"Just focus on your pregnancy." Xie Jiayan gently traced circles on Jiang Yanting's belly with his fingertips. "There are advantages to living. Even if he doesn't survive, I want him to die with purpose."
Jiang Yanting watched Xie Jiayan's smile grow brighter and brighter, like a poppy blooming in the wind, and couldn't help but sarcastically say, "You're a madman."
"Hehe." Xie Jiayan chuckled, then suddenly increased the pressure on his hand, pressing hard against Jiang Yanting's abdomen. Her stomach felt like it was being stabbed with swords, and Jiang Yanting couldn't help but cry out in pain, clutching her stomach and curling into a ball, cold sweat pouring down her face, soaking her clothes. "The father of this child is about to be promoted to the rank of Jue Cao. Also, it seems your younger brother is getting married. Guess whose daughter it is?"
Jiang Yanting pressed her pearly teeth firmly against Xie Jiayan's lips, her gaze filled with growing hatred.
“Your two families are destined to be linked together. Even if you don’t think about yourself, you should think about your lover and your brother.”
Jiang Yanting watched Xie Jiayan smile as she got up. Her departing figure was so graceful and elegant. How could she have such a vicious heart? Her figure gradually disappeared into the distance, and the palace door was tightly closed.
Jiang Yanting could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face. Xiao Qiao, her eyes red from holding back her tears, quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe them away and comforted her, "It's alright, Miss, don't be afraid, don't be afraid."
Song Yanji's journey took him along a main road, where most villages and counties had been cleared clean, with no refugees in sight. He silently noted this down until he approached Qi'an Guhe County. Suddenly, the people, who had previously been unaffected by the situation elsewhere, collectively rose up, lining the road and kneeling, begging him to save a local minor county magistrate.
The man's name was Yang Fengjin. He participated in the repair of the Mei River and was considered a man of integrity.
"Your Majesty, Lord Yang took pity on us common people and allowed us to resume work when the sun was out and it was warmer. However, the river official drove us away on the grounds of disturbing official business. Lord Yang submitted a memorial to impeach him, but somehow he ended up being accused of embezzling the workers' wages. We beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and clear Lord Yang's name."
As is customary, river works should begin immediately after the autumn floods. However, because the supervisor Huang Yunting was trying to obstruct Fu Zhengyan, he forcibly delayed the project, continuing to work into the dead of winter, causing widespread discontent among the people. Yang Fengjin, feeling sorry for the people wading through the water barefoot in the winter, promised them that he would resume work once the sun came out and the weather warmed up.
Huang Yunting's aim was to incite public anger and launch a multi-pronged attack on Fu Zhengyan. Yang Fengjin's actions were clearly intended to undermine him, so he issued a death order: anyone found to be late would be whipped twenty times.
No matter how much Ren Yangfeng tried to persuade him, he wouldn't listen. In a fit of rage, he directly submitted a memorial impeaching Huang Yunting. Naturally, before Song Yanji could even see it, it was suppressed midway. Instead, he ended up being accused of embezzling wages, delaying the construction period, and being imprisoned.
Yang Fengjin was an honest and upright official with an excellent reputation among the people. The people were holding their breath, waiting for the emperor to pass through Guhe County, and then they knelt down to beg him.
"We, the people of Guhe County, humbly beg Your Majesty for your wise judgment." Kneeling before them was an old woman in tattered clothes, with a white coarse cloth flower adorning her head.
Before He Qian could reach out to help him, Song Yansi stepped off the carriage first. He walked up to the woman and helped her up.
This action truly frightened the old woman, who was afraid that her clothes would dirty his hands. Her voice trembled so much that she said, "I dare not, I dare not."
"I just saw you wearing white flowers, is there a funeral in your family?" In common parlance, people do not wear white; the presence of white signifies death.
"It was the old woman's youngest son. A few days ago, he was sick and was a little late working on the river channel. He was whipped dozens of times. He was already weak, how could he withstand such beatings?" As she spoke, she covered her face with her withered palms, her fingertips cracked by the wind and stained with a lot of indelible dust.
"Your Majesty, do not listen to their nonsense." Huang Yunting's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately began to argue, "Guhe County has many troublemakers who keep delaying the construction. I was just going to give them a small punishment, but I didn't expect to be portrayed like this."
“Indeed, the construction schedule should not have been delayed.” Song Yanji spoke slowly, watching the kneeling people lower their heads further and further. Huang Yunting also breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to add a few more words, he heard Song Yanji continue, “Under your supervision, the county magistrate was corrupt, the people were cunning, the river construction was delayed, and even people died. But what did you do? You concealed it. In that case, what use is there for me to keep you here?”
The last glimmer of hope that the people had been holding onto had not yet been extinguished when Song Yansi's words ignited it. Huang Yunting was greatly shocked and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty! I was just about to report this to Your Majesty."
"Now that everything is ready, where is the memorial?" Song Yansi reached out his hand.
Huang Yunting's eyes darted around, but his wide sleeves tightened even more. At Song Yanji's glance, Zhuque rushed forward, ripped open Huang's sleeve, and pulled out a dark-colored memorial. As expected, it was an impeachment document against Fu Zhengyan, which Song Yanji read from beginning to end.
"You scoundrel!" Huang Yunting was just thinking about how to start the conversation when the memorial came crashing down on him. "You just said that the delay was caused by the common people, but now you're pinning all the blame on Lord Fu, who lives a hundred miles away. Is there a single word of truth in your mouth?!"
Officials must know when to loosen restrictions and when to tighten them; they must never push the people too hard. Even the most docile rabbit will bite when cornered.
Huang Yunting, however, provided him with a hard-won breakthrough.
Song Yanji then sent someone to bring Yang Fengjin out, while he continued to question him.
The imperial court had opened soup kitchens to provide relief to the poor in response to the Meihe incident, and this had been in place for several days. Originally intended to comfort the common people, it was now seen as mere empty rhetoric. Song Yanji had known about this for some time, and when he inquired about it with concern, the people misunderstood. It turned out that not only were there money, but also rice porridge! Yet they hadn't seen a single grain of rice; it must have been embezzled by that corrupt official Huang Yunting!
As the ancients said, "Whether an official is virtuous or not can only be determined by public opinion. If he is indeed virtuous, ask the people, and they will praise him effusively; if he is not virtuous, ask the people, and they will give a vague answer. The virtue or invirtuousness of an official can be clearly discerned from this."
Public anger was ignited, and what the people had previously spoken vaguely became accusatory. One by one, the sordid deeds were brought to light, involving officials from multiple regions. Song Yanji simply had his men record everything. Afterward, Guhe County was handed over to Yang Fengjin, who was promoted to supervisor and ordered to settle accounts for the silver. If any was missing, he sent men to search Huang's residence. Eighteen chests of gold were found, dazzling the people and fueling their hatred.
After Huang Yunting was thrown into prison, the river construction schedule was set, and the porridge shops were reopened, Song Yanji promised the local people that the remaining money would be used to repair Guhe County. Only then did he set off in his carriage amidst the cheers and kowtows of the crowd.
People are not worried about scarcity but about inequality, especially for people in disaster-prone areas. A bowl of rice and a copper coin are very important. With Guhe County as a comparison, they will naturally have other ideas.
Afterwards, Song Yanji traveled from Guhe County to Qing'an, a distance of over fifty li, but it took him three whole days. He deliberately slowed down and took a detour along the main road. News of Guhe County spread before he even arrived. Sure enough, some of the bolder people in Qing'an imitated the people of Guhe County, claiming that they were underpaid. Song Yanji didn't verify this and immediately sent someone to fetch the money and pay them on the spot.
Once the silver was distributed, the remaining officials couldn't sit still any longer. The more they talked, the bigger the matter became, causing the local officials to break out in a cold sweat. Song Yanji had come prepared this time, bringing along many young, trusted officials, who were then used to replace the officials involved.
Although Fu Zhengyan held a high official position, he dared not overstep his authority. He could not, but Song Yanji could. When others arrived in Qi'an, the more than one hundred miles starting from Guhe County had been thoroughly cleaned up by him.
"how?"
"As expected of His Majesty."
What about you?
“People from Yuancheng have been coming in one after another over the years. I can’t speak for other places, but there will definitely be no problems within Qi’an.” Fu Zhengyan twirled the fan handle and laughed. “We can start moving now.”
Qi'an has vast, hidden natural iron ore mountains, which will be honed into the sharpest weapons at the most opportune time and continuously sent out, firmly held in the hands of its people.
"Once this is over, you can come back to Lin'an with me." Song Yansi's gaze fell on his folding fan, the small white jade pendant at the bottom of which had long been worn smooth. "Rong'an is waiting for you."
Fu Zhengyan's smile gradually faded. Over the years, he had never heard any news of Rong'an getting married. He had promised her that if she didn't marry, he wouldn't marry her either. "Why is she doing this to herself?"
"It won't be long before the injustice done to the Tang family is finally redressed." The Tang family's annulment of the engagement and Miss Tang's suicide were intertwined with too many unspeakable events. When the truth is finally revealed to the world, Father Fu's heart will be as suddenly thawed as the snow in spring.
Chapter 81 A Plan to Turn the Tide
Song Yansi stayed in Qi'an for over a month, during which time he received several letters from Lin'an. One was from Jiang Yuan. First, it mentioned that Jiang Yanting was pregnant; she had checked the records in the Imperial Archives for the sake of the heir, but the records were not included in the daily log, and she was seeking confirmation from him. Second, it mentioned that Jiang Yanting had taken away Consort Lan's title. The remaining letter was from Xu An, saying that the troop rotation in Lin'an and the palace had been completed, and that he should rest assured.
He casually replied to Jiang Yuan's letter, and then put his mind on the Mei River. In the nineteenth year of Chengtai, there would be a major flood, and the Mei River would breach in many places. Now he wanted to take this opportunity to avert this disaster.
“If the dikes are reinforced, there will be no disaster.” Zheng Zeye was the newly appointed River Conservancy Commissioner. Based on the situation in previous years, the disaster on the Mei River was not a serious concern.
"What I need is a way to eliminate future troubles." In his previous life, Song Yanji chose to build a dam to divert water into the sea, but unfortunately, the Mei River had already become a major problem by then, and the effect was minimal.
“There is a way, but it has to go through En County.” It’s really troublesome and time-consuming. Zheng Zeye pointed to the river engineering map and said, “Build a dam at the mouth of Enshang Lake, which can flow into the Mei River, so that its water will flow into the Zhonghe River. Then build Songwangtai to control the water of Enshang Lake, and the Mei River will be safe.”
Song Yanji focused all his attention on the river, while Fu Zhengyan, under the pretext of needing river materials, ordered the opening of the mountain, which was handled by Wang Yuancheng's trusted generals.
The Phoenix Rising Hall was warmly lit by a heated floor, and embroidered tapestries hung on the west wall. Thick, soft carpets covered the floor, and several pieces of beautiful jade adorned the base of a jadeite screen. A purple jade plate sat on an old pearwood table, and a glass canopy draped gracefully across the floor. Jiang Yuan leaned against the soft couch. This was already the fourth reply she had received: "My husband misses you dearly while he is away. He will be returning soon."
"Your Majesty, what about Jiang Chongyi's belly..." Zhang Xiang glanced at Jiang Yuan. His Majesty had already said that since the daily records had not been entered, this child could be discarded.
"Don't worry about Jiang Chongyi, His Majesty will be back soon anyway." Jiang Yuan held a carved incense burner with five butterflies holding longevity symbols in her hands, her fingertips lightly tracing the patterns on the handle. She guessed that Song Yanji had his own plans, and this time she didn't need to go out of her way to give them leverage. "How has Yu'er been these past two days?"
“As usual, I get up at dawn to study with my teacher, then stroll around the garden for a while after lunch, and then go to find Mr. Wu to learn archery in the afternoon.” Zhang Xiang answered softly, then picked up a few more pieces of burning stone and put them into the stove. The precious white sandalwood at the bottom of the stove looked extremely clean. “This rabbit shape was made by sculpting charcoal dust with honey, and also mixed with your favorite Night Cold Fragrance.”
"Is there enough charcoal on Yu'er's side?"
"Xixin Si remembers, it will be delivered at the appointed time." Zhang Xiang then thought of the booklet she had been reading, "What about Consort Lan's side..."
"Your Majesty!" Bi Fan's urgent voice rang out from the outer hall. Then, her emerald green palace robe billowed in, and she didn't even notice that the tassels on her embroidered shoes were askew. She rushed to Jiang Yuan's side, "The Crown Prince... His Highness the Crown Prince is in trouble!"
Jiang Yuan's mind went blank. Her fingertips, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly into her palms. With the help of the incense, she stood up and walked quickly towards the outside of the hall, her voice trembling, "Speak."
"His Highness the Crown Prince went to Tinghe Garden as usual today, but somehow he ran into Jiang Chongyi and fell into the water. He is still unconscious."
Jiang Yuan's eyes darkened slightly. "Where is Jiang Yanting?"
"He also fell into the pool, and they say the water is stained red with blood. I'm afraid the baby won't survive." Bi Fan was so anxious that cold sweat poured down her face in the winter heat.
"They weren't even recorded in the daily records, so what if they're gone?" Zhang Xiang followed Jiang Yuan, her palace robes billowing, her tone unfriendly. "Who knows where they came from? How can they compare to our Highness!"
Inside Anyuan Palace, the palace servants knelt on the ground, their heads pressed tightly against the earth, their bodies trembling like sieves, and the huge palace was deathly silent.
"Bring all the imperial physicians to me." Jiang Yuan strode into Anyuan Palace. The bed sank slightly, and the little girl lay quietly on the bed. This sight only fueled Jiang Yuan's anger.
"What about the place where the imperial physicians are staying?" After all, the emperor had just miscarried, and he would be returning to the palace in the next few days. If all the imperial physicians were summoned, the head maid couldn't help but ask.
Jiang Yuan gave him a look, and Zhu Chuan immediately obeyed, stepping forward to deliver several slaps. The crisp sound echoed throughout the hall. "As a servant, you must always remember your place and see clearly who the master is in this harem."
The palace servants remained kneeling, stunned, seemingly terrified by the sudden outburst of the Emperor and Empress's anger. Only a quick-witted eunuch kneeling far away in the outer hall immediately rose to fetch the imperial physician. Jiang Yuan watched that familiar figure hurriedly depart, her eyes narrowing. In both her past and present lives, he was ultimately the one who resonated with her heart the most.
Suddenly, the little hand holding hers moved. Jiang Yuan quickly turned around, but the little girl's eyes remained closed. Seeing that she didn't make a sound, she tapped her palm urgently.
Seeing Cheng Yu's condition, Jiang Yuan realized he was alright and breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't show it on her face and continued to say to the palace servants, "Get out!"
"Yes!" came the chorus of voices, followed by the sound of fabric rubbing together.
Once everyone had left the hall, Jiang Yuan nudged the little figure on the bed, asking, "Is Yu'er alright?"
"Mother." The little guy, who had been pretending to be unconscious with his eyes closed, scrambled up and rushed into Jiang Yuan's arms, tears falling onto her neck. "I didn't push him, I didn't push him."
"It's alright, don't worry." The little one in her arms seemed quite frightened, so Jiang Yuan just held him and patted him gently, not forgetting to ask, "Tell your mother about it carefully."
Today, he was strolling around Tinghe Garden as usual. When he passed by Fucui Pavilion, he habitually walked up to it. Unexpectedly, Jiang Yanting was there as well. Out of politeness, he had no choice but to go up and ask her a few questions. As Jiang Yanting got up and passed by him, she inexplicably called his name and started to fall into the lake. "I saw her calling my name and slip, and she was about to fall in. I was terrified."
"So, you followed her example and fell into the same trap?" Jiang Yuan suddenly understood.
"Yes, there was water behind her, and there was water behind me too. Xiao Qiuzi is a good swimmer, so I pretended to be pushed in by her." It was Cheng Yu's first time doing something like this, so he was inevitably scared and uneasy, especially since he was carrying his father's child. He pretended to faint and lay on the couch listening to the palace servants' words, becoming more and more afraid as he listened. "Will I implicate my mother?"
"Silly child, don't worry." Jiang Yuan rubbed his head. She and Song Yansi had planned everything, but they never expected Cheng Yu to jump down with them. The child knew nothing and could only rely on instinct to clear his name. This method was effective but too dangerous. She couldn't tell him everything, so she could only comfort him, "Don't do that again. Your mother is here for you."
"If I had known, Yu'er wouldn't have gone there," Cheng Yu muttered softly, her eyes red.
"Why not go? This is Yu'er's home. They are the ones who respect you, not the other way around." Jiang Yuan gently patted his back, her eyes gradually turning cold as ice. The Crown Prince pushed his pregnant concubine into the lake in winter, causing her to miscarry. And it just so happened that it was a few days before the Emperor was to return to the palace. "They actually set their sights on my son."
"Mother, what should I do? Will Father blame me?" Cheng Yu finally calmed down.
"No, as long as Jue'er sleeps well, the rest is up to Mother." After saying that, Jiang Yuan asked Bi Fan to go to Fengqi Palace to retrieve a small bottle from her box. It was a Hundred Branches Red that Meng Xizhi had given her to play with many years ago. Applying a little of it could make the skin feel hot as if it were infected with an illness. She had taken it with her when she escaped from Yongming. She never expected it to come in handy now.
If it were a major event in the palace that Consort Jiang became pregnant and then miscarried shortly after, then the Crown Prince falling into the water and falling into a coma would be an even bigger event, since His Majesty only has this one son.
The harem was thrown into chaos. When the news reached Song Yanji's ears, he completed what was originally a six- or seven-day trip in just three days.
Cheng Yu had already been taken to Fengqi Palace, and these past few days he hadn't had to study, spending his days playing around in the palace with Jiang Yuan. It wasn't until news of Song Yanji's entry into the palace arrived that Cheng Yu wiped the shavings from the corner of his mouth and obediently lay down on the bed. Jiang Yuan first smeared some Hundred Branches Red on his body, then casually picked some winter melon, squeezed the juice onto a handkerchief, and made his eyes red and swollen, as if he had been crying for a long time.
The Crown Prince had a persistent high fever, and the entire Imperial Hospital could not find a cause. Song Yanji rushed to Fengqi Hall as soon as he entered the palace. As soon as he stepped into the hall, he saw Jiang Yuan sobbing by the table, her eyes swollen like two walnuts. He was immediately furious and lashed out at the imperial physicians in the hall.
He hadn't been this angry in many years; he smashed the teacup on the ground, shattering it into pieces.
"Someone from Jiang Chongyi's side has arrived..." a eunuch reported under pressure.
"Get out!" Song Yansi had originally intended for her to leave the child behind, so that when dealing with the Jiang family, there would be no need to find any other reasons. A simple statement that she had attempted to confuse the royal bloodline would suffice. He hadn't expected such a big mistake to happen. "Can anyone tell me why the Crown Prince is unconscious?"
The imperial physician broke out in a cold sweat from the questioning. Fifth Master blinked his triangular eyes, looked at Jiang Yuan, then at the little man on the bed, and stroked his beard without saying a word.
"Your Majesty, this matter must be investigated!" The act was about over. Song Yanji was currently consumed by anger and hadn't processed the situation. Once he calmed down, he would naturally discover the problem. Jiang Yuan seized the opportunity to grab his arm and demand a thorough investigation.
Seeing Jiang Yuan's slightly evasive eyes, Song Yansi had some thoughts in his mind. However, he was a little displeased that she had deceived him while he was rushing so anxiously. After giving her a thorough dressing down, he finally dismissed them all.
The air inside the hall seemed to freeze. Jiang Yuan twisted her handkerchief, not daring to look Song Yansi in the eye. Even Cheng Yu felt uneasy and secretly opened one eye to peek at Song Yansi, only to be caught red-handed. She quickly closed her eyes and stiffly turned her head away.
"Is this how you two welcome me?" Song Yansi asked coldly.
Jiang Yuan knew he was truly angry, so she quickly put on a smiling face and tried to change the subject by adopting a charming and adorable demeanor. "Zhong Li, don't be angry. How is Qi An doing?"
“Very well.” Song Yansi lifted Jiang Yuan’s chin with his finger, meeting her gaze. “What about the palace?”
Alright, we've come full circle. Seeing that she couldn't avoid it, Jiang Yuan simply pulled him down to sit and talk, recounting in detail what had happened these past few days. "You know that our Shu Kingdom is most averse to witchcraft and sorcery. I caught Lady Lan red-handed. If she isn't severely punished, things will get out of hand."
What about Jiang Yanting's matter?