TFSRITA Chapter 68

Even someone as reclusive as Yan Qing could perceive the changes in the harem, and the fall of the Jiang family had shifted public perception of her in Chang’an from that of a seductive consort to one of sympathy.

Oh dear, being a consort and yet being targeted by the Empress Dowager is truly miserable.

For a time, those who had initially called for her expulsion from the harem fell silent.

News from the Prime Minister’s father indicated that many colleagues had come to visit him to apologize for their previous actions.

For quite some time, the Prime Minister’s residence was bustling with activity.

In a letter, Prime Minister Yan had seriously mentioned his desire to take her out of the harem during this opportunity, but the Emperor proved to be quite resourceful and swiftly resolved the matter, executing several offenders. Now, everyone was behaving and didn’t dare to act against her, hoping she would remain calm in the palace and not feel distressed.

It seems that Prime Minister Yan was wise, knowing that she disliked the palace and wanted to leave. Unfortunately, she did not anticipate that this seemingly indifferent Emperor, Ji Yecheng, actually had quite a few methods up his sleeve. He suppressed the voices of dissent and found out who was causing trouble one by one.

To accomplish this required not only decisive methods but also capable people at his disposal.

Perhaps Ji Yecheng was not as unconcerned as she thought; he might not be just an apathetic Emperor.

However, this was of little concern to Yan Qing, who was trying to devise ways to provoke Ji Yecheng’s disdain or that of the court officials.

After much thought, she came up with an idea: to be extravagant.

However, whatever she tried, Ji Yecheng cooperated perfectly. Gradually, Yan Qing truly discovered that Ji Yecheng was exceedingly indulgent towards her.

No matter what she did, even if she utterly destroyed the flowers in the Imperial Garden or intentionally dug a small pond in what should have been a main path within the palace to raise fish and shrimp, many people in the palace became extremely wary of her. They even began to speak ill of her behind her back, but Ji Yecheng showed no reaction whatsoever.

While she was busy with the fish pond, he even had someone transport various types of fine fish from outside, presenting them before her with a hint of pride: “Do you like them?”

Yan Qing was truly at a loss. She thought of a method that would be the most severe and annoying, which was to dig a pond on the only clean path leading from the harem to the Tai Chi Hall’s Imperial Garden. If this news spread, it would surely paint her as a jealous consort who prevented other concubines from approaching the Emperor, and she would face backlash.

She originally planned to handle this herself and had come over early in the morning after finishing the pond yesterday. She intended to check if the position was sufficient, and if not, she would expand it a bit more so that walking through the palace would become difficult, thus amplifying the dissenting voices.

However, she had just arrived and was still pondering when she saw Ji Yecheng approaching with a pile of things, leading to the current scene.

…

With one hand behind his back and the other pointing at the large assortment of fish in the water before him, some of which looked a bit lifeless after the long journey but were still alive, it was clear how quickly they had arrived in this inconvenient ancient transport.

Yan Qing felt that this must have cost a significant amount of manpower and resources, making her a bit uneasy, but she pushed that thought down, focusing on her plan.

Looking around, she noticed the palace maids couldn’t help but steal glances at his tall and handsome figure, then shyly looked down, their hearts racing for quite some time.

Yan Qing thought to herself that these maids were probably thinking: The Emperor is truly handsome and imposing, unlike ordinary men. When young girls are in love, they often feel that the person they like is superior to everyone else, and they become oblivious to anyone else.

Ji Yecheng’s methods may be cliché, but for many young girls, it was easy to sense that they were being pampered. Yan Qing felt her heart skip a beat at his gesture, looking at the various fish, some beautiful, some ugly, and some that looked delicious.

Still, she rolled her eyes dismissively and spoke in a rough, raspy voice filled with disdain, “I don’t want them anymore; you’ve already touched them.”

Ji Yecheng wasn’t angered; as long as it wasn’t betrayal, he could tolerate her little antics. He leaned slightly closer, speaking earnestly, “Then what do you want?”

Yan Qing’s eyes flickered as she pointed to the already dug pond, her pretty face displaying a spoiled expression: “I want to turn it into seawater; bring me salt!”

In ancient times, salt was a precious commodity.

Ordinary people rarely bought salt; many relied on the flavors of various dishes since the salt-making technology wasn’t advanced. Only the nobility would have salt at every meal, and even that varied in quality.

Jiang Wende was startled by Yan Qing’s request and hesitated, but Ji Yecheng readily replied, “Go prepare it.”

“Yes.” Jiang Wende hurriedly left.

In just a few moments, he returned with the salt, but it was the lowest quality, typically used for the meals of palace servants.

Yan Qing glanced at it and decisively stated, “I don’t want this; it’s too poor quality, and there’s dirt on it.”

Ji Yecheng’s temple throbbed as he silently glanced at the pond, which, despite its clear surface, was essentially sitting on mud due to prolonged sedimentation.

His gaze sharpened as he looked at the deliberately provocative woman, scoffing softly, and said in a low voice, “Go prepare refined salt for the consort.”

“Yes.” Jiang Wende left, feeling the pinch in his heart.

As soon as the refined salt was brought over, Yan Qing directed, “Pour it in.”

“Yes.” The maid nodded and, in front of everyone, poured about four to five pounds of fine white salt directly into the water.

The sound of splashing echoed as another maid used a stick to stir the water. The pond’s water mixed with the mud and salt, quickly turning murky.

“Hiss—” someone gasped softly, watching the murky pond with great distress.

Even though the refined salt wasn’t theirs, they still felt a pang of regret. This was such a waste, completely wasting the salt!