"Oh dear! The Empress Dowager is so happy she's fainted!"
Xie Yuan delivered another blow.
Even the Empress Dowager Ashina, who had already fallen into a coma, couldn't help but twitch her body.
Helian Jue put his hands behind his back, raised his head, and looked around. He seemed to suddenly notice that there were carvings on the roof of his foster mother's bedroom.
As for Xie Yuan being so angry that he made the Empress Dowager faint?
Who said that?
How come I didn't see it?
"Someone come here! Summon the imperial physician!"
Xie Yuan dropped his pretentious act, regained his usual composure, and gave a calm instruction.
She didn't forget to lament to Helian Jue, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager's health is indeed not good! The matter of praying for her well-being cannot be delayed!"
Hearing this, Helian Jue finally snapped out of his reverie.
He nodded. "I'll leave this to you!"
"Your humble servant will obey!"
Xie Yuan stood up and bowed respectfully.
Then, Xie Yuan issued her first imperial edict after entering the palace—
Those who served in the palace for ten years or more were granted permission to leave the palace, and each person received a reward of varying amounts of silver based on their rank and length of service.
Those who are not serving in the palace but have served for ten years or more shall all follow this rule.
Xie Yuan also made sure to tell the world that this reward was to pray for the Empress Dowager's well-being.
Since it's about praying for blessings, it should be done well from beginning to end, with thoroughness and attention to detail.
Xie Yuan wouldn't take a one-size-fits-all approach and expel all eligible palace servants without asking why.
For some elderly people who have lost the ability to support themselves, Xie Yuan will place them in a special charity hall.
The government provides monthly expenses to support these widows, widowers, and orphans.
Some palace maids, who were of a suitable age but had no relatives at home, would be sent by Xie Yuan, after inquiring about their wishes, either to a private school for girls to become teachers or to work on the estate.
Xie Yuan brought not only her family and private soldiers with her when she returned to the capital this time, but also some of her workshops in Lingnan.
Sugar making, pharmaceutical manufacturing, academies, medical schools, farms, rubber workshops, and so on.
These all require a large number of people.
In addition, Xie Yuan also wanted Helian Jue to go to Gaochang when he had time and bring back some cotton.
With cotton, we can vigorously develop the cotton textile industry.
Xie Yuan still remembered the principle of the three-spindle spinning wheel, and could "invent" this useful tool for spinning thread in advance.
The textile industry is naturally a battleground for women.
Once a formal cotton textile industry is established, not only will retired palace maids have a choice to make a living, but ordinary women in the capital and even the whole country will have a way to settle down and make a living!
Xie Yuan had too many things to do; her world was always the vast universe, not the small world of the harem.
Palace intrigue?
Fighting to the death with the two empress dowagers or concubines?
This is not Xie Yuan's style!
After confirming that Empress Dowager Ashina was no pushover, they decided to strike at her root and completely sideline her.
What big waves could an old woman trapped in the deep palace possibly stir up?
There's no need to get into a palace intrigue with her!
...
Xie Yuan couldn't issue his orders one by one, and the entire palace was mobilized.
"Ah Yuan, don't you have a third step?"
Helian Jue loved seeing Xie Yuan in his spirited, confident, and flamboyant manner.
Xie Yuan, with her beautiful face, seemed to be glowing.
Helian Jue rested his chin on his hand, his eyes filled with admiration and pride. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he asked, "What is the third step?"
The second step was to release most of the palace staff.
Among them were not only the confidants of the various palace ladies, but also spies planted by some unknown force.
To cut off the fuel supply from the source, decisive and efficient.
"The third step is to move the capital!"
After finishing his work, Xie Yuan got up and went to Helian Jue's side.
She sat down cross-legged.
Helian Jue straightened up and handed Xie Yuan a teacup.
Xie Yuan took two sips, and wow, it was incredibly intoxicating.
The tea of this era is not the clear tea of later generations, but the tea soup.
The key is the word "soup".
The tea leaves are ground into powder, added to water, along with seasonings such as salt, scallions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise. Some people also add mutton fat.
The soup is thick and pungent, spicy and meaty; most people who try it for the first time will find it unbearable.
Xie Yuan has been here for four or five years, but he still can't adapt.
It's alright in Lingnan, where you can be in charge of your own affairs.
Xie Yuan specially ordered people to find wild tea in the mountains, pick the tender leaves, and process them into green tea using methods from later generations, including withering and rolling.
Select the best spring water, boil it, and pour it into a teacup.
Watching the curled tea leaves slowly unfurl in the boiling water, a faint aroma of tea lingers in the air.
It tastes bitter and astringent, yet it has a unique aroma.
This is what drinking tea should be like!
Tea soup and the like are simply culinary dread!
Now that they're back in the palace, everything has to be done according to the palace rules.
Xie Yuanhui will change, but it cannot be achieved overnight.
There are too many things that need to be changed, such as moving the capital and weakening the powerful clans...
Compared to those important matters, drinking tea and such are not that important!
"Move the capital?"
Helian Jue leaned back against the armrest, gently chewing on those two words.
"That's right! It's about moving the capital."
Xie Yuan put down his teacup and said seriously to Helian Jue, "To put it simply, the palace in Pingcheng is too old."
"Whether there are secret passages beneath each of these palaces, even His Majesty may not know."
This is not Xie Yuan's conspiracy theory.
Even without secret passages, such a large-scale architectural complex would have some underground waterways.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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