Half a month later, the Empress Dowager took the opportunity of the Qiqiao Festival to invite court ladies to the palace for a banquet. She also used the excuse that the Grand Imperial Consort of Emperor Taizong missed her family, sending invitations to several younger relatives on Ding Yun's maternal side.
Although a bit abrupt, the reason was sufficient.
Ding Yun was aware of the circumstances, and since it wasn't a bad thing, she saw no reason to object. She readily agreed and, on the day of the banquet, specifically called a few of her younger relatives to her side to chat. She also introduced them to the new Empress Dowager, subtly hinting at seeking rewards.
Ding Yun's request for rewards was also somewhat abrupt, but the Empress Dowager was already looking for an excuse to bestow favor. The Grand Imperial Consort's request for rewards suited her perfectly. Therefore, she readily agreed and followed suit.
The rewards were given to those few relatives of Ding Yun who had come.
Each was granted the title of County Princess.
Generally speaking, daughters of emperors were enfeoffed as princesses, daughters of princes as commandery princesses, and daughters of commandery princes as county princesses.
Grandchildren of commandery princes were titled Township Ladies.
Initially, the Empress Dowager and Emperor Ronghua had discussed granting the title of Township Lady, but later they felt it was too low. Since they were going to grant titles anyway, they decided to bestow slightly higher ones. If it truly benefited the late emperor, a higher title would surely bring him more benefits!
Anything higher would be inappropriate.
Women with merit could be enfeoffed as Township Ladies or County Princesses, but not as Commandery Princesses or Princesses. This was not a matter of political marriage, and enfeoffing women as Commandery Princesses or Princesses required the approval of the imperial clan.
Without the consent of the imperial clan, it would not be successful.
County Princess was already the highest title the Empress Dowager could directly bestow without going through the imperial clan.
In response, although the court ladies present were somewhat surprised, no one was so tactless as to object. Ding Yun did not stand on ceremony and, with a smile, instructed her younger relatives to thank the Empress Dowager for her grace, thus formally accepting the benefits.
Then, those few relatives of hers.
Returned, a mixture of surprise and bewilderment on their faces.
The court ladies who left the imperial palace began discussing the matter with envy and curiosity as soon as they returned. Some said it was their good fortune to catch the Empress Dowager in a good mood, while others attributed it to the Empress Dowager feeling unable to refuse the title due to the Grand Imperial Consort's personal request.
Regardless of external discussions, Ding Yun's maternal lineage had indeed benefited. The Empress Dowager and Emperor Ronghua, in turn, felt greatly reassured, believing that by bestowing these favors, not only would they themselves be safe, but the deceased Emperor Jin'an would also have an easier time in the afterlife.
Their sleep would be more peaceful and comfortable than before.
...
As Ding Yun's "echoing insect" had spread throughout the entire capital and was continuing to expand outwards.
She, at this time.
Had already ceased the activity of listening to gossip.
There was no other way. Gossip generally happened first, then was accidentally spread, and after being reprocessed by different people, it would eventually reach the palace after a long time.
Not only was it slow and lagging, but the authenticity was also questionable.
The process was likely embellished, spiced up, or truncated by countless people. In the past, when she was bored and lacked other information, listening to gossip was all she could do.
Now, with the "echoing insect," she could obtain any information she desired in real-time, anytime and anywhere. Nothing in the entire capital could be hidden from her. Therefore, there was no need to continue listening to such unreliable gossip. Wasn't it more satisfying to stay updated on the affairs of various families in real-time every day?
However, to outsiders, it appeared as if the Grand Imperial Consort's health had worsened. Previously, she had the energy to listen to gossip while sunbathing, but now, after a brief period of sunbathing, she would close her eyes and sleep.
Ding Yun, however, did not care what others thought.
She lived life according to her own desires.
While appearing to be sunbathing and sleeping, she was actually diligently gathering information on the infighting and inside stories of various households in the capital every day.
How to describe it? It was the feeling of knowing secret things that others didn't, which was quite exhilarating, like being the only one awake in a world of sleepers. However, occasionally, she felt a bit stifled.
Knowing too many secrets and having no one to confide in.
Wasn't it stifling?
To resolve this issue, Ding Yun deliberately created the "puppet insects" in advance. She then found several kidnappers in the capital, controlled them, and used their bodies to do what she wanted, such as exposing the entire kidnapping crime chain in the capital.
For example, she would expose the scandals and wicked deeds of aristocratic families and powerful officials.
In short, she engaged in acts of chivalry.
Even though she was old, her age did not diminish her sense of justice or her desire to do good deeds.
As for the people she controlled with the puppet insects, they were killed not long after. That was of no consequence.
There were plenty of bad people in the capital; she could simply control others.
Under Ding Yun's actions, the order and atmosphere of the capital gradually transformed amidst chaos. Although most aristocratic families and powerful officials did not face severe punishment, their reputations were utterly ruined, and secret crimes decreased.
The only thing that perplexed many was why their subordinates, who were utterly wicked, would suddenly have a change of heart and desperately oppose them. Their speed of turning good was too fast!
One might think a bodhisattva had personally intervened to convert them.
One day, Ding Yun, as usual, due to her advanced age and little sleep, could not sleep. She deliberately skipped families engaged in conjugal activities to check if there were any criminal or illegal occurrences in the capital, so she could intervene promptly.
Then she discovered.
Something had happened at the Lin'an Marquis's mansion.
That was the mansion that sold their daughters for money and had suffered two thefts, with the cases remaining unsolved.
At this moment, most people in the Lin'an Marquis's mansion seemed to be under the influence of sleeping drugs or some other potion, sleeping soundly. Over a dozen people were moving around and transporting items from the public treasury and private vaults of various residences without anyone waking up. The only person awake was the Lin'an Marquis, Mu Shu, himself.
Awake, he did not stop those people.
Instead, he was directing them.
He directed them to move all the silver and valuables to the edge of the Marquis's mansion pond and sink them into the water. There seemed to be people receiving them underwater, transferring the gold and silver through unknown passages for secondary transfer. Once everything was moved, Marquis Lin'an, Mu Shu, finally spoke:
"Tomorrow, I will fake my death. I will pretend to have vomited blood and died from shock. You must take me away in time.
So that my faked death does not become a real death!"
"By the way, all traces must be cleared up quickly. This gold and silver will either be melted down, or its appearance altered and sold to acquire the final batch of supplies to transport to the Nanli Islands. I will declare myself king there, and all of you will be meritorious officials."
"After planning for more than twenty years, I can finally break free from this cage of the capital's marquis mansion and be free forever!"
...