After the day of removing the mourning clothes was over, both the plain white and moon white ones were replaced, and the palace looked brand new.
Yi Hua has been very busy lately. She has devoted a lot of effort to the renewal and rotation of palace personnel. First, palace maids over 25 years old were released from the palace in batches, and fresh blood was brought in from outside the palace. Secondly, she streamlined the relationships between various functional departments. Don't underestimate the connections between eunuchs, palace maids and aunts.
The Forbidden City is like a miniature society. Yi Hua is the new manager. The old guard would test her first. If Yi Hua is capable, then she will naturally prevail. Otherwise, these second masters will be very successful.
Sure enough, the peaceful days had barely ended when someone started to make a move.
Consort Qi, née Li, and the eldest princess came to pay their respects together. Yi Hua subconsciously glanced at the sun, wondering why these two were together, and why the eldest princess looked so unwilling.
After paying her respects, Madam Li nudged the eldest princess and said, "Your Majesty, the eldest princess is a good child, and you watched her grow up. She doesn't want to say anything that would put you in a difficult position. As her mother, I feel sorry for her."
"Look at her clothes, they're from when she was still a prince. She's been out of mourning for days, and the embroidery department is still neglecting the eldest princess like this. If it were that she didn't have any children, I could tolerate it, but I clearly saw that she's already changed into new palace clothes. Isn't this bullying an honest person?!"
Consort Qi grew angrier the more she thought about it. She couldn't say how much she cared about the eldest princess, but she was extremely concerned about her own reputation. The eldest princess was her daughter, and the second princess was the Empress's daughter. This was clearly a trampling on her reputation!
Yi Hua hadn't really noticed this, and it was her oversight. She had gotten used to it after so many years in the Prince's mansion, and no one had ever dared to openly deduct from their master's allowance.
"Didn't you go to the embroidery room and cause a scene?" Yi Hua asked, knowing Li Shi's temperament very well.
"Of course we went! That old hag thinks he can look down on us just because he served the Imperial Noble Consort. He said we have to go after the Emperor and the Empress, and that the eldest princess's turn will be a few days later. Bah!"
Yi Hua became interested in the head maid of the embroidery room, as she had never seen Li Shi so furious.
"Alright, what's the big deal? The eldest princess's clothes will be sent over today. You're a palace concubine, why are you getting angry with a stewardess? Go back first, I'll handle it." Yi Hua reassured her, then waved to the eldest princess, "Why didn't you come and tell the Empress Dowager about this?"
The eldest princess lowered her head, her face flushed, and remained silent.
Yi Hua patted her hand: "You and the Second Princess are the same, both are princesses of our Great Qing Dynasty. No servant can be above you. Your confidence comes from the Emperor. Always remember this. Go."
Seeing that Yi Hua meant to intervene, Li Shi swayed her hips and walked away unhappily. Yi Hua could still hear her scolding the eldest princess with exasperation: "How could I have given birth to such a blockhead like you? You were bullied as soon as you entered the palace. Now you're in the embroidery room, but in the future you'll be in the kitchen and the utensils room. Do you even want to live?"
Yi Hua nodded. Li's words, though rough, made sense. She called over Granny Chen: "Who is the head of the embroidery room? It seems to be related to the Imperial Noble Consort?"
During this period, Granny Chen had memorized the personnel relationships in the palace perfectly: "Your Majesty, the head of the embroidery workshop was originally Consort Hui's person. After the Emperor ascended the throne, she asked to leave the palace. The current head of the workshop made some connections and took over the position based on her past experience of serving the Imperial Noble Consort."
"I've inquired about it. She used to be a cleaning maid in the Imperial Noble Consort's palace and never even entered the inner chambers. Now she's using her position to intimidate people."
"Why haven't the palace gowns for the eldest princess been issued?"
"Such a thing happened? I was just being silly and didn't notice." Granny Chen was somewhat surprised.
"It's normal for the nanny to forget because she's busy. Send a maid to deliver a message that I want to summon the head of the embroidery workshop and that she should come immediately." Yi Hua didn't expect that even after becoming Empress, she would still have to engage in palace intrigue.
Granny Hu had a pipe dangling from her lips, and two maids behind her were massaging her back. She was living a very comfortable life.
She'd recently become a bit arrogant from being the center of attention, and when she stopped the eldest princess's supplies, the younger princess didn't dare say anything. After all, the emperor had been raised by the Imperial Concubine Dowager, and with that backer, her future rise in status was not impossible.
Hearing the Empress's summons, Hu Mama felt a little uneasy, but mostly overjoyed. Was the Empress going to promote her? The embroidery workshop wasn't exactly a lucrative department, but if she could go to the Imperial Household Department...
Yi Hua saw a woman in her early fifties walk in. After she bowed, she asked, "Are you Granny Hu? Has anything urgent happened in the embroidery room lately?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Hu realized that she was being transferred to another post, and she was even more delighted: "Your Majesty, the embroidery workshop is operating normally, and there is nothing urgent."
"Oh, I thought so too." Yi Hua's face darkened. "If that's the case, why hasn't the palace attire for the First Princess been sent yet?"
Hu Mama was stunned. This was an interrogation. She subconsciously shook her head: "Your Majesty, you are wronged! This servant was just following the old custom of the Imperial Noble Consort, presenting the offerings according to rank and age. I would never dare to make a mistake."
"Is the palace dress already finished?" Yi Hua continued to ask.
Hu Mama's eyes flickered. The fabric meant for making clothes for the eldest princess had been directly embezzled and put into her private treasury. Asking her to return it would be as painful as killing her.
"Is it because the clothes haven't been made yet that they were made during the reign of the Imperial Noble Consort?"
Hu Mama knelt down: "Your Majesty, some of the older palace maids in the embroidery workshop have left the palace, and we are short-handed right now. We can only prioritize the Emperor and Your Majesty's needs for now. We haven't had time to deal with the eldest princess yet. Please understand, Your Majesty."
“According to what the old lady said, it is I who am in the wrong.” Yi Hua smiled. “Since the old lady is too busy, then she should stop working so hard. Issue my decree to remove the old lady Hu from her position as head of the embroidery room. She is lazy and disrespectful to the eldest princess. She should be punished with a caning, but considering that she is the Imperial Noble Consort, I will give her one hundred lashes on the hand and expel her from the palace. She will never be employed again.”
Granny Hu hadn't expected it to be so serious, and immediately shouted, "Your Majesty, this servant is the Imperial Noble Consort's person! You cannot disregard filial piety and punish this servant like this!"
Yu Ling quickly grabbed a handkerchief to gag Granny Hu. Just as things were getting chaotic, Yinzhen entered: "What filial piety?"
Yi Hua quickly stood up: "Your Majesty, this old nanny is spouting nonsense, don't offend your ears."
Yi Hua briefly explained the whole story, saying that he was just a foolish person who relied on his former master, and there was nothing to argue about.
"How dare you try to curry favor with the Imperial Noble Consort?" Yinzhen said in a calm tone, but Yihua felt a murderous intent in his voice.
With Yinzhen's order, Granny Hu dared not utter any more arrogant words and was dragged away to be executed.
Seeing that Granny Hu had run into a tough opponent, the other stewards naturally dared not neglect their masters, and the eldest princess breathed a sigh of relief.
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