Chapter 124: The Rival

The drum of grievance before the Chang'an Gate had not been struck for many years.

The sound of the drum echoed through the vast sky, startling those within the imperial palace. Emperor Hongxiao was in the garden playing chess with Consort Li. She was the eldest among the women in his harem—older even than the Emperor himself—yet she remained his most favored. Compared to the young girls who had recently entered the palace, who were either arrogant and willful or overly virtuous and demure, she possessed a unique charm and wit.

Furthermore, her beauty had not faded; she remained young and lovely, possessing an allure that those younger girls could never hope to emulate. Thus, whenever Emperor Hongxiao found leisure, he preferred to spend time with her rather than the Empress or any other consort. It was as if speaking a few words with her could sweep away all the weariness and vexation brought on by the imperial court.

Today was no exception.

The Emperor’s black pieces had already been devoured in large numbers by Consort Li’s white ones. This was where she differed from the other women in the palace; they either truly lacked skill or, despite being capable of winning, would deliberately pretend to be inferior to the Emperor, allowing him to win. Only Consort Li never yielded an inch, displaying a rare, genuine nature in this place.

"I have lost again," the Emperor said with a laugh, shaking his head.

"It is only because your servant is lucky," Consort Li replied with a smile. "That is why Your Majesty loses to me."

"Nonsense, I have always been inferior to you in chess. Very well," he teased, "if you were a man, I would surely enlist you to serve me."

"Your servant only knows how to play chess; I dare not meddle in the great affairs of the world," Consort Li said, lifting her teacup for a light sip. "The great burdens men carry are too exhausting. I would rather spend my days playing chess in the garden, hiding away in idleness—I have no heart for such things."

She had effortlessly elevated the Emperor’s status once more.

The Emperor’s smile grew even more genuine. Eunuch Su, who stood by serving them, sighed inwardly, thinking how formidable the eldest daughter of the Ji family truly was to have the Emperor so thoroughly captivated. The Emperor’s current anxiety stemmed from the power of Prince Cheng. Though the young Emperor kept his thoughts to himself, he was wary of those around him vying for power. Regardless, Consort Li had at least manifested an attitude of having no interest in court affairs, which earned her the Emperor’s trust.

No monarch would ever be wary of such a woman.

Just as he was thinking this, a few muffled drumbeats drifted from the sky outside the palace. At first, they were unclear, but soon they grew distinct, as if the person beating the drum had changed to someone with great strength, striking the mallet heavily. While not deafening, they were perfectly audible.

Emperor Hongxiao paused, asking, "What is happening outside?"

Eunuch Su replied, "Your Majesty, I shall go and inquire immediately." He beckoned a young attendant and gave him instructions. The attendant left for a moment and soon returned, bowing before the Emperor: "Your Majesty, someone is striking the stone lion and beating the grievance drum before the Chang'an Gate."

"Striking the stone lion and beating the grievance drum?" the Emperor was taken aback.

"It is the second daughter of the Chief Councilor’s manor," the young attendant said cautiously. "She has arrived at the Chang'an Gate with villagers from Tongxiang, Xiangyang. I heard they returned this afternoon and came straight here."

Emperor Hongxiao looked at Consort Li: "Oh? Your sister's stepdaughter."

Consort Li smiled slightly: "Indeed." She added with a look of surprise: "I had heard some rumors outside before, but I assumed them to be mere gossip. After all, I have met the young girl; she is gentle and soft-spoken, not someone who would cause trouble. I never imagined the rumors were true, that she had actually brought people to the capital."

"Causing trouble?" the Emperor said. "Perhaps not. I know that to beat the grievance drum, one must endure fifty strokes of the cane themselves. If it were truly just to cause trouble, such a price would be too high." He stood up and said, "I shall go out myself to see what they have to say. Eunuch Su, come with me."

Eunuch Su hurried to follow.

Consort Li quickly stepped aside, bowing to see the Emperor off. She did not follow; having served him for so long, she knew his nature. When he was attending to official business, it was best for her to stay out of sight. The young Emperor detested interference from the harem. In the past, Lady Liu, the mother of Prince Cheng, had relied on the favor of the late Emperor and her family's influence to nearly place her son on the throne. Had it not been for the mediation of the current Empress Dowager, the Emperor’s position might not have been his at all.

Emperor Hongxiao cherished her for this very air of detachment; she never interfered in court affairs, and it was only with her that he felt truly at ease.

However... Consort Li thought with a flicker of uncertainty, she could not discern the Emperor’s reaction regarding the case of Jiang Li and the Xue family. It was not the look of a man in a rage, nor was it clear support. The Emperor became more inscrutable with each passing year, and often she could not read his mind.

As a daughter of the Ji family, she was aware of the trouble Ji Shuran faced in the Jiang manor because of Jiang Li. Naturally, she did not want Jiang Li to succeed; she hoped, as Ji Shuran did, that this matter could be used to remove the girl without a drop of blood shed.

But in the palace, despite the Emperor's favor, she had to be even more cautious. She could not act rashly and had to proceed one step at a time.

Emperor Hongxiao arrived at the Imperial Study and sat down. Attendants came in one after another to report the situation at the Chang'an Gate in detail. When they reached the part where Jiang Li said, "The people beating the drum are not just one person; one hundred people sharing fifty strokes is only half a stroke per person," the Emperor could not help but laugh, mocking, "That old fox Jiang Yuanbai has produced a daughter just as cunning as himself!"

Eunuch Su observed from the side. Although the Emperor spoke this way, there was no sign of anger on his face. He realized that, for the Emperor, Jiang Li’s act of bringing villagers to the capital to beat the grievance drum was not something to be angry about. The Emperor did not blame her.

"Your Majesty, no one has beaten the grievance drum at the feet of the Son of Heaven for over a decade," Eunuch Su remarked. "Miss Jiang has turned this into the biggest event in Yanjing. Countless eyes are watching."

"Eunuch Su, what do you think of her actions?" the Emperor asked.

"This... your servant dares not speculate," Eunuch Su replied. "I only wonder if Councilor Jiang knew she would act this way."

"Certainly he did not," the Emperor smiled. "This Miss Jiang didn't even return to the Jiang manor before rushing to the Chang'an Gate. If she were truly in such a hurry, she would have had time to return home. If it were Jiang Yuanbai, he would never have let her travel so hastily. It is clear that she feared complications and interference from him, so she decided to act first and report later."

Eunuch Su looked at the Emperor and laughed, "Miss Jiang is a clever one. Your Majesty rewarded her last time, but she is far too bold. Which noble daughter would dare do such a thing? And to mix with commoners, no less."

"And what is wrong with mixing with commoners?" the Emperor said. "The world is composed of commoners. Without the people, there is no empire. I have already seen the petition regarding Miss Jiang's manor submitted by the Ministry of Revenue official Ye Shijie! I did not know until I saw it—there are such rampant bandits beneath the feet of the Son of Heaven!"

At this point, his voice turned icy. Eunuch Su dared not respond, though he was puzzled. Since when had Ye Shijie submitted a petition?

Since the Emperor had already seen the documents regarding the Xue case and held this attitude, the situation was clear: at the very least, Miss Jiang would likely win this case.

The Emperor looked at the petition. It detailed the crimes of the county assistant Feng Yutang and the injustice suffered by Xue Huaiyuan. Frankly, even as an Emperor, reading it was enough to make him furious. But while this justified the grievance drum, bringing it directly to the Emperor was overstepping. Yet, because Jiang Li had brought so many people to the capital and the eyes of Yanjing were upon them, if he handled the case poorly, he would lose the hearts of the people. Jiang Li had created a dilemma for him.

Weighing the pros and cons, the Emperor shouldn't focus too much on this case, and perhaps should even hint to Jiang Yuanbai to discipline his daughter. After all, what did the Tongxiang county assistant have to do with her? She was not a Xue.

However, the petition submitted by Ye Shijie hinted at something of much greater gravity: the person behind Feng Yutang was Princess Yongning of Yanjing. The imprisonment of Xue Huaiyuan had been her order.

Princess Yongning was the biological sister of Prince Cheng. The Emperor could not help but wonder if her actions against the Xue family were at the behest of Prince Cheng. There was no connection between the Princess and the Xue family; why would she harm Xue Huaiyuan?

Firstly, there was something suspicious; secondly, even if nothing else was uncovered, if this were proven, Princess Yongning’s reputation would be shattered, which would not be a good thing for Prince Cheng. If Prince Cheng still harbored treasonous intentions, he would need to protect his reputation. If his own sister were exposed as such a ruthless and evil person, his own image would be ruined.

Therefore, this case had to be tried—and not just tried, but tried in a way that the whole world would know. Only by personally overseeing it could he achieve the best outcome.

At this moment, the Emperor found the cousins Ye Shijie and Jiang Li incredibly pleasing. If this case did not involve Princess Yongning, it would be trivial. But with her involvement, it became a perfect sword for him. Since someone had delivered this sword into his hands, he would not push it away; rather, he would grip it tightly to strike his opponent.

"Issue the order," he said. "The Ministry of Justice will try the case in three days. I shall oversee it personally."

Eunuch Su withdrew.

...

Before the Chang'an Gate, the grievance drum thundered. Jiang Li had released the mallets, and the villagers of Tongxiang swarmed forward, as if to release all their long-held indignation, bitterness, and repression. Ping'an covered his ears and crouched beside Dai Yun, giggling.

On every face was not the desperation of a final stand, but a relaxed, hopeful smile.

This joy infected the onlookers of Yanjing, who somehow began to harbor a glimmer of expectation—the hope that these people from Tongxiang would win their case and gain the justice they dreamed of.

In the prisoner cart, Feng Yutang and his men were ashen-faced. They no longer prayed for miracles. Feng Yutang knew well that Princess Yongning would not save him; she might even send someone to silence him. Perhaps the assassins were already on their way. The Princess had even dared to kill Jiang Li; what was he to her? Less than a blade of grass. Since death was inevitable either way, he stopped thinking about it.

Soon, officials from the Ministry of Justice arrived. Jiang Li handed over the petition, and they took Feng Yutang and his group away, announcing that the trial would commence in three days, overseen by the Emperor himself.

Hearing that the Emperor would personally oversee the case, the stone in Jiang Li's heart finally fell to the ground. She knew that while the Emperor might be a good ruler, he wouldn't usually care about a case in Tongxiang. He only cared now because Princess Yongning was involved.

A monarch who wanted to deal with the Princess overseeing the trial meant that, while it wouldn't be "fair" in the traditional sense, it was the greatest justice she could hope for. Her ally was the most powerful person in the world, at least in appearance. She might face no obstacles.

It was perfect.

The Tongxiang villagers were settled by Ye Mingyu, and the government sent men to protect these witnesses. Jiang Li had specifically requested the Ministry of Justice, as the Jingzhao Yin was a man of Princess Yongning. In the past, Xue Zhao had sought the Jingzhao Yin, only to have him inform the Princess, leading to his death. Jiang Li would not make that mistake twice. She also had Ye Mingyu’s men keep watch.

As for Ye Mingyu and Xue Huaiyuan, they followed Jiang Li back to the Jiang manor.

The gates of the Chief Councilor’s manor were shut tight today. Usually, there were two gatekeepers, but today there was no one. Ye Mingyu carried his sword on his shoulder and said, "A-Li, it seems your father is angry at you; he won't even let you in."

Bai Xue and Tong'er were worried. Jiang Li’s first move upon returning to the capital had not been to return home, but to beat the grievance drum, disrupting all of Jiang Yuanbai's plans. Now that the situation was set and the trial had been ordered, Jiang Yuanbai could not suppress the matter, and he would surely vent his anger on Jiang Li.

"Don't worry," Jiang Li said calmly. "Have I not done worse? I was accused of killing my mother and brother, and I survived that, didn't I?" She walked to the gate and tapped it gently.

Ye Mingyu was speechless. It was as if Jiang Li considered her notoriety an honor, mentioning it voluntarily. However, he also felt that the previous accusation had been suspicious. Over the past few days, he had found his niece to be kind, occasionally fierce, but possessing the spirit of a chivalrous hero. Could such a good girl really commit such acts? There must be a story behind it.

But this was not the time to discuss it.

No gatekeeper came immediately. Passersby stopped to watch, curious. Ye Mingyu, thick-skinned, didn't mind. Jiang Li remained calm and patient. After a while, perhaps unable to bear it any longer, someone finally opened the door.

The servant saw Jiang Li and greeted her, "Second Miss." He then glanced at the sword-bearing Ye Mingyu and the frail Xue Huaiyuan, and opened the gate with a complex expression. "The Old Madam is waiting for you in Wanfeng Hall."

Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu entered. Jiang Li told Tong'er and Bai Xue to take Xue Huaiyuan to her courtyard, while she and her uncle went to Wanfeng Hall.

As soon as they entered, Jiang Yuanbai’s roar came: "Rebellious girl, kneel!"

Jiang Li looked up to see Jiang Yuanbai’s furious eyes. She sometimes thought that as a Chief Councilor with five carts of books in his belly, it was strange that his only punishment for her was always the same phrase: "Rebellious girl, kneel!" as if only saying those words brought him relief. But then she realized he only said it to her; he never said it to Jiang Youyao. Perhaps it was because Youyao didn't cause trouble, or because he was too fond of her to let her kneel. It didn't matter.

She prepared to kneel. Jiang Li hadn't expected to return to the Jiang manor unscathed. Since he only told her to kneel and didn't reach for a whip, she should consider herself lucky.

Just as she was about to kneel, Ye Mingyu caught her arm and shouted back at Jiang Yuanbai with great vigor: "Kneel? Why should she kneel! A-Li, listen to me, don't you kneel!"

Jiang Yuanbai was furious: "I am her father!"

"And I am her uncle! Oh, just because you are her father, she must kneel? She has half the blood of the Ye family in her veins; does she have to listen to the Ye family too? I won't let her kneel! Besides, they say a nephew takes after his uncle—if you ask me, A-Li doesn't look like you at all; she looks like me, so she should listen to me!"

A scholar meeting a soldier—Jiang Yuanbai, the Chief Councilor, was at a loss for words when faced with Ye Mingyu’s unreasonable stubbornness.

Ji Shuran looked at Jiang Li: "Li'er, he is your father after all. Others may not be able to control you, but your father certainly can. You are surnamed Jiang, not Ye."

Ye Mingyu turned to glare at Ji Shuran. She felt a chill and retreated behind Jiang Yuanbai.

Jiang Li stepped forward: "Father, your daughter is wrong. I was wrong to participate in the Xue case without informing you, and to go to the Chang'an Gate before returning home. I was also wrong to use your reputation in Xiangyang to investigate the weaving bureau."

She had used this tactic with Xue Zhao before Xue Huaiyuan since childhood; her apologies were smooth and sincere. Jiang Yuanbai found it difficult to continue scolding her, especially with Ye Mingyu glaring at him.

The Old Madam, sitting on the divan, said in a deep voice: "Second girl, we can discuss your mistakes later. I want to ask you: you are neither kin nor friend to the Xue family's county assistant; why would you get involved in such a case? You brought so many villagers, and I heard you even brought that mad, disgraced official to the manor. Have you lost your mind to do such a thing?"

Jiang Li pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, this matter concerns Cousin Ye Shijie."

"Ye Shijie?" Not only the Jiang family but even Ye Mingyu looked at her.

"I can only tell Father about this," Jiang Li said apologetically. "May I speak with Father alone?"

Ji Shuran smiled: "What could there be that we cannot hear... Li'er, you..."

"This matter is of great importance. I think it would be best if Mother did not intervene," Jiang Li interrupted.

Ji Shuran’s smile froze. She realized that Jiang Li had returned to the manor with growing audacity. To treat her like this in front of the Old Madam and Jiang Yuanbai made Ji Shuran clench her teeth.

Jiang Li looked at Jiang Yuanbai with a steady gaze. After a pause, he said, "Follow me."

"Very well, Father," Jiang Li smiled.

They went to Jiang Yuanbai’s study. It was a place where others were not allowed, and this was Jiang Li's second time there. Once inside, Jiang Yuanbai closed the door and ordered guards outside, asking, "What are you planning? Why do such an extreme thing? And what does this have to do with Ye Shijie?"

"Father, during the investigation of the Ye family's silk case in Xiangyang, Magistrate Tang discovered that someone was framing the Ye family. You must have known this from the letters. The pharmacy suspected was wiped out overnight, and the trail went cold. Despite this, we found clues: the ones framing the Ye family are, in all likelihood, the Li family of the Right Councilor."

"The Li family?" Jiang Yuanbai frowned. "Li Zhongnan?"

"Indeed," Jiang Li said. "Furthermore, the Xue case in Tongxiang may also involve Li Zhongnan. Cousin Ye is just a new official in the Ministry of Revenue; he hasn't even found his footing, yet the Li family is targeting the Ye family. This is undoubtedly aimed at Cousin Ye. A dignified Councilor wouldn't waste so much effort on a minor official. Father, the Right Councilor isn't targeting the Ye family; he is targeting the Jiang family."

Jiang Yuanbai said coldly, "Do you know what you are saying?"

"The Li family has always been at odds with us. Since they grew closer to Prince Cheng, the Jiang family’s influence has waned—you and my second uncle know this better than anyone. If we continue to endure, the Jiang family will eventually fall. Now that the Right Councilor is stirring, can we afford to ignore it?"

Jiang Yuanbai looked at his daughter as if for the first time. He knew she was smart, but the cleverness of academic talent or the wit of harem struggles was incomparable to this discussion of court politics. This required not just intelligence, but vision.

"Cousin Ye discovered this and begged me to save County Assistant Xue from prison. As your daughter, using the Jiang family’s name makes things easier. Since the Right Councilor has already moved against us, hiding is not the solution; we must strike back. The Xue case is the perfect weapon to implicate the Right Councilor."

She spoke with complete calm, as if this were not a matter involving hundreds or thousands of lives. Jiang Yuanbai shook his head: "You speak too simply. In history, there have been countless unjust cases, and very few are overturned. How do you think you can overturn this one?"

"Father, you do not know. Feng Yutang bullied men and oppressed women in Tongxiang; the people hate him to the bone. There are a hundred people here, and the case files are full of holes. Most importantly, Feng Yutang was secretly mining gold in Tongxiang—a capital crime! Without support from above, he would never have had the courage."

"You are too reckless. The Li family is not so easily toppled. This time, you might only dent their pride, but they will harbor hatred for you, and when they find an opportunity, they will seek ruthless revenge on the Jiang family..."

"And if we don't strike back, will the Li family not move against us?" Jiang Li interrupted. "Just like now, we did nothing, and they still used the Ye family to strike at us. Besides, Father, you have forgotten: what was the result of me beating the grievance drum? The result is that the Ministry of Justice will try the case in three days, overseen by the Emperor himself. The Emperor has noticed."

Jiang Li said softly, "For years, the Right Councilor has moved closer to Prince Cheng; does the Emperor not see it? The Emperor is wary. Because the Xue case involves the Right Councilor, the Emperor attaches importance to it, which is why he wants to oversee it. This time, the Emperor is on our side. Father, if the Jiang family has not lost the Emperor’s favor, should you not be standing on the Emperor’s side?"

"Silence!" Jiang Yuanbai interrupted urgently. "Are you tired of living? How can you speak such things!"

Jiang Li looked at him quietly.

Jiang Yuanbai waved his hand irritably: "Enough, go out. I know what you have said, but I need to think about this."

Jiang Li nodded.

She had deliberately linked the Xue case to the Li family. Knowing that the Right Councilor was Jiang Yuanbai’s greatest anxiety, she muddied the waters, confusing him to hide her true purpose.

Because if Jiang Yuanbai knew the matter involved Prince Cheng and Princess Yongning, he would certainly stop her. But if the opponent were the Right Councilor, Li Zhongnan, his attitude might be different.