Chapter 20: Fear and Anxiety
The hall was brightly lit, and if one or two candles were extinguished, it would not attract much attention.
The imperial steps were too conspicuous, and the concubines below all had different expressions.
Emperor Yuanming turned his head to look, his face slightly darkened. He did not speak, but held Xiao Yunrui's calligraphy and looked down at it.
Huang Liang, who was attending to him, quickly stepped forward to relight the beeswax. He paused, took the beeswax in his hand, called his trusted aide and handed it to him, whispering, "Go quickly and fetch a few more beeswaxes."
The eunuch quietly withdrew, and shortly after, brought beeswax and lit it. The steps of the palace were once again brightly lit. Emperor Yuanming praised Xiao Yunrui's large characters, then solemnly admonished him not to be arrogant, and dismissed him.
Not to be outdone, Xiao Yunjue grabbed his own calligraphy and ran up to him, saying, "Father, I've also prepared a birthday gift for you."
Emperor Yuanming feigned a stern face, but said with a smile in his voice, "You rascal, it's rare for you to be willing to write. I'll have to take a good look."
Xiao Yunjue chuckled and presented the large characters he had written. Usually, he was mischievous and domineering, so Emperor Yuanming was stricter with him. He immediately began to criticize his writing: "Look at your strokes, they are crooked and uneven. You must not be calm. You were in a hurry to finish writing so you could go play. Go back and write a few more. Don't be lazy. I will check them carefully."
"Oh, Father!" Xiao Yunjue stamped his foot, twisted his chubby body and said perfunctorily, "I know, I know." After saying that, he raised his hand in a haphazard bow and ran back.
Consort Lin sat upright with a blank expression. Xiao Yunrui, who resembled her in both features, sat there motionless with a tense face.
After Xiao Yunjue sat down, he couldn't wait to pick up the pastries and start eating. Consort Zhao looked at him affectionately, picked up a pastry, took a small bite, and chatted with Consort Liu next to her: "Watching A-Jue eat makes me feel that everything tastes delicious, and it makes my appetite soar."
"Indeed, A-Jue is quite robust." Consort Liu agreed with a smile, while the eldest princess, Xiao Jiatong, kept her eyes down and sipped her soup with dignified manners.
Music filled the air in the hall, dancers moved gracefully, and everyone was enjoying themselves as if nothing had happened.
Jiang Ling held a wine cup in her hand, the wine spilling onto her clothes without her noticing, looking around restlessly.
One of the beeswax candles on the steps of the palace was extinguished. Three and four candles were extinguished on the east and west sides of the main hall, respectively.
The palace maids who were serving rushed forward, trimmed the blackened wick, and lit the lamp again.
Not long after, the candlelight flickered and went out again.
The flickering lights made Jiang Ling's heart rise and fall with her anxiety.
After about half an hour, the banquet came to a hasty end, and Emperor Yuanming rose to leave. The concubines rose to see him off, and then they returned to the palace together.
Jiang Ling followed everyone out of the main hall, a cold wind carrying a faint dampness. A light drizzle had begun to fall.
The lanterns cast a dim, yellowish light, making the solemn hall appear particularly eerie and terrifying.
Back at Fanying Pavilion, Jiang Ling sat down on the couch, staring blankly at the candlelight. Wen Juan brought in tea and said, "My beauty, have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up."
Tonight, Wenjuan and Qingwen are on duty, serving her as she goes to Lanyue Palace. Jiang Ling suddenly looks at Wenjuan and says, "Have you ever experienced beeswax igniting and then going out?"
Wenjuan paused slightly, frowned in thought, and said, "If the wick is not good, it will often go out. But they are all made of paraffin wax and tallow wax. The beeswax, white wax, and rush wicks sent to the palace are carefully selected. Apart from strong winds, they will not go out so easily."
Back when there were only white candles at Xiefang Pavilion, Jiang Ling had never encountered a situation where the white candles went out for no reason.
The last glimmer of hope I had was extinguished.
Unfortunately, on Emperor Yuanming's birthday, the beeswax in the palace was extinguished in a hurry.
Even if it was just a coincidence, the fact that the person died and the lamp went out is a bad omen. Emperor Yuanming did not get angry on the spot, so he would not let it go.
Although she had only taken over the task of handling the candles and lamps a few days ago, she was still under the official position and could not shirk her responsibility.
She was originally unknown and powerless in the harem. Suddenly, Emperor Yuanming pushed her into the spotlight, making her the perfect scapegoat.
The beeswax was either tampered with or had problems when it was sent to the palace.
If the beeswax has been tampered with, it will only happen after the Bureau of Ceremonies has taken it away and before the main hall is lit.
The Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs was jointly managed by Consort Zhao and Consort Lin. In addition to the palace maids from the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs, the Palace of Moon Embroidery also housed eunuchs from the Inner Palace.
Although there is a roster of employees available, the flow of people coming and going is quite chaotic. It's likely that it will be difficult to determine exactly who they are in the short term.
Consort Zhao had just handed over the task of preparing the candles; even Jiang Ling wouldn't have acted in such a hurry. It would seem overly deliberate, and acting on Emperor Yuanming's birthday would incur his wrath.
If there's something wrong with the beeswax sent to the palace, even though Consort Lin and Consort Zhao are at odds, Consort Lin plans to scheme against her. The candles and lamps are part of the Lin family's business, and Consort Lin won't allow them to be exposed to Emperor Yuanming.
However, Jiang Ling had already misjudged Consort Zhao's plans once, and dared not make any more decisions rashly.
The only thing she was certain of was that the beeswax was extinguished in front of Emperor Yuanming to provoke him.
After angering Emperor Yuanming, what was his purpose, and who was he ultimately targeting?
No matter how hard Jiang Ling racked his brains, he couldn't figure it out or see it clearly.
"Wenjuan." Jiang Ling looked around in panic. A'Ruo and Fanghe had already finished their tasks, and Qingwen was busy in the washroom. He called out in a low voice.
Wen Juan heard Jiang Ling's voice trembling, so she quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Is Your Excellency worried about the beeswax going out in the main hall?"
Of the few people serving him, only Wen Juan could barely gain Jiang Ling's trust. She bit her nails and nodded heavily, disregarding everything else, desperately seeking any answer: "You used to serve in the palace, could you perhaps inquire whether the Emperor has been angry?"
Spying on the emperor's presence, if caught, is a capital offense punishable by confiscation of property and beheading. After saying this, Jiang Ling immediately regretted it, waving his hands hastily: "No, no, no, you didn't hear anything."
Wen Juan paused, her heart warmed, and quickly comforted Jiang Ling, saying, "My lady, there's no need to worry. If the Emperor is angry, he will definitely investigate thoroughly. My lady is innocent, so there's nothing to fear from the investigation."
Jiang Ling hummed in agreement, dismissed Wen Juan, and stared blankly into the darkness outside the window.
The night was so dark that it seemed impossible to see through, and the palaces were shrouded in a light rain, like a calm lake, peaceful and serene.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Wen Juan entered the room with a solemn expression and said, "Someone from the Chui Gong Palace has come to summon the beauty. Don't be afraid, beauty. I know a few people in front of the palace. I will accompany you."
Jiang Ling's heart was in his throat as he stumbled his way to the Wende Hall, the rear hall of the Chuigong Hall.
The Wende Hall was where Emperor Yuanming would rest before and after court sessions, and also where he would meet with his officials to handle state affairs.
For some reason, only two paulownia branch lamps were lit inside the hall, their dim candlelight casting a solemn and dignified glow.
Emperor Yuanming sat on his throne with a gloomy face. Consort Lin and Consort Zhao had already arrived and stood respectfully in the center of the hall with their heads bowed.
Consort Liu, Consort Zhao, Consort Li, and others entered the palace one after the other. Jiang Ling's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.
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