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

As one of the chief eunuchs serving Xie Yun'an, Hu Shijie's identity was not exactly ordinary.

He was the first eunuch to follow Xie Yun'an, having served him since childhood. Of the three chief eunuchs around Xie Yun'an, he was the one who had followed him the longest.

Yuan Shan was personally chosen by the Empress Dowager for Xie Yun'an when he was granted the title of Prince and established his own residence. Although he was chosen by his own mother, there was a certain degree of intention to keep him under surveillance. Therefore, when Xie Yun'an was in the Prince's residence, he mostly let Yuan Shan handle the relay of messages between the inner and outer quarters, and rarely let him do anything too important.

Even after entering the palace, this rule remained unchanged.

Yuan Shan was responsible for handling almost all the imperial decrees issued to the concubines in the harem, with only a few exceptions, such as those concerning the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Consort Rong. In such cases, the Emperor would often send Hu Shijie to speak on behalf of the Empress, which shows how much the Emperor valued him.

As for Mao Tuan... this kid is young and was originally Hu Shijie's apprentice. He had only shown his face in front of Xie Yun'an, which made the latter think he was clever and quick-witted, so he brought up the identity of a chief eunuch.

But after all, there is a difference between master and apprentice, and no matter what, Mao Tuan can't surpass Hu Shijie.

But it was precisely because he had spent so much time by Xie Yun'an's side that Hu Shijie found the scene before him increasingly peculiar.

It wasn't that the emperor hadn't rested in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but this was the first time he had fallen asleep on the dragon throne.

Most of the time, the soft couch in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was where the emperor would take a nap. Sometimes, if he had been dealing with state affairs for a long time and didn't want to go back to the Palace of Heavenly Purity in the evening, he would also take a nap in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Although it was a formality, the emperor's daily life and conduct were among the most dignified in the palace, which was quite remarkable in the eyes of these servants.

Although there is a saying that servants become rich because of their masters, the current dynasty is very strict in guarding against eunuchs. These eunuchs are not allowed to leave the palace. Even if they find an opportunity to learn some literacy skills, they can only do so secretly. They cannot even reveal their master-apprentice relationship to each other.

However, to serve before the emperor, the three head eunuchs couldn't all be illiterate. Hu Shijie had served Xie Yun'an since he was a child. When Xie Yun'an was learning from his master, Hu Shijie was always there to serve him with writing materials. Naturally, he learned a lot from being around him.

Therefore, Hu Shijie spends the most time serving Xie Yun'an. Yuan Shan and Mao Tuan are responsible for communicating with the ministers outside the palace and the ladies in the palace, respectively. The three of them work together quite well.

However, behind this tacit understanding, each side naturally has its own inclinations.

But judging from Hu Shijie's experience over the years, none of the three of them had ever favored Lin Jieyu.

But this scene just happened right before his eyes today, and no one would believe it if he told them.

"My lord, look..."

The Emperor was already fast asleep and couldn't be moved easily, so the only option was to make him more comfortable on the dragon throne. The things Yao Jinse had just done made Hu Shijie feel relieved. With such a young mistress taking the blame, when His Majesty woke up in a while, he wouldn't be blamed.

Yao Jinse raised her hand to her mouth and made a soft-sounding gesture, then lowered her voice and said, "Don't worry, Eunuch Hu, I'll wait here for His Majesty to wake up. It's alright. But please keep an eye on the time, so that His Majesty doesn't sleep too long and delay important matters."

Since Yao Jinse had already said so much, Hu Shijie naturally couldn't say anything more. A woman who could make the emperor sleep peacefully, no matter how unassuming she was, or even if she wasn't particularly favored before, was still different.

Not to mention that Consort Lin already has the status of a princess. Even though there have been many more children in the palace recently, children are a special existence; they either exist or they don't, and there's a world of difference between them.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will serve you outside. When it is about time, I will come in to remind you. Your Highness serves the Emperor, so I understand."

I don't know what he understood.

Yao Jinse maintained a calm smile on her face. She watched as Hu Shijie lifted the curtain and went to the outer room. The emperor behind her was sleeping so soundly. She didn't know whether to leave or not.

It's better to stay and wait for the Emperor to wake up so we can discuss the important matters again. Maybe we can take advantage of the Emperor's grogginess after he has just woken up and then get him to accept this favor.

But what should we do now?

……

Although it was winter, it was rare for the palace to have such a good snowfall. Although the snow came suddenly, it was not small and was even bigger than the snowfalls of last year. Qiao Yanran thought that the snow scene was even more beautiful than the collective snow viewing scene last year, just by looking out of her own window.

Perhaps it's a difference in mindset. After all, back then, when the Empress invited everyone to enjoy the snow together, her motives were impure. But now, lying on a warm kang in her own palace, watching the snow fall outside, has a different kind of charm.

She didn't even think about going to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to see Xie Yun'an. Having just received an honor, she should behave herself these next two days and maintain the proper demeanor of a concubine in the harem. Most importantly, she should learn to assess the situation.

During this period, she was favored by the emperor, to a degree that was even comparable to that of the former Consort Rong. She had suffered countless scornful looks, both openly and secretly.

Being the target of everyone's criticism is not a pleasant feeling. After experiencing it firsthand, Qiao Yanran realized that sometimes being more stable is not so bad.

However, maintaining peace and stability within the harem is never so easy.

Qiao Yanran knew perfectly well why she had become a thorn in the side of everyone in the harem, but she had no other choice. Did they all enter the harem to live peacefully and become sisters? To give up the emperor's favor and the wealth and glory of an entire family to peacefully become sisters with the women in the palace would be the act of a fool.

The peace of the past two days is just a period of dormancy. Although life is stable now, it can't go on like this forever. Qiao Yanran blinked her eyes and noticed that the snow outside seemed to have lessened a bit before she got up and started picking out clothes.

She needs to go out for a walk.

……

Seeing that the snow outside had lessened, Bai Fengping instructed people to shovel snow in her yard.

Since no one else was sharing this place with her, it was small, but it was safe and quiet. Besides, there were only two of them in the courtyard. She and her personal maid lived in the main hall, while the remaining eunuchs and maids lived separately in the servants' quarters. These rooms were not even full yet, so the place was naturally quite large.

Moreover, this small courtyard is easy to clean. All you need to do is sweep out a path; you don't need to worry about the areas under the trees or around the flower beds. Once the work is done, you can let the servants go back to their rooms to hide. After all, it's too cold outside in winter, and the servants are happy to be warmer inside. When you want someone to do something, you always have to give them enough benefits.

"It's so quiet here, much quieter than outside."

Qiao Yanran's voice came from outside through two layers of curtains. At that time, Bai Fengping was embroidering. Her embroidery skills were not very good, only mediocre. She had not practiced diligently when she was at home. At that time, she was focused on doing business with her father and brothers. As for the needlework that women should have, she had money. Could she not buy it?
But one day, after entering the palace, he found himself with nowhere to spend his money.

Upon hearing Qiao Yanran's voice, Bai Fengping quickly stood up. Before she could even go out to greet her, Qiao Yanran had already entered with her maid.

She was dressed extra warmly today, wearing a short jacket woven with gold and silver threads, and a light blue silk skirt underneath. Since it was just a casual outing, she simply had her maid tie her hair into a simple cloud-shaped bun, adorned with a few pearl hairpins and gemstones.

Although it was a common outfit, within the bounds of social hierarchy, the way her hair was styled was particularly ingenious, flowing like clouds as she moved, making her look absolutely stunning.

Even someone as used to seeing novelties as Bai Fengping couldn't help but take a second look.

It's clear that Qiao Yanran has a lot of experience in dressing and styling.

"Why did you come at this time, sister? The wind and snow are so strong outside. Even if you are not afraid of the wind and snow, you should be careful of the slippery road. What if you get hurt?"

"It's not that delicate."

Qiao Yanran's smile truly lived up to her name. Even Bai Fengping, a woman, couldn't help but admire her: "When I was at home, we would always go out for a snowball fight whenever it snowed. But in the palace, there are rules that restrict us from doing these things. So I can only go out for a walk. Besides, with them with me, I can walk slowly and be careful."

Qiao Yanran and Bai Fengping have an openly good relationship. Together with He Yunqing, they form what outsiders would consider a small clique among the newly arrived concubines. Two of them are favored by the emperor, while the other, though of average talent, comes from a wealthy family. The three of them together are quite extraordinary.

"What my sister said, I haven't experienced much of. When I was little, it didn't snow much at home. Later, I moved north with my family. We were always busy and didn't have much free time to go out and play."

She casually pointed to the embroidery basket next to her: "Look, I was just thinking about what to embroider to pass the time when my sister came."

"At such a young age, what are you talking about killing time? Go knock on some wood, ptooey, ptooey."

Qiao Yanran could hear the subtle loneliness in Bai Fengping's words, but she also remembered that when she first entered the palace last year, the sisters in front of her were not as indifferent as they are now. Back then, Bai Fengping was full of energy and was willing to take the initiative to offer suggestions for everything.

When did she start to become so forlorn?

It seems to have started after she began serving the emperor.

Of the three, He Yunqing was the first to gain favor, but when He Yunqing gained favor, Qiao Yanran was still ill, and Bai Fengping had not yet had the opportunity to serve the emperor, so naturally she did not feel any sense of loss.

The new concubines in the palace have all served the emperor several times, but Bai Fengping has not yet received any favor.

Qiao Yanran had never experienced anything like this, and she dared not say that she could truly understand the feeling of being ignored after experiencing it. But no matter how she thought about it, she knew that if something like this happened to her, it would not be pleasant.

But while they may think one thing to themselves, they often act quite differently on the surface.

The rules and etiquette of aristocratic families are cultivated from childhood, including the behavior of girls in daily life. From small things like eating and drinking, to walking and sitting in front of others, there are rules to regulate their behavior.

But while rules can be learned, there are some things that cannot.

What kind of appearance is good?

What constitutes a bad appearance?

Knowing what to say to make people feel comfortable and how to do things more effectively without seeming to have ulterior motives are skills that are learned through exposure in a large family. Clearly, in these matters, Bai Fengping, who has been tempered by life in the streets, is ultimately inferior to Qiao Yanran.

Not to mention Qiao Yanran, who came today with concern. Even though she has gained the emperor's favor, she has not completely forgotten her sister—at least on the surface. So today she came to help Bai Fengping.

To win the emperor's favor, Bai Fengping would need to rely on her own abilities, but the prerequisite for being liked is that the two people need space to understand each other; relying solely on appearance can only bring temporary pleasure.

Qiao Yanran herself had some advantages due to her outstanding appearance, but she also knew that using her beauty to serve others was merely a ticket to gain a foothold by the emperor's side.

The reason she was able to develop such a deep affection for the emperor in such a short time was entirely due to the many exchanges she had with him during this period, in the process of suppressing Consort Rong and the Duke's Mansion.

These profound exchanges gave her the opportunity to see the emperor's heart more clearly.

But precisely because of this, she understood even more clearly that the emperor would never belong to her alone. Rather than having people she didn't want around the emperor, she would rather give this benefit to her sisters with whom she already had a good relationship.

As for introductions... there will always be opportunities, but before those opportunities arrive, the person in question must be prepared, right?

However, although that's the situation, it can't be said too clearly or directly, otherwise it would seem too utilitarian. Qiao Yanran beat around the bush for a while, said some useless small talk, and then slowly brought up the main topic.

"Speaking of which, I can no longer appear before the Emperor so often these days, otherwise rumors about me bewitching the Emperor will probably start circulating in the court. However, these days, the Emperor always locks himself in the Hall of Mental Cultivation to review memorials. Sister, you always have your own ideas. Do you have any new tricks to help the Emperor relieve his boredom?"

Qiao Yanran's expression was sincere, as if she genuinely cared about Xie Yun'an's mental health. After she said this, Bai Fengping was taken aback.

Although there's nothing inherently wrong with what he said, why does it sound so strange?

Although they addressed each other as sisters, they were ultimately all the emperor's concubines; how could they openly express this so explicitly? (End of Chapter)