Chapter 82: Petition
Translator's note: Thank you all for your patience! The next updates should be on schedule.
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Liang Jiwen was waiting in the front hall, her mind quite on edge. And, fortunately, because of this, she didn't see the the rapidly-departing Song Juguang. By the time Jiang Changbai had finished changing and come out from the back, Liang Jiwen was still a bit bewildered that the Emperor's ears were flushed.
But she didn't have the mind to think much about it, and said anxiously, "Bixia, I want to leave the Palace."
Jiang Changbai looked at her. "Didn't We allow you to leave the Palace? Just go note down your name; there's no need to come ask Us about every matter."
Having just finished speaking, Jiang Changbai turned, about to leave. Liang Jiwen hurriedly obstructed her. "No, my meaning is, I want to leave and live outside the Palace."
"You want to move out of the Palace."
"Exactly."
"And why is that?"
Jiang Changbai sat back down in the chair, her the chill in her expression increasing. At the time, she'd insisted on Liang Jiwen entering the Palace precisely for ease of monitoring. Although they'd interacted for over a year now, she understood clearly that Liang Jiwen was a simple-minded person, and with her kindly character, she couldn't cause any great waves. But with Liang Jiwen suddenly raising the topic, she couldn't help but feel it was a bit strange.
When things were out of the ordinary, there was always something responsible.
Now, Liang Jiwen wasn't that simple-minded child she'd been at the very start. From the time Nanny Pei Yu passed on, she'd studied a not insignificant amount, and learnt a good deal of reason. She'd also gradually understood that Jiang Changbai, at that time, had wanted to bring her into the Palace not because it was easier to protect her, but rather, that there was a different implication. As a result, as she spoke, she intently observed Jiang Changbai's minute expressions, fearing that she'd be displeased.
But the reasons that Liang Jiwen could give were truly a bit flimsy. "It's far too boring in the Palace; in the past, there was Bi Yushuang to accompany me and have fun, but now, she's going to move out of the Palace too. She's my only friend in the Palace, and without her, I really can't stand to stay."
As it turned out, in the past couple days, Bi Yushuang had gotten word that her father had caught a severe cough, and had been tossing about the sickbed, without much time left to live. The line of inheritance in the Great Li wasn't clear, and it had always been the the vulgar focus on claiming as much as possible. As for her father, he was well-situated, and his assets weren't few; she wanted to leave the Palace—a bit snatched up was a bit, after all. It was far better than the paltry monthly allowance in the Palace.
Jiang Changbai had always held a supportive attitude towards the Consort Dowagers and Concubine Dowagers. As she saw it, none of them were that old, and leaving the Palace to do whatever work they wished was, in the end, far more interesting than passing an entire lifetime in the Palace. As a result, Bi Yushuang had left the Palace with almost no obstructions. The past few days, Liang Jiwen had still been able to entertain herself, while these days truly had been boring to the extreme. It was only at this that she'd come to request Jiang Changbai release her from the Palace.
Though Liang Jiwen knew that her identity was special, she still felt that Jiang Changbai wasn't someone who couldn't be reasoned with. As a result, she gazed at her expectantly, merely hoping for Jiang Changbai to nod.
However, the next moment, her hopes were shattered.
Jiang Changbai shook her head, her tone brooking no argument. "You needn't bring up this matter again; you'll keep living in the Palace. If you wish to leave the Palace to entertain yourself, you may, but you may not move out."
"Why?!" Liang Jiwen's eyes filled with tears in an instant, as if they would fall in the next moment.
But these tears weren't effective in the slightest in the face of Jiang Changbai, and she spoke lightly. "Because you're a princess of Shejin, not an average person. We cannot allow you to run into any mishap in the Great Li, and the Imperial Palace is the safest place in the Great Li."
"I have to be safe, but I can't have freedom?"
"For safety, freedom can be sacrificed." Recalling the memorials in the imperial study that still needed to be read over, Jiang Changbai was unwilling to keep speaking with Liang Jiwen, and, rising, she headed out. But when she passed by Liang Jiwen's side, her sleeve was snatched in a death grip.
When she looked down, she saw Liang Jiwen's heartbroken expression. "I'd thought you saw me as a friend."
It was as if Liang Jiwen's words had punctured something. In the end, Jiang Changbai couldn't fully bear it, and thinking on it, she leaned over, and said, "Of course We see you as a friend. But the capital isn't safe, and We fear you being exploited by someone with aspirations. You disdain the Palace as not having freedom, but are We free?"
Having finished speaking, she didn't pay her any further mind, and harshly pried her hand away, not looking back.
As for Xu Shuqiao and Qin Anhe, though the two had entirely opposite viewpoints, when carrying out matters, neither of them held back. Zhang Yizhi, seeing the imperial edict, didn't dare to play at any cunning plots, and could only single-mindedly cooperate with them.
The second day after the two had arrived in Boyang, the torrential rains that had persisted for almost a month stopped just like that. Qin Anhe happily packed her things away and prepared to return to the capital, but Xu Shuqiao had quite the bearing of someone staying in Boyang.
Qin Anhe was puzzled. "Her majesty ordered us to hurry back to the capital after solving the issue; what are you doing staying in Boyang?"
Xu Shuqiao merely smiled lightly. "Your work is done, but my work has yet to start."
Qin Anhe said, disdainfully, "What's there worth doing? Are you going to dig grand canals in Boyang? This place has just endured a natural disaster—how could they have the money to let you squander. Ah, as I see it, the rains have stopped, so we should go return to the capital together. And even if there's another problem next year, I'll just come around again."
Xu Shuqiao shook her head. "There can't be disasters year after year, and year after year of magic. It'll only do if the people of Boyang have their own means. If, at some other time, all of the Great Li experiences natural disasters, could you go everywhere and work your magic?"
Hearing this, Qin Anhe's eyes widened, and she pushed the door open vigilantly, glancing about outside. Only once she'd ascertained there wasn't anyone else around did she return, and, lowering her voice, said, "You even dare to say that—don't you fear you'll lose your head!"
Yet Xu Shuqiao didn't pay it any mind. "It's just a hypothetical. Regardless, I have to stay in Boyang, and conduct an on-site investigation. You just go back to the capital."
Though she didn't agree with Xu Shuqiao's point of view, having worked together for these past few days, Qin Anhe did feel that Xu Shuqiao wasn't a bad person. Adding onto that the fact that she was warm-hearted, she said firmly, "Regardless of what you think, you can't speak carelessly. This matter, it's awkward. If it's spoken about casually, it's that Boyang's luck is bad, and the past two years it's had consecutive disasters. As for speaking broadly, it's an ill omen, the dissatisfaction of the heavens, which has brought a punishment down on the people of Boyang. As for the matter of the entire land experiencing disaster, I'll be magnanimous, and pretend I didn't hear it. If it were someone else, who knows if, tomorrow, you'd be wearing prison garb."
But no matter what Qin Anhe said, Xu Shuqiao still didn't treat it seriously. "It was just a casual comment, and you're all worked up. Her majesty is peerless; how could she find me guilty over a single sentence? More than that, it's not like I haven't worn prison garb before; what's there to fear about that?"
Xu Shuqiao wasn't wrong in saying this. Her majesty was peerless, and wouldn't take a single drought or a single flood to heart. But there were so many mouths among the common people, and so many minds, and, even more, there were people with aspirations stirring up trouble. After barely a few days, a buzz tore through the capital—
The way the Emperor had gained the throne wasn't proper, and the heavens were furious, and so they'd caused Boyang to experience a disaster. If it continued on like this, who knew where the next place affected by disaster would be?
Meanwhile, Qin Anhe worked her magic to stop the rains, and the Ministry of Revenue allocated funds for disaster relief. The two matters passed through who knew how many mouths back to the capital, and turned into "Prince Yu's Shizi, Jiang Mingyou, grieves for the people of Boyang, and only after begging her majesty countless times was this diaster aid given".
Absurd remarks, but there were countless people who believed them.
It was a pity that Jiang Changbai was working away in the imperial study, having just received the good news Xu Shuqiao had sent back, and hadn't even had the time to be happy, when she heard Qing Huai bring in a message. "Bixia, The Minister of Appointments, Liu Zihe, and the Princess Yu, Yang Zhuofei, request an audience!"
That Liu Zihe and Wu Dongmu and the others were inclined towards Prince Yu's manor was well known in the court. In the past year, the chronic issue of these two remnants of the previous court had already been brought more or less under control by Jiang Changbai; those who needed monitoring were monitored, and these two no longer had the previous absolute power they'd held in their hands.
But they could still be counted as canny, and hadn't erred in any way that Jiang Changbai could use against them. Otherwise, they'd probably long since lost their official's attire, and gone to accompany each other in prison. Jiang Changbai had long since guessed that these people were creating a great issue, but she hadn't imagined that this great issue would come so quickly.
"Respects to her majesty." Two separate people spoke at once, making deferential obeisance.
Yet Jiang Changbai acted as if she hadn't seen them, and kept doing what she'd been doing. Only once the candles had burnt down half way did she suddenly seem to realise something. "Please, stand. Ah, with Our mind, We'd just thought of finishing writing, but who could have guessed We'd forget."
Though her words were self-effacing, but regardless of if it were Yang Zhuofei or Liu Zihe, neither dared to carry the subject. They merely stood up, embarrassed, not making a sound as they shifted their already-numb knees.
Yang Zhuofei spoke serenely. "Bixia, this subject has a petition."
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