Chapter 88 The Grandeur of the Harem Master

Su Jing was indeed efficient and decisive, accomplishing his task in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

He then personally led twenty strong eunuchs to Yongshou Palace.

The group remained completely silent, kneeling respectfully throughout the courtyard, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Su Jing stepped forward, bowed, and reported back, his voice filled with utmost respect.

"Your Majesty, I have carefully selected twenty eunuchs with clean backgrounds who have been diligent and reliable since entering the palace. These people were all castrated at a young age and have no relatives or friends outside the palace. Their backgrounds are clean, and their future lives, honors, and disgrace are all in Your Majesty's hands. They will surely be loyal to you to the death and have no disloyalty."

Jiang Nan listened and secretly praised him.

Su Jing is indeed very capable.

These eunuchs had no ties, so they could be given free rein and were not afraid of being exploited.

She merely nodded lazily, her tone carrying a condescending approval.

"Hmm, Su Jing, you did a good job. I'll remember that. Go back and just sit firmly in your position as head steward. As long as you behave yourself, you'll always be in charge of the Imperial Household Department. As long as I'm here, I'll protect you."

Su Jing was overjoyed by this promise of a fortune, and immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude.

"This servant kowtows to thank Your Majesty for your grace. This servant will do his utmost, even unto death, for you."

He knew perfectly well that in the harem, the Empress Dowager was enjoying her retirement, the Emperor's heart was in the court, and the Empress was merely a figurehead.

The one who truly holds the power of life and death is none other than Consort Jin before us.

Only by gaining her favor can one's position truly be as secure as Mount Tai.

He casually dismissed the grateful Su Jing.

Jiang Nan's gaze swept over the twenty kneeling eunuchs in the courtyard as if it were a tangible object.

She sat in a chair, quietly accompanied by Wang and Daijia behind her, the atmosphere somewhat solemn.

"Raise your heads, all of you, and let me see you."

Jiang Nan's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

The eunuchs looked up as instructed, their faces tense, their eyes filled with awe and uncertainty about the future.

Jiang Nan glanced around and asked.

"Who among you is the strongest? Or, who is the best fighter?"

The eunuchs looked at each other, none of them daring to answer easily.

After entering the palace, they learned the rules of serving others, so how could they dare to say that they were good at fighting?

Seeing this, Jiang Nan softened her tone.

"Don't be afraid, I mean no harm. From today onwards, you are people of Yongshou Palace, my own people. Tell me what you are capable of, and as long as you don't lie, I will give you important positions."

After a moment of silence, a eunuch who was noticeably more muscular and had a darker complexion than the others gritted his teeth and mustered the courage to raise his head.

"Replying to Your Majesty, this servant is only a bit clumsy and has more strength than others."

"oh?"

Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow, showing interest.

"Can you scale walls and rooftops like the heroes in those folk tales?"

The eunuch quickly shook his head and answered honestly.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Those stories are all made up. I only have brute strength. When I was a child, I hunted in the mountains with my father and learned a little bit of martial arts. Later, my family was flooded and I was separated from my relatives, so... so I was sold into the palace."

His voice carried an undisguised sense of desolation.

Jiang Nan nodded. This experience was indeed real, but it was a pity that there was no martial arts in this world.

She pointed to the other nineteen eunuchs and asked.

"Can you beat them all?"

The eunuch shook his head honestly.

"Your Majesty, we cannot defeat them. With more than three adults, this servant is finding it difficult."

Jiang Nan nodded in satisfaction. Very good, honest and unpretentious, she appreciated that.

"May I have your name?"

"This humble servant's name is Chang Shun."

"Chang Shun. I will remember this."

Jiang Nan immediately made the decision, her voice firm and resolute.

"From this day forward, you will be the leader of these nineteen people. Within Yongshou Palace, your position is second only to Zhao Deyi. The safety of this palace will be entrusted to your command. Are you capable of this task?"

Upon hearing this, Chang Shun's eyes suddenly flashed with excitement, and he slammed his head heavily on the ground, the sound clear.

"This servant kowtows to thank Your Majesty for your grace. This servant will guarantee with his life that he will protect Your Majesty to the death. If anything goes wrong, this servant will offer his head to you."

"You may all get up."

Jiang Nan stood up gracefully, straightened her sleeves, and glanced at the sky.

"It's getting late, and we can't keep our Empress waiting any longer."

She looked at Chang Shun and gave the order.

"Chang Shun, this is your first task. Make sure Yongshou Palace is well-equipped for me and escort me to Kunning Palace for my morning audience. Let the harem see how you, the son of a hunter, can arrange this guard formation to be both impregnable and maintain the dignity and grandeur of Yongshou Palace."

"Yes, sir!"

Chang Shun responded and suddenly turned around to face the nineteen eunuchs.

Although he was a little awkward giving orders for the first time, his instructions were clear and loud, carrying an undeniable power.

"You! You! And you, step forward and clear the way. The four of you, guard the sides of the palanquin closely. The six of you, bring up the rear. The rest of you, spread out on the perimeter and keep a close watch on all comings and goings. Be on your best."

The eunuchs immediately sprang into action upon receiving the order and quickly took their positions.

Although their steps were not yet fully refined, they quickly formed a well-defined and heavily guarded formation.

Jiang Nan nodded slightly in satisfaction, raising her slender hand slightly.

Zhao Deyi immediately stepped forward, bowed, and extended his arm.

Jiang Nan gently placed her hand on Zhao Deyi's forearm and slowly walked out of the Yongshou Palace gate.

Wang and Daijia quickly followed behind.

Outside the palace gates, a magnificent palanquin was already prepared.

Jiang Nan took her seat, and four eunuchs steadily lifted her palanquin.

Chang Shun personally led the way, with Zhao Deyi standing close to the side of the sedan chair, guarded by twenty eunuchs on all sides.

The procession was grand and imposing, heading straight towards Kunning Palace.

This group of people walked along the palace road, their imposing presence and awe-inspiring aura filling the air.

The palace maids and eunuchs they encountered along the way were all terrified and gave way, bowing their heads and not daring to even breathe loudly.

They could only whisper among themselves after the procession had passed.

Anyone can see clearly what happened at the Qianqing Palace yesterday.

Consort Jin's power has increased even more; today's display of force is clearly a provocation.

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When Jiang Nan led Wang Shi and Dai Jia Shi into the main hall of Kunning Palace.

The hall was already filled with concubines who had come for the morning audience.

Sure enough, she was the last one to arrive.

The atmosphere in the hall was already somewhat tense because of the Empress's presence, and when she entered, it became completely silent.

All the concubines held their teacups with lowered heads and meek expressions.

Empress Hesheli sat at the head of the table, one hand unconsciously protecting her swollen belly.

He held a teacup in his other hand, his gaze wandering, deliberately avoiding eye contact with her.

Jiang Nan sneered inwardly, but outwardly she gave a proper bow.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

The Empress seemed to have just noticed her, barely raising her hand, her voice somewhat hoarse.

"My sister's here, please have a seat."

Jiang Nan stood up and waited for Dai Jia and Wang to bow and sit down.

She then turned her gaze back to the Empress's face, a wicked smile playing on her lips.

"Your Majesty looks quite well today. Despite the great commotion at yesterday's New Year's banquet, Your Majesty seems completely unaffected. You must have slept very soundly last night. You truly are... carefree and healthy."

The barb in those words was almost undisguised.

The Empress's face paled, her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, but she pursed her lips and did not respond.

She didn't dare to respond to Jiang Nan, but Jing Mama beside her couldn't help herself.

She did not attend the New Year's banquet yesterday. Since entering the palace, she had only heard of Consort Jin's arrogance because the Empress had confined her to her quarters, but had not personally witnessed her methods.

After returning yesterday, the Empress stayed in her bedchamber and did not tell her what happened at the New Year's banquet.

At this moment, Granny Jing thought that Jiang Nan was too audacious to speak to the Empress in such a way.

He immediately frowned, stepped forward, and reprimanded her with an arrogant tone.

"Consort Jin, please watch your words. This is Kunning Palace, not Yongshou Palace. Your words are barbed and you are contradicting the Empress. If you accidentally say something wrong, Her Majesty the Empress can punish you for a serious offense of disrespect. It won't look good then."

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I'll just keep writing two chapters a day. If you have a conscience, please give me some support, like book reviews, paragraph comments, or tips.

These daily data are all metrics that influence streaming.

Wait ten days to half a month, and after the book is tested, let's see if this book can still defy fate.

I'm also experiencing a reading slump. Does anyone have any good book recommendations? I'm going to lie down and listen to audiobooks to relax and enjoy myself.