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

For a woman of the Empress Dowager's status, if you want her to have a strong impression of someone, that person either has an outstanding appearance or an exceptionally distinguished family background. The least desirable way is to spend a long enough time with them.

Like Yao Jinse, Bai Fengping was not considered exceptionally beautiful, and her family background was far from noble.

In comparison, Yao Jinse already had a significant advantage because she had a child, while Bai Fengping was mediocre in every way, and there was nothing outstanding about her.

Although her maternal family was quite wealthy, the imperial harem was never short of daughters of noble families. No matter how rich the wealthy merchants were, they were still inferior to those who held real power.

So she was adept at navigating the harem, spending so much effort to befriend so many people, all just so she could have a better life in the harem and be able to help her parents and brothers. So when she "bumped into" Yao Jinse, who was out with her daughter, in the Imperial Garden today, she accepted the invitation without thinking much about it.

As a result, Yao Jinse sat in the room for so long, and the more composed and dignified Yao Jinse became in front of the Empress Dowager, the more at a loss she became.

But she also knew that Yao Jinse was trying to help her in front of the Empress Dowager by mentioning her every now and then. She could only force a smile and be afraid of saying something bad that would anger the Empress Dowager. She could only deal with it carefully. After only an hour, she was already covered in sweat.

As Bai Fengping stepped out of Cining Palace, a gentle breeze blew by, and she felt as if she had lost her mind. It was only after the breeze came back to her senses.

"It's all my fault today, I've ruined your good intentions for nothing," Bai Fengping said softly to Yao Jinse as they walked on the stone path outside the palace walls. After all, her performance today was not very good. "Fortunately, you have a good reputation with the Empress Dowager, so she didn't pay much attention to me."

“Sister, what are you saying? When we first met, I said that if I wanted to help you in any way, that would be my own idea, and I wouldn’t make any demands on you.”

However, Bai Fengping was wrong about one thing. Although Empress Dowager Xu did not take her seriously and only regarded her as a minor concubine, today's trip was not without its benefits. At least the Empress Dowager remembered her.
"As the older sister, I'm not afraid to speak frankly with you, my younger sister. Although finding someone to rely on in this harem isn't easy, it's something we have to do."

Her steps were slow, and her voice was like a gentle, flowing spring.
"Just as everyone in the harem knows that I was able to have this child only because I relied on the Noble Consort, my sister, you are now on good terms with Consort He and Consort Qiao, so you have a good position among the newcomers. But people's hearts are fickle, and in the end, you still have to rely on yourself. You need to be more stable."

To be precise, Yao Jinse's words were not entirely appropriate. After all, her relationship with Bai Fengping was based on mutual benefit, not on any deep affection or sworn brotherhood. However, she was speaking from the heart.

Bai Fengping comes from a merchant family and has been accustomed to seeing many fair-weather friends and drinking buddies in the world of fame and fortune since childhood. Naturally, she is more careful in her dealings with people.

Needless to say, her relationship with Qiao Yanran and He Yunqing is now as solid as an ironclad bond, with everyone sharing the same interests.

But if we're talking about closeness, she, as someone she met later, naturally can't compare to the bond of growing up together.

On the contrary, her relationship with Yao Jinse, forged through several collaborations, seemed more like that of allies. Each person harbored their own agenda within their respective camps, and occasionally engaged in exchanges of mutual benefit.

Such a tacit, unspoken friendship often surpasses the superficial sisterhood that exists between two people.

"I brought you to see the Empress Dowager today. You will know how to tell those two when you get back. But seeing the Empress Dowager today will only benefit you. If you want to find a backer in the palace, you should find the biggest backers."

For someone like the Empress Dowager, the types of concubines she prefers are nothing more than two: one is the dignified and virtuous type, who is exceptionally good at serving others. Having such a concubine by one's side makes it much more comfortable to fulfill filial duties. Not to mention the Empress Dowager, even if it were Yao Jinse, she would still prefer her.

Another type is someone who can do things according to the Empress Dowager's wishes. The Empress Dowager likes liveliness and doesn't like the palace to be too quiet. When everyone is peaceful and calm, the Empress Dowager can't be happy.

Those in high positions see everything in the harem clearly. Yao Jinse is usually careful in her actions, but she is also very clear that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor understand her role by the side of the Consort.

Her usual actions were to advise the Imperial Concubine, so whenever the Imperial Concubine did something wrong, she could shift the blame onto her. As the saying goes, "a subject dies for his master's dishonor," the Imperial Concubine, being one of the most powerful figures in the harem, naturally wouldn't personally bear the consequences of many things.

And if the imperial concubine were to fall from grace, she, the tree that depended on the building for its existence, would naturally be uprooted as well.

Therefore, she naturally needs to curry favor with the Empress Dowager. By doing so, she can create more room for survival in the future. At the same time, if she can also persuade the Consort Rong to stop her arrogant and domineering behavior, given the long-standing relationship between Consort Rong and Xie Yun'an, she should be able to protect the Consort Rong.

Although it was said that at that time, it would depend on whether the Imperial Concubine was willing to be subservient and compromise, Yao Jinse also believed that the so-called accumulated achievements should not be limited to the results of a single moment.

It's the same as her bringing Bai Fengping here to make an appearance before the Empress Dowager; the seed has been planted first, and we'll see what happens in the future.

As they were talking, it was time for them to part ways. There was not a single way back to the palace, so their meeting in the Imperial Garden was obviously intentional.

The weather was nice today, and Yao Jinse was in a good mood. She watched Bai Fengping leave with her maid, then turned to look at her daughter, who was dozing off in her wet nurse's arms under the umbrella. A smile appeared on her face.

Today, the path in the harem has finally become a little easier. Although people's hearts are unpredictable, at least there are two people who walk this path with her.

Not bad. (End of Chapter)