Chapter 64 (None)
Upon seeing Emperor Yuanming, Gu and Xu hurriedly curtsied. Consort Duan shakily struggled to her feet, her frail body swaying, and she managed to steady herself with a soft moan. Turning her head to look at Emperor Yuanming, her eyes were red and brimming with tears. Seemingly unable to keep up, she knelt down and performed the full kowtow.
"What are you doing here? Get up at once!" Emperor Yuanming's face darkened with displeasure as he sternly addressed Gu and Xu, "How exactly did you manage to go to Cuiwei Pavilion? In the dead of winter, you actually came out here; are you courting death?"
Gu and Xu dared not utter a sound and quickly helped Duan Cai Ren up. Zi Shan, who had been watching from the side, cleverly slipped behind her and hurriedly went to report to Jiang Ling. Wen Juan stood respectfully to the side, observing the situation without showing any emotion.
Consort Duan took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and choked out, "Your Majesty, I have come to apologize to Consort Shu. Consort Shu will not see me. I know that Consort Shu is angry, and I have never dared to complain in the slightest. I hope that Consort Shu will calm down soon, so that Consort Shu can see my true feelings. Even kneeling on the ice is nothing."
Emperor Yuanming frowned repeatedly. Seeing Wen Juan standing there, he asked, "Where is Consort Shu?"
Wen Juan lowered her eyes and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince woke up earlier, and the Empress is watching over him. This servant is here on the Empress's orders to inform you that Consort Duan should rest and recuperate first, and then come back after her confinement period."
Emperor Yuanming grunted and said to Consort Duan, "In that case, come back after you have finished your confinement period."
"Your Majesty," Consort Duan's eyes filled with tears again, biting her lip, she said pitifully, "I am so sorry to Consort Shu. I feel ashamed. Whatever Consort Shu has done for me, I deserve it. I will come again until Consort Shu has calmed down..."
“I do not accept it.” At this moment, Jiang Ling stepped forward, curtsied to Emperor Yuanming, and said firmly, “I do not accept your apology.”
Emperor Yuanming was stunned, and Consort Duan seemed to be momentarily taken aback by Jiang Ling's resolute words.
“Consort Duan, you have slandered my son. My son cannot speak to refute you, but I must seek justice for him. Public opinion can destroy even metal, and your slanderous words have spread far and wide. The Emperor only ordered you to apologize, so you should apologize in front of everyone and admit that you had ill intentions, were spouting nonsense, and deliberately trying to smear an innocent child.”
Jiang Ling laughed, his voice neither loud nor soft, and said, "Duan Cairen, who are you trying to impress by coming to Fanying Pavilion? Are you trying to impress Hanfeng or the Emperor? Duan Cairen, I am an upright and honest person, I don't know any of those tricks. But I'm not stupid, who are you trying to impress with your behavior?"
Emperor Yuanming's face twitched, and he became uneasy, involuntarily looking away, not daring to look at Jiang Ling.
Consort Duan leaned against Granny Gu, shaking her head repeatedly, "Your Highness, Consort Shu has misunderstood. I've come sincerely to apologize..."
"I won't accept it!" Jiang Ling interrupted her, raising her voice and laughing mockingly.
“Look at you, you can barely stand, yet you braved the cold wind during your postpartum period, and I wouldn’t let you in. You kowtowed and knelt before me, but I still wouldn’t see you. Oh dear, if word gets out, I’ll be seen as bullying you, going too far. Just because you’re weak, you’re right, and you’ll be the one being bullied. Even your father, the Earl of Yong’an, went to the Jiang family to apologize in a grand manner. The Earl of Yong’an is of such high status, yet he condescended to apologize to a mere doctor. If they still don’t forgive you, then they’re ungrateful and aggressive.”
Jiang Ling ignored Emperor Yuanming's expression and Duan Cairen, who was crying her eyes out, and clicked her tongue twice in admiration.
"Your Yong'an Marquis's Mansion truly has a long and distinguished family tradition of learning. The Jiang family, being a small and insignificant household, is simply no match for you. You feign weakness and use a self-inflicted injury ruse to make your forced buying and selling and bullying seem respectable."
Jiang Ling stared coldly at Duan Cairen, saying each word slowly and deliberately, "Don't treat people like fools and resort to underhanded tricks. I don't accept your apology. Whether you apologize again or not is even less of my concern. Because I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore. You're like a stinking pile of excrement, and I don't want to get covered in your stench!"
As expected, Duan Cairen cried so hard she gasped for breath, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Jiang Ling felt incredibly refreshed, as if every pore on his body was dancing with joy.
When a powerful person speaks or acts, it's like sugar wrapped in excrement. Even if you want to grind them to dust, you must maintain appearances and elegance.
Jiang Ling learned most of it, but that wasn't her true nature; she preferred a more brutal approach.
Duan Cai Ren was like a toad lying on your feet; she wasn't particularly dangerous, but she was truly disgusting.
Born into a noble family, she wasn't considered powerful in the capital, but she was still quite prestigious. A beautiful and pampered young lady who grew up spoiled, she had a smooth and successful life after entering the palace. At first, she would try to hide her true feelings, but later she became arrogant and overconfident.
Aside from Consort Zhao, whom she had offended, no one else wanted to talk to her, making her victory seem unfair.
And by using her to cause some trouble for Jiang Ling, everyone would be happy to watch the show.
Jiang Ling didn't want things to go on like this. She was in her postpartum recovery period, and her mindset had changed since giving birth. She was afraid that enduring it would lead to postpartum depression.
As for Emperor Yuanming, out of consideration for the Second Princess Xiao Jiatang, he let Zhao Pin off the hook. She had the Third Prince in her grasp and had a valid reason to slap Consort Duan in the face. Even if he felt sorry for her, he wouldn't do anything to her; at most, he would compensate Consort Duan behind her back.
As expected, Emperor Yuanming's face darkened, and he said to Gu and Xu, "Why haven't you taken Consort Duan back yet! How have you been serving her...?"
Originally intending to punish the two maids, he remembered Jiang Ling's earlier pleading for Bai Qinzhi, and changed his tone: "Keep a close eye on Consort Duan. If she makes any further mistakes, I will not let her off lightly!"
Gu and Xu quickly helped Consort Duan into a sedan chair and hurriedly left. Emperor Yuanming tenderly adjusted Jiang Ling's hood and said, "Go inside quickly and take care of yourself. Since you don't want to see her, why come out and get cold? Let her be."
"The Emperor knows she's here. If I don't see her today, there's always tomorrow. The Emperor has also seen Consort Duan's body. I reckon she'll soon be bedridden and unable to walk, and I'll have bullied her to the point of near death."
Jiang Ling stretched out her arms and said sarcastically, "Who told me to be so obedient? It's like whoever is weak is right! Doesn't Your Majesty feel sorry for Consort Duan and think that I shouldn't have come out and should have indulged her?"
Emperor Yuanming immediately protested, "Look at what you're saying! You're truly heartless. I was worried about your health; when have I ever indulged her?"
Jiang Ling said, "Your Majesty's choice of whom to indulge or favor is none of my business. I have only one request."
"What is it?" Emperor Yuanming glanced sideways at Jiang Ling, still looking resentful.
"I would like to raise a fierce dog," Jiang Ling said.
Emperor Yuanming was quite surprised. He thought Jiang Ling wanted to punish Consort Duan and the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion, but who would have thought she wanted to raise dogs!
"Why do you keep a dog?" Emperor Yuanming asked curiously. Afraid that she would be angry if he didn't agree, he said gently, "If you really want to keep one, you can keep a small, docile dog to play with. There are many people in the palace. If a fierce dog bites someone, it will cause trouble again."
Jiang Ling said, "From now on, if I don't want to see anyone, I'll let the dog out. Besides, dogs fight dogs; my dog will never bite anyone."
Emperor Yuanming couldn't help but chuckle. "So you're still angry, cursing everyone like dogs. You really have a temper."
Jiang Ling smiled, knowing when to stop, and said no more. Back in the side room, she took off her hood, which Aruo took from her, and Zishan quickly offered her a hand warmer.
Emperor Yuanming went to see the Third Prince and found him awake, his big, dark eyes wide open, his little fists clenched and placed near his face. His face was no longer the red and wrinkled one it was at birth; it was now round, chubby, and delicate.
An emotion he had never felt before rose in Emperor Yuanming's heart, a warm current flowing through him. His eyes were filled with affection, and he reached out to pick him up.
Jiang Ling washed her hands, put on her everyday clothes, and quickly hugged the Third Prince, saying, "Be careful he might urinate on His Majesty. Let me help him urinate first."
Emperor Yuanming looked down at his dragon robe, laughed upon hearing this, and said, "That brat dared to throw a tantrum on me. He's still young, so I won't hold it against him now. I'll remember this for now, and settle the score with him when he's older."
Wen Juan brought over hot water, and Emperor Yuanming, chatting and laughing, washed his hands as well. As he wiped his hands with a handkerchief, he suddenly realized that Jiang Ling had washed her hands before going to hug the Third Prince.
She was disgusted by his dirty hands and body!
However, Emperor Yuanming was not angry. Dragon robes should not be washed in water. The dragon robe he was wearing had only been dusted and scented with incense, and it was indeed a bit dirty and needed to be changed.
Jiang Ling skillfully helped the prince urinate, put on a diaper, and placed the third prince in the cradle.
"Your Majesty, how much is the Third Prince's monthly salary, and where does he collect it?" Jiang Ling asked casually, sitting by the rocking carriage and teasing the Third Prince.
"His food, clothing, and daily necessities are all drawn from my private treasury. He is not even a month old yet, so where would he get his salary?"
Emperor Yuanming chuckled, glancing sideways at Jiang Ling, and said, "Is it you, his mother, who's eyeing his salary?"
Before a prince came of age, the wet nurses and palace maids who served him were all provided by the Imperial Treasury. However, the emperor would bestow upon him an honorary title and a corresponding monthly salary. Alternatively, he might be rewarded with a large sum of gold, silver, or land. Both the salary and the reward were kept in the Imperial Treasury's accounts and would be returned to the prince after he grew up, left the palace, and established his own residence.
The eldest and second princes, along with the eldest and second princesses, all received a large sum of money and land. The third prince should have received the same; Emperor Yuanming bestowed upon him a sum of gold and silver treasures, as well as an imperial estate.
For Emperor Yuanming, the accounts stored in the imperial treasury were like money being transferred from one hand to the other. The annual harvests and profits from the imperial estates were managed by eunuchs.
Jiang Ling wanted the Third Prince to grant her an honorary title and a monthly salary, which would be in her hands instead of being deposited in the imperial treasury.
She ordered the Jiang family father and son not to accept bribes or demand anything, as their salaries were low and they were struggling to support their large family.
The Zhao family was poor because of their high expenses. Consort Zhao did not receive the Second Prince's reward money, and her monthly salary in the harem was reduced. Even with the money from the servants' filial piety, she was still struggling to make ends meet.
Zheng Ze and Wu Shishan are helping to find a clerk. The expenses for two reliable and capable clerks are not a small amount.
Therefore, Jiang Ling had to get his hands on the Third Prince's salary.
"Yes, I am indeed poor and wish to receive a salary," Jiang Ling said frankly.
Emperor Yuanming was stunned. Jiang Ling recounted Bai Qinzhi's situation, omitting the part about asking Zheng Ze and Wu Shishan to find a clerk. He only referred to it as a clerk and explained everything in detail.
“Your Majesty, the Jiang family comes from a remote place. My father and elder brother are both honest people. I have instructed them to be honest and upright in their work. My father and elder brother are very honest, and they don’t even have anyone to consult or run errands for them. How will they manage? But hiring a secretary is not enough for my father and elder brother’s meager salary. I was thinking of subsidizing them.”
Jiang Ling did not curse anyone, and she made no attempt to hide her plans, revealing them completely, just as she had said.
It's rare to hear the truth in the imperial court; the court officials are all cunning old foxes, skilled in all sorts of witty remarks.
Emperor Yuanming was already tired of this, but he was very pleased with Jiang Ling's straightforwardness. He thought to himself, "Although she has a bad temper, she still trusts me and regards me as her god, which is why she is so willing to discuss things. The Jiang family father and son are indeed a bit weak. Since they are my son's maternal family, I can't let them disgrace my son."
"The rewards for the First Prince and the Second Prince are all kept in the Imperial Treasury. I cannot break the rules."
Emperor Yuanming pondered for a moment, and seeing Jiang Ling's face fall, he quickly said, "Since you personally feed the Third Prince and he has no wet nurses, eunuchs, or palace maids to serve him, I will include these expenses in the expenses of Cuiwei Pavilion, and you can draw on them. How about that?"
Jiang Ling quickly calculated and said, "When he grows up a bit, I will need to wean him, and I will need eunuchs and palace maids to serve him. Your Majesty, how long can I keep these services?"
"How could I possibly shortchange you on your money..." Emperor Yuanming thought of how Jiang Ling had scolded him for being stingy countless times, and felt inexplicably guilty. He changed his words and said, "It's still too early to wean. Even if there are palace maids and eunuchs to serve you, I won't mention this expense. You can just take it."
Jiang Ling was satisfied for the time being, and without saying anything more, bowed and thanked him.
Emperor Yuanming was reminded and said, "We will need palace maids and eunuchs to serve us; we need to find them in advance."
The harem is a complex place with many people, and Jiang Ling doesn't trust anyone. She plans to choose from the newly arrived palace maids and eunuchs when she needs help. She hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I have enough people around me. It's still early. We can make arrangements when he's a little older."
"Alright, whatever you say." Emperor Yuanming said indulgently. Then, as if remembering something, a look of doubt appeared on his face. He asked, "No matter who I indulge or pamper, you just don't care?"
Jiang Ling stared wide-eyed at Emperor Yuanming, bewildered, thinking, "Has Niu Fen gone mad? Is he going to play the emperor's sentimental love card?"
Emperor Yuanming met Jiang Ling's gaze, waiting for her answer, and was even more excited, hoping to hear her true feelings.
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