Isn’t this good?
She slept soundly in the carriage all the way, and after returning to the palace, Yun Jiao was afraid she couldn’t adjust to the time difference.
After some pleasantries, the Empress Dowager noticed the Emperor’s fatigue and didn’t continue the act, leading the group back to the palace to rest.
Being merely an Attendant Lady was good because the big bosses never even mentioned her by name!
Like how the Empress Dowager pulled aside the Emperor, Empress, and Concubine Jiang for intimate talks, while ignoring Lady, clearly showing her displeasure towards her. The members of the harem observed and took note of this!
But with Yun Jiao, it was normal for the Empress Dowager not to mention her by name.
The lower the position, the less responsibility.
While they were scheming against each other, Yun Jiao was already back at Xianfu Palace, lying on her couch.
Xue Ya was puzzled: "Didn’t little mistress already sleep in the carriage?"
"Yes, I’m not tired now, I just want to lie down."
"But..."
"If the bed was only for sleeping, that would be unfair to my couch, wouldn’t it? Don’t overthink it, if you don’t get it, just give me a shoulder rub."
"Yes, little mistress."
Xue Ya, bewildered, began to massage her mistress’s shoulders and neck.
Some people idle like carefree wanderers, some fight like roosters.
Concubine Jiang hadn’t even washed up and ran to Changle Palace, collapsed on the Empress Dowager’s knee, crying and telling all the grievances she suffered from Lady. She found relief in talking, but the Empress Dowager frowned, ordering a maid to help her up, offered her a cup of hot tea to calm her: "Just choose another horse you like, you don’t need to trouble the Emperor with such a minor issue, I’ll take care of it for you."
"Empress Dowager..."
Concubine Jiang was still feeling wronged.
"Then what would you have me do? Summon Lady over here and scold her?"
Seeing the Empress Dowager’s displeasure, Concubine Jiang hesitated in her words: "I never said that..."
"You didn’t say it, but it’s what you’re thinking,"
Concubine Jiang hung her head in despair.
The Empress Dowager still wanted to painstakingly reason with her: "The issue began because you didn’t like Attendant Lady Xi and wanted to reprimand her and were caught by Lady Scheming, leading to your horse’s death. But ultimately, she wouldn’t punish you without just cause, right? The Emperor doesn’t like concubines who stir up trouble, if this reaches his ears, he’ll only think you caused trouble without any skill and lack the perspective to smooth things over."
Every time the Empress Dowager looked at her niece, she felt particularly weary.
Unfortunately, supporting her own family’s power required nepotism, otherwise, the Empress Dowager would have preferred to choose a more intelligent and capable girl to cultivate.
In the Empress Dowager’s view, a horse was just a horse.
The harem is full of such matters, intended to shock the nefarious, don’t let it affect you, remember the incident and get back at them later. Right now, the other has a higher position and favoritism and is justified, continued fuss would only make you a laughingstock.
Unless you could cry before the Emperor, make him feel tenderness rather than annoyance.
Speaking of how it started, it left the palace intrigue champion from the previous reign dumbfounded.
Why trouble a favored attendant lady at all?
Before Yun Jiao was titled Attendant Lady Xi, the Emperor hadn’t stepped foot in the harem for a good while, during which time the Empress Dowager was so anxious she developed two mouth sores. Upon seeing Attendant Lady Xi being summoned after serving the Emperor, she felt a great relief——
Her son still has desires for women!
The Empress Dowager calms herself: "Your chief priority is to conceive the emperor’s child swiftly. During the Qiu Lie, did the Emperor summon you?"
"N-no..."
"All my efforts were in vain, yet you only think about your horse!"
The Empress Dowager was furious, pressing her temples.
Only then did Concubine Jiang realize fear, quickly apologized to the Empress Dowager, personally massaging her head, saying many good things until the Empress Dowager’s expression softened: "Without a son or daughter, even if you manage to suppress the new favored concubines one by one, it will only make you a stepping stone for others! Neither get involved with Lady nor Attendant Lady Xi, or else if this reaches the Emperor’s ears, he’ll grow more annoyed with you."
With that, she couldn’t be bothered if Concubine Jiang was listening, and waved her off.
The maid presented calming tea, the Empress Dowager drank it all at once: "I’m just afraid now, even if she conceives, the child would inherit her foolishness and incompetence!"
The more she thought, the more likely it seemed.
The maid laughed, saying: "Wouldn’t it be simple, Empress Dowager? Once born, just raise it in Changle Palace."
-------------------------------------
Back in the palace, Xie Zhixing had a heap of things to handle again.
When he had time, he would sit in the palaces of concubines with children, fulfilling his duties as a father, making Concubine Wei feel delighted once more, and after the Emperor visited her palace for meals two days in a row, she returned to her old ways.
She didn’t dare provoke those above like the Empress, Princess Consort Jing, and Lady.