Chapter 41 Governing the Six Palaces

In the afternoon, inside the Yongshou Palace.

The wisps of icy air emanating from the ice chest dispelled the intense heat outside the palace, bringing a rare coolness.

Jiang Nan had just finished a sumptuous but somewhat dull lunch with Wang Shi and was reclining on the chaise lounge by the window.

He idly fiddled with the round fan in his hand, his eyelids growing heavy as he was overcome by the drowsiness of the quiet afternoon.

Wang sat on a stool to the side, doing needlework, occasionally glancing up at her.

His eyes were filled with awe and a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

My sister… no, Consort Jin is now a consort, assisting in the management of the six palaces; she is truly the most powerful woman in the harem…

She felt happy for Jiang Nan, and also a sense of relief and reliance on her own and her unborn child's future.

Just then, Zhao Deyi, the head eunuch of Yongshou Palace, tiptoed and quickly entered the hall.

With barely suppressed smugness on his face, he bowed and asked for instructions.

"Your Majesty, the head of the Imperial Household Department is personally leading a group of people waiting outside. They say they are here on the orders of the Emperor and you to bring newly selected palace maids to fill vacancies and ask you to take a look."

Jiang Nan lazily lifted her eyelids, her voice carrying the languor and impatience of being disturbed from her afternoon nap.

"What? Do I have to personally go out to greet him, the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department?"

Zhao Deyi's heart skipped a beat, realizing that his flattery had backfired. He quickly put on a smile and bowed even lower.

"Oh, Your Highness, please calm down. That's not what I meant. What I meant was... the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department is waiting outside in person. Would you do me the honor of meeting him? It would also be a good opportunity to show the majesty of Yongshou Palace."

Jiang Nan put down her fan, rubbed her temples, and rolled her eyes inwardly.

Majesty? Does my majesty need to be displayed by meeting a warehouse manager?

The Imperial Household Department is a very murky place, with its interests closely intertwined with the previous dynasty. A purge is inevitable, but it's too much trouble.

You have to be polite and courteous when you meet them, isn't that exhausting?

She hates social obligations and social interactions the most, and just wants to close the door and live her own peaceful life.

"It's gone."

She waved her hand, her tone crisp and decisive, leaving no room for doubt.

"Go out and tell them that I am feeling unwell and cannot receive guests. You personally oversee the newly sent people, thoroughly examine and train them, find out their backgrounds and personalities, and send any who are dishonest or disobedient back to the Imperial Household Department so they can replace them with better ones. I trust you; you can surely handle this small matter, right?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Deyi was not disappointed by the rejection; instead, he was so excited that he almost knelt down on the spot.

The Empress has entrusted him with the absolute power to select palace maids; what a great trust she has placed in him!

In the depths of the palace, the master entrusted the power to select his close servants to the head eunuch, who was regarded as his absolute confidant.

He immediately straightened his back, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, and made a firm guarantee.

"Yes, Your Majesty! Your servant obeys. I will handle this matter properly and will not allow any shady or cunning person to offend Your Majesty's eyes or disturb the tranquility of Yongshou Palace. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

"Okay, go ahead."

Jiang Nan nodded in satisfaction, picked up the fan again, and closed her eyes.

Zhao Deyi then bowed and carefully withdrew.

My footsteps were swift, and I felt like I was now second only to Liang Jiugong of the Qianqing Palace.

Among the eunuchs in the imperial harem, he was considered to have the most face.

As for the one in Kunning Palace?

He had long been confined to his home and had lost power; the only people he could rely on were a few old nannies.

The eunuchs had no say at all.

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After Zhao Deyi withdrew, Fang Ruo, who was standing to the side, hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.

"Your Majesty..."

"Um?"

Jiang Nan responded lazily, without even opening her eyes.

Fangruo carefully considered the words and offered a gentle reminder.

"Your Majesty, you are now a Consort, a proper consort. The Emperor has also appointed you to temporarily act as Empress, overseeing the affairs of the six palaces and exercising the powers of Empress... From now on, the morning and evening greetings of all the concubines in the harem will likely be done at our Yongshou Palace. There will also be various trivial matters and emergencies in the harem that need to be reported to you for your decision. In particular, the Emperor has decreed that the imperial selection will be held this autumn, and the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Rites will inevitably consult you on the preparations... You see, you should make preparations for all of these."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan suddenly opened her eyes, her sleepiness instantly vanishing by half.

"What? Is that so? The Emperor didn't tell me."

She sat up straight abruptly, her face filled with resistance and frustration at not wanting to go to work.

What's going on? Do concubines have to clock in and out? Handle official business? What kind of international joke is this?

She came here to lie down and enjoy the corrupting influence of feudalism.

I'm not here to be a free HR manager and administrative director for the Aisin Gioro family.

Seeing her strong reaction, Fangruo quickly explained.

“Your Majesty, this is the rule of the palace. The Empress holds the Phoenix Seal and oversees the six palaces. Now that you are acting in her stead, these matters naturally fall to you. If you don't take charge, there will be no one to make decisions in the harem, and wouldn't things fall into chaos? If the ladies of the palaces have urgent matters, they won't know who to report to…”

Seeing Jiang Nan's increasingly dark expression, she quickly added.

"Of course, if Your Majesty finds the daily morning greetings too noisy, you can order them to be cancelled and changed to the evening greetings, or set a rule that if there is no major event, you can come to pay your respects every three to five days. However, it is always good to keep an eye on palace affairs."

Jiang Nan was completely bewildered. She let out a wail and slumped back into her pillow.

He covered his face with a round fan and complained in a muffled voice.

"Why are there so many troubles? I just want to eat, drink, and sleep peacefully."

Seeing this, Wang, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, offering words of comfort.

“Sister… Consort Jin, this is an incredible blessing! It’s a favor and power that others would kill for. Now, you’re the one who calls the shots in the harem.”

Jiang Nan ripped off the fan and glared at her irritably.

"Sister, what do you know? This is trouble, a huge trouble. You have to get up early every day... no, you can't sleep in at all. You have to listen to a bunch of women chattering and deal with a bunch of trivial and messy things. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. This blessing is for you, do you want it?"

Wang was both amused and exasperated by her straightforward and Versailles-esque complaints, and waved her hands repeatedly.

"This concubine dares not accept it; this concubine does not possess your abilities, Your Majesty."

Jiang Nan scratched her hair in frustration.

Her eyes darted around, and she looked at Fangruo.

"Fangruo, do you mean that all the concubines will have to come to Yongshou Palace to pay their respects to me later?"

Fangruo nodded.

"Your Majesty, according to the rules, yes. Today is the first day that Your Majesty has been promoted to Consort Jin and has taken over the power of the palace. The ladies of the palace should come to pay their respects."

Jiang Nan took a deep breath, rubbed her temples, and gave the order weakly.

"Alright, alright... let them come. Fangruo, arrange for more people to keep an eye on them. More people means more trouble. Don't let them cause any trouble in my palace. Chunlan."

She looked at the female doctor beside her.

"Prepare some cooling and detoxifying teas to help the concubines cool down beforehand."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Fangruo and Chunlan quickly agreed.

Jiang Nan fell back onto the couch and sighed mournfully.