Chapter 267: A Rebel and Three Helpers
A new day.
In the palace.
The maids and eunuchs by the Emperor’s side.
Their daily work and primary responsibility is actually to keep the Emperor happy.
There are levels to keeping the Emperor happy.
One type is telling gossip; it must be interesting without violating taboos. This is like being a casual friend, chatting together—it is optional, and many eunuchs compete for this role; multiple people can hold it simultaneously.
Another type is providing physical and mental satisfaction, like the concubines. However, the Emperor is elderly and has begun to pursue health preservation; his physical desires have greatly diminished, so the advantage of the concubines has consequently decreased significantly.
And then there is spiritual resonance, like Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi.
Currently, only Eunuch Yan has achieved this.
Eunuch Yan does not speak much in front of the Emperor, but every sentence seems to carry great weight.
A new day, the Emperor wakes up quite early.
Although there is no morning court, sometimes he cannot sleep.
He gets up, washes, and eats; his body is filled with a sense of fatigue.
After taking his first dose of medicine, he feels a bit more energetic.
It is not cold today, but it is not sunny either; it is an overcast day.
The Emperor seems to be in low spirits.
A eunuch skilled at reporting news steps forward to speak.
Eunuch Liu says that Fairy Liu has somehow caught a cold and fallen ill. Several young talents went to visit her, and unexpectedly, Prime Minister Lu’s youngest son, Lu Zhaolin, also went and started a fight with her sworn brother, Young Master Liu.
The Emperor waves his hand, indicating he does not want to hear such news about petty jealousy.
Moreover, he recalls that he once wanted to summon Fairy Liu, but fortunately, he was “splashed awake” by that dung from Old Madam Meng; otherwise, his reputation would have been ruined.
Didn’t Fairy Liu recently claim to be very close to his eldest son? As a result, the eldest son was acting wildly and has now been scolded by him and ordered to reflect behind closed doors. He always feels that Fairy Liu’s luck is a bit ominous. Could it be that those who tell fortunes for others have bad luck themselves? Thinking this, the Emperor feels like saying “stay away from me” and decides not to talk about this person anymore.
He is a bit of a believer; after all, he desires longevity, and he believes in fate.
Eunuch Duan immediately takes over the conversation.
He smiles and says, “Your Majesty, there is something interesting to talk about these past few days. That Lord Jiang moved in next door to Fairy Liu. You bestowed a title upon him, Attendant of the Yellow Gate, and he had a three-day holiday. Can you guess what he did during these three days?”
There are many people and many matters around the Emperor, and everyone is competing to show themselves off.
If Eunuch Duan hadn’t mentioned it, he would have truly forgotten about this.
“He must have gone out socializing.”
He knows these officials well. Although the Attendant of the Yellow Gate is a minor official, he is close to the Emperor and has the right to enter and exit the palace. Those officials would break their heads trying to get this position.
That day, his brain just had a random spark, and he thought of arranging an outsider.
At least he could arrange someone pleasing to the eye.
This position should be a pie falling from the sky for anyone.
“On the first day, Lord Jiang went to the Meng Family to see his daughter and two grandsons. Lord Jiang adopted the orphan of Great Marshal Zi—that child with a brain ailment—and brought the child along.” Eunuch Duan skillfully passed over this topic and continued:
“On the second day, Lord Jiang received many guests at home. When he went to the government office to inquire about his official position, he met many colleagues waiting for assignments and gave them his address. Many people came that day, and Lord Jiang received them one by one, giving money to those in need. As everyone knows, when Lord Jiang was in Jingzhou, he was repeatedly accused of embezzling money. Perhaps because it pained him too much to give money away, he dug up his own courtyard three feet deep and actually unearthed two chests of silver, a chest of ceramics, a chest of ancient books, and a skeleton. An imperial merchant had once lived in this residence.”
The Emperor becomes interested.
Digging up treasure from the ground—this Jiang the Second has some luck on him.
And he even dug up a skeleton.
“Is there any injustice involved?”
“It is unclear. The skeleton is very old; it was likely an accident. Lord Jiang carefully scrubbed the skeleton clean, rearranged it into a human shape, and buried it,” Eunuch Duan says.
Speaking of this, the other eunuchs and maids suddenly shift from the mood of listening to a joke to feeling inexplicably moved.
Regarding Jiang the Second having adopted the orphan of the Rebels who also had a brain ailment, everyone found it hard to praise him, even if they felt he was quite righteous. After all, Great Marshal Zi’s identity is sensitive, and the Emperor is someone who detests him, having cursed him several times in the palace.
But here, hearing that he dug up a skeleton and actually conscientiously arranged the bones back into a human shape and reburied them, it inexplicably makes people feel that this man is a good person. To treat an unknown deceased person this way—this is a true gentleman.
Moreover, Jiang the Second has just arrived in the capital and certainly does not know that the Emperor has planted people in every household. This action shows it was from the heart.
This is what the Emperor arranged.
He appears muddled, but in reality, he has eyes and ears in every household.
Therefore, the power of the palace attendants is also immense; they control such a group of people.
Although some are just maids for sweeping and rough chores.
“What about the third day? Did he go to send gifts to Prime Minister Lu? It has become a convention for officials over these years. Prime Minister Lu’s treasury might even be wealthier than my Imperial Household Department,” the Emperor says casually.
Eunuch Liu, standing to the side, lowers his head and frowns slightly.
What has Prime Minister Lu done recently to upset the Emperor? The Emperor’s casual remark does not sound like an unintentional comment.
Eunuch Liu has received many treasures from Prime Minister Lu in the past and is feeling a bit uneasy.
He has often spoken up for Prime Minister Lu.
“No, although Lord Jiang has the Meng Family as in-laws, you know Old General Meng, Your Majesty. When he heard that Lord Jiang had obtained the position of Attendant of the Yellow Gate, his first words were actually gloating, feeling that Lord Jiang would not be able to slack off because he has to see you every day.”
“Hahaha.” The Emperor laughs.
It is truly difficult for the Emperor not to trust Old General Meng, given that he has such a blockhead of a son.
If he had any ulterior motives, he would not dare to leave his son in the capital like this.
“Lord Jiang perhaps does not understand the rules of the capital, and no one gave him any pointers. Old General Meng probably wouldn’t remember this either. Anyway, on the third day, Lord Jiang stayed home to accompany his daughter to plant vegetables. He took his wife and daughter, personally dug the ground to plant vegetables, watered them, and was busy all day, working for a whole day. He got covered in mud. The servants in the house wanted to say something but dared not; planting vegetables in winter is highly unlikely to succeed.”
The Emperor thinks of Jiang the Second’s handsome face covered in mud and cannot help but laugh again.
At this moment, Eunuch Yan hands over a cup of tea, and he takes it and drinks it.
It is neither hot nor cold, just right for drinking.
“My sister grew up in a village since she was young and cherishes food. Perhaps seeing such a large plot of land, she felt it would be a waste not to plant some crops,” Eunuch Yan says in a pleasant voice.
“What about Jiang the Second today?” the Emperor asks, his interest piqued.
“He must be at the government office copying the regulations. Since he did not send gifts to Prime Minister Lu and does not understand the rules, he probably has to copy the regulations for several days before he can enter the palace to see the Emperor,” Eunuch Duan adds from the side.
The Emperor curls the corners of his mouth.
He puts down the teacup in his hand.
He is a bit displeased.
The person he wants to see has to be interfered with by Prime Minister Lu; Old Lu’s reach is getting longer and longer.
Eunuch Liu quickly says from the side, “It is almost time for lunch. Why not summon Lord Jiang in and ask about the matter of the skeleton to see if there is any injustice?”
The Emperor nods.
Eunuch Liu lowers his head and wipes the sweat from his forehead. He has lost this round.
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