The Empress recently noticed something amiss.

Although she is a secondary empress, her son is only two years old and can’t compete with the already grown princes. Moreover, there’s a crown prince ahead of her son, so her little son has no chance of ascending the throne.

Therefore, her position as the empress is very secure, and she just needs to watch the princes and concubines beneath her fight amongst themselves.

The only thing that bothers her is the older imperial concubines and the less favored, older concubines in the palace.

The imperial concubines are still manageable. After all, they have their age and seniority; those with children live outside the palace with their children, and those without children live together, occasionally visiting the empress dowager to make requests, which then get reported back to her.

The real issue Is the concubines who are not favored or those who were once favored but have no children.

Now that His Majesty is getting older, it’s been a long time since a child was born in the palace. Yet, he refuses to accept his age. Not only does he refuse to relinquish his power, but he also increasingly favors young and lively women, neglecting the older companions who have been with him for years.

Without children and not being favored, these concubines can only band together to seek the empress’s support or create some other kind of trouble. Otherwise, they would have to live a retirement-like life, just like the older imperial concubines, which is extremely cruel for those concubines in the prime of their youth.

Aside from these unfavored concubines, those with children but still unfavored also cause her constant trouble. The former, at least, have little leverage when they create disturbances. However, the latter, relying on their children, cause all sorts of mischief, whether it’s fighting for this or that, which is truly frustrating.

Being the Empress isn’t easy.

However, in the past few days, these concubines haven’t been coming to trouble her as much.

The Empress asked the lady-in-waiting beside her, “Have Consort Jing and the others not been coming to pay their respects recently?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Although the Empress had excused them from paying their respects, they still insisted on coming. Yet, in the past few days, they have come less frequently.

Strange, there hasn’t been anything happening in the palace recently.

“It’s one thing if one or two of them don’t come, but now the number of people paying respects each day has decreased by more than half, making me uneasy.”

While their frequent visits were bothersome, their sudden absence makes one suspect they might be planning something behind the scenes.

“Your Majesty, as far as I know, it seems Consort Jing and the others have recently become obsessed with a game of strategy,” the lady-in-waiting couldn’t help but mention. “This game has become popular among the noble ladies of the capital, and several princesses are also deeply engrossed in it. Consort Jing and the others are likely playing this game with the princesses.”

“I have heard a bit about this,” the Empress said. This game was reportedly introduced by the Jinjiang Pavilion and is closely related to the Crown Prince. After some thought, the Empress decided to intervene. “Very well, let’s go to Consort Jing’s place and see what is so fascinating about this game.”

At the same time, the eldest princess, along with her two younger sisters, joined the Empress Dowager to form a mahjong group.

The Empress Dowager loved having her grandchildren around to keep her company, and this time, having three granddaughters playing with her made her very happy.

Since the Empress Dowager was quite old, she learned mahjong a bit slower. However, due to her esteemed status, even though her playing skills weren’t great, her granddaughters would feed her tiles, making the game enjoyable for her.

Meanwhile, Consort Jing gathered a few of her close friends to play mahjong together.

The Empress didn’t like seeing them, and they didn’t want to go to her either. They just had nothing else to do every day. Visiting the Empress allowed them to dress up, show off to other concubines, and have some verbal sparring.

Now that they had something fun to pass the time with, who would want to see the Empress’s stern face?

“Wait, I’ll take that tile.”

“No way, that’s cheating!”

“You’ve already played it, you can’t take it back!”

……

Before the Empress and her attendants even entered Consort Jing’s palace, they heard several concubines inside shouting angrily.

Consort Jing’s servants all kept their heads down, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

Ever since their mistress became obsessed with this mahjong game, her previous dignified and calm demeanor seemed to have vanished into thin air.

“What’s going on here?” It was the first time the Empress had seen Consort Jing behaving so rudely.

Being dignified had already become a thing of the past.

Consort Jing isn’t playing alone; the three concubines playing mahjong with her are also prominent figures in the harem.

Before the Empress could say anything, these concubines were already apologizing on their own.

If they had sincerely admitted their mistakes, it might have been acceptable. However, these concubines didn’t feel they had done anything wrong. Could they not play mahjong in their own palaces? Therefore, each of them made pointed remarks: one said the mahjong tiles were a filial gift from her daughter, another claimed she intended to learn to respect the Empress Dowager, and one explained it was just her sisters playing and emotions ran high.

The Empress could hardly find a reason to punish them.

At this moment, Consort Jing’s courage grew stronger.

“Your Majesty, perhaps you haven’t played mahjong before, so you don’t understand that when we get into it, we can get a bit carried away. Your Majesty, I heard even the Empress Dowager is playing. These mahjong tiles were purchased by me at great expense from the Jinjiang Pavilion on behalf of the Eldest Princess. Why don’t you give it a try?”

After all, how could Consort Jing’s position be compared to theirs?

Her courage really exceeded theirs.

While the three concubines quietly complained to themselves, they couldn’t help but admit that Consort Jing’s methods were indeed quite clever.

If the Empress Dowager starts enjoying mahjong too, won’t they all be able to play openly and maybe even strengthen their relationships? After all, with just the Empress Dowager alone, they’d have to ask her to join them if they were short of players!

“No need,” the Empress Dowager still maintained her dignity and declined Consort Jing’s offer. “This time, reflect on your actions yourselves.”

After saying this, the Empress Dowager walked away, unwilling to be further entangled with them.

Once the Empress Dowager was out of earshot, Consort Jing quickly gathered her sisters to continue playing.

“Just watch, in a few days, the Empress Dowager will surely want to play with us,” Consort Jing confidently asserted.

“Why are you so confident, sister?”

“Yes, the Empress is dignified, unlike us who are neither here nor there.”

“Tomorrow is the day the Empress goes to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. I hear the Eldest Princess and the Empress Dowager are enjoying their card games a lot these days. The Empress wants to gain a reputation for filial piety, and if the Empress Dowager likes something, how could she not like it too?”

Mahjong is fun, but treating it just as a pastime would be too short-sighted.

Sometimes, it can become a new social tool.

“Just watch,” Consort Jing asserted confidently as she played her tiles. “This mahjong game will surely endure through the ages like the game of Go, timeless and enduring. Right now, it’s just the beginning.”

Only those who have personally experienced the charm of mahjong like them can deeply understand the profound intricacies of this game!

Sure enough, the next day when the Empress went to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, she was asked if she could join in a game of mahjong.

The Empress was utterly bewildered.

Even… the Empress Dowager had become obsessed too?

It turned out that not only did the Empress Dowager become obsessed with mahjong, but she became deeply engrossed in it. She even expressed a desire to visit the Jinjiang Pavilion to select the best set of mahjong tiles for herself to play with.

The Empress Dowager usually didn’t make excessive demands, so this time seemed quite serious. No amount of persuasion worked; she insisted that her luck was ruined by other mahjong tiles. Despite the Empress’s efforts to advise her, she ultimately had to give in and accompany the Empress Dowager to the Jinjiang Pavilion.

However, the Crown Princess Consort could see through it all.

The Empress Dowager wasn’t really going to choose mahjong tiles; it was clearly an excuse to support the Crown Prince.

As mahjong tiles became increasingly popular in the capital city and were easy to replicate, competition for customers became much easier than expected. Moreover, with many people using these mahjong tiles for gambling, it attracted even more criticism.

However, if the Empress Dowager took the Empress to the Jinjiang Pavilion, just a single compliment or mention could greatly benefit the Jinjiang Pavilion.

“The Empress Dowager, despite her age, still strategizes for my sake; it truly humbles me,” the Crown Prince, who had always been humble before his wife, felt even more complex upon hearing his wife’s analysis.

He had a very good relationship with the Empress Dowager.

But the Empress Dowager was getting old and couldn’t manage everything. Yet her willingness to help him touched him deeply.

“This time, I’ll go too,” the Crown Princess Consort held the Crown Prince’s hand. “Jinjiang Pavilion was created by you and A Heng. A Heng is a good boy, and we’ve watched him grow up. Before others lay their hands on Jinjiang Pavilion, we must reassure them.”

“But your health…” The Crown Prince still had concerns. “I can go, or we can send Jiao Jiao if necessary.”

“If both the Empress Dowager and the Empress are going, Jiaojiao isn’t qualified,” the Crown Princess Consort shook her head gently. “You’re a man, and mahjong is considered a women’s game. How could you appear there?”

It’s Imaginable that this mahjong game will inevitably attract numerous criticisms from scholars and writers in the future. In consideration of reputation, many noblewomen may stop playing it altogether.

Taking advantage of the current silence among scholars, they are positioning this mahjong game as a “women’s private game” and a “gift from princesses to the Empress Dowager,” preemptively establishing moral legitimacy. This strategic move ensures they will be well-prepared for any future challenges.

For this reason, even if she has to take extra doses of medicine, she is determined to go.

Understanding this, the Crown Princess Consort won’t change her decision.

Initially, when those princes took advantage of her illness to suppress the Eastern Palace’s industries, now that Jinjiang Pavilion has finally prospered, they cannot allow these small-minded individuals to covet it again.

“Should we send someone to inform A Heng?”

“No need,” the Crown Princess Consort smiled. “There must be many people discreetly observing the situation in our Eastern Palace. A Heng is smart and clever, and the Empress Dowager dotes on him greatly; he won’t be troubled. It’s better to adapt as circumstances evolve; this is a good thing, not a bad one. Besides, if worse comes to worst, there’s me.”

The Crown prince could only hold his wife’s hand tightly, unable to do much else.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Your Highness, that’s not necessary,” the Crown Princess Consort reached out to touch the Crown Prince’s face. “Your Highness is devoted and righteous. We do all of this willingly for you.”

Upon receiving the sudden news that the Empress Dowager and the others were coming to Jinjiang Pavilion, they were momentarily at a loss.

These were no ordinary nobles.

Fortunately, Chen Huanzhi remained calm and immediately stepped forward to stabilize the situation.

This was Chen Huanzhi’s first time appearing openly as the ostensible master. While everyone knew he was behind the mahjong game, it had never been explicitly stated before.

By appearing in front of everyone this time, Chen Huanzhi was undoubtedly proclaiming to the capital that Jinjiang Pavilion belonged to the Crown Prince.

The noblewomen couldn’t pretend ignorance anymore.

Despite the controversy, almost half of the city’s noblewomen were involved in playing these cards. There was safety in numbers, and no one felt guilty.

Chen Huanzhi led the Jinjiang Pavilion staff out to greet the Empress Dowager and her party.

Just as they stepped out, they noticed the Crown Prince’s guards signaling to him.

The Empress Dowager was no fool; citing concern for the Empress Dowager’s safety, she had not leaked any information before coming out.

The procession of the Empress Dowager and her party was humble, lacking in ostentation, and their escort numbers were adequate.

“Please rise,” the Empress Dowager didn’t require these people to bow. “I’m just passing by to see the origin of this mahjong game.”

“You play too, Your Majesty?” a senior lady asked boldly.

“Of course, these were gifts of filial piety from my granddaughters who knew I was lonely in the palace. They specially brought these mahjong tiles for my amusement. Their filial hearts moved me, and so I developed an interest. I never expected these mahjong tiles were created by the Chen family’s youngster,” the Empress Dowager said with interest, gesturing for Chen Huanzhi to come forward.

Chen Huanzhi naturally knew the Empress Dowager well.

Initially, the Empress Dowager had dismissed Chen Huanzhi as too young and inexperienced to serve as a companion reader. However, with the Crown Prince Consort failing to produce a son in recent years, Chen Huanzhi had essentially been raised as a substitute son by the Crown Prince. The Empress Dowager began to visit the Crown Prince more frequently to show concern, and with each visit, she grew more familiar with Chen Huanzhi.

“May the Empress Dowager be in peace,” Mrs. Chen also stepped forward, feeling immensely fortunate to have come to Jinjiang Pavilion today.

The Empress Dowager’s demeanor didn’t seem confrontational but rather as if she was adding a touch of grace.

“Oh, you’re here too?” The Empress Dowager smiled, glancing around at the women standing nearby, her tone light and cheerful. “It seems this mahjong game was created by your son to show his filial respect to you.”

Mrs. Chen realized the Empress Dowager was extending an olive branch to her.

In the Great Yan Dynasty, they emphasized “loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness,” in that order of priority.

Today, the Empress Dowager directly claimed the titles of “loyalty” and “filial piety,” preemptively securing them. Henceforth, even if someone attempted to tarnish mahjong’s reputation intentionally, they would need to consider if they could bear such a heavy responsibility.

Preventive measures!

Clearly, the Empress Dowager also held high hopes for the future of mahjong, even preemptively establishing its significance before it became a nationwide trend.

Mrs. Chen sensed the Empress Dowager’s intentions and immediately wore a proud and gratified expression. “A Heng often sees me bored at home, so he created this game to cheer me up. He kept it a secret at first, then sought advice from Master Li Wuwei before completing it. I didn’t expect so many sisters to enjoy this game. How could I keep it to myself?”

“A Heng has always been filial.”

Chen Huanzhi also realized that the Empress Dowager’s sudden interest might not just be superficial, so he immediately spoke in agreement with his mother’s words.

The Empress’s smile looked somewhat forced.

She belatedly realized the reason behind this play.

By refusing to understand mahjong earlier, she had missed an opportunity.

“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” The Crown Princess Consort supported the Empress, her complexion noticeably rosier than usual.

“I’m fine.” The Empress turned to glance at the Crown Princess Consort and put on a pleasant expression. “Since Jinjiang Pavilion has produced such an interesting game, it deserves recognition. What does the Crown Princess Consort think?”

“With Empress Dowager and Your Majesty the Empress present, where do we juniors have a say? Naturally, we will follow Your Majesty’s lead,” the Crown Princess Consort smiled sweetly.

It was clearly a harmonious scene, yet Chen Huanzhi, who was in it, sensed an impending storm.Was it a misconception?

No, it probably wasn’t.

He must not have reached a certain level yet.

Women can indeed hold up half the sky.

The saying Dong Changyang often repeated truly made sense!

“Achoo.”

Dong Changyang sneezed forcefully.

“I bet it’s Chen Big Brother thinking of me,” Dong Changyang quickly changed his clothes and neatly arranged the personal items he brought in his bag.

At this moment, Dong Changyang’s roommate Zhu Siyu was already sitting face to face with the English teacher, starting to look at the form Dong Changyang had filled out.

After all, both were teenage girls, and having a general understanding beforehand would benefit them both.

“I’ve heard of the name Dong Changyang before. I had a good friend who also participated in the top exam in Shangnan County. She said an art student took the first place in the exam, and it left a deep impression on me.” Zhu Siyu was a quite lovely girl, from a good family background, with an even better temperament.

“Hmm, if you’re staying with her this time, you can help each other. Your academic grades aren’t very good, so you can chat with her about study methods and such,” the English teacher smiled.

“Oh?” Zhu Siyu noticed Dong Changyang’s special skills section. “Teacher, this…”

“Maybe it’s just a little joke Dong Changyang made,” the English teacher actually considered having Dong Changyang fill out another form, but couldn’t find a good enough reason.

As a teacher, she wanted her students to develop comprehensively.

But playing mahjong, that’s… that’s…

The English teacher felt she had hit a career bottleneck.

The psychology course she chose never mentioned that an academically excellent underage girl would list “drawing and playing mahjong” as her special skills.

“Wow, mahjong is super hard!” Zhu Siyu exclaimed, her face filled with admiration and longing. “I used to watch my mom play, but I could never figure it out. My mom isn’t patient enough to teach me. I wonder if Dong can teach me?”

“No, what I meant by helping each other isn’t about that…”

The English teacher felt her mindset was becoming a bit unstable.

Indeed, the human psyche is the most difficult subject to understand in this world!