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

After leaving Cining Palace, Yao Jinse naturally did not go with Consort Rong. The Consort wanted to go back to the palace to see her child, so her mind was not on anything else.

Yuxiu Palace and Chengqian Palace were not on the same road to begin with. Moreover, Consort Rong had already given instructions that they should not have too close contact in public in the future, because it would not be good if the connection that had been finally broken off was pulled back together.

Consort Zhao and Consort Chen returned with Yao Jinse. Coincidentally, neither Consort Zhao nor Consort Chen lived in their own quarters anymore. With so many people coming and going, it was inevitable that there would be too many eyes and ears.

Consort Zhao is at least a principal consort, while Consort Chen has to do everything under Consort Zhuang's watchful eye, which is extremely inconvenient.

Fortunately, there was a place called Yuxiu Palace. Yao Jinse had a good relationship with these two men, and due to various reasons, she was now living alone in Yuxiu Palace with her child.

Xie Yun'an seemed to have forgotten about her existence and rarely came, which made Yuxiu Palace almost Yao Jinse's domain.

In a way, this could be considered good luck. If it weren't for Consort Yi's timely death and Yao Jinse's contribution in giving birth to the princess and offering her prescription, she wouldn't have been able to live in the main hall of Yuxiu Palace as a Jieyu.

“Actually, this can’t really be considered overstepping one’s bounds,” Consort Zhao teased Yao Jinse after hearing her words. “Now that you have a title and a daughter, you are already the most powerful person below the rank of Consort. Although there are many people in the Emperor’s harem, look at how many high-ranking concubines there are, and which one has all the required ranks?”

The six palaces of the east and west originally had twelve principal positions, which should have included two Noble Consorts, four Consorts, and six Concubines to be considered complete.

However, there are now two Consorts, one of whom, Consort Jing, rarely leaves her home, so let's leave that aside for now; there were originally two Concubines, but Concubine Yi brought this upon herself by getting involved in witchcraft, leaving only Concubine Zhao.

Originally, Consort Zhao thought that after Consort Yi died, Yao Jinse should be the next to be promoted to the rank of Consort. However, she did not expect that Emperor Xie Yun'an would be so stingy. He only gave her a title and the privilege of living in the main palace, and then almost gave up.

After that, there was not a single word from them.

"Sister, please don't tell anyone what you're saying."

Yao Jinse had always known that Consort Zhao was a straightforward person, and that she was able to sit in her current position because of her distinguished family background.

But without children, there was ultimately no truly secure support in the harem.

Offending someone for the sake of a momentary outburst is a small matter, but if it makes the emperor feel uncomfortable, then it would be a great loss.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. These are just things we sisters talk about in private. If it were in my palace, I wouldn't even say such a thing."

Consort Zhao's words were quite profound.

There were only two concubines living in Yongning Palace. Consort Zhao, being the principal consort, naturally lived in the main hall, but He Yunqing did not live in a side hall.

The Yongning Palace and its symmetrical counterpart, the Yonghe Palace, have a relatively unique structure among the six palaces in the east and west. They are not purely horizontal and vertical structures, but rather resemble three bricks stacked together, forming a nested structure of one large and one small.

So rather than saying that He Yunqing lived in a side hall, it would be more accurate to say that she had a small courtyard with only one side of a gate in Yongning Palace. Although Yonghe Palace also had a similar structure, it was granted to Consort Jing to live alone, and no one else had the opportunity to live there. This is why He Yunqing was so different from the others who entered the palace.

Not to mention, in terms of family background, He Yunqing's origins are even more noble than Consort Zhao's. If He Yunqing were to be promoted in the future, she would probably have to move to another palace and become the mistress of her own palace. Yao Jinse thought that after the previous birthday banquet, Consort Zhao and He Yunqing's relationship was quite good, but now it seems that this relationship is far more superficial than she imagined.

"It's actually quite normal. There's a difference between what's important and what's not. I felt uncomfortable with her coming to pay her respects to me every day, so I simply stopped these formalities. If something really happens, she can come to me then."

Consort Zhao didn't care too much about this matter. She explained the reason for the incident in a few words. It was nothing more than that He Yunqing didn't stay in Yongning Palace for long. Whenever she had free time, she would go to Qiao Yanran's Liuchun Pavilion.

That's understandable, actually.

People in the palace are often not very comfortable speaking in many situations. When talking privately with their own family members, they always want to find a quieter place where they can speak freely and say whatever they want.

Isn't Consort Zhao the same?

There are some things that are difficult to say in Yongning Palace, but there are fewer restrictions when saying them in Yuxiu Palace. This is simply because it is Yao Jinse's own place, and she is not afraid of being overheard by anyone when she speaks in the room.

"However, although Consort He has the Emperor's favor and helps the Empress manage the six palaces, she is ultimately subordinate to her elder sister," Consort Chen said with a smile.

She didn't look down on He Jieyu, but she didn't particularly like Qiao Yanran.

At this moment, she said this firstly to comfort Consort Zhao, and secondly to vent her resentment: "If you have some free time, you should teach Consort He properly. Consort He comes from a family with such a background and was favored by the Emperor, but she has never received any decree from the Emperor to be promoted. She must have some shortcomings. If you are willing to teach her, it would be a blessing for her."

Consort Zhao is a master of subtle wits, capable of protecting herself in the Prince's residence and attaining her current rank after entering the palace. How could she not understand the hidden meaning in Consort Chen's words?

However, she was not surprised by the sour tone in Chen Meiren's words.

Ever since she and Chen Meiren received Yao Jinse's guidance and obtained the prescription from Yao Jinse some time ago, the two of them have been looking for an opportunity to serve the emperor and have a child.

—In this harem, these concubines who had no intention of challenging the position of Empress Dowager had long seen through it all. Whether or not they were favored in the palace did not really matter. As long as their families did not fall, they would always have a place in the harem.

Under such circumstances, having a child becomes especially important, whether it's a son or a daughter. They have long seen through the fact that there will only be more and more beauties around the emperor, and the emperor's favor is almost impossible to rely on. Having a child by their side can help them relieve the loneliness of the long nights in the palace.

Putting aside other examples, isn't Consort Rong a prime example?
However, during this period, apart from accompanying Consort Rong, the Emperor only summoned Qiao Yanran to accompany him. Whether it was the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Palace of Heavenly Purity, or their own palaces, it was difficult for them to see Xie Yun'an. If it weren't for this, they wouldn't have had so much free time to chat after paying their respects to the Empress Dowager today.

Yao Jinse listened from the side and naturally offered some advice on her sister's troubles.

"Actually, I think it's about time for Consort Qiao to receive this favor."

Xie Yun'an's favor towards Qiao Yanran stemmed not only from the fact that Qiao Yanran was the type the emperor genuinely liked, but also from his initial plan to eliminate the Duke's mansion. When Xie Yun'an needed to employ people, the families of the concubines in the palace, especially the newly promoted concubines, were naturally the top priority.

But now that the Duke's mansion has fallen, it would be utterly inappropriate for them to continue doting on Qiao Yanran as before. (End of Chapter)