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

In life, everyone has times when they have no choice but to accept certain things.

Those who lived deep within the palace understood these unavoidable circumstances most deeply, and could even be said to have felt them firsthand.

After all, the inner palace is like a battlefield, a place even more dangerous than the imperial court.

Being a concubine might be better, but if you're unlucky enough to become a servant, living a life where you don't know where tomorrow will come, who can live like a kind and gentle person?

In such a cruel environment, people either strive to climb higher by constantly seeking better support, or they slowly wait to die in the dust.

Those who choose to wait for death are ultimately a minority. Even those who have no money or food and are not good at socializing will still have their own friends. And because of Yao Jinse's philanthropy since entering the palace, such people often have some connection with Yuxiu Palace.

Everyone in the palace knows that Consort Lin of Yuxiu Palace owes her good life to the Noble Consort, whom she relied on when she was in the Prince's residence.

Now that things are getting tougher, it's perfectly reasonable for them to look for other ways out. It's already commendable that they didn't go back and kick them when they were down.

That being said, over the years, Consort Lin had always been a humble servant by Consort Rong's side, showing no particular talent. It was only after Consort Yi's passing that people gradually discovered that Consort Lin was also capable.

Now that Consort Rong is in dire straits and can barely save herself, Consort Lin's situation has been exposed to everyone in the harem, and even the question of who visits Yuxiu Palace most frequently has become a new topic of conversation.

Under such circumstances, it was no secret that Consort Lin had been frequently visiting Kunning Palace and the Empress Dowager's Palace these days.

Rumors always spread like wildfire in the inner palace. While the Imperial Concubine had already secluded herself at home, Yao Jinse, as a trusted confidante, was not implicated and remained unaffected. This already revealed a great deal to everyone.

Opinions were divided for a time.

Faced with these rumors that seemed to suggest she was about to completely sever ties with the Imperial Concubine, Yao Jinse remained silent and did not intervene.

She had done a lot for the Imperial Concubine, and the fact that these messages were able to get out was actually due to her instructions.

Standing with the Imperial Concubine naturally has its advantages. Regardless of the past or the future, as long as the Imperial Concubine still holds a place in the Emperor's heart, one will certainly be able to benefit from this advantage.

However, as someone who truly loves the Emperor, the Imperial Concubine would never place a mere follower as her first priority. Therefore, for Yao Jinse, continuing to treat the Imperial Concubine with the same sincerity as before would be a losing proposition.

"Rumors in the palace never seem to stop, but the direction of these rumors is in Your Highness's hands. How these rumors spread is naturally up to Your Highness."

Bai Tan was the most trusted by Yao Jinse in Yuxiu Palace. She was more composed than Bai Tao, and now she was the head steward of all the palace maids and eunuchs in Yuxiu Palace. Her status was very different, and many of Yao Jinse's private matters were handled through her.

Therefore, Bai Tan is also very clear that nearly half of the rumors circulating in the palace today were spread by her own mistress, while the rest were the result of the rumors spreading spontaneously.

In order to completely sever ties with the Imperial Concubine, Yao Jinse went to great lengths this time. She not only used the good relationships she had built up over the past two years, but also spent a considerable amount of money. As a result, the palace maids and eunuchs who had connections with Yuxiu Palace in various palaces all played a role in this rumor, which is why the news spread so quickly.

"What you say is true, my lady." Bai Tan was in charge of the whole affair, so she was naturally very clear about the cause and effect. However, as the person in charge, she was even more aware of one thing: "But after this, we will have even less money to use. Would you like to write a letter home to ask about it, my lady?"

If you want someone to help you with something, personal connections are one thing, but the appropriate rewards are also essential. When the original owner entered the Prince's Mansion, she didn't bring much money with her. Although the Yao family was also the family of an official, they were not a wealthy family. When Yao Jinse first entered the Prince's Mansion, she didn't bring much money with her. At that time, if she wanted any financial assistance, her family was the least useful thing for her.

It was only later, when he served under the Imperial Concubine, that he received occasional rewards and managed to accumulate some wealth.

However, things are different now.

The imperial harem is always a place that costs a lot of money. The Yao family is now living a decent life in the capital. They must have benefited from serving under the Duke's mansion. Although Yao Jinse doesn't know much about family matters, she knows her parents' character.

To put it nicely, they are cautious and timid; to put it bluntly, they are cowardly and afraid of trouble. But it is precisely this kind of personality that is the way for a small family like the Yao family to survive.

Yao's parents would never take money that came from illicit sources, but they would never let go of money that came from legitimate sources.

Now, in the inner palace, the Imperial Concubine has sacrificed a great deal to preserve the last vestige of dignity for the Duke's mansion. The Emperor no longer allows anyone to mention this matter in the court. This is because most of the forces that previously followed the Duke's mansion have been completely eliminated, and there is no chance of them being brought back to life.

The only difference is the Yao family.

Since they were families with daughters in the harem, even if their official positions weren't high, in the current situation, no one would dare to provoke them.

No one knows what position Consort Lin of the Yao family holds in the Emperor's heart; no one would believe it if you said she wasn't important.

An unimportant woman will not survive peacefully in the harem.

Especially this one from the Yao family, who not only gave birth to a child, but also received the title of Lin. Xie Yun'an bestowed this title upon her to "buy" Yao Jinse's merits, but outsiders, unaware of the intricacies involved, naturally developed misunderstandings.

Therefore, at this point, the Yao family has not only not been affected, but is actually doing quite well.

Otherwise, given Bai Tan's personality, he would never have said something like taking money from home.

"No need. We already have plenty of money at home, and with things so chaotic outside right now, we need to have some money on hand for emergencies. We've got some left over, so let's use it for now."

It was only then that Yao Jinse realized Bai Fengping's merits. When she first woke up, she only remembered that Bai Fengping was quite shrewd and a good business partner, forgetting the financial support her family's business connections provided. (End of Chapter)