Guan Zhiyue listened to He Jiao's words and smiled as she looked at the concubines who were half-squatting below. This time, she really did see quite a few people.
There were about thirty people in this group. Apart from Consort Xian, He Jiao, all the other nine consorts were present, except for Xiuyi, Xiuyuan, and Chongyi. Of the nine Jieyu, five came; of the nine Meiren, three came; of the nine Cairen, six came; and of the twenty-seven Baolin, twenty came.
"Great, that's wonderful! Since everyone likes it this way, we can't break this rule." Guan Zhiyue looked at the group.
"Your Majesty, the fish fry you requested have arrived." Liu Debao respectfully led two eunuchs to carry a large wooden bucket through the gates of the Cold Palace.
Guan Zhiyue stood up from the rocking chair, looked at Liu Debao at the door and said, "Bring them over here, let me see how the fish fry are!"
Liu Debao instructed two eunuchs to bring over the bucket of fish fry. Guan Zhiyue looked at the densely packed fish fry inside the wooden bucket, which seemed to contain all kinds of species.
"Not bad, not bad." As he spoke, he picked up the spiritual spring water that had been prepared beforehand and poured it directly into the pot.
"This is the water I drank today. It tastes sweet and quite nice. I'll share some with the fish as well!"
In fact, what was poured in was spiritual spring water. Guan Zhiyue was worried that the fish fry would not have a high survival rate, so she had already thought of using this method to pour spiritual spring water into the fish fry.
"Old Liu, go prepare a water ladle. Just put one ladle in each of those fifty acres of paddy fields."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey!"
Liu Debao carried the fish fry away again. Guan Zhiyue looked at some of the people who were already swaying and a mocking smile appeared on her lips.
"Sisters, do you know why I spend every day rooted in the land, living the life of a peasant woman?" Guan Zhiyue asked the women who were half-squatting below.
No one dared to speak, but they were thinking to themselves, "Who knows what you're up to? You're probably just crazy!"
"I think he's just a peasant, used to being a country bumpkin."
"Hmph, I think he's just showing off, pretending to know what he doesn't!"
Guan Zhiyue looked at the people below and said with some disdain, "You are all dressed in fine clothes, but do you know that there are soldiers on the border and people in remote mountainous areas who don't have enough to eat? We are at the top of the flow of people and have no worries about food and clothing, but what about those at the bottom of the flow of people?"
“You all eat and drink well every day, but have you ever thought about the lives of ordinary people? Isn’t your beautiful environment all thanks to the silent dedication of these people?”
“I spend every day working in the fields, hoping to grow more grain so that the people can have enough to eat. But what about you? You come here to bother me every few days, without any sense of self-awareness.”
"Consort Shen, as the third person in the harem with the highest rank, all you think about is comparing yourself to others, wanting this and that. I am ashamed of you!"
“Your father is indeed a very talented person. He has already reached a high position at a young age. He is an official with great power, and he is also very dedicated to the people. Why don’t you learn from your father’s strengths?”
"And Consort Zhuang, you are indeed the most beautiful woman in the harem, but you gossip about everything every day. How can you face your father? Your father, Zhuang Gongcao, works diligently and makes great contributions for the people every day, and you, his daughter, gossip about him behind his back and cause trouble everywhere."
"Consort Changde, I know what you want, but I am not someone to be trifled with. You have many ideas in your heart, but they are all forced upon you by your father. What does that have to do with me? Grand Marshal Chang is also very busy with military affairs, but what about you?"
"I don't want to say anything more. You all need to wake up. That's enough for today's greetings! Go back and copy the Precepts for Women ten times. I will check them tomorrow morning and evening."
"Consort Shen, since you no longer wish to manage the harem on behalf of others, then from this day forward, I will manage the harem myself. I will come and see the demons and monsters within this harem."
Upon hearing Guan Zhiyue's words, Shen Na immediately knelt down. Why could she be so arrogant and look down on others? It was simply because she had the power to manage the palace! She could freely allocate everything in the harem!
Now that the Empress has stripped her of her power to manage the palace, how dare she? How could she do that!
"Your Majesty, by what right do you strip me of my power to manage the palace? I have worked diligently and painstakingly for the sake of the entire harem, and in the end, you want to strip me of my power to manage the palace with just a few words?"
"Who gave you this right? I'm going to the Emperor! I'm going to the Emperor! I'm going to file a complaint with the Emperor! I'm going to sue you, Guan Zhiyue!"
Guan Zhiyue snorted coldly and said to the little eunuch Xiao Dezi beside her, "Where is Xiao Dezi?"
"Your servant is here."
"Go and have two people carry out the rickshaw I just made. My Cold Palace is ten palaces away from the Emperor's Golden Palace! If Consort Shen walks there, she won't be able to get there until evening. Hurry up and get the rickshaw ready and send Consort Shen there. At this time, Attendant Shen is still in court!"
"You should also go and let the Emperor and his ministers judge this matter properly, and see if what I said today was right or wrong?"
He Jiao looked at the wooden rickshaw that was being carried out by two eunuchs. It was entirely made of wood, except for the chain, which was made of iron.
"Your Majesty, what is this? It's so beautiful! Oh my, it can roll! Isn't this faster than a carriage?"
"This can't compare to a horse-drawn carriage. A horse-drawn carriage has four legs, while this is propelled by human feet, so it's naturally inferior."
"Oh, but it looks really beautiful. I wonder if Your Majesty has any more? Could you please give me one?" He Jiao blinked her big eyes at Guan Zhiyue.
Guan Zhiyue reached out and pinched He Jiao's cheek, saying, "For now, I only have this one. However, I will make some modifications later and have the Manufacturing Department make another one for you."
"Oh, really? Then thank you in advance, Your Majesty."
Guan Zhiyue looked at the completed pedicab, smiled at Shen Na who was crying with tears streaming down her face, and said in a cold voice, "Go! Consort Shen, you'd better tell all your thoughts to the court officials and let the ministers and the emperor judge you."
Shen Na's red, tear-filled eyes glared at Guan Zhiyue as if she were poisonous, wishing she could beat her to death and drink her blood right then and there.
Guan Zhiyue ignored her completely, glanced at her, and then led He Jiao back to the backyard. The half-burnt incense stick was extinguished by Bilian and taken back to the backyard...
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