Chapter 19 - Something Happened Again
Eating and sleeping were Jiang Ling's greatest loves in life, and the only thing he looked forward to after transmigrating into the book.
Upon hearing that the culprit, Emperor Yuanming, had arrived, Jiang Ling's irritation surged uncontrollably. The food he had been enjoying so much suddenly tasted like cardboard.
Jiang Ling put down his chopsticks, his face stern, and prepared to get out of bed to greet him. Emperor Yuanming strode into the side room, looked up at the food laid out on the low table, paused for a moment, and said, "Sit down, are you feeling any better?"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, but I am still feeling unwell." Jiang Ling lied through her teeth, then sat back down, her mind racing: "I'm not feeling well? How could I be feeling well? I can't even eat in peace! What do you mean by this? You did this on purpose, didn't you? Why did you have to come at this time of year?!"
Emperor Yuanming: "..."
His expression was very complicated as he looked Jiang Ling up and down, suspecting that she wasn't actually having stomach problems, but rather was suffering from hysteria and had gone mad.
"Since you are not feeling well, issue my decree to summon the imperial physician..." Emperor Yuanming thought for a moment, then took pity on her and summoned the imperial physician to treat her.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling disregarded etiquette and quickly interrupted Emperor Yuanming: "Your Majesty, your concubine..."
At this point, she rolled her eyes slightly and said cleverly, "Your Majesty, I am weak and cannot be overworked. I need to rest and recuperate. I humbly request that Your Majesty rescind your order. It would be better if the duties of the lamp and candle department were to be managed by the other ladies."
Emperor Yuanming chuckled. Her little schemes were obvious; she was still trying to play tricks on him!
When Consort Zhao suggested handing over the task of managing the lamps and candles to Jiang Ling, Emperor Yuanming immediately agreed.
All she does all day is eat and sleep; she's lazy, uneducated, vulgar, has a bad temper, and so on—her faults are countless.
Emperor Yuanming couldn't bear to see her so idle, so he wouldn't grant her wish. He said, "If you are weak, you shouldn't eat too much, or you'll harm your health by accumulating food. I will issue an order that your meals will be changed to porridge from now on."
"Damn it!" Jiang Ling, having failed in his attempt to steal a chicken, froze on the spot, cursing inwardly, "Brother Cow Dung is no good. Getting involved with him will definitely bring bad luck. I might as well starve to death!"
Upon hearing the familiar word "cow dung," Emperor Yuanming's initial smugness at seeing Jiang Ling's humiliation vanished instantly, and his expression turned grim.
Jiang Ling racked her brains for a solution, but her mouth involuntarily blurted out, "Your Majesty, I'm ready!"
"Hehe, it's strange, I guess it's because of divine protection, I feel like I've fully recovered and can eat normally again!" Jiang Ling herself felt that her explanation was really awkward, and she tried her best to explain.
Emperor Yuanming couldn't bear to listen any longer and sighed in silence. If he were to argue with her, he would only appear petty and narrow-minded, like he was arguing with a fool!
Wen Juan served hot tea. Emperor Yuanming looked at the stunned Jiang Ling again and felt very aggrieved. He said impatiently, "Go and serve the meal!"
Wen Juan withdrew as ordered, and Emperor Yuanming glanced sideways at Jiang Ling, his anger growing even stronger.
Upon learning that she was unwell, he came to see her in person, only to be met with a barrage of complaints and accusations from her. He didn't even hear her ask if he had eaten!
The second room was the living quarters, so Emperor Yuanming got up and went to the main hall. Jiang Ling could only get up and follow him out, standing respectfully to the side.
Palace maids and eunuchs filed in, carrying hot water towels and food boxes. After washing his hands, Emperor Yuanming sat down and said to Jiang Ling, who was still standing there blankly, "Oh, you're not feeling well. Can you still stand steadily?"
When Jiang Ling saw Emperor Yuanming's sarcastic remarks, she lowered her head even further and mumbled, "Your Majesty, I can stand firm."
Emperor Yuanming snorted and said, "Sit down."
Jiang Ling quickly expressed her gratitude and took her seat. Once Emperor Yuanming picked up his chopsticks to eat, she also hurriedly continued eating.
The imperial cuisine was even fresher and more delicious. Since everyone ate and slept in silence, Jiang Ling ate with great satisfaction.
Emperor Yuanming was particular about health and only ate until he was seven-tenths full. He saw that Jiang Ling had finished her meal completely, and remembering that she had already eaten half of it, he stared at her for a long time, but ultimately remained silent.
If he makes her eat less, she'll definitely mutter behind his back that he's stingy, that he won't even let her eat her fill, and that she'll die!
After lunch, Emperor Yuanming wanted to take a nap, but today he had already been late. Feeling tired, he put down his teacup, got up and went to his bedroom: "Let's rest."
"What do you mean, sleep together?" Jiang Ling's eyes widened, and her whole body stiffened.
Emperor Yuanming took a deep breath, and angrily turned around and left.
It's all his fault for being so sleepy and confused. That bastard always thought he would sleep with her. He's dreaming!
Emperor Yuanming suddenly left without saying a word, leaving Jiang Ling feeling bewildered. However, after a moment's thought, Jiang Ling quickly relaxed.
Emperors are suspicious and fear assassination, so they would not stay overnight in the palaces of their concubines.
Jiang Ling yawned, returned to his bedroom, lay down, and stared at the ceiling, thinking about the turmoil of the past few days.
Regardless of Consort Zhao's intentions, she insisted on one thing: trying her best not to get involved in their struggle.
Firstly, she lacked the ability and had to recognize her shortcomings. Secondly, she was outnumbered and outmatched; fighting them would be like throwing an egg against a rock.
Most importantly, she believed that if you're going to fight, you need a goal.
Her goal was to live a quiet, comfortable, and carefree life. The Fan Ying Palace was peaceful and tranquil, and she had no worries about food or clothing; living like this for the rest of her life would be wonderful.
Since there are people from the Imperial Household Department in charge of the warehouse, she will simply leave it to them and will never get involved.
After making up her mind, Jiang Ling felt relieved and fell into a sweet sleep.
Meimei woke up around noon, and A'ruo Fanghe came to help Jiang Ling comb his hair. Wenjuan came in and asked, "My beauty, they've started distributing candles in the storeroom. Would you like to go over there?"
"I'm not going. Zhong Shanggong and Fang Sideng are here," Jiang Ling said decisively.
Wenjuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "The day after tomorrow is His Majesty's birthday. The candles for the banquet need to be prepared in advance. Your Highness should go and keep an eye on things so that nothing goes wrong."
On Emperor Yuanming's birthday, he would receive congratulations from court officials during the day and hold a banquet in the Lanyue Palace in the evening, which required a large number of lamps and candles.
Jiang Ling was caught off guard by this turn of events and began to feel a headache coming on.
Although it was Emperor Yuanming's birthday, it was estimated that no one, from top to bottom, would dare to offend him, and it was unlikely that anything bad would happen.
With the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet still in the works, Jiang Ling couldn't be completely at ease. She let out a groan and resignedly went to the storeroom.
Fang Si Deng and Shen Yi were both present. Jiang Ling asked, "Have the candles and lamps for His Majesty's birthday been prepared?"
Shen Yi replied, "Don't worry, my lady, I have already sent someone to deliver it to the storeroom."
Fang Sideng added, "The people from the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs have already informed us that they will come to collect it early tomorrow morning."
Jiang Ling nodded solemnly and said, "Alright, His Majesty's birthday celebration cannot be taken lightly. You must perform your duties diligently and avoid making any mistakes."
Shen Yifang and Si Deng responded in unison. Jiang Ling said nothing more and went to check the warehouse.
The storeroom was piled high with crates, and eunuchs were still bringing them in one after another. Jiang Ling was somewhat relieved, lingered for a moment, and then returned to Fanying Pavilion.
A'Ruo came in with a purse and said, "This servant has already finished making it for you, my lady. You just need to embroider a few more stitches to finish it off."
Jiang Ling took the blue brocade pouch embroidered with pine and bamboo and asked, "Is this a pouch made for me?"
Aruo said, "How could you forget, my beauty? It's His Majesty's birthday, and everyone is supposed to give gifts. In previous years, you always gave purses, and this year I've made one too."
Jiang Ling chuckled awkwardly. She hadn't even considered giving a gift, nor did she know how to sew. She said, "Just finish it. My needlework isn't very good, so I don't want to ruin it."
A'Ruo thought so too, and she added the remaining needles and put them away for Jiang Ling.
The next day, the Bureau of Ceremonies took the candles, and everything was peaceful.
Jiang Ling breathed a long sigh of relief. Another day passed, and it was Emperor Yuanming's birthday.
The concubines, princes, and princesses of the imperial harem all arrived at Lanyue Palace. According to their rank, they solemnly performed the grand court ceremony to Emperor Yuanming and presented their congratulatory gifts.
Jiang Ling was ranked last among the beauties, before the talented ladies. Caught among the crowd, she couldn't help but feel anxious and uneasy, listening to the eunuchs announce the rites.
The gifts sent by Consort Lin and Consort Zhao were valuable and thoughtfully prepared. They included handmade calligraphy and paintings, hand-copied scriptures, jade artifacts, and antiques.
Jiang Ling held the purse, glancing furtively. Seeing that others were also holding purses, she felt a little more at ease.
When it was her turn, Jiang Ling's heart pounded, and her palms were sweaty. She parroted the others' congratulatory words, saying dryly, "Your Majesty, I wish you a long and prosperous life, and that your empire may endure forever!"
Emperor Yuanming glanced at the purse in Jiang Ling's hand, a mocking sneer rising in his eyes.
Sure enough, she didn't care at all. It was just a tattered purse; how could she possibly show it off!
In public, Emperor Yuanming temporarily refrained from arguing with her and gestured for her to rise.
Jiang Ling really disliked it. She wasn't comfortable in this kind of setting. After sitting down, she felt weak all over; it almost killed her!
The concubines and other high-ranking officials continued their court audience, but Jiang Ling did not relax. She frequently glanced at the candles and lamps in the hall, fearing something might go wrong.
The beeswax, as thick as an arm, illuminated the main hall as bright as day, emitting a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Finally, all the palace women finished their greetings, and the banquet officially began. Just like the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, musicians played melodious music, and dancers began to dance.
The princes and princesses were too young to present any gifts. The eldest prince, Xiao Yunrui, stepped forward with a calligraphy scroll to pay his respects.
Jiang Ling looked over and noticed that the beeswax candle on the bronze candlestick on the steps was flickering, seemingly about to go out.
"I wrote a large calligraphy piece and gave it to my father. I wish my father a long and healthy life, and that his happiness and longevity will be as great as the heavens."
Emperor Yuanming was very pleased and ordered Xiao Yunrui to step forward, saying, "I must take a good look at your calligraphy, my eldest son, and see if you have made any progress."
Xiao Yunrui took the calligraphy and walked up to the steps of the palace, presenting the scroll. Emperor Yuanming took it and unfolded it, but just as he was about to admire it, his vision suddenly went dark.
The two beeswax lamps behind the throne went out one after another!
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