A new day.
In the palace.
The maids and eunuchs around The Emperor.
Their main daily responsibility is essentially to keep The Emperor happy.
Keeping The Emperor happy also has different levels.
One type is to share gossip, which needs to be interesting without crossing any taboos. This is like being a chat buddy, something that can be present or not, with many eunuchs competing for this position, allowing for multiple people to coexist in the role.
Another type is to provide physical and emotional satisfaction, like the concubines. But as The Emperor has aged, he's begun to prioritize health preservation, greatly reducing his physical desires. As a result, the concubines' advantages have significantly diminished.
There's also a type that resonates with the soul, like the relationship between Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi.
Currently, only Eunuch Yan has achieved this level.
Eunuch Yan doesn't speak much in front of The Emperor, but every word he says seems to carry weight.
On this new day, The Emperor wakes up rather early.
Although he doesn't have to attend morning court, sometimes he just can't sleep.
He gets up, washes, and eats, feeling exhausted.
Only after taking his first dose of medicine does he feel somewhat energized.
Today isn't cold, but it's not sunny either - it's overcast.
The Emperor seems to be in low spirits.
A eunuch skilled at reporting news steps forward to speak.
Eunuch Liu says that Immortal Liu has somehow caught a cold and fallen ill. Several young talents have visited her, and unexpectedly, Minister Lu's youngest son, Lu Zhaolin, also went and ended up fighting with her sworn brother, Young Master Liu.
The Emperor waves his hand, indicating he doesn't want to hear this kind of news about love rivalries.
He recalls that he once wanted to summon Immortal Liu, but thankfully Old Madam Meng's intervention sobered him up, otherwise his reputation might have been damaged.
This Immortal Liu was said to be close to his eldest son recently, resulting in the eldest son's exuberant behavior, which led to The Emperor reprimanding him and ordering him to reflect behind closed doors. The Emperor feels that Immortal Liu's luck seems a bit ominous. Perhaps fortune-tellers really do have bad luck themselves. Thinking this way, The Emperor decides it's best to stay away from her and not mention her again.
He is somewhat superstitious, after all, he wants longevity and believes in fate.
Eunuch Duan immediately picks up the conversation.
He smiles and says, "Your Majesty, there's been something interesting these past few days. That Lord Jiang, the one you appointed as Imperial Secretary, he's moved next door to Immortal Liu. You gave him three days off, and guess what he's been doing during these three days?"
There are many people and many things around The Emperor, with everyone competing to show their worth.
This Eunuch Duan hadn't mentioned it before, and The Emperor had truly forgotten about it.
"He must have been socializing and networking," The Emperor says.
He knows these officials well. Although Imperial Secretary is a minor position, it's close to him and has the right to enter and leave the palace. Those officials would fight tooth and nail for this position.
That day, he had suddenly had the whim to arrange for an outsider to take the position.
At least to arrange for someone pleasing to the eye to come.
This position should be like manna from heaven for anyone.
"On the first day, Lord Jiang went to the Meng Family to see his daughter and two grandsons. Lord Jiang has adopted Zi Lu's orphan, the child with the brain ailment, and took him along," Eunuch Duan skillfully moves past this topic and continues:
"On the second day, Lord Jiang received many guests at home. When he went to the government office to inquire about his official duties, he met many colleagues who were also waiting for assignments. He left his address for everyone, and many people came that day. Lord Jiang received them all and gave quite a bit of money to those in need. As is widely known, when Lord Jiang was in Jingzhou, he was repeatedly accused of embezzlement. Perhaps feeling the pain of giving away money, he dug three feet deep in his own courtyard and actually unearthed two boxes of silver, a box of ceramics, a box of ancient books, and even a skeleton. The previous resident of this house was once a royal merchant."
The Emperor's interest is piqued.
This ability to dig up treasures shows that Lord Jiang has some luck on his side.
And he even dug up a skeleton.
"Is there any unsolved case related to this?" he asks.
"It's unclear. The skeleton is quite old, probably an accident. Lord Jiang carefully cleaned the bones, rearranged them into human form, and gave them a proper burial," Eunuch Duan says.
At this point, the other eunuchs and maids suddenly shift from treating it like a joke to feeling a strange sense of emotion.
Earlier, when it was mentioned that he adopted the brain-impaired orphan of a fellow rebel, people didn't dare to praise him much, only thinking he was quite loyal. After all, Zi Lu's identity was sensitive, and The Emperor despised him, having cursed him several times in the palace.
Here, when it's said that he dug up a skeleton and carefully arranged the bones back into human form before reburying it, it inexplicably makes people feel that this man is a good person. To treat an unknown deceased person with such respect, he must be a true gentleman.
Moreover, Lord Jiang had just arrived in the capital and surely didn't know that The Emperor had people planted in various households. This behavior shows it comes from his heart.
This was arranged by The Emperor.
He may seem muddle-headed, but he actually has eyes and ears in every household.
Therefore, the palace servants also wield great power, as they control such a group of people.
Although some are just maids doing menial tasks.
"What about the third day? Did he go to give gifts to Minister Lu? It's become an unspoken rule for officials these years. Minister Lu's storehouse is probably even richer than my Imperial Household Department," The Emperor casually remarks.
Eunuch Liu, standing to the side, lowers his head with slightly furrowed brows.
Minister Lu must have done something recently to displease The Emperor, as this casual remark doesn't seem unintentional.
Eunuch Liu has received many treasures from Minister Lu in the past and feels a bit uneasy.
He has often spoken up for Minister Lu in the past.
"Not at all. Although Lord Jiang has the Meng Family as in-laws, Official Meng, as Your Majesty knows, when he heard that Lord Jiang got the position of Imperial Secretary, his first words were actually gloating, saying that Lord Jiang won't be able to slack off now, as he has to see you every day."
"Hahaha," The Emperor laughs.
It's really hard not to trust Old General Meng when he has such a blunt son.
If he had any ulterior motives, he wouldn't dare to let his son stay in the capital like this.
"Lord Jiang probably doesn't understand the rules of the capital, and no one has enlightened him. Official Meng probably wouldn't remember this either. Anyway, on the third day, Lord Jiang stayed home to plant vegetables with his daughter. He took his wife and daughter, personally dug the ground, planted vegetables, watered them, and busied himself all day. He ended up covered in mud. The servants at home wanted to say something but didn't dare. Planting vegetables in winter, they probably won't survive."
The Emperor imagines Lord Jiang's handsome face covered in mud and can't help but laugh again.
At this moment, Eunuch Yan hands him a cup of tea, which he takes and drinks.
It's neither hot nor cold, just right for drinking.
"My sister grew up in a village, cherishing food. She probably saw such a large piece of land and felt it would be a waste not to plant some crops," Eunuch Yan says casually in his pleasant voice.
"So what about Lord Jiang today?" The Emperor asks, his interest piqued.
"He must be at the government office copying rules and regulations. He didn't give gifts to Minister Lu and doesn't understand the rules, so he probably needs to copy the regulations for several days before he can enter the palace to see Your Majesty," Eunuch Duan adds from the side.
The Emperor's lips curl slightly.
He puts down his teacup.
He's somewhat displeased.
Even the person he wants to see has to go through Minister Lu's interference. Old Lu's reach is getting longer and longer.
Eunuch Liu quickly says from the side, "It's almost lunchtime. Why don't we summon Lord Jiang and ask him about the skeleton matter, to see if there's any injustice involved?"
The Emperor nods.
Eunuch Liu lowers his head, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He's lost this round.
...
