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

Chapter 175 Bad Impression

Serving Xie Yun'an was actually a very troublesome thing.

Xie Yun'an used to be a cautious and prudent person, but he has changed a lot now.

This is normal; after all, it's normal to experience some emotional fluctuations when you've suddenly become the master of your own destiny.

Yao Jinse didn't argue with that, and Xie Yun'an was quite rational in handling state affairs. He only let his emotions surface when it came to matters concerning the women in the harem.

It's basically the same as putting on a respectable act in public, but not at home.

If he were just an ordinary prince, it wouldn't matter, but he was an emperor. He had all the flaws of an emperor: suspicion, paranoia, and egotisticalness. On top of that, he was also intelligent. He spoiled Consort Rong to an extreme degree, even extending that favor to other concubines he didn't like as much. However, Yao Jinse knew very well that the person in front of her was actually very cold-hearted. To describe him in one sentence would be most accurate.

The most affectionate people are the most fickle.

Yao Jinse also longed to be like Consort Jing, closing her door and feigning illness to live a peaceful life with her daughter in her own courtyard, but it was impossible.

Children will always grow up, and as they get older, many things will gradually come their way, and things won't be so easy then.

Yao Jinse always knew that the princess's wealth and honor in this life were all based on her father's favor.

It's easy to imagine what life would be like without this pampering.

The Emperor's grace is immense, yet the imperial family is ruthless; how could Yao Jinse not understand this?

At this time, of the few children in the palace, the two princes are growing up and probably can no longer be raised in the palace. Although there is only one new child in Consort Qi's belly now, they will eventually be born one after another.

There are no legitimate princes in this harem.

Even as an empress, the mother of the nation, without a real son, she could not hold onto power. People in this era always said that sons were a reliable support, but in reality, it was simply because there was no place for women in the order of succession.

Yao Jinse had a stool brought over and sat down next to Xie Yun'an, personally fanning the emperor. After listening to Xie Yun'an's tentative questions, she finally understood his meaning.

Xie Yun'an did not quite agree with the Empress Dowager's desire to interfere in the affairs of the inner palace.

Although she was his biological mother, Xie Yun'an knew very well what kind of shrewdness she was. She was a complete loser in the previous generation's court struggles, and now that she had turned the tables, she should be able to enjoy her retirement. However, even he, as her son, did not approve of her wanting to do anything substantial.

However, since the emperor governs the country with benevolence and filial piety, it would be inappropriate for him to openly disagree with the empress dowager's thoughts and ideas.

Therefore, Xie Yun'an actually hoped that the Empress would take the blame herself, but Empress Shen Qingyin completely ignored the suggestion. Their attitude was also clear: it was entirely up to the Emperor to decide.

The saying goes that the husband is the head of the household, and as a wife, she should obey her husband's orders. If the emperor says this, it's not impossible for him to ask the empress to hand over all the power to manage the harem, let alone other palace affairs.

But Xie Yun'an couldn't say those words. It would affect everything. If the Empress was wronged in this matter, it would damage her reputation as the mother of the nation. If the harem was in turmoil, the court would not be at peace either.

On the other hand, if Xie Yun'an reports back to the Empress Dowager on behalf of the Empress, then Empress Dowager Xu will definitely not let it go. No one knows his mother's temperament better than Xie Yun'an, so he is troubled because this matter is unsuitable for both sides.

Right now, what the emperor wants is for someone to step forward, either to persuade the Empress Dowager to give up this idea, or to persuade the Empress to willingly hand over some of her power to the Empress Dowager. The reason he is lying here at this moment is that he thinks Yao Jinse is a suitable candidate.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have said something like, "You've always been clever."

However, this matter was like a hot potato, and Yao Jinse couldn't easily take it on. She never did anything without benefits, and even if doing this might gain her the emperor's favor, Yao Jinse wouldn't be interested.

The least valuable thing in the harem is the emperor's favor. You might get a few words of praise, but there are no real benefits. It's enough to fool the young maids who have just entered the palace, but it can't possibly control Yao Jinse.

However, Xie Yun'an couldn't force her, since Yao Jinse had already made it clear that she was stupid, making the matter very difficult to handle.

However, Xie Yun'an felt it wasn't worth it to promise any benefits, so he could only stay there a little longer before getting up and leaving.

He didn't look too good when he left.

After the grand procession disappeared from the palace gate, Bai Tao helped Yao Jinse to her feet and asked somewhat nervously, "Your Highness, if you report to the Emperor like this, I'm afraid it will displease him."

Yao Jinse knew, of course, that Xie Yun'an would feel uncomfortable.

"His Majesty is a soft-hearted and sentimental person. Even if he is not feeling well for a while, it is not a big deal. This matter involves both the Empress and the Empress Dowager. If I agree, I don't know how much trouble I will cause in the future. If I offend His Majesty for a while, I can always get back at him later. But if I choose to take sides between the Empress and the Empress Dowager, that would be really foolish."

Ultimately, the Empress Dowager and the Empress did not have any overt conflicts. Otherwise, if the Empress Dowager wanted to manage the harem, she could have simply asked the Empress openly. It was only natural for a mother-in-law to reprimand her daughter-in-law in this dynasty. As long as the Empress was labeled as incompetent, the Empress Dowager could have easily taken back the power to manage the harem.

Since she didn't do that, it naturally means that the Empress Dowager didn't intend to break ties with the Empress; she was just bored and wanted to find something to do.

As for Yao Jinse, she naturally didn't need to listen to Xie Yun'an's wishes and become the first to stick her neck out. After all, she wasn't the Empress Dowager's person or the Empress's person. Currently, she was under the protection of the Consort and had the merit of giving birth to a princess. Even if Xie Yun'an loved her because of her love for her, he wouldn't really hold a grudge against her just because she refused.

However, it was clear today that Xie Yun'an really didn't like the power struggles in the harem. Otherwise, even if he was annoyed, he would have gone to see Princess Dongyang since he was already in Yuxiu Palace.