Chapter 40: If a person does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth...

Chunyun was quick-witted and quick-handed. He stood in front of the queen with a ferocious look on his face.

Zhaoyi's long nails almost scratched the queen's face. Fortunately, Chunyun was reminded by Zhao Changning, but she still scratched her hand.

The queen looked at the wound on her hand which was slowly oozing blood and could not help but grit her teeth.

But she kept Zhao Changning's words in mind, and her eyes passed over the charming and weak Zhaoyi who was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had pearls and jade on her hair, and looked at the emperor who was slowly walking out of the house.

She knelt down dignifiedly and solemnly, her face solemn. "Your Majesty, this is all my fault. I was only thinking of the palace maids and didn't expect this to happen. It's my fault for not thinking carefully enough and not taking precautions. I hope Your Majesty will punish me."

Zhaoyi ignored him and said sadly to the emperor, "The Queen knows Xun'er walks and plays around the lake every day, but she still has to make such a fuss about being considerate of the palace maids. How hot can it be this day? It's only natural for a servant to serve the master. Your Majesty, the Queen clearly..."

The words were so unpleasant that even the palace maids beside them had different expressions on their faces.

The servants naturally knew that they were servants serving their masters, but they were also human beings.

In fact, Zhao Changning had only met Empress Zhaoyi a few times. He had heard that she was favored when he first entered the palace, but he had never actually met her. Today, he finally got to know her. She was indeed a "noble lady". No wonder she was favored but only got the position of Zhaoyi.

The Empress pursed her lips, not responding to Zhaoyi's words. She only said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, I know I have made mistakes. I have failed to live up to your expectations. I am unworthy of being the mistress of the Six Palaces. I hope Your Majesty will punish me."

As soon as the queen said this, everyone knelt down.

"Your Majesty, we are guilty. I hope you will punish us."

The emperor was surrounded by a group of people and felt very hot. He looked at the empress who came to solemnly apologize in a disheveled manner, her heavy clothes soaked with sweat and scars on her hands. He then looked at the Zhaoyi who was dressed in silk and satin and was acting unruly, and he could not help but frowning.

"As the mistress of the six palaces, it's your duty to treat the palace maids well. This is my expectation. I see that you were just arrogant in the past, but now you don't know right from wrong, and you're even disrespectful to the Empress, confusing the hierarchy. Children don't understand, and as a mother, don't you understand either? Fortunately, nothing serious has happened. Don't take the little princess out for the time being. Stay in Yonghe Palace."

Zhaoyi was stunned by the emperor's words, as if she didn't understand.

The queen also looked up suddenly. She had never thought that the emperor would punish Shang Meir as soon as he opened his mouth today.

Something that has never happened before.

She couldn't help but look at Zhao Changning, with unspeakable confusion and excitement in her eyes. It seemed that Zhao Changning was right. Rules are rules. Even the emperor would not easily break the rules of the palace.

The emperor waved his sleeves and made the final decision, "The wet nurse, palace maid, and eunuch who served Xun'er have failed in their duties. Drag them away and give them 100 strokes of the cane as a warning to others."

"Your Majesty, please spare me, Your Majesty, please spare me..." The wet nurse knelt down and begged for mercy, crying.

The queen thought of the lovely little princess Yuxue, and her face showed pity, and she knelt down without hesitation.

"Your Majesty, I am the leader of the harem. Now that Xun'er is in trouble, it is all my fault for failing to discipline her. I am at fault, and it has nothing to do with them. They have been serving the little princess diligently and conscientiously. Please forgive them."

Zhao Changning stared at the queen's kneeling back. She had just come before the emperor to apologize, but the queen did not kneel. Instead, she stood straight. However, for the sake of a few servants, she knelt.

The emperor was about to leave, but upon hearing the empress's words, he looked at her differently and said thoughtfully, "The empress is so kind and compassionate, I am very pleased. Since the empress has spoken, I will forgive her. From now on, the empress will make the final decision on minor matters."

After he said these words, he turned his sleeves and left.

The wet nurse led the eunuchs and palace maids who served the little princess and knelt before the queen, kowtowed, tears streaming down their cheeks, "Thank you, Queen, thank you, Queen..."

Zhao Changning watched and realized that what had happened here was known to the whole palace about the Queen's kindness.

The queen called the wet nurse and others aside, asked them in detail, and gave them instructions for a long time.

"...Take good care of the little princess. If it happens again, I won't be able to save you."

She turned around and found Zhao Changning looking straight at her. She couldn't help but touch her face and smiled bitterly.

"Am I in such a mess now?"

Zhao Changning smiled and shook his head, "The Empress is so graceful and elegant that she truly deserves the title of Mother of the Nation."

Before leaving, the queen silently looked back at Shang Meir, who was sitting on the ground lifeless. She no longer had the brightness and flamboyance of the past, and she felt deeply moved.

It turned out that her coquettishness and unreasonableness were not omnipotent, it turned out that he knew everything, and it turned out that his love for her was only this.

When Zhao Changning accompanied the queen back to Kunning Palace, he saw the queen sitting there in a daze.

"My lady, are you okay?"

The queen nodded and sighed after a long time.

"When I first married him, I thought he was just like me, a heartless man. Later, I found out there was Shang Mei'er. I thought Shang Mei'er was very important, but today, Shang Mei'er is just Shang Mei'er."

Her tone was filled with memories and emotion, and she sounded relieved.

Zhao Changning understood what she meant and patiently comforted her, "Your Highness, you are the Queen. Being favored by her is just the icing on the cake for you. You don't need to worry about these things."

The Queen shook her head and chuckled, then suddenly remembered something and said worriedly, "Changning, you suggested I choose the best palace maids before, and I think you're right. I'm glad you're here today. If you weren't here, who would have been able to persuade me? If I had rashly confronted you about what happened today, it would have been extremely disadvantageous to me."

She didn't expect that just some small tricks could have such miraculous effects.

Zhao Changning's eyes lit up when he heard this. How could today be a blessing in disguise and things go so smoothly?

She could never fight alone, nor could she directly enter the former dynasty, but she could take a roundabout way, and the queen was a good breakthrough point.

The former dynasty and the harem have always been inseparable.

She just wanted to find a way out of this impossible situation.

"Your Majesty, I've always had an idea in my mind. There are many palace maids who are knowledgeable in poetry and literature. They know right from wrong and reason. If they could serve a noble like you and persuade people from time to time, how much less trouble would there be in the palace? Isn't that what the emperor hopes for? Moreover, these eunuchs can be promoted from internal servants, firemen, to long attendants, then to junior eunuchs, and finally to senior eunuchs and even seal holders..."

She paused when she said this. It was not easy for her to get the seal. She had to send the late emperor away, do so much work, and risk her life. Finally, the empress spoke up. It happened to be a turbulent time in the previous dynasty, so she finally got it with great difficulty.

"Your Majesty, the eunuchs have a complete promotion system, but the palace maids have none. Aside from those who serve the Emperor and the other ladies, who are slightly favored, the majority of the palace maids are at the beck and call of the eunuchs. Some of them are well-read, some are eloquent, but they can't rise to the top. Isn't this a loss?"

The Queen nodded repeatedly, "You are quite right. It is said that the eunuchs in this palace are always in love with each other. The maids in the palace want to refuse but can't, and they can't get promoted. It's really pitiful that they have to endure this kind of life."

This is absolutely true. If Zhao Changning had not served the old emperor well, he would have been forced into nowhere to escape by Hu Gouzi.

Zhao Changning sat on a cushion, looking up at the empress sitting in an armchair, and said gently, "You are kind and compassionate, a living bodhisattva, who can see how difficult it is for them. Now that I am the seal holder, I have promoted many palace maids, but those eunuchs are not convinced and always find fault. I can control them occasionally, but over time, they will inevitably be negligent in serving the nobles. Your Majesty, you are in charge of the six palaces, isn't this putting you at a disadvantage?"

The queen looked solemn. She didn't know why she was talking about the unprecedented promotion of palace maids when she just wanted to select a few capable palace maids.

She hesitated and said, "Actually, since the eunuchs have a complete system, why bother with it? Besides, such a big matter is not something I can decide. The affairs of the former court are complicated, and the emperor doesn't want to spend too much time on the harem. I..."

Zhao Changning lowered his eyelashes and smiled softly, "Your Majesty, this isn't a big deal. It's all for the sake of better serving you, the Emperor, and the nobles in the palace. Once this is accomplished, you'll have a much better position in front of the Emperor..."

"What if it fails?" Chunyun frowned and asked, "Why do you always urge Your Majesty to do such dangerous things? You saw the Emperor's attitude today. Your Majesty should not take any further action at this time."

Seeing that the queen didn't say anything, Zhao Changning could only shut up.

She could understand the Queen's worries. After all, things could not be accomplished overnight, so she could only wait for the opportunity. Over the years, the most important thing she had learned was to lie low.

"Don't worry, your Majesty. Changning will select a group of the most capable palace maids for you."

After paying her respects, she left Kunning Palace.

Another heavy rain fell. It was the scorching hottest month of July, and the heat in the imperial city finally subsided a little.

Zhao Changning entered the Qinzheng Hall holding the memorial and saw the emperor resting with his eyes closed.

"Your Majesty, I have reviewed all the memorials submitted today." She said as she sorted through them. "Regarding the dike breach at Jingzhou, the elders have come up with a plan and sent a relief envoy to Jiangling. Funds for disaster relief have also been allocated. This is the latest memorial they've submitted. Do you approve it?"

The emperor slowly opened his eyes and looked at the memorial with a serious gaze. He did not reach out to take it, and his tone was calm.

"Now you can provide money and people? I, the emperor, am a little redundant."

Zhao Changning heard the emperor's displeasure and immediately knelt down. "Your Majesty, the elders discussed this all night long. This must be the best outcome after much deliberation and repeated discussions. They definitely don't have such intentions."

The emperor's face was cold and gloomy. "Yes, they are ministers entrusted by my father to assist the country, pillars of the country, and they are still strong and vigorous. I am young and non-orthodox. Unlike my elder brother, I have no famous teachers to teach me. As the crown prince of the Eastern Palace, I should naturally listen to their opinions."

Zhao Changning keenly sensed the emperor's subtle dissatisfaction.

She once heard the late emperor say that the throne, whether it was a peaceful transition or a bloody ascension, must be baptized in blood without exception.

It seems that without the buffer of the Imperial Household Department, the two sides were forced to face the problem directly. The contradictions between the emperor and the old men in the cabinet began to become prominent. In addition, the mansions of the cabinet members were always crowded with people, which made the emperor even more wary.

During these days, she had been by his side, and could vaguely sense the dominance of the elders. With the advantage of age and experience, when they talked with the emperor, they would occasionally forget that he had already ascended the throne, and still regard him as the follower of the former crown prince - the fourteenth prince of humble origins.

But the emperor was still young, and his temperament was arrogant and cold, unlike the previous emperor who was expressionless and shrewd.

After returning to his residence, Zhao Changning didn't say a word, didn't even eat, and went straight into the room holding Xiaobai.

Xiao Shun called out worriedly from behind, "Auntie, Auntie, please eat something."

Yunsheng silently pulled her sleeve and whispered, "Leave one bowl for Auntie. She must have something important to think about. Let's not bother her."

Zhao Changning held Xiaobai in his arms and sat on the rattan chair beside the lattice window, letting the scorching sun shine on his body.

The soft chair was rocking, and Xiaobai squinted his eyes in comfort, but the sun was too strong, and he was so hot that he stuck out his tongue and slipped away from her arms.

Zhao Changning caught Xiaobai back, turned the recliner around to avoid the sun, and continued to lie down. Xiaobai fell asleep in a short while.

She touched Xiaobai's smooth fur, her mind full of thoughts. She needed to think about her current situation to determine what to do next.

Now is the time of transition from the old to the new, and it is a turbulent time when the new emperor wants to realize his ambitions but is suppressed. Every time at this time, there will always be a struggle for power.

She keenly realized that a new power struggle was about to begin. What would be her fate?

Rather than relying on a man's favor and favour, she prefers things that men like, such as power and status, as well as money for enjoyment.

If she wants to achieve these, she must promote the affairs of female officials.

Only by pushing the women in the palace to a certain position, making a voice and suppressing the eunuchs, would she not be trapped in the backyard, and her talents would be noticed by others, especially when there was a conflict between the emperor and the cabinet, and the emperor needed someone to help him do something or say something, he must choose someone from among them.

Then this person can only be her, Zhao Changning.

When Zhao Changning thought of this, her blood began to boil again. She felt like she was on fire and her limbs were weak from the heat. It was completely different from her previous ignorance. The fresh pleasure of conquering everything was about to overwhelm her.

Fighting for power and calculating people's hearts is so wonderful, no wonder men are so eager to get it, and neither money nor beautiful women can shake it.

Zhao Changning knew that she was not a good person, and for this, she would dare to do anything.

If a person does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth.

She curled up her toes and couldn't help but raise her face high. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly to relieve the wild restlessness in her heart.

Yunsheng, carrying a bowl of rice, knocked on the door but heard no one. Worried, he pushed it open a crack. Just as he was about to shout, he saw the blazing sun streaming through half of the bright window. His aunt was reclining on a soft chair, her head tilted back. Her neck was like a green lotus, her skin, like mountain snow, was covered in a soft, velvety glow. The cat slave at her knees had fallen asleep, and a few white, smooth feet were visible from beneath her skirt, slightly curled up, like the petals of a flawless gardenia on a branch...

He was speechless for a moment, staring blankly at the scene in front of him that was as beautiful as a painting, but he quickly reacted, turned around with a red face, and walked out in a panic.

Zhao Changning heard a noise, opened his eyes and looked towards the door, but there was no one there.

She clapped the armrest excitedly and shouted anxiously: "Yunsheng, Yunsheng, come here quickly."

There was a chaotic sound of footsteps outside.

Yunsheng's face flushed red, even the tips of his ears were red. He didn't dare to look up, and could only mumble, "Auntie, what's wrong?"

Zhao Changning's eyes sparkled like fire, and he smiled and said, "Bring me some paper and pen. I want to recommend some capable palace maids for Her Majesty."

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The author has something to say: Changning: Excited [flowers] Excited [rainbow fart]

I thought I could write some more today, but I feel sleepy when writing, it’s so hard to write, and it’s so hard to get the rights [burst into tears][burst into tears]

Good morning, babies!