The Virtuous Concubine

Compared to the nobility and brightness of Empress Niuhulu, her younger sister, Concubine Niuhulu, looked taciturn. Her beautiful face always seemed to be shrouded in a faint melancholy, like a lingering mist, which made people feel pity. Malu discovered that this melancholy came from her unconsciously frowning brows and drooping eyes, which gave people a gloomy feeling. Even if she was smiling, that smile seemed to be separated by an invisible veil, and it was hard to say that it was her inner joy.

Malu sat quietly, ready to observe for a while. After entering the palace, this little Niuhulu restrained her edge and did not fight with Imperial Concubine Tong. It might not be her initiative to take charge of the palace affairs this time, but Kangxi's deliberate arrangement.

When Concubine Wenxi saw that everyone had arrived, she cleared her throat softly and said with a smile: "Sisters, I believe you all know the emperor's will. Today, I have summoned everyone here mainly to discuss some major arrangements and subsequent regulations. The emperor will go to Mount Wutai in two days, which is one thing. In addition, the seasons are about to change, and the clothes, food, etc. in the palace also need to be adjusted accordingly."

Rong Fei took over the topic: "Since I have been ordered to take charge of the clothing materials and embroidery room of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I will definitely do a good job of this matter. However, when the time comes, I will inevitably need the assistance of Sister Hui Fei."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Hui nodded gracefully and said, "Don't worry, Sister Rongfei, I will fully cooperate to ensure that the clothing materials in the palace are properly prepared and distributed."

Concubine Yi was not to be outdone: "If you sisters encounter disobedient and useless servants when doing anything, feel free to report it to me."

Concubine Yi and Concubine Hui were the ones who benefited the most this time. Concubine Hui was in charge of the allowances, which was very lucrative. It was enviable for her to be able to hold the power to distribute the supplies in the palace. Concubine Yi herself was in charge of the transfer and arrangement of eunuchs and palace maids, which was tantamount to mastering the connections and information network of the harem, making it convenient to place people and consolidate power.

Although Concubine Rong didn't say it, she couldn't help feeling a little envious. After all, who wouldn't want to have such power and resources?

Compared to the others who were eager to try and show their skills, Malu was not so enthusiastic. The King of Hell is easy to deal with, but the little devils are hard to deal with. She was born as a bondservant, and she was related to many people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Moreover, the rules of the harem were formed over many years and were deeply rooted. They could not be changed overnight. If they wanted to change, they had to plan for the long term and work slowly.

It's not easy for people below you to make trouble for you in the Qing Dynasty court! To put it bluntly, if you offend the chef, you still have to eat the food he cooks, so don't blame him for spitting in your food. So Malu was not prepared to make a big move right from the start. She preferred to act steadily and follow the rules first.

Seeing that Malu had no intention of speaking and was just watching the beauties with a smile, Xiao Niuhulu couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. She paused and continued, "First of all, we need to make preparations in advance for the emperor's trip. From the arrangement of the ceremonial guard to the preparation of the items, every item needs to be reviewed by everyone."

"Secondly," Noble Concubine Niuhulu continued, "in the future, we will meet every three days to share what we have and what we need. We will discuss what we need to coordinate with each other, and you can also speak freely and express your opinions."

Ma Lu also added softly at this time: "Your Highness's suggestion is very good. Only by working together can we show the harmony in the harem and relieve His Majesty's worries."

Seeing that no one objected, Xiao Niuhulu gave Concubine Hui another difficult question: "You are in charge of the share. Now the account books and many keys and other key items are still with Imperial Concubine Tong. Sister Hui, please take them away as well as the other sisters'!"

Her proposal seemed simple, but in fact, it handed the most offensive thing to Concubine Hui. What kind of temper does Imperial Concubine Tong have! Everyone in the harem has seen it, not to mention that she is pregnant now. She is the most important noble lady in the harem. She cannot be said or touched. Whoever makes her unhappy will definitely be in trouble.

If she were to hand over the palace affairs like this, she would probably be reprimanded even with an imperial decree from Emperor Kangxi.

Upon hearing this, Concubine Hui's expression remained unchanged and she was still very elegant: "I will obey your command and communicate with Imperial Noble Concubine Tong as soon as possible to properly retrieve the account books, keys and other items." If this could not be done, Concubine Hui thought that she might as well just not care about it.

Little Niuhulu didn't let Concubine Yi off either: "Sister Concubine Yi, you are in charge of the palace personnel arrangements. According to the palace rules, palace maids should be released at the age of 30 and leave the palace to get married. The emperor has been on the throne for more than 20 years, and it is time to show his favor. This matter also requires your careful planning."

Concubine Yi was very nervous when she heard this: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, this is a serious matter. I will definitely consider the pros and cons and make reasonable arrangements."

Seeing that the two most pressing issues had been dealt with, Xiao Niuhulu felt relieved. As for Rong Fei and Malu, their food and clothing were not really important, and there was no need for her to make trouble. Xiao Niuhulu picked up the teacup and said softly, "The affairs of the harem are complicated, and we need to work together to solve them. Thank you for your hard work."

Seeing that the Imperial Concubine was about to send the guests away, the concubines stood up and said in unison: "Your Highness is right. We, the concubines, will certainly work together and share the worries of the Emperor."

After the pleasantries, several people got on their sedan chairs and returned to the palace. On the way, the system was very excited: "Speaking of palace power, here comes the palace power!"

Malu smiled and said, "Yes, but if you think about it, it's time to divide it among us."

The system said with a mixture of regret and relief: "Empress Hui and Concubine Yi have been assigned such good palace authority, but they have to take on such a difficult task. I don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse."

When Malu heard this, he was thinking about the little Niuhulu. She had been in the palace for a while, but they had seldom interacted with each other, and only met at banquets. This person seemed to be very delicate, even a little twisted. Otherwise, why would she always look so unhappy?

Fortunately, her family background allowed her to receive a good education, and she could not make mistakes in dealing with people and the ways of the world. Compared with Concubine Yi's fiery and straightforward manner, Xiao Niuhulu's behavior was a little restrained, and she didn't talk much, but every word she said was carefully considered.

Unlike her sister, Malu stopped thinking about this conclusion and praised the system instead: "You have understood the principle that misfortune often brings blessings. Fortunately, this little Niuhulu doesn't care about trivial matters such as food and clothing, and probably doesn't plan to make a move on this, so we are relieved."

The system said proudly: "Of course, I am... a carefully crafted intelligent system, so I am naturally very proficient in the political intrigues in the palace."

Malu heard the system's voice suddenly become unclear, and he became interested. Could it be that there is a master behind this system?