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

Chapter 183 The next generation is terrible
Nowadays, there are very few people in the imperial harem who can actually speak to the Imperial Concubine.

Compared to trying other ways to get close to Consort Rong, Yao Jinse's path was the fastest.

But it's also the most troublesome.

Now, Yao Jinse is so afraid of being bitten by a snake that she plans to never touch a well rope again.

The last time everyone dealt with Consort Yi, it could be considered that there was some tacit understanding between them.

But in reality, Yao Jinse knew her own situation best—Qiao Yanran's plan was successful mainly because she had helped out; otherwise, many things would never have been delivered to Yuxiu Palace.

Qiao Yanran didn't point this out at the time. Around that time, apart from Bai Fengping who knew the reason, they didn't realize that Yao Jinse was involved.

But people aren't fools after all. This whole thing is suspicious, and with Qiao Yanran and He Yunqing's intelligence, they should have some doubts in their hearts.

Of course, suspicion is just suspicion; without evidence, speaking out will only offend people.

In any case, Qiao Yanran had a very positive attitude. There were never any real enemies in the palace. As long as everyone's interests were aligned, they were friends who could be made together.

So her appearance in Yuxiu Palace at this time was probably to test Yao Jinse's attitude and see if she could get closer to Yao Jinse.

“Sister, you’re putting me in a difficult position. Although everyone outside sees me living under the Noble Consort’s command and it seems very glamorous, the Noble Consort doesn’t usually interact with her subordinates. If you say I have any respect in front of her, that’s really giving me too much credit.”

Yao Jinse initially declined, but then agreed: "However, since my younger sister has already come to me for help, as her older sister, I can only pass on your message. There's nothing else I can do to help. Who can fathom the thoughts of the Imperial Concubine?"

Qiao Yanran's expression didn't change when she heard Yao Jinse's words, as if she had been prepared for it all along.

The two chatted and exchanged a few more polite words. Qiao Yanran then asked Yao Jinse for advice on how to maintain her health and conceive as soon as possible. After sitting for about half an hour, she got up to say goodbye.

Yao Jinse escorted Qiao Yanran to the palace gate and watched her figure disappear before letting out a soft sigh.

"Your Highness, are we going to see the Imperial Concubine later?"

Bai Tan asked a question at the right moment, and Yao Jinse shook her head.

"No need. We can just mention it when we go to pay our respects to the Imperial Concubine on any day in the next couple of days."

Qiao Yanran herself did not make a clear statement. If she really wanted to pledge allegiance to the Imperial Concubine, she would not have been so indifferent just now. Everyone was just testing each other, so why would she need to ask the Imperial Concubine for favors on this matter?

If she were that kind of fool, Qiao Yanran would probably be happy to go with the flow and give her a push, making it impossible for her to recover.

Although the original novel devoted a large portion of its text to emphasizing that the female protagonist was unwilling to actively harm others, in the harem, harming and being harmed were the main themes. How easy was it to remain a pure white lotus flower in such a quagmire? In any case, there were no important matters in the palace in the coming days. Having this matter prepared would prevent her from becoming too relaxed, which was not bad.

Just as Qiao Yanran said, the emperor is rarely seen in the palace nowadays.

Xie Yun'an was diligent in his duties as a minister and would only stay overnight in the inner palace once every three to five days. In the hearts of the people in the previous dynasty, he was still seen as a wise ruler.

Although he ate dinner quite often, he usually went to the palaces of the Imperial Concubine and the Empress. He rarely went to the palaces of the other concubines. In the eyes of these newcomers in the harem, the Emperor was naturally a very mysterious person.

But last time, when Xie Yun'an wanted to skip court, Yao Jinse remembered that the one-year period was almost over, and Xie Yun'an's disguise as a wise ruler was about to expire.

Although Xie Yun'an did not neglect state affairs later on, compared to his initial self, the later Xie Yun'an naturally became more immersed in the harem and beautiful women, and was not as fond of attending court.

This is probably the consequence of the waning popularity.

As an emperor, others may see him as enjoying boundless wealth and power, with the authority to decide life and death, but in reality, there must be hidden constraints within him.

Yao Jinse understood the helplessness best. People are usually blind to the benefits they receive; they can only see their own helplessness and grievances. Even sitting on the dragon throne, they cannot escape this principle.

Xie Yun'an was not the kind of person who would let himself suffer or be wronged. In his eyes, the reason he was able to sit on the throne was entirely because he had kept a low profile and endured so many years of hardship.

As for other sources of assistance, he could certainly see them, otherwise he wouldn't have taken such drastic measures against the Duke's mansion.

It is truly astonishing that a person can both cherish old feelings and not cherish them.

The Duke's mansion, which had managed to remain calm and collected, ultimately met its end just as the saying goes: "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked," which is exactly what happened.

On the other hand, as the emperor's woman, Consort Rong could also be spared because of her past relationship with Xie Yun'an.

Unfortunately, Consort Rong was a proud woman. Faced with the conflict between romantic love and the hatred of destroying her family and clan, she could neither kill Xie Yun'an to avenge herself nor protect her parents and relatives. In the end, she could only deceive herself day after day, turning the double-edged sword that hurt both herself and others towards Qiao Yanran, and ultimately lost completely.

Along with Yao Jieyu, who was dependent on her in the original story, she also met a bad end.

After waking up in this body, the most important thing Yao Jinse thought about was changing her fate. She even thought that in this disaster that led to the destruction of her family and clan, she could try to change the fate of the Duke's mansion being wiped out by using Consort Rong as a pawn.

If it succeeds, then there will be great potential for the harem and the world; if it cannot be changed, it doesn't matter. As long as she can protect herself, she can naturally close the palace gates, live her own life with her daughter, and from then on, eat vegetarian food, chant Buddhist scriptures, and live a life of peace and tranquility.

Yao Jinse has always believed that anything is possible with human effort. Now that she has stirred up such a mess, who can say there won't be a future if she puts in a little more effort?
"But then again, the harem is truly full of hidden talents. Consort Qiao and the others are only seventeen or eighteen years old, and some of the younger ones are even only sixteen, right?"

Yao Jinse picked up the few storybooks that Qiao Yanran hadn't taken and threw them back on the bookshelf, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, as if she were talking to herself: "The younger generation is truly formidable."