Chapter 16: A Master's Trap
Consort Zhao assigned the task of lighting the lamps and candles to Jiang Ling.
The lighting and candles were managed by the Lighting Department of the Imperial Bedchamber, which sounds quite simple. The candles and lamp oil needed by the harem each day were purchased from the Imperial Treasury and stored in the storeroom, and then distributed by the Imperial Bedchamber according to the allotted quota.
The position of Zhong Shanggong in the Shangqin Bureau, as well as the position of female official in charge of lighting the lanterns, was changed to be discussed with Jiang Ling.
Consort Zhao sat for a while before returning to Funing Palace. Jiang Ling lay on the couch, gazing listlessly at the auspicious cloud-patterned ceiling.
Those exquisite patterns, like a giant black hole, sucked her in and smashed her to pieces.
Qingwen Wenjuan went inside to tidy up the teacups, and A'ruo Fanghe also rushed to help. Jiang Ling glanced at the two of them, who looked excited, rolled her eyes speechlessly, and with a slight thought, straightened up and said, "Please sit down."
The group sat down as instructed, and Jiang Ling asked, "You all know that Consort De has asked me to manage the lamps and candles?"
"Yes," Qingwen Wenjuan replied respectfully, while A'ruo and Fanghe exclaimed happily, "Congratulations, beautiful lady!"
Jiang Ling ignored A Ruofanghe, and even the smug satisfaction of intellectually crushing them when facing them vanished completely.
Being smarter than them is really nothing to be happy about.
In their view, Jiang Ling had taken control of palace affairs and held real power.
Many people can't distinguish between confidence and arrogance, even though it's only a word apart; at least, Aruo Fanghe was completely confused.
They were blinded by this small amount of power and shouldn't have thought things through. If it was real power, why did Consort Zhao give it to her?
If Jiang Ling were to hide in Fanying Pavilion, even if he were dissatisfied with her, it wouldn't be so easy for him to scheme against her.
If you do nothing, you'll make no mistakes; if you do too much, you'll make more mistakes. If she were in charge, it would be much easier to find fault with her.
Right now, Consort Zhao disregarded her thoughts, first sought Emperor Yuanming's permission, and forcefully placed the matter in her hands. It was as if she had been dragged from Fanying Pavilion into the public eye, becoming a target.
"What do you think?" Jiang Ling asked, looking at Qingwen Wenjuan.
Qingwen paused for a moment, then smiled and congratulated Jiang Ling first, speaking flawlessly: "Since the Emperor has already spoken, and Consort De has come in person to explain to everyone, it would be arrogant for you to refuse again, showing that you are ignoring the words of the Emperor and Consort De. The number of candles to be received each day is fixed, so just follow the old rules."
Wenjuan frowned slightly, seemingly disagreeing with Qingwen's statement. However, she did not refute it directly, but only said, "In such a large harem, hundreds or even thousands of candles and dozens of kilograms of lamp oil are distributed every day. The tasks are trivial. There are palace maids from the Shangqin Bureau and the Lantern Keeping Department doing these tasks. Even a beauty cannot be careless. You must keep a close eye on things to prevent any mistakes."
Jiang Ling nodded repeatedly, having a general idea of what Qingwen and Wenjuan were like.
Both of them came from the imperial court. How could Jiang Ling be so naive as to think that all the palace maids and eunuchs in the imperial court were loyal to Emperor Yuanming?
Qingwen is meticulous and efficient in her work, never vying for attention or competing, and appears calm and reliable. When she speaks, she is also thorough and considerate, leaving no room for criticism.
Jiang Ling had never liked Qingwen's speaking style, mainly because she couldn't understand the subtle nuances in her words. To her, Qingwen's words were nothing but useless nonsense.
Even though Qingwen couldn't fathom Zhao Defei's intentions, she was certainly prepared for them, yet she remained silent about it.
Wenjuan's words were much more practical, clearly pointing out the trivial and troublesome aspects of the candle matter. Jiang Ling understood her underlying meaning; if he wasn't careful, it might cause trouble.
Upon hearing this, A'Ruo secretly rolled her eyes in disdain and said, "Just follow the old rules, what's so difficult about it!"
Fanghe chimed in, "Although it used to be under the jurisdiction of Consort De, it has now been handed over to you, my lady. Do any of the servants in the Imperial Bedchamber dare disobey you?"
Jiang Ling ignored their words, his hair turning almost white with worry.
She was naturally slow-witted and hated trouble and dealing with people. Of the people under her, apart from Wenjuan who was somewhat capable, Qingwen and Jiangling couldn't believe that Aruofanghe would cause any trouble.
Consort Zhao was efficient. Just as Jiang Ling was about to have lunch, she had already sent Granny Huang with the account books and Zhong Shanggong Fang Si Deng to come along.
With a perfectly measured smile on her face and extremely polite manners, Granny Huang presented the account book with both hands, saying, "Consort Jiang, this is the account book that Her Majesty sent me to deliver. Please take a look."
Qingwen stepped forward, took the ledger, and presented it to Jiang Ling. She reached out, took it, and glanced at it before her vision went black.
The ledger records the accounts for three months, including the total consumption in the palace each month and the usage of each palace.
The dosage varies over three months, and also differs for each palace.
The palace is supposed to be orderly, yet it is also the least orderly place. The rules are only used to restrain the palace women who are not favored.
The most expensive candles used in the palace were made of imperial beeswax, containing precious fragrances. The next best were made of white wax from white wax insects. The worst were pine wax, tallow wax, and paraffin wax, which produced heavy black smoke and had an unpleasant odor.
The prices of these candles vary greatly. Beeswax candles containing fragrance can cost over a hundred coins per stick. White wax candles cost around ten coins each, while pine wax candles cost five or six coins each.
When Jiang Ling was at Xiefang Pavilion, her ration included two beeswax sticks and two white wax sticks. In reality, she only received two white wax sticks, while A'ruo Fanghe only received half a pine wax stick a day.
The lanterns hanging on the eaves, entrances, and sidewalks of each palace were all made of lamp oil so that they would burn all night.
In places like Chonghua Palace and Fuqing Palace, lamps and candles were not provided according to a fixed monthly allowance; they could be drawn at will each day. The amount of lamp oil used was small, while the amount of white wax and beeswax was roughly the same.
This shows that the lanterns in these places, and the maids and servants who served them, were all made of white wax.
The ledger also contains records of sudden and large changes in usage, with some people's daily usage even exceeding the monthly quota.
Jiang Ling felt a headache coming on as he stared at the ledger, unable to turn the pages for a long time.
Granny Huang was very perceptive and explained with a smile, "The Imperial Concubine and the Virtuous Consort have princes and princesses, and the Dowager Consorts are getting on in years, so the servants around them cannot be neglected. His Majesty has decreed that the night must be well-lit. Sometimes His Majesty rests in a certain place at night, so there must be candlelight."
Jiang Ling realized that there was no fixed quantity of candles to be distributed, and there were no rules to follow.
When Jiang Ling was moving palaces, she had already met Zhong Shanggong. She was a shrewd and capable woman who rose from among hundreds of palace maids to become a fifth-rank official.
"Jiang Meiren, Fang Sideng and I will be at your service from now on. There are several other departments in the Shangqin Bureau. If I am too busy or not available, please tell Fang Sideng."
Apart from the Lantern-Bearing Bureau, the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau also oversaw the management of the Yuanming Emperor's sleeping quarters, the gardens and flowers of the inner palace, and the imperial carriages and sedan chairs needed by the empresses and concubines.
Fang Sideng was about thirty years old, slightly plump, with a round face and a smile, looking kind and friendly.
The lantern bearer was a sixth-rank official, and he too had fought his way up from among the palace maids.
"If there is anything I have done improperly, please give me your guidance and instruction, Lady Jiang." Fang Si Deng stepped forward, knelt down with utmost respect and politeness, and bowed deeply.
The two had originally worked under Consort Zhao. Jiang Ling tried to stay alert and said tactfully, "I don't know where the storeroom is yet. After lunch, I'd appreciate it if you could come with me to take a look."
Consort Zhao threw the account book at her, and she had no choice but to take it, but she couldn't accept it carelessly.
If she's short ten beeswax sticks, that's a difference of one tael of silver. If she runs out of money, she won't be able to afford to pay for it, and she won't be able to explain herself.
Granny Huang smiled and said, "Her Majesty instructed me to make sure that the numbers are accurate with Consort Jiang, so that they don't fall apart."
After lunch, Jiang Ling didn't even take a nap. Feeling dizzy, she went to the storeroom to check the accounts, accompanied by Granny Huang, Zhong Shanggong, and Fang Sideng.
To prevent the lamps and candles from catching fire, the storeroom was built in the most secluded corner on the south side of the palace. The stone walls were thick and heavy, and a large water vat filled with fine sand was placed at the entrance for extinguishing fires.
The eunuch guarding the storeroom belonged to the Inner Palace Treasury of the Inner Palace Service Bureau, not to the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau.
Although the personnel were diverse, Jiang Ling felt this was for the best. Mutual checks and balances were better than going along with each other.
The lamp oil and candles were stored in two separate storerooms. The eunuch opened the iron door for the candles first, and Jiang Ling almost fainted when he saw the baskets piled high with candles.
The Imperial Treasury would occasionally send candles and lamp oil into the storeroom. The candles and lamps would be distributed starting at 1-3 PM each day, and the palace maids and eunuchs on duty in each palace would come to collect them.
No wonder Consort Zhao was so quick to agree to have Granny Huang volunteer to take over.
Jiang Ling is not facing a simple inventory problem, but rather a mathematical challenge related to the inflow and outflow of water!
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