22 – The Little Emperor Offended the Grand Master (Revised)
Jiang Lige stood helpless on the painted pleasure boat when a palace maid happened to pass by the lake. She shouted for help, but the maid thought Shang Guanqi was punishing her and dared not come to her aid.
Thus stranded on the painted pleasure boat, Jiang Lige gazed sorrowfully at the skiff just a few meters away.
She dared not jump into the water to swim over, nor could she rely on being lucky enough to be rescued from the lake bottom every time.
She pinned all her hopes on Luzhu, but as noon approached, Luzhu still hadn’t appeared.
Jiang Lige grew increasingly anxious and thirsty, her whole body restless with agitation.
It must be Shang Guanqi’s doing behind the scenes—he was just toying with her!
“Woof! Woof!”
Dahuang suddenly appeared on the shore, barking at the painted pleasure boat.
“Good dog! Go get someone to save me!!”
In her desperation, Jiang Lige spoke to the dog as if it were human.
Dahuang barked over a dozen times along the shore, but no one came. With a splash, it jumped into the water and swam over.
“Silly dog, why did you jump in? You can’t carry me on your back!”
Though Jiang Lige spoke dismissively, she was deeply moved in her heart.
Dogs truly are humanity’s most loyal friends!
Dahuang quickly swam to the painted pleasure boat, circled it once, and when Jiang Lige tried to pull it aboard, it turned and swam toward the skiff instead. Then, using its head, it pushed the skiff forward.
Tears welled up in Jiang Lige’s eyes—how could there be such a clever dog?
Dahuang exerted all its strength, and though progress was slow, the skiff inched closer to the painted pleasure boat.
After nearly half an hour, the skiff bumped into the painted pleasure boat with a thud. Jiang Lige jumped onto the skiff and pulled Dahuang out of the water.
Exhausted, Dahuang lay on the boat, panting with its tongue out.
Jiang Lige stroked its wet head and gently massaged its four legs with her hands.
“Dahuang, from now on, I’ll never call you ugly again. Today, you were incredibly handsome. And starting today, you’re my son, my own flesh and blood. From now on, you’ll take my surname and be called Jiang Dahuang.”
“As long as I, Jiang Lige, have food to eat, you, Jiang Dahuang, will never go hungry!”
“Woof~”
Jiang Dahuang barked once and licked Jiang Lige’s hand with its big tongue.
“Let’s go home!”
Jiang Lige poled the skiff back to shore. After safely disembarking, the woman and dog, both weary, returned to Moon Departure Palace.
Before they even stepped through the door, they heard arguing inside.
In the hall, Luzhu was wrestling with an old woman, while a middle-aged man and several eunuchs fought bare-handed. The scene was chaotic, with food and broken porcelain scattered across the floor.
“What are you doing!” Jiang Lige shouted angrily, and everyone stopped.
“Your Majesty, you’re back!”
Luzhu released the old woman and walked over to Jiang Lige.
“What’s going on? Who are these people?” Jiang Lige pointed at the old woman and the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man angrily retorted, “Where are you pointing? I am your uncle. Respect for elders and filial piety—as the Emperor, you should lead by example.”
“Bah! You know His Majesty is the Emperor, yet you don’t kneel and kowtow upon seeing him! You disregard propriety and should be dragged out and executed!” Luzhu, usually composed, now shouted insults at them.
Jiang Lige looked again at the two people with scratched faces and disheveled hair. Weren’t they the two she had encountered at the palace gate the day she disguised herself as a palace maid to return?
The original host’s uncle and grandmother?
Jiang Lige quickly searched her memory.
The original host’s birth mother, Consort Zhao, had a father who once served as Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, responsible for rites, music, and sacrifices, holding a fourth-rank official position.Logically speaking, even if it wasn’t a lucrative position, holding a fourth-rank official post with a daughter in the palace should have meant a comfortable life.
Unfortunately, Consort Zhao’s younger brother, Zhao Xinzhi, was utterly useless, indulging in drinking, whoring, and gambling without restraint. Within a few years, he had secretly squandered the family’s entire fortune.
Eighteen years ago, Zhao Xinzhi accumulated massive gambling debts. To repay them, he stole and sold gold vessels meant for royal sacrificial ceremonies. Caught red-handed by the authorities, he implicated his entire family, landing them all in prison.
It was to save the Zhao family that Consort Zhao risked her life by inducing labor to give birth to Jiang Lige, falsely claiming the child was a prince.
Later, the Emperor, overjoyed, indeed spared the lives of the Zhao family, sending them back to their hometown in Ganzhou.
Here, Old Lady Zhao, upon seeing Jiang Lige, rushed over and said, “Dear grandson, you must discipline your palace maid. We traveled all the way from Ganzhou to see you, and just because we touched a few things, your maid beat us. It’s outrageous!”
Luzhu exploded like a firecracker, “This is the imperial palace, not your Zhao family’s kang bed! Who in the world acts like you, barging in and rummaging through everything without shame?”
“Your Majesty, look,” Luzhu pointed angrily at the food scattered messily on the floor. “The imperial kitchen just delivered this meal. I hadn’t seen Your Majesty, so I stepped out to find you. As soon as I left, these two gluttons showed up, sat down, picked up chopsticks, and started eating without hesitation. They even tried to force their way into the inner chambers! How can there be such shameless people in the world? And they still have the nerve to call themselves imperial relatives? Pah! Don’t embarrass Your Majesty!”
“You little wretch! How dare you speak here? Who gave you the right?” Zhao Xinzhi glared, raising his hand to strike.
Slap! Jiang Lige delivered a sharp blow across his face.
Having endured half a day in the lake, all she wanted upon returning was a sip of tea and a full meal. The sight of that fine spread of dishes lying ruined on the floor the moment she entered had already filled her with fury.
“You dare hit me? Fine! Hit me, go ahead! I’ll go out and tell everyone—the Emperor is unkind and unfilial, ensuring your name is cursed for eternity!”
Zhao Xinzhi, like a shameless rogue, thrust his neck forward, leaning toward Jiang Lige.
“I not only dare hit you, I dare kick you too!”
Jiang Lige lifted her foot and delivered a fierce kick to Zhao Xinzhi’s abdomen.
With a cry of pain, Zhao Xinzhi rolled onto the floor. Old Lady Zhao threw herself at Jiang Lige, clinging to her leg.
“Grandson, how could you kick your uncle? We’re family!”
Jiang Lige was speechless. Where did these two bizarre characters come from?
As the standoff continued, Wuhuan entered with guards.
“Who dares violate the Emperor’s peace? Take them all to the dungeons!”
Only then did Zhao Xinzhi and his mother show fear. They had been testing the waters earlier; seeing no one stop them, they became convinced Jiang Lige was a weak and incompetent emperor, growing arrogant and reckless.
Jiang Lige looked at Wuhuan and sneered inwardly.
This eunuch waited until he’d had his fill of the spectacle before stepping in to clean up.
If he hadn’t tacitly allowed it, how could these two oddballs have entered Moon Departure Palace and caused such a ruckus for so long!
After the guards dragged them away, Wuhuan remained. He ordered an inventory of the shattered bowls, plates, vases, and other items in the room.
Once the tally was complete, Wuhuan approached with a list.
“Your Majesty, this is a list of the items damaged in Moon Departure Palace today, along with their corresponding values. Please review it.”
Jiang Lige glanced at it. Over a dozen items from top to bottom were broken. Everything in these rooms were tributes, immensely valuable. The total came to nearly two thousand taels.
Making the Zhao family pay two thousand taels—how could that be enough to vent her anger?After all, these are all imperial tributes, so they have no market price.
“You miscalculated; it should be twenty thousand taels.”
Wuhuan nodded and had someone revise the list.
Jiang Lige finally felt a bit more satisfied. “Yes, that’s correct this time.”
Only then did Wuhuan say, “Since the Emperor has confirmed there are no errors, please hand over the money.”
Jiang Lige widened his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“All the furnishings in the Moon Departure Palace belong to the national treasury. Since the Emperor’s people engaged in a private brawl and damaged the items, the responsibility naturally falls entirely on the Emperor.”
What?
Jiang Lige’s legs went weak, and he nearly fainted.
Shang Guanqi, you damn bastard!