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

Xie Yun'an felt he hadn't slept so comfortably in a long time.

He couldn't quite describe what the feeling was like, but the last time he experienced such comfort was when he was a child.

He shifted his body and reached out to grab the thin blanket that was about to slip to the ground. Immediately afterwards, Xie Yun'an heard a soft thud behind him, as if something had fallen to the ground.

"His Majesty has awakened?"

Yao Jinse placed the book she had only flipped through a dozen pages on the table, quickly walked to Xie Yun'an's side, picked up the soft pillow that had fallen to the ground and put it on a chair to the side, then took the blanket that Xie Yun'an handed her, folded it up in a few quick movements and put it together with the soft pillow. The palace servants of Yangxin Hall would naturally put these things back in their original places later.

"When did I fall asleep?"

Xie Yun'an's voice was a little muffled from just waking up, but you couldn't tell what emotion he was feeling. He didn't have any emotions either; he had a good night's sleep, so he was naturally relaxed when he woke up.

Yao Jinse could hear the casualness in Xie Yun'an's tone, and she didn't act too respectfully. Instead, she replied as if she were talking about some trivial family matters: "Your Majesty, I was thinking that Your Majesty's shoulders and back must be sore from sitting for so long, so I was going to massage them for you. But I didn't expect Your Majesty to fall asleep. It seems that you have been working hard for days. I'm sorry for speaking out of turn, but Your Majesty, although you are young and strong, you should take better care of your health. Working so hard all the time may harm your body."

"With the year-end approaching, everyone is in need of money and grain. If I take a little more responsibility in certain matters, the people will naturally be able to get through the year better."

Xie Yun'an glanced at the book on the small table to his right, which had a few pages turned, and got a rough idea of ​​how long he had been sleeping.

I fell asleep in the chair. Although I had a soft pillow, the position wasn't very comfortable, so I probably didn't sleep for long.

"His Majesty cares deeply for the people."

Yao Jinse casually offered a compliment. In any case, one must always be mindful of what one says in front of the emperor. Yao Jinse knew very well what to say and what not to say, but most importantly, it was always right to say nice and auspicious words.

No one dislikes being praised, especially a young emperor like Xie Yun'an.

In the court, ministers rarely flatter the emperor in order to gain a good reputation. Some young censors might be considered young and impetuous and straightforward, but the older ministers are all old foxes. How could they really be straightforward?

It was nothing more than showing off one's incorruptibility in front of the emperor. If one could be reprimanded by the emperor, it would further enhance one's reputation as a person of integrity.

However, Yao Jinse didn't care about any of this. The officials in the court each had their own ideas and were naturally acting in their own interests. The women in the harem were also acting in their own interests, so it was only right to say nice things to the emperor.

Cats have their ways, mice have theirs; everyone has their own path, and no one is more noble than the other.

Anyway, there's still plenty of time. Yao Jinse isn't thinking about getting any benefits from Xie Yun'an anytime soon. She's also very clear that this story has to be acted out by people, and the background she's in was originally a story that emphasized love.

Since it's a story that emphasizes love, the protagonists' relationship can't be smooth sailing. There have to be many twists and turns to show that their love is as strong as gold, or there should be some unavoidable regrets.

What she was thinking about was taking advantage of this gap.

Xie Yun'an and Qiao Yanran are currently in the throes of a passionate romance. When they are together, their relationship can be described as sweet and harmonious. However, when they are apart, Xie Yun'an is still the emperor of a country. As the emperor, he cannot favor only one woman. Even for the sake of the stability of the court, the harem cannot become a place where only one woman can dominate.

There's a saying from a past life: the emperor's heart is like a durian, full of sharp points, covered with people.

Yao Jinse didn't want to stand on the tip of the durian, as sharp spots always prick people; she only wanted to find a chance to survive in the gaps.

As for the methods used, it doesn't really matter. Xie Yun'an doesn't mind the women in his harem flattering him; in fact, he enjoys it to some extent. Since this trick works, he should use it more often.

The snow outside the window had stopped and the wind had ceased, as if to coincide with Xie Yun'an's awakening from a dream. Because she was afraid of disturbing the emperor's peaceful sleep, Bai Tan was also waiting outside. In the vast palace, there were only Yao Jinse and Xie Yun'an.

At this moment, the room became even quieter.

Xie Yun'an was not a talkative person, especially when facing a concubine he did not particularly favor. It was already rare for him to say a few words. Yao Jinse was not a very outgoing person either. She would always think before she spoke, and some words that were on the tip of her tongue would be swallowed back after careful consideration.

Therefore, the Hall of Mental Cultivation suddenly seemed desolate.

With court affairs still unresolved, Xie Yun'an did not want to review memorials in front of the empress and concubines. He also knew that Yao Jinse's visit was not just a simple visit—if she truly cared, she would have been frequently bringing snacks and soup to Yangxin Hall over the past few days.

As the saying goes, one doesn't visit a temple without a reason. Considering that the massage was quite comfortable and she had a good sleep, Xie Yun'an was willing to listen to Yao Jinse's request.

"I'm really fine."

When Xie Yun'an suddenly asked her the purpose of her visit today, Yao Jinse was slightly taken aback, and then shook her head in denial.

She originally came here today to ask for a favor, but now she has changed her mind.

After all, it is not easy to rashly ask the emperor for favor. Even a favored concubine like Consort Rong in the harem would not dare to say that the emperor could do whatever she wanted.

Whether one can do it is one thing, and whether one wants to do it is another. But in Xie Yun'an's view, the women in the harem should obviously keep to their proper place. Although he doesn't like women who are too dull, being too shrewd is not a good thing either.

So Yao Jinse thought that today's opportunity was good. By chance, she could lay a foundation and then visit the Hall of Mental Cultivation more often in the future.

Wait for a suitable opportunity, then start asking the Emperor for favors. At that time, as long as she adds reasonable merits, whether it's blueprints or something else, as long as she can do it, it won't be a problem.

That's exactly what she did with the Empress. After a while, the Empress didn't think there was anything wrong with it. On the contrary, she readily accepted Yao Jinse's existence. Even the matter of following the Consort in the past seemed to be completely wiped away in the Empress's eyes.

She hadn't expected Xie Yun'an to be so direct.

Xie Yun'an had the direct advantage, but Yao Jinse lacked the ability to directly counter it. "When I was accompanying the Empress Dowager at Cining Palace a couple of days ago, I was also instructed by Her Majesty to visit Yangxin Hall more often. His Majesty sits at his desk all day reviewing memorials, and I imagine he must be suffering from back pain. So I thought it would be my duty to help His Majesty alleviate this pain."

These words flattered both the emperor and the empress dowager. Yao Jinse thought to herself that there shouldn't be any problem with them.

Xie Yun'an, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought.

The people in this palace are all different, and the women in the harem each have their own tricks. He has seen all sorts of tricks, like acting cute and silly, but he has rarely seen someone as special as Consort Lin.

It's not that she's bad, but this kind of woman is too indifferent. She's not as intense as Consort Rong, nor as gentle as Lady Qiao. She's more like a bowl of porridge.

After Yao Jinse took her leave, Xie Yun'an suddenly remembered that on the few days when Yao Jinse served the emperor at Yuxiu Palace, she would prepare some porridge for him in the morning before attending the morning court session.

Although I wasn't very hungry and didn't necessarily need to drink that bowl of porridge, having some things is always better than not having them.

The other concubines were not without this thoughtfulness, but they didn't quite have this kind of heart.

With Yao Jinse leaving with Bai Tan, Hu Shijie naturally returned to his rightful place.

The old eunuch had been by Xie Yun'an's side for many years, taking meticulous care of his master's daily life, and was naturally very good at understanding his master's thoughts.

But he didn't say anything.

Anyway, Lin Jieyu's stay wasn't too long or too short, and there was a brief period when Xie Yun'an was still asleep, so there's nothing to say about that.

On the contrary, it was the special look in Xie Yun'an's eyes when he mentioned Lin Jieyu that caught Hu Shijie's attention.

He hadn't paid much attention to this unassuming Consort Lin in his daily life, assuming she was just an ordinary concubine with a good life who followed the Imperial Concubine. Now it seemed that there were truly many talented people in the palace.

……

Kunning Palace.

On snowy days, Shen Jingyin always liked to watch the snowflakes fall from the window.

Granny Hua hurried in from outside and whispered in Shen Qingyin's ear, "Your Highness, someone from the Second Prince's side has sent word that the weather has been getting colder these past few days, and the Second Prince's health is not quite right. Do you think we should send an imperial physician to take a look?"

Regardless of their rank, the concubines in the palace could have their pulse checked by an imperial physician every now and then. This system was originally intended to detect pregnant concubines as early as possible, but even when the emperor did not enter the harem, the concubines would still feel unwell at times, so the system was retained.

The concubines had such good fortune, but the princes did not.

Those with their birth mothers by their side need no further explanation, but if anyone has a headache or fever, or even just cries incessantly at night, the imperial physician must be summoned to treat them personally.

But the Second Prince... he had no birth mother and was not exactly loved by the Emperor. In name only, he had the Empress as his legal mother.

Shen Qingyin had always thought that she was in good health and could give birth to another legitimate prince for the emperor, so she never paid much attention to the eldest and second princes. Consort Zhuang, as the birth mother, took meticulous care of the eldest prince, while the second prince received little attention.

Back when he was in the Prince's mansion, the Second Prince's life was just average; otherwise, he wouldn't be so much weaker than other children, and he would easily fall ill every winter.

"How are the people around the Second Prince taking care of him? It's one thing that their master is already unwell, but how come he still managed to catch a cold these days when it's so cold?"

After all, the princes are of imperial blood. If they are not taken care of properly, it would be considered a dereliction of duty on her part as the legal mother. Although Shen Qingyin no longer fantasizes about having another son, she also has no interest in treating other people's sons as her own. In any case, she is the mother of the country, and no matter which prince ascends the throne in the future, the title of Empress Dowager will never surpass hers.

"Your Majesty has already sent several imperial physicians for the Second Prince. However, as Your Majesty knows, those old foxes in the Imperial Medical Academy always only tell seven or eight out of ten things. Whether the prince is sick or not, they never tell the truth. But I heard the eunuch who came to report in detail, so it seems that the Second Prince has really fallen ill this time."

"In that case, quickly summon the imperial physician to stand by the Second Prince's side. Tell the people from the Imperial Hospital to show their skills. If anything happens to the Second Prince, I will not let it go lightly."

"Yes, this servant will go and deliver the message immediately."

Granny Hua quickly said, "There's one more thing. When I came back just now, I ran into Consort Lin and her maid. It seemed like they had just come back from the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Consort Lin doesn't usually go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation on her own initiative, but she went there today in this snowy weather. Your Highness, should we investigate?"

Shen Qingyin thought for a moment and then nodded.

It wasn't that she was being paranoid, but it was indeed strange that Yao would go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Back when she was under the Emperor's patronage, Consort Lin was always very well-behaved and never took the initiative to compete for the Emperor's favor.

Now that the Imperial Concubine has fallen, why is it that Yao, who used to be so attentive in Kunning Palace, suddenly wants to go to Yangxin Hall?
Shen Qingyin didn't think there was anything wrong with the concubines going to see the emperor. If the women in the harem couldn't see the emperor, how could they possibly have the opportunity to have children for the royal family?
With several more children appearing in the palace these days, Shen Qingyin has become more open-minded. Rather than worrying about not having a legitimate son by herself, she might as well have more children in the harem, so that eventually an outstanding heir can be chosen.

When that time comes, won't it still be thanks to her as the empress?
Now that Consort Rong has basically no power to rival the Empress, Shen Qingyin is in a good mood and naturally hopes that all the concubines in the harem will become pregnant.

A concubine who has a child will become the target of public criticism, but if a group of concubines can all have their own children, the harem will be peaceful for at least ten years as the children grow up.

For her, the empress, a peaceful and undisturbed harem was the best thing ever.

Just as the Emperor and Empress Dowager had instructed her, it was her duty as Empress to keep the harem from causing any trouble.

And she, the Empress herself, also cherished the tranquility of the palace. (End of Chapter)