Transmigrating into a book, seducing him to rise to power

On her way back to Zhaochun Palace, one thought after another flooded Su Jingyao's mind.

The way the Empress Dowager distributed power today is quite intriguing.

She and the Imperial Concubine each managed three bureaus in the Six Bureaus. In addition, the Imperial Concubine received the Imperial Household Department, while she received the Palace Administration Department.

You should know that being in charge of the Imperial Household Department meant having to review the emperor's records of his sexual encounters.

Could it be that the Empress Dowager previously thought that the Consort was jealous, and therefore deliberately assigned the Imperial Household Department to the Consort?

Isn't this like stabbing the imperial concubine in the heart?

She watches every day to see who her husband favors.

The Palace Attendant's authority was significantly greater; it was an important agency specifically responsible for discipline and oversight within the imperial harem.

It is able to punish those who violate palace rules.

In other words, she now has the power to punish. If there were an empress, only the empress would have the authority to punish everyone in the harem, including the concubines.

Today, the Empress Dowager has essentially handed over almost all the power in the harem to her and the Imperial Concubine.

At present, only the Imperial Household Department is still firmly in the hands of the Empress Dowager.

The Imperial Household Department was in charge of all income, expenditure and procurement matters of the inner palace, and the personnel involved were extremely complex. It is understandable that the Empress Dowager did not want to relinquish power to the Imperial Household Department.

Many of the concubines' private affairs required the assistance of the Imperial Household Department, and the Empress Dowager's control of the Imperial Household Department could, to a certain extent, ensure fairness in the harem.

The Empress Dowager likely intends to relinquish power completely only after the Empress is officially appointed.

Fortunately, she now has power in the palace, which will make things much easier for her in the future.

As Su Jingyao frowned slightly, lost in her own thoughts.

Following behind, An Zhaorong slowly caught up with light steps.

With a fawning smile on her face, she quickly walked a few steps to Su Jingyao's side and gave a slight curtsy.

She said softly, "Your Majesty, I greet you and congratulate you on obtaining the power to assist in managing the six palaces." As she said this, her face was always full of smiles.

Su Jingyao looked at her calmly and replied, "Sister, please rise. I am deeply grateful for the Empress Dowager's favor, and I will do my best to handle what I should do."

After An Zhaorong (An Jinyan) stood up, her tone was somewhat humble.

"Sister, when we were in the Eastern Palace, I wanted to stand on the same side as you, but you refused. Today, may I still volunteer?" Her eyes were full of sincerity.

When she first entered the Eastern Palace, she did not think things through. At that time, she was too eager for quick success and wanted to gain a place in the Crown Prince's heart.

She had a grudge against the then Crown Princess, so much so that she could only continue to scheme against the Crown Princess step by step.

But she never expected that the Crown Princess, who had committed such a serious mistake, would still be granted the title of Noble Consort and even have the power to assist in managing the six palaces.

His Majesty also neglected and disliked Consort Gui because of his deep affection for her.

She is now walking on thin ice in the harem, and she must find a solid backer for herself.

She had always thought that Consort Chunshu was a kind and innocent person.

However, Consort Chunshu had hinted to her that Consort Tang's child might be adopted by the Noble Consort.

She even "accidentally" kicked the Buddhist prayer beads in front of the late emperor's coffin.

Every single thing seemed unintentional, yet Consort Chunshu was the one who benefited from it all.

If she still doesn't understand by now, then she is truly incredibly foolish.

On the surface, her relationship with Consort Chunshu is still quite good. Currently, in the harem, only Consort Chunshu can rival the Imperial Concubine.

She needs to clearly define which side she's on.

Moreover, the imperial concubine selection will begin in March, and she needs to establish a firm foothold in the harem before the newcomers enter the palace.

Otherwise, wouldn't any newcomer be able to easily surpass her?

"Why is Sister An so determined to form an alliance with me? I only wish to do my job peacefully in the harem and raise the eldest prince well. I have no desire to participate in the harem struggles."

Su Jingyao frowned slightly, looking calmly at An Zhaorong with a hint of doubt on her face.

She had no intention of establishing any overt relationships within the harem, relationships that Jun Zechen could easily detect.

Once bound together, any foolish things An Zhaorong does in the future could potentially drag her down with her.

Although she rejected An Zhaorong again, Su Jingyao still gently comforted her.

"Sister An, I understand your concerns. If you are truly worried that the Noble Consort might retaliate against you for personal reasons, you can tell me. I will certainly tell the truth to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager."

Consort An did not expect Consort Chunshu to be so stubborn. Now that there are few people in the harem, it is fine for Consort Chunshu to fight alone. But when new people enter the palace in the future, will Consort Chunshu not need any help?

If she cannot get the protection of Consort Chunshu, the Noble Consort can take revenge on her at any time after she takes control of the palace. And His Majesty is so protective of the Noble Consort. How difficult will it be for her in the harem?

An Zhaorong bit her lip tightly, a hint of threat in her eyes.

"Sister, aren't you afraid that it was you who hinted to me about Consort Tang being abandoned to save her child, and that the child being to be adopted by the Imperial Concubine? Tell His Majesty, tell the Imperial Concubine?"

A fierce glint flashed in Su Jingyao's eyes. How dare this Consort An threaten her?

Ha, she's afraid?

Su Jingyao covered her mouth in surprise, lowering her voice to ask, "What exactly is Consort An saying?"

Then, with a look of astonishment, she whispered, "Tang Fengyi was sacrificed to save her child? And Tang Fengyi's child is even to be adopted by the Imperial Concubine?"

"These are all royal secrets, Consort An would be better off being cautious. Do you have any evidence? If it's a rumor and the Empress Dowager or His Majesty finds out... that's a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family."

Su Jingyao looked at her with a worried expression and an innocent face.

An Zhaorong lowered her eyelashes, her heart sinking.

Consort Chunshu was clearly threatening her in return.

Consort Chunshu was not afraid at all that she would tell His Majesty about this, because His Majesty would not believe her anyway.

After all, even Consort Chunshu was deceived by her kindness and innocence back then, so how could His Majesty, a man, see clearly? She was also the birth mother of the eldest prince.

But once His Majesty and the Empress Dowager find out that she was the one who told Tang Fengyi this, then she will truly be finished.

Consort Chunshu...what a deep scheme!

A fierce glint flashed in Consort An's eyes, but she couldn't afford to offend Consort Chunshu right now.

She has already offended the Imperial Concubine. Consort Chunshu is so cunning; every time she fell out of favor, Consort Chunshu would help her regain it.

It seems that Consort Chunshu thought she could use her to deal with Consort Gui.

In that case, even if Consort Chunshu doesn't outwardly ally with her, she will definitely help her in private.

Consort An raised her head and forced a smile, saying, "Sister, I was a little dizzy just now and don't remember what I said. Please forgive me."

"It's alright. Sister An must have gotten up early today and isn't fully awake yet. She should go back to the palace to rest."

Su Jingyao smiled slightly, appearing very considerate.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave." Consort An curtsied and then turned to leave.

Su Jingyao moved with light, graceful steps, continuing to walk back towards Zhaochun Palace.

Her movements were graceful, and every step she took seemed to carry a unique charm.

When you're in a good mood, even your walk becomes graceful.

She likes to talk to smart people because they can understand everything without needing to say anything.

Back at Zhaochun Palace, Su Jingyao lay languidly on the couch, her posture resembling that of a noble and leisurely cat.

A soft pillow rested around her waist, and another pillow was pressed tightly under her elbow. She looked extremely comfortable, her eyes slightly narrowed.

Then, she parted her lips slightly and said leisurely, "Miaoyun, find a way to let the Imperial Concubine know that His Majesty will take me out of the palace on my birthday in half a month."

As she said this, a faint smile appeared on her face, a smile that seemed to conceal some deeper meaning.

She had little interest in leaving the palace; what she was more interested in was that the Imperial Concubine would interfere and prevent her from leaving.

Ha, it's time to torment that scoundrel's heart and make him feel the pain.

Moreover, if you pretend to be kind and generous for too long, men will stop prioritizing you because they don't need to care about your feelings since you are so generous and tolerant.

Su Jingyao wouldn't allow such a thing to happen. A woman should act out when she needs to, and she should make that jerk of a man's head ache.

Although Miaoyun was somewhat confused, she still replied, "Yes, Master."

Qianqing Palace.

When Jun Zechen walked out of Yikun Palace this morning, his brows were slightly furrowed and his face showed a hint of suspicion.

I feel like my memory of last night is a bit blurry.

He even felt as if he had been with Yao Yao last night...

So, early in the morning, while Ling Yue was still fast asleep in bed, Jun Zechen woke up and hurriedly rushed back to Qianqing Palace.

Upon returning to the Qianqing Palace, he immediately summoned the imperial physician, who carefully examined him and found no problems with his health.

Jun Zechen was still not at ease, so he had the imperial physician check all his meals from the previous night, including the soup that Consort Shu had sent.

As emperor, he would make backups of all his meals every day and keep them for two days. This was a rule passed down from his ancestors, in order to ensure the emperor's safety.

However, after examining the patient, the imperial physician shook his head, indicating that he had not found any problems.

Is he just overthinking things?

She was indeed too attractive to him; she even came to seduce him yesterday evening.

It's not impossible that he might think about her at night.

only……

I don't know if I said anything I shouldn't have in my sleep last night.

This matter troubled Jun Zechen somewhat, but he didn't dwell on it for long, and fortunately nothing serious happened.

Afterwards, Jun Zechen returned to the Qianqing Palace after attending court and began dealing with the mountain of memorials.

Time passed quietly, and the sky gradually darkened.

Anshun cautiously approached and whispered, "Your Majesty, someone from the Imperial Household Department has arrived. Will you be choosing a concubine tonight?"

Jun Zechen was slightly taken aback, then decisively said, "Let them leave. I will go to Zhaochun Palace tonight."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Anshun replied hastily.

Jun Zechen glanced at the sky after An Shun's reminder, and indeed, it was getting late.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, and then without hesitation, he took a step and walked towards Zhaochun Palace.

"Where is your master?"

After Jun Zechen entered Zhaochun Palace, he only saw her two personal maids, but not anyone else.

Logically, as the emperor, he should have notified his concubines in advance when he came to their palaces. However, he was used to going directly to her palace when he was in the Eastern Palace, and he didn't want her to wait anxiously outside the palace beforehand.

"Your Majesty, the master is in the study."

Miaoxue answered, while Miaoyun and Miaoxia were keeping their master company in the study.

Jun Zechen strode towards the study.

As soon as he stepped into the study, his gaze was immediately drawn to the woman sitting upright in the chair.

She looked serious and focused, her posture upright, holding a pen in her hand, writing something with complete concentration.

The soft candlelight illuminated her unadorned face, making her appear even more beautiful and charming, like a delicate painting.

Jun Zechen approached lightly and asked in a low voice, "What are you writing?" His voice seemed to carry a certain magic, echoing in the silent space.

Upon hearing his voice, Su Jingyao was slightly startled before realizing his arrival and quickly made a move to get up from her chair.

Jun Zechen, however, reacted quickly, reaching out to gently press her shoulder and saying softly, "No need for formalities, please continue writing."

"His Majesty has arrived without even announcing it," Su Jingyao said with a hint of reproach.

"Today, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. She has granted me the authority to manage the Three Bureaus and One Department. Since I am so grateful for her favor, I will naturally work diligently and do my best to fulfill my duties."

"Your Majesty, look, this is the management plan I have prepared."

As she spoke, she gently picked up the paper she was writing on, which contained Miyako's management plan.

Jun Zechen reached out and took the proposal she had written, and began to read it carefully.

The rules, regulations, and oversight mechanisms outlined in the plan are indeed common management practices.

However, when he saw the data analysis, the care for palace servants, the training and education, and other related content, it was the first time he had ever heard of such things.

Jun Zechen then carefully examined the specific operational methods for each major category.

The first step in data analysis is to establish a detailed data table of the time, place, people, and events of those who violate palace rules, and then adjust the rules and regulations and supervision mechanisms accordingly based on this data.

Looking at the detailed instructions, Jun Zechen suddenly realized that this data analysis was just routine record keeping.

No one else would summarize it in such detail and write it out clearly point by point.

And then there's the oversight group, the reporting channels, and so on. The more Jun Zechen looked at them, the more familiar they seemed. Wasn't this just like the Censorate he had set up?

A hint of admiration for her unconsciously flickered in his eyes.

Jun Zechen carefully reviewed all her proposals and found them all quite good, nodding in satisfaction.

Then, Jun Zechen gently put down the papers, stretched out his arms, and gently but firmly pulled the person onto his lap.

"Yaoyao always surprises me."

His voice carried a hint of doting and admiration.