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

Empress Dowager Xu certainly had no intention of deposing the empress.

First of all, she didn't think there was anything wrong with this daughter-in-law. In every aspect, this daughter-in-law was presentable. Moreover, Shen Qingyin was able to manage so many messy things in the harem very well, which was enough to show that the Empress was capable.

On the other hand, the empress had given birth.

Although it was a princess who survived, not a prince, even if the empress only gave birth to a princess, she was still considered to have given birth. The emperor could not depose the empress simply because she did not have a prince, which is not a crime.

However, Empress Dowager Xu also knew that although the emperor said on the surface that there was no major conflict between him and the empress, the way he said these words and expressed these emotions indicated that some conflicts had already penetrated deep into their hearts and were irreconcilable.

The empress was naturally a wise and virtuous empress, dignified and poised, and never made a mistake. Such an image would be suitable whether she was a matriarch or the mother of a nation.

Unfortunately, the emperor did not like such a dignified woman who never made a mistake.

Looking at the charming appearances of Consort Rong and Consort Qiao, Empress Dowager Xu knew that her son had completely inherited his father's tastes and vision, and always preferred beautiful and radiant women.

However, if these words were heard by the Empress, the situation would likely be quite different. An Empress who has been raised according to the rules since childhood would probably be powerless to act coquettishly even if she wanted to.

If the emperor and empress become estranged, who knows what kind of chaos will ensue in the harem? If the empress completely abandons her responsibilities, outwardly for the sake of the greater good, the empress dowager will have to step in and take over this mess.

Empress Dowager Xu couldn't be bothered with such matters.

Fortunately, the emperor would only say these things to his mother, Cining Palace, and would not actually go to the empress or concubines to deliberately belittle the empress.

Xie Yun'an was not that stupid after all. The son she gave birth to was smart enough, and he was the only thing that made Empress Dowager Xu feel at ease. If it weren't for his intelligence and vigilance, someone else would probably be sitting on the dragon throne today.

"After all, the Empress is the Empress. Even if the Emperor has a problem with her or doesn't like her, he should still give her enough respect. It's really not easy for an Empress like Shen to reach such a position."

If even an empress of this caliber is not satisfactory, then there is probably no one else in the six palaces who can satisfy the emperor.

With the Empress's position unstable, everyone in the harem inevitably felt worried. If the Emperor were to consider deposing the Empress, that would be an even worse situation.

It's one thing for the concubines in the six palaces to covet the position of Empress, but that would only happen if the Empress did something wrong and fell off her throne herself.

If it's because of the emperor's dissatisfaction—regardless of who takes over this responsibility next, and regardless of whether they will nominally become empress, anyone who manages things worse than Empress Shen will likely be reprimanded by the emperor, thus following in Empress Shen's footsteps.

"As the emperor, balancing the six palaces and balancing the court are equally important. You must remember that the jealousy and rivalry among the concubines are never the important thing. What's important is that the concubines have respect for the emperor, but not excessive fear." Empress Dowager Xu patted her son's hand across the table: "The empress and you are, after all, your first husband and wife. Although it was a marriage arranged by the late emperor, and you weren't particularly fond of this empress, so many years have passed. The empress has done nothing wrong. If you don't like the empress, there are plenty of concubines in the harem who can bear you children, but the empress's position must be secure. Even if you treat each other with respect, you must make that respect visible."

Since Empress Dowager Xu had already said such things, Xie Yun'an's little thoughts about the Empress were naturally suppressed. He was a man who knew what was important, and there was no need to say anything more after the Empress Dowager had said so much.

"With the year-end approaching, the Empress must be feeling tired from managing so many trivial matters. Naturally, I should still take some time to visit Kunning Palace and show her my care."

However, since the royal family wants to have more offspring, it is not enough to only care for the empress. With so many people in the harem, the emperor should also show his favor to everyone.

"However, there is one more thing I would like to ask the Empress Dowager's opinion on. Recently, while you were handling those matters outside, Consort Qiao has been serving you in the Hall of Mental Cultivation."

Her father has also done a great deal of work outside, and he has already received the official rewards due to his merits. I think it would be better to combine the rewards from both inside and outside the court. I've been thinking of giving Consort Qiao some kind of favor. What does Your Majesty think?

"Since the Emperor thinks it's good, it naturally means that Consort Qiao has her merits. It's just that Consort Qiao has always accompanied the Emperor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, so I see her less often."

Empress Dowager Xu understood the emperor's unspoken meaning: he wanted to promote Consort Qiao's rank before the New Year, which was not a difficult thing to do.

If the emperor wanted to promote a concubine of lower rank, it was just a matter of a word.

The reason the emperor brought this up with her was simply because he wanted to bestow some rewards upon her. If the emperor were to do it himself, it would seem that the achievements of her maternal family outside the palace had affected her rank in the harem.

This inevitably leads to more frequent contact between the concubines in the harem and their maternal families outside the palace. What the emperor fears most is the connection between the harem and the court. Throughout history, no emperor has been unaware of the concubines interfering in politics. Therefore, it is best to prevent such things from happening at the source.

"Since Mother wishes to see Lady Qiao, why not have her come to Cining Palace to pay her respects more often these next few days? Lady Qiao is gentle and sensible, and I think Mother will like her."

Speaking of Qiao Yanran, Xie Yun'an's mood finally improved. Although there was no change on his face, even the nanny standing next to the Empress Dowager could tell that the Emperor's voice was not as tense as before.

“That would be wonderful. The year is almost over, and I was thinking of copying some scriptures to offer before the Buddha before the New Year. Unfortunately, I am getting old and can only copy them intermittently. I think that Miss Qiao is young and discerning and will surely be able to copy these scriptures for me properly.”

Logically speaking, someone who isn't even a concubine shouldn't be qualified to serve in the Cining Palace, but since the emperor spoke up for her, Empress Dowager Xu couldn't refuse him.

Even Xie Yun'an himself felt that being able to copy scriptures for the Empress Dowager was a kind of grace in itself, and it was something to be proud of. Moreover, if it weren't for this opportunity, many rewards would not have been given out.

"It's about time. Your son still has matters to attend to at court. Mother usually takes a nap around this time, so perhaps you should rest early." (End of Chapter)