Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2855 Master Qingsong 73.0
"The person you're talking about is..." Jin Miaomiao glanced at Song Yaojia's expression and asked tentatively, "It's not the person on the dragon throne, is it? No way?"

“Why not?” Song Yaojia chuckled. “Didn’t I just say that everyone hopes for stability and peace, for the people to live and work in peace and contentment, and doesn’t want any trouble? So, Princess Jinyang’s actions are exactly the opposite of their goals. The one on the throne, in particular, hopes for peace and tranquility, so that he can do his own thing with peace of mind and leave the affairs of the court to the powerful families.”

"Such an emperor," Jin Miaomiao shook her head helplessly, "is unworthy of his position."

“Every dynasty has its own story; there’s no right or wrong, right?” Shen Cha sighed. “Princess Jinyang is a member of the royal family, so naturally, she should be handed over to the emperor on the throne. As long as the conditions aren’t unreasonable, the noble families should agree.” She looked at Song Yaojia. “Right?”

“Yes!” Song Yaojia nodded. “The emperor used the excuse of wanting to see the new batch of talented scholars in the princess’s residence. I heard that some of them are good at poetry and painting, and others are good at chess. He wants them to come to the palace to show off their skills.”

"Did Princess Jinyang have no suspicions?"

“No.” Song Yaojia shook her head gently. “That emperor was skilled in painting, writing poetry and lyrics, and also good at playing chess. Moreover, every year when there were new people in the princess’s residence, he would find a time to let them enter the palace.”

"To enter the palace to be tested on one's knowledge?"

"Pretty much. Anyway, they're all things that emperor excels at. He also wanted to see just how talented these scholars from humble backgrounds really were." Song Yaojia shrugged. "So, Princess Jinyang wasn't surprised. As usual, she selected ten people she thought were decent and who had been on her mind lately, and personally sent them to the palace. Every time she sent someone to the palace, she would take them to the Imperial Study, and then go to the inner palace to chat with the Empress Dowager or the concubines until the emperor was satisfied, and then she would lead the person back to her residence."

"Is it like this every year?"

"Yes, so she had no doubt what the emperor would do during this time to turn the people she had her eye on against her."

"Those scholars were already dissatisfied with what they were doing and with Princess Jinyang. So, if the emperor just provoked them and aroused their sense of shame, telling them that as long as they accomplished this task, they could enter officialdom if they wanted, receive money if they wanted, and land if they wanted—anything she could do, she could do. If the ruler of the country said such a thing, those talented men would definitely agree and be loyal to the emperor without hesitation."

“That’s right.” Song Yaojia nodded. “But killing Princess Jinyang wasn’t easy. She had many loyal people around her, including confidants and guards. They tried several times but failed. They were almost caught once, but they escaped unscathed. The reason they succeeded later was because something happened at a manor on the outskirts of the capital. Some farmers started a disturbance and injured the manor manager. Princess Jinyang sent her confidants with guards to deal with it. Because of the conflict, they took away almost all the guards from the princess’s residence, which gave the scholars an opening. One night, the princess drank too much and wanted to drink tea to sober up. They took the opportunity to put a sleeping potion into the tea.”

"A sleeping potion. You can't taste it?"

“A secret recipe from the palace, colorless and odorless,” Song Yaojia sighed and said. “It was given to me by the Emperor.” “Truly… she’ll stop at nothing!” Shen Cha curled her lips in disgust. “All of Princess Jinyang’s actions were originally for his benefit, for his and the royal family’s sake. But he preferred to stay in the palace, composing poems and painting, and playing chess with others, rather than holding onto power and becoming the master of the dynasty. Not only did he not appreciate it, but he also helped the aristocratic families deal with her. All of Princess Jinyang’s efforts have been wasted.”

“Who can disagree!” Song Yaojia nodded. “It’s a pity that Princess Jinyang’s scheme was thwarted.”

"Then," Jin Miaomiao looked at Song Yaojia, "Your Highness, what about those scholars who took action? Did they really get what they wanted?"

“Of course, a promise is a promise, and it’s not good to go back on your word!” Song Yaojia sneered. “Besides, the demands made by those scholars weren’t too unreasonable, and the aristocratic families agreed, so they basically got what they wanted at the time.”

"They got what they wanted back then." Shen Cha chuckled lightly. "There's a hidden meaning in your words, Brother Yaojia."

"Over the next ten years, everyone involved in this will likely be silenced," Shen Haolin sneered. "That's exactly what the previous dynasty loved to do, wasn't it?"

“Yes!” Song Yaojia nodded. “I was quite interested in this matter back then. I asked the old people in the palace and also looked through some files. Those who knew about the incident involving Princess Jinyang were all silenced by various kinds of opium addiction. As for their families, all we knew was that they rose to prominence, but we didn’t know what they did. We thought it was because Princess Jinyang gave them face.”

"You haven't been home for so many years?"

“No.” Song Yaojia shook her head gently. “These were the conditions we agreed on at the time. They had to stay in the capital for ten years and couldn’t go home to visit their families. Their letters and such had to be delivered by a special person.”

“This eliminates the possibility that they will reveal the truth of what happened back then.” Jin Miaomiao nodded. “This can be considered their retribution. In any case, although they lost their lives, their families are living a prosperous life, which is a consolation.”

"That's why scholars prefer to live in Jinyang Ward, isn't it?"

"Actually, it wasn't that they liked living there. After the first Princess Jinyang passed away, Jinyang Ward didn't become vacant. Later, several nobles and members of the royal family moved in, but their fates were all tragic; they all died violent deaths. In addition, the second Princess Jinyang also died in Jinyang Ward, and after her family was confiscated, Jinyang Ward truly became a place avoided by nobles and royalty. But those upright families didn't care about this, and some aristocratic families suggested that such a large place shouldn't be left empty. Why not allocate it to young people who had just entered officialdom and didn't want to live at home? Everyone agreed to this suggestion. After all, Princess Jinyang's residence was very expensive to build, and it would be a waste to leave it empty. So, the aristocratic families in the capital chose their children who had just become officials and let them live in Jinyang Ward. From that time on, that place was called Jinyang Ward. As for those doors on the wall, Princess Jinyang built them so that she could easily go to the courtyards of any of her confidants or favorites without being discovered."