LF Chapter 48
by VolareAfter a long and tiring journey, Your Majesty entered, and attendants were already there to help her change.
Jiang Yinghua took the opportunity to find Yan Wanzhi and whispered, “Today, there will be many different people at the manor, Scholar Yan must be vigilant. Your Majesty’s affairs are handled by her personal attendants, we only need to take care of our own matters, and no mistakes are allowed.”
Yan Wanzhi nodded slightly, “There are eyes everywhere, inside and out, so rest assured. My head is still on my shoulders, it barely cannot be called a ball.”
“You’re still in the mood to joke. You’re like an owl, never sleeping or getting tired. I’m leaving. You, take care of yourself.” Jiang Yinghua’s voice was normal at first, but towards the end, it became like the buzzing of a mosquito. Clearly, their private words couldn’t be heard by others.
Before long, a palace attendant came out and summoned Jiang Yinghua inside. Jiang Yinghua hurried in and saw Your Majesty dressed in a dark purple casual dress, which looked more approachable than the imperial robes from earlier. However, Jiang Yinghua was also wearing a purple court dress, which seemed somewhat inappropriate. She stepped forward and tentatively asked, “Your Majesty, there are no official matters this morning. Since this is to welcome and refresh you after your journey, may I be allowed to change out of this court dress?”
“Mm, go change,” Your Majesty replied, glancing at her and waving lazily from her reclined position on the soft couch. Jiang Yinghua was about to take her leave when Your Majesty asked, puzzled, “This is your home, where are you going? Have them bring the clothes here, change here. I have something to say to you, no time to waste.”
Jiang Yinghua pouted, instructed a junior palace attendant to find her a plain, formal casual dress from the side courtyard. She remained in the hall, waiting for Your Majesty to continue.
The hall was quiet, with a gentle breeze. Outside the manor, however, it was bustling, with everyone busy and on their feet. The kitchens, in particular, were as if facing a major battle. The imperial chefs brought by Your Majesty and the cooks from Jiang Yinghua’s manor were exchanging requests. Today’s midday banquet, besides the imperial feast, also included a feast for all the accompanying officials, making it quite a grand affair.
In reality, Jiang Yinghua’s heart was bleeding. Such an elaborate arrangement to welcome the Holy Presence might be seen as an unparalleled honor by others. But in her heart, it was the sound of money flowing away like water. All this hustle and bustle was bought with real gold and silver. The family fortune she had painstakingly accumulated could be drained in an instant. Once everyone left, she would have to rack her brains again to replenish her small treasury.
While waiting, Your Majesty leisurely looked Jiang Yinghua up and down, smiling as she asked, “Hua’er has furnished this place inside and out quite well this time. You must have spent a lot of silver, haven’t you?”
“It is our honor to have Your Majesty visit. It is our duty to welcome you. No matter how much silver is spent in the right place, it is of no concern,” Jiang Yinghua replied earnestly, being very sensible.
“Oh? I remember that building this residence for you back then cost over ninety thousand taels of silver. When does Hua’er plan to return that to me?” Your Majesty took the tonic handed over by the servant, gently stirring it with a medicine spoon.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong with you?” Jiang Yinghua smelled the strong, bitter medicinal scent and couldn’t help but feel concerned.
Your Majesty tilted her head back and drank it all in one go. “I’m talking about you, don’t interrupt.”
“I, I… Your Majesty, this is an official residence, it belongs to the court. You should be asking the Grand Councilors for the silver. Besides, my salary has already been docked for three years…” Jiang Yinghua stammered, her voice growing softer and softer.
It made no sense. She had urged people to come here in the first place, and building the residence was to please her; it should have been considered a reward. How could she ask for money now?
At this moment, the junior palace attendant returned, carrying clothes. Your Majesty, seeing this, waved her hand to let her go inside and change. While waiting for her to change, Jiang Yinghua pondered what Your Majesty, that old fox, was scheming. Mentioning money as soon as she arrived, it was likely that she had ill intentions.
Jiang Yinghua dawdled in the inner room for a long time, complaining that the waistband was too tight here, or that something wasn’t smooth enough there, finding fault with the palace attendant, and refusing to come out.
“What are you dawdling for? Come over here quickly!” Your Majesty feigned annoyance. She had already set up a chess game and was tapping a chess piece, playing against herself.
Jiang Yinghua straightened her clothes and scurried out. She was wearing a pea-green cardigan with large sleeves, looking fresh and elegant.
Your Majesty glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, pointed to the chessboard, and signaled Jiang Yinghua to come and play with her. After the person sat down steadily, she raised her hand and waved the palace attendant away, casually placing a piece, slightly raising her eyes, and asking nonchalantly: “How much savings do you have on hand, huh?”
Jiang Yinghua casually picked up a white piece, lowered her eyes and stared at the remaining chess game, unable to figure out Your Majesty’s strategy, and muttered: “Elder Sister, I, I don’t have much savings.”
“Stop talking nonsense, make your move.” Your Majesty was impatient and began to urge, “Based on the shops in your hands alone, how much you earn annually, I don’t need to recount for you, do I?”
Jiang Yinghua perfunctorily placed a chess piece and slowly said: “About fifteen taels or so.”
“Gold?” Your Majesty asked quietly, then placed a piece again.
Jiang Yinghua was dumbfounded, what was this person thinking, and quickly replied: “Silver, silver.”
Your Majesty chuckled, “Scheming against me, huh? I’ll return the shops to you, give me twenty thousand, consider it a loan from you, how about that?” Your Majesty rarely discussed things with people in a soft voice.
Jiang Yinghua was even more puzzled and couldn’t understand Your Majesty’s behavior at all. Why would she, as the Emperor, want to borrow money from her? Moreover, this wasn’t a small amount. This was a brazen demand for two hundred thousand taels of silver in cash. Even if Jiang Yinghua really had it, she wouldn’t be able to take it out in a short period of time.
Jiang Yinghua’s facial features were twisted together, her small face was wrinkled, and she held the chess piece for a long time without moving, as if she had suffered a great grievance. Your Majesty just waited like this, secretly scolding in her heart that the late Emperor had raised a little ingrate.
If Yan Wanzhi were here and heard these words, she would probably stomp her feet in shock. How could this person be so rich and still stingily deduct her meager salary? She really was a tightwad who wouldn’t pull out a single hair. Every day, she pretended to be calm and indifferent, treating money like dirt.
After a long time, Jiang Yinghua helplessly placed a chess piece and pretended to be embarrassed as she whispered, “The amount you want isn’t small, can you give me some time to raise it?”
“No hurry, I’ll be staying here for half a month, you can go and raise it, give it to me privately, understand?” Your Majesty slightly curled the corners of her lips. This girl’s acting skills were growing, and her mind was more stable than before.
Jiang Yinghua nodded, randomly throwing chess pieces on the board. Anyway, the chess pieces didn’t cost money, and she couldn’t really win against the person in front of her.
A feast at noon, an inspection of the Zhenwei Army in the afternoon, Jiang Yinghua had no time to spare as she attended on the side. In the evening, she expressed the hospitality of the host and symbolically participated in the court officials’ banquet. Only at night did she drag her tired body back to the manor and stagger towards the side courtyard.
The night was dark, and Jiang Yinghua faintly saw a figure standing outside her room. Only when she got closer did she realize that Yan Wanzhi was waiting for her.
She quickly stepped forward, dismissed the attendants, and asked in a low voice, “Is there anything important? Your Majesty is here, and we live far apart. If there’s nothing important, don’t bother these days, lest people become suspicious.”
“I know, we were thinking the same thing. There’s a small matter. The arrangements at the Buddhist temple have been made, your personal guards are on alert, and the Zhenwei Army is patrolling. Do you have anything else to add?” Yan Wanzhi raised her eyes, looking at Jiang Yinghua with a serious face.
Actually, Jiang Yinghua really wanted to tell someone about Your Majesty’s request for money today, but since the person had asked her to prepare privately, she could only swallow the words and didn’t dare to speak. “That’s it, it’s getting late, go back and rest quickly. You’ll be busy these next half a month.” Jiang Yinghua’s voice was gentle, with concern.
“Yes, thank you, Your Highness.” Yan Wanzhi winked at her and deliberately raised her voice to bid farewell.
Late at night, Jiang Yinghua got up and took out a delicate lacquer box inlaid with colored shells from the bedside cabinet. A small, exquisite key was inserted, and a stack of silver notes came into view. This was Jiang Yinghua’s completely private property. She sighed deeply, carefully counted out twenty notes, and then carefully put the rest back, locking it tightly.
Jiang Yinghua couldn’t figure out what important matter would require Your Majesty to personally borrow money from her. It definitely wasn’t a small matter. Your Majesty didn’t lack this twenty thousand, she was probably just afraid to use her own savings, afraid of being noticed.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yinghua tossed and turned on the long couch, unable to sleep soundly. She also knew nothing about the medicine Your Majesty had taken this morning.
The next day, Jiang Yinghua got up early and applied a thick layer of makeup to cover her large dark circles. A procession of carriages went to Yanan Mountain in the western suburbs outside the city. The Buddhist temple was built on the mountainside.
On the way out of the city, Your Majesty was in a great mood, looking at the scenery outside and her eyebrows and eyes stretched: “The flowers in Beijing have withered by this time of year, but it is still cold here, and the flowers are in full bloom.”
Jiang Yinghua followed her gaze and glanced at the flowers and plants in the mountains, the fragrant grass and fallen flowers were equally suitable, and the air was mixed with a little fragrance, which was indeed a rare scenery. It’s just that she usually has no intention of appreciating the scenery and has never paid attention to it: “Indeed, the blooming and withering are later.”
There was no one else in the carriage, Jiang Yinghua took out the silver notes from her sleeve and handed them to Jiang Jingche, and said in a low voice: “Elder Sister, what you want is all here.”
Your Majesty smiled lightly, casually took it, and joked with a smile: “You prepared it quite quickly, is this bank also your property?”
Jiang Yinghua covered her lips and coughed lightly, and murmured: “Your Majesty’s golden words cannot be denied, I have really scraped everything clean.”
Your Majesty smiled without saying a word, and then turned her gaze to the mountains, and if you look closely, the smile seemed to contain a little bitterness.
Arriving at the foot of the mountain, the carriage could no longer move forward. Someone had already prepared a sedan chair to greet them. Your Majesty glanced at it, turned her head and said to Jiang Yinghua: “The mountain is quiet, you accompany me for a walk.”
Jiang Yinghua understood and signaled the attendants to retreat, and accompanied the driving on the side, giving Yan Wanzhi a look. Before long, there was some rustling in the forest, and the number of guards doubled.
Arriving at the mountainside, Your Majesty raised her eyes and glanced at the plaque of the temple, and said quietly: “Yanan Temple, did you name it?”
Jiang Yinghua bowed slightly: “Reporting to Your Majesty, this mountain is named Yanan, and I am offering flowers to Buddha, using the mountain to name the temple, hoping for peace and tranquility in the world.”
“You have a heart, this name is very good.” A trace of comfort flashed in Your Majesty’s eyes, and she lightly said a rare compliment.
Taking a few steps forward, the people in the temple had already greeted her, paying homage to the Emperor with the etiquette of Buddhist disciples. Your Majesty’s eyes swept over the monks with a faint look, lingered on the abbot for a moment, returned the greeting softly, entered the temple to offer incense and worship Buddha.
This temple was built according to royal regulations, with a grand and solemn atmosphere, impeccable. Jiang Yinghua was a quick-tempered person, and she was able to complete the construction in three years, which would have taken ten years in the hands of others. However, if you look closely, you can’t find any perfunctory clues, everything is meticulous, every brick and tile has been done with care.
Your Majesty walked around in it seemingly casually, and in her heart, she had a little more understanding of her sister’s swift and decisive skills.
As long as this person is not under her nose, she seems to make very few mistakes in doing things. She used to play the fool in Beijing, and at a young age, she had such a city to confront her relatives. It seems that what the late Emperor secretly instilled in her must not be the Confucian principles of loyalty and filial piety that she and the Empress Dowager had heard of.
“I remember that you have no interest in Buddhist scriptures, why did you think of building a Buddhist temple?” Your Majesty asked casually with her hands behind her back, walking leisurely.
“When I was young, I was playful, and I couldn’t understand the profoundness of Buddhism. Don’t laugh at me for building a temple, my original intention was really to pray for my mother. When I left Beijing, my mother was not in good health, and I didn’t know how to express my filial piety, so I had to find this stupid way.” Jiang Yinghua said with a smile, and responded softly.
Your Majesty still looked gentle when she heard these words: “How is it stupid? This method is very good, accumulating merit, cherishing the mother, and benefiting the people. Hua’er, you are doing things more steadily.”
Jiang Yinghua lowered her eyebrows and nodded, without answering. Your Majesty glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, and said again: “The abbot in this temple looks kind.”
“It is Grand Master Puji. I heard people say that the master is a virtuous monk, so I specially brought him from Dongfu and asked him to stay here.” Jiang Yinghua explained unhurriedly, without concealing her motives, and frankly explained the beginning and end of inviting people here.
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism have always been the ideological source for emperors to govern the people. The current dynasty has had a clear advocacy for both Buddhism and Taoism, but only when it comes to Your Majesty, she has never favored one over the other.
Jiang Yinghua also knew that Your Majesty studied the study of governing the world and economics, and did not pay much attention to the affairs of the gods. Therefore, the time that the imperial palace stayed was not long.
That night, Your Majesty summoned Yan Wanzhi to see her, deliberately avoiding Jiang Yinghua. The guards in the mansion were all Your Majesty’s people, and Jiang Yinghua would not know any news.
As soon as they met, Yan Wanzhi knelt down and saluted, and Your Majesty stepped forward and helped the person up kindly: “Scholar Yan, it’s been a long time since I saw you, are you still used to it here?”
“I am all well, thank you Your Majesty for your concern.” Yan Wanzhi bowed and saluted, very rule.
“What Lou Shan did was good. He knows the measure, and this point has always been very good.” Your Majesty picked up a small pair of scissors, looked at the flickering candlelight burning too brightly, and reached out and cut off the wick, “However, young people’s aspirations should not forget to learn the calmness of the elders, and you must be able to see and hear everything.”
Yan Wanzhi looked at Your Majesty’s actions, and after thinking about Your Majesty’s words, she felt something was wrong, and knelt down again: “I have been negligent in some way, please teach me, Your Majesty.”
“Have you checked the abbot of the Buddhist temple? Do you know his former identity, huh?” Your Majesty’s eyes gradually turned cold, put down the scissors, and sat upright in front of the couch.
Yan Wanzhi really hadn’t checked. During the construction period of the Buddhist temple, Jiang Yinghua kept urging her in her ears. The more this person took the initiative to chat with her and mentioned it from time to time, the more she would consciously relax her vigilance. Now that Your Majesty asked this way, there must be something wrong with the abbot’s identity, and something went wrong.
She suddenly felt a chill and lay on the ground, too guilty to speak.
“I’ll stop there, think about how to act, step down.” Your Majesty just wanted to knock on the side, and did not intend to be harsh, and directly let people leave.