"Your Majesty, news has come from the Hu Ji Restaurant that Princess A Xue will arrive in the capital in a few days!"
An unremarkable palace maid knelt before Empress Dowager Ashina and respectfully reported back.
"good!"
More than a month has passed since Xie Yuan entered the palace. After a series of setbacks, Empress Dowager Ashina finally received some good news.
She slammed her hand on the armrest, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes. "I remember Ah Xue is 16 years old this year. I was also 16 when I married the late Emperor!"
At the tender age of youth, far from the grasslands and loved ones, they came to this unfamiliar Great Zhou.
They were not used to the lifestyle, eating habits, and so on.
Outsiders see her as carefree and glamorous, but who knows the loneliness in her heart?
Furthermore, the late emperor was always a cunning man.
In order to unite with the Turks and jointly attack the Rouran and the subsequent Southern Dynasty, he had no choice but to ask for a Turkic princess in marriage.
However, in his heart, he never regarded Princess Ashina from the Turkic Khaganate as his wife.
What's more, the late emperor disliked Empress Dowager Ashina, always feeling that the Turks and Rouran were the same, both being ignorant and uncivilized barbarians.
Perhaps, in the eyes of the late emperor, she, a dignified Turkic princess, was not as noble as the daughters of aristocratic families in the Southern Dynasty.
yes!
Empress Dowager Ashina admitted that the grassland conditions were harsh and there weren't many rules or customs.
Sometimes, some unfavored princesses had to do menial work like female slaves, feeding horses, herding sheep, and so on.
Although Empress Dowager Ashina had never been so destitute, she was also unfamiliar with so many rules and regulations.
I didn't learn to kneel or sit properly until quite some time after arriving in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
She is not very good at other skills such as brewing tea, burning incense, arranging flowers, and dancing.
The problem is, she also has special skills. For example, she can ride a horse, she can deliver lambs, and she can hunt.
Most importantly, it was the late emperor who sought her hand in marriage, not that she insisted on marrying him.
Isn't it ridiculous for someone who's proposing to someone to reject the person they're pursuing?
Not only did the emperor despise her, but he also refused to give her a child.
On the surface, it seems that Empress Dowager Ashina herself was incompetent.
However, they also have healers on their grasslands.
Before marrying into the Great Zhou Dynasty, she was the most vibrant and healthy little princess on the grasslands.
Her mother was very fertile, giving birth to several children in one go.
She is her mother's daughter, so she must have inherited her mother's skills!
Furthermore, having lived in the court of the Great Zhou for more than twenty years, Empress Dowager Ashina gradually learned some of the "secrets" between women.
For example, how to prevent pregnancy.
For example, how to make someone infertile.
Empress Dowager Ashina sadly discovered that she was the one who had been tricked.
The late emperor never considered having a Turkic woman bear him a child, perhaps because he found it troublesome, or perhaps because he felt she was unworthy!
"Hmph! I'm not worthy! But I am your rightful wife!"
"You despise me because I am a northern barbarian, and your good son also despises the Turkic princess!"
"But I'm determined to make the Turkic princess the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty!"
Looking back, a deep sense of hatred and resentment surfaced in Empress Ashina's eyes.
She clenched her fists so tightly that her facial features became somewhat distorted.
"By the way, is there any progress on the matter at Jiaofang Palace?"
The long fingernails dug into her soft palm, and the slight pain brought Empress Ashina back to her senses.
She controlled her emotions and got back to the point, "You said last time that you had some contact with a palace maid in Jiaofang Palace?"
As she spoke, Empress Dowager Ashina looked sharply at the little palace maid who was prostrate on the ground.
Thanks to Yuan, all the old palace servants around her were dismissed.
They had no choice but to replace them with a group of young palace maids and eunuchs.
Since they could "retire" after ten years in the palace, these young servants had learned their lesson and dared not easily pay homage to powerful figures.
After all, they still wanted to leave the palace alive.
If you acknowledge a master, you may gain some benefits, but you are also prone to being used as cannon fodder if something goes wrong.
Nobody's a fool; nobody wants to risk their life for a little bit of benefit.
Of course, it's not that there are absolutely no loopholes to exploit.
The young eunuchs and palace maids dared not easily entrust their loyalty, but they valued money above all else.
Once they leave the palace, they will have to make a living.
If you save up a lot of money, the young palace maid can have a generous dowry after leaving the palace.
The eunuchs, on the other hand, were able to acquire some property and adopt a few orphans, so that they would not die alone and destitute.
Coincidentally, Empress Dowager Ashina was so poor that all she had left was silver.
During this time, she managed to win over several palace maids by selling them silver ingots.
These palace servants would also use the money given to them by Empress Dowager Ashina to corrupt certain other servants in the palace.
"Your Majesty, Ah Hong from Jiaofang Palace is from my hometown and is about the same age as me."
"Her family has many children and is very poor. Her mother is also in poor health and needs money."
The young palace maid remained kneeling, her head bowed low, but she spoke clearly and logically, "This servant will 'lend' her some money."
"After half a month, she already owed the servants four strings of cash."
Palace servants who served in the palace also received a monthly allowance.
A newly arrived palace maid receives one string of cash per month.
Only with seniority and promotion will the monthly allowance increase.
However, this young palace maid and her fellow villager had only entered the palace a year or two ago.
They were all low-ranking palace maids, earning only one string of cash per month.
Four strings of cash—that little palace maid simply couldn't pay it back!
In this way, she was given a handle to use against her.
It will be even more natural to ask her to do things in the future.
Empress Dowager Ashina was very satisfied, "You did a great job."
Finally, they managed to poke a small hole in the impenetrable walls of the Jiaofang Palace.
Although that little palace maid was just a rough and sturdy maid on the outermost perimeter, she couldn't get close to Xie Yuan and her children at all.
However, as long as a hole is created, Empress Dowager Ashina's plan can proceed.
Furthermore, once it happens, it will happen again.
Once the iron plate has cracks, you can chisel out a bigger hole.
It's just money, I have plenty.
"Don't rush, keep developing! It would be best if we could establish a connection with the people in the East Side Hall!"
A ruthless glint flashed in Empress Dowager Ashina's eyes.
Although she never gave birth, she was a mother.
She knew that for a woman, her child was her life.
If something were to happen to those little brats, even if Xie Yuan managed to escape by sheer luck, his heart would be broken!
Just then, Ashina Xue arrived, and the spot Xie Yuanteng had vacated should be "returned" to the Turkic princess.
In the evening, after the Emperor and Empress had their dinner, they habitually went to the East Side Hall to see the children.
Helian Jue really liked the children's playground that Xie Yuan had built, and would often play with the children there.
One big kid and four little kids, they had a blast playing together.
Xie Yuan watched with a smile.
A happy family of six, such a beautiful moment, was destined to be shattered.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager of Yongshou Palace has arrived!"
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