flstandardbreds Chapter 180 Emperor Jing's Bestowal of Titles
Chapter 180 Emperor Jing's Bestowal of Titles
That night.
The inner room of the Imperial Study.
Emperor Jing stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out the dark window.
"Your Majesty, it's time to rest." It was Eunuch Wei who spoke.
Emperor Jing did not answer, but instead asked, "How is Kang Ziqing?"
"Your Majesty, rest assured, after being examined by the imperial physician, although Lord Kang has lost a lot of blood, he has not suffered any vital injuries."
Emperor Jing turned around, nodded, and pondered, "Have Zhang Zhiji come to my study to see me tomorrow."
"Yes."
Seeing that Emperor Jing finally seemed ready to rest, Eunuch Wei quickly asked, "Your Majesty, which concubine's palace are you visiting today?"
Emperor Jing glanced at the green plaque, something flashed through his mind, and said, "Let's go to Consort Lin's palace."
"Yes."
Yunqing Palace was remote, and Emperor Jing's sedan chair took quite a while to arrive. He had many court affairs to attend to that day, and by the time it arrived, Emperor Jing was already quite tired and sleepy.
"His Majesty has arrived!" Eunuch Wei's voice was as clear as ever.
Consort Lin, who was inside the room, was somewhat surprised. Why hadn't any eunuch announced Emperor Jing's arrival?
"Your Majesty, let's hurry and go greet the Emperor." The palace maid Dongqing urged anxiously. She didn't have many concerns. As long as Emperor Jing came, that would be great. After all, this was the first time Emperor Jing had come since his last visit.
Consort Lin said nothing, but stood up and walked outside. The candlelight flickered. Today she was wearing a green silk dress, and her hair was adorned with a pair of begonia hairpins on both sides, with long tassels hanging down gracefully. She was both elegant and dignified.
Consort Lin had just stepped out of the door when she bumped into Emperor Jing, who was walking towards her.
"See Your Majesty."
"My dear consort, there's no need for such formalities." With that, Emperor Jing reached out and took Consort Lin's hand.
Perhaps it was due to the wind, but the palace lanterns on the eaves flickered on and off, and in the interplay of light and shadow, Emperor Jing seemed to see another person.
"A-Yin..." Emperor Jing couldn't help but open his mouth slightly, and was about to say the rest of the words, but was stopped by Consort Lin.
"Your Majesty's visit so late at night, I have failed to greet you properly."
Consort Lin raised her head, her face cold and clean, clearly a different face. Emperor Jing smiled bitterly to himself, this was not her.
"It was I who forbade them to announce my arrival. I've been very busy with state affairs lately, but I finally have time to come and see you." With that, the two went inside.
Behind her, Dong Qing happily instructed the palace servants to prepare the things for her to use in bed.
The sleeping quarters of Yunqing Palace.
The room was filled with the scent of incense, and the clothes and blankets on the couch were curled up. A man and a woman were cuddling together, clearly having just made love.
"Zhao Zhao."
"Hmm?" Consort Lin's body stiffened instantly, after all, Emperor Jing had not called her that for many years.
"Your Majesty, I am here." Her voice was gentle, like a piece of honey.
"I intend to promote your father to the rank of General." Emperor Jing's voice was not loud, but Consort Lin heard it clearly. Upon hearing this, she simply sat up, bowed her head and said, "Your Majesty, my father has no military merits, and I have no children. I am not worthy of Your Majesty's promotion."
"You don't have to be nervous."
"I know your nature; you won't accept rewards without merit." With that, Emperor Jing took Consort Lin's hand. "Besides, you've done nothing wrong; just being with me is a great achievement."
Consort Lin pursed her lips and nodded.
Emperor Jing embraced Consort Lin and said softly, "You've been in the palace for many years now, do you sometimes think of your hometown, Lanzhou?"
Consort Lin moved closer to Emperor Jing, a figure flashing through her mind: "Once married, one follows one's husband; the palace is my home."
Emperor Jing nodded after hearing this. According to custom, promoted officials had to go to the palace to express their gratitude. Although the General Commander was only a fourth-rank official, it was still considered a promotion.
"At that time, I will grant your maternal family permission to enter the palace and allow you to have a chat."
Lin Fei's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again. Her mother's family? Her father's scolding still echoed in her ears, but her mother's tears were real too.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The next day.
The prince's family was placed under house arrest and then released. Most of the officials' wives in the capital knew about this, and everyone tacitly avoided mentioning it.
The Empress Dowager, who was in the inner palace, only found out the next day.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. After all, the Prince's life is no longer in danger."
Although Prince Qing was released, he ultimately lost his military power. Although the Empress Dowager was a woman of the inner palace, she understood the importance of military power.
The Empress Dowager sighed and said, "His Majesty has finally grown too strong-willed, and I can't control him anymore. But if he accomplishes great things in the future, don't blame me for not showing any motherly affection!"
Su Rong's heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her head in silence.
Yongfu Palace.
"Your Majesty, you don't have much of an appetite today. Why did you only eat this much?" Jing Anle asked, looking at the table full of delicacies and then at Jing Fengyao, who had only drunk a bowl of porridge.
Jing Fengyao smiled, picked up a piece of white jade cake and placed it on Jing Anle's plate, saying indulgently, "Eat more, I'm not very hungry yet."
Jing Anle roughly knew that Jing Fengyao had something on his mind. She waved her hand, and Afang, with her keen eye, led the palace servants out, leaving only the brother and sister in the room.
"Does my sister have something to ask me?"
Seeing Jing Fengyao's directness, Jing Anle also stopped hiding his intentions and asked bluntly, "Was it my elder brother who had Fengyu go to court yesterday?"
Jing Fengyao paused for a moment after hearing this, then smiled and said, "Yes, you think what my brother did was wrong?"
"No, Your Majesty did a very good job." Jing Anle said, picking up the white jade cake and taking a bite. She didn't ask what came next, which was whether Jing Fengyao had discovered something that night.
The dining table fell silent for a moment, an awkward atmosphere settling in. It was Jing Fengyao who broke the silence, saying, "Actually, on the night Consort Yu had her accident, I saw a figure in the palace."
"What?!" Jing Anle's tone was somewhat agitated; she was afraid that Mu Ping had been discovered.
"However, it was pitch black that night. I just couldn't sleep and went for a walk. By the time I realized what was happening, the person had already disappeared, so I didn't see the person's face at all."
"How is his figure?" Jing Anle pressed, her chopsticks pausing in her hand.
Jing Fengyao looked into her eyes, thought for a moment, and said, "She has a strong build and is agile; she must be a martial arts practitioner."
Jing Anle breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, thinking that she was glad she hadn't been discovered. But then another thought flashed through her mind: who exactly placed the gold hairpin from the Prince Qing's mansion at the scene of the crime? Did that person realize that she was the real murderer? A series of questions suddenly rushed towards Jing Anle, and her heart sank again and again.
"but……"
"But what?" Jing Anle asked.
“Consort Yu deserves her punishment!” Jing Fengyao’s face suddenly hardened.
Jing Anle observed Jing Fengyao's change in demeanor. Could it be that her elder brother also knew something? She tentatively asked Jing Fengyao, "Elder brother, what did you mean by saying 'he deserves his punishment' just now?"
Jing Fengyao paused, looking at his beautiful younger sister before him, and finally shook his head, changing his words to say, "Her behavior in the harem was arrogant and domineering, and she deserved this end."
Seeing Jing Anle stunned, Jing Fengyao placed another piece of white jade cake on her plate. "Eat quickly, don't we have to go to the General's Mansion later?"