Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 728 Manipulating the Court
“It’s alright if we can’t go back,” Wang An said with a smile. “This servant can take care of your daily needs. And I have something else to report.” As the bell tolled, Wang An slowly suppressed her smile.

"What?" Zhu Changluo raised an eyebrow. "Something bad again?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it concerns the Marquis of Wuqing." Upon hearing this, Liu Ruoyu and Shi Fuming, who were standing behind Wang An, immediately lowered their heads as if afraid of being seen by the Emperor.

Zhu Changluo was silent for a moment, then deliberately frowned: "Marquis Wuqing, it's Marquis Wuqing again! Wang An, are you trying to play the 'three-times-repeated-petitions' trick on me?"

The so-called "three reviews" is actually an ancient system of death penalty review. This system originated from the Zhang Yung-gu case during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Yung-gu, a Dali Cheng (a high-ranking official), was impeached by the censor for privately visiting the prisoner Li Hao-de. Emperor Taizong, in a fit of rage, executed him without following proper procedures. Later, realizing the case was questionable and the sentence too harsh, he regretted his decision. Therefore, he issued an edict: "For all death sentences, even if the execution is ordered immediately, five reviews are required." In practice, this meant three reviews five days before the execution, and two additional reviews two days before the execution. Only then could the death penalty be carried out.

The Song Dynasty inherited this system and changed it to a "one-time review" system. In the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang further adjusted the number of reviews to three.

"No, that's not what I meant," Wang An shook his head repeatedly. "The evidence in all three cases is conclusive; Li Guorui deserved to die, but..."

"The evidence is conclusive, and they deserve to die, so what else is there to say!" Zhu Changlu waved his hand impatiently.

"Please allow me to speak, Your Majesty." Wang An was one of the few who dared to continue speaking after the emperor clearly showed his impatience. "Li Guorui's crimes are heinous and he certainly deserves to die. However, the cases involving the Li family are too far-reaching. If we kill him just like that, public opinion will probably speculate that the Eastern Depot is killing him to silence him and protecting someone."

"Then what should we do? Have the three judicial departments conduct a joint trial? And then arrest and prosecute all the dukes and marquises in the capital? I said from the beginning that these cases should not be too deeply involved. If all the nobles and relatives fall, who will command the Beijing Garrison and the Five Prefectures in the future?" The emperor was practically saying that he wanted to protect the accomplices.

"Your Majesty is wise, and this servant understands." Wang An said cryptically yet directly, "However, the Eastern Depot's intention is not to hand over the Li family to the three judicial departments for joint trial, but rather to wait for the censors to submit memorials demanding their execution, and then act accordingly once public opinion has surged. In this way, no one will criticize the Eastern Depot or the inner court."

"Hmph," Zhu Changluo stared at Wang An with a deep gaze, "So you're just going to first list ten capital offenses on someone, and then I'll go along with it and grant a permit?"

"Yes." Wang An's voice was so low it was like a mosquito's buzz.

"Was this your idea or Cui Wensheng's idea?" Zhu Changluo asked.

“It was Cui Wensheng’s idea,” Wang An glanced at Liu Ruoyu and Shi Fuming subconsciously, “but this servant also approves of it.”

Zhu Changluo suddenly turned his head. "Liu Ruoyu, what do you say?"

Liu Ruoyu's skin instantly broke out in goosebumps. He shuddered violently and knelt down. "This servant is foolish and ignorant, I humbly beg Your Majesty for Your Majesty's judgment!"

Shi Fuming also knelt down, almost prostrating himself on the ground.

"Tch." Zhu Changluo withdrew his gaze and looked at Wang An. Wang An couldn't stand it anymore. "All this high-sounding talk is just Cui Wensheng trying to clean up his mess. If he's going to clean it up, then he should clean it up more thoroughly, Wang An."

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wang An replied tremblingly.

Zhu Changluo said, "Tomorrow, draft an edict granting leniency outside the law and send it to the cabinet."

"An imperial decree granting leniency outside the law?" Wang An looked up in surprise.

Zhu Changluo ignored him, chuckled, and continued, "Spread the news and let public opinion force the cabinet to refute it. A few days later, spread the charges against the Marquis of Wuqing and his family. At that time, someone will surely jump out and submit a memorial demanding their execution. Send someone to tell Xue Fengxiang to submit a memorial as well. It's best if it's strong, but don't ramble on. I will approve his memorial."

Zhu Changluo himself didn't care about the criticism from the outer court. To him, no matter how fiercely the censors argued, it was nothing more than flies buzzing and mosquitoes chirping; he could simply ignore it. However, he didn't mind being merciful and helping the Eastern Depot and Cui Wensheng handle things more smoothly. To raise a dog that bites, you not only have to give it bones and pet its head, but also clean its poop and wipe its bottom.

Wang An understood halfway through the conversation, but the emperor's ruthless manipulation of politics and his scheming sent chills down his spine. "This servant...this servant kowtows to thank Your Majesty for your grace!"

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In front of the dressing table by the window in the left side room of the main hall of Yongshou Palace, Consort Shen, Mi Mengshang, was doing her makeup.

She picked up a gold flower hairpin inlaid with gemstones, looked down at the mirror, and inserted it into her hair bun, but accidentally scratched her scalp.

"Hiss~~" Mi Mengshang gasped softly, pulling the gold hairpin back half an inch. Just as she was about to adjust the angle and reinsert it, she heard a silvery voice behind her say, "Still so clumsy, let me help you."

"Sister Wen, you're all ready so quickly?" Mi Mengshang saw the person's face clearly through the mirror.

"It's because Your Highness was too slow in tidying up." Wenjing looked at it from all sides a few times, and then simply pulled out the entire gold hairpin.

"Good sister, didn't I tell you not to call me that?" Mi Mengshang pouted, finally showing some of the innocent charm that a young woman of sixteen should have.

“Your Majesty, this is not something you can decide.” Wen Jing straightened Mi Mengshang’s head. “The hairpin was placed too low, no wonder it scratched her head.”

“If I’m not the one who calls the shots in Yongshou Palace, then who is?” Mi Mengshang raised her head and snorted softly.

"Don't move!" Wen Jing was about to remove the hairpin when she saw Mi Mengshang fidgeting again, so she quickly withdrew her hand. "You almost put the hairpin in her hair again."

"Oh," Mi Mengshang could only obediently sit up straight.

As Wenjing removed her hairpin, she said, "The world is vast, but rules are paramount. You are a registered and appointed concubine, the head of Yongshou Palace, while we are merely beauties who live in the palace. Outside the palace, we are like first-rank officials and fourth-rank officials."

“But we’re sisters, there’s no need to argue about it so clearly.” Whenever this topic comes up, Mi Mengshang’s mood drops.

“Even sisterly affection cannot break the rules of the palace,” Wenjing said with a smile. “You leave early and return late, rarely moving around in the palace, so you don’t know how fierce it is. If we dare to call you, Consort Mi, ‘sister’ in public, Consort Kang can have us punished according to family rules as soon as we turn around. And you won’t be able to find fault with it.”

"She's that amazing?" Mi Mengshang couldn't help but purse her lips.

“Consort Kang has always been very powerful.” Wen Jing whispered in Mi Mengshang’s ear, “There are even rumors in the palace that the young master’s mother was punished and killed because she offended her.”

Mi Mengshang immediately realized that this was a dangerous topic, but she still couldn't help asking, "Who did Sister Wen hear this from?"

“Those older women who came from the prince’s residence,” Wenjing smiled. “They can say whatever they want, and we can just listen.”

“Whatever.” Mi Mengshang instinctively became wary. “I’m afraid it’s not that casual.” “That’s what I think too.” Wen Jing picked out a pair of gold and jade plum blossom earrings from the jewelry box and placed them beside Mi Mengshang’s ears. “I think these earrings match the hairpin you picked out better. What does Your Majesty think?”

Mi Mengshang nodded, indicating that Wen Jing could do as she pleased.

"Your Majesty, guess," Wen Jing gently pinched Mi Mengshang's right earlobe with one hand, while holding the tip of the nail embroidered with fine gold thread with the other, "what did those older women say about Consort Kang moving out of the Qianqing Palace?"

"What did they say?" Mi Mengshang turned around, startling Wen Jing so much that she withdrew her hand.

"Don't move!" Wen Jing glared at Mi Mengshang. She instinctively raised her hand. "If I had dropped the nail, I'd have ripped your ear off."

Mi Mengshang gave an awkward smile and subconsciously shrank her head.

Wenjing was afraid the girl would move around again, so she didn't speak for a while. After both earrings were put on, she continued, "They were whispering that Consort Kang was kicked out of Qianqing Palace by the Emperor because of us."

"Nonsense. What does this have to do with us?" Mi Mengshang frowned deeply.

Wenjing turned her head and smiled, her pretty face flushed red in the sunlight streaming through the window. "Your Majesty should still remember the time when the eight of us served the Emperor together?"

Mi Mengshang leaned back, a subtle expression on her face. "It wasn't 'the eight of us,' it was the seven of you. That night, the Emperor didn't touch me."

"Tsk, how annoying," Wen Jing said reproachfully. "Is it really necessary to calculate so meticulously?"

"Yes." Mi Mengshang pouted and nodded in a pretentious manner.

"Then you do the math, I'm not saying anything more." Wenjing made a move to leave.

"Oh, it was just a joke, why are you taking it so seriously, Sister Wen?" Mi Mengshang took Wen Jing's hand and pulled her onto her lap.

"What?" Wen Jing reached out and lifted Mi Mengshang's chin. "Does my little husband want to have his way with me?"

"Yes, young lady, you're so beautiful. It's hard for me not to be moved." Mi Mengshang made a move to kiss her.

"Then come on." Wen Jing didn't stand on ceremony with Mi Mengshang and simply closed her eyes, posing as if she were at Mi Mengshang's mercy.

"You!" Mi Mengshang froze.

"What are you so shy about?" Wen Jing opened one eye and gestured with her chin towards Mi Mengshang. "It's not like we haven't kissed before."

“That is…” Mi Mengshang choked up, her face flushed as she lowered her head and sighed. “…By imperial decree.”

Wen Jing affectionately cupped Mi Mengshang's face and whispered in her ear, "They said that after His Majesty fell ill because of what happened that day, Consort Kang was still as arrogant and domineering as before, which directly angered His Majesty. After that, she gradually fell out of favor."

"Where did she fall out of favor?" Mi Mengshang snorted and shrugged. "With three palaces, two routes, and twelve courtyards, there are only two Noble Consorts in total, and there is neither an Imperial Noble Consort nor an Empress above them. You could say they are both equally honored."

“But what if,” Wenjing said, “if this hadn’t been the obstacle, His Majesty had originally intended to make Consort Kang the Empress?”

Mi Mengshang's expression changed, and she was about to ask further questions when she was interrupted by the sound of bells coming from the north.

"The palace is under curfew. It seems Your Majesty guessed wrong." Wen Jing looked in the direction from which the bell sounded and sighed with some regret.

Mi Mengshang's eyes dimmed, but she didn't respond. "Where did Sister Wen hear those things just now?"

“I first heard it from Lady Guo at Qixiang Palace. Later, I could hear it again when I visited Xianfu Palace and Changchun Palace. Only the Joseon Queen at Chuxiu Palace would not talk to us about these unpleasant things,” Wenjing said.

"Why did Sister Wen only tell me now?" Mi Mengshang frowned, slowly exuding the sinister aura unique to the head of the West Depot's secret service.

Mi Mengshang's imposing manner could frighten anyone into kneeling, but Wen Jing actually quite liked her. It gave Wen Jing a strange sense of security. "The sisters have been wanting to speak to Her Majesty, but she's so tired every day, she can't chat for more than a few words before falling asleep, so we haven't been able to find an opportunity."

"I have been quite busy lately."

“You’re always busy, but it’s good to be busy,” Wenjing said. “If Your Majesty weren’t busy, the Emperor might have already thrown us into menial jobs.”

“How could that be?” Mi Mengshang shook her head and said, “Sister Wen is so beautiful. The Emperor is fond of beauty and can’t bear to part with her.”

"Pretty? What good is that? The palace has no shortage of pretty women," Wen Jing said with a self-deprecating smile, her eyes filled with tenderness as she looked at Mi Mengshang. "Has His Majesty ever summoned me alone even once? And it wasn't just me. In the entire Yongshou Palace, apart from Your Highness, no one else has ever received His Majesty's exclusive favor. Every time we were to serve him, it was Your Highness who led us there."

Mi Mengshang felt uneasy under Wen Jing's gaze and half-pushed her away. "Has Yikun Palace caused you any trouble?"

Wenjing's eyes seemed to turn somewhat resentful. "It's not exactly troublesome, it's just that I've been called out for 'not following the rules' a few times."

"And how did you treat it?" Mi Mengshang picked up a small white jade box from the edge of the dressing table. Inside was a lip balm.

"Of course we should listen to her. She's in the right." Wenjing leaned in, "Let me help Your Highness apply it."

Mi Mengshang showed her resistance by turning her body to one side. "If she's in the right, you should give in to her. But if she's being unreasonable and tries to bully you, you don't need to be afraid of her. Just tell me."

"Your Majesty, please don't fight with her. It's nothing for us to suffer a little. Although Consort Kang's favor is not what it used to be and she didn't become Empress, she is still the most beautiful woman in the world." Wen Jing smiled gently, picked up a mirror and placed it in front of Mi Mengshang. "This morning, His Majesty came out of Chuxiu Palace and made a special trip to Yikun Palace to be intimate with Consort Kang before leaving."

"Is that so?" Mi Mengshang opened the white jade box, used her index finger to scoop up a small amount of rich vermilion lip rouge from the edge of the box, divided it into six dots and applied them to her upper and lower lips. Finally, she gently pressed her lips together in front of the mirror, adding luster to her lips.

“It can’t be fake.” Wen Jing stared at Mi Mengshang’s jelly-like lips and said, “They were being affectionate in front of Yikun Gate, chest to chest, and quite a few people saw it.”

(End of this chapter)