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

Chapter 205 Taking a Step Back

Everything was quiet.

But everyone knows this quiet won't last long.

The winds of change swept through the capital, and not only the Duke's mansion and its factions began to feel the pressure of the crisis, but the general public also started to hear many unpleasant rumors about the Duke's mansion.

These kinds of detailed and seemingly unbelievable secrets circulate among the common people during their leisure time.

It was at this moment that Consort Rong made her move.

With her belly more than eight months along, it already looked somewhat dangerous. Under normal circumstances, a pregnant woman of her stage would be closely guarded by those around her and not allowed to go out.

Fortunately, Consort Rong was no stranger; she still had a group of loyal people under her command. Consort Rong could ignore what the midwives said if she didn't want to hear it. As for the story of being retaliated against by the midwife during childbirth, such a story would be condemned even if it appeared in a storybook. When a concubine gives birth, how many people are waiting and how many eyes are watching? Let alone the story of the prince being switched at birth, it is by no means possible for anyone to do anything to the empress.

The atmosphere in the palace has always been one of little tolerance for mistakes.

Leaving aside pregnancy, even a common cold or flu would require several imperial physicians to take turns diagnosing the patient.

As such a momentous event as childbirth could not possibly be led by a midwife, it was a matter concerning the imperial bloodline. If anything went wrong, the dead would almost certainly be these lowest-ranking servants.

If the master can give birth safely, then everyone below deserves credit. But if any problems arise, then everyone below will be held responsible. In the end, it is always these servants who have to clean up the mess.

So she went to see Xie Yun'an while heavily pregnant. Of course, the Imperial Concubine had consulted Yao Jinse before doing this.

Your own safety must be your top priority.

Consort Rong was not a fool. She knew that the bond between her and the Emperor was deep, but she also knew that no matter how deep the bond was, it could not withstand the erosion of collusion for personal gain.

Before the Duke's Mansion existed, the two of them could be considered a sweet couple. But now, the Duke's Mansion stands in the way of Xie Yun'an's imperial power and behind Consort Rong's family background. Consort Rong is caught in the middle and naturally needs to make a choice.

Now, Consort Rong's choice is clear.

Not only can being wise and self-preserving ensure one's own safety, but it can also leave a virtuous impression on one's husband and even preserve the reputation of the Duke's mansion—a triple win.

The reason she was able to make this choice was because one of Yao Jinse's earlier remarks touched her.

She already has a child, so rather than sharing in the rise and fall of the already declining Duke's Mansion, she might as well give birth to the child and then enjoy the wealth and honor that she deserves.

Regardless of the circumstances, as long as the child survives, even if the bond between him and Xie Yun'an fades, he will still receive the respect he deserves.

On the other hand, after Consort Rong made her choice, Yao Jinse felt half relieved. No matter what kind of person someone is, as long as their own interests are involved, they will eventually make the right choice.

It's just unknown how Qiao Yanran, the protagonist who was originally supposed to rise to power because of this, will react after she and Consort Rong interfered like this.
Yao Jinse was unaware of the situation, but she chose to observe from the sidelines. While Consort Rong went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to have a heart-to-heart talk with the Emperor, Yao Jinse set up a table of tea and snacks in her own palace courtyard and invited several acquaintances to be her guests.

Consort Chen was naturally present, as was Consort Zhao. In addition to these two people who had a good relationship with Yao Jinse, the other two guests were He Yunqing and Bai Fengping.

The palace is not exactly teeming with factions these days; the ones that are currently thriving are just these few people.

The Empress is high above, Consort Zhuang is currently preoccupied with other matters, and Consort Jing has always been one to protect herself. These high-ranking consorts must all have their own sources of information about this matter, but none of them have chosen to speak out at this time, which speaks volumes.

He Yunqing sat in the crowd without saying a word.

This was her first time visiting Yuxiu Palace. Ever since she took action to eliminate Consort Yi, she had openly avoided this palace and Yao Jinse. Apart from matters that needed to be discussed, the two of them had almost no private meetings.

After all, the matter was handled very crudely back then. If you think about it carefully afterward, you'll know who helped them implement witchcraft and other such methods.

The most frightening thing is that there's absolutely no trace of it being done on the person in question.

He Yunqing was not an arrogant fool. Having seen much in aristocratic families, she knew all too well that there were always people more capable than herself. Therefore, she never contacted Yao Jinse herself. Qiao Yanran and Bai Fengping had private dealings with Yao Jinse for various reasons, but she did not.

But I still couldn't escape it today.

Originally intending to visit Consort Zhuang, He Yunqing encountered Bai Fengping coming from the Imperial Garden, who said she was going to Yuxiu Palace. He Yunqing originally intended to avoid her, but on the way, she met Consort Zhao and Consort Chen, who also said they were going to Yuxiu Palace.

Facing the Empress Dowager in her own palace, He Yunqing naturally had no reason to avoid her. The previous reasons were no longer valid, since the one actually working under Consort Zhuang was Consort Zhao, who was merely someone the Empress Dowager had casually promoted because the Emperor had chosen Yao Jinse.

If she had some other thoughts at the beginning, she has now become a very cautious person.

As for Qiao Yanran... she had actually reminded her good friend not to interfere in the matter of the Duke's mansion. Although the emperor doted on them now, it was still unknown whether this favor was temporary or permanent. Compared with the Consort's kindness over the years, this favor seemed so ephemeral.

What kind of unbreakable bond could one seek in the imperial harem?

He Yunqing had never been interested in men and couldn't quite understand Qiao Yanran's thoughts. She was just helping her sisters with some things in the palace and making her own life a little better.

Moreover, looking at the current situation of the Duke's mansion, how could she not feel a sense of shared sorrow? The He family was also a powerful clan that rose to prominence through military achievements. Although they were not in the capital, there were many military generals in history who were stationed in remote areas but were suspected by the emperor.

She is currently in the palace, simply to maintain a balance. Whenever she has the chance, she speaks well of her family to the emperor. She doesn't seek to elevate her relatives to higher positions; she only desires a peaceful life, which is already quite difficult.

So she hesitated.

Perhaps, given the so-called hostility towards the Imperial Concubine, it wouldn't be so bad for her to take a step back, would it?