Chapter 22 Punishing villains is less like being a living bodhisattva and more like being a female demon...
Dozens of mimosa trees planted in the Qinzheng Hall garden bloomed overnight, their flowers blooming like clouds, shaped like fans, like pink fans hanging from the branches. The pleasant fragrance of the flowers drifted into the window lattice on the wind, intertwining with the sandalwood incense in the room, creating an exceptionally elegant aroma.
Holding a gilded tray with dragon and cloud design, Eunuch Wang bowed and entered the study.
"Your Majesty, the weather has been hot lately, and Chief Steward Zhao of the Inner Palace has specially sent over some refreshing snacks—Snow Crisp Mountain."
The man behind the rosewood table with cloud and dragon patterns put down his wolf-hair brush, his deep gaze falling on the exquisite pastries served in glassware, and his brow twitched slightly.
Snow-Crusted Mountain was a summer delicacy enjoyed by the nobles of the capital. Ice blocks were rubbed into a fine slush and placed on the bottom of a glass container. Ghee was then heated until it was almost melted, and then dripped layer by layer onto the slush with a wooden spoon until it formed a shape resembling a mountain. The mountaintop was then garnished with sweet and sour cherry meat, and the container was placed in an ice cellar to freeze for three hours.
The Snow Crisp Mountain dessert is refreshingly cool, smooth, fragrant, and leaves a lingering aftertaste.
Pei Muwei stared at the snow-white mountain in the glass vessel for a long time, and the image of the little empress dowager who had acted drunkenly at the palace banquet last night involuntarily came to mind.
A faint smile played on the man's lips as he chuckled softly.
The eunuch felt uneasy under the regent's gaze, who had remained silent for a long time. When he suddenly heard this laugh, his hand trembled in surprise.
"Bring it here."
"This servant obeys."
The Snow Crisp Mountain, freshly taken from the ice cellar, still exuded a slight chill. Pei Muwei held a silver spoon with his long fingers, scooped out the bright red cherries from the top of the mountain, and savored them carefully.
It's snowy smooth, crispy, and melts in your mouth.
He took a few small sips, then put down the silver spoon, took the handkerchief handed to him by Eunuch Wang, wiped his lips, and said in a flat tone:
"Zhao Zhongxian, the chief steward of the Northern Division, is quite capable in his duties..."
The palace eunuchs were divided into the Inner Attendants Department and the Inner Palace Attendants Department. The Inner Attendants Department, also known as the Southern Department, was headed by Eunuch Wang, who was responsible for the emperor's daily life and palace affairs. The Inner Palace Attendants Department, also known as the Northern Department, was in charge of the affairs of the imperial concubines and other palace officials.
Eunuch Wang and Eunuch Zhao, one in charge of affairs before the emperor and the other in charge of trivial matters in the inner court, entered the palace in the same year, held the same rank, and were of similar status.
Wang Gonggong's eyes darted around, unsure of the Regent's meaning. If the Regent was praising Zhao Zhongxian for doing a good job, the man's eyes were colder than a snow-covered mountain pastry.
So he replied vaguely, "Chief Steward Zhao oversees twelve bureaus, including the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Kitchen Department, the Imperial Seal Department, and the Imperial Clothing Department. It is his duty to be loyal to the Prince."
Pei Muwei tossed the handkerchief back onto the tray, his tone indifferent: "Bring him in."
"This servant will go immediately."
Upon hearing the summons, Eunuch Zhao beamed with joy, taking light, quick steps, his whisk swung proudly in the wind.
With three thousand beauties in the harem, he categorized them into different classes: those favored by the emperor, those from prominent families, those ambitious for advancement, and those who had lost his favor and had no hope of ever seeing him again. Through his smooth handling of affairs, he rose step by step and finally secured the lucrative position of Grand Steward of the Northern Division.
After the death of Emperor Shang, the imperial concubines and consorts were sent to the imperial mausoleum to live out their remaining years. The vast harem was left with only a young empress dowager whose future was uncertain.
The Empress Dowager's meager reward was less than a fraction of what he earned from hosting a palace banquet.
Tsk, a phoenix forced onto a branch is destined not to live long.
While he was pondering, Eunuch Zhao had already entered the Hall of Diligent Governance. He tidied his appearance in front of the door and quickly went inside.
Last night's banquet at the Flower Festival went smoothly, and the civil and military officials were still praising it as they left the palace. It seems that the Regent heard these words and wanted to reward him!
"Your humble servant Zhao Zhongxian pays his respects to the Regent."
Eunuch Zhao knelt down on both knees, cupped his hands to the ground in front of his knees, and kowtowed in greeting.
The man sat upright behind a magnificent desk with cloud and dragon patterns, reviewing documents, while the eunuch Wang stood silently grinding ink beside the desk.
The only sound in the study was the soft grinding of ink sticks and inkstones.
As he knelt on the ground, Eunuch Zhao's back gradually stiffened, his forehead pressed against the cold gold bricks, yet he couldn't help but sweat profusely.
Just as Eunuch Wang was about to finish grinding an ink stick, the Regent spoke calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "I heard that the palace dress the Empress Dowager wore last night was personally delivered to the Phoenix Perch Palace by Eunuch Zhao?"
During the half hour that Zhao Gonggong was left out in the cold, he quickly racked his brains to figure out the reason for the Regent's displeasure, guessing that it might be because the Empress Dowager had complained about him at the palace banquet the night before.
Now that they had guessed the reason, they prepared a foolproof explanation.
He raised his head, his voice trembling with fear: "Your Highness, unlike previous Flower Festivals, the Imperial Wardrobe must embroider the robes for the Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Prince within four months. Time is of the essence, and the embroiderers have been working day and night. Five of them have gone blind from exhaustion, yet they have only managed to complete the Emperor and Prince's robes. The more time-consuming 'Hundred Flowers and Immortals' dress is truly hopeless. Fortunately, there are still some leftover palace dresses from last year worn by Consort Chun in the storeroom. Therefore, this servant dares to request permission from the Empress Dowager..."
"The Empress Dowager, in a moment of great compassion, understood the hardships faced by the embroiderers of the Imperial Wardrobe, saying that her own size was not much different from that of Consort Chun, and that with a little alteration, she could fit into the garment..."
Eunuch Zhao raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face, admitting his mistake as he did so: "It was this servant's negligence that caused the Empress Dowager's disrespect. This servant deserves to die..."
In no time, Eunuch Zhao's face swelled up like a pig's head.
Pei Muwei placed his long fingers on the sky-blue porcelain lid, slowly and methodically removing the tea leaves from the surface. He took a sip of tea without any expression before saying in a calm voice:
"This is probably not the only time that Eunuch Zhao has been disrespectful to the Empress Dowager."
Zhao Gonggong's hand, which was suspended in mid-air, suddenly stopped, and a look of panic flashed in his swollen eyes.
The man's fingers, which were resting on the edge of the teacup, slid. In the bright sunlight, his clean fingertips shone like sharpened blades.
"According to palace custom, the day after the Empress Dowager moved into the Phoenix Perch Palace, the Inner Palace Attendants were to deliver a four-piece cabinet carved with dragon and phoenix patterns in sandalwood, a wide couch inlaid with mother-of-pearl and rosewood, a double-sided Suzhou embroidery screen, twenty bolts each of Yun brocade, Hangzhou silk, and brocade satin, a red coral bonsai, a set of twenty-eight pieces of celadon ware, twelve palace maids, and eight eunuchs..."
"Four months have passed. Has the Empress Dowager received any of these housewarming items?"
As the man's cool and calm voice rang out, Eunuch Zhao's face grew even paler, and he trembled like a leaf.
Pei Muwei put down his teacup, his dark gaze as cold as a knife, and his tone turned somber: "Did they all go into Director Zhao's private residence?"
As if stabbed, Eunuch Zhao fell sideways, prostrating himself on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly, the sound of which made the gold bricks tremble.
"This servant knows his mistake. This servant should never have been so disrespectful to the Empress Dowager... Please, Regent, give this servant another chance!"
Pei Muwei glanced at the time displayed on the water clock and indifferently ordered, "Someone come here!"
The vermilion carvings opened from the inside out, and Lin Mu strode in, bowing respectfully: "Your Highness, what are your orders?"
“Take him to the Ministry of Justice and give him fifty strokes of the cane. If he still has a breath left, send him to the imperial mausoleum to continue serving his former masters.”
"Your subordinate obeys."
Lin Mu lifted the limp Zhao Gonggong with one arm and gave him a gentle and harmless smile: "I'm sorry, Zhao Gonggong."
"Your Highness...Your Highness...This servant knows his mistake. This servant shouldn't have looked down on people..."
Clinging tightly to the dragon-patterned vermilion pillar, his straw hat askew beside his ear, Eunuch Zhao cried out, "From now on, this servant will treat the Empress Dowager as a living bodhisattva! I beg Your Highness to give this servant another chance!"
Lin Mu swiftly gagged Eunuch Zhao, and with a wave of his hand, the four imperial guards standing outside rushed forward, grabbed his legs and arms, and carried him out.
In an instant, the study fell silent.
Standing to one side of the display shelf, Eunuch Wang was covered in cold sweat. He watched helplessly as Eunuch Zhao, with whom he had worked for more than thirty years, met such an end, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
Eunuch Zhao was too opportunistic in his dealings with people. He thought that since the regent held great power, the young emperor was young, and the empress dowager was weak-willed, he fawned on the powerful and flattered the weak, going to great lengths to please the regent.
Little did they know that their flattery would backfire.
Having learned from Zhao Gonggong's example, Wang Gonggong couldn't help but ponder silently: the living bodhisattva in Fengqi Palace in the future, no... the Queen Mother of the West, cannot be neglected in the slightest!
Pei Muwei tapped his long fingers lightly on the table, his sword-like eyebrows furrowing slightly as he looked up at the swaying mimosa flowers outside the window.
The pink fan, shyly fragrant, is just like a woman's rosy cheeks when she's slightly tipsy.
Her alluring figure and natural charm are captivating.
She doesn't resemble a living Buddha, but rather a female demon.
———
As the sun set, a large entourage marched towards the Phoenix Perch Palace.
Chu Yueyuan, who had just woken up, leaned against the bamboo couch with her back against the soft Suzhou embroidery pillow with millet and jade core. She looked dazed as she watched the palace servants carrying exquisite utensils moving around in the front hall, and for a moment she wondered if she was still dreaming.
Until she saw six eunuchs carrying a five-foot-tall red coral jade pot to replace the yellowing bamboo planter in the corner, she finally couldn't help but ask:
"Eunuch Liu, is it that a concubine will be moving into the Phoenix Perch Palace?"
The leader of the group, Eunuch Liu, was an unfamiliar face. He was not old, and when he smiled, he revealed a pair of tiger teeth. His appearance was quite pleasing.
With a smile, Eunuch Liu flicked his whisk and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, these furnishings and utensils should have been replaced before Your Majesty moved into the Phoenix Perch Palace. Today, this servant is here to ensure that they are properly arranged before the lanterns are lit. Your Highness, please rest assured, the servants of the Imperial Household Department are quick and efficient, and it will not take long."
Chu Yueyuan found it strange. She had been living in Fengqi Palace for four months, so why did the Imperial Household Department suddenly decide to send over not only gorgeous and exquisite furnishings and utensils, but also twelve maids and eight eunuchs to serve her closely?
How much royalties does she need to earn to support all these palace servants!
Chu Yueyuan frowned slightly and tentatively asked, "Is Eunuch Liu acting on orders from Steward Zhao?"
Liu Gonggong's smile froze, his canine teeth disappeared rapidly, and he bent his hunched back even lower, his nose almost touching his feet.
"Your Majesty, Chief Steward Zhao embezzled items from the storeroom to line his own pockets. This was discovered by the Regent, who dismissed him from his post and sent him to the Censorate for punishment. I am here today on the Regent's orders to replenish the missing items in the Phoenix Perch Palace."
He paused, then raised his face and smiled again: "The Regent also said that His Majesty is still far from reaching adulthood, and there are currently no concubines in the harem, so expenses are much less than in previous years. The Empress Dowager has worked hard to raise His Majesty, so the Regent has issued a decree to the Secretariat, effective immediately, His Highness's monthly salary will be increased from fifty taels to two hundred taels, and daily necessities such as silk, satin, jewelry, and cosmetics will also be supplied in accordance with the regulations of the founding Empress Dowager."
Chu Yueyuan was taken aback.
The founding emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty was a famously filial son. After unifying the country, he spent a fortune to build the magnificent Phoenix Palace in the imperial city for his mother to live in. All the rare treasures, fresh fruits and seafood that were presented as tribute from various prefectures and counties were first sent to the Phoenix Palace for the Empress Dowager to enjoy.
Chu Yueyuan raised her hand to her forehead, trying hard to recall what happened at the palace banquet last night.
Could it be that she got drunk last night and became sworn brothers with the Regent? Otherwise, how could the Regent suddenly change his usual indifferent attitude after only one night, first punishing the neglectful Steward Zhao, and then ordering the Ministry of Personnel to increase her monthly salary?
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