There are KPIs even in prison.
This year under Minister Lu's rule, they had already exceeded their quota.
As a result, Minister Lu himself became part of the KPI.
There was one more prisoner.
It was somewhat awkward.
She was an old lady.
The person she offended had powerful connections.
The people who came to visit her were also influential.
The Seventh Prince Consort Jiang Yuluan brought her niece Jiang Wan to visit the prison.
Due to some arrangements, the conditions weren't too bad.
A single room.
With a bed, a chamber pot, and a privacy screen.
All the necessary amenities were provided, just without servants to attend to her.
But the lack of servants alone was enough to irritate her.
Old Lady Jiang had never compromised on food, clothing, or living conditions her entire life. She was used to having everything done for her, and without servants, she couldn't even dress properly.
When Jiang Yuluan saw her mother, tears instantly rolled down her face.
Jiang Wan's eyes also turned red.
Despite her grandmother's many faults, she had always treated her well, giving her the best of everything since she was little.
Old Lady Jiang seemed a bit deranged, as if she didn't recognize anyone.
She didn't even recognize her daughter.
Jiang Yuluan knew her mother well enough to know she wouldn't be so bold as to do such a thing on her own, even with her maid's help.
There must have been others behind it.
After seeing her mother, Jiang Yuluan wanted to ask the Seventh Prince for help, at least to delay the execution until after the New Year, in case there was a turn of events.
Any major victory could lead to a general amnesty.
But Jiang Changtian didn't want to wait.
He was sweet-tongued, cold-hearted, and decisive in his actions.
Minister Lu was seriously injured and retired, normally he might recover and return.
But with Jiang Changtian's pressure, he was forced into retirement.
Then several deputy ministers came forward, listing Minister Lu's crimes one by one, too numerous to count.
Minister Lu and his entire family were sent to the Ministry of Justice Prison.
Those families related to Minister Lu by marriage each tried to save themselves.
Minister Lu had many wives and concubines, and numerous children, including eight daughters, forming a vast network of marriage alliances.
Some directly divorced their wives, some sent their daughters-in-law to nunneries, some found faults and had them killed, while some daughters who had established themselves in their husband's families directly cut ties with Minister Lu. Only one daughter whom Minister Lu didn't acknowledge, who had eloped with a poor scholar and wanted to marry him, stood by him. The scholar had managed to pass the imperial examinations on his own merits, though he only held a minor position. When Minister Lu got into trouble, her husband didn't abandon her, but instead used his connections to allow her to visit her father.
True feelings are revealed in times of adversity.
Those who never received favoritism cherish relationships more.
If you show them even a little kindness, they're willing to repay it many times over, remembering even the smallest act of goodness.
It was this daughter who sold the jewelry she had saved for years to improve Minister Lu's conditions in prison.
Meanwhile, some of the favored daughters who had received countless dowries actively distanced themselves for fear of being implicated.
Such is the coldness and warmth of human relationships.
In comparison, Old Lady Jiang's social connections were much simpler.
The Imperial Son-in-law brought Heir Apparent Han to visit once.
Heir Apparent Han was no longer the heir apparent, and the Imperial Son-in-law was no longer the Imperial Son-in-law.
However, the Imperial Son-in-law was originally from the imperial clan, his father's father was the previous emperor's cousin, so he was still part of the royal family and held a title of his own.
Princess Huiyun had known from the beginning that Heir Apparent Han wasn't her biological son, she had always thought he was adopted by the Imperial Son-in-law, and she hadn't interfered.
The Imperial Son-in-law was a terrifying person. After spending time with him, one would realize he never showed unhappiness, always seeming to treat others gently. Even Huiyun was a bit afraid of him.
This incident was suspicious, but the Imperial Son-in-law had kept himself completely uninvolved, pure and innocent.
Everything was portrayed as Old Lady Jiang's careful plotting, and even the accomplices from back then were all dead, leaving no witnesses.
The princess wanted a divorce, and he readily agreed.
When Old Lady Jiang saw Heir Apparent Han, she suddenly became lucid.
With a gentle expression, she felt she had done no wrong and had no regrets.
At least Heir Apparent Han had grown up in luxury, enjoying everything he should have.
Her child had never suffered a day.
She had won.
Back then, all her natal family members had been executed, her husband's family exiled, who knew what the future held? She hadn't been wrong.
A mother's strength comes from love.
Even now she didn't regret it.
She only resented that the little brat Jiang Changtian was too tough to kill, somehow managing to survive her repeated attempts.
On the day of her execution.
Old Lady Jiang was even calm.
And very clear-headed.
Even facing death, she maintained the dignity of a noble lady.
Dressed appropriately.
With a serene expression.
She reflected on her life, feeling no lingering attachments.
Even if she were to meet her husband in the underworld, she would have nothing to be ashamed of.
She was righteous in her own mind.
Old Lady Jiang calmly awaited her punishment.
Before the execution, she saw Princess Huiyun.
Princess Huiyun's face was scarred, but she was still beautiful and charming. However, Old Lady Jiang still felt she had won.
No matter how beautiful you are, no matter how high your status, you never raised your own child for even a day.
The person you loved left you.
Your biological child suffered daily torment.
Old Lady Jiang smiled.
Her laugh lines had deepened in recent years, giving her smile a naturally mocking appearance that angered those who saw it.
Old Lady Jiang saw her daughter Yuluan, and this time she was lucid.
She grasped Yuluan's hand and said, "Wan'er has deep feelings for your illegitimate son. My death doesn't matter, I'm just worried about Wan'er. You're her mother, you decide. Let Wan'er marry your illegitimate son, so you can look after each other as aunt and nephew in the future."
Jiang Yuluan had no words to express her feelings, but seeing her mother's final wishes, she eventually nodded in agreement.
Jiang Wan hadn't expected her grandmother to still be thinking of her affairs on her deathbed, and finally broke down in tears, wailing uncontrollably.
Old Lady Jiang peacefully awaited death.
Usually, for the sake of dignity, such old ladies would be given poison.
However, at the last moment.
Jiang Changtian requested to see Old Lady Jiang alone.
In the prison cell.
Old Lady Jiang was as dignified as he remembered.
Jiang Changtian knew Jiang Yuluan had made some arrangements.
He didn't stop it.
He knew his mother Princess Huiyun was naive and innocent, even when filled with anger, she was easily fooled and wouldn't care about such things.
Although Old Lady Jiang was in prison, she still had dignified clothes, shoes, and headdress.
She looked at Jiang Changtian.
Previously, every time she saw him, she was filled with rage.
Now, Old Lady Jiang was calm.
She felt that even if she died, she had still won.
Some people are just ungrateful pups, impossible to raise well. Looking at those cold eyes, they could never be warmed. He surely had no filial feelings for Huiyun either, just using her.
Others said she was foolish, but she wasn't. She discovered a child that couldn't be raised well and wanted to kill him, he just had good fortune to survive.
But after going through so much, even if this ungrateful pup survived, he must have mental and physical issues, probably insane, perhaps like Huiyun, with bouts of madness, old before his time, unable to recognize himself, sometimes lucid and sometimes not.
Jiang Changtian stared at Old Lady Jiang.
He studied her for a long time.
So long that Old Lady Jiang became a bit impatient.
She took a sip of the tea in front of her.
"Why are you looking at me? If it's poison or poisoned wine, hurry up. I don't want to see you."
Jiang Changtian smiled.
"I look at you and see a fool. Did your biological son have a birthmark on his knee? I met my sister-in-law a few days ago and gave her the divorce papers from my elder brother. By chance, we talked about Heir Apparent Han. My sister-in-law is now the heir's secondary wife. Guess what? She said the heir's knees are as smooth as jade, with no birthmark. Mother, before your death, knowing this secret, are you excited? Happy? Proud?"
"Impossible." Old Lady Jiang was stunned.
"They say the Imperial Son-in-law is impotent, and coincidentally, Heir Apparent Han also has a condition and no offspring. Isn't it strange how Heir Apparent Han seems just like the Imperial Son-in-law's own child? How can an impotent man have children? Does the Imperial Son-in-law have any siblings? Any children? Coincidentally about the same age as us? It seems he does. Isn't that strange?"
Old Lady Jiang's pupils dilated.
She suddenly clutched at her own throat.
"You thought your biological son was living in luxury in the Imperial Son-in-law's household, but perhaps when you handed him over, he was abandoned, or rotting in some mass grave, or if he was lucky enough to grow up, he might have met a mother as vicious as you, being abused, or castrated and sent into the palace, crawling on his knees daily, doing the most degrading tasks just to survive. Life is long, with infinite possibilities, don't you think?"
Old Lady Jiang's breathing became rapid, she frantically rushed towards the door, slamming her head against the prison bars.
Before the poison could be delivered.
She had bashed herself to death.
...
On a snowy day.
Eunuch Yan's leg condition flared up, so he couldn't attend to the emperor.
He leaned against the stove, with a thick blanket covering his legs. There was an oval-shaped mark on his left knee. For some reason, it was particularly painful today.
It was too cold.
That year, when he traveled from Kan'er Village to the capital, and then to the imperial palace, he endured far too many hardships.
So many that he couldn't remember them all, didn't dare to think about them, didn't want to think about them.
It was only the pain in his body that helped him remember.
...
