Your Majesty, please do not disturb, the empress only wants to engage in business

Chapter 167 Prepare

Although Consort Rong didn't intend to discuss these matters with Yao Jinse today, Yao Jinse had gotten used to thinking about these things over the past year. Moreover, today's events made her feel that something was amiss, so she had to ponder them more.

That's the most troublesome thing about the harem. Many things that don't require much thought outside the palace can't be overlooked in the harem.

Ultimately, it's because this palace is controlled by two supreme rulers. Those of them living below, while not exactly dependent on others, still have to be careful to understand their superiors' intentions in order to live a better life.

Yao Jinse understood Empress Dowager Xu's personality quite well. This empress dowager didn't like the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere in the palace. After being suppressed for so long, she finally turned the tables and naturally wanted more.

It's not surprising that the Empress Dowager, the biological mother of the reigning emperor and the rightful empress dowager, would have such thoughts. However, Empress Dowager Xu's mind is hard to fathom. She likes to manage affairs but dislikes hard work, which has led to the strange situation in the palace.

The palace affairs were a mess, either managed by Empress Shen or handled by the other concubines, who were each responsible for their own parts. They couldn't even work together harmoniously, and it would be better if they had some grudges against each other or simply had different stances...

Yao Jinse could understand the need for checks and balances. Even a small company with a few dozen people needed such methods to maintain balance, let alone a place like the harem where a single move could affect the whole situation.

Even if the person sitting in the highest position has a short-sighted view, they can still see further than others. Therefore, Yao Jinse clearly knows that even if the emperor and empress dowager have not openly confronted each other, the fact that they can maintain this delicate balance in the palace shows that the mother and son have a tacit understanding.

If the palace remains peaceful for too long, it is inevitable that some people with too much power will emerge and become difficult to control. These people need to fight each other to the death so that the ruler can maintain a balance.

As a mother and son, Xie Yun'an was also very adept at using these techniques of balancing the left and right in the previous dynasty.

As for the harem, Xie Yun'an used these methods less often... It's not that he didn't care much; he would occasionally intervene.

However, as the emperor, he still had to give face to the empress and allow the mother of the nation to have some dignity. The emperor's doting on the imperial concubine on ordinary days was already a bit excessive, and he had to give way in other places. Otherwise, those old censors outside would not be idle.

Moreover, no matter what, the Empress Dowager's wishes must be taken into account. Empress Dowager Xu is not someone who can sit idle. Xie Yun'an knows his mother's character very well, so he is quite at ease leaving these matters to the Empress.

If the Empress does anything wrong, it is the Empress Dowager who needs to reprimand her, not the Emperor.

However, nowadays, besides the power in the harem, what Empress Dowager Xu cares about most is that there aren't many children in the palace.

She was a woman who had personally experienced the old emperor's generation, so she naturally knew that at the emperor's current age, it was the time when children should be born one after another. If there weren't enough children in the palace at this time, many troubles would arise in the future.

As the emperor grew older, no matter how many young girls he selected to serve in the palace, it would be difficult for them to have children. If they wanted to have healthy children, they would have to do so while the emperor was still young and strong.

At this time, the emperor is almost entirely focused on state affairs, which goes against the Empress Dowager's expectations of him. "Your Highness, please rest for a while. You are always working so hard, even I am exhausted for you."

Bai Tan brought over a cup of tea and placed it beside Yao Jinse.

Yao Jinse likes to think about these things while embroidering, but sometimes she gets so lost in thought that she sometimes pricks herself. So the people around her have to keep an eye on her at all times.

In this respect, Bai Tao and her friends, who are not steady enough, are obviously a bit lacking.

Bai Tan has her advantages in being someone Yao Jinse keeps by her side all the time. Fortunately, Bai Tao and the others don't have any jealousy or rivalry. Yao Jinse often feels that she is lucky. Although the people around her are not particularly outstanding, none of them have any bad intentions. In the palace, loyalty is obviously more important than cleverness and sharpness.

Bai Tan was the person closest to her, and in terms of understanding, she was the one who understood her best. Whether in the past or now, in Bai Tan's eyes, her mistress had always been so cautious and careful, whether in front of the Emperor or in front of others.

The reason for all this is simply to survive in the harem. But then again, in this palace, from the empresses and concubines to the maids and eunuchs, who isn't thinking about how to survive and live better?

If their mistress thinks more, then the servants can think less and have an easier time.

"Anyway, we're just idling around anyway. Sometimes it's more reassuring to think things through. We can't see anything yet, but look at how many people are in the harem. There will be plenty of excitement to watch in the future. If we think ahead, maybe we'll be the ones watching the excitement, rather than becoming part of it."

Yao Jinse put down the little hat she was embroidering for the child. The hat was almost finished, and with spring just around the corner, the almost one-year-old child was old enough to be exposed to the wind and could be taken out for some exercise.

Before she knew it, she had been here for quite some time. Human adaptability and habit are truly terrifying things; in such a short time, she had already gotten used to life in this world.

She even got used to being a mother.

But this is fine too. As the old saying goes, since you're here, you might as well make the best of it. Since you're here, you should make the most of your life here, otherwise you won't be happy, right?

"Most of the time when His Majesty enters the harem, he still spends time with Consort Gui. Consort Gui's belly hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy. Your Highness, you should think of ways to see His Majesty more often."

Even if it weren't for any other reason, the princess's favor still had to be taken into account. In this world, although princes and princesses were of the same royal blood, their treatment was always different.

The princes' birth is not important; what matters in the end is what kind of future they make. But the princess's honor and disgrace, her status and rank, are all tied to her father's favor.

“Yes,” Bai Tan’s reminder reminded Yao Jinse that she hadn’t appeared in front of Xie Yun’an for a long time. “Spring is just around the corner. When the weather is warm and flowers are in full bloom, even if we can’t seize the opportunity, we should still make some preparations.”