The courtyard brimmed with roses, the breeze rustling through bamboo.
A dragonfly fluttered its wings, skimming the lotus pond and stirring ripples that shimmered wetly upon the budding pink lotuses, its wings fluttering with innocent ignorance.
This beautiful scene blurred in Xiao Huayong’s gaze as he looked toward Shen Xihe. In his eyes, only her figure remained vivid and clear. Her words stirred him to raise his hands and clap slowly yet crisply: "This strategy of cutting the ground from under one’s feet is brilliantly employed."
Xiao Huayong naturally understood that to cleanse the Imperial Harem and swiftly cultivate one’s own strength and informants, the most thorough method was a massive purge. And no purge was more fitting than dismissing the existing palace maids.
However, dismissing palace maids, especially in large numbers, inevitably required the Emperor’s approval. How could His Majesty easily agree?
Even when Rong Zhaoyi held power, the Emperor would not have consented. A large, unjustified reduction of palace staff would only stir panic and invite wild speculations among the restless—an act that would disrupt court stability.
But in the event of a natural disaster, it was a different matter. Reducing the number of palace maids could demonstrate the Emperor’s solidarity with the people and cut palace expenditures. If rumors spread that dismissing palace maids could alleviate the disaster, even the unwilling Youning Emperor would be unable to obstruct it. However, the process had to be handled carefully to maximize benefits.
It was best to identify early those who opposed their stance—better to eliminate the innocent than spare the guilty. Even those of uncertain loyalty could be dismissed under the guise of this reduction.
"With so many people removed from the Imperial Harem at once, can Youyou manage?" Xiao Huayong still harbored some concern.
It wasn’t that he distrusted Shen Xihe—in other matters, he could lend a hand. But filling the vacancies left by palace maids was beyond even his capabilities. Palace maids had to undergo rigorous selection and training, and only those who mastered the rules and etiquette could be assigned to various palaces.
"Though I proposed the reduction, it requires the Emperor’s approval. If the newly assigned palace maids are inexperienced or negligent, each palace should understand and tolerate it, in recognition of His Majesty’s sincere efforts to benefit the people." Shen Xihe was entirely unbothered by the prospect of inexperienced replacements being criticized by the various palaces.
Xiao Huayong suddenly recalled something, his smiling eyes sweeping over Shen Xihe. "I vaguely remember that last year, Gu Zexiang accidentally saved Lan Shangyi."
Shen Xihe smiled without responding.
When commoner girls were selected to serve as palace maids, those who remained were sent to the Shangyi Bureau to learn etiquette. Gu Zexiang, a SiYi in the Shangfu Bureau, had "accidentally" saved Lan Shangyi, the head of the Shangyi Bureau. It was no accident—Shen Xihe had sent her to bestow a favor.
At the time, no one paid much attention to a sixth-rank SiYi saving a fifth-rank Shangyi. At most, the Six Bureaus and Twenty-Four Divisions took note. But later, Gu Zexiang seemed to forget the incident, never transferring from the Shangfu Bureau to the Shangyi Bureau. Over time, everyone let it fade from memory.
Naturally, no one knew that from that moment, Shen Xihe had already begun laying the groundwork to control the Imperial Harem. It was worth noting that at the time, Shen Xihe had not yet been betrothed to Xiao Huayong.
"Beichen, you surely don’t know this: Lan Shangyi came from a poor family in her youth and entered the palace voluntarily. Before her entry, she had already fallen for someone and left behind words to sever their ties. She thought her lover would give up and move on, but not long ago, she learned that when her parents fell ill and became bedridden, it was her still-unmarried former lover who tended to them at their bedside. Lan Shangyi very much wishes to leave the palace."
Shen Xihe’s tone lifted slightly on the last sentence, carrying a touch of playfulness and profound meaning.Currently, the palace authority rests in Shen Xihe's hands. Only she could facilitate the smooth departure of the Bureau of Ceremonies' Director Lan, who had served in the palace for twenty years—eight of them as Director. How many palace maids had she personally trained? Who was suspicious, who was innocent, who was clever, and who was useful? Having held the position of Director for so many years, she undoubtedly possessed a sharp eye.
Mutual benefit and assistance—once the Bureau of Ceremonies was under her control, and with Director Lan's help in rooting out all suspicious individuals, she could stabilize the Imperial Harem within six months, gain full control within a year, and fortify it into an impenetrable stronghold within two years!
"Youyou has deceived me again," Xiao Huayong suddenly muttered gloomily.
His despondency seemed to come out of nowhere, and Shen Xihe looked at him with suspicion.
"Didn't Youyou once say she dislikes laying long-term schemes? Isn't this a long-term scheme?" Xiao Huayong's eyes couldn't conceal his dejection.
His expression made it seem as though Shen Xihe were a heartless scoundrel who had betrayed his devoted affections.
Shen Xihe: ...
"This is hardly a long-term scheme—it's a necessary path. From the moment I decided to marry you, I knew this road was unavoidable and naturally had to plan it carefully." Shen Xihe had only conceived this idea a little over a year ago. Originally waiting for a heaven-sent opportunity, she hadn't expected this year's drought to coincide with Rong Zhaoyi crossing her path. Everything seemed to fall into place seamlessly.
"When did Youyou devise this plan?" Xiao Huayong asked again.
Shen Xihe, assuming he was questioning whether this constituted a long-term scheme, answered truthfully, "Early last year."
"Oh, so Youyou had already decided she would marry no one but me back then." Xiao Huayong smiled triumphantly.
Because she was determined to marry into the Eastern Palace, she sought to seize palace authority and control the Imperial Harem. Calculated this way, it indeed seemed she had decided back then to marry no one else.
Seeing his smug expression, Shen Xihe felt an inexplicable urge to be childish and refused to let him revel in his arrogance. "It's that I would marry no one but the Crown Prince."
The smile on Xiao Huayong's lips froze. His eyelids drooped, unable to hide his disappointment, and he murmured weakly, "I know. Youyou is marrying the Eastern Palace, not Xiao Huayong."
What had been a casual retort, when framed by Xiao Huayong in such a manner, inexplicably tightened Shen Xihe's usually cold heart. She couldn't help but reflect—had her words been too harsh? Had she truly wounded him?
The more she thought about it, the more unsettled she felt. She knew full well that he cared about her opinion of him and the weight he held in her heart, yet she had spoken so carelessly, genuinely hurting him.
Just as Shen Xihe was about to speak, Xiao Huayong, as if already heartbroken, pressed his lips together, rose silently, and walked past her with his gaze fixed ahead, leaving her with an endlessly sorrowful and desolate figure.
Striding quickly after him, Shen Xihe grabbed his sleeve. "That's not what I meant."
Xiao Huayong turned his head, gazing at her melancholically. "Not what you meant? There's no need to comfort me, Youyou. I've always known why you're marrying me. It's my own greed—having received a sliver of your tolerance, I desired more. It's not your fault; it's my own avarice. Just let me be alone for a while. I'll come to terms with it eventually."
Xiao Huayong forced a faint smile, pulled his hand free from Shen Xihe's grasp, and strode away.
In a place beyond Shen Xihe's sight, the corners of his lips slowly curved upward, his bright eyes holding not a trace of the disappointment he had displayed.Having witnessed everything, Tianyuan:...
The Crown Prince is becoming more and more... shameless!
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