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

The emperor did not want the harem to be united, and Consort Rong was certain of this.

Xie Yun'an is a man who cannot be judged by appearances. He is a smiling fox, and what he shows on the surface is all a disguise. He says that he wants the harem to be harmonious, but in reality, his actions always manage to stir up endless disputes in the harem.

Those in positions of power can only seek balance through struggle. The art of maintaining balance is the art of governing subordinates. These are not only things that emperors need to learn, but also things that many aristocratic families have to learn.

In her youth, Chen Yimiao was naturally bold and straightforward, and not very interested in these things, so she didn't learn them very well. It was only after she got married and studied for several years, and after suffering some hardships, that she gradually came to understand and master these techniques.

The Duke's Mansion's untimely end was simply the final fate of those under the rule of the emperor.

Years of glory vanished in an instant, leaving behind nothing but a group of old, weak, sick, and disabled people barely clinging to life.

In this respect, the imperial court and the harem are the same.

Just like back in the Prince's mansion, Xie Yun'an was quite fond of Consort Yi. In many cases, Consort Yi even saw Xie Yun'an more often than Shen Qingyin, the principal wife. According to the saying that meeting once makes one feel affection, the two of them should have some affection for each other.

However, it's only been a little over a year since the incident that completely brought down Consort Yi.

Although everyone's actions were somewhat extreme at that time, with Qiao Yanran and others using the pretext of witchcraft in order to kill her in one blow, there were still some suspicious points involved.

But Xie Yun'an just believed it directly.

Logically speaking, at that time, whether out of consideration for the Imperial Concubine or to pursue the truth, a thorough investigation should have been conducted.

But there was nothing there.

At that time, Consort Rong was still immersed in her beautiful love with the emperor and did not yet have a deep understanding of the coldness of her husband. She also wanted to use the abandoned Consort Yi to clear herself of any wrongdoing, so she did not pay much attention to these things.

Now that she finally understands, she still can't completely sever ties with Xie Yun'an.

Whether inside or outside the palace, people have to survive. In her current situation, she has no choice but to depend on others to live. If Yao Jinse hadn't come up with the idea of ​​making Consort Yi take responsibility for all the mess, she wouldn't have the ability to save the Duke's mansion from collapse today.

Since they couldn't actively interfere in palace power, they had to find their own way. Originally, Consort Rong was thinking of taking things slowly, but it was Kang Mama who reminded her that Yao Jinse already had some palace power in her hands, which led to today's meeting.

Otherwise, given the current situation, Consort Rong would probably have to avoid Yao Jinse for a long time.

It wasn't that the two of them couldn't meet, nor was it that she harbored any resentment. Ever since Yao Jinse was willing to appear in Chengqian Palace when the Duke's mansion met with disaster, Consort Rong had been grateful for that favor.

Even though she was down on her luck, Chen Yimiao still retained a sliver of pride, a trait ingrained in her character over the years. Therefore, since she remembered Yao Jinse's kindness in offering help in her time of need, she naturally wouldn't completely abandon Yao Jinse. However, as mentioned at the beginning of this conversation, she was no longer the same person she once was.

She could use the emperor to protect herself, but she could not use the emperor's power to protect those who followed her.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to simply let go completely and allow Yao Jinse to make new patrons. As for whether this new patron is the Empress or the Empress Dowager, she has no opinion on it.

The Yao family was not a prominent clan, and Yao Jinse was not particularly favored by the emperor. She faced many inconveniences in the harem with her daughter by her side. Even her daughter's title required merit to be granted. In the past, Consort Rong would not have cared about these things, but now that she was a mother herself, she naturally saw many difficulties that she had not seen before.

Therefore, since she wanted Yao Jinse to leave, she couldn't have too close a relationship with Yao Jinse.

Fortunately, Yao Jinse wasn't highly regarded in recent years, and she didn't actually visit Chengqian Palace very often. It was only after Consort Yi passed away that she started to visit more frequently. In addition, the only thing she really did for Chengqian Palace was recruiting Consort Feng, which ultimately had a bad outcome.

All things considered, now that Chengqian Palace is no longer as glorious as it once was, it is perfectly reasonable for a concubine like Yao Jinse, who has given birth, to leave and find another husband.

Now that things have come to this point, it would be a pity not to continue down this path.

Since Yao Jinse is still willing to do these things for her out of gratitude, she shouldn't be too hesitant.

"Speaking of which, the old guard from the Prince's Mansion have been in the palace for more than two years now, but their positions have remained unchanged. They've only decreased in number, which isn't right. Those who came from the Prince's Mansion all have old connections with the Emperor, so they can't be outdone by the newcomers."

Consort Rong's words sounded as if she was thinking of the other concubines, but in reality, these were things that Consort Rong shouldn't have been concerned about.

Now that the Imperial Concubine wants to take care of this, that's a very good thing.

So when Yao Jinse heard this, she frowned and nodded in agreement. In the original plot, Consort Rong started fighting with the other concubines because of the decline of the Duke's mansion. Although the ending has improved, the general direction has not changed. Yao Jinse has just removed herself from the situation. But if Consort Rong is to become completely disheartened and give up fighting, that would not be a good thing.

"Since Your Majesty has this intention, it is naturally a blessing for the other sisters in the palace. I suppose the Empress will not obstruct it in any way. It is strange, though, that the Empress has been worshipping Buddha more often lately than before, while she rarely sees the Emperor."

If the two were exchanging veiled insults before, now it's practically a direct statement: the Empress hasn't been seeing the Emperor much lately. Normally, Xie Yun'an should at least visit the Empress's palace on the first and fifteenth of the month to keep her company. On other days, for the sake of the Empress's reputation, he wouldn't deliberately avoid going.

Even if one is too busy to stay overnight in Kunning Palace, there are still opportunities to have breakfast and lunch on weekdays.

So this is practically a direct statement that the Emperor and Empress have some recent conflicts and are not as harmonious as before. If Consort Rong wants to help, the Empress might not be a bad option.

Consort Rong understood Yao Jinse's meaning but did not continue the topic. She knew the specifics would depend on future opportunities. Seeing that it was getting late, Consort Rong gave Yao Jinse a few brief instructions and then dismissed her. (End of Chapter)