Song Xibai put on her outer garment herself.
As soon as she got up, the two little ones on the bed, perhaps sensing her departure, suddenly burst into tears.
Nanny Qiao hurriedly went to pick up Zhao Yan, rocking him while humming an unknown tune, and quickly soothed the child.
She was about to comfort Zhaojing when she saw Song Xibai pick up the child herself.
Song Xibai tried to comfort Zhao Jing, but she still cried.
"The princess is probably hungry. Let me feed her!"
Nanny Qiao said something.
Song Xibai touched himself, thinking that there wasn't enough for Zhao Jing to eat, so he raised his voice and called out.
"Wen Niang!"
Wenniang quickly ran in and took Zhaojing from him.
Nanny Qiao saw this and her gaze darkened.
After the two children stopped crying, Song Xibai got up and left.
After washing up and drinking a bowl of freshly cooked, steaming hot bird's nest porridge, Song Xibai felt refreshed and much happier.
Not long after, Fuliu came in to report.
"The newly selected palace maids have all arrived. What arrangements does Your Majesty intend to make for them?"
After pondering for a moment, Song Xibai said.
"Schedule them up, then shuffle them around, don't follow any pattern, and send them to serve in the west wing."
Fu Liu asked, puzzled, "Why?"
Wei Hong rolled her eyes at her.
"Fool! Of course, it's to prevent others from having the opportunity to win them over."
Fu Liu suddenly realized, and then asked another question.
"Your Majesty, what should we do with the maid who was lifting the curtain?"
Song Xibai glanced in the direction of the door: "Have you investigated everything?"
"We've found out. That girl has no background. She used to work at Xiefangzhai in the back. She's a bit stubborn and not very bright. I had someone question her, and she didn't deny passing on messages to Jin's wet nurse. She even insisted that it was for Jin's good."
Fu Liu carefully repeated what the little palace maid had said during the inquiry.
Song Xibai looked up.
"Move it back to its original position!"
The person was stupid and was taken advantage of. Although the crime wasn't serious, no one could feel at ease keeping such a stupid person around.
Song Xibai also realized the problem at this moment.
In the past, in order to eliminate the spies and instigators in the palace, two groups of palace staff were dealt with. Although most of the spies were removed, very few clever people were left.
This comparison makes Wen Niang's rarity all the more apparent.
Song Xibai let out a breath and stared out the window, lost in thought.
I didn't realize it at first, but now that I think about it, I realize that I come from an ordinary background and there is still a lot of difference between me and those from aristocratic families.
In terms of personnel alone, it's difficult to catch up.
The subordinates of powerful families are trained over several generations, and they can be selected at will based on their loyalty and ability.
To take a recent example, the late Empress Yuan Shen might not be alive today if it weren't for the secret guards and others she brought from her maternal family.
Song Xibai thought about it for a long time.
It wasn't until darkness fell and snowflakes began to drift down that she snapped out of her daze.
"Wei Hong, didn't you say you wanted to be adopted by Commander Yue? Did he agree?"
Song Xibai suddenly turned his head and asked.
Wei Hong laughed: "The commander has agreed!"
Song Xibai then said, "Let's choose a good day and have Commander Yue host a banquet and hold a formal ceremony!"
Wei Hong's eyes widened slightly: "This...isn't that necessary?"
"Why not use it? Commander Yue is now a fourth-rank official, and taking in an adopted daughter is a big deal! Besides, you're one of my people, so it's okay to be a little high-profile."
Song Xibai smiled faintly.
"This servant will obey Your Highness."
Song Xibai walked behind the bed, took out a box, and handed it to her.
"By the way, tomorrow when you leave the palace, give this to Commander Yue."
Wei Hong casually asked, "What is this?"
"Silver notes." Song Xibai didn't hide anything from her. "I want to ask Commander Yue to help me train some useful people. I really don't trust the people in the palace."
All the people that Commander Yue used to train have been sent to various places by Yuan Shen, and there are still not enough people! Song Xibai can't very well poach Yuan Shen's people.
Once Zhaojing and Zhaoyan are older and the trained people are ready to be used, things will be much easier for me.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will convey the message to my godfather."
Wei Hong quickly put the box away.
The next day, Wei Hong left the palace and conveyed Song Xibai's request.
Commander Yue did not refuse; this was, after all, his old profession. Besides, the Empress didn't want to train spies, she just needed some manpower.
Of course, Song Xibai had already informed Yuan Shen in advance.
She is always meticulous in her work and never lets anyone find any fault with her.
On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, an auspicious day, Commander Yue invited a few friends and colleagues to a banquet at his residence, where he formally adopted Wei Hong as his goddaughter.
Although the adopted daughter is not his biological daughter, Commander Yue has no biological children, so the adopted daughter's status is naturally different from others.
In addition to being a female official in the palace, Wei Hong also gained the identity of the daughter of a fourth-rank official.
This action has puzzled many people.
However, a few clever people saw something amiss.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, a grand banquet was held in the palace. Many officials' wives took the opportunity to ask the Imperial Concubine a few probing questions during their audience.
Taking the opportunity, Song Xibai expressed her desire to reform the female officials in the imperial harem.
In the past, the female officials in the palace were all promoted from palace maids. Although they had ranks, their power was actually not great, far less than that of the eunuchs.
The twelve directorates in the palace were all managed by eunuchs, as were the heads of the four departments and eight bureaus. Even though most of the work in places like the laundry bureau, needlework bureau, and dyeing bureau was done by palace maids, their superiors were still eunuchs.
Then, Song Xibai said that the palace servants were not very literate and lacked ability, so he was thinking of recruiting people from outside the palace.
She didn't say anything more, leaving it at that, which stirred the minds of the ladies present, who immediately went home and discussed it with their families.
Now, the emperor has no intention of holding a grand selection to fill the harem, and no matter how much the officials try to persuade him, he remains unmoved.
Even as rumors circulated in the capital that the emperor was having difficulty conceiving, he remained unchanged.
Seeing that sending their daughters to the palace to become concubines was no longer an option, wasn't the path of becoming female officials a good opportunity?
However, while the title of "female official" sounds prestigious, entering the palace is not just about being a mistress or serving others, and these powerful families would never send their direct descendants' daughters there.
But there are many collateral relatives by marriage!
Whether it succeeds or fails, there is no loss for these direct descendants.
As a result, almost all the prominent families turned their attention to the eligible daughters of their collateral relatives by marriage.
She needs to be good-looking, but not too seductive.
During their time with the new emperor, everyone basically realized that he did not like beautiful women; otherwise, he would not have favored the Imperial Concubine so much.
Based on Yuan Shen's preferences and comparing them to Song Xibai, they actually found several similar candidates.
Song Xibai stirred up the waters of the capital with just a few words, which surprised even herself.
But what Song Xibai didn't expect was that before the people outside the palace could jump out, someone inside the palace couldn't sit still and rushed to find her.
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