Chapter 132 - 113: Can’t Hold It Anymore
Noble Princess Consort Rong pulled six sheets of paper from a mountain of account books.
Jiang Xian’s sharp eyes noticed they were from the loose-leaf notebook she had suggested.
Jiang Xian said, "I thought you despised me."
Noble Princess Consort Rong replied, "I still do."
She handed the six sheets to six palace maids. A moment later, six pale-faced Palace Attendants were led in. As soon as they entered, their knees gave out, and they knelt with their foreheads pressed to the ground.
"I appointed ten people to be on duty during the junior selection," Noble Princess Consort Rong began. "The final roster had one person swapped out. The reason given was that the original person had fallen ill. But I investigated and found that you took a bribe to have my appointee removed and replaced with your own man." She paused. "Have the twenty strokes been administered?"
Qiu Yun replied, "The twenty strokes have been administered."
"How much silver did you take from him?"
It was as if thunder exploded in the eunuch’s mind. "I didn’t take any silver! He’s my godson. I... I was just temporarily blinded by greed! I beg Your Ladyship to spare me this once!" He pleaded for himself but made no mention of his godson.
Becoming his godson must have cost a pretty penny.
He deliberately omitted this detail, hoping to evoke some sympathy from the Noble Consort.
—To both cut corners on the Noble Consort’s orders and then expect her to be overcome with sympathy showed that he truly didn’t understand her at all.
"The son’s debt shall be paid by the father. With principal and interest, forty strokes."
Noble Princess Consort Rong withdrew her gaze and looked to the next person.
The eunuch’s face was ashen. Before he could even beg for mercy, strong eunuchs waiting nearby covered his mouth, pinned him down, and dragged him away. This was just a routine disciplinary measure, yet Noble Princess Consort Rong paused and asked Jiang Xian, "Are you thinking of pleading for him?"
’Forty strokes of the plank... that’s no different from a death sentence.’
Gu Pin had been in the palace for some time, but there hadn’t been any particularly bloody incidents. The Noble Consort thought she might not be able to stomach it.
"I wanted to, but I held back."
’I just can’t be as ruthless as this feudal society demands.’
’Everyone has their own fate. In a place like this, I can barely save myself, so how could I possibly save everyone I see? Take Zhenqiu and Mianxia. They’re my palace maids at Yizhu Pavilion. If they got into trouble, I would remember my higher status and shield them myself to prevent them from becoming cannon fodder. But Noble Princess Consort Rong is in charge of managing the Palace Attendants... I can’t interfere with my superior.’
’If I pleaded for him, the Noble Consort would probably grant me the favor.’
’But if word got out, how could the Noble Consort maintain her authority?’
So Jiang Xian held her tongue.
Even so, Noble Princess Consort Rong could see that Gu Pin was extremely uncomfortable.
"In the harem, any matter connected to the outside world must be handled with extreme caution. The day of the junior selection is chaotic, with many people coming and going. The Palace Attendants I chose for duty were exceptionally discreet and tight-lipped. This Ding Dahai, in order to squeeze his godson onto the roster, resorted to dirty tricks. He snuck out in the middle of the night and doused the other eunuch—one with no backing—with water, causing him to fall severely ill from the cold. That eunuch was sent to Anle Hall, and after two days, he died. Only then was the matter brought to my attention."
As a native of this ancient era, the Noble Consort truly didn’t lose sleep over a life or two.
But she possessed a rigid, unwavering sense of justice. Every command from her lips was an extension of her dignity and authority, and she would not tolerate the slightest offense. The little eunuch who had died in Anle Hall was someone *she* had chosen. Even if it hadn’t been a person, but merely a flower, it would have to be delivered to her perfectly intact. If a single petal were missing, every Palace Attendant who had handled it—from the one who carried the pot, to the one on duty in the greenhouse, to the little eunuch who simply ran the errand—would be thoroughly investigated and brought before her for judgment!
"This may seem like a small matter, but if he can sneak his godson in for personal gain today, who’s to say he won’t swap in a spy for someone else tomorrow? For any matter that falls under my jurisdiction, I must use absolute authority to deter such vile behavior."
’If playing dirty and finding a powerful godfather gets you further than following the rules and being obedient, then who in the harem would be willing to do their job properly?’
’The whole place would turn into a harem-edition of a ’Who’s Your Daddy?’ contest.’
’If a master is indecisive, soft-hearted, and unfair, their servants will find a million ways to deceive them.’
After hearing the Noble Consort’s explanation, Jiang Xian felt a wave of relief.
’Even though I’ve accepted the way society works in the Yan Chichao Dynasty, I really don’t want to associate with anyone who’s bloodthirsty.’
After that, Noble Princess Consort Rong did not resort to such harsh measures again.
The punishments were by no means light, however.
All who had stepped out of line to test her boundaries were punished. She seemed to be in high spirits, reprimanding them one by one like a living Yama judging good and punishing evil. Then, right in front of the guilty parties, she generously rewarded the diligent and obedient Palace Attendants with real gold and silver, forcing the others to watch with both envy and misery.
After dealing with them all in this straightforward, brutal fashion, Noble Princess Consort Rong finally turned back to Jiang Xian. "The Empress is too soft-hearted," she said. "If orders are to be followed, I have to be the one to rule with an iron fist."
Jiang Xian nodded. "What Your Ladyship can do is something I could never manage."
’Most of the generous rewards from Noble Princess Consort Rong came out of her own pocket.’
’Using her own money for official palace business is like paying to go to work. The big boss has really manipulated her good.’
"Hmph. At least you know your place."
Noble Princess Consort Rong, who was in love with the Emperor, was on a completely different wavelength from Jiang Xian. A slight smile touched her red lips as she brought up the dance they had planned to perform before their trip to Jingxin Temple. "You’re injured, so you can’t practice. I’ll practice on my own. Once you’re fully healed, don’t you dare fall behind."
"I can practice."
she declared confidently.
Noble Princess Consort Rong stared at her doubtfully for a moment but eventually relented and let her practice with her. The result was that her wound split open that very night, blood streaming down her entire arm.
Jiang Xian herself wasn’t too fussed.
It was just that some of the better-informed, high-ranking concubines heard a different story—
that Noble Princess Consort Rong, resentful that Gu Pin had stolen the Emperor’s favor, had beaten her to a bloody pulp that very night.
Any eunuchs and palace maids who, seeing the Noble Consort’s favor wane, had started to get ideas, immediately abandoned all thoughts of causing trouble. If even Gu Pin, the recipient of the most Holy Favor, could be abused so horribly by the Noble Consort, then who were they to challenge her? Tucking their tails between their legs and doing their jobs was the only logical course of action.
※
Her "overtime" a failure, Gu Pin was carried back to Yizhu Pavilion.
Chen Daying, nibbling on a biscuit, stared wide-eyed. After confirming that Gu Pin didn’t need her to wait on her, she decided against returning to her own side hall and stayed to keep her company. "This promotion to concubine... I’m not envious at all anymore. This is the second time you’ve been carried back in here horizontally, sister."
"What a thing to say, milady," He Xiang teased. "Even if our Concubine is carried in horizontally, she’s still on a proper palanquin. Who knows if you’ll ever get to ride in a four-bearer one in your lifetime."
That morning, Noble Princess Consort Rong had departed from Yizhu Pavilion for Jianzhang Palace.
The Noble Consort and concubines of the Pin rank were entitled to palanquins and did not have to walk. Chen Daying could only trail behind with the palace maids.
"Tsk. Looking down on me, are we? They can have their four-bearer palanquins. I’ll ride in an eight-bearer one."
"Only Imperial Envoys of the third rank or higher are entitled to an eight-bearer sedan. Just how important do you think you are, milady? Do you really think I don’t know the rules?"
Chen Daying said nonchalantly, "A coffin. Doesn’t that take eight people to carry?"
...
The noble Concubine nearly burst her stitches laughing at the lower-ranking concubine’s remark.