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

After the concubines dispersed, the Empress Dowager, feeling slighted, forced a smile and exchanged a few polite words, then, as if making small talk, brought up her expectation of having a son soon once again.

Rongyin, not understanding the situation, chose a less likely mistaken explanation: "It is my duty to produce offspring for the royal family. Eight years have passed since the selection of consorts at Jiangxue Pavilion, and next year will be the ninth. I request Your Majesty and Empress Dowager to instruct whether to hold another selection of consorts?"

In fact, Rongyin didn't really want to hold a talent show. First, this palace was home to the chosen ones and other evil spirits, making it a den of dragons and tigers, and those selected would likely face more danger than good. Second, according to the rules of this small world, each rejected concubine would be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold, which would be a huge financial burden.

However, according to her understanding from her previous life, the selection of candidates was also a major event for the Eight Banners. Only after the selection process, whether anonymous or unsuccessful, could the candidates marry on their own. If the selection process was not held, it would be feared that it would delay the lives of the Eight Banners women.

The emperor, who was already eager for pleasure, was delighted to hear this and was about to agree when the empress dowager said, "Your Majesty has only recently ascended the throne. Although this is a major matter, it is not urgent. I think we should first select some princesses from the families of high-ranking officials and keep them by my side. This will not only bring me joy in my old age, but if they are well-educated, they can also enrich the emperor's harem."

The emperor's face darkened. It seemed that since he couldn't confront them head-on and had lost Bai Ruiji, he had resorted to a roundabout strategy of placing more pawns around himself.

Rongyin thought this didn't comply with the selection rules, and wondered if it was a rule unique to this small world, so she turned to the emperor: "Your Majesty?"

The Emperor said, "The Empress Dowager wishes to raise young ladies, and I will naturally comply. As for the selection of consorts, let's discuss it after the New Year. If any of the princesses raised by the Empress Dowager are of good quality, they can participate in the selection together."

He secretly planned that if he knew which girls the Empress Dowager was supporting, he could simply not choose them during the imperial concubine selection.

The Empress Dowager said, "Why must Your Majesty be so bound by the rules! There are only so many women to choose from. The princesses I have raised are taking up the spots. Does Your Majesty have any other women to choose from? If you ask me, if Your Majesty sees someone he likes, there's no need to wait for the selection. Just take her as your concubine. That would give you more options, wouldn't it?"

The Emperor pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, "It is up to Your Majesty to decide. I recall that Prince Xian came to the palace the other day and said that Hengti is getting older and he is worried that if she is not by the Empress Dowager's side for a long time, the bond between mother and daughter will become distant."

The Empress Dowager has raised many young ladies; why not bring Hengti back to her side and raise her together, so that Hengti will have more playmates? After all, Hengti is also a princess and will eventually marry. If she is betrothed to a family in the capital, she will have friends to keep in touch with..."

He looked at the hopeful light in the Empress Dowager's eyes, paused deliberately, and lowered his voice, saying, "If she were to marry into the Mongol tribe like Hengchu, she would have some memories of playing with her sisters when she was young, which would be some consolation. It's better than me, who grew up in the Yuanmingyuan Garden. Although I have brothers like Prince Li and Prince He who are still alive, it's hard for me to get close to them."

The Empress Dowager stiffened.

He was threatening her with her daughter.

All these years later, he is still that wild child who grew up in the Yuanmingyuan, only knowing how to use these underhanded tricks in the harem, and has never received any guidance from the late emperor on the art of imperial rule.

The Empress Dowager forced a kind smile, her tone seemingly soothing: "Why should Your Majesty be so sad? In the imperial family, the ruler and his subjects come first, then the brothers. Naturally, they would put the duties of a subject before brotherly affection. Besides, you still have your mother, me."

The emperor stared at her intently and said, “Yes, I have other brothers, but the Empress Dowager only has me as her son. Although Emperor Hui of Han, Liu Ying, was kind and benevolent in governing the country, he fell ill from fear and anxiety because Consort Qi was turned into a human pig by Empress Lü. He was unable to attend to state affairs, and could not fulfill his responsibilities to the country or his filial duties at home. I will not be like Emperor Hui of Han. I will govern the Qing Dynasty well and be filial to the Empress Dowager.”

This was another blow, and the Empress Dowager could no longer maintain her smile, so she had to lower her head and take a couple of puffs of her water pipe.

Niohuru wanted to establish a new, more agreeable legitimate ruler, while she only wanted power in the harem. If Hongxi really ascended to the throne, he might not respect her as Empress Dowager, let alone hand over power in the harem to her.

Niohuru and she were never a united front from the beginning. Now that Niohuru is acting on her own, her passing on messages is merely a way to remind the emperor that he still needs to rely on her more.

But now, she has been suppressed by the emperor and empress in the harem to the point of having almost no power. Now, the emperor's words bring up Hengti and compare her to the poisoning of the empress in Jingren Palace and the persecution of Consort Qi by Empress Lü. The threat is obvious!

The Empress Dowager pondered whether to compromise gracefully, abandon the idea of ​​planting spies in the inner palace, and retire gracefully, so that everyone could live in peace? Or should she gamble her own future and her daughter's future, board Niohuru's pirate ship, and take a gamble to bring down the ungrateful Emperor and the thorn in her side?

She made a decision almost immediately: rather than swallowing her anger and giving up her power, she would rather drag everyone down with her!

A glint flashed in her eyes, but she ultimately said only, "Alright, the Emperor is busy with state affairs, yet he still has a book in his hand. He is indeed diligent. None of you need to set any rules for this old woman. Go on."

After leaving Shou Kang Palace, the Emperor breathed a sigh of relief and praised, "The Empress behaved appropriately today. Consort Wan is well-educated and reasonable, and she has also made progress. Consort Rui has truly surprised me today. It was worth choosing the character 'Mei' as her title. Indeed, the most beautiful stone has gradually become a fine material after my carving."

Rongyin said, "It's all thanks to His Majesty's excellent teaching." She made sure to maintain appearances.

Yingluo waited outside. When Rongyin came out, she draped a cloak over her shoulders and helped her into the sedan chair. The two seemed silent throughout the journey, but they were actually communicating with each other using telepathy.

Rongyin sighed, "Today the Emperor openly and subtly mentioned Princess Hengti. I thought the Empress Dowager would compromise for her daughter's sake, but she didn't express her opinion in the end. I'm afraid it's because..."

Yingluo, however, already understood and said, "Although the Empress Dowager is not very capable, she is indeed quite ambitious. Daughter is just an excuse to make herself feel at ease fighting against the Emperor and against us."

In reality, throughout history, countless royals have killed their parents, siblings, and children for power. Before power, even a daughter's future can be the price of failure. Moreover, the Empress Dowager still harbored a sliver of hope, believing she wouldn't fail.

Rongyin sighed, "Rather than saying that power is blinding, it's more accurate to say that the Empress Dowager simply doesn't want to be controlled by the Emperor, especially not by me, the Empress. She just can't swallow this insult."

Yingluo replied, "I remember when I was pregnant in my past life, the Empress Dowager came to find me. That day, we made a vow by striking each other's hands, each taking a step back, and we gained ten years of peace. If it weren't for the frequent accidents that followed, we might have truly lived happily ever after and died peacefully. It's a pity that in this harem, no one has the magnanimity, vision, and ability to assess situations that Empress Dowager possessed. Now that the Empress Dowager doesn't want to back down, let's continue the fight! We'll meet force with force, what's there to be afraid of!"