You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 116 Imperial Censor Jiang Encounters a Honey Trap in the Forbidden City

Inside and outside the Forbidden City, the snow was swept clean by the eunuchs.

Red walls and yellow tiles, majestic and solemn.

In front of the Meridian Gate, carriages and horses came and went in an endless stream.

The guards patrolled with wide eyes, trying to avoid both stopping important guests and letting unrelated people in.

"Brother Su, are you on duty today?"

"Yes, Imperial Censor Jiang, Happy New Year."

"You are happy too."

Seeing that Suleda couldn't leave, Jiang Qingyun asked in a low voice, "Brother Su, has the Third Prince arrived?"

"They arrived quite some time ago, and the Prince of Dingnan even brought a young lady with him!"

"You know this as well?"

"There's no way around it. A beautiful girl standing out among a group of princes and ministers is bound to be conspicuous."

"Thanks."

……

The Forbidden City is divided into north and south sections.

With the Qianqing Gate as the boundary, the north side was the inner palace, and the south side was the outer court.

Under normal circumstances, when walking in the inner palace area north of Qianqing Gate, one would not encounter a second man besides the emperor.

The south side houses the offices, including the Wenhua Hall, the Imperial Medical Academy, the Wuying Hall, the Three Inner Courts, the Imperial Pharmacy, the Thirteen Offices, and so on.

Princes and ministers holding palace access passes could freely enter and exit the palace during office hours.

Today is special~
Manchu nobles and Mongol princes were granted permission to enter the Qianqing Gate and drink tea with the emperor.

The remaining officials either went to the Wenhua Hall to gain prestige, or to the Imperial Tea Room to enjoy food and drink, while a very small number of them strolled around the square, standing out from the crowd.

Jiang Qingyun walked alone across the square, through the palace gate, and arrived at the Wuying Hall on the west side of the Forbidden City.

North of the Wuying Hall were the Thirteen Offices, which were later incorporated into the Imperial Household Department.

"stop."

Suddenly, a young eunuch who was guarding the gate rushed out.

Jiang Qingyun took out the waist token of the Director of the Ceremonial Affairs Office, waved it, and then walked into the Thirteen Offices with an air of arrogance.

The young eunuch was stunned.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the chief eunuch Wu Liangfu, most of the officials in the thirteen departments were eunuchs, but today a real man has actually arrived.

……

This was Jiang Qingyun's first time visiting the office of the Thirteen Offices. Whether it was because the building was old and dilapidated or because of the eunuchs' defects, there was a strong odor.

It has a musty smell, but it's not entirely musty.

In short, the smell was rotten and eerie.

Strangely, after wandering around the Thirteen Offices for half an hour, I didn't encounter a single person.

Jiang Qingyun suddenly felt a little panicked. Had he somehow gone down the wrong road and entered the Cining Palace? He had inquired with the Third Eunuch and learned that the Cining Palace, the Thirteen Offices, and the Wuying Hall were all located on the west side of the Forbidden City.

Just as he was feeling panicked, he finally encountered a young eunuch walking hurriedly.

"stop."

Then he showed the Forbidden City waist token.

"What are your orders, sir?"

"Where have all the people from the Thirteen Offices gone?"

"Your Excellency, today His Majesty is holding a grand banquet for his officials. A total of 66 tables of imperial food are to be prepared. All the palace maids and eunuchs have been mobilized to help, and they are extremely busy."

"Where is Third Eunuch?"

"Ah, he's in the Qianqing Palace."

"Where is that place over there?"

Jiang Qingyun pointed to the north.

"That's the Cining Palace Garden over there. It's open today. If you have some free time, you can go and take a look."

"What about further north?"

Cining Palace.

"Won't this disturb the Empress Dowager?"

"Don't worry, sir, there are guards at Cining Gate, you can't get in."

……

Jiang Qingyun finally found the Ceremonial Office, but unfortunately, the door was locked and the room was empty.

Just as the little eunuch said, today is a busy day.

He had originally intended to visit his elder brother Wu Yong at the Imperial Hospital in the east, but then he thought better of it! It was a great taboo for an outsider to associate with an insider.

After much thought, I'll go to the Cining Palace Garden.

Before the time travel, most areas of the Forbidden City were not open to the public; after the time travel, it became a royal forbidden area, off-limits to unauthorized personnel.

...Go north, and after passing through a palace wall, you will reach the Cining Palace Garden.

Empress Xiaozhuang herself loved growing flowers and plants.

It was winter, so most of the bonsai had been moved indoors in advance, leaving only some subarctic plants outside, which weren't very interesting.

Just as Jiang Qingyun was getting bored and preparing to return the way he came...

He heard footsteps.

It was very light and crunchy, making a clicking sound. Clearly, men don't walk like that.

He quickly lifted the hem of his robe, tiptoed behind a building, and then stared wide-eyed at the bull.

……

The newcomer had shoulders like those of a sculpted figure, a waist as slender as a silken thread, a high-piled bun, and elegant, beautiful eyebrows. She walked like a willow swaying in the wind and turned like a peacock spreading its tail.

It's safe to say that this is most likely a woman.

Jiang Qingyun only saw her profile and back view, but he concluded that she was quite beautiful.

The face flashed by, and he couldn't see it clearly. He figured it must be a stranger. Jiang Qingyun was certain that he didn't know any women in the Forbidden City.

I don't know if she was one of Emperor Shunzhi's concubines or a princess from some other family.

Meow~
A cat meowed overhead.

Instantly, Jiang Qingyun's hair stood on end.

Meow~
Another sound.

It was clearly gentle, but to Jiang Qingyun it sounded as terrifying as the roar of the Black and White Impermanence.

He looked up and saw a beautiful Persian cat perched on the windowsill above him.

He silently raised his fist in an attempt to drive them away.

But this Persian cat not only didn't run away, it actually dared to approach. Clearly, the comfortable Forbidden City couldn't breed clever animals.
……

Meow~
Ah ~
The cat and the woman screamed at the same time.

Instantly, Jiang Qingyun felt like his scalp was about to explode.

The silly Persian cat was scared away by the woman's scream, and the woman was scared away by the man, but she only ran a few steps before she fell flat on her face on the grass.

If it's springtime, the grass will be growing, so it's okay if you fall.

But it's winter now, the grass hasn't grown yet, so falling isn't a big deal.

Jiang Qingyun's first reaction was to run. There were no surveillance cameras in the Forbidden City. As long as he ran away, he would be fine. You weren't scared by me, so why wouldn't I run?
next second~
"Jiang Qingyun!"

His scalp tingled again, and his braid was practically sticking up. Had he encountered a ghost in broad daylight?
They turned around and their eyes met.

……

The woman wasn't wearing a qipao; instead, she was dressed in a brand-new Han-style embroidered official robe. She was slender, delicate, and tall, with a sweet face and refined features. She looked every bit the gentle and quiet lady from a respectable family.

"you are?"

"You bastard surnamed Jiang! You stood me up, leaving me standing outside Yongding Gate in the cold wind for an hour."

Kong Sizhen!
Jiang Qingyun quickly gestured for silence.

Shh, shh, it's not good if others hear.

"What are you afraid of? All those damned eunuchs went to help in the kitchen. Tell me, why didn't you go that day?"

"You are a princess, this humble official dares not."

"Dare not? What's there for a bastard like you to be afraid of? Are you an honest person? If you were an honest person, I wouldn't have slipped you that note that day."

Kong Sizhen got up on her own, speaking rapidly, logically, and with obvious hatred.

……

Jiang Qingyun gradually calmed down.

"Let me explain, I really did have something to do that day."

"You've started your period, right?"

It's hard to imagine how such a nasty mouth could grow on such a sweet face.

Jiang Qingyun fell silent, searching for a solution.

Kong Sizhen sneered:
"You're done, you're done!"

Jiang Qingyun's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately pressed, "Is your father going to impeach me today?"

"Yes! You're going to die! You bastard!"

Kong Sizhen gritted her teeth, finished speaking, and turned to leave.

……