Palace Intrigue?: I Make the Emperor Cry by Rewinding Time!-Chapter 137 - 120: Entrusted to the Empress’s Care

Chapter 137: Chapter 120: Entrusted to the Empress’s Care

When the two returned to Xianfu Palace, a line of palace maids and eunuchs were kneeling in the courtyard being punished.

Upon inquiring, they found out that it was Nanny Ye punishing the palace attendants for being careless and lazy in their duties. She had arrived quietly yesterday with a kind face, so the attendants thought she was just there to assist with the birth and did not pay much attention. Their lazy actions were all exposed in front of her, and she kept them in mind to punish today.

"Your servant greets Concubine Xi."

"Nanny, please rise," Yun Jiao asked, "What mistakes did they make?"

Nanny Ye slowly explained: "Gong Mei arranged the duty roster clearly, indicating who should work and who should rest, but they exchanged duties without consulting the Chief Palace Maid of the Lady, a habit of changing without permission. Moreover, they did not stick to their posts while on duty, often moving around carelessly, chatting, and creating a lax atmosphere."

Those sent by the Imperial Household to assist Concubine Xi were not unskilled.

But seeing that laziness wouldn’t be punished and the atmosphere was relaxed, even those who initially intended to work hard became lax: "It’s certainly benevolent for the Lady to be lenient with servants, but since the Lady is pregnant now, the attendants around her absolutely cannot be careless. I thick-skinnedly set a few rules for them. If the Lady doesn’t want to see it, would Miss Xue Ya please escort the Lady back to her room?"

While speaking, Nanny Ye was also observing her.

To survive in the harem, the first priority is rules. Once the rules are set, not even the masters can arbitrarily beat or kill the servants. If one doesn’t abide by them and gives excuses to others, losing one’s head is deserved someday. If Concubine Xi understands this principle, she won’t stop her.

If Concubine Xi is too kind-hearted to stop her, Nanny Ye can only ensure that while she’s in Xianfu Palace, this group of attendants will behave and follow instructions.

Once she returns to the Empress Dowager, who knows what state Xianfu Palace will be left in, Nanny Ye wouldn’t guarantee.

"I’m either in my room all day or sunbathing in the courtyard, and I’ve not kept a tight eye on the rules for the palace maids and eunuchs, making you laugh, Nanny. I’ll trouble you with this, then."

Yun Jiao nodded and slowly lay down inside the room.

Gong Mei said softly, "I thought the Lady would have stopped Nanny Ye. After all, even when the Emperor wanted to punish them before, the Lady dared to intervene."

There was no blame in her words, only reassurance.

"Once I got pregnant, I became the target of many, Xianfu Palace’s atmosphere should indeed be tidied up," Yun Jiao opened her eyes, looking at the wooden ceiling: "I could tell that Nanny Ye’s punishment was measured; she won’t be harsh since they need to continue working tomorrow. The Emperor is different; if I don’t intervene, they would likely have been sent to the Imprisonment Department. Moreover, Nanny Ye is right, if rewards and penalties are unclear, wouldn’t that chill the hearts of those who work earnestly?"

Still, thinking of the people kneeling outside, Yun Jiao felt a bit guilty.

The one who works the least diligently in Xianfu Palace is clearly her!

Fortunately, Yun Jiao is not someone who torments herself mentally.

As long as it’s not something that immediately threatens her neck, she can completely ignore it and sleep well.

After a while, Nanny Ye came in and respectfully paid her respects:

"Reporting to the Lady, this servant played the villain today and punished them heavily—not exactly harsh, but hearing from Miss Gong Mei that the Lady hasn’t punished anyone since ascending to Concubine rank? They’ve become spoiled, and even a slight punishment now causes fear. Tomorrow, let Miss Gong Mei choose some palace maids who have always been diligent and reliable for the Lady to reward, so they remember the Lady’s grace and serve the Lady and the Little Prince well in the future."

Seeing Nanny Ye planning carefully for her, Yun Jiao motioned for Xue Ya to present a hefty amount of reward money.

"I wonder if the Emperor will come later." After Nanny Ye exited, Xue Ya mentioned it.

Gong Mei gave her a rare glare: "Today is the fifteenth, didn’t you take note of the date during your duties?"

On the fifteenth of every month, it’s the day when the Emperor is bound to stay over at Jianzhang Palace.

...

The night descended.

Jianzhang Palace had incense lit in advance. In the past, on the fifteenth of each month, the Empress would always dress elaborately to welcome him. Today, however, she changed her usual practice, dressing very simply, with only a silver hairpin in her hair, and all the luxurious furnishings in the palace were removed. If you looked closely, you could find some pieces that were originally from the Princess Consort’s room in the Prince Mansion.

Unable to compete in looks with younger concubines, the Empress came up with this strategy to evoke the Emperor’s old affections.

When the Emperor, cloaked in the night, hurriedly walked into Jianzhang Palace, he was startled by the simple atmosphere surrounding him: "This jade flower vase..."

"It used to be in my room, does the Emperor still remember?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The Empress stepped forward to help him remove his cloak, showing a nostalgic expression.

"I remember, it’s rare that you liked it," the Emperor said with a sudden realization, "No wonder you always said not to give you rewards from me, you prefer this kind of simplicity."

Empress: ...

No, it’s not that she likes these worn-out things, she just wanted to reminisce over hardships and sweetness with the Emperor.

"I just miss those times."

Back then, the two lived together in the Prince Mansion, the distance was limited at most.

Now, however, it’s the distance between Jianzhang Palace and Weiyang Palace, the harem is so large, and if one can’t win the Emperor’s heart, then truly only every fifteenth of the month does she get to see him. The Empress felt bitter; besides power, status, and wealth, she had nothing else.

The Emperor laughed: "What was so good about those days? I wasn’t favored compared to my third brother, except for Princess Consort Duan, all the sisters-in-law alienated you. Now, when they enter the palace, they have to greet you first and pay respects during the holidays. Except for the Empress Dowager and me, you don’t have to bow to anyone now... You can talk to me about these things, but don’t let the noblewomen hear you."

The Emperor didn’t believe it and didn’t like to hear it.

But he seldom visited Jianzhang Palace, so if the Empress wanted to say it, let her. He could tolerate it a bit. There weren’t many in the harem with such privileges.

"If the Empress suddenly prefers the decorations from the Prince Mansion days, I won’t mind, but if the noblewomen visit the palace, you must restore the arrangements befitting the Central Palace Empress’s identity," he advised her.

The Emperor felt he was being too tolerant, too lenient with the Empress!

As long as she didn’t embarrass herself outside the palace.

"I will listen to the Emperor in everything,"

Seeing that this approach didn’t work, the Empress looked at him mournfully: "I used to hope at the Prince Mansion to someday give birth to a legitimate son for the Emperor, but I just couldn’t fulfill that hope."

"It’s not your fault. I didn’t come to your palace often either,"

Previously, the Emperor did hope for a legitimate son to be born by the Empress.

He wasn’t passionate about conjugal matters; whoever he slept with was the same, so might as well sleep at the Empress’s place. But it was futile; she couldn’t conceive, and gradually his interest dwindled: "This isn’t something determined by your efforts, don’t overthink it, just focus on managing palace affairs well."

The Empress collected her thoughts and said, "Actually, I have a request."

The Emperor put down his chopsticks.

Usually, even some small talk from the Empress could choke him up. When it reached the point of making a request, he wondered what kind of mess she had created.

The Empress slowly spoke, "My children are few, and it’s common practice for ordinary households to bring the children of concubines into the legitimate mother’s chamber for raising. I see that Concubine Xi’s background is still low. If this birth is a healthy Second Prince, it might be an injustice to him. Perhaps I could raise him, and in exchange, she could be promoted to concubine rank and raise her future children herself when she conceives again."

The Concubine rank allows one to raise one’s children.

But if this child is traded for a concubine rank, the Empress believes Concubine Xi won’t suffer a loss.