CH 5

The mansion given by the Emperor Jia Ning is located in Qing Yun Street, surrounded by official and noble families and court officials. Unlike the people who were happy to gossip, Ren Anle's new neighbours were extremely quiet after they moved into the house, and none of them came forward to visit, even Fan Wenzhao, the Minister of Rites who had recruited them to the capital.

Yuan Qin changed Ren Anle's robe for the palace. When she turned her head and saw Yuan Shu squatting in the corner breaking her fingers, she sighed and said, "Yuan Shu, is the carriage ready?"

Yuan Shu's face was sad, obviously not focused on the big event of going to the palace, but only thinking about the ten boxes of gold and silver sent out yesterday, with a pained face: "Yuan Qin, those ministers took our silver. According to our rules, this is the money to buy the way, but they didn't even let us in. This is a big loss!"    

Yuan Qin gave Yuan Shu a flick on the head, full of disgust: "No wonder Miss said you have no talent. These things are rewarded by the emperor. We are just borrowing flowers to offer Buddha[1]. We are new to the capital, it is already good that they are willing to accept things. The emperor's attitude towards our lady is unclear, and they will not make friends with us at this time."

[1]  借花献佛 ( jiè huā xiàn fó ) - lit. presenting the Buddha with borrowed flowers (idiom); fig. to win favor or influence using sb else's property / a metaphor for borrowing someone else's goods for a guest or gift. From the Sutra on Past and Present Causes and Effects

Yuan Shu blinked, picking up the look of heartache and liver pain and muttered with a gesture towards the door, "How will this big man be accommodated? Miss left him in Jinan originally to guard the fortress!"　　

The dark young man guarding the door was about ten feet tall, dressed in cloth, with a simple face and a pair of dark, crystal eyes. He was carrying an iron rod behind his back. When he saw Yuan Shu looking at him, he smiled nervously, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

Yuan Qin waved her hand, "Since Uncle Zhong is not at ease, it's better to keep a guard to watch here. The water in the capital is deep[2], it's better to have Chang Qing around."

[2]Deep water means the situation is complicated or complex.

As she spoke, Ren Anle had stepped out from behind the screen, dressed in a long navy robe with her long hair pulled back, sharp and valiant.

Apparently having overheard their conversation from inside, Ren Anle flicked her sleeve and snorted at the sullen Yuan Shu, "Yuan Shu, I have been in charge of Anle Village for several years. Have you ever seen me suffer a loss?"

Yuan Shu shook her head. Whether it was land grabbing or robbing caravans, her  lord had always been at the forefront of the battle, and she had always done her best.  The posture could not wait to peel off the opponent's three layers of skin.

"Now they are watching the emperor's heart to prevent you from entering the door. If they want to enter my Ren fu[1] in the future they will not be able to do so with just a few boxes of gold and silver. The time has come to enter the palace.  Changqing, guard the door."

[3]府 ( fǔ )-  official residence; mansion; presidential palace; (honorific) Your home; prefecture (from Tang to Qing times)  

With Ren Anle's assurance, Yuan Shu's eyes bent as she pulled Yuan Qin along behind Ren Anle and ran with great joy.

The carriage passed through the quiet Qing Yun Street and headed slowly towards the palace.    

It was almost noon in the upper study.

Emperor Jia Ning was sitting at the top, looking down at the two prime ministers who were staring at each other with their noses in the air, giving him a headache.

The Right Minister, Wei Jian, is a veteran of two dynasties.  A great Confucian of Great Jing, and most of the sons of the Qingliu faction[3] were under his tutelage. Peaches and plums all over the world[4]. The late emperor also held him in high esteem and he is now the Crown prince's mentor.

[3]The Qīng Liú was a political faction within the ruling class during the Guangxu period of the Qing dynasty. The term "Qīng Liú" originally referred to scholars of high moral character, courageous in speaking out and reputable. 

[4]桃李满天下( táo lǐ mǎn tiān xià ) - It is a metaphor for the many elite descendants and students that an elder or teacher has nurtured throughout the world, hence the term 'peach and plum all over the world'.

Jiang Yu, the Left Minister, was only a member of the staff of the Royal Household a dozen years ago. After the reign of Emperor Jia Ning, he rose to the top of the court of Dajing and won the emperor's heart after the destruction of Di family ten years ago.    

Nowadays, the two sides of the court are clearly separated and serve as a counterweight to each other, a situation that Emperor Jia Ning is happy to see, but recently Ren Anle has entered the capital and the two factions are each sticking to their own arguments. The two factions have been fighting with each other and the small fight gradually escalated into a partisan dispute between the left and right ministers.  The Emperor Jianing got a headache that he brought the two  Buddhas[5] along with him when he received Ren Anle today.

[5] Buddha - fig. a term that is sometimes used to characterize someone who should not be offended. Usually said in a helpless tone, as if satisfying them is difficult.

"Minister Wei, Ren Anle is a woman, from a remote place and is rude and reckless. How can she enter the court like us?  The deputy general's position is not high, but she is in charge of several tens of thousands of troops. In the future she will be invited to the frontier with the merit of her surrender. An Le Zhai has many bad traits in the past. If she gains the hearts and minds of the army, she will become a problem for the heart of our country! Why don't we give her another position and keep her in the capital?" 

Jiang Yu, the left minister, has a proud and orderly tone to his voice. If it were not for the fact that the deputy generalship given to Ren Anle was originally intended for his Jiang clan, his words would have been more powerful.

"Minister Jiang's words are wrong. Ren Anle has already surrendered. His Majesty has already given her the rank. If His Majesty now reneges on his promise and does not allow her to join the court. How can the Emperor's prestige be upheld? Besides, Ren Anle is a renowned general, she may become a pillar of our state in the future!"

The right minister Wei Jian's white beard was shaking and his voice was as loud as a bell, and by the sound of it, it was obvious that he had a high life expectancy!

"The right minister speech attach importance to a mere woman. Talk about a pillar of stone!"

"Even if she is just a woman, why does the left minister have to be so alarmist [6]?"

[6]危言耸听 (wēi yán sǒng tīng) - frightening words to scare people (idiom), alarmist talk; reds under the beds-meaning to deliberately say something exaggerated and frightening to make people shake with suspicion. From Guo Xiaochuan, "On Listening to the Words". 

"She is a traitor. Her roots are hard to break, and her rascality is hard to tame!"

"How can they be called traitors again when they sent 30,000 sailors to my Great Jing!"

The voices in the upper study were not small. Ren Anle, who was led into the corridor by the chamberlain, raised her eyebrows, and the corners of her mouth took on a deep meaning.

"Stop it!" Emperor Jia Ning coughed heavily and looked down at the head of the court with solemn eyes, "The two ministers have always been of high moral standing. What is the decency of arguing over a surrendered general!"

The two men looked at each other and stopped arguing. The emperor's face was more important than the heaven. Even if they were bold enough, they would not dare to give the Emperor a scowl.

Wei Jian was holding his cup of tea. Seeing Jiang Yu sitting across from him, he threw a cloudy gaze at him. The suspicion of several decades was suddenly born in his heart. He is not as good as Jiang Yu at manipulating power and has suffered a lot of losses over the years.

So Old Minister Wei's eyes rolled and turned towards the top and said in a respectful voice, "Your Majesty."

Jiang Yu snorted darkly. This old stubborn man was still delusional. Could he not blow Ren Anle into a flower?

Well, the Left Minister had forgotten that an eighteen-year-old girl was a flower.  Leaving aside her status and all the rumours, Ren Anle herself fits this criteria perfectly.

"What does the right minister have to say?"

"At first when Ren Anle recruited and surrendered, she asked for the position of Crown Prince Consort of the Eastern Palace. Now if Ren changes her position, with her temperament, if this matter is brought up again in the court, how would it be good ......"

The left minister's expression was a pause, lowered his head and cursed. This old stone in the thatched pit. In order to oppose him actually brought this matter before his majesty, really bold than the sky!

Sure enough, when he heard this, Emperor Jianing narrowed his eyes and looked at the Right Minister with a gloomy expression.

"The Crown Prince's Consort position is of great importance and should not be decided lightly. Ren Anle will be here later, so the two ministers should meet her before discussing how to place her."

At that moment, the sound of an audience was heard from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty, General Ren wishes to see you."

The Emperor was just about to announce the meeting when chaotic footsteps sounded. The guards outside saw that the person running in was Zhang Fu, the grand steward of the Ci'An palace hall and did not dare to stop him for a moment and let him kneel outside.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it's not good!" The shrill voice resounded inside in and out of the upper study room.      

Seeing this sight, Ren Anle raised her eyebrows and stood still with her feet tapping.

Emperor Jia Ning's eyebrows sank and he bellowed angrily, "Get in here and talk properly!"

Zhang Fu rolled in, his usually arrogant face full of fear: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has fainted, and this servant have summoned the imperial doctor to the palace ......"

With a 'thud', Emperor Jia Ning's complexion suddenly changed and the porcelain cup in his hand knocked on the desk, "Dog slave, why didn't you say it earlier!"

After saying that, he got up and walked out. After a few steps, he remembered that Ren Anle was still outside the study, and hurriedly ordered the two ministers who had gotten up in a hurry: "I will go and see the Empress Dowager. Since Ren Anle is here, you should meet her for me, and we will discuss other matters later."　　

"Yes, Your Majesty." The two men replied in a solemn voice, looked at each other in the direction where Emperor Jia Ning had disappeared, and sat back down in their chairs.

Wei Jian sighed secretly. The Empress Dowager was already very old and had often fainted in recent years. His Majesty was extremely filial to the Empress Dowager, Ren Anle had come at a bad time. If he were to fall into His Majesty's eyes, what the right Minister is planning would not go well.

Ren Anle stood on the corridor outside the upper study, listening to the terrified report and Emperor Jia Ning's command inside, and looked up only in time to see a bright yellow figure that had hurriedly disappeared.

She looked silent, her pupils a little distant.

A chamberlain approached her and invited her into the upper study. She breathed a sigh of relief and released the hands she had been holding for some time.  With a chuckle at the corner of her mouth, she walked slowly towards the room where the greatest power of the Dajing Dynasty was most concentrated.

As the sound of steady footsteps approached,  the two elders sitting in the upper study twitched their eyelids and looked up in unison.

When they looked at her, both of them, who were over a hundred years old together, gave a secret praise. Even the hand of the left minister, whose face was unpleasant, gave a pause when he was holding his tea.

How should he put it.  This woman's temperament is the only one he have ever seen in his life, warm and imposing. If it weren't for the hooliganism between her eyebrows, he's afraid that she would have been worthy of the favour of the Crown Prince of Dajing.

The Lord of Anle, who is the most powerful in southern Jin, is indeed extraordinary. No wonder she dares to ask for the hand of the Crown Prince of Great Jing. If she is sincere in helping the Crown Prince, her position in the Eastern Palace will be more secure.

The Right Minister, who is the Crown Prince's teacher, looked at Ren Anle with a meaningful glance and increasingly gentle eyes, while the left minister's face was slightly frozen. The cup of tea that was in his hand was placed on the desk, making a clear, crisp sound.    

"Ren Anle greets the two Ministers." Ren Anle clasped her fist and saluted, completely like a general.

The two coughed, both a little uncomfortable. The court had not had a woman in the court for decades. It was a little awkward to accept Ren Anle's salute at this time, but both were very human, so they quickly adjusted their mindset and looked towards Ren Anle.

"General Ren, no need to be polite. Please sit down." Wei Jian stroked his beard and said with a smile, "I have long heard that General Ren is famous in southern Jin, but today I see that the rumours are not true. Now that you are with us, His Majesty knows how to make the best use of people and will make your reputation even greater than before."

Hearing the right minister's over-exaggerated appreciation, the left minister's eyebrows twitched and he snorted darkly. He dared to touch his conscience and point to heaven and earth, before meeting Ren Anle, the old man had not even thought of it that way.

However, Ren Anle...was indeed worthy of being a surprise.

"Your Excellency is too kind. Ren Anle is a simple woman, I cannot afford the praise of the old Minister. It is only because I am getting older and it is difficult for me to find a husband in the Southern part of Jin, and I have heard that there is a good son in the north."

Ren Anle's eyes narrowed slightly and she smiled brightly.

The two prime ministers were stunned by Ren Anle's blunt and blatant words, and after a moment's silence, the right minister laughed loudly: "General is a straightforward person. Why don't you come and sit at my residence in the future?"

There was some genuine admiration in his eyes as he smiled.

Seeing that the two of them were having a good conversation, and  it seemed that they liked each other. The Left Minister coughed heavily and said to Ren Anle, "General Ren, I have a few words for you, and I hope that you will listen to them."

The two of them were the rulers and ministers of the dynasty, so they did not need to talk to Ren Anle like this, but the Emperor Jia Ning was obviously very concerned about Ren Anle. Not to mention that as long as the 30,000 sailors in the Sounan camp were not subdued by Ji Chuan, they could not treat Ren Anle as an ordinary courtier.

"Oh, please speak frankly, Left Minister." Ren Anle smiled lightly and looked towards the amiable-looking Left Minister.

"Now that there is no war on the frontier, it would be too much for the General to take up the post of Deputy General. The capital is full of noblemen and marquis families, and there are many noblewomen with both talent and virtue. The General is still in her prime, so why not find another comfortable position and have more contacts with women from the world. With your talent, you will be famous in the capital in no time. At that time, I will be the matchmaker and find a good son-in-law for the General, which will also relieve the General's regret." 

As expected of Jiang Yu, the most powerful Chancellor of Dajing. His words were sensible and spoke in a reasonable, showing the love of an elders.

The Chancellor is the matchmaker and the son of a family is the son-in-law. If any woman in Dajing were to hear this, he's  afraid she would be overwhelmed with gratitude.

But unfortunately... she was Ren Anle!

"What does Minister Jiang mean by this?" Ren Anle's face was slightly sunken, her gaze burning towards the left minister Jiang Yu, her harsh military banditry breaking through.

The aura that changed abruptly was comparable to that of the two Ministers who had held the court of Dajing for decades. The right minister's eyes dropped and the corners of his mouth smiled as he took a small sip of tea.

The left minister was slightly stunned. Ren Anle's reaction was very different from what he had expected, and before he could react, Ren Anle had already spoken with anger.

"An Le has already said that she surrendered to Dajing to seek the position of Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace, and even if His Majesty does not allow her, Anle has never thought of marrying someone else. Does the Minister want to find a new husband for An Le, or does he think that An Le is a person who wants to change her mind, or does he think that there is a more suitable husband for her than the Crown Prince?"　　

The hall was silent, Wei Jian hung his head, not looking at the righteous Ren Anle, and swallowed a mouthful of tea with great difficulty before suppressing the impulse to laugh long and hard.

He dared to assert that even Emperor Jia Ning, who was the king of the world, had never made Jiang Yu look so humiliated!

Regardless of the answer, Jiang Yu couldn't justify his claim. If he despise Ren Anle's character, he will lose your temperament as a minister of the dynasty. As for the second sentence of Ren Anle's question ...... in a deeper sense, it can be regarded as a condemning statement!

With just one sentence, the eloquent Minister Jiang was rendered speechless and his mask of benevolence and righteousness was torn away mercilessly.

Whether intentional or not, Ren Anle is a woman of great wisdom and courage and great kindness.

The Left Minister's face was cold and sullen. He had never had anyone dare to say such a questioning remark to him in his tens of years of standing in the court.

What a good Ren Anle!

He stared at Ren Anle for half a second, then narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "General Ren has overstated his case. He did not understand the General's intentions, which led to this misunderstanding.

"That is, it's a misunderstanding, so it's good that it's cleared up. A moment ago, Anle, a woman from the countryside, has just offended the Old Minister."

The left minister pursed his lips and hid a sword in his smile, while Ren Anle was not far behind, and the sword was silent.

"But the minister of Jiang has a good point, now there is no war, An Le occupying the position of deputy general is indeed a waste ......"

The left minister's sullen face finally eased a little at hearing this. In his opinion, Ren Anle was seeking peace for what had just happened.

The Right Minister frowned slightly and looked at Ren Anle disapprovingly. Ren Anle was originally a general, if she was in an idle position in Capital, sooner or later her fighting spirit would be worn out.　　

"What General Ren means is........"

"Anle grew up in Anle Village and has been tainted with banditry. She want to learn the ways of the courtiers of Dajing. The Da Lisi is in charge of the affairs of the Imperial Capital. Why don't we transfer An Le to the Da Lisi [7] to take up the post of shaoqing [8].  What does Left Minister  think? ", Ren Anle smiled and looked sincere.

[7]大理寺- The Da Lisi (大理寺) is the name of an important official office in ancient times, specialising in the hearing of criminal and prison cases; it is the equivalent of the present Supreme Court, the highest legal body in the country.

大理 ( dà lǐ ) - judicial officer; justice of the peace 

寺 (sì )-  Buddhist temple; mosque; government office (old) 

[8] 少卿 (shàoqīnɡ) - is an ancient name for an official position, also created in the Northern Wei Dynasty during the Taihe period. In the Northern Qi Dynasty, it was a deputy to the official title of the main minister, and was also used from the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the Qing Dynasty; young minister/ young secretary

The Left Minister was really a bit surprised, as Dajing had only been in power for a few dozen years, and many of the patriarchs' families lived in the capital, where two generations of emperors had shown great kindness, and it was common for the sons of nobility to roam the capital. The Da Lisi is in charge of the imperial capital, although it has some authority, but it is an unpleasant office. If the Da Lisi qing Pei Zhan had not been smooth and accommodating, he would not have been safe so far.

The shaoqing is only a deputy of the minister of the Da Lisi. The position is only the fourth rank, so it doesn't look like Ren Anle's nature will allow her to stay under Pei Zhan for long.

But this is good, if Ren Anle joins the Da Lisi, sooner or later she will cause trouble, Left Minister has already made his decision: "Since General Ren has voluntarily joined the Da Lisi, I will definitely speak in front of His Majesty for her."

Ren Anle smiled and thanked the Minister. Now that a decision had been reached, the three of them exchanged pleasantries and left the study, with the Minister of the Left walking in front of them, with a dark and uncertain look on his face.

The right minister deliberately took a few steps behind and, seeing Ren Anle's natural demeanour, advised in a low voice: "General Ren, I see that you are not of a cloudy nature. Why should you break your wings and be buried in the capital for the words of a civil servant?"

A good general should be in the sands. Even if her body is wrapped in a horse's leather, it is still her destiny. It is a pity that she was appointed to the Da Lisi, for Wei Jian is a straightforward and old-fashioned man, but he really loves talent.

Ren Anle stopped and looked towards the old prime minister, who was full of sighs. She laughed, her eyes shining brightly, her dark pupils were clear and distinct.

"Minister Wei, if you believe that An Le can spread her wings on the frontier, why don't you believe that I can also soar in the court? What men can do in the world, women can do as well."

Wei Jian was stunned in place, looking at the woman in front of him for half a second in silence.

Ren Anle smiled lightly and bowed to Wei Jian, walking slowly away.

The spontaneous figure is mapped out in the backlight with a vague sense of familiarity. Such a reckless nature and unrelenting bravado has not been seen since the death of the Taizu sixteen years ago and when the head of the Di family, Di Shengtian, disappeared.

Perhaps it was for this reason that he had not thought of Ren Anle as an ordinary woman from the moment he saw her.　　

Ren Anle walked through the imperial garden and saw Yuan Shu and Yuan Qin guarding the entrance to the garden, leading them towards the outside of the palace.

The three of them were dressed differently from ordinary women.  In no time at all they attracted several court eunuchs to talk and peep at them.

In the pavilion on the rocky hill in the imperial garden, a young girl in a flamboyant dress heard the sound and looked down, only to see the back of a very stern and spontaneous figure and a long navy blue robe, and said curiously, "Bi Ling, who has entered the palace?"

The palace maid who was standing by served tea to the young girl: "Princess, I heard that An Le, the female chief of the frontier fortress, has entered the palace."

The young girl sitting in the pavilion was the most favoured princess of the day. From the same mother as the ninth prince, and was favoured by the emperor. The left minister was her maternal grandfather, so she had always been above all others.

"Oh? Then she must have met father Emperor. I wonder what kind of person she is, to dare to say she wants to marry the Prince's brother!" The young girl laughed, her eyes full of joking and contempt.

Bi Ling chimed in, following Shao Hua's words and making her smile.

Du Tingfang, the daughter of the Minister of Household Affairs, and Princess Shaohua had a close personal relationship. It was common knowledge that she was in love with the Crown Prince, so naturally the Princess would not like Ren Anle, who was presumptuous enough to ask to marry His Highness.

Towards evening, in the upper study.

The Emperor Jia Ning, who had rushed back from the Ci'An Hall, was quite surprised to see the Left Minister who had been waiting.

"Your Majesty, is the Empress Dowager well?" Minister Zuo asked in a respectful voice, with a worried expression.

"Nothing is wrong. The Empress Dowager has only suffered from heat." Emperor Jia Ning waved his hand: "The Left  Minister stayed until now. Has he discussed with Minister Right  the solution for Ren Anle's placement??"

The Left Minister nodded: "Your Majesty, Ren Anle has asked to be appointed to the Da Lisi Hall as a junior minister. This Minister and the Right Minister feel that this is appropriate."

"Oh? The Young Secretary of the Da Lisi?" Emperor Jia Ning glanced lightly at the Left Minister : "Since she asked for it, let's play according to her."   

The Minister breathed a sigh of relief. He had waited until now so that this matter could be finalised, so that Ren Anle would not regret it.

"Left Minister,  there are many rumours about Ren Anle in southern part of Jin. From what you have seen today, how is Ren Anle?" Emperor Jia Ning asked in a careless manner, but his dark eyes carried a bit of playfulness.

What had happened in the study had already reached his ears, word for word. It had never occurred to him that a mere eighteen-year-old from the frontier  could force his prime minister to be speechless.

The Left Minister  was speechless for half a second. In the Emperor's look of interest, he suddenly remembered the woman's stern eyes full of fury, and only bowed and replied softly, with utmost certainty and seriousness.　　

"Your Majesty, Ren Anle...certainly must not become a general of my Great Jing."

T/N:

I read all of your comments, and I appreciate them all. I will definitely work hard!

Ren Anle is toying with her prey. Hahaha

And the attitude of the Princess seems to run in their blood.