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

Chapter 194 has been launched.

The people in the Imperial Household Department are not very efficient at other tasks, but they are always extremely quick at shirking responsibility.

Without exception, those who manage to rise to the position of steward in the palace are all shrewd and capable. They are adept at flattering superiors, currying favor with concubines, and substituting inferior goods for superior ones.

But they never get involved in anything that requires responsibility.

Seeking instructions from superiors is a profound and complex art. Whether in Yao Jinse's previous life or in this world, this art has been developed for many years, and many people have studied it and are very skilled at it.

Especially those who are slaves or servants.

Their lives and fortunes were entirely in the hands of their masters, so when relaying messages, they each had their own set of rules for how to speak and what to say.

It allows one to claim some benefits, ensure safety, and even please one's master—a three-birds-with-one-stone situation that even Yao Jinse admires.

"Your Highness, what do you think Her Majesty the Empress will decide? I've noticed that Kunning Palace has been very quiet lately, and Her Majesty the Empress hasn't been sending anyone over to talk to it much."

Bai Tao is an outgoing person and always likes to chat and laugh with other palace servants in various places in the palace, so the information she knows is naturally more complicated.

Yao Jinse didn't take the news seriously. In the palace, one must remain calm and patient: "There won't be any news so soon. Let's wait and see."

Although she said that, Bai Tao was right about one thing: Kunning Palace had indeed been rather deserted these past few days.

After Yao Jinse told the Imperial Household Department about the princess's first birthday banquet, the people in the Imperial Household Department began to make preparations—to be precise, they were reporting to the Empress and the Emperor while making some minor preparations in advance.

In this way, whenever their masters in the world issue an order, they can immediately begin work.

No one thought this first birthday banquet was unimportant. After all, the Emperor had inquired about it beforehand. Princess Dongyang had been granted a title before her first birthday, which showed that she had received some favor from the Emperor. Moreover, Consort Lin was currently the most powerful person below the rank of Consort, and she was by the side of the Noble Consort. Who knew when she would be granted a promotion?

The Imperial Household Department officials naturally wouldn't directly refuse Yao Jinse over such trivial matters. However, Empress Shen and Consort Rong had never gotten along, so the Imperial Household Department officials, with the Empress as their powerful figure, naturally couldn't just agree to this matter.

In recent months, Consort Rong has devoted herself entirely to her pregnancy. Now that she has finally conceived a child, she naturally cherishes the child like a precious treasure.

Chengqian Palace is usually kept closed. Except when the Emperor goes to accompany Consort Rong, the main gate is rarely opened. Consort Rong herself rarely leaves the palace and even skips to pay her respects to the Empress. Although the Empress doesn't seem to mind on the surface, she can't help but feel a little uncomfortable inside.

But Consort Rong has always been domineering. Even when she didn't have children, this kind of thing happened quite often. Now that she has children, she is naturally even more arrogant.

Despite examining Consort Rong's pulse so many times, almost no one dared to say whether it was a boy or a girl. They only said that Consort Rong's health had not been very good in the past, so her pulse and signs of pregnancy were not particularly obvious. They could only wait until the delivery to make a determination.

However, based on the timeline, Consort Rong's pregnancy is likely to end before the New Year, which is still several months away.

Meanwhile, while Yao Jinse was preoccupied with her daughter's first birthday celebration, a different scene unfolded in Kunning Palace. The Imperial Household Department had already reported the matter, and preparations were underway; this activity naturally did not escape Shen Qingyin's notice.

As the Empress, Shen Qingyin herself did not intend to stop the Imperial Household Department from making preparations.

Ultimately, she also gave birth to a daughter, so there's no need to torment Yao Jinse's daughter at this time. As a princess, she should follow the rules, so that her daughter can do things more smoothly.

However, it must be said that the timing of this matter was not ideal.

Normally, Shen Qingyin would have instructed Consort Zhuang to keep an eye on things, or even summoned someone from the Imperial Household Department to give her detailed instructions. But now, there was something more important to do in the palace.

Lady Qi is about to give birth.

The imperial physician said that Consort Qi's pregnancy was most likely to be a boy. Since it was a prince, it would inevitably attract attention. For a long time, Consort Qi had been paying extra attention to her health and rarely moved around in the palace. She even rarely appeared in front of the emperor, which showed how much she valued this pregnancy.

Moreover, this was her first pregnancy.

"Give birth is always a life-or-death ordeal for women, especially for those who have never given birth. You must remember to choose a reliable person. Consort Qi might go into labor in the next couple of days. Xia Zhu, go to the Imperial Hospital and convey my decree to instruct two imperial physicians specializing in gynecology to be on standby for the next two days."

Shen Qingyin also attaches great importance to this pregnancy.

She knew her own body well, and given the debt of gratitude she had for Xie Yun'an, she had little chance of having another child.

Rather than going through all the trouble and risking physical damage to give birth to a child of unknown sex, it would be better to choose one from the existing children in the harem and raise it.

Consort Qi was gentle and came from a good family. With her personality, her children would naturally be well-suited to grow up under the Empress's care.

As for Consort Qi herself... she is still young and will have many children in the future, not to mention that raising these children under the Empress's care will bring many benefits to their birth mother.

Shen Qingyin didn't even need to bring it up herself; she only mentioned it briefly before Qi Meiren brought it up on her own initiative.

However, even if one wishes to bring the child to Kunning Palace to be raised, ultimately, the Emperor's approval is still required.

Given the affection they've shared over the years, I doubt Xie Yun'an would refuse to do something within the bounds of propriety.
Although she said that, Shen Qingyin herself was not very confident, so she gave a few more instructions regarding Princess Dongyang's first birthday banquet, emphasizing that the event should fully demonstrate the demeanor of a mother of the nation.

Yao Jinse received the definite news from the Imperial Household Department a day later. Along with it came the news that Yangxingxuan had been launched.

"It's been almost two hours. The midwives and imperial physicians from the palace have all gathered over there. The Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager have already gone over. Would you like to go and take a look, my lord?"