Chapter Fifty-two Spring Light

  "All online game novels are trash, I read a part of it these past few days, some were not bad at the beginning, but after ten or twenty chapters, they became disgusting to read, yet the clicks kept going up, so unreasonable... Ah Cao is frustrated, might as well go write one myself."

  Chang'an, the imperial city. The Chang'an Imperial Palace at this time is even more magnificent and majestic than it was during the Tang Dynasty, but in terms of decoration and layout, it is much simpler. Inside the high palace walls, the continuous eaves of the halls and pavilions stretch as far as the eye can see.

  Huaqing Palace is located slightly south of the palace city, and it is one of the few remaining sites from the Tang Dynasty. Although the warm springs and slippery waters that washed away the fat have disappeared into the long river of history, the beautiful woman who was once the favorite of the emperor has turned this place into a relatively immortal place. Today, only 81 of the original 80-odd hot spring pools remain, and the rest have dried up. Nevertheless, this is still the most beloved place for imperial concubines, where they can indulge in the same pleasures as the favored consort who was once showered with affection by the emperor. Which woman could resist such temptation?

  The rules of the Western Qin palace were not strict, but this Huaqing Palace was not a place where anyone could come casually. So in this spring and summer season, some favored concubines brought their serving palace maids here, partly to show off their status, and also because they couldn't resist the temptation.

  At this time, the Huaqing Palace was a group of women competing with each other in elegance and beauty, their soft voices and gentle words blending together in a cacophony. The Western Qin dynasty had inherited the legacy of the Tang era, and although the weather was still somewhat chilly at this time, it was already bearable for these women. Most of them wore long gowns that fell off their shoulders, revealing a glimpse of their powdered and alluring chests as well as their delicate and dazzlingly white shoulders. Their skin was like snow, and they were more beautiful than flowers, captivating to the extreme.

  The girls gathered together, naturally laughing and joking, restless and noisy, but some were mature or in groups of three or five, or in pairs, admiring flowers and grass, speaking softly, or self-consciously sitting alone on the side, holding a book to read, what a beautiful scene like a fairy painting.

  Hehua Qinggong is just a wall away, but it's where Ningcui Garden is located. Listening to the faint sound of women's tender laughter coming from not far away, Zhengde Emperor Li Yu, who was strolling along the garden path, couldn't help but reveal a hint of a smile.

  He was followed by many people, but unlike the Qing dynasty emperors of later generations who would bring a few jesters wherever they went. Behind him were eunuchs such as Zhang Ze, but they kept their distance, with only Zhang Ze running back and forth to make arrangements. The two people following closely behind him were Yang Gan, the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, and Wang Daozong, the Deputy Envoy of the Privy Council. Both men had slightly bent bodies, and their faces showed signs of fatigue.

  The two men were already in their sixties and seventies, and had stayed up all night. Before they could get a good sleep, they were summoned again. Their bodies were almost unable to support themselves. However, the emperor, who was fifty-seven years old, although his body was gradually weakening, had also stayed up all night, but his spirit was much better than theirs.

  At this time, the flowers and grasses in the Cong Cui Garden have all sprouted, a glance reveals a lush green expanse, set off by the water of Jing Kun Lake, full of vibrant life.

  Breathing in the slightly cool air, I saw the emperor's mouth curve into a faint smile, and the people around him relaxed, their spirits lifted.

  Since the news of Qingyang's mutiny spread to the capital, the entire court was like a boiling pot of water. Especially the Imperial Secretariat, which was under intense criticism and pressure from all sides, including the emperor, officials, and local governments. Yang Gan and Wang Daostore were particularly affected, and within just one month, they both lost a lot of weight.

  The Censorate impeached the Imperial Secretariat for neglecting military affairs and failing to uncover hidden troubles, but who allowed the garrison to belong to the jurisdiction of the Imperial Secretariat? However, soon after, news came that the grain in Qingyang's granary had disappeared, which was a matter for the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. The blame shifted again, and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue could not bear the criticism from all sides, so they counterattacked, accusing the officials dispatched by the Ministry of Personnel to local areas of embezzlement and privately selling military rations, a crime that was deeply sinful. The Ministry of Personnel then washed its hands of the matter, as the evaluation of officials was provided by the Censorate, what did it have to do with them? In the imperial court, the Minister of Personnel personally stood up to severely scold the Observers dispatched by the Censorate to local areas for deceiving the emperor and hiding the truth from him, a crime punishable by law. The Minister of Personnel and the Vice Censor-in-Chief who came forward to defend himself almost got into a physical fight.

  Everyone understands that the garrison troops have already formed their own entity. The Qingyang Forbidden Army is not a garrison army, but rather still within the forbidden army system, mainly established to control Wuguan and Yanbian Military Towns. However, its location is crucial, making it situated between local forbidden armies and border town garrison armies. Due to wartime needs, its power is also extraordinary. It's really not easy to find someone who can take full responsibility.

  One month has passed in a flurry of noise and disturbance, leaving Yang Kan with a burning head and a messy situation. To make matters worse, the incident at Zhuomu River happened, and this time Zhuomu was extremely unlucky. He had been stationed in Pingliang waiting for the prince's arrival, but the situation in Qingyang was not ordinary, and no matter how grand his excuses were, he couldn't escape the crime of delaying military action and betraying the emperor's trust.

  The crown prince, due to the poor road conditions, failed to arrive at the military front in time. As a general holding the imperial seal with the power to make decisions on the spot, you didn't rush to rescue Qingyang, and instead caused the army's morale to be in an uproar, with discord between the generals. At this critical moment, some court officials have already labeled him with derogatory terms such as "fool" and "good-for-nothing".

  These private vicious words were nothing to him, but whether it was Yang Gan's anger as the imperial envoy or Emperor Zhengde Li Zhe's annoyance, he could not bear it. A decree came down, and Suo Muhe was immediately arrested and taken to the capital to be interrogated by the Dali Temple. As for whether he would be lucky enough to escape with his life or be severely punished, it depended on the emperor's mood.

  After walking a few more steps, Li Ye stopped and Zhang Ze hurriedly ran up to him, carefully saying: "Your Majesty, are you tired? I'll have them set out the household items right away..."

  Li Ye waved his hand, "Put everything in the front pavilion, we'll take a few more steps. Hmm, both of you must be hungry, let's get some hot food and warm up some wine... Go send someone to summon Jing Wang over, it's been many days since I've seen him. The matter of Qingyang has caused quite a stir, I'm sure he's heard about it, but he's probably hiding out in seclusion."

  Zhang Ze ran away, Yang Gan's eyes flickered for a moment, but Li Ye laughed and said: "Let's go, let's hurry up and take a break ahead. I know you're all exhausted people, and at your age, it's easy to get sick from overwork."

  Wang Daocun, who was beside him, was about to speak when Li Ye shook his head and smiled even more warmly. "Don't tell me about working hard for the country, it's only right that you should do your part. You don't often hear such words in everyday life."

  Wang Daocun looked a bit embarrassed, and Yang Gan interjected: "Your Majesty, although this is said many times, isn't it the duty of us as subjects to have such a mindset? We, as ministers, have received Your Majesty's grace and are stationed by your side. Naturally, we must be diligent in our duties and not dare to be slightly negligent. I heard from Zhang Ze that Your Majesty has not had a good night's sleep for several days now, which is even more tiring than what we go through."

  It is also because of this that we, your subjects, have exerted ourselves to the utmost without any slackness in our hearts. If it were a ruler like Li Yu of Southern Tang, who neglected state affairs every day and only indulged in pleasure with palace women and jesters, as the saying goes, "When the ruler is at leisure, his ministers are also at play." If we were ministers of Southern Tang, it would be better for us to roam freely in the mountains and forests, reciting poetry and enjoying the moon, where there would be no opportunity for us to labor for the country.

  Li Ye burst out laughing and pointed at Yang, saying: "Look, this is our great talent Yang, who can come up with so many principles just by finding a thread to talk about..."

  Several people were chatting and laughing, when Zhang Ze, who had already left, came running back, his old face flushed with excitement. He tripped and fell not far away, but got up without anyone's help and shouted from a distance, "Your Majesty, great joy...!"