Chapter 43

Today was Ning Ying’s third day as a female official.

With the Minister of Personnel as her father, Ning Ying had entered the palace and immediately taken up the position of Director of Records. Her usual work consisted of organizing the palace’s collection of books and archival records.

Although her duties involved nothing more than tedious odd jobs, Ning Ying found the work quite comfortable.

She had already met Guan Wanyu, another female official in the palace. Ning Ying greatly admired this woman, who had infiltrated the household of the former Vice Minister of the Revenue Department all by herself and obtained his account books.

Although the two of them currently held no real authority and could only move about the imperial palace as female officials, Ning Ying believed that as long as they worked hard, both of them would one day have the opportunity to attend court and participate in state affairs!

Ning Ying was filled with determination. Carrying several dried books from the palace archives, she held her head high and walked forward.

Suddenly, a squad of Imperial Guards approached from ahead. Leading them was a man with tiger-like eyes and narrow lips.

Ning Ying immediately stepped respectfully to the side and lowered her head. Unexpectedly, the commander of the Imperial Guards came straight toward her.

“You’re Ning Ying, the palace’s second female official?” Deputy Commander Dong Guang asked condescendingly.

Ning Ying raised her head without either servility or arrogance and met his gaze. “Yes, my lord.”

When she saw the man’s face, Ning Ying froze for a moment. Before she entered the palace, her father had warned her that the path of a female official would be difficult. In the imperial palace, in particular, she had to be wary of one person. He had even shown her a portrait of him.

Dong Guang.

He had once wanted to follow her father, but after being rejected, he had borne a grudge against the Ning family.

Later, he entered the palace and became one of the Imperial Guards. During the late emperor’s reign, he rose to become Commander of the Imperial Guards. After the current emperor ascended the throne, however, he was demoted to Deputy Commander.

Her father’s assessment of him had been: “A petty-minded wretch who holds a grudge over every little thing and takes revenge for the slightest offense.”

“Upon seeing this commander, you neither salute nor address me by my official title. You’ve shown disrespect to the Imperial Guards here in the palace. What exactly are you plotting?!” Dong Guang’s thunderous scolding exploded beside Ning Ying’s ears.

Before entering the palace, Ning Ying had spent several days studying palace etiquette, so she knew he was deliberately picking a fight.

A small concession would prevent greater disorder. She would simply entertain a pig in colorful robes.

Without servility or arrogance, Ning Ying did exactly as Dong Guang ordered.

Dong Guang let out a cold laugh, folded his arms, and found another fault with her. Ning Ying complied with each demand.

When he saw that she remained neither pleased nor angry, Dong Guang found it boring. He reached out and knocked the ancient books from her hands. They fell to the ground, acquiring several creases and a layer of dust.

Ning Ying cried out in alarm and immediately bent down to pick them up. At that moment, a large foot stepped on one of the books and ground it into the floor.

Dong Guang let out an exaggerated cry of surprise. “How can a female official be so clumsy? You dropped something right in front of me, and I didn’t react in time. I accidentally stepped on it.”

“Women truly are useless. You can’t even handle a minor task, yet you still want to be an official? You’d be better off thinking about how to serve the men in your family and secure yourself a protector for the future!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the Imperial Guards behind him burst into laughter.

This was how Dong Guang had always behaved in the palace. After being demoted to Deputy Commander, he had been filled with resentment and vented his anger on low-ranking palace servants.

In the past, he had bullied eunuchs and palace maids. Now that there were female officials in the palace, he often went looking for trouble with them as well.

Ning Ying was burning with rage. She reached out and picked up the ancient book.

A malicious smile tugged at the corners of Dong Guang’s mouth as he extended his foot once more.

At that moment, a cold, low voice interrupted his movement.

“Stop!”

“Abandoning your post and bullying a female official—Dong Guang, what punishment do you deserve?!”

In that instant, cold sweat broke out across the backs of Dong Guang and the other Imperial Guards. The emperor’s cold and intimidating face immediately appeared in their minds.

No matter how bold they were, they only dared bully lowly palace servants in private. Besides, shouldn’t His Majesty have been attending court at that moment?!

The Imperial Guards fell to their knees as one. “Your Majesty, please forgive us!”

Hearing footsteps draw near, Dong Guang cautiously raised his head. When he saw that it was Consort Miao and the others, he immediately relaxed. Then anger rose within him at having been made a fool of.

Dong Guang got to his feet and saluted, though his attitude had become much more casual. “Greetings, Your Highness. This female official was disrespectful first. We were merely teaching her the rules.”

“As for what happened just now, His Majesty will naturally make his own decision.” Tu Shanjin shot him a cold glance.

Hearing that the matter would still be reported to the emperor, Dong Guang became even more disdainful. Did she really think she was the empress?

“Your Highness, the palace rules must not be neglected. The first group of candidates for the palace selection will soon enter the palace to meet His Majesty. Instead of concerning yourself with an unrelated female official, I suggest you think about how to maintain the emperor’s favor.”

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍reason Dong Guang dared to be so rude was that Consort Miao had fallen out with the Yun family. She was merely a favored consort without any backing. He did not believe she would truly offend the Imperial Guards for the sake of a female official.

Niu Xiu’er was filled with anger. She strode forward and shouted at Dong Guang, her loud voice making his eardrums ache.

“How dare you discuss matters concerning Her Highness!”

Dong Guang glared back at her. Unwilling to waste any more time arguing, he finished his salute and led the Imperial Guards away without another word.

Watching Dong Guang and the others disappear into the distance, Tu Shanjin’s eyes turned icy.

Previously, he had been too busy reforming the court and had neglected the inner palace. People like Dong Guang should be removed as well.

Ning Ying clasped her hands toward Tu Shanjin gratefully. “This subject pays her respects to Your Highness. Thank you for coming to my aid!”

Tu Shanjin did not answer. Instead, he studied Ning Ying, the woman who had sworn brotherhood with “him.”

The moment he thought of Yun Yaoyao wearing his body beneath a tree, calling Ning Ying “brother” while Ning Ying called her “sister,” and then sentimentally tying their locks of hair together, Tu Shanjin shuddered from head to toe.

The image was far too much to bear.

Tu Shanjin shook the goosebumps from his body and left with Niu Xiu’er.

Staring at that delicate yet imposing back, Ning Ying could not help sighing. “So that was the legendary Consort Miao, who assassinated the emperor to prove her innocence. Her bearing is truly remarkable. I doubt even a sovereign could surpass it.”

For some reason, Ning Ying thought of her Brother Jin.

It was only after their last parting that she realized she had told him everything about herself, while he had left her with nothing but a name. Now she had no way of finding him.

She was currently serving as a female official in the imperial palace and could no longer leave as she pleased. She wondered whether she would ever have the chance to meet Brother Jin again.

At that moment, Xuanzheng Palace was filled with lively chatter.

To understand what was happening, one had to go back three days.

A band of thieves had originally infiltrated the Yun residence to steal. Instead, they had stumbled upon a scandal within the Yun family.

Yun Liang had angrily whipped his wife because she had secretly given him a powder that would make him permanently infertile, ensuring that he could never have children again!

How vicious!

What excellent gossip!

With such a secret in hand, even a wife who had been giving you the cold shoulder would immediately make peace with you just to hear the latest rumors.

The scandal first spread through the streets and alleys of the imperial capital, then reached the ears of the officials at court.

At court that day, Yun Liang was subjected to the attentive stares of a crowd of civil officials.

After being isolated for so long, Yun Liang suddenly found himself the center of everyone’s attention. His nose even began to sting with emotion.

Had that irritating Lin Qingti finally been assassinated and died of his injuries? Why else would so many people be staring at him today?

Among the crowd, the censor who was passionately fond of throwing himself to the ground, drawing his blade to commit suicide, or smashing his head against a pillar was rubbing his hands together in excitement. He rapidly drafted his upcoming memorial in his mind.

Recently, the emperor’s actions had been so unimpeachable that the officials of the court had behaved themselves for a while, having already learned their lesson from Lou Jianshan and experienced the benefits of the salary increases.

As a result, he had been silent for far too long!

He was a censor whose very duty was to impeach and remonstrate. How could he possibly tolerate such peace and order in the imperial court?

Fortunately, something had happened to Yun Liang.

Censor Ni Tiezu suddenly dropped to his knees and struck his forehead against the ground. “Your Majesty, there is something I must report!”

At the sight of this, Yun Yaoyao was wide awake. “What is it? Speak, Aiqing.”

All the officials in court, including Yun Liang, turned their eyes toward Ni Tiezu.

“Minister Yun’s household is in complete disorder. One of his concubines even slipped him a powder that rendered him incapable of fathering children, leaving him unable to have any more offspring!”

“If he cannot even manage his own household, how can he manage the affairs of the imperial court? I hereby impeach Minister Yun for incompetence. He is unfit to continue serving as Minister of Rites!”

Yun Liang’s legs gave way, and he instinctively fell to his knees.

That wretched woman—she was targeting him again!

“Your Majesty, I am a victim as well! I beg Your Majesty to investigate the matter thoroughly!”