Chapter 15: Suiyu Pavilion Demolition

Stop calling me the daughter of a concubine!

The Empress clenched her fists to control her emotions. “Zhen is merely an Attendant and truly unworthy of residing in Chengqian Palace. I have already discussed this matter with the Emperor, and there is no need for further changes.”

“Empress…”

“No more discussion!” The Empress no longer pretended to be virtuous. “You may leave.” How infuriating!

[You may leave…??? That old woman actually told me to “leave”? What right does she have to tell me to “leave”!]

Nian Shilan suddenly realized that if the Empress stopped pretending to be virtuous and chose to confront her head-on, neither could do much to the other.

[If I were still competing for favor, I would tell the Emperor tonight and have him punish you!]

Nian Shilan stormed off in a huff, not even bothering with proper etiquette.

[Don’t think I don’t know—you buried She Xiang under the osmanthus tree in Suiyu Pavilion. You wanted Zhen Huan to be infertile, but it was useless. She discovered it as soon as she entered the palace.]

“Consort Hua is too arrogant! She didn’t even observe proper etiquette!” Jian Qiu waited until Nian Shilan had left the courtyard before speaking. “But Your Majesty was truly formidable just now. With a single sentence, you rendered Consort Hua speechless. As the mistress of the central palace, this is how it should be!”

The Empress’s breathing was noticeably heavy due to her anger.

Hearing this, Jian Qiu remembered that the Empress had mentioned a headache earlier and began massaging her temples. “Your Majesty, should I summon the imperial physician?”

“No need. Help me change clothes. I am going to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.”

“What does Your Majesty intend to do at the Hall of Mental Cultivation at this time?”

To resolve Consort Hua’s worries, of course.

If the matters she was concerned about were not resolved soon, she might start scheming again, making the path ahead even more difficult.

As they were about to leave the palace, the Empress quietly instructed, “Dig up the She Xiang buried under the osmanthus tree in Suiyu Pavilion. Make sure no one finds out.”

“Zhen Changzai is about to move in. Why would Your Majesty…”

“Just do as I say!”

Jian Qiu noticed that after meeting with Consort Hua, the Empress seemed particularly irritable.

…Almost like a second Consort Hua.

Jian Qiu couldn’t hear Consort Hua’s inner thoughts and didn’t understand the frustration of being insulted to her face without being able to retort.

The next day, the Imperial Household Department sent a register to Yikun Palace.

“What brings you here today?” Nian Shilan leaned against a soft pillow and asked curiously.

“Replying to Your Majesty, the Emperor has just ascended the throne and says the national treasury is empty. To demonstrate heavenly grace, he has decided to release a group of older palace maids.”

The Emperor advocated frugality, but in this regard, he was always lenient with himself and strict with others.

In plain terms, he was stingy with everyone else but generous with himself.

In her previous life, there had also been an incident where palace maids were released, but this time it seemed to have happened earlier.

Nian Shilan didn’t think it was a big deal.

Huang Guiquan said, “Your Majesty, this is the list of palace maids to be released. Our Imperial Household Department drafted it overnight. The Empress asked Consort Hua to review it. If there are no issues, we will proceed with the arrangements today.”

Nian Shilan casually flipped through the register: Cui Jinxi, the Zhi Shi Gong Nv of Suiyu Pavilion, was prominently listed.

When considering this matter, the Empress had hesitated about whether to recruit Cui Jinxi for her own use, remembering Nian Shilan’s high praise for her. However, she had investigated and found that Cui Jinxi had served a Tai Fei.

Tai Fei were all defeated by the Empress Dowager. Although the Empress Dowager had never helped her suppress Consort Hua in the past, the Ulanara clan was united.

Cui Jinxi was Tai Fei’s person, which meant she could never be of one mind with the Empress.

Moreover, this person appears gentle and obedient on the surface but is cautious at heart, truly cut from the same cloth as Zhen Huan.

What is suitable is best. She already has loyal servants like Jian Qiu and Huichun, so there is no need to bring in another, lest they feel threatened and cause unrest within Jingren Palace—a loss that outweighs the gain.

It seems Consort Hua, in her foolishness, refrained from summoning the person to her own palace for similar considerations.

Thus, the Empress ultimately decided to have Jinxi removed from the palace.

If she couldn’t use her herself, then no one else should get her either.

“With Cui Jinxi gone, won’t Suiyu Pavilion be left without a Zhi Shi Gong Nv?” Nian Shilan asked.

“It was never an important place to begin with. Pei’er is an experienced maid in the palace, and leading the other servants to attend to Suiyu Pavilion is more than sufficient. If Lady Chun and Lady Zhen are fortunate in the future, we can always assign more personnel later.”

Huang Guiquan observed that since both the Emperor and Empress had personally ordered the transfer, it was likely this person’s fortune had run out.

Nian Shilan felt reassured. The Empress, fearing that the Emperor’s beloved might live too comfortably, had secretly meddled, inadvertently doing her a great favor.

Without Cui Jinxi and Xiao Yunzi, Zhen Huan was like a female eagle losing its… Huh? Xiao Yunzi?

She had almost forgotten about him.

“How many eunuchs are currently serving in Suiyu Pavilion?”

“Replying to Your Highness, Kang Luhai remains in Suiyu Pavilion with two apprentices.”

“Only these three?”

“Well, for such a small place, three people are more than enough.”

“I recall there was one named Xiao Yunzi?”

“Xiao Yunzi is fortunate indeed to be remembered by Your Highness. Recently, with new ladies entering the palace, Si Zhi Ku is short on hands. Xiao Yunzi’s brother spoke to his master and had him transferred there. If Your Highness finds the transfer inappropriate, this servant can have him sent back.”

“No need.” Absolutely no need!

Without Cui Jinxi and Xiao Yunzi, Zhen Huan was like a female eagle stripped of its wings or a fierce tiger deprived of its claws. Even with Chunyuan’s beauty, it would not be so easy for a mere Attendant to climb the ranks.

Nian Shilan was delighted.

But… with such significant changes, if they no longer followed the path of her previous life, wouldn’t she lose her advantage?

The bullet comments said those people had protagonist auras. Should she perhaps…? Never mind, there’s always a way when the cart reaches the mountain. Having already died once, what was there to fear?

At worst, she could just die again.

Nian Shilan felt a headache coming on from overthinking.

With one less thing to worry about, her mood lightened. “Songzhi, inform Jing Shi Fang to hang up Noble Lady Xin’s Green Head Plaque.”

Songzhi didn’t quite understand her mistress’s unusual behavior and cautiously replied, “Noble Lady Xin just had a miscarriage and may not have fully recovered. It might not be suitable for her to serve the Emperor.”

“It’s been over two months since the miscarriage. If such a minor issue hasn’t been resolved by now, what has Tai Yi Yuan been doing?”

Songzhi realized her reminder had been too subtle and decided to be more direct. “Your Highness, out of guilt over Noble Lady Xin’s miscarriage, the Emperor has already stayed with her several times.”

“If the Emperor likes it, let him go. Make sure the Green Head Plaques for the new ladies are also beautifully crafted, preferably eye-catching at first glance.”

Although she didn’t need to make friends, there was no reason to make enemies everywhere and narrow her own path forward.

Nian Shilan now wished she could make Green Head Plaques for Jian Qiu and Huichun from the Empress’s palace as well, hang them all up, and present them to the Emperor as favored consorts.

After all, the Emperor wasn’t picky—he’d take anything.

That day, the new ladies entered the palace.

As the chief maid of Yikun Palace, Songzhi naturally handled all miscellaneous affairs on behalf of her mistress. She presented the previously prepared list of gifts for Nian Shilan to review.

“What are these for?” Nian Shilan asked.

“Your answer, Your Highness. New consorts are entering the palace today, and these are the gifts prepared for the new mistresses of each palace.”

Nian Shilan was no illiterate; of course she knew they were gifts.

What she meant to ask was: “Why give them gifts?”