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

Chapter 200: Breaking the Trouble

Rumors that come out of nowhere have their reasons.

Any message can spread rapidly because there is a group of people who need it.

Consort Qiao's ability to stand out almost unchallenged after the Imperial Concubine is naturally due to her special qualities. In particular, even Consort Qi, who gave birth to a prince, could not share this favor with her, which made her even more conspicuous.

The newlyweds naturally wanted to know what methods this Consort Qiao had used to seduce the Emperor into being unable to leave him.

"Whether it's poetry, songs, calligraphy, painting, music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, all require years of cultivation. Noble families always put more or less effort into cultivating their daughters in these areas."

Even if Consort Qiao is exceptionally talented, she might not necessarily surpass others in this aspect. To convince others that Consort Qiao received the Emperor's special treatment solely because of these talents would hardly be convincing.

Generally speaking, unless the Emperor comes, the Empress's dinner is served a little later than usual.

The Empress would spend some time praying to Buddha every evening, which conflicted with her dinner time.

If special arrangements were made to have the Imperial Kitchen deliver food to Kunning Palace in advance, it would be a blatant abuse of the Empress's power. Although it would be in accordance with the rules, it would be very inappropriate for a virtuous Empress to do so.

So Empress Shen simply set an example: after worshipping Buddha each day, they would eat a little later. The Empress's palace was never short of snacks, so if any of the servants were hungry, they could eat something to tide them over, which was fine.

As for Shen Qingyin, since the dinner was sent from the imperial kitchen and kept warm in the small kitchen, even in winter it wouldn't affect the taste of the food—the slight difference wasn't important to her, she wasn't as fussy as Consort Rong.

So when Shen Qingyin heard these rumors today, she was already a little later than others.

Empress Shen Qingyin naturally wouldn't believe such rumors.

As Xie Yun'an's wife of many years, although she didn't know exactly what kind of woman Xie Yun'an would be infatuated with, she was very clear about what kind of people Xie Yun'an disliked.

Although Xie Yun'an was proficient in poetry and prose, he did not particularly enjoy them. As an emperor, Xie Yun'an was quite capable. Apart from matters of state, he excelled in many other areas. While his literary talent was not that of a contemporary master, it was certainly first-rate.

"When Lady Qiao usually pays her respects to me, she is not the type to show off her literary talent. Where did this remark come from? It seems to be particularly targeted at Liuchun Pavilion."

Although she knew the rumor was unbelievable, Shen Qingyin was also well aware that many people in the palace believed it. The main reason was that the scene described was too private. Logically speaking, as the empress, she should have been the first to stop such rumors from circulating.

Then we must prevent such things from happening again.

However, the principles of governing the harem and governing the court are actually quite similar. Since people are curious about these things, the more you try to silence them, the more curious they will become.

Spying on the emperor's whereabouts was a taboo in every dynasty, yet the concubines of every dynasty never stopped doing so. Ultimately, it was simply that their expectation of imperial favor outweighed their fear of overstepping boundaries.

"It wouldn't be bad if we could give the Qiao family a warning. These days, the Emperor has indeed been too biased towards the Qiao family."

Granny Hua served Shen Qingyin a bowl of soup. When she didn't have to dine with the Emperor, even the Empress could be more lenient and didn't have to abide by those broken rules set by the ancestors: "Your Majesty, it's inconvenient for you to speak on this matter, otherwise it might damage your relationship with the Emperor. The Empress Dowager has been focusing on the children lately and is too lazy to care about these trivial matters, which has allowed Qiao Shi to stand out all by herself."

Is it the only one that stands out?
That's not necessarily true.

In all the years since the Prince's Mansion came to the Imperial Harem, the only one who could be described as enjoying unwavering favor was the Imperial Concubine. Speaking of favor, Shen Qingyin felt that instead of keeping an eye on Qiao Shi, the new concubines should try to emulate the Imperial Concubine, since she had truly been favored by the Emperor for so many years.

Xie Yun'an was never short of women who were always fresh and exciting. When he was in the Prince's Mansion, he had to avoid the open and covert attacks from his brothers. At that time, pretending to be wise and self-preserving was more important than anything else. So, the Prince's Mansion was either a place for seeking immortality or a place for indulging in pleasure.

Indulging in beauty and elixirs is the best way for a prince to tarnish his image. He doesn't need to put in much effort elsewhere; no one will pay attention to him anymore.

People say that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Without a prominent maternal family, without particularly remarkable abilities, and with less prestige in the court than others, Xie Yun'an still managed to stand until the end. It is conceivable that Xie Yun'an's scheming and shrewdness are far superior to those of others.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, let alone being by the side of such a person. The more suspicious the emperor becomes, the more difficult it is for those who accompany him.

The same was true in the previous dynasty, and even more so in the harem. The women in the harem even had to take the blame for the emperor from time to time because of the name of the man they shared a bed with. If it weren't for the need to consolidate her position, Shen Qingyin, who had already seen through what kind of person her husband was, might not have wanted to have any more involvement with the emperor.

"Whether she stands out alone or shares the spring, there are so many people in the harem. If Qiao is gone, there is naturally He. Speaking of which, I have noticed that Consort He has been spending more time with Consort Zhuang lately. Even when she comes to pay her respects and report to me, they are always together."

"After all, Consort Zhuang is busy with the affairs of the First Prince recently and wants to find a way to get through to the Emperor. Consort He comes from a noble family and is capable. Moreover, she is close to Consort Qiao. Firstly, she can help Consort Zhuang with her trivial matters, and secondly, with the help of Consort Qiao, she can help Consort Zhuang achieve her goals. It can be said to be a win-win situation."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingyin smiled faintly: "She does know how to appoint people well, but it's a pity that the Emperor doesn't understand his thoughts on this. It's a big deal for a prince to establish his own residence. If it were only the eldest prince who had reached the age, it would be fine. The Emperor can pretend not to see the second prince, but those old fogies in the court won't pretend not to see him."

In the end, no matter how much the Emperor dislikes the Second Prince, he has not treated him unfairly. He has given him everything he needs, and his food, clothing, and shelter have all been provided through the Empress's connections. He has not lacked anything and has not suffered any real loss on the surface.

On the other hand, the court officials naturally had their own thoughts on this matter. Everyone knew that Xie Yun'an had risen to power in this way back then. A prince who was not favored by the old emperor might have had a better chance of ascending the throne.

Yes, Xie Yun'an is in his prime and may well hold power in the court for decades to come, but no one can guarantee that something unexpected won't happen. Although the eldest prince is older, he has never been considered particularly bright in the Imperial Study; he can only be described as above average.

Such a prince is neither outstanding in terms of family background nor in his conduct. People say that a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. Although it is not yet time for these old ministers to choose a tree to perch on, it is always right to make plans early.

Even the Shen family behind the Empress is now constantly urging her to have another child.

Although they adopted a child from Consort Qi, the Shen family never considered supporting a child with no blood relation. In the end, it was most reasonable for the legitimate son of the Empress to inherit the throne, and having a blood relation would allow the maternal family to gain even greater power.

Shen Qingyin was well aware of what her family elders were thinking. Whenever family members visited the palace, they would inevitably nag about these matters, and Shen Qingyin herself hadn't let it go either.

Even though they've already brought a child over, who would want to raise someone else's child if they could have their own?
The Emperor naturally valued children born of the legitimate wife, as did the Empress. On this point, the couple were in complete agreement. It was just a pity that the Empress was already quite old and needed to take good care of herself before she could have another child.

After finishing their meal amidst laughter and conversation, Chunju instructed the maid to clear away the dinner dishes, while she herself brought over a bowl of soup.

"Your Majesty, this is a nourishing soup specially prescribed for you by Physician Xu of the Imperial Hospital. After drinking this soup, Your Majesty will need to drink another dose of tonic medicine later. The physician said that Your Majesty's current health requires proper care in order to conceive again."

Chunju never thought that her mistress had no chance of getting pregnant again. Even Consort Rong, whose body was not as strong as hers, had become pregnant after being treated at the Imperial Hospital. How much more so her mistress, who was healthy and had already given birth.

Ultimately, the doctors in the palace are different from those in the prince's mansion, and their level of dedication is certainly different as well. Now that Her Majesty is in the position of Empress, these imperial physicians must be extremely dedicated.

Take this health-preserving soup, for example. It is said that good medicine tastes bitter, and any medicine that is effective is not very palatable. However, the Imperial Medical Academy is able to prepare a soup that does not have much bitterness. Although it may not taste very good, it is better to have no taste than to be so bitter that it makes you feel nauseous.

Although it is said that those who come to flatter are not necessarily kind-hearted, it is undeniable that being flattered does feel good. The Empress is the mistress of this palace, and even the servants who serve the Empress have dignity. I wonder how many people are envious of such a life?

……

While life in the palace was uneventful, things were quite different in the Duke's mansion.

These days, the old man's health has been getting worse and worse. Although his grandchildren still say nice things to him, they all have their own thoughts in private.

With such a large family fortune, the question of who will inherit it is no longer about who is more capable, but about who the Duke would rather entrust it to before he dies. The old man is now much less lucid during the day than when he is confused, and everyone who stays by his side wants to get a definite answer from him when he is lucid.

It was impossible to coax the old man into speaking while he was confused and not paying attention. Everyone's eyes were on him, and anyone who tried to take advantage of the situation would easily be accused of having ulterior motives. So everyone had to honestly rely on their own abilities.

At this time, no one in the Duke's mansion knew that the palace had already prepared an imperial edict, just waiting for the old Duke's death.

“Even if they really wanted to take action against the Duke’s Mansion, they would have to have a legitimate reason. It definitely wouldn’t be anything serious at first,” Yao Jinse tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, calculating how Xie Yun’an would deal with the Duke’s Mansion next: “First, some minor offenses, a little warning. The Imperial Concubine is pregnant now, so we can’t let her get too angry at this time. A little warning and a little offense won’t be taken seriously by anyone, and these words won’t reach the Imperial Concubine’s ears.”

"If anything reaches the ears of the Imperial Concubine, there is probably no turning back. Even if the Imperial Concubine were to give up the child in her womb, it would probably be too late to change anything."

"My lady, please don't worry about these things. You're always thinking about the Duke's mansion. I'm so tired of hearing about it. People who don't know you would think you came from the Duke's mansion."

"His Majesty kept this matter extremely well hidden. If I hadn't accidentally overheard it that one time, I would never have dared to even consider it,"

Yao Jinse always attributed her understanding of this matter to a casual remark Xie Yun'an had once made: "There's no way to verify this with the Emperor, nor is there any way to tell the Imperial Concubine directly without evidence."

But our good life now is all thanks to the Imperial Concubine, who in turn relies on the Duke's Mansion; they are mutually dependent.

If I don't take this matter seriously, disaster might strike at any time. Would the lives of our entire household be implicated by the Duke's mansion outside?"

Fortunately, things have been quiet in the palace lately, with no messy incidents. Yao Jinse has roughly figured out a solution and will just have to wait for the right moment to address the problem.

Once you get through this, you'll be free to soar like a bird in the sky and leap like a fish in the sea.

……

The news didn't come out of the blue.

However, for others in the capital, the departure of the old Duke was like a bolt from the blue.

Yao Jinse immediately sent a letter home, stating that at this time, not only should she not go to the Duke's mansion to offer condolences, but she should also protect herself. If it was really impossible, she should pretend to be sick for the time being. After all, her father's official position was not high and he didn't have much work, so it wouldn't matter if he didn't show up for a while.

On the contrary, it is Chengqian Palace.

Yao Jinse turned her gaze away from the Hall of Mental Cultivation and onto the direction of the Chengqian Palace.

Whether she can achieve the desired result this time depends on the timing of her move.