Page 347

Overturning the table and redefining the rules was exactly Rong Ying’s style!

If she truly took things slow, how could she ever surpass Noble Consort Xue, who had been deeply rooted in the harem for many years? If she pursued such a course, she would likely fall into someone else’s trap and become mired beyond extrication.

Attacking another’s strengths with her own weaknesses was not something Rong Ying would do.

Thus, the Emperor had long anticipated that an incident like today’s was bound to occur sooner or later.

After pondering for a moment, he faintly whispered a few words to Zhang Qing. Upon hearing them, Zhang Qing withdrew, and the Emperor continued to discuss state affairs with his ministers.

The palaces that begin with the character "Hua" are the largest and most imposing in the harem, and only masters of the "Consort" rank or higher are permitted to reside therein. Of course, there was an exception for Consort Xu De, who had previously been a Zhaoyi, and there were reasons for that.

In front of each "Hua" palace, there is a vast open space, like a small square. For instance, in front of Huaying Hall, there was a vast open space where, at this time, a line of people knelt. Among those kneeling were both young and old, palace maids and eunuchs.

On both sides stood the chief stewards and deputy stewards from various bureaus and offices of the harem.

At the very front of the crowd, a table was placed with tea set upon it, and Consort Xu De sat leisurely drinking tea in the chair beside it.

Next to it, on a stand, was a tray full of flying darts, chilling to behold, and next to the stand was a basket of purses, the contents of which were unknown.

To either side of Consort Xu De stood Huaying Hall’s palace maids and eunuchs.

Ming Jing had Ji Yunlai, the Chief Eunuch of the Punishment Bureau, arrange everyone by their respective bureaus and offices into neat lines, as Consort De liked to array her people in military formation, neatly orderedjust as in an army camp, tolerating no disorder.

Consort De herself said that in the army, soldiers who did not form good lines would suffer the military cudgel.

And in the palace, those who did not line up properly according to the rules would equally face punishment.

Ji Yunlai wiped the sweat from his forehead incessantly. This time, he had managed to offend people from every bureau and office.

But he couldn’t not offend them; Consort De’s intimidating presence was simply too great. Should there be any disobedience, he feared his life would be immediately forfeited.

The events originated from this very morning, when Consort De casually strolled into the Punishment Bureau with her entourage and asked about the vacancy of the Yeting Imperial Prison, inquiring if there was enough space.

Confused, he conservatively replied that if there were many offenders, squeezing them together should suffice, and with a trembling heart, he asked the Consort if there was anything he needed to do for her.

At that moment, Consort De looked at him approvingly and gave him a list. On it were many names, each associated with their respective bureau or office and their duties, all clearly indicated.

She said these people had committed offenses, instructing him to arrest everyone and bring them to the front of Huaying Hall for trial, ensuring that no one was missing, for if there was even one short...

Consort De smiled, and then the palace maid by her side smashed his beloved table to bits with a single slap, causing his legs to go weak.

As the Chief Steward of the Punishment Bureau, he had seen much of the palace’s dark secrets and had done plenty of dirty work.

However, he was extremely fearful of Consort De, who had come from the Tiger Gate.

The stern and masculine aura Consort De carried clashed with the darker, more corrupt nature of the Punishment Bureau, hence his fear was indeed understandable.

Before leaving, the Consort kindly advised him to first scrutinize and rectify himself to ensure no information leaked before the arrests were made, or else...

At this point, the palace maid next to Consort De smashed the chair, a set piece with the table, to pieces with another slap.

After everyone had left, his legs went weak and he could hardly stand steady for half a day. Consort De was known for her bad temper—truly bad, and he was aware of that. If he dared to refuse, he feared he would be the one getting smashed to pieces.

Before he undertook the task, he felt uneasy and hurriedly sought out Chief Steward Zhang Qing, to gauge the situation. After all, they were going to arrest quite a few people, and the commotion was simply too large. He wasn’t sure if Noble Consort was aware or would agree to such actions.

As the saying goes, ’when immortals fight, it is the mortals who suffer,’ and he was indeed afraid.

Upon hearing of the matter, Steward Zhang did not even raise his eyelids, saying only that Consort De had been personally appointed by His Majesty on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival to assist in managing the harem.

The affairs of the harem should be carried out as Consort De orders, as everything was in accordance with the rules, so there should be no concerns.

Only after hearing what Chief Steward Zhang said did he feel somewhat relieved.

He quickly gathered his men and, following the list, captured those named; the Punishment Bureau’s officials were indeed involved as well. After a lot of bustle, they finally brought everyone on the list to the front of Huaying Hall.

By the time he brought the captives, he noticed that the chief stewards and deputy stewards from each and every bureau had also arrived.

Upon inquiring, he learned that they had been summoned by a decree from Consort De, who had sent people to their respective bureaus requesting their presence, saying that if they were busy and could not attend, then they need not ever attend in the future.

The scene was a bit chaotic, as the crowd whispered and murmured to each other in low voices, exchanging meaningful glances.

The people he had captured were restless; had he not threatened and intimidated them, they likely would have been unable to restrain themselves.

All the while, Consort De paid no attention to any of this, simply sipping her tea and chatting with the palace maids around her, leaving him puzzled about Consort De’s intentions.

It was then that a chief eunuch arrived looking extremely impatient and, fearlessly posing a question, stated that he was terribly busy with menial tasks and could not spare the time, asking what matter required their summoning by Consort De, and if there was nothing important, he would return to his duties.

This chief eunuch spoke quite loudly, his voice distinctly standing out among the murmurs of the group.

Ji Yunlai recognized the man—it was Steward Li of the Etiquette Bureau, a man in charge of ceremonies, who always seemed to consider himself above others, looking down on people with his nose in the air.

In the harem, most did not give much thought to Steward Li, except when in the presence of Noble Consort, where he was considerably more respectful.

He looked at Steward Li with sympathy, knowing that while others might get away unscathed, seeing Consort De still acting in her usual manner likely spelled trouble...

Privately, he felt Consort De was even more fearsome than Noble Consort. Having been in the palace for many years and being in charge of punishments, he knew more about certain matters than most.

As expected, after Steward Li spoke his piece, Consort De, who had until then seemed bored as she leisurely sipped her tea, slowly smiled and put down her teacup, saying, "I was just worrying about finding a chicken, and who might you be?"

Seeing the fearless Steward Li continuing to dig his own grave, he haughtily tossed his sleeve and said, "This servant is the chief eunuch of the Etiquette Bureau, surnamed Li, in charge of the inner court’s sacrificial rites and the teaching of etiquette and dance.

Everyone from the newly entered masters to the servants of each palace is instructed in etiquette by my bureau. .."

Consort De raised her hand, cutting him off mid-sentence, and said in an offhand manner, "Since you’re busy, you’re hereby relieved of your duties, and I shall grant you the leisurely task of emptying chamber pots. Just twice at dawn should suffice for you to have a good rest."

As she spoke, she looked toward the crowd and asked, "Who is the deputy steward of the Etiquette Bureau? Bring him forward."

Steward Li’s face showed shock, followed by a loud challenge, "Consort, I have committed no wrong. How can you demote me to emptying chamber pots?" Clearly, he was not accepting the situation.

Consort De’s face showed impatience, "There should be no noisy disturbances within the palace without cause. Where are the officials of the Punishment Bureau? Take this servant who broke the rules into custody and lock him away. He’s giving me a headache."