Chapter 35 (None)
Jiang Ling was taking a nap in the second room when Emperor Yuanming arrived unexpectedly. Wen Juan woke her up in a hurry, and she only had time to hurriedly put on an outer garment, her hair still disheveled.
Emperor Yuanming walked quickly, slightly out of breath, staring at the sleepy-eyed Jiang Ling, his anger rising even higher.
Wenjuan hurriedly tidied the bedding on the bed. A'Ruo brought in hot tea, and Emperor Yuanming said sternly, "Get out!"
A'Ruo was so startled that her hand trembled, and she quickly put down her teacup and left the room. Wen Juan glanced at Jiang Ling with concern, and then retreated anxiously.
Jiang Ling jolted awake, instinctively looking up at Emperor Yuanming with a blank expression. Meeting his icy gaze, she hurriedly looked away, lowering her eyes and standing respectfully.
Emperor Yuanming angrily said, "Jiang, I put you in charge of the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau, but you have been disobedient in your words and actions. You are truly despicable!"
It turned out to be about the flowers and trees. Since she was getting nowhere either way, Jiang Ling simply confessed: "It was my foolishness that led me to this. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
"Since you know you are dull-witted, you should humbly listen to my advice!" Emperor Yuanming was furious, his chest tight with anger. He waved his hand and pushed aside the brocade quilt on the bed.
Just as he was about to sit down, a strong fragrance of winter plum blossoms wafted into his nostrils. He paused, looked down, and saw several sachets rolling out.
"What the hell is this?" Emperor Yuanming reached out and picked up a sachet, bringing it to his nose to smell the warm fragrance of winter plum blossoms.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Household Department has sent over some winter plum blossoms; this is a winter plum blossom sachet," Jiang Ling replied.
"So, you do know how to accept winter plum blossoms!" Emperor Yuanming said sarcastically, sitting down on the couch and turning his head to look around.
The side room was spacious and airy, with only a few tables and a daybed, nothing else. However, the daybed was piled with soft cushions and brocade quilts, making it extremely comfortable.
Thinking of her lazy days spent lounging on the couch eating and sleeping, Emperor Yuanming, still furious, said, "She's truly hopeless!"
Jiang Ling stood obediently, head bowed, silently receiving the reprimand. She was extremely agitated at this moment, and was prepared to be sent to the Imperial Temple.
"A lifetime of quiet contemplation is better than living in constant fear in the palace. There are people you can't afford to offend everywhere, your precious darling, your father-in-law and brother-in-law are all over the court. This is wrong, that is wrong, anyway, you're the one who calls the shots."
Jiang Ling's mind was racing with chaotic thoughts, and she grew increasingly impatient: "Hurry up and give me a quick death, or I'm not playing along!"
Emperor Yuanming's face turned pale. She was ignorant and incompetent, yet dared to be defiant. It was outrageous!
He was the emperor, and the distinction between ruler and subject could not be confused. Even the empress's maternal family dared not claim to be his father-in-law or brother-in-law.
He gave her power and provided her with good food and drink. But she was ungrateful, viewing the imperial harem as a monstrous threat and preferring to go to the imperial temple!
Emperor Yuanming would rather not hear her chaotic thoughts at this point, to avoid getting angry. It would be better to simply strip her of her title, grant her wish, and send her to the imperial temple to suffer.
"Su Yue is also at the Imperial Temple, hahaha, how ridiculous! Different paths, same destination. Will she seek revenge? Don't be afraid of her. If she dares to come, don't waste words, just attack and beat her to a pulp!"
Emperor Yuanming was utterly speechless. Even on the verge of death, she still had the leisure to indulge in such wild thoughts. And how could a young lady of noble birth be so crude, actually contemplating fighting with a common street shrew!
"No, fighting is forbidden in Buddhist sanctuaries. Heh, while Buddhism is pure, temples aren't. Imperial temples are dens of iniquity, like a prison version of a harem. Unacceptable!"
Emperor Yuanming was so engrossed in listening that Jiang Ling suddenly looked at him and said, "Your Majesty, I have a few words to say."
"What do you have to say?" Emperor Yuanming asked, bewildered.
"Your Majesty would like to know if officials from the previous dynasty were to request to resign?" Jiang Ling asked.
There were still nearly a hundred successful candidates in the imperial examinations, and officials who had completed three years of mourning for their parents were being appointed to fill vacancies. With far more candidates than available positions, the Ministry of Personnel was in a bind, and even Emperor Yuanming felt the same way, wishing someone would resign.
Emperor Yuanming raised his chin and said arrogantly, "The world is so vast, why worry about not having people to serve the Great Yin? Since they are unwilling to serve in the court, why should I force them? Let them go."
Jiang Ling knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I humbly request permission to resign from my post in the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau."
Emperor Yuanming never expected that she would use the previous dynasty as a metaphor for the harem. He was speechless for a moment, and said in annoyance, "How can the harem be compared with the previous dynasty? You are my concubine. I provide you with food and clothing and treat you with the utmost care. You should share my burdens and solve my problems."
He snorted, glanced sideways, and slowly said, "If you insist on comparing the harem to the previous dynasty, I will let it go for now. However, officials who resign will no longer be entitled to a salary. If you don't want to manage it, I will let you have your way, but you will no longer receive any of your food, clothing, or monthly allowances."
“Your Majesty, Consort Xia and Consort Jiang receive the same monthly allowance as me, but they are not required to manage affairs.”
After Jiang Ling finished speaking, he found it laughable and muttered to himself with resentment, "Trying to reason with the emperor is just asking for trouble. There are more unfair things in the harem than stars in the sky. What's the point of talking to him? Fine, I'll deal with it. I'll embezzle, I'll cheat, I'll treat people differently. What cheap winter plum blossoms? Send me the most precious Daphne camellias!"
Emperor Yuanming then remembered that there were no narcissus, daphne, or camellia in her palace; only wintersweet had been made into sachets.
Logically speaking, since she was in charge of the Imperial Bedchamber, even if there was a shortage of flowers and plants, she would still be needed.
The anger that Emperor Yuanming felt had long since dissipated after her outburst.
Thinking of her innocent heart, Emperor Yuanming's tone softened involuntarily, and he said, "How could I mistreat you? From now on, you must not act recklessly."
Jiang Ling was on the verge of tears. Emperor Yuanming was determined to put her in charge of the Imperial Bedchamber, and she couldn't understand why it had to be her!
Knowing her temper, Emperor Yuanming patiently instructed her, "I will investigate the matter of the imperial gardens myself. For now, focus on the Empress Dowager, and send the rest according to their rank."
Jiang Ling agreed, thinking to himself, "The Empress Dowager can't be spared, and neither can your precious darlings. Your precious darlings all have different preferences. If your most beloved darling only likes camellias, and you take all the camellias, what about the other lesser precious darlings who also want camellias? You're the Emperor, so of course you can make it sound so easy. If you're so capable, go and deliver them, go and talk to them!"
Emperor Yuanming, having drunk wine, was already sleepy and tired. Her nagging made him even more dizzy. He rubbed his temples and said, "What kind of flowers and plants do you like? Have the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau send them over first."
Jiang Ling actually only liked winter plum blossoms. She didn't care about this little benefit at all, and she didn't want to get involved in anything. She said sullenly, "I don't need anything else, winter plum blossoms are enough."
Emperor Yuanming, exhausted and no longer wanting to engage with her, leaned back. His head rested on a soft cushion, and accompanied by the refreshing fragrance of winter plum blossoms, he comfortably closed his eyes.
"Help me change my clothes," Emperor Yuanming ordered.
Jiang Ling was stunned to see Emperor Yuanming fall asleep immediately. She paused for a moment, thinking that the task of changing clothes should naturally be done by the eunuchs who served him closely, and hurriedly turned around to find Huang Liang: "Huang Daban, the Emperor has summoned you to go in and serve him."
Huang Liang led the eunuch into the room and quietly stepped forward to help Emperor Yuanming remove his boots and court robes.
Emperor Yuanming didn't even need to open his eyes to know it was Huang Liang and his group. He was powerless to argue with Jiang Ling anymore; one day, he would definitely teach her a lesson!
Since the Luohan couch had been taken by Emperor Yuanming, Jiang Ling could not return to his bedroom to rest, so he went to the study in the west room.
It was called a study, but on the desk were only two well-worn books of poems and prose, titled "Admonitions for Women." The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were all there, but Jiang Ling had no time to grind ink or write. He yawned incessantly at the desk and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Wenjuan brought in the incense burner, placed it next to Jiang Ling, draped a hood over her shoulders, and went out to stand guard.
When it was time for Emperor Yuanming to rise, Huang Liang and the others filed in to serve him. Wen Juan hurriedly had A'Ruo wring out a hot towel and then went to wake Jiang Ling: "My lady, His Majesty is rising."
Jiang Ling slept until half of her body was stiff and her arm was numb. She moved her arm, drank some tea to rinse her mouth, and rubbed her face with a hot towel, which made her more or less awake.
Emperor Yuanming usually felt dizzy and lightheaded after his afternoon nap. Today, however, he slept late, still on the daybed, and surprisingly had a good night's sleep, waking up refreshed.
Looking at the sachets on the couch, Emperor Yuanming ordered, "From now on, prepare fresh sachets by my pillow as well."
Huang Liang agreed and hurriedly instructed the eunuchs to make preparations. Emperor Yuanming was dressed neatly, but Jiang Ling was nowhere to be seen. He assumed she had gone to rest again, and in a good mood, he magnanimously allowed her to go.
Stepping out of the side room, Emperor Yuanming was surprised to see Jiang Ling standing in the main hall, and he carefully examined her. Seeing that she looked listless and hadn't slept well, he became even more pleased: "With the winter solstice approaching, I've been very busy. The affairs of the Imperial Bedchamber cannot be neglected any longer!"
Jiang Ling replied that Emperor Yuanming stood behind him with his hands behind his back, smiling as he strode away.
Finally, things quieted down. Jiang Ling returned to the side room, lay down on the couch, and said weakly, "Wenjuan, tidy up the study in the west room and put a daybed in it."
Wenjuan smiled and said, "Later, I will call A'ruo Fanghe to carry the couch from the side room in. It's just that the couch is a bit narrow and not as comfortable as the one in the other room."
As long as he no longer slept on the desk, Jiang Ling was already satisfied and said, "Let's put aside the matter of sitting on the couch for now. Have A'Ruo go and invite Qin Shanggong over."
Wenjuan went out to deliver a message, and after a while, Aruo arrived with Qin Shanggong.
Jiang Ling didn't ask what Qin Shanggong had said to Emperor Yuanming that made him vent his anger on her. She simply said, "Qin Shanggong, His Majesty came earlier. His Majesty decreed that the gardens and parks are not enough flowers and trees, so they should be sent to the Dowager Consort first, and the rest should be sent according to rank."
Emperor Yuanming stormed into Fanying Pavilion in a rage, but Jiang Ling was unharmed. Qin Shanggong was astonished and became even more respectful towards her.
Now that Emperor Yuanming has given his decree, everything will be easy to handle. Qin Shanggong didn't say much and replied, "This servant will go and do it right away. Does Your Excellency need any other flowers or plants?"
Jiang Ling said no, adopting a righteous and awe-inspiring posture, and said, "As the person in charge of the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau, I should set an example. Besides, there aren't enough flowers and plants, so how can I only think about my own enjoyment? I should put the other sisters first. If there are any extra winter plum blossoms, I will take a few branches."
Qin Shanggong hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your Excellency is magnanimous. It was my petty mind that led me to this. Please punish me, Your Excellency."
Jiang Ling waved his hand and said, "Qin Shanggong is an elder in the palace, steady and cautious. The Shangqin Bureau still needs your supervision. The matter of flowers and plants cannot be delayed, so you should go and get busy."
Qin Shanggong stood up, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I really had no other choice before, so I went to the Emperor and truthfully reported the shortage of flowers and plants. I shouldn't have gone to the Emperor on my own and put you in a difficult position."
"Neither you nor I dare to make a decision; we can only seek the Emperor's help. Besides, I'm the one who sent you to the Emperor; you didn't go without my permission."
Seeing that Qin Shanggong was willing to take the initiative to explain and admit his mistakes, Jiang Ling realized that at least he was responsible and honest. If she continued to nag, she would just be being petty.
Qin Shanggong was slightly taken aback, her heart filled with emotion. She had seen too many concubines who, once favored, became harsh and difficult to serve. She hadn't expected that Jiang Ling, though unwilling to take responsibility, was not unreasonable or vindictive.
After seeing Qin Shanggong off, Jiang Ling lay down on the couch to rest. In his drowsy state, A'Ruo excitedly ran in, saying, "My beauty, Zhang Shan has brought the rewards!"
Jiang Ling sat up, looking bewildered, and asked, "What reward?"
A'Ruo smiled so much that her eyes narrowed into slits, and said, "This servant didn't know either. Zhang Shan and the others brought the box, and it looked like jewelry and precious stones to me!"
Upon hearing about gold and silver jewelry, Jiang Ling immediately perked up and went to the main hall.
Zhang Shan led the eunuchs forward to pay their respects, presented the box, and conveyed Emperor Yuanming's decree: "Consort Jiang has rendered meritorious service in managing the Imperial Bedchamber. Consort Jiang is hereby rewarded with a jade ruyi, a gold bracelet inlaid with rubies, two boxes of ambergris, and a box of pine nut candy."
Jiang Ling cursed inwardly for being stingy, even considering the pine nut candy as a reward. After thanking her, she accepted the box. Wen Juan took out a purse and gave it to Zhang Shan. He took it, his smile widening, and bowed before taking his leave.
The gold bracelet inlaid with rubies glittered. Jiang Ling tried it on her wrist, then took it off and put it in the box. She wasn't interested in the ambergris, so she took out a jade ruyi and scratched it, secretly grimacing in disdain. Wooden ones were much more effective and satisfying.
"You can take the candy and eat it, put the rest away," Jiang Ling said.
Wenjuan carried the box to tidy it up, shared some candy with Aruo Fanghe, and then went to tidy up the west room.
Jiang Ling, with a candy in her mouth, lay back down on the couch. It was getting late, and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to sleep that night, so she used the candy to stay awake.
As dusk settled, Wenjuan brought beeswax into the room to light the lamp. Jiang Ling sat cross-legged on the couch, rubbing the pimples on his forehead, and said dejectedly, "Wenjuan, put the candy away. Everyone should eat less."
Seeing Jiang Ling's actions, Wen Juan, holding the candlestick, leaned forward to take a closer look and said, "It looks like you have pimples. My beauty, don't touch it, or it will fester."
Jiang Ling lowered her hand and wailed, "It's growing between my eyebrows, I can't hide it, it's so ugly!"
"Don't worry, my beauty. It's on your brow, like a flower decoration," Wen Juan comforted Jiang Ling. After looking her over, her eyes lit up, and she said, "How about I use rouge to draw a flower decoration on you? What do you think?"
In the palace, it was fashionable to adorn oneself with various kinds of floral decorations. Jiang Ling, having plenty of free time, immediately nodded in agreement. Wen Juan took out rouge and a fine-bristled brush, applied rouge to the tip of the brush, and focused intently on drawing a red plum blossom along her pimple.
"Beauty, are you satisfied with this?" Wenjuan brought over a bronze mirror and let Jiang Ling look in it.
Jiang Ling looked at the person in the mirror, a red plum blossom blooming between her brows, instantly brightening her bare face.
However, upon closer inspection, the red bumps were still quite noticeable. Jiang Ling, remembering Wen Juan's hard work, praised, "Your hands are truly skillful; the drawing is so lifelike."
Wenjuan was pleased to receive the praise and said, "If you like it, my lady, I will paint for you from now on."
Jiang Ling smiled and agreed. Wen Juan picked up the mirror and placed it back on the dressing table. "It's getting late. I'll go get the food."
At this moment, Huang Liang and the palace eunuch scribe walked in from outside the screen wall. He saw Wen Juan coming out of the main room and said, "Wen Juan, where are you going? Where is Consort Jiang?"
Wenjuan greeted him, glancing at the registrar, and replied, "The beauty is inside. I'm going to the kitchen to fetch dinner. Huang Daban and Registrar Zhang have arrived. Please come in and sit down."
Jiang Ling was startled when he heard the voices outside.
Everyone knew the name of Zhang Lushi; he was the eunuch who recorded Emperor Yuanming's visits to his concubines!
She couldn't believe it, so she jumped off the bed, slipped on her shoes, and ran to the main hall.
The two men entered. Zhang, the registrar, took notes with pen and ink, while Huang Liang stood upright, his expression solemn, and his voice resounding: "By imperial decree, Consort Jiang is summoned to the Chuigong Hall to serve the emperor!"
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