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

"The people in the Empress's palace made a special trip to the Needlework Bureau just to alter the size of the clothes?"

During dinner, Yao Jinse always had a habit of listening to Bai Shuang recount the important events that had occurred in the palace that afternoon. If the Emperor was dining at Yuxiu Palace that evening, then these events would be moved to a later time, and Bai Shuang would tell Yao Jinse about them when there was a spare moment.

However, it is clear that such things rarely happen in Yuxiu Palace, since Xie Yun'an doesn't come here often.

Bai Shuang didn't have anything important to do in Yuxiu Palace. She was young, just like Bai Lu. Although she was a first-class palace maid who could serve Yao Jinse closely, Yao Jinse usually didn't assign her or Bai Lu to the personal tasks.

The most important tasks for Yao Jinse were usually handled by Bai Tan and Bai Tao. If the tasks were less important, Bai Tan would delegate them, as a way to give the two younger girls some extra practice.

Based on the personalities of the two girls, Yao Jinse specially assigned them some tasks. Bai Shuang was assigned two tasks: one was to move around the imperial kitchen and be responsible for serving meals every day, and the other was to collect information about the palace.

Yao Jinse had a good reputation in the palace, and most of her connections were among the eunuchs and palace maids.

She has always been very clear-headed and had planned for her future long ago.

Although the emperor's favor is very good and important, in the end, it is these ordinary palace maids and eunuchs who serve these concubines every day. Although she is living a decent life now because of the imperial concubine, who knows what the future holds?

Therefore, Yao Jinse cultivated a friendly reputation in the harem. Regardless of how the concubines viewed her, at least in the eyes of most of the servants, Consort Lin was a very kind and good mistress.

Those who remembered Yao Jinse well all knew Bai Shuang to some extent. Bai Shuang knew almost everything that happened in the palaces and courtyards, as long as it wasn't something that would cause a serious mistake to be revealed.

Of course, among these palace maids and eunuchs, there was a small but very important group, and Bai Tan was in charge of making the arrangements.

For example, the eunuch Xiao Chi from the Night Fragrance Bureau who initially sent a message to Yao Jinse is no longer working there. Instead, Yao Jinse has arranged for him to work as a purchasing agent in the Imperial Household Department.

Although he wasn't the head eunuch, it was still an easy job. Eunuch Xiaochi was always a clever man. In a place like this, he knew how to get ahead. The amount of money he made wasn't important, and he lived a very comfortable life.

At this moment, Yao Jinse felt something was strange when she heard Bai Shuang talk about things in the Empress's palace.

Kunning Palace has always been wise and proper, and would never take the initiative to ask for such trivial matters. Of course, the Imperial Household Department would not dare to offend the Empress in such small matters, and would certainly do the work meticulously.

Was it really necessary to send one of the head palace maids to the acupuncture department to discuss such an insignificant matter?

"Yes, I also found it strange, but after inquiring carefully, it was indeed for this matter. Moreover, Aunt Chunju also made it clear that it was Her Majesty the Empress who wanted to change the size of the clothes, not that the people in their needlework bureau did something inappropriate."

Master Wu of the Needlework Bureau was initially worried about this matter, but fortunately, Aunt Chunju's words saved the embroiderers from punishment.

After hearing this, Yao Jinse didn't ask any more questions. She was thinking.

Although she had already harbored doubts about Kunning Palace, suspicion is just suspicion and cannot be taken as fact.

The Empress's sudden outburst at this juncture was naturally strange, but since there was no clue, the matter could only be suppressed for the time being.

It's not too late to put all these things together once there are concrete manifestations.

Yao Jinse has always felt that she is somewhat like a hamster. Many of the things that happen in the palace are neither big nor small, but she never misses any clues. It is precisely because of this that she is able to quickly connect the causes and consequences at the beginning of each event.

The situation in the imperial harem has always been like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, with one link leading to another. On the surface, the women are naturally very friendly and affectionate, but the struggles in private and the delicate balance of their interactions are much more difficult than the grudges and affections of the men in the court.

Such a scene exists simply because women have been neglected for thousands of years and have been forced to grow up wildly within the confines of their homes.

In any case, in the eyes of the emperor and the husband, the women in the harem and the inner quarters were fighting each other openly and secretly, all for the purpose of gaining the husband's favor. The women probably had no room to explain themselves - after all, men did not pay much attention to women and did not want to listen to women.

Ultimately, humans are inherently in awe of violence, and it's not uncommon for men to pride themselves on their strength and consider themselves superior to women.

The pursuit of wealth and power by all living beings is nothing more than another manifestation of the veneration of violence.

Yao Jinse always believed that since we are born as human beings, what men pursue and what women pursue are actually the same. Who doesn't want to be superior to others? Women seem to be able to live a good life as long as they depend on men, but in reality, it's just that men have blocked all the paths for women, leaving them with only this one option.

Societal constraints confine women's minds more to love and romance, thus creating a stereotype that women are more focused on love, hate, and passion, while men are more rational and intelligent.

However, this is also a good thing.

Xie Yun'an, born into nobility and self-important, is destined to be an emperor. No matter how he appears on the outside, he is absolutely proud inside. Only with such pride would he think it is only natural for women all over the world to fall in love with him.

Now that the affairs of state have been settled, the emperor should naturally devote some attention to the harem.

The Empress was a virtuous empress, so naturally she didn't compete for any favors. Jealousy and rivalry were things that the concubines below her did. But even the most virtuous and polite person is not necessarily liked by everyone.

The resentful, out-of-favor concubines in the harem, the emperor and empress dowager who are strict with the empress in every way, and the surging undercurrents of those who are eyeing the throne and feel they can also become empresses—all these things are like a net that will definitely make the empress reveal herself even more.

"Although we don't know what Her Majesty the Empress intends to do, it wouldn't hurt for us to lend a hand." (End of Chapter)