Chapter 47

As Su Jingyao walked back, thoughts raced through her mind.

The Empress Dowager’s distribution of power today was certainly interesting.

The six departments were split evenly between her and the Noble Consort. However, the Noble Consort was given the Office of Ceremonial Affairs, while she received the Palace Justice Bureau.

Managing the Office of Ceremonial Affairs meant having access to the Emperor’s records of who he spent the night with.

Could it be that the Empress Dowager thought the Noble Consort was jealous and purposely gave her this responsibility to torment her?

Wasn’t that like stabbing the Noble Consort right in the heart?

Every day, she would have to see which woman the Emperor had favored.

On the other hand, the Palace Justice Bureau held far more power—it was responsible for maintaining order and discipline in the harem.

It had the authority to punish those who violated palace rules.

In other words, Su Jingyao now had the right to administer punishments.

If there were an Empress, only she would have the authority to discipline all concubines in the harem, including those of higher rank.

But now, Su Jingyao held that power. Today, the Empress Dowager essentially handed over most of the power in the harem to her and the Noble Consort.

For now, only the Imperial Household Department remains firmly in the Empress Dowager’s control. This department manages all income, expenses, and purchases in the palace, and its staff is very complex. It makes sense that the Empress Dowager is unwilling to give up control of it.

Many private matters of the consorts require the assistance of the Imperial Household Department. By keeping control of it, the Empress Dowager ensures fairness in the harem.

She likely plans to fully release power only after officially appointing an Empress.

For now, at least, Su Jingyao has gained palace authority, which will make things much easier for her in the future.

While she was deep in thought, An Zhaorong, who had been walking behind, quickly caught up.

An Zhaorong had a flattering smile on her face. She walked lightly, took a few quick steps to stand beside Su Jingyao, and respectfully bowed.

Softly, she said, “I greet Sister. Congratulations on being granted the authority to assist in managing the harem.” She kept a smile on her face as she spoke.

Su Jingyao looked at her calmly and responded, “You may rise. The Empress Dowager has shown me great favor, and I will do my best to handle my responsibilities.”

After rising, An Zhaorong spoke humbly.

“Sister, back in the Eastern Palace, I wanted to align myself with you, but you refused me. Today, may I try again?” Her eyes were full of sincerity.

When she first entered the Eastern Palace, she had been too eager to win the Crown Prince’s favor.

She ended up making an enemy of the then Crown Princess, which led to her being forced to constantly scheme against her.

She never expected that the former Crown Princess, despite her past mistakes, would still be granted the title of Noble Consort and even be given the authority to assist in ruling the harem.

The Emperor also favored her deeply, making it impossible for An Zhaorong to gain his attention.

Now, An Zhaorong felt like she was walking on thin ice in the harem. She needed a strong ally.

At first, she thought Su Jingyao was kind and without scheming thoughts.

But then, Su Jingyao had subtly hinted to her that Tang Fengyi’s child might be given to the Noble Consort.

And at the Emperor Emeritus’s funeral, Su Jingyao had “accidentally” kicked her prayer beads.

Each of these incidents seemed unintentional, but Su Jingyao had always been the one to benefit.

If she still didn’t see the truth now, she would be a fool.

On the surface, her relationship with Su Jingyao was still good. And in the current harem, only Su Jingyao had enough power to oppose the Noble Consort.

She needed to choose her side wisely.

With the imperial selection of new consorts in three months, she had to secure her position before they arrived.

Otherwise, she would be outranked by any newcomer.

“Why is Sister An so determined to ally with me?” Su Jingyao frowned slightly, looking at her with calm eyes and a hint of confusion.

“I only wish to fulfill my duties in the harem, take care of the First Prince, and stay out of palace conflicts.”

Su Jingyao did not want to openly form alliances in the harem. The Emperor would notice such things easily.

And if she were tied to An Zhaorong, she might be dragged down by her foolish mistakes.

Although she rejected An Zhaorong again, she still offered reassurance.

“Sister An, I understand your worries. If you truly fear the Noble Consort’s retaliation, you may come to me. I will report the truth to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.”

An Zhaorong hadn’t expected Su Jingyao to be so difficult to persuade.

Right now, the harem had few members, so Su Jingyao could handle things alone. But when new consorts arrived, wouldn’t she need allies?

If she didn’t have Su Jingyao’s protection, the Noble Consort—who now controlled the harem—could easily take revenge. And since the Emperor always protected the Noble Consort, how could she survive?

An Zhaorong bit her lip, her gaze carrying a hint of threat.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell the Emperor and the Noble Consort that you were the one who hinted to me about Tang Fengyi’s forced childbirth and the plan to give her child to the Noble Consort?”

For a brief moment, Su Jingyao’s eyes flashed with coldness.

An Zhaorong dared to threaten her?

Did she think she would be afraid?

Su Jingyao feigned shock, covering her mouth and lowering her voice.

“Sister An, what are you talking about?”

She widened her eyes, looking genuinely surprised. She whispered, “Tang Fengyi was forced to give birth? Her child is being given to the Noble Consort?”

“These are highly classified royal matters. Sister An, you should be careful with your words. Do you have any evidence? If the Emperor or the Empress Dowager finds out someone is spreading false rumors… that is a crime punishable by death for an entire family.”

Su Jingyao’s eyes were filled with concern as she looked at her, an innocent expression on her face.

An Zhaorong lowered her gaze, her heart sinking.

Su Jingyao had turned the threat back on her.

The Emperor would never believe her accusations against Su Jingyao.

After all, even she had been fooled by Su Jingyao’s “pure and kind” act. How could a man like the Emperor see through it?

Moreover, Su Jingyao was the First Prince’s mother.

If the Emperor and the Empress Dowager found out she had been the one spreading this secret about Tang Fengyi, she would be finished.

Su Jingyao… truly had a deep mind.

An Zhaorong’s expression darkened for a moment, but she knew she couldn’t afford to offend Su Jingyao now.

She had already angered the Noble Consort. If she also turned Su Jingyao against her, she would have no one to rely on.

Even if Su Jingyao wouldn’t openly ally with her, she would still secretly help her to counter the Noble Consort.

An Zhaorong lifted her head and forced a smile.

“Sister, I must have been confused just now. I don’t even remember what I said. Please forgive me.”

“No problem. Sister An, you must have woken up early today and are still a bit tired. Go back and rest.”

Su Jingyao smiled gently, showing kindness.

“Yes, I will take my leave.” An Zhaorong bowed slightly and then turned to leave.

Su Jingyao walked gracefully back toward Zhaochun Palace, her movements elegant and full of charm.

She was in a good mood, and even her steps carried a special rhythm.

She enjoyed dealing with smart people because they understood things quickly, saving her the trouble of explaining too much.

After returning to Zhaochun Palace, Su Jingyao lay lazily on the couch, looking as relaxed as a noble cat.

A soft pillow was placed under her waist, and another one was tucked under her elbow. She looked extremely comfortable, her eyes slightly narrowed.

Then, she spoke softly, “Miaoyun, find a way to let the Noble Consort know that the Emperor is taking me out of the palace for my birthday in half a month.”

As she said this, a faint smile appeared on her lips, carrying a hidden meaning.

She wasn’t really interested in leaving the palace. What she truly wanted was for the Noble Consort to try and stop her from going.

Hmph, it was time to make that heartless man suffer a little.

If a woman was always too kind and understanding, a man wouldn’t see her as his first priority.

Because she was tolerant, he would think her feelings didn’t matter.

Su Jingyao wouldn’t allow that to happen.

A woman should know when to act difficult, and she would make sure to trouble the Emperor enough to make him feel the pain.

Although Miaoyun didn’t fully understand her intentions, she nodded and said, “Yes, my lady.”

Qianqing Palace

Early in the morning, Emperor Jun Zechen left Yikun Palace, frowning slightly with a puzzled look on his face.

He felt like his memory of last night was a bit blurry.

At one point, he even thought he had been with that little woman…

So, before Consort Lingyue had even woken up, Jun Zechen had hurried back to Qianqing Palace.

Once there, he immediately summoned an imperial doctor for a check-up.

The doctor carefully examined him but found nothing wrong.

Still feeling uneasy, Jun Zechen ordered a check of everything he ate last night, including the soup that the Pure Consort had sent over.

As a rule, all the Emperor’s meals were kept as samples for two days in case they needed to be checked.

However, after reviewing everything, the doctor shook his head and confirmed that there was nothing suspicious.

Was he just overthinking things?

That little woman had always had a strong attraction for him, and she had even deliberately tried to tempt him yesterday evening.

It wasn’t strange that she was on his mind at night.

But…

Did he say anything he shouldn’t have while sleeping?

This thought made Jun Zechen a little uneasy, but he didn’t dwell on it too much since nothing had actually happened.

After handling the morning court session, he returned to Qianqing Palace and began working through the mountain of official documents.

As time passed, the sky darkened.

A servant named Anshun approached cautiously and whispered, “Your Majesty, the attendants from the Department of Affairs have come. Would you like to select a consort for tonight?”

Jun Zechen hesitated for a moment before decisively replying, “No. I will go to Zhaochun Palace tonight.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Anshun immediately acknowledged the order.

Realizing it was already late, Jun Zechen narrowed his eyes slightly.

Without hesitation, he got up and strode toward Zhaochun Palace.

Zhaochun Palace

When Jun Zechen arrived at Zhaochun Palace, he saw only the two maidservants standing outside, but not the person he was looking for.

As the Emperor, it was customary to announce his arrival in advance when visiting a consort’s palace.

But after getting used to going straight to her rooms in the Eastern Palace, he had kept the same habit.

He didn’t want her waiting outside for him like an obedient servant.

“Where is your mistress?”

One of the maids, Miaoxue, respectfully replied, “Your Majesty, the Lady is in the study.”

Hearing this, Jun Zechen quickly walked toward the study.

As he stepped inside, his eyes were instantly drawn to the woman sitting at the desk.

She looked focused and serious, her posture straight as she carefully wrote on a piece of paper.

The warm candlelight illuminated her bare face, making her beauty even more striking—like a painting brought to life.

Jun Zechen walked closer and asked in a deep voice, “What are you writing?”

His voice carried a certain charm, echoing softly in the quiet study.

Hearing him, Su Jingyao was briefly startled before realizing his presence.

She quickly started to rise from her seat.

But Jun Zechen reacted faster, gently pressing down on her shoulder.

“No need for formalities. Continue writing,” he said softly.

“You came without warning, Your Majesty.” Su Jingyao gave him a slight glare, pretending to be annoyed.

“I went to greet the Empress Dowager today, and she granted me authority over the Three Bureaus and One Office. Since I have received this honor, I must work hard and fulfill my responsibilities.”

“Your Majesty, look, this is my management plan.”

She picked up the paper she had been writing on, which outlined her plan for the Palace Discipline Office.

Jun Zechen took the paper and began reading it carefully.

The plan’s rules and supervision mechanisms were common management strategies.

However, he was surprised by the sections on data analysis, staff care, and training programs.

He continued reading, paying close attention to the detailed methods listed under each category.

The data analysis section suggested recording information on rule violations—when, where, who was involved, and what happened.

This data would then be used to improve the rules and supervision systems logically.

Emperor Jun Zechen looked at the detailed management plan and suddenly understood—it was just a systematic way of recording information.

No one had ever written it out so clearly before.

As he continued reading about the supervision group and reporting channels, he felt a sense of familiarity. It was just like the imperial censor’s office he had established for overseeing officials.

A hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.

Jun Zechen carefully read through the entire plan and found it well-structured. He nodded in satisfaction.

Then, he gently put down the papers, reached out his arms, and pulled Su Jingyao onto his lap.

“Yaoyao always surprises me.”

His voice was filled with warmth and admiration.