Chapter 99 (None)
As the chill of early spring passed and the city flourished, Xiao Yunrui's funeral finally came to an end. Emperor Yuanming's injuries had mostly healed, but unfortunately, his injured leg made walking difficult, and he still did not attend court. Important memorials and state affairs were all sent to the Qionghua Pavilion for processing.
Xiao Yunjue was young, and his wounds healed quickly, already almost completely recovered. However, his personality changed drastically after his injury; he no longer wanted to see anyone and spent his days drinking and making merry in his palace, causing quite a few absurd incidents.
Consort Zhao, under the pretense of recuperating from her injuries, remained completely silent and never showed her face again. She seemed to ignore Xiao Yunjue, letting him cause trouble as he pleased.
Consort Liu lost all face in front of the mourning hall, yet remained silent, and almost never left Rouyi Palace.
Outside the palace, discussions about the royal family were constant, while the court officials remained silent, and the inner palace was unusually calm.
"Your Majesty." Wen Juan and Qing Tan entered the room carrying flower branches and curtsied in greeting.
"The roses are blooming so beautifully." Jiang Ling looked at the delicate pink flowers and couldn't resist reaching out to pick them.
"Your Highness, be careful, there are thorns. Let me do it," Qingtan hurriedly reminded her, and used silver scissors to cut off a flower and presented it to Jiang Ling.
Wenjuan walked to the half-raised window frame and casually glanced outside. Tonight, Jiang Ling and Emperor Yuanming were sleeping in the same bedroom. The curtains were drawn to separate the inner and outer rooms, and a spacious couch was placed by the window, so Jiang Ling could finally sleep more comfortably at night.
During the day, court officials frequently came to visit, making it inconvenient for Jiang Ling to stay. He prepared a room on the west side to rest. Qionghua Pavilion was heavily guarded, with court officials coming and going freely, and ordinary people were not allowed to approach.
Seeing that no one was outside the window, Wenjuan walked to the table and, together with Qingtan, began to tidy up the roses, talking in hushed tones.
"Your Majesty, the Second Prince's palace was in chaos until dawn last night. All the rose bushes planted there were cut down by the roots. The Second Prince took the thorny branches and started hitting people indiscriminately, especially on the head and face. The screams of pain never stopped all night."
At this point, Wen Juan couldn't help but shudder. Qing Tan, reflecting on her own experience, looked on with deep reluctance.
"Huang Daban encountered me earlier and reminded me to keep my mouth shut and not to say too much." Wenjuan looked dejected and used the silver scissors to cut off the thorns on the branch.
Xiao Yunjue was the most esteemed prince; what was the big deal about him abusing a few servants? The crucial point was that the news must not leak out. The royal family's dignity had long since vanished, like a peacock displaying its tail feathers—beautiful and dazzling on one side, but its rear end exposed on the other. The court officials and common people all knew the truth; as long as they avoided talking about it, the matter would cease to exist. For a few taels of silver, there would be black-hearted, spineless people who would sing his praises and write books about it.
Jiang Ling sat sideways in the armchair, idly plucking at the roses, gazing at the bright spring light outside the window, her eyes filled with icy coldness.
"Those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish," Jiang Ling said quietly.
Wen Juan was stunned, and Qing Tan looked blankly at Jiang Ling; neither of them seemed at ease.
"It's a bit chilly inside, I'm going out for a walk and to get some sun." Jiang Ling didn't want to say more, so she got up and walked out of the house.
When pushed to the brink, even the weakest and most lowly person will rebel; there was the Renyin Palace Rebellion in history.
A gentle breeze was blowing, and the sky stretched to the horizon. Jiang Ling stood under the eaves for a while, preparing to go see Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunlang. At this moment, Grand Secretary Wei and Prime Minister Zheng emerged from the main hall.
Jiang Ling was quite a distance away from them, and she planned to pretend she hadn't seen them. Zheng Xiang politely stopped and raised his hand in greeting.
As Grand Secretary Wei followed Prime Minister Zheng, Jiang Ling, though unable to discern his expression, could only surmise it was not a pleasant one, judging by his temperament.
Jiang Ling pretended not to know, nodded in return, and leisurely entered the side room. Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunlang were writing calligraphy together, their desks were still a mess, and their hands and faces were covered in ink.
Emperor Yuanming's health had improved somewhat, and he would always keep an eye on his two sons' studies whenever he had free time. Fearing punishment from Emperor Yuanming, they wrote characters with great care amidst their playfulness.
“Mother!” Xiao Yunzan leaned on the desk, pointed to the large characters he had finished writing, and said, “I have finished writing ten large characters. Later, A-Lang and I will go to play in the Imperial Garden.”
"After finishing your homework, you can play for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but you can't play in the water," Jiang Ling said.
"Only allowing me to play for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn? Mother is too stingy!" Xiao Yunzan complained.
Although Xiao Yunlang didn't understand how long an incense stick was, he joined Xiao Yunzan in protesting, "Mother, why can't we play in the water?"
"The water's still cold, be careful not to catch a cold." Jiang Ling gently pinched Xiao Yunlang's slightly chubby cheek and said bluntly, "Especially you, daring to sneak into the water to play, I'll spank you!"
Xiao Yunlang loved playing in the water, so he turned his head away and secretly made a face at Xiao Yunzan, saying, "Mother is so fierce."
Xiao Yunzan nodded vigorously, "Mother forbids this and that, she's even fiercer than Father."
Jiang Ling thought of Xiao Yunjue and looked at the two of them with a troubled expression. Emperor Yuanming was strict with them in their studies, but in other aspects, he could be considered lenient with them.
The imperial family is of utmost importance, and there is a distinction between ruler and subject. National etiquette comes first, followed by family etiquette. Even if an elderly court official has no title, the young Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunlang must still be treated with utmost respect.
The two were at a mischievous age, and when Jiang Ling tried to discipline them more, they often became unhappy and grew closer to Emperor Yuanming.
Raising children is truly difficult. Even someone as wise as Consort Lin, on the seventh day after Xiao Yunrui's death, asked in a daze, "I believe I treated Arui with all my heart and soul, and taught him with utmost care. Why did he learn nothing and even lose his life because of it?"
Jiang Ling did not answer at the time, but she knew to some extent what the problem between Consort Lin and Xiao Yunrui and his mother lay.
Consort Lin taught Xiao Yunrui to read and to be cunning; the hopes of her and the Lin family rested on his still-childish shoulders.
Xiao Yunrui was of mediocre talent; he couldn't live up to Consort Lin's expectations, and he wasn't even as good as Xiao Yunjue. Over time, he vented his anger by torturing and killing cats and dogs. He rashly attacked Xiao Yunjue, intending to prove his abilities to Consort Lin.
As for whether Xiao Yunrui truly intended to bring Emperor Yuanming along, or only intended to bring Xiao Yunjue, after falling down the stone steps, he could no longer speak; only heaven knows.
Consort Lin knew all along that Xiao Yunrui was killing cats and dogs, but she didn't think much of it. Consort Zhao was the same; Xiao Yunrui's drunken torment of the servants was no big deal to her.
They failed to teach Xiao Yunrui and Xiao Yunjue the principles of being a decent human being, just as Emperor Yuanming did. Jiang Ling smiled self-deprecatingly; the royal family and nobles were all superior beings, and they had no need to learn these things.
Jiang Ling immediately lost interest and felt a deep loneliness. He walked along the corridor and unknowingly walked out through the side door.
After finishing their homework, Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunlang ran out together. Seeing Jiang Ling walking ahead, they huddled together and whispered, deciding to bypass her by taking a shortcut from the east side to avoid her nagging.
Aruo and Zishan served her closely. They were Jiang Ling's confidantes, so how could they remain silent upon seeing her? They would curtsy and greet her from afar.
Jiang Ling turned around and saw that Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunlang, seeing that they couldn't avoid it, drooped their little heads and stepped forward, asking, "Is Mother going to the Imperial Garden too?"
"I'm not going. You guys go have fun, but remember to come back at the right time." Jiang Ling shook her head and prepared to turn around and go back into the house.
Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunlang were overjoyed. They bowed respectfully and ran off quickly. The guards passing by saw the two running away, and hurriedly bowed and stepped aside to make way.
Jiang Ling's eyes darkened slightly when she saw Yuan Changsheng, who was leading the group. She stepped forward without making a sound, and Yuan Changsheng bowed in greeting. Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunlang puffed out their chests and returned the greeting, calling him "Master Yuan."
"This servant is unworthy of the courtesy from the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. It is truly an insult to this servant," Yuan Changsheng said respectfully and humbly.
Xiao Yunzan glanced at it curiously and said, "What's so unworthy of this?"
Jiang Ling smiled and said, "Yes, what is there for Yuan Daban to be ashamed of? Even though Yuan Daban is injured, he still works hard. The safety of all of us depends on Yuan Daban."
One hundred days after his broken bones, Yuan Changsheng's left wrist still hung limply at his side. Perhaps due to recent overwork, he had lost a lot of weight, and his eyes were dark and bluish. Compared to his previous aloofness, he now seemed gentler, only politely saying, "This servant still has duties to perform, so I must take my leave now."
"Wait a minute." Jiang Ling lowered his eyes and called out, telling Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunlang to go play first. He then said to Yuan Changsheng, who had stopped, "I'm sorry, but there's something that's really puzzling me. I'd like to ask Yuan Changsheng for clarification."
Yuan Changsheng was wary and said, "I don't know what Your Highness wants. I am not sure what the matter is, so please forgive me."
“Mr. Yuan guarantees he knows,” Jiang Ling replied confidently. Yuan Changsheng didn’t respond, but instead listened attentively with his head bowed.
"While you are on patrol at night, have you heard anything strange? It's being said all over the palace that someone is screaming and crying in the middle of the night. Do you know where this is coming from?"
Yuan Changsheng's gaze darkened slightly, and he cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, the palace is so vast, and I patrol everywhere. Perhaps this matter is true, but unfortunately, I did not hear it with my own ears and do not know where it came from."
Jiang Ling grunted and said, "Some people say the sound came from the Second Prince's palace. When Yuan Daban is on patrol, he should listen carefully and not delay. The Second Prince is already injured. If there is any further accident, Yuan Daban will be held accountable for dereliction of duty."
Yuan Changsheng's expression finally changed. He answered very cleverly, saying, "Your Majesty, if I were to encounter such a situation, I would report it to the Emperor truthfully. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
Jiang Ling pretended not to understand and emphasized, "Since everyone is talking about the Second Prince's palace, Yuan Daban, you should send more people to patrol it. After all, it concerns the Second Prince and cannot be taken lightly."
According to the rules, Jiang Ling is not allowed to interfere with Yuan Changsheng's duties. If he were to point this out, Jiang Ling would probably immediately lose his temper and start making a scene.
The argument between Jiang Ling and Consort Liu was enough to show that she was not to be underestimated. Moreover, she was by Emperor Yuanming's side and enjoyed his deep favor.
Yuan Changsheng was well aware of what had happened in Xiao Yunjue's palace. The prince, with obvious facial injuries and a slight limp, had likely lost his chance at the crown prince position. Having lost the ability to compete for the throne, the prince would not waste his efforts on him; it would be a thankless task.
Jiang Ling's intention was clear: he wanted to use him to expose what had happened in Xiao Yunjue's palace.
With the lid tightly closed, Yuan Changsheng had no choice but to reluctantly agree. Fearing further entanglement with Jiang Ling, she quickly raised her hand in greeting: "Your Highness, this servant takes her leave."
Jiang Ling didn't keep him any longer, nodding and saying, "Yuan Daban, you can go and get busy. Just remember to send more people. Alas, they are all born of fathers and mothers, so pitiful."
Her next words seemed to be a monologue as she turned and left.
Yuan Changsheng paused slightly, and couldn't help but look up at Jiang Ling.
江舲察覺到袁長生銳利的目光，她并未回頭，施施然進了側門。
後宮太過安靜，安靜并非好事。
有些人既然枉為人，應當被扔出來祭天！
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