In a flash, it was the end of April, and Yang Lun went south to Jianghuai to take charge of the land clearing affairs.
Xu Qi from the Ministry of Works accompanied him and was ordered to investigate the breach in the Yunmeng Lake.
When the imperial edict was delivered to the Ministry of Works, the Cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue both breathed a sigh of relief.
The Ministry of Revenue then distributed last year's firewood and annual wages to the officials of the departments.
Although summer was approaching, the minor officials in the capital who depended on these salaries for their livelihood still gathered happily at the gate of the Ministry of Revenue, eagerly waiting for their payment.
The front of the yamen gate was suddenly as lively as during the Spring Festival. While waiting, several officials from the Ministry of Rites who had little practical work gathered together to discuss.
One of them was sitting on a bench at the door, drinking tea and saying, "Before the Lunar New Year, they said that it would be delayed until after this year and next year before the Lunar New Year. How come it's here now?"
An official from the Engineering Department responded, "During the meeting held before the Emperor on the 2nd of the month, the advance payment for the diversion of the Jinghe River submitted by Lord Xu from the Ministry of Engineering was one-third less than what the Ministry of Engineering had submitted previously. This way, the Ministry of Revenue had some extra money, which is why today's incident happened."
Another elderly official said, "This year we can actually see silver... It's much more decent than the distribution mixed with pepper, salt and rice in previous years."
The official on the bench put down his tea bowl and sighed, "Yes, at the end of last year, my sick wife even saved money on medicine, saying that she wanted to save some money to make an extra quilt for my mother, and when we get the salary supplement next year, she will continue with her treatment. Alas... my mother survived, but she passed away at the beginning of the year. Now I have this money..."
As he was speaking, he fell silent.
No one present spoke up to comfort him.
After all, this was the long-standing problem of the entire Ming Dynasty. The heavy taxes and the increasingly fierce land annexation were contradictory. The poor had no land, and even if they were high-ranking officials, if they wanted to have a reputation of being "incorruptible", there would be people in their family who would starve to death or freeze to death.
His words, spoken in the warm and gentle late spring weather, simply dampened the smiles that had finally appeared on people's faces.
**
The day when the Ministry of Revenue paid salaries happened to be Princess Fuqing's birthday, and the bell and drum department performed a palace play in the banana garden.
Princess Fuqing was the younger sister of Emperor Zhenning. In the first year of the reign of Emperor Zhenning, she was asked to marry the eldest son of Duke Jing. Although Duke Jing had returned to his hometown to live in retirement, the princess had been living in the capital with her husband.
The Queen Mother loved her little daughter very much and personally celebrated her birthday in the palace. In order to please the Queen Mother, the Emperor brought the Queen and the concubines to watch the play. Normally, several eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department would serve on the left and right at this time, but today, only Zheng Yuejia was serving the Emperor.
The emperor watched the play for a while, and seeing that Princess Fuqing was not interested, he asked casually, "What's wrong, Fuqing?"
Princess Fuqing listened to the opera in a daze and did not respond.
The Queen Mother reached out and patted the back of her hand, "Fuqing?"
Princess Fuqing finally came to her senses and saw that the emperor and the empress dowager were both looking at her. She quickly stood up and said, "Excuse me, Fuqing."
The emperor waved his hand and said, "I see that you are uneasy. If you have anything to say, you can tell me directly."
"yes."
Princess Fuqing stood up and said, "My brother, the Duke is seriously ill in the south and no medicine can help. My sister and I are very worried. I just heard the lyrics in the opera and thought of the Duke. I was distracted for a moment. I am really rude. I hope my brother will forgive me..."
The Queen Mother asked, "Didn't you report at the end of last year that he was getting better?"
After hearing what the Empress Dowager said, Princess Fuqing simply knelt down before the Emperor.
The Queen Mother hurriedly stopped the show and leaned over to ask, "What are you doing? Get up quickly."
Princess Fuqing bowed and said, "Mother, I am a dull woman and I know that the court's major policies should not be discussed rashly. However, the Duke is too old to bear the repeated questioning by the land cleaning officials. Your Majesty is worried about this day and night. I cannot bear this. I beg you and my brother to have mercy on me."
The Queen Mother saw how miserable she was, but since the matter involved important policy for the new year, she did not speak rashly.
Emperor Zhenning signaled Zheng Yuejia to come forward and help Princess Fuqing up. He lowered his voice and asked Zheng Yuejia a few questions. He then said to Princess Fuqing in a calm voice, "I will ask the cabinet to investigate and write a report. Today is your birthday. My mother and I are both happy. Let's not mention this matter for now."
Concubine Ning was sitting below the Queen. After listening to these words, she began to feel uneasy.
She made an excuse to leave the banana garden and headed towards Chengqian Palace. She happened to meet Yang Wan on the palace road in front of Xian'an Palace.
Yang Wan had originally returned to the Shangyi Bureau to report to the emperor. Seeing Concubine Ning and her entourage coming over, she did not want to delay and retreated to the side of the road with the others to pay her respects. Unexpectedly, Concubine Ning called her and said, "Wan'er, I have something to tell you."
Yang Wan then stood up and said, "The show in Jiaoyuan hasn't ended yet, why did the queen come out?"
Concubine Ning motioned for everyone to step back and said to Yang Wan, "Wan'er, my brother has been in the south for so long, why is there no news at all?"
When Yang Wan heard her ask this, she remembered what Yang Lun had told her before he left: "No matter what my situation is in the south, you must not let Concubine Ning know." Seeing Concubine Ning's worried expression, she forced a smile and replied: "No news means everything is fine, don't worry, Concubine Ning."
Concubine Ning shook her head, "But, I heard from Princess Fuqing today that Duke Jing was seriously ill because of the clearing of fields in Jiangnan."
Yang Wan hesitated to speak.
The title of Duke of Jing was conferred by the previous emperor, and his family has deep roots in the south.
The primary purpose of Yang Lun's land clearing policy was to dig out all the hidden fields of these aristocratic landlords who evaded taxes. However, these aristocratic families were either related to the emperor like the Duke of Jing, or they relied on high-ranking officials in the capital. Yang Lun's political situation in the south can be imagined.
"Maybe it will be better once Princess Fuqing leaves the palace."
Yang Wan said something to comfort him that she herself did not believe, and then continued, "Your Highness, you must not mention my brother's affairs in front of His Majesty."
"Sister understands."
Concubine Ning pinched her wrist and said, "But sister is worried and doesn't know what to do."
"Your Highness, don't do anything. You must take good care of His Highness these days. Also, don't have any contact with the Yanxi Palace."
"Yanxi Palace?"
"Yes, the Yanxi Palace has been too popular these days, let's hide away for a while."
Concubine Ning nodded and said, "I will understand even if you don't tell me, oh..."
She remembered that she had only consulted Yang Wan and forgot that she was still on duty today. She pressed her forehead hurriedly.
"Did my sister trip you up?"
"Not really. I finished my work early today and just need to go back and stamp it."
Concubine Ning said, "Okay... Then I won't keep you any longer. Go do your work. I'll go back to Chengqian Palace."
Yang Wanrang walked to the side of the road to see her off, and only stood up and continued walking towards the Shangyi Bureau after she turned the corner of the Xian'an Palace.
At this time, there were only two female officials, Sibin and Sizan, and several female servants in the Shangyi Bureau. Jiang Shangyi and the female official Siji were not there.
"Where are Jiang Shangyi and the others?"
The female official of the Ministry of Rites looked up and replied, "Hu Siji went to the library to check. As for Shangyi Da... she should have gone to the Ministry of Rites. Today, she made some fermented vegetables. Every time she made some, Shangyi would personally send a few jars to the old ancestor. The old ancestor has bad teeth and can't eat anything else. This is the most useful thing for him. You sit and wait for a while."
Yang Wan had heard more than once from the conversations of these female officials that they respected He Yixian.
Since she was going to be free today, she simply sat down and continued, "Shang Yi is so kind to the old ancestor."
The two female officials at the department level smiled at each other.
"The ancestor had nothing to say to us. When we first entered the palace, we were all running around like headless flies. If it weren't for the ancestor's kindness, we wouldn't know how much punishment we would have received. When Lady Shangyi first entered the palace, her mother died, and her father refused to spend money on the burial. When the ancestor heard about it, he gave ten taels of silver to Hu Xiang and asked him to help send the money off personally. Only then did Shangyi acknowledge the ancestor as her godfather."
Yang Wan said, "I never understood why someone like Shang Yi would be so respectful to the Silijian. Now I know there is a reason like this."
The female official put down the document in her hand and said, "We all have our own difficulties in entering the palace to be female officials. Compared with us, the eunuchs are even more pitiful. The masters of any level either beat or scold them. If it weren't for the ancestors' covert protection, they would have died miserably."
After she finished speaking, she looked at the female official in charge of the reception and said, "So, when we heard that Director Deng was beaten with a stick in the Imperial Household Department, we were all quite surprised. Although our ancestors also punished the people below them, it was always a lot of noise but little action. It was fine to scare them, but it was the first time that they beat someone like that."
Si Bin took the letter and said, "He must have done something that broke the rules, that's why he was punished like that. As long as our ancestor didn't break his rules, he would treat us as his own children. But if we broke his rules, he would be unforgiving. Director Deng... is too aggressive. Tell me, he shouldn't be in that position at the East Inspection Office."
Yang Wan listened to their conversation quietly without saying a word.
Seeing her keep her head down and remain silent, the female official in charge of the imperial court thought that they had gone a little too far in front of Yang Wan, so she patted her on the shoulder.
"We didn't say this in front of you on purpose. We just want you to listen to us because we want you to persuade Director Deng that there is a shelter above your head, that is the sky. Why do you want to tear it down? If the sky falls down and crushes you, you will be the one who suffers, right?"
After listening to this, Yang Wan found it difficult to even pretend to nod.
This was undoubtedly the way He Yixian and the palace maids in the inner court had developed over a long period of time. It was like a distorted "parent-child" relationship, using "favors" to force "children" to kneel down and worship. But such behavior was recognized by almost everyone in the inner court of that era, including Jiang Shangyi. What made Yang Wan even more uncomfortable was that they believed that Deng Ying was an alien and deserved the crime she suffered.
"I think Deng Ying is pretty good."
She couldn't help but say this.
The female official sighed, "You said that because he is good to you. But Yang Wan, if you really want to protect him, you shouldn't say such things. If he really makes a mistake in front of His Majesty in the future, and the old ancestor doesn't take care of him, he will die without a burial place."
Yang Wan didn't say anything else.
In fact, from the perspective of the two ladies, what they said to Yang Wan was very sincere. Yang Wan knew that she should not say anything offensive in this place. But she was still unwilling to curry favor with them, so she could only cough, avoid their gaze, and look up to the window.
As it approached noon, the palace servants coming and going were busy with their work, just like countless living beings, killing thousands of ants.
She pursed her lips and sighed, then folded her hands on the table and bent down.
**
The door of the Silijian hall was closed.
When Jiang Shangyi arrived at the Huntangsi, she saw a man kneeling outside the main hall of the Silijian.
The man was wearing the brocade robe of an official of the Dongjishi Factory. He had his back straight and his arms hanging down, with his sleeves hanging by his knees, gently fluttering in the wind.
Jiang Shangyi walked past him and came to the main hall door. The eunuch in front of the door came over and said, "Shangyi, you are here. I will go and tell the old ancestor now."
Jiang Shangyi said: "Don't worry, if the old ancestor is discussing something, I will wait."
The eunuch bowed and said, "The old ancestor knows that you are here to deliver the pickled vegetables today. It is not allowed for others to come, but since you are here, you must go in and inform us. Please stand for a moment."
Jiang Shangyi nodded and asked casually, "What's wrong with the factory supervisor?"
The eunuch glanced behind her and said, "Oh... How dare I say that? They are all ancestors. You can go in and ask the ancestors later."
Jiang Shangyi didn't ask any further questions. While waiting, she turned around and looked at Deng Ying.
He never looked up.
It was just past noon, and the number of people coming and going from the Imperial Household Department was very high. When they passed by him, some people would inevitably whisper a few words, but he remained silent. Jiang Shangyi glanced at the side of the palace road. Two centurions from the Investigation Bureau were standing not far away, scolding the palace servants who were talking, but their voices were also very low.