Kunning Initially Settled
Kunning Palace, the Empress's main hall. With its vermilion roofs and emerald green tiles, soaring eaves and brackets, golden brick paving, and coiled dragon caisson ceilings, the furnishings embody the utmost royal majesty and opulence. Yet, beneath this splendor, a cold, stale atmosphere permeates, reminiscent of the previous empress's reign, as if every corner is saturated with invisible strife and loneliness.
The first thing Lu Qinglan did after moving into Kunning Palace was not to rush to seize power or replace staff. Instead, on the grounds of "remembering the late queen and familiarizing himself with old practices", he ordered people to retrieve all the account books, personnel files, and inventory lists in the palace. He spent a full ten days without sleep and thoroughly understood the affairs of Kunning Palace and even some of the miscellaneous affairs involving the six palaces.
She discovered that Kunning Palace's expenses far exceeded regulations, with many expenditures unclear. Many valuable artifacts in the warehouse, though listed, were in reality damaged, lost, or replaced with inferior items. The palace's personnel were even more complex, with many low-ranking maids and eunuchs vaguely connected to the various palace masters and even certain forces of the previous dynasty. The several female officials assigned to the palace by Min Siji appeared subservient, but in reality, they held a tight rein on key matters.
Lu Qinglan remained calm and recorded all the omissions and doubts he found in the book.
Ten days later, in the early morning, she summoned the main female officials of the Six Shangs and Twenty-Four Departments and all the palace maids of Kunning Palace to the main hall of Kunning Palace for the first time as the empress.
The phoenix throne hung high. Lu Qinglan, dressed in apricot-yellow casual attire, wore no phoenix crown, pinned only with a nine-tailed phoenix hairpin. His expression was calm, his gaze like a cold, ancient well, as he slowly scanned the crowd below, who stood in awe with their heads bowed. The hall was utterly silent; you could hear a pin drop.
"I'm new to the palace, and I'm not familiar with many things. I've been looking through old files lately, and I've come across some insights." Her voice was clear, neither too high nor too low, but it reached everyone clearly. "For example, last year, Kunning Palace withdrew 1,200 taels of silver for tea alone, but only 800 taels were recorded in the treasury. Another example: a jade statue from the previous dynasty, registered in the treasury, was nowhere to be found, but here's a crude imitation."
Every time she spoke, several people below changed their expressions and broke out in cold sweat.
"There are fixed rules for all expenses in the palace. Your Majesty, having just ascended the throne, advocates frugality and sets an example himself. As the role model for the other six palaces, Kunning Palace must follow suit." Lu Qinglan's tone remained calm, yet his voice carried an unquestionable resolve. "From now on, all expenses in Kunning Palace will be reassessed and reduced by 30%. All items will be registered and inspected regularly by a dedicated person. Anyone found to have embezzled, damaged, or passed off inferior items as good ones will be severely punished according to palace rules, regardless of who is responsible!"
She did not name anyone or immediately hold anyone accountable, but she used the most practical means - cutting expenses and strict management - to directly touch the foundation on which some people made profits and establish her own authority.
"As for the palace personnel," she changed the subject, her gaze falling on Min Siji and the others, "You are all old veterans in the palace who are familiar with the rules. I trust you. However, the palace also needs some fresh blood. Fu Yu."
"I'm here." Fu Yu stepped forward.
"Bring up the maids I have selected."
Soon, five women dressed in the attire of low-ranking palace maids entered the hall, bowing their heads and performing the proper rituals. They were none other than the three orphaned girls from Jiangnan and the two former members of the royal palace.
"From now on, they will work in Kunning Palace. The specific duties will be assigned by Fu Yu." Lu Qinglan said lightly, as if he was just arranging a few insignificant things.
Min Siji and the others exchanged quick glances, their hearts pounding with uncertainty. They'd already investigated the backgrounds of these five individuals, and they seemed impeccable. What was the Queen's intention in this move? Was she truly short-handed, or was there something more?
"Your servants will obey the Queen's order." Everyone responded in unison, with different thoughts in their minds.
The first meeting ended in a seemingly peaceful, yet turbulent atmosphere. Lu Qinglan employed both kindness and force, demonstrating his ruthless tactics while also laying subtle, subtle pawns.
In the days that followed, Kunning Palace appeared calm on the surface, yet within, a quiet purge and consolidation was underway. Expenses were strictly limited, and channels for false claims and embezzlement were shut down, sparking widespread resentment. Under Fu Yu's training, the five new palace maids quickly became known for their usefulness. The quiet laundry maids were assigned to washing the Empress's personal clothing. While seemingly menial work, they gained access to the most intimate information. The literate study maids were assigned to organize books and archives, quietly sorting out old accounts. Three orphaned girls from Jiangnan, through their wit and docility, gradually gained access to the various chamber managers and passed on information.
Lu Qinglan didn't rush to attack Min Siji and other obvious "vital points." She knew that with her foundation still unstable, it would be unwise to rashly make enemies. She only needed to ensure that within Kunning Palace, she had eyes and ears that were absolutely loyal to her and people who could carry out her orders. That was enough.
At the same time, she didn't confine herself to the confines of Kunning Palace. Palace rules required the empress to regularly receive greetings from the concubines and oversee the affairs of the six harems. She used this opportunity to closely observe each of them. Lin Wanru (Hui Fei) was naturally her staunchest supporter; the lower-ranking concubines and noble ladies were mostly cautious. Finally, the virtuous concubine (the second prince's biological mother and the sister of the Marquis of Jingnan), who bore a prince, maintained a subtle demeanor, her respect tinged with distance and a subtle scrutiny.
One day, the virtuous concubine came to pay her respects, and seemingly casually mentioned, "I heard that Your Majesty has been working very hard to reorganize the palace affairs recently. But are the budget cuts too harsh? After all, each palace has its own rules. If Kunning Palace cuts too much, I'm afraid the other palaces will have difficulty following suit."
Lu Qinglan sat upright on the Phoenix Throne, holding a cup of tea in her hand. She smiled slightly upon hearing this, "Your Majesty is thoughtful. Your Majesty advocates frugality, and we, the concubines, should sympathize with His Majesty's wishes. We should not spend lavishly, but prudently. Wouldn't it be better if the money saved could be used to repair the palace or reward meritorious palace maids? As for the other palaces, if they have any difficulties, please come back to me and I will handle it as appropriate."
She skillfully transformed "strictness" into "compassion for the emperor's will", resolved the contradiction easily, and even implied that the queen had the right to "dispose of" the affairs of each palace at her discretion, quietly declaring her jurisdiction over the six palaces.
The virtuous concubine hit a snag, her face stiffened, and she could only agree awkwardly.
After seeing off the virtuous concubine, Lu Qinglan's smile faded. While seemingly concerned, the virtuous concubine's actions were actually a test, perhaps her brother, the Marquis of Jingnan (though stripped of his title and imprisoned, his former subordinates still remained). The harem had always been closely tied to the previous dynasty.
The initial construction of Kunning Palace was merely the first step in a long journey. The real storms lay outside the palace walls, within the seemingly submissive but in reality ulterior motives of the court, and within the entangled networks of the old powers.
She stroked the cold, cloud-patterned private seal in her sleeve (a token to mobilize the power of Yunshang Pavilion and Zhao Tiezhi), her eyes becoming increasingly profound.
She had already taken her place in this grand chess game. Now it was her turn.
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