"What exactly do you want to do? Go back and think about it carefully. I'll do my best to help you as long as it's within my power."
Xiao Jiatong stood there blankly, muttering to herself, "What can I do? I am the eldest princess, so all I can do is find a husband and have children."
"The eldest princess isn't limited to marrying a prince consort; there are many other things she can do, such as doing good deeds, raising orphans, and helping the elderly, weak, women, and children. As the sages said, 'Respect the elderly as you would your own parents, and care for the young as you would your own children.' The sages' books aren't all about governing a country; they're full of principles of being a good person. If you haven't even learned the principles of being a good person, how can you govern a country and bring peace to the world?"
Seeing that Xiao Jiatong had relaxed a bit, Jiang Ling said with certainty, "Don't worry, Consort Xian can't kill you. Don't make a fuss, eat your fill and get a good night's sleep. Think about it again when you wake up."
At this moment, Huang Liang arrived outside the door. Jiang Ling saw that he looked anxious and said to Xiao Jiatong, who seemed to have more to say, "Aruo, send the eldest princess back."
Jiang Ling came out of the house and asked, "What is it?"
Huang Liang glanced around and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Majesty, the old Prince Xian and Grand Secretary Wei have left. The Emperor wants you to return quickly. The Emperor is in a bad mood, so please be careful."
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