Consort Hua understood and asked directly, "Are you suggesting we directly target the Uya clan?"
Before Zhou Ninghai could answer, Consort Hua shook her head, feeling that the matter was not appropriate.
“The Uya clan was originally just a bondservant, but they were elevated to a banner status because of the Empress Dowager’s influence. There were no capable figures in the clan, and they relied on marrying off their daughters to other clans for survival, and many of them married into the Ulanara clan.”
"After all, they are the Emperor's maternal family. If it's a minor matter, the Emperor won't pursue it, but if it's a major matter, he will definitely investigate it thoroughly. The Nian family must never get involved in such matters."
Zhou Ninghai said, "Your Majesty is wise, of course we will not get involved. Both families are without successors anyway. The Empress Dowager wants to hold the Empress's position in the hands of her own people. The Empress is now useless, and we can only rely on the next generation."
"If we cut off the path for these two families' daughters to enter the palace, the two families will fall into the mud and never be able to get up again, without Your Majesty even lifting a finger."
Consort Hua said, "That's right. With His Majesty's current health, even if hundreds more concubines came, it wouldn't make any difference."
"We can only wait until the princes grow up and I am there to watch over them. Women from the Uya and Ulanara clans will have no chance of getting involved."
Songzhi said, "Your Majesty is right. In fact, we can see the Empress Dowager's intentions, and the Emperor is probably aware of them as well."
"Even if the Empress doesn't intervene, the Emperor won't betroth a princess from the Ulanara clan to any of the princes."
"The Empress Dowager is too ill to get out of bed. If she understands all this, who knows what might happen in a fit of anger."
Zhou Ninghai said, "They might just have a stroke and become paralyzed."
Consort Hua said, "Yes, that's the downside of getting old. You can't withstand even the slightest storm."
"Zhou Ninghai, I'm leaving this matter to you. If you see any signs of trouble, it's better not to do anything at all than to arouse suspicion about me."
Zhou Ninghai said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will handle this matter properly."
Consort Hua nodded in satisfaction, then, thinking of the palace maid who resembled Empress Chun Yuan, she asked,
"By the way, how's the training going for that palace maid named Yuehe?"
Zhou Ninghai said, "Your Majesty, Zhilan has put a lot of thought into this. She looks similar to Consort Wan, but there are also differences."
"Zhilan said that she has practiced almost everything she needs to, and the rest is up to Yuehe herself."
Consort Hua said, "That's good. The one Consort Shun chose, Ning Yurong, is quite pretty and well-behaved, but the Emperor doesn't seem to care much for her."
"She was favored for a few days and then forgotten about it. She's not even comparable to Zhen Huan, let alone Consort Fucha."
"Fortunately, I didn't place any hopes on her anyway. If this Yuehe is ready, I'll send her to Yimei Garden."
"The red plum blossoms will be in full bloom soon, and His Majesty will surely go."
*
Little did the chubby orange cat know that his concubine, Consort Hua, was secretly plotting to send him another beauty.
These days he's been busy with court affairs, hot air balloons, and woolen matters, and hasn't been to the inner palace for a long time.
He thought he should get these matters sorted out first, and then discuss the collection of likin (a tax) again in the imperial court.
One thing after another was happening, and he was so busy that his brush was practically sparking, and then Sun Miaoqing came over to bother him.
It's just asking Consort Wan to help grind ink. She herself is unwilling, but she doesn't allow others to be willing?
Sun Miaoqing said, "Your Majesty, I just sent someone to invite you over, but they came back saying that you were busy reviewing memorials and didn't have time to come to the inner palace."
"So that's how memorials are reviewed! It's so delightful to have a beautiful woman by my side!"
Big Fat Orange said, "In the past, when I asked you to come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to grind ink, you always made excuses and joked around, unwilling to do so."
"Consort Wan doesn't mind being tired and knows how to care for me, yet you're still unhappy."
The big fat orange cat looked at him with such disdain that it wished it could put up a sign at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation that said Sun Miaoqing and the duck were not allowed to enter!
Zhen Huan was so embarrassed she felt like she could dig a three-bedroom, two-living-room house out of her shoes.
"I suppose Consort Cheng has come here with important business. I will take my leave now. Your Majesty, please continue your conversation with Consort Cheng."
After saying that, he left immediately. As he stepped over the threshold, Sun Miaoqing could still be heard shouting, "Emperor, don't try to sow discord between us sisters!"
Suddenly, only the two of them were left in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Big Fat Orange felt that he was indeed a little tired after being busy for so long, so he decided to have a cup of tea and rest for a while.
"You wouldn't come to this temple without a reason. What brings you here at this hour?"
Sun Miaoqing said, "Can't I come over if there's nothing wrong? Can't it be because I miss you?"
The chubby orange cat asked suspiciously, "You'll miss me?"
"Are you thinking about how to get benefits from me?"
Sun Miaoqing was furious and stomped her foot three times. "Your Majesty, what are you saying? How could I say such a thing!"
[It's clearly me who's been giving you benefits! Otherwise, would you be so well-off? We'd have to put up with this for another year to deal with Prince Dun and his cronies!]
The chubby orange cat pretended not to hear and said directly, "Alright, just say what you want to say. I'm too lazy to guess what's going on in a roundabout way."
[If you're too lazy to guess, I'm too lazy to explain. If it weren't for the lives of so many people in the capital, I wouldn't bother with it at all.]
I was so busy with other things before that I only remembered this in the last couple of days. I don't know if it's too late to start preparing now...
Big Fatty Orange was about to drink his tea when he heard all this, and he lost all interest in the task. So many lives had been lost in the capital; could it be some kind of natural disaster or man-made calamity?
Sun Miaoqing said, "It is like this, Your Majesty. You know that I have always been kind-hearted and cannot bear to see others suffer."
"I recently heard from those eunuchs that people outside are suffering from hardship, and many are forced to sell their children due to serious illness."
"Most of them were forced to become eunuchs and enter the palace for this reason. There are several villages and towns outside Beijing that are famous eunuch villages, where every family relies on their sons entering the palace to make a living."
The chubby orange tree sighed, "I've heard of what you've said, but there are so many such cases in the world. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't possibly attend to them all."
Sun Miaoqing said, "His Majesty is exceptionally wise and capable. As long as one is determined, there is nothing that cannot be taken care of!"
"The previous incident at the Imperial Medical Academy, those quack doctors, and the doctors who were going to join the Imperial Medical Academy afterward, were all assigned to hardship areas. Now they have achieved some results and saved many people's lives."
"Your Majesty, why not extend this initiative and involve doctors from the common people? The capital is right under the emperor's nose; let's start here!"
"Winter has already arrived, and I feel it's even colder than last year's heavy snow. Every year during the coldest months, colds and other illnesses are prone to occur, and many people have fallen ill because of them."
"His Majesty loves his people like his own children; surely he wouldn't bear to see such a scene, would he?"
[Big Fat Orange, nod quickly! This winter isn't just an ordinary cold; a plague has killed many people. The palace maids' and eunuchs' rooms are mostly empty—this is no small matter!]
Big Fatty was shocked. So many palace maids and eunuchs had died. What was the situation with him and the concubines in the harem?
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