HMAM CH 62 Imperial Favor
A couple of days later, rumors had already spread throughout the palace.
Lin Min sat in Changle Palace, feeling both angered by the gossipers and anxious about the imprisonment of Lady Feng in the Lateral Courts.
The assassin had been executed, and the eldest Mr. Lin was taken that night to the Court of Judicial Review for questioning.
Lin Min could not sit still all day and spent the night without sleeping. By the next morning, she sent a little eunuch to inquire about the situation. He returned reporting, “Niangniang, the officials from the court have submitted an edict stating that the madam is deeply implicated in the case. Although niangniang holds a noble status, it is not appropriate to keep any suspects in the palace. Just last evening, an officer from the Court of Judicial Review personally took her away.”
The Court of Judicial Review's prison was notorious. Startled, Lin Min spilled the tea in her hands, sitting as if pricked by needles. Immediately, she instructed a palace maid to apply her makeup and dress her properly so she could visit the emperor's personal quarters.
At that moment, Jing Ye had not yet risen. The little eunuch guarding the door dared not stop her and allowed her straight through the palace gates, where she encountered Ye Mao, who had come upon hearing the news.
“Niangniang, please stop; it’s early, and His Majesty has not yet gotten up.”
Ye Mao dared not let her enter; Jing Ye was already fatigued, often dozing during the day and easily disturbed from sleep at night. Even Gu Gongzi and the others were cautious; if anyone entered recklessly and disturbed His Majesty, it would be a grave offense.
Lin Min ignored him and pushed her way inside, her delicate form making it hard for Ye Mao to stop her. He could only say, “Niangniang, aren’t you making things difficult for us servants below? It would be better to wait until daybreak, after we serve His Majesty breakfast, before coming in…”
Lin Min, filled with urgency, snapped angrily in a shrill voice, “What would a eunuch understand! This empress's mother’s life hangs by a thread, and if you obstruct me, whatever happens to her will be your fault!”
Although Ye Mao was a servant, he had served Jing Ye since childhood and had a keen sense of people. No one had openly insulted him like this since the emperor ascended, and so he darkened his expression and exchanged a glance with the little eunuchs guarding the door.
As Lin Min turned to enter, she found the palace doors firmly shut, with the little eunuchs standing in a row, heads bowed and hands at their sides, blocking her entry.
With his arm draped casually over his whisk, Ye Mao calmly said, “Niangniang, this servant understands your concern for the safety of your mother. The bond between mother and daughter is deep, but we are not unwilling to be accommodating. However, your recklessness means that not only will you not vindicate your mother, but you may also incur the grave sin of disrespect. That’s hardly worth it.”
Lin Min felt deeply humiliated as the empress to be treated this way by a eunuch. After a tense standoff, she gritted her teeth and coldly laughed, “Then this empress will wait here. When His Majesty awakens, please ensure he is informed.”
Ye Mao sighed inwardly and said, “Song Zhen’er.”
The little eunuch stepped forward, saying, “Teacher.”
Ye Mao instructed, “You take two people and wait here.” He then turned to Lin Min and said, “Niangniang, this servant must prepare for His Majesty’s early rise, so this servant shall take my leave.”
As he spoke, he withdrew but carefully walked through a small door by the chamber, quietly moving to the other side of the beaded curtain.
As the curtains rustled and made a noise, the person sleeping on the outer edge of the huge bed opened his eyes, turned his head, saw Ye Mao, frowned, and signaled for him to be quiet. He then slowly sat up and slipped a garment on before getting out of bed.
Meanwhile, Jing Ye, suddenly feeling the absence of warmth beside him, wanted to move closer to the other side of the bed, but Gu Hong, sleeping on the other side, reached out to hold him.
Lu Baizang followed Ye Mao to the outer chamber and said, “What happened?”
Ye Mao replied, “It shouldn’t have disturbed His Majesty and gongzi’s sleep, but now the Empress is standing outside waiting to plead her case with him.”
Morning light filtered through the window, and Lu Baizang narrowed his eyes, impatiently saying, “The Empress? Here to plead for her mother?”
Ye Mao said, “What else would it be? But His Majesty is still asleep. Even if he wakes up, there’s no room for negotiation in this matter. Isn’t it just stirring trouble for the Empress to disturb his rest?”
Lu Baizang glanced back into the inner chamber and waved lazily, saying, “Just tell her that His Majesty was seriously injured by the assassin and cannot muster the strength to argue with her. If she continues to pester, Lady Feng’s situation will only worsen.”
If Lin Min, standing outside the door, were to enter and see the man she had been thinking about for months being so cold and unfeeling, it would likely break her heart into pieces.
Ye Mao had no choice but to convey Lu Baizang’s words with adjustments, delivering them to Lin Min, who was pacing outside anxiously. Her face turned pale, and she had to be supported by her maids as she returned to Changle Palace without a word.
After a while, Jing Ye rose from his bed. When Ye Mao came in to serve him, he reported what the empress had said: “Does His Majesty wish to see the Empress?”
Jing Ye asked him to adjust his sleeves and answered, “No need. Whatever her reasons for pleading, zhen cannot release Lady from the Court of Judicial Review on a whim. Let her wait in Changle Palace for news.”
According to reports sent from the Qingyu Pavilion, Lady Feng had indeed schemed against Lin Xiaosheng's birth mother and had illicit affairs with her brother-in-law. However, Lin Min, raised in the inner chambers, although influenced by her upbringing, had not committed any crimes herself and thus, as a helpless woman, should not be punished.
Gu Hong placed the report on the low carved table beside him, saying, “The censor has suggested that Empress Lin is also implicated in this case and requests for her to be temporarily detained in the Lateral Courts until the situation becomes clear. What does Your Majesty think…?”
Jing Ye said, “I saw in the reports that the daughter of the Fu family, Fu Zengqi, was also a candidate chosen to enter the palace?”
Gu Hong smiled and replied, “This person is indeed quite competent, although a bit narrow-minded.”
Jing Ye stated, “There’s no need to take notice of this. We both know the reasoning behind this matter; let’s minimize any implication as much as possible.”
However, the next day, more officials submitted requests on this issue. The first was one of personal interest, followed by many who were genuinely concerned for the emperor's safety.
After all, Changle Palace was the closest to the emperor's personal quarters. The main instigator of the assassination plot had been captured that night, and yet had been found lying in the same bed as the empress's own mother. The connection was not to be taken lightly; should it turn out the empress was also involved, or if she acted out of grievance for Lady Feng's imprisonment, it would be too late.
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review also submitted a report, stating that since the case had not yet been clarified, it was prudent to exercise further caution to ensure the emperor's safety.
A censor initiated a wave of officials who pressed their insights forward. Jing Ye could not refuse and ordered the empress to temporarily move away from Changle Palace, but not to the Lateral Courts, which was known for its sparse and difficult conditions. Instead, she would be moved to the more secluded Chengying Pavilion.
“While it may be a temporary stay in Chengying Pavilion,” Jing Ye commanded, “if anyone acts out of selfish motives and engages in behavior that disregards the imperial dignity, they will be dealt with according to palace regulations.”
Ye Mao bowed, saying, “Yes, this servant will send the word out immediately.”
The news of the empress's move from Changle Palace spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the palace. An elderly supervisor eunuch of the library heard a few words from someone from the imperial kitchen and brought a food box into the library, saying, “Ai, Lord Feng, the imperial kitchen has sent over the lunch.”
Feng Ling put down the pen he had just dipped in ink and got up to receive it, saying, “Thank you, gonggong.”
The old eunuch smiled, “Please don’t mention it, my lord. How could an old servant like me take such credit? The palace is strict, and the library has been lonely for so long. Other lords would avoid coming here, but here you are, staying from morning till night and willingly taking over others’ shifts. Ai, that’s never happened before.”
Feng Ling smiled and replied, “It’s just that I can't rest easy.”
The old eunuch took this as him being worried about the pile of ancient books that were about to be reduced to ashes, sneering inwardly at the bookworm, but suddenly heard Lord Feng ask, “Gonggong, have you inquired about how His Majesty is faring in the palace? I heard His Majesty was injured; how is his condition?”
The old eunuch replied with a sigh, “This old servant has only exchanged a few words. How could someone like me grasp the activities in the palace? This old servant did hear from the kitchen people earlier that the empress has moved to Chengying Pavilion.”
Feng Ling, who had witnessed the officials’ appeals earlier, was not surprised at this news and said, “The Empress is of noble status; although she has been entangled in this case for the moment, she is still the rightful Empress married to His Majesty.”
The old eunuch seemed to have been in the seldom-visited library for too long. He held a favorable impression of the gentle “bookworm” and couldn’t help but add, “That’s true, my lord, and you, as a person of high nobility, naturally value status. But this old servant has spent a lifetime in this palace, and whether it’s a noble empress or a mere concubine, everyone endures the same hardship when cut off from imperial favor.”
Feng Ling’s brow twitched slightly as his fingers lightly brushed against the worn pages of ancient texts.
“Speaking of which, with the Empress now moved to the secluded Chengying Pavilion, it seems His Majesty is left with only that Wuhuan princess by his side. Aiyoh…” The old eunuch saw Feng Ling remain silent and thought he had overstepped, hastily adding with a laugh, “This servant spoke out of turn; please forgive me, my lord.”
Feng Ling came back to his senses and smiled, “It’s nothing.”