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

Chapter 209 Building Bridges

In a place like the imperial harem, there's really no room for kind-hearted people to survive.

Yao Jinse is an exception. Compared to the other concubines, she is not particularly kind-hearted. However, she still has some habits from civilized society that she has not completely eliminated. As a result, in many subtle ways, she seems to be out of place with the masters in the harem.

These subtle differences are often overlooked by those who are not particularly attentive. Masters are always aloof and cannot see the suffering of the world unless they themselves fall from grace.

On the contrary, the servants who were used to doing hard and tiring work in the harem were more sensitive to this kindness.

The word spread quickly, eventually leading to the reputation of Yao Jinse being kinder than others. This reputation circulated only among the servants, and if a few words occasionally reached the ears of the masters, no one cared.

Perhaps people become indifferent when they are in a high position for too long.

Every time the concubines she had a fairly good relationship with mentioned her "good reputation" and advised her not to waste too much time on these useless things, Yao Jinse would just smile and remain silent.

Even though she had been in this world for so long, she never considered herself a master. There was a price to pay for being superior, especially in the feudal harem where she was just a concubine. There were so many women of higher rank than her, and she had to carefully serve the emperor. How could she possibly be superior?
Therefore, this so-called leniency towards subordinates is nothing more than a kind of underlying empathy, in addition to her selfish desire to find people she can use.

The difference between the rich and the poor in this era is huge. People born into wealth don't have as much sympathy for the poor as she does. Everyone naturally feels that people are of different social classes. She is in that class, so she can't do too much, nor does she have the ability to.

Whether in this life or the past, if given a choice, no one would want to spend all their time scheming and plotting.

Some things are done out of necessity because one is in the situation. For example, if one cannot see the Imperial Concubine, then seeing someone else is naturally a good alternative.

After making an appearance with the Empress Dowager and the imperial concubines with her child, Yao Jinse turned around and went to Kunning Palace to pay her respects to the Empress. Princess Dongyang was young. Princes in the palace were to be raised by their birth mothers until they were three years old, but the princess could be raised until she was five. Moreover, since the princess was a girl, she did not have as many restrictions on her interactions in the harem as princes.

In the Empress's palace, besides the concubines who came to pay their respects, the people who frequented the palace were the two princes and Princess Gaoyang, the Empress's own daughter. However, there was still a significant age gap between Princess Gaoyang and Princess Dongyang. At this age, Princess Gaoyang was quite mischievous and not very likable. In comparison, Princess Dongyang, who was still learning to speak, was much more endearing.

Not to mention the Empress, Empress Dowager and imperial concubines, most of the concubines in the palace who had a good relationship with Yao Jinse also liked Princess Dongyang very much.

With her daughter as an excuse, Yao Jinse was naturally happy to travel between the palaces and use this opportunity to make friends with them.

Although she used to follow the Imperial Concubine too closely and didn't have a very close relationship with the other palaces, as the saying goes, "a meeting still fosters a sense of familiarity."

The women in the palace were always seeing each other, and since it's natural not to hit someone who's smiling, they gradually became familiar with each other, even if they were complete strangers.

Yao Jinse was quite adept at using this tactic. When a specific person appears frequently and intensely in a short period of time, it naturally makes people feel more comfortable. This is roughly the idea behind the gradual development of feelings between men and women.

As for romantic relationships, Yao Jinse is not in the mood to deal with Xie Yun'an, and the latter naturally has no interest in coming to see her.

Everyone in the palace knew that Consort Yao of Yuxiu Palace was not a favored concubine. Apart from her daughter, her only special status was her current title—a privilege she had gained by serving the Noble Consort and through merit.

Since Yao Jinse presented the blueprints for the heating system, and after adjustments by craftsmen from the palace and the Ministry of Works, heating has been installed throughout the palace this winter.

Although bamboo pipes were used, which didn't conduct heat very well, the palace houses were designed to be smaller to concentrate energy.

This heating system is safer than charcoal fires, and it makes the room warmer and the warmth extends to a wider area. The palace maids and eunuchs who usually stand guard outside at night can naturally enjoy extra warmth, making the originally unbearable winter days less difficult.

With all the tangible benefits already secured, Yao Jinse naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to make a name for herself. Even Xie Yun'an didn't hesitate to take all the credit for himself, and no one cared about the rumors circulating within the inner palace.

Even Empress Shen Qingyin would occasionally ask Yao Jinse if she had any other novel ideas.

Compared to Consort Rong's somewhat utilitarian attitude in currying favor and seeking credit, Shen Qingyin's attitude towards Yao Jinse was much more peaceful. The questions she asked Yao Jinse were more out of pure curiosity.

—I'm curious about what strange and wonderful things are going on in the mind of this concubine who doesn't come from a particularly noble background.

Yao Jinse could only go along with this curiosity. In the end, she had neither betrayed the Consort nor completely sided with the Empress. At present, she could only be considered to be dutifully fulfilling her duties as a concubine and trying to please both sides.

Ultimately, she is the Empress. Unless her real interests and status are truly threatened, someone in such a high position has no need to actually fight for anything.

In the past, the Imperial Concubine was not much of a threat to the Empress. Now that she has lost the powerful support of the Duke's Mansion, the Imperial Concubine is even less of a threat.

Moreover, Shen Qingyin had always known that Consort Rong's personality was just like that. Although she deliberately acted arrogantly in front of the Empress, she still maintained proper etiquette.

Moreover, although there is some age difference among the former members of the Prince's Mansion, the age difference is not as large as that between them and the new members.

People tend to find familiar people more agreeable.

As long as Consort Rong doesn't give birth to a son this time, the Empress wouldn't mind trying to improve her relationship with Consort Rong—Yao Jinse is the bridge that bridges this time.

Yao Jinse was naturally aware of the Empress's meaning.

Whether the Imperial Concubine would accept the olive branch extended by the Empress was uncertain for Yao Jinse, but trying to ease the tension between the two might not be a bad thing for her.

It's hard enough to just live, so what's the point of all this fighting?