Empress Sun: Sharing Some Intimate Words Among Sisters

Forbidden City, Fengzao Palace, Main Hall Inner Chamber.

Jia Min nodded and watched the guiding court lady depart, then looked around with a complex expression.

Of course she had been here before, and more than once.

However, back then, she was the "Eldest Miss of the Rongguo Mansion." Leaving aside the inner palace, even the current Emperor Jing'an and the former Prince Jing would have to address her as "Younger Sister," and the Retired Emperor would likewise call her "Virtuous Niece."

No one knew what people truly thought in their hearts, but on the surface, such courtesy was mandatory.

Because she was the most beloved daughter of Jia Daishan, the "Chief of Military Merits."

Now, more than a decade had passed. Revisiting this old place, things had long since changed and the people were no longer the same.

She did not have to wait long before she heard a patter of brisk footsteps outside the hall, followed by customary greetings and instructions, and neat responses. Finally, as the sounds drifted away, complete silence descended.

Then, a petite and exquisitely framed noblewoman walked into the hall unescorted, smiling. She wore an everyday palace gown of a bright watery-red hue with embroidered golden feather borders—clearly a garment she wore often. Seemingly unwilling to appear overly stern, she had deliberately pinned several decorative floral clips into her hair accessories.

Jia Min glanced at her, then slowly turned around, presenting only her back.

"Good sister, I know what I did this time was wrong, but you must also consider my position." Empress Sun walked over quickly, gently sitting down behind her and embracing her. "I know about your husband's situation, but do you know how complicated this is inside?"

"I simply fail to understand what sort of immense trouble could make Her Majesty the Empress keep her distance and avoid it like the plague," Jia Min choked back tears. "These difficult days have been tough; fortunately, someone has been holding the line. If it had truly depended solely on Yu'er and me, our whole family would likely have long since reunited down in the underworld."

"It has been hard on you, sister!" Empress Sun wore a bitter smile as she gently turned her good friend around, locking her earnest gaze with Jia Min's. "I'm afraid that even until now, you still think this was some foolish stunt pulled by the Kunning Palace?"

"Isn't it?" Jia Min suppressed her rising anger, though her pretty face still showed traces of it. "My late husband was known throughout the realm as His Majesty's trusted confidant. During all these years in Yangzhou, he offended plenty of people, yet no one ever dared to touch him. And now, suddenly—"

"Naturally, people would assume that only forces within the palace could carry out such a stealthy, fatal blow. I suppose the whole world thinks the same way, right?" Empress Sun sighed softly. "You foolish sister, no matter how many people the Lin brother-in-law offended, everything he did was on imperial court or royal business. Over the years, if he didn't have major merits, he at least had hard toil.

"Kunning Palace and I are indeed at odds, but after all, we are both members of the royal family. We all understand a most basic principle: this realm belongs to the royal family, but it cannot rely solely on the royal family. As the saying goes, 'The court and the noble households are of one body; promotions, punishments, appraisal, and denunciation should not differ.'

"Whether in the central government or the localities, someone must do the hard work and toil for the royal family. Since Lord Lin was a confidant minister known to all under heaven, and his ability was plain for all to see, how could there be any justification for disposing of him arbitrarily, let alone resorting to underhanded methods?"

"Is that true?" Jia Min was no fool and understood the logic in those words.

"The Wu family indeed had a hand in this, but it was not the Kunning Palace." Empress Sun did not beat around the bush. "Sister, do you forget that in this world, there is always 'father and son of one mind,' just as there is the saying, 'A married daughter is like poured-out water'?"

"A misunderstanding, then?" Jia Min already understood.

"Grand Secretary Wu has always been the leader of the Southern Faction; this is known to all under heaven." Empress Sun nodded. "This matter was certainly not his direct arrangement, but it is inextricably linked to him. Lord Lin served in Jiangnan for many years; what he did was a great service to the imperial court, but a grave crime to Jiangnan."

"In other words, although he did not commit the act, he covered it up afterward?" Jia Min nodded slowly. "Indeed, being able to suppress such a major event to the point where no one dared to speak, and forcing all of my late husband's former associates to keep their mouths shut, is certainly not something an ordinary person could achieve."

"Sister might not know, but His Majesty originally intended to investigate. Even the Brocade-Clad Guard had already begun discussions, but who could have expected the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Academy to suddenly launch a joint move, impeaching Zhao Quan, the chief official of the Brocade-Clad Guard, all at once?" Empress Sun gave a bitter smile and hugged her tightly. "In the end, Lord Lin had to be wronged."

Jia Min's expression paused.

"So, Anping entered the Ministry of War?" After a long silence, her voice was deeply suppressed.

"This is not a bad thing." Empress Sun nodded. "Although a Director in a ministry is only ranked at the true fifth rank, everyone knows it is a position of low rank yet immense power. Such an appointment must have His Majesty's gracious approval; otherwise, it could never happen.

"Although Young Lord Lin is only from a collateral branch of the Gusu Lin clan, and his original status was merely that of a purchased official, he has rendered many meritorious services while following Lord Lin over the past two years. The imperial court's reward is only fitting. Sister can tell him directly: as long as he does well, His Majesty has absolutely no reason to wrong him."

"Jiangnan—" Jia Min's face slowly darkened.

"Sister, do not act rashly!" Empress Sun's expression changed. "I know you have your channels, but nowadays the Southern Faction holds immense power in the court, to the point where even His Majesty cannot completely ignore them. Furthermore, you have been away from the capital for many years; how many of your old connections can you still rely on?"

"True!" Jia Min nodded indifferently. "The Southern Faction is powerful, so why is there not a peep from the Northern Faction?"

"Has sister forgotten?" Empress Sun looked toward Jiangnan with a complex expression. "Ever since the Retired Emperor retreated to the Dragon Head Palace to recuperate and the military nobility lost their leader, there has long been no 'Northern Faction' left in the court."

"The court is full of high ministers who are all self-proclaimed sages, yet state affairs grow daily more corrupt." Jia Min gently pushed away her good friend's embrace and stood up with a smile that was not quite a smile. "It is as laughable as the 'crowd of upright officials filling the court' of the previous Ming dynasty. Heh, heh-heh-heh—"

"If the military generals in the court hadn't been reduced to mere 'running dogs at the gate' during the previous Ming dynasty, it's hard to say whether the Great Zhou could have seized the empire." Empress Sun stood up and pulled her into an embrace. "Good sister, today you and I are merely passing the time with idle chatter. Do not speak recklessly outside."

"Rest assured, Sister, your younger sister understands." Jia Min sighed softly, gently hugging her back as they sat back down on the long couch. "It is a pity my late father passed away so early; otherwise, he certainly would have pledged his loyalty to His Majesty and steered the affairs of this court back onto the right track."

"Speaking of the young Duke, I actually have an acquaintance here to introduce to you." Empress Sun finally revealed a relaxed smile. "Strictly speaking, she still has to address you as aunt—Yuanchun, come on in!"

"Paying respects to Your Majesty!" A dignified female official slowly knelt down with tears in her beautiful eyes. "Greetings, Aunt!"

"Yuanchun?" Jia Min's face changed. She sprang to her feet and walked over, casting aside all court etiquette to pull the female official up by the arm. "I haven't heard any news of you for so many years; I thought that—"

"I truly cannot fathom what your family mansion has in their minds." Empress Sun stood up with a smile and pulled them both down to sit together. "Ever since the young Duke passed away, this girl has been serving in the imperial palace, yet she has never received any news from the outside world.

"Those who know say she is a maiden of the Rongguo Mansion who entered the palace bearing the title of 'Eldest Miss of the Jia family'; those who don't know would think she was some stray waif with no one to care for her, left in the palace with no support, where anyone could bully her!"

"None at all?" Jia Min looked incredulously in the direction of the Rongguo Mansion.

Yuanchun did not dare to answer, only shaking her head hard while tears streamed down her face.

"Well then, don't you have your family back now?" Empress Sun comforted her with a smile. "How about this: you know I've never liked keeping many people around me, not even a personal attendant. From now on, move into the outer chamber and keep me company when you have free time."

Yuanchun was instantly stunned.

"You silly girl, why aren't you thanking Her Majesty?" Jia Min patted her with a smile.

Yuanchun hurriedly knelt on the ground.

"Now I give you your first task." Empress Sun pointed outside the hall. "Go and instruct the imperial kitchen to send over a table of Huaiyang dishes. Today, I am casting aside all official business to properly keep you company and help you relax."

"Sister is still the same, always shoving her duties onto others when she wants to be lazy." Jia Min gave her a reproachful, playful look.

"Because the matters that follow can only be discussed between us sisters." Empress Sun looked at her apologetically. "Sun Ruoqing of the Sun family, and Min'er, her good sister of the Jia family, having a private heart-to-heart talk between sisters."

Jia Min's expression paused.

She was not stupid; she understood that once words reached this point, the matter was definitely no small thing.

"If Sister Qing wishes to speak, this younger sister naturally must listen." But she had no other choice.

"It concerns... Lord Lin." Empress Sun's words made Jia Min's face change. "I heard reports from the Brocade-Clad Guard that you did not hold a funeral for him in Yangzhou, so I suppose you brought him back with you to the capital? And according to the news sent by the Zhen family, the main branch of the Gusu Lin clan has already agreed to split the lineage, right?"

"What does Sister mean?" Jia Min vaguely guessed something, her beautiful eyes slowly brimming with tears.

"Does sister intend to hold a funeral for him in the capital?" Empress Sun hugged her tightly, yet did not dare to meet her gaze directly. "We both understand what the current situation is like... Good sister, can we please avoid stirring up extra trouble?"

A funeral was not something to be held casually, nor were funeral notices to be sent out at whim.

Given the connections Lord Lin had during his lifetime, the scale of his funeral could not possibly be small. Yet the imperial court and the royal family had already reached a tacit understanding to handle his assassination in a low-key manner and strictly avoid making a fuss.

Once the funeral began, no matter what his former friends truly thought in their hearts, anyone who received a funeral notice would be obliged to attend and pay their respects. Otherwise, they would basically have to bid farewell to their "reputation" and face social death directly within the court, because this was "the rule."

The deceased were to be treated with the utmost respect; even the heaviest grievances could not be visited upon a dead man.

There were plenty of shameless people behind closed doors, but it was hard to find someone willing to be shameless in public.

Now the vast majority of people had already made it clear they wanted no shame. If the Lin family officially released the news that a funeral would be held in the capital and sent out the notices, would those people attend or not?

The problem was, if they truly attended the funeral, how on earth should they express their stance on Lord Lin's assassination?

The best method, naturally, was to hold no funeral at all and pretend the matter had never happened.

Otherwise, where would the great lords of the court stash their faces?

"Is this His Majesty's will?" Jia Min could naturally figure it out, her tone suppressing her anger.

"His Majesty has already assured me that at the end of the month, an imperial edict will be issued posthumously conferring upon Lord Lin the title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent alongside the honorary rank of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, with the posthumous title 'Wenzhong' [Loyal to Culture]." Empress Sun hastily explained. "At that time, His Imperial Highness will personally deliver the edict to the Lin residence."

"Is that so?" Jia Min's expression paused.

Among feudal posthumous titles, "Wenzhong" ranked third, coming right after "Wenzheng" and "Wencheng," signifying the officially recognized virtue of "recommending the worthy and exhausting one's loyalty." Historical figures who held this title included Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, Zhang Juzheng, and Lin Zexu.

Moreover, not everyone was granted a posthumous title; they were generally reserved for grand secretaries and ministry presidents, while vice ministers rarely received them.

To put it bluntly, this had already given them plenty of face.

"Sister Min, please don't—"

"Since it is His Majesty's will, what can a mere subject do?" Jia Min interrupted her with a bitter smile.

"Rest assured, sister. There is absolutely no possibility of this matter being overturned." Empress Sun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sister Ruoqing!" Remembering their past closeness, Jia Min wore a nostalgic look.

"Sister Min!" Empress Sun leaned over gently, resting against the noblewoman's embrace.

Neither spoke another word, for both understood that matters could only be thus.

Nothing could be changed.