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

Chapter 204 Rely on yourself

Certain things should be said to certain people.

In front of Consort Rong, Yao Jinse carefully considered every word she spoke. She had to make sure that the Consort would not be angry because of her advice, so she was always extremely cautious.

Fortunately, although people's hearts are hard to fathom, human nature can still be figured out and utilized.

The relationship between Consort Rong and the remaining members of the Duke's mansion can hardly be described as deep.

Even siblings born of the same mother are several generations apart due to their age difference.

Since they are not people who absolutely need to be saved, at this point, we can only try to save as many as we can.

"They can only blame themselves for their own dishonesty, which gave others leverage over them," Consort Rong thought to herself. Although the Emperor had not yet taken action against the Duke's Mansion, she was not unaware of the prevailing sentiment in the court. With all those impeachment memorials being submitted, how could the Emperor not take action?

The reason we haven't taken action yet is because the old man's funeral has not yet taken place, and taking action before his body is even cold would not only damage the emperor's reputation but also easily discourage other senior officials.

However, this is not a long-term solution.

Xie Yun'an must have already made up his mind. Chen Yimiao knew that at this moment, it was just that her husband was waiting for a suitable opportunity, an opportunity that would not be criticized by the world and would also silence the old ministers.

There aren't many things in this world that Xie Yun'an can endure and wait for. A meticulous person like him, once he starts to act, will inevitably have the Duke's mansion's power cut off. As for how much will be left, Chen Yimiao can't decide.

All she can do now is leave some people behind. On the bright side, she might be able to keep the Duke's title and prevent her maternal family from being completely destitute.

The gender of the child in her womb is currently unknown, and the imperial physicians cannot provide a conclusion, so Chen Yimiao cannot act rashly.

It would be best if it were a daughter, but if she were to give birth to a prince right now, the Duke's mansion might really be doomed.

All we can do now is wait, and that's all we can do.

Only after the Emperor begins to deal with the Duke's mansion can she go and beg for favors. Such a large tree cannot be uprooted completely; some can be cut down and some can be left. The key to balancing this depends on the tacit understanding she and the Emperor have developed over the years.

Now that we've figured these things out and said what needed to be said, there's no need to sit idly any longer.

"The Empress has now entrusted all the affairs of the palace to her subordinates. Although Consort Zhuang has not learned much under the Empress's command over the years, she still has the necessary abilities. As for the others, they naturally have their own unique strengths. Now that you are carrying my name in the palace, you should be careful."

Sure enough, when you need someone's help, even your words become a bit softer. Yao Jinse never took Consort Rong's promises seriously. Some things are best left unsaid; if you take them seriously, then there's no point.

However, after following the Imperial Concubine for so many years, she has finally gained some benefits. Right now, it is a critical moment. She and the Yao family cannot help Xie Yun'an or the court. It would be better to take a step back for now.

During this period, she also put a lot of effort into getting close to the Empress Dowager while taking care of her child. Even though the story was far from what she knew, and the collapse of the Duke's mansion even implicated the Consort, she figured the Empress Dowager could probably still have some influence.

Even if the Empress Dowager had no real power, it wouldn't be a problem for her to protect a concubine who had given birth.

The gates of Chengqian Palace closed again, concealing the endless worries within the palace. Yao Jinse, leading Bai Tan, walked along this road she had walked countless times before, and couldn't help but sigh softly.

This hurdle has finally arrived. As long as we can protect the Imperial Concubine this time, the deadly threat against the original owner will be completely eliminated. As long as we can survive, everything else will be fine.

"But Your Highness, if we go through all this trouble and fail to gain the Emperor's favor through the Noble Consort, won't we be implicated as well?"

Bai Tan's concerns were not unfounded. In recent days, rumors have been rampant in the palace. After all, the Duke's Mansion is a very prominent presence in the court and has a close relationship with the ever-favored Consort Chengqian. There are countless spies planted by the Duke's Mansion throughout the palace to pass messages between the inside and outside of the palace.

Even they, as servants, could see that the emperor would never tolerate such a person.

Now that we've found an opportunity, how could we possibly show mercy?

“In this world, many things are nothing more than doing one’s best and leaving the rest to fate,” Yao Jinse said. She walked slowly but steadily. “Whether the Emperor will spare the Duke’s mansion or how many he will spare, we don’t need to worry about these things. The only thing is that I rely on the Consort. If even the Consort can’t protect herself, we will lose a powerful backer.”

Of course, one can find a new backer. The Empress Dowager, the Empress, or even the Emperor, or even a rising star like Qiao Yanran—as long as she can be of use, Yao Jinse will not hesitate to use her face.

But in the end, it's always better to get things done through acquaintances. We already know the Consort's temperament perfectly, so there's no need to spend more time trying to find a new patron at this time.

What she didn't say was that in this harem, rather than constantly looking for new backers, it's better to rely on yourself to truly establish yourself.

Most of the concubines in the harem aimed to give birth to a prince. Besides the saying that a mother's status depends on her son, most of them felt that having a son meant having someone to rely on. In comparison, the benefits and assistance of having a daughter were always weaker.

But it's better than nothing.

Yao Jinse does not plan to have another child.

In this era, childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell several times for a woman, and having a son or a daughter is a huge gamble. She would never do such a thing.

She always believed that one's destiny is in one's own hands, and that relying on children who haven't grown up yet is ultimately unreliable. Whether it's favor or status, in the end, one still has to rely on oneself.

She has always liked the phrase: "Though countless threads remain unchanged, they can gather or disperse as they please."

She came into this world as a rootless drifter, and although she has now established some contact with the original owner's family, this contact is of little help.

In that case, it's better to place all your hopes on yourself.

The good wind carries me to the blue clouds with its power.

Now that the Imperial Concubine has done almost everything she can, although I cannot speak on her behalf to Xie Yun'an—even if I could, I cannot plead for her.
However, even though they can't speak to each other, it doesn't mean they can't do things in other places.

At the very least, she needs to keep track of what's going on.

Fortunately, this was not difficult. Having been in the palace for so long, the thing Yao Jinse was least worried about was getting information.

(End of this chapter)