Chapter 171 Granny: Human hearts are unpredictable!
Tongjia was admiring herself in the mirror when she heard this and suddenly turned her head, her face full of surprise.
"An informant? Li Guiping? Granny, you must be mistaken. He serves me almost every step of the way, how could he have time to pass on messages?"
The old woman shook her head, her expression serious and earnest.
“Princess, you’ve misunderstood. He’s the chief eunuch. Why would he need to personally deliver messages? A single glance or a coded message is enough for someone to run the errand for him.”
She paused for a moment, then presented the most crucial piece of evidence.
"Furthermore, think about it. Yesterday, you punished a palace maid in your bedchamber. How could outsiders have known? Yet the Emperor knew and even reprimanded you for it. Who delivered this news to the Qianqing Palace so quickly, and through what channels?"
Tongjia was no fool; after a little guidance from the nanny, she suddenly understood.
A surge of anger, a feeling of being watched and betrayed, welled up inside him.
She slammed her hand on the dressing table, making the jewelry box shake violently.
"Good! So there really are such treacherous dogs who dare to pull such tricks right under my nose. When he comes back, I will definitely teach him a lesson."
"Princess! Absolutely not!"
The old woman quickly pressed down on her hand, her voice urgent as she tried to dissuade her.
"You were just reprimanded by the Emperor yesterday for whipping a palace maid. If you punish the head eunuch again today without cause, how will the Emperor view you? You will truly be seen as domineering and ruthless. At that time, even the Empress won't need to lift a finger; the Emperor will be the first to not tolerate you."
Seeing the changes in Tongjia's expression, she continued to analyze the pros and cons.
"Furthermore, this Li Guiping, is he the Emperor's man, or... someone from Kunning Palace? This old servant is still unsure. If he was placed by the Emperor to watch over you, wouldn't you be directly slapping the Emperor in the face if you were to touch him? That would truly be utterly disastrous!"
Tongjia was so angry that her chest heaved violently, but she was helpless and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart.
"Could it be... that I, this princess, am completely powerless against this traitor? Just let him annoy me like this?"
The old woman pondered for a moment and then said...
“There are ways. The safest way is to find a pretext, such as poor performance or offending the master, and send the person back to the Imperial Household Department to avoid seeing them. But this old servant thinks that this method is not the best option at the moment.”
Why?
Tongjia thought it was very good, and she asked further questions because she was puzzled.
"Firstly, we'd be alerting them. We have no concrete evidence, and if we forcefully retreat, it would make Chengqian Palace seem guilty and intolerant, arousing suspicion. Secondly, who knows the background of the Imperial Household Department's replacement? They might be another spy. Wouldn't we be walking from one danger zone to another? Thirdly, Your Highness, you're new to the palace and your position isn't secure yet. It's best not to cause any trouble at this time. We should remain calm and wait for the right moment."
"That's what the old woman concluded."
"The most important thing right now is for us to be more vigilant and keep things in mind. He's just passing on information about the princess's words and actions. So we should be more careful in our interactions with him in the future, saying what we should say and not omitting a single word. What he sends back is what we want others to know. Sometimes, a visible informant, if used well, is safer than one hidden in the shadows."
After listening to the nanny's meticulous analysis, Lady Tongjia knew that what the nanny said made sense.
But it was like being doused with cold water; all the anger turned into deep exhaustion and frustration.
Her shoulders were slumped, and her voice was full of resignation and incomprehension.
"Granny, how can the hearts of people in the harem be so full of twists and turns? Each one of them has more schemes than a honeycomb. I am the legitimate daughter of the Tongjia clan, the Emperor's own cousin, and my status is extremely noble. Why can't they just behave themselves and serve me faithfully?"
Looking at her innocent appearance, the old woman sighed inwardly, but her tone became even gentler.
"My lady, people's hearts are unpredictable, especially in the Forbidden City, the richest and most dangerous place in the world. To win over your servants, you can't just rely on your status to intimidate them; you have to use both kindness and severity. You must make them feel your leniency and give them tangible benefits, but more importantly, you must make them respect your authority. Only by firmly grasping their weaknesses and lifelines will they not dare to betray you easily."
Tongjia remained silent.
Even with an impressive family background and the emperor's affection, one still needs to tread carefully within the deep palace.
She bit her lip, her expression a mixture of resentment and defiance.
"I understand. I'll endure it. Once I'm pregnant with the prince and have secured my position, I'll see how I deal with these traitors!"
Seeing that she had finally listened, the old woman nodded with satisfaction.
“Your Highness, that’s the right way to think. Right now, producing an heir and consolidating the Emperor’s favor are the most important things. Everything else can be put aside for the time being.”
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Inside the Kunning Palace's sleeping quarters, the air was filled with the gentle fragrance of incense, creating a languid atmosphere.
Jiang Nan leaned casually against the phoenix couch.
She listened to Concubine Wang and Concubine Dai talking about trivial matters in the harem, and responded to them half-heartedly.
Zhao Deyi quietly approached and whispered his report to the bedside.
"Your Majesty, Li Guiping has sent word."
Jiang Nan slightly raised her eyelids and gestured for Wang and Dai Jia, who were talking enthusiastically, to be quiet.
The two immediately shut their mouths and fell silent.
"Speak," Jiang Nan said calmly.
Zhao bowed deeply, lowering his voice even further.
"Your Majesty, Li Guiping said that the old nanny in Chengqian Palace seems to have become suspicious of him. From now on, he will probably be treated with extra caution and it will be difficult for any useful information to come out."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.
His tone carried a hint of excitement, as if he had discovered a new toy.
"Oh? It's only been a few days, and you've already become suspicious? It seems our cousin Tong Jia isn't all useless people around her; she does have some smart ones."
She paused, then asked.
What else did Li Guiping say?
Zhao Deyi continued his report.
"Li Guiping said that the main source of suspicion was the personal maidservant. He also asked Your Majesty for instructions... He wanted to use some methods to keep the maidservant in line, so he came to ask Your Majesty to keep things in mind."
"Granny?"
Jiang Nan chuckled softly, then said knowingly.
“Those women from prominent families who were sent to the palace were always accompanied by a reliable and shrewd old nanny. The Hesheli clan had one back then, and the Niohuru clan also had one.”
She spoke casually, as if she were talking about something ordinary.
"Unfortunately, all those troublesome old fogies around them were eventually killed by me under some pretext."
After a moment's thought, she understood Li Guiping's intention and chuckled softly.
"This Li Guiping is quite the smooth talker. What's with all this talk about using some methods, and letting me know what's going on... He clearly senses danger and wants to strike first, but he's afraid I'll think he's acting on his own, so he's come to ask me for permission."
She sat up a little straighter, a sharp glint in her eyes, but her tone remained languid.
"Tell Li Guiping that he can do whatever he wants. He doesn't need to ask for permission for everything. Just remember to keep his hands clean, don't leave any loose ends, and don't get himself into trouble. As long as he stays clean, if he causes any trouble he can't handle, I'll cover for him."
"Yes, Your Majesty! I understand. I will go and deliver the message immediately."
Zhao Deyi understood immediately, bowed, and hurried away.
Silence returned to the sleeping quarters.
Wang and Daijia looked at each other, though they hadn't heard everything.
However, there was a vague suspicion that trouble was about to break out at Chengqian Palace, and that the Empress seemed to have already made a decision.
Dai Jia couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, has that person from Chengqian Palace gotten into trouble again?"
Her tone conveyed her dissatisfaction with the trouble caused by the Tongjia clan.
Jiang Nan glanced at her, her tone carrying a hint of casual sarcasm.
"It's nothing serious. It's just a pawn I placed there, and an old fox has caught wind of it. The pawn wants to bite, so it's just asking for permission."
She paused, as if talking to herself, or perhaps speaking to them.
"This harem has never lacked self-righteous fools and old hags who are courting death."
Upon hearing this, Wang and Daijia dared not reply.
The news from Kunning Palace was quickly relayed to Li Guiping of Chengqian Palace through clandestine channels.
He received the Empress's clear instruction: "Go ahead and do it; I'll take care of everything."
Li Guiping stood in the secluded corridor of Chengqian Palace, his eyes filled with a chilling aura and a hidden murderous intent.
Isn't there a ready-made candidate for the job right in front of us?
Perfect, let's take this opportunity to see just how good she really is.
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