Chapter 89 Return
Managing harem affairs is not as simple as managing a palace.
You may be able to follow the guidance of the teaching nanny around you in other matters, but you must not be careless about the attitude of this manager.
Su Ci really did what she said and changed all her lazy habits since she entered the palace. She got up early every day to wash and dress up with the king.
She first led all the concubines to pay their respects to the Queen Mother, burn incense and worship Buddha. When reporting to the Queen Mother about yesterday's palace affairs, she gave her son some advice. After returning to her own palace to have breakfast, she began to review the harem accounts sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, examine various expenses, and ensure the rational allocation of resources.
Summon the heads of various departments in the harem, review the job allocation of palace maids and eunuchs, ensure the normal operation of each department, supervise the implementation of palace rules, and correct or punish reported violators.
In addition to mediating conflicts and disputes among concubines and maintaining harmony and stability in the harem, he also had to send people to the imperial kitchen to inquire about the eating habits of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and the various palaces, and make appropriate changes or replacements.
If court officials and ladies entered the palace, the administrators would receive and handle related matters, maintaining relationships within and outside the court. During important festivals or celebrations, the administrators would personally accompany the Empress Dowager or His Majesty to perform sacrifices, and they would also oversee the Imperial Household Department's organization and hosting of various palace banquets.
At the end of the day, my face is stiff and my feet are numb.
Su Ci persisted like this for a whole month, and not only others but even she herself admired herself.
But the rewards are absolutely substantial.
Previously, Concubine Song Liang had the support of the old ministers because she was born in the prime minister's mansion and had enough confidence. It was easy for her to handle palace affairs, and she had a reputation for being virtuous.
However, Concubine Shu was still young and of humble origin. Apart from being favored and giving birth to the prince, she had no achievements. It was inevitable that she would be classified as a vulgar person who used her beauty to please men.
But in just this short month, Concubine Shu's calm demeanor and speech when receiving the ladies of honor, her meticulousness in handling all aspects of palace affairs, and her innovative efforts changed many loopholes in the rules, balanced the huge differences between the palace maids and eunuchs, and reduced various disputes caused by the superiors bullying the inferiors.
Finally, he also advocated selling off the old and unused items in the harem, and using the proceeds to build porridge stalls in the capital to distribute porridge to the public.
He quickly won over a large number of people who were convinced by him.
The choice of the successor, which had been the subject of much debate in the court, gradually deviated.
Yufu Palace.
Yanyu Guyu diligently pinched her master's wrist, her face full of admiration.
"Hmph, let's see if anyone dares to say that our master is young and incompetent."
"Of course not! The Empress Dowager has already publicly praised the Master for his prudent and thorough work. Anyone who says anything more than that would be a slap in the face of the Empress Dowager!"
"Ah, so tiring, this is not a job for humans..."
Su Ci collapsed on the soft pillow and sighed, "Now I finally understand why it was always the concubines who were favored in history, and not the queen. She's so busy every day, let alone competing for favor, she doesn't even have the energy to sleep with the emperor."
"Master, what are you talking about?"
Guyu rubbed her shoulders with amusement, "Everyone has seen your efforts, especially Your Majesty. I've noticed that every time Your Majesty sees you, he can't take his eyes off you."
"Yes, Master, you work so hard, isn't it just to let everyone see that you are capable of managing the harem? Now the whole capital is praising you, and many neutral people in the court have also sided with you."
"Of course."
Su Ci opened her eyes and smiled: "If there is no reward, why would I work so hard?"
"But the more critical the moment, the more cautious we should be. After all, if you chase a dog into a corner, it will bite you back if you're not careful."
Guyu nodded slightly. "Master, you are right. Concubine Liang pretended to be gentle and virtuous at first, but since Master repeatedly found her faults, her behavior has become increasingly unruly. She even tried to bribe people in our palace to throw dirty water on Master. I think it's only a matter of time before she becomes interested in Master."
"There's only one queen, and when two tigers fight, one is bound to get hurt. It's inevitable."
Su Ci sat up and twisted her stiff neck. "This palace fight is like a battle on the battlefield. Only when you know yourself and your enemy can you win every battle. I understand her, but she doesn't understand me. So she will definitely lose this fight."
"right!"
Yanyu nodded confidently: "Master, with the love and support of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, we will definitely win!"
"Oh, silly girl, you can't just rely on love to take the throne of the queen. You won't be able to sit on it that way. Why did Her Majesty the Queen Mother hand over the power of the harem to me? Wasn't it for me to make some achievements and stop the gossips?"
Su Ci's eyes curved with a hint of cunning: "But the Queen Mother's love is also a plus. If necessary, it can become a part of my plan."
"What does the master mean?"
"Yao'er's birth has finally thrown the shrewd Prime Minister Song off balance. Everything he's done recently has been secretly monitored. Now that I'm pushing things further, not only will Concubine Liang be anxious, but Prime Minister Song will probably be unable to sit still either."
Su Ci admired her healthy and rosy hands, and a gleam of light flashed in her watery eyes.
"Tell Fulu to tell my father that the time has come and to retreat without leaving any traces. Let others take the credit."
…
Bang!
In Ganquan Palace, Song Yuxue overturned the teacup, and her chest heaved violently.
"Ridiculous! How could she, a lowly bastard, be so graceful and elegant? All my efforts over the years have gone unmentioned!"
"Your Majesty, be careful with your words."
Nanny Shang quickly shook her head: "Not to mention that Concubine Shu is on par with you in rank, she is also the biological mother of the Second Prince. You must not say such things again, or the Prime Minister will criticize you again if he finds out."
"What should we do now?"
Song Yuxue's face darkened. "She's almost overtaking me to become the Queen. Do I really have to wait like this? What on earth is Father waiting for?"
"Your Majesty, calm down. The Prime Minister has his reasons for asking you to bide your time."
Nanny Shang frowned slightly. "I just didn't expect that this Concubine Shu, despite being so young, has such a sharp eye. This month, you and she have been jointly in charge of palace affairs, but she has repeatedly found our mistakes on the spot, leaving us with no way to refute them. We have lost so much support."
"It's just some low-level trickery to win people over and take advantage of the situation!"
"My Lady, no matter what method she used, she did it. This is something we never expected. Not only her, but also the Su family, at such a critical moment, was able to do it without any mistakes or flaws. This is truly something that should not be underestimated."
Nanny Shang shook her head and said, "If the Prime Minister wasn't so powerful and influential in the court, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to suppress the aggressive power of this Concubine Shu."
"Mammy is right."
Song Yuxue took a deep breath to calm her anger. "My father was the Prime Minister of Dayong, a key figure appointed by the late emperor to Your Majesty for two dynasties. My uncles and brothers were also important officials. How could a rising star from a humble family like my Su family ever rival him?"
"You are right to think so, Madam."
Nanny Shang nodded and said, "In any case, the Prime Minister is still in the court. No matter how favored the Concubine is, she can never surpass you. Otherwise, the people of the world will accuse Your Majesty of neglecting an old minister for a favored concubine. Wouldn't that be disrespectful to the late Emperor?"
"good."
Song Yuxue regained her composure and elegantly picked up the teacup and took a sip.
"Then I'll just wait a little longer. As long as I take the throne of Queen, I won't have the chance to deal with that mother and son."
…
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