Jing Yan took a look and directly had people throw the memorial into the brazier.
"My Empress is someone I'm happy to dote on myself. She can do whatever she wants and go wherever she wants, as long as she remembers to return to the palace every day."
How does it get in your way? Mind your own business.
Seeing the Emperor's attitude, the sour Confucian scholars were even more upset and went directly to the Retired Emperor.
The Retired Emperor directly said, "Whether the Empress' behavior conforms to etiquette is for you to take up with the Emperor, what are you coming to me for?"
I've finally got a few days of peace and quiet, why would I get involved in these trivial matters?
Don't bother me with these petty things in the future, it's annoying.
Since the Retired Emperor wouldn't intervene, the sour scholars went to complain to the Retired Empress instead.
The Retired Empress didn't even lift her eyelids. "What's it to you? Does it offend your eyes? If you're not satisfied, swallow it."
That rendered them speechless.
The Retired Empress had been confined in the palace for a whole generation and certainly didn't want her daughter-in-law to suffer the same fate.
What's more, she actually liked Jiang Yuqing's lively and upbeat manner. Seeing her happy comings and goings every day, it always felt like the regrets of her own youth were being made up for.
Jiang Yuqing was so nonchalant that even her mother Lu couldn't stand it, scolding her, "In all dynasties, you're the only Empress who is not bound by rules and regulations like this.
It's only because your husband dotes on you. For any other family, there wouldn't be such good things. Can't believe I used to be worried when you first entered the palace and didn't see you for a long time. Now it looks like I was worried for nothing."
Jiang Yuqing smiled, "What's wrong with that?"
Lu laughed and scolded her, "Nothing's wrong with it. Haven't you seen what it's done to your father? His back doesn't hurt anymore, his legs don't hurt anymore, everything's fine now. He's happy as a simpleton every day."
Although the things that those old sour scholars did were kept secret, Old Jiang and Jiang Yuchuan still found out.
Old Jiang narrowed his eyes and asked his son, "Your sister has suffered this grievance undeservedly! What should we do about it?"
Jiang Yuchuan put down the book he was reading and said coldly, "Simple! Treat them in kind!"
So in less than two days, something happened in the family of one of the officials who had memorialized about the Empress.
His son got into a fight with the profligate son of another aristocratic household over a courtesan in the brothel. In the struggle, the other person was accidentally injured and they were both taken to the Five Cities Cavalry and Guards Bureau prison.
A few days later, in the family of another official, a woman showed up at their door with a child in tow, claiming the official was the father.
As it turned out, this official had gotten drunk a few years ago and mistakenly taken his son's chambermaid to bed, and it just so happened that this chambermaid was also his son's intimate chambermaid. After the truth came out, fearing it would reflect badly, he sent the maid away.
He never expected she would get pregnant and show up at his door.
And whether the child should call him grandfather or father, no one could tell.
It truly became a laughing stock among the commoners in the capital.
As for the third official, he was truly celibate and upright, above reproach. His dealings were only with a steward who handled his daily needs.
But unfortunately, one day a thief came in through the rafters, and saw him wearing women's clothes, painting his brows and lips red, gazing at himself in the mirror admiringly.
Legend has it the poor thief thought he saw a female ghost and fell off the rafter in fright...
After the news spread, there were naturally those who kicked a man when he was down and submitted an impeachment against him.
The Emperor didn't leave them an inch to spare. Those who deserved reprimand got reprimand, those who deserved forfeiture of salary got it, and those who deserved demotion or dismissal were demoted or dismissed accordingly.
It truly vented the anger on behalf of his Empress.
Of course, the few unlucky fellows could guess who the real perpetrator was behind the scenes.
However, the other side was just too clever about it, so even if they wanted revenge, they had no evidence.
Jiang Yuqing also knew that for things to go so smoothly for her father and brother, Jing Yan must have had a hand behind the scenes.
It's just hypocrites conducting themselves improperly while pointing fingers and criticizing others.
On the family side of things, Jiang Wenxi and Jiang Wenkang went to the Ministry of Agriculture to take their seasonal official posts.
The two aunties and sisters-in-law have also adapted well. With nothing to do, they would get together to chat over tea, stroll through the gardens and streets, and were perfectly content.
Only Old Jiang and Old Lady Hu always felt restless.
Jiang Yuqing suggested to her grandmother, "Why don't you go chat with the old madams from other households? Or go listen to operas at the theater, watch singing and dancing at the music houses, drink tea at the teahouses, or listen to storytelling?"
The old lady curled her lips. "I'm tired of listening to operas. As for chatting with people, forget it.
Those old biddies are full of malice, talking to them is like walking through a minefield.
The pits in their words are more numerous than those I dig planting beans and covering grains. So exasperating."
"Either they talk about the messy affairs in their own families, or they try to persuade me to prepare some concubines for my sons and grandsons, saying more concubines are good for 'extending the branches and leaves' of the family.
Bah.
With four generations gathered under this one roof, and children and grandchildren all successful, what do I want your twisted melons and cracked dates for?
Don't think you can fool me for being from the countryside. They're just jealous, jealous our family is living well, deliberately provoking discord, malicious creatures."
"And in two families, their words hinted at inquiring about news of you and my grandson-in-law.
Saying that it must be lonely for Her Highness to be alone in the palace, it'd be better to have a few more sisterly companions.
As if I don't know, they want to insert their daughters to be concubines!"
"It really disgusts me."
Jiang Yuqing felt her grandmother deserved a hundred and eight likes. The old lady was truly astute.
It's precisely because of her wisdom that such a fine family was cultivated.
If the present Jiang family were a treasure ship on the vast ocean, then her father was the helmsman, while the old couple were the compass and sails guiding and propelling the great ship forward, leading by example so that their descendants would never lose their way.
Having nothing to do, the old couple wandered around the garden with hoes in hand, wanting to dig some patches to plant things. But after circling around, seeing the lush flowers and trees filling the garden, they couldn't bear to make a move.
Jiang Wenyuan knew of his elderly parents' hobby, so he simply sent them to the Tai'an farm estate outside the city.
There were fruit trees and land there, as well as all kinds of livestock being raised, plus rice paddies stretching 3000 mu right next door, more than enough for the old folks to mess around.
This made the old couple overjoyed.
Especially Old Jiang. When he left his hometown for the capital, he brought along his water buffalo.
It was hard for the buffalo making the long trek over mountains and rivers.
Arriving in the capital, it was cooped up in the cattle pen every day, eating without moving, its muscles deteriorating. Old Jiang felt terribly distressed.
Now that they were at the farm estate, it could finally roam freely.
The two things Old Jiang loved most in his life were land and buffaloes.
Therefore, the day after settling in, carrying a hoe, he followed the farmhands into the fields to prune fruit tree branches, check on the watermelons, feed the cattle, and visit the rice paddies at the neighboring estate. Busy and happy every day.
Jiang Yuqing specifically instructed Yang Changyu to let him do as he pleased.
Somehow when they were in the capital Old Jiang became friends with Old General Qin, and the two would chat quite happily.
Hearing Old Jiang went to Tai'an farm estate, Old General Qin immediately packed up and went along.
The old general was over seventy. At the end of last year he contracted a severe illness and nearly died.
It was only because Qin Jue saw his father's condition worsening that he hurried to seek Jiang Yuqing's help, and his father's life was saved.
But after all, he was getting on in years, plus enduring hidden wounds from years of battling on campaign in his youth. Even though his life was saved, he probably didn't have more than two years left.
Jiang Yuqing was reluctant to see the veteran go, so she secretly fed him a drop of Spirit Extract to add ten years to his lifespan.
It was only later when Jing Yan noticed the change in his maternal grandfather that he asked Jiang Yuqing about it to find out what happened.
After Jing Yan knew, Qin Jue also found out.
He would never have imagined Jiang Yuqing would use such a rare and precious treasure on his own father. He immediately knelt and kowtowed three times to Jiang Yuqing, scaring her badly.
From late April onward, the rain gradually increased. By May it was raining once every three or five days, seemingly more plentiful than usual this year.
Good rain means good crops growing in the fields, delighting the peasants and umbrella sellers alike. But for others, not necessarily friendly.
The roads in the capital were still quite passable, but once outside the city, it was a slog through mud with every step. Especially on busy stretches, in many places the traffic had even churned the road into mushy mud flats.
Jiang Yuqing had walked through those parts several times before too. Bai Xiaoshi complained bitterly every time, saying paved roads would be so much better.
Jiang Yuqing thought this was a great idea indeed.
She still remembered the approximate material ratios and process flows for making cement, but there would still be considerable difficulties in the actual operation, and it was likely to take a lot of time.
After returning to the palace, she brought this matter up with Jing Yan. Jing Yan immediately summoned the Minister of Public Works and several people skilled in kiln-firing, and they studied the issue with Jiang Yuqing in the imperial library.
Though called a joint study session, Jiang Yuqing had merely proposed an approach and given a general direction. The specific technical operations would still depend on the Ministry of Public Works. She didn't dare make casual changes, for fear of causing problems.
After the ministry officials left, Jiang Yuqing nestled into Jing Yan's embrace and wound a lock of his hair around her finger to play with. "I heard that the Japanese want to send a princess for a political marriage?"
"Mm. She's already on the way to the capital."
Jiang Yuqing gave a derisive laugh. "So they want to sue for peace now? Isn't it a little late?!" After a brief pause, she continued, "What do you plan to do about it?"
Jing Yan set down the memorial he was reading and pinched his little wife's nose. "A tiny island doomed to destruction isn't worth me expending any effort over."
Jiang Yuqing was immediately delighted and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. "So domineering!"
How could Jing Yan bear to let such a willing offer slip away? He grasped her head and refused to stop.
Just as the two were caught up in passion and unable to part, urgent knocking suddenly sounded from outside the door, followed by the anxious voice of an eunuch.
"Announcing to Your Majesty and Imperial Concubine, the senior eunuch Li attending His Majesty Emeritus has fallen and lost consciousness. Imperial Physician Tian says it doesn't look good for senior eunuch Li. His Majesty Emeritus ordered this servant to invite Imperial Concubine over."
As soon as Jiang Yuqing heard this, she immediately sobered up and called loudly to outside, "Go tell His Majesty Emeritus I will come right away."
Jing Yan also rose to his feet and took her hand. "Let's go, we'll go over together."
This former Chief Eunuch had served His Majesty Emeritus for decades, fulfilling his duties day in and day out. He was hardworking and meritorious.
Moreover, he had also watched the couple grow up. Over so many years, he had helped them inside and out - he truly saw them as his own juniors.
So no matter what, they had to go see how he was doing.
