The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

After Hongli ascended the throne, Rongyin was also officially named Empress.

According to custom, she led the concubines of the harem to Shou Kang Palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager.

Rongyin recently learned that the Empress Dowager had always intended to move to Cining Palace, but was currently residing in Shou Kang Palace because of unfinished renovations. Rongyin found the Empress Dowager's actions even more absurd: Cining Palace was built by Emperor Shizu for Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. After Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's death, Emperor Shengzu dismantled the eastern section of Cining Palace, intended for Empress Dowager Zhaosheng, and moved it to Xiaoling Mausoleum to temporarily house her coffin. Empress Dowager Zhaosheng was a founding empress dowager who had served two emperors, Shizu and Shengzu, making outstanding contributions to the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, since Empress Dowager Zhaosheng, no empress dowager had dared to reside in Cining Palace. Now, the Empress Dowager wanted to live in the former residence of this founding hero of the Qing Dynasty, which was utterly disrespectful. Therefore, Rongyin's impression of the Empress Dowager worsened, but she still outwardly bowed respectfully, maintaining proper etiquette.

The Empress Dowager laughed and said, "In the past, when I was a concubine, I would rush to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine. Now that I am the Empress Dowager, look at you all, so delicate and beautiful, like flowers."

Gao Xiyue flattered, "Your Majesty is the most beautiful peony in bloom, while we concubines are just willows that cannot withstand close scrutiny."

Although Rongyin had gotten used to the language of this world, she couldn't help but complain in her heart: "Pu Liu" is an insult! Is it appropriate to use it to be humble? She then sent this complaint to Yuanyi.

The Empress Dowager gave a forced smile: "I also have a few words of advice for you. The Emperor is young, and you are the only concubines. From now on, whether there are many or few concubines, I cannot tolerate anything unclean."

Rongyin humbly said along with the other concubines, "Thank you for your teachings, Your Majesty. I will keep them in mind."

The Empress Dowager spoke a few more words, mentioning a precious son—the Emperor's first son after his ascension to the throne, of immeasurable value—and urging everyone to have a son as soon as possible. Rongyin had never heard of this before, assuming it was a custom unique to this world, so she simply gave a few perfunctory replies, and everyone dispersed.

That evening, the emperor summoned Rongyin to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The emperor asked, seemingly casually, "Is the Empress Dowager settling in well at Shou Kang Palace?"

Rongyin replied, "His Majesty is very filial and has decorated Shou Kang Palace elegantly, making the Empress Dowager's residence comfortable."

The Emperor then asked, "By the way, did the Empress Dowager make things difficult for Qingying?"

At this moment, Yingluo reminded her in her mind, "Your Majesty, try mentioning the time when Qingying spoke up for the Empress Dowager."

Rongyin pondered for a moment and replied, "Of course not. Although the Empress Dowager is of impeccable character, if it weren't for Sister Qingying's intervention, the Empress Dowager would probably have encountered some unspeakable troubles. The Empress Dowager is too fond of Sister Qingying to cause her any trouble."

The emperor's face betrayed no emotion, he simply said, "That's good then." He gestured for Rongyin to sit down, then asked, "Do you know why the Hall of Mental Cultivation is named after cultivating the mind?"

Rongyin knew that this was the time to give the emperor a chance to shine, so she pretended not to know anything.

The Emperor said, "When Father Emperor was alive, he often quoted a saying of Mencius: 'Nothing is better for cultivating the mind than reducing desires.' That's why it was named the Hall of Cultivating the Mind. Once a person has too many desires, troubles will follow."

Rongyin thought this was a warning to her, so she echoed, "Your Majesty is right."

The Emperor then said, "Therefore, I hope you can manage the harem and let those unfounded disputes subside. Only in this way can my harem be peaceful and quiet."

Rongyin stood up, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not disappoint you."

Yingluo stood up and bowed to Rongyin, thinking to herself: Since you've said so, don't go back on your word when we're about to go all out.

A few days later, Rongyin drafted the ranks of the imperial concubines and handed them over to the Empress Dowager, but they were returned to her.

Yingluo sneered, "It seems the Empress Dowager still wants to target Qingying. Otherwise, she doesn't know any of the concubines in the harem, so what do their ranks have to do with her?" She then offered Rongyin a suggestion, "I think this is an opportunity. If we use it well, at least we won't be bothered by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and we can focus on the affairs of the harem. Your Highness, instead of creating trouble for yourself, you should directly consult the Empress Dowager and then relay the results to the Emperor."

Rongyin then went to Shou Kang Palace to see the Empress Dowager and said, "Your subject has just taken charge of the imperial seal and there are many things that I am not yet clear about. If there are any errors in the proposed ranks, please point them out, Your Majesty, and I will correct them."

The Empress Dowager was furious to see Rongyin acting so businesslike, as if she were just young and didn't know what to do. Everyone in the harem knew about the discord between Rongyin and Jingren Palace, yet the Empress acted as if she didn't know and gave Qingying a concubine's title. After Rongyin rejected the list, the Empress Dowager thought Qingying would understand, but instead, she came to question the Empress Dowager with such self-righteousness!

The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth and put on a calm expression, saying, "You are the Empress, and you must think things through carefully. How did you compile the list of those higher ranks? Are the ranks appropriate? You should consider this carefully."

Rongyin lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, I am foolish. I proposed the ranks based on the old precedent set by the late Emperor, as well as the ranks of the princes, the seniority of my sisters, and the merits and titles of my maternal families. If there is anything inappropriate, please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager slammed her teacup on the table in anger. How could she be so stubborn! Was she really stupid or just pretending? Yet she had such a gentle and innocent appearance, and what she said was so reasonable and well-founded that no one could find fault with her.

The Empress Dowager did not explicitly state that she was targeting Qingying, so she had no choice but to send Fu Jia to summon Qingying, who was observing mourning for her aunt.

Qingying, dressed in plain clothes, entered Shou Kang Palace with her maid A'ruo and paid her respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

The Empress Dowager first inquired about the funeral arrangements at Jingren Palace, and then said, "Jingren Palace is your closest relative, and you should observe three years of mourning for her. Here's what we'll do: you don't need to go to your aunt's tomb; you only need to stay at your former residence and are not allowed to leave the palace without imperial decree."

Rongyin exclaimed in surprise, "Does this mean we have to observe three years of mourning?"

Qingying, with a blank expression and empty eyes, thanked the Empress Dowager and left. The Empress Dowager picked up the list and crossed out the name "Ulanara Qingying".

Yingluo said in her mind, "Your Majesty, after that you can go to the Emperor and put a bad word to his mouth."

The Emperor was indeed very indignant, saying that Qingying was his concubine and should have been made a royal consort, so what did his mother mean by crossing out her name?

Rongyin said helplessly, "The Empress Dowager wants Qingying to observe three years of mourning for her aunt at the Prince's residence. The Empress Dowager is an elder, and I dare not disobey her."

The emperor was understanding and comforted her, saying, "So that's how it is. Your mother has been acting arbitrarily for a long time, and she doesn't even inform me beforehand. How could you dare to object?"

Following Yingluo's instructions, Rongyin said, "It seems that the Empress Dowager didn't intend to make things difficult for Qingying by quelling the rumors. In common parishes, married daughters and their aunts are considered to be in the highest mourning period, which is only nine months. Moreover, the Lady of Jingren Palace has no children, so the mourning period doesn't need to be so long. It's likely that the Empress Dowager saw Qingying serving the Lady of Jingren Palace at her bedside with heartfelt filial piety, and therefore wanted Qingying to fulfill the filial duties of a child by wearing the lowest mourning clothes to show her devotion. If Your Majesty feels it's inappropriate, you can persuade the Empress Dowager another day. After all, funerals are about the heart, and Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager have both seen Qingying's pure filial piety. The length of the mourning period is not important."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor immediately felt that the Empress Dowager was deliberately making things difficult for him. However, the Empress, born into a prominent family, had been protected since childhood and was innocent and kind-hearted. She was virtuous but lacked guile, seeing everyone as kind-hearted, and therefore did not understand the intricacies of the situation. This reminded him of the Empress Dowager's actions of forcing his stepmother to her death and building a raft for Qingying. His expression shifted between light and dark, and he could only say, "The Empress is virtuous, and her concerns are very valid."

Rongyin then asked about the arrangements for the six palaces in the east and west, but the emperor simply told her to decide for herself. Rongyin responded and then took her leave.