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

There are never any secrets in the palace. The moment the emperor stepped into Kunning Palace at night, the news had already spread throughout the six palaces.

Since His Majesty has chosen to have dinner at Kunning Palace, as long as the Empress doesn't upset him too much, His Majesty is destined to stay at Kunning Palace tonight.

"That's quite a strange thing."

When Yao Jinse heard the news that Bai Tao had overheard from outside, she raised an eyebrow, feeling that something was amiss.

Based on her understanding of the Emperor and Empress over the past few days, neither Shen Qingyin nor Xie Yun'an are the type to take the initiative to show goodwill, let alone Xie Yun'an going to Kunning Palace. In recent days, Xie Yun'an should be showing more favor to Qiao Yanran, right?

Did they say why?

"It wasn't anything too important to begin with, so it was just news on the main street. As for Kunning Palace, there hasn't been any major commotion since His Majesty went in. I'm afraid His Majesty has already finished his dinner."

The news on the long street refers to the information sent by the eunuchs and palace maids who sweep and clean the long street. These people don't have much work to do on a daily basis. Their main task is to keep the long street clean and tidy. This work is neither too much nor too little. If there is a strong wind or heavy rain, they can even take a break.

So it can actually be considered a lucrative job.

Not to mention that the long street was well-connected and convenient for going to the East and West Six Palaces. When these eunuchs and palace maids had nothing to do, they always liked to pay attention to things outside. If anything interesting happened on the long street, they loved to gossip about it in private.

Such incidents as concubines being humiliated on the main street would quickly spread throughout the entire harem in no time. The speed at which rumors spread was thanks to this group of people.

Yao Jinse has always been very caring towards her subordinates, which was one of the benefits left behind by the original owner of the body. She was simply carrying on and expanding upon this.

The servants who sought survival in the harem often did not have a very good life. The palace maids could wait until they were twenty-five years old to leave the palace and get married. Those who did not want to get married could enter Taoist temples or Buddhist temples to cultivate themselves and live a peaceful life.

But the eunuchs had no other way out; once they entered the palace, they had no choice.

Either you toil in the palace until you die, or you might contract an incurable disease and be thrown out while toiling day after day, or you strive to climb the ranks and enjoy as much wealth and luxury as possible in your destined lonely life. That's all you'll get.

Under such circumstances, silver becomes especially important.

Whether they wanted to live a good life in the palace or to be able to control their own lives after leaving the palace, the palace maids and eunuchs always needed to save some money.

Unlike the eunuchs and palace maids who served their masters, those who swept the streets on weekdays had no chance to meet their masters and received no favors. Although their work was relatively easy, no one would complain about the money burning their hands, right?

Over time, these eunuchs and palace maids also found other ways to make money. Passing messages between the palaces and courtyards was a way to make money. Even if many people did it and they didn't make much money, everyone could still save some money, which was better than no one getting anything.

However, there is one problem: most of the news coming from the streets is just rumors, and it is almost impossible to find any reliable information. But rumors are often deadly weapons, especially in a place like the imperial harem.

Although Yao Jinse was in charge of Yuxiu Palace and her funds were relatively tight, she never hesitated to spend money where necessary. People's hearts could be won over with money, and although they might not be very secure, who knew when they might come in handy?

"Does Your Highness find this matter suspicious?"

"There's definitely something fishy going on. The Emperor and Empress haven't gotten along for quite some time now, so how could they suddenly be on good terms?"

Last month, even on the fifteenth, the Emperor didn't spend any time in the Empress's palace. He only had lunch in Kunning Palace, a perfunctory affair. That was all. You accompanied me to Kunning Palace that day. Didn't you see the Empress's expression when we paid our respects that evening?"

Bai Tao recalled for a moment and then stopped talking. What Yao Jinse said was indeed true; the Empress's expression that day was indeed not very good.

Although the official explanation was that he hadn't rested well, resulting in dark circles under his eyes, it looked more like he had been crying.

Moreover, since then, the Empress has summoned the concubines who have the power to assist in managing the harem to Kunning Palace more often. She has devoted all her attention to matters in the harem, and even the trend of concubines sending soup to Yangxin Hall during that period has remained unchecked in Kunning Palace.

It's understandable that the Empress wouldn't want to compete with the concubines for this favor, but now that her mistress has said it like this, it all seems rather strange.

"Everyone has seen the Empress's feelings for the Emperor over the years."

Unfortunately, a ruler's heart is unfathomable.

But this "Emperor" is not just her husband, but also a monarch. Therefore, many of the Empress's expectations are bound to be dashed. Now that the Empress's mind has shifted, it's not something that will change overnight. It's just that the Emperor's actions today are truly interesting.

This afternoon, near dusk, Consort Zhao and Lady Chen left Yuxiu Palace. Yao Jinse had already overheard the Emperor going to Cining Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager. At the time, she thought it was just a routine greeting from the Emperor to the Empress Dowager, but now it seems there are more secrets involved.

What happened then?

Yao Jinse closed her eyes, rubbed her temples, and tried hard to recall the plot.

The current storyline is actually quite similar to the original storyline, except that Consort Rong's storyline went a bit astray, and the Empress's feelings for the Emperor cooled off a little too early.

Besides that, it was also thanks to the grace of Lady Joe...

Yes, and there's also the grace of Lady Joe.

Yao Jinse belatedly realized that in the original course of events, Consort Qiao would no longer be a beauty at this point. During the downfall of the Duke's mansion, the one who accompanied the emperor for so many days in the Hall of Mental Cultivation should have been Qiao Yanran, who had already become a Consort.

Consort Yi's premature departure disrupted the timing of many events, but as the old saying goes, what is destined to come will come, and now it seems that this belated fate is about to arrive.

"His Majesty seems to intend to elevate Consort Qiao. His visit to the Empress's Kunning Palace today is likely a strategic retreat. If His Majesty intends to use a single night of favor to dispel the Empress's objections, it's not impossible." Although either the Emperor or the Empress Dowager can decide the promotion of a lower-ranking concubine, if the Empress objects, it will inevitably cause some complications. Therefore, obtaining the Empress's consent becomes crucial.

The Empress has always been virtuous. A wise Empress would never show jealousy in front of the Emperor over such a trivial matter. She would only praise the Emperor's decisions without question. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful to the Emperor. Being reprimanded a few times is a small matter. It would be bad if the Emperor grew tired of her because of it.

Xie Yun'an and Shen Qingyin have been married for many years, so it's impossible that they wouldn't understand this point. Therefore, it seems that there is no way to stop Qiao Meiren from being promoted.

Yao Jinse beckoned to Bai Tao to lean down and whispered a few words in her ear.

"Tell Nuandong every word of this," Yao Jinse patted Bai Tao's hand and instructed, "Make sure the Imperial Concubine is prepared and doesn't get angry about important matters."

It's better to be safe than sorry.

Yao Jinse couldn't be sure whether the now-changed Consort Rong could control her disgust for Qiao Yanran; there was no way to resolve this matter.

Qiao Yanran is ultimately different from He Yunqing and others.

In terms of the emperor's favor, she has been enjoying immense prestige these days accompanying him in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, making her arguably the most outstanding among the newcomers.

Moreover, in the matter of the downfall of Consort Rong's maternal family, Qiao Yanran and the Qiao family behind her clearly did a lot of work for the emperor. In order to survive and for her own and her child's future in the harem, Consort Rong could suppress her emotions and pretend to be friendly with Xie Yun'an, but that does not mean that she could tolerate a little Qiao Yanran being above her.

Therefore, it is essential to inform Consort Rong about this matter in advance. As long as we give her a heads-up beforehand and let her vent her anger, the situation will not get too out of control in the public eye.

"My lady, you should stop worrying about these things. You're thinking about them all day long, and your eyebrows are practically turning blue from all the fuss."

Bai Tan brought over a cup of tea. The tea in winter is a bit hotter than usual, but after letting it cool slightly, it becomes the perfect temperature to drink. As soon as Yao Jinse swallowed the warm tea, a warm current flowed through her body, and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

“I’m not bothered by these things. There are other people who should be bothered by them, but it won’t be me.”

Yao Jinse put down her teacup. She wanted to pick up a book to read, but she didn't know what to read. So she picked up the embroidery frame next to her and continued to embroider the plum blossom she hadn't finished last time.

People who say they're fine often have something on their mind.

Bai Tan had no idea what Yao Jinse was thinking, but Yao Jinse herself knew perfectly well what was going on.

She had originally hoped to take advantage of the year-end to make a little impression on the Empress Dowager and gain the favor of being promoted. As for Xie Yun'an... Yao Jinse sighed when she thought of Xie Yun'an. This young emperor was even more unpredictable than her boss in her previous life, and his cold and unapproachable nature made it difficult to find a breakthrough with him.

Yao Jinse thought she had left a relatively deep impression on Xie Yun'an on the previous visits, but unfortunately, after Xie Yun'an left Yuxiu Palace, he almost never thought of coming back to visit again.

Originally, Princess Dongyang was young and adorable, which could have been a reason for Xie Yun'an to come. However, with Consort Qi's little prince and Consort Rong's little princess present, Princess Dongyang can no longer be a reason for Xie Yun'an to come.

Children are always younger and cuter. If you like children, isn't Chengqian Palace the best place to go?
Besides children, there were also the emperor's favorite concubines there.

Promoting one's rank in the imperial harem is not a simple matter. Yao Jinse knew from the beginning that it would be difficult, but she never expected it to be this difficult.

Of course, the main reason was that no one expected Xie Yun'an, who had already reached the position of emperor, to be so strict about the promotion of his concubines.

Since the Emperor's attempts to win her over failed, the Empress was even less inclined to help Yao Jinse, who belonged to Consort Rong's faction. Even though Yao Jinse had repeatedly distanced herself from Consort Rong, the Empress clearly still needed to observe her further.

Therefore, the final choice of the Empress Dowager was a last resort. Fortunately, Princess Dongyang was lovely and did make the Empress Dowager happy. During those days, even Yao Jinse, her birth mother, became quite popular in the Cining Palace.

Yao Jinse had initially thought the matter was almost certain, but now it seems that one shouldn't be too happy too soon.

If the emperor wants to promote Qiao Yanran, the decree for her promotion will definitely be issued before the New Year. Otherwise, promoting only one concubine during a festive occasion like the New Year would be a real thorn in the side of the other concubines.

The emperor favored Qiao Yanran and naturally wouldn't allow his beloved to suffer criticism from the other concubines. However, the implication of bestowing a title before the New Year meant that no other concubine would receive a promotion in rank during the New Year celebrations.

If Yao Jinse could understand these things, then naturally the others in the harem could too.

Once everyone realizes what's going on, there won't be any need for Consort Rong to make trouble.
The emperor's favoritism was already enough to make Qiao Yanran a target of public criticism. It's not the scarcity that's the problem, but the unfairness. Qiao Yanran received so much favor that no one else had. I'm afraid no woman could feel at peace with that.

But she couldn't afford to slack off.

They might not be unable to rely on the Empress Dowager; if not this year, there's always next year. The women in the palace who make a living have plenty of time, if not this year. As for youth—

Who hasn't been young?
If you think that the women in the palace only use their youth as an asset, then you are seriously underestimating the heroes of the harem.

Winning the emperor's heart is certainly not easy, but everyone has their own tricks for getting on his good side and gaining his favor.

After the New Year, spring is just around the corner.

When all the flowers bloom again, and it is also the first year after the emperor has completely secured his throne, the harem is truly about to become lively.

Yao Jinse quickly sewed a few stitches, tied the last thread, finished it off with scissors, and then handed the embroidery hoop to Bai Tan.

"This plum blossom is embroidered quite skillfully; take it and put it away." (End of Chapter)