Quick Transmigration: Leisure

The sounds of the watchman's drum, the morning court, and the greetings resounded into the hearts of those who refused to open their eyes.

They urged her to face it quickly.

"Your Highness, the time has come... The Imperial Concubine is also waiting for your instructions outside the door." The palace servants in the bedchamber patiently coaxed, knowing that the current situation was not dignified, but they could only be more cautious and respectful.

It is true that the Empress is young, but none of the people around her are easy to deal with.

Those who waver before the outcome is clear are destined not to enjoy the blessing of following the right master.

The woman on the bed seemed to be ill. Her posture and expression were so striking that if the witnesses were not palace servants but lovers, they would probably be too heartbroken to leave her side, fearing that she might melt away at any moment.

After removing her makeup, the Empress's appearance was exquisite and delicate, with a hint of compassion in her eyes.

Normally, she is covered in decorations, and with a strong enough mindset, she can bring out a dignified and steady aura as the Empress Dowager.

just,

This seemingly insignificant setback is about to shatter her.

If we're talking about the person the Empress least wants to see right now, the Imperial Concubine is one of them.

Her aunt had once advised her not to take her heart to the emperor, saying that while imperial majesty was admirable, it was also a symbol of ruthlessness. The empress had taken some of this advice, but since she didn't like this future emperor, she didn't care how genuine her feelings were.

Later, his actions after ascending the throne began to overturn that impression.

Once donning the dragon robe, the woman who had been criticized in the past was transformed into someone seemingly unapproachable. Faced with genuine indifference, the Empress remained unperturbed. Still young, she needed to use this period of time to learn more about palace affairs, striving to take over everything from her aunt when she reached the appropriate age, ensuring the stability and prosperity of the inner court, and making the Emperor, whose gaze never lingered on her, submit.

Besides, she also understood that,

Appropriate distance and indifference are the right approach.

This proves that she did not misjudge this person's character. His past "womanizing" was just a cover-up. She could understand this from the historical records she read every day. Even though she was her illustrious aunt, she actually did not receive any favors.

But she still didn't understand.

After a misunderstanding is cleared up, curiosity and a desire to conquer become the biggest taboo for women.

From a young age, the empress learned not only strategy but also the rules and regulations of her family.

They believed that once they became husband and wife, as the principal wife and mother of the nation, everything would change, including people's hearts and the respect they deserved.

This was the only naive fantasy she had left after studying so hard.

But she never expected that even such a normal and simple wish for dignity would not be fulfilled.

Thinking of her aunt waiting outside the door, she would rather, even more so, have the emperor or the prince be the one who, in the eyes of outsiders, indulges in women but can't help but cherish them, who, though flirting with others, takes good care of them, and who, though he may have wronged them, never mistreats anyone.

Is that so? If she sat on the throne of the princess, she would also receive this praise and preferential treatment, just like the increasingly young and beautiful Fifth Princess, who seemed to have no worries, yet had caring companions who were always there for her.

She shouldn't think like that, she shouldn't let herself be so reckless.

but,

Even her aunt could shyly recall how considerate His Majesty had been, how he had shown her such affection and understanding in everyday life.

She was initially full of arrogance, looking down on this skill.

How can we face people when His Majesty doesn't even come?

The imperial concubine outside the door had been waiting until her legs were stiff, but she dared not overstep her bounds, just like all the other concubines waiting outside the palace, who dared not underestimate the empress in the slightest.

After all, she understands people better, or rather, most women understand this principle.

People are easily provoked and even more easily challenged.

His Majesty chose to be indifferent, but they couldn't take advantage of that to bully others. If they were discovered, they would realize that they had created this pitiful situation. With a slight turn of events, the situation would change.

They must prevent this from happening. If they want to maintain balance, they cannot suppress someone with a powerful background to the extreme, as this could easily provoke a backlash.

If one becomes a cripple, that's a different story.

This is what some shrewd concubines thought, but the Imperial Concubine's thoughts went a step further.

Their family is already conspicuous enough. In order to promote her, they have already traded the right to have offspring once. Therefore, they must not make any mistakes with their niece.

The slight cooling was not a problem, and she was even slightly relieved.

They must lie low beforehand, imbue their young bodies with new value, and wait safely until the prince of their family bloodline is born before turning around to settle scores. By then, it seems that even if someone else sits on the dragon throne, it won't be a problem.

The Imperial Concubine was even a few months older than His Majesty. She had long since transcended the realm of mere dreams and had previously noticed her niece's childishness, but deliberately refrained from pointing it out.

I was thinking that His Majesty probably didn't like an overly mature Empress, and that preserving some sincerity might help warm up their private relationship.

only,

Judging from the Empress's continued reluctance to rise, she was wrong. She overestimated her niece's carefree attitude and underestimated the Emperor's heart.

"Gathering from the mountains."

"The slave is here!"

"Go and investigate what happened last night."

"Yes."

After giving instructions to her personal maid in a low voice, the Imperial Concubine stepped forward, intending to intervene more forcefully.

It's reached a critical point. If there's any chance of saving his brain, he should have gotten up by now.

On the palace road,

Cai Shan, trusted by the Imperial Concubine, naturally did not hold back. Having lived in the Prince's residence for decades and entered the palace for three years, she knew that there was no secret that the Imperial Concubine could not know, only things she did not want to know.

His Majesty's whereabouts are even easier to ascertain; as long as someone sees him or follows him, it cannot be hidden from the Imperial Concubine.

However, she has always been clear about boundaries and does not do anything beyond her authority. Feng Chengyuan has also never developed an absolute desire to control the affairs of the harem, which is why they have lived in peace until now.

Unfortunately,

If this fire were to spread to the Cold Palace and disrupt her peaceful life, Xia Youmi and Niannian would no longer want to maintain any semblance of harmony.

The contact routes that Cai Shan was responsible for were all observed by the man and the cat.

They also marveled at the meticulousness of this strict system, noting that every relationship had its own encryption and decryption mechanisms. At the same time, they didn't forget to set up deceptions at each stage, sending messages that seemed both true and false to other places, making them share the risk of exposure, and making it easier to shift the blame.

In addition,

The people they contacted were not only those in important or respectable positions, but also many marginalized people, including even those who were mentally challenged and confined in the cold palace.

They often completed part of the intelligence gathering process without the other party's knowledge.

"Tsk, that's really impressive." Xia Youmi exclaimed as she bumped into the tree. "Niannian, we can keep this line for now. We can witness it a few more times in the future, and they won't only have one line."

If the emperor were to overturn everything, it wouldn't be fun, and he might not be able to control the situation properly, potentially harming innocent civilians.

“This can wait, but I’ve found something even more fun.” Nian Nian said with her tail held high as she circled around her trouser leg, “This path is perfect for settling our newly discovered little cat. Many spots are quite hidden and it’s also convenient to bring things in and out.”

"That's great!" Xia Youmi happily squatted down and picked up Niannian to rub against her.

Expanding and developing the power of the Black Cats in the harem is also part of their survival strategy, but they cannot make too much noise, otherwise they will be controlled and someone will want to "clean up" all the cats and dogs in one fell swoop.

Concealment and relevance are therefore very important.

It was originally wandering around, selecting suitable underlings and ways to "hook up" with them, and it had made some progress. However, compared to the mature plan provided by the Imperial Concubine, those cats were still too inexperienced.

As they celebrated their new discovery, everyone along the entire network was mobilized at Cai Shan's command.

Before she could even get to the emperor's part, some of the concubines had already provided clues. After witnessing a greeting that was kept under wraps but secretly filled with joy, they easily pieced together the story.

Especially the elderly women in the Seventh Prince's household who had competed for the position of concubine but lost, were all smiles when they returned to the palace.

But even if they understand, they won't take action. They'll gather a few young, fresh-faced sisters, and someone will always be the first to charge forward.

The Imperial Concubine had not expected this.

While she was still processing the information, someone impatiently rushed over; the other person had never been to the Cold Palace and was quite bold.

She was shouting that she was just a crazy woman who should have been completely destroyed long ago, so why keep her face intact?

Are you going to steal her meat?

Resentment is easily stirred up. There are too many fish and shrimp in the pond. A gentle push or a leap can muddy the water. Scattered objections are powerless to stop it.

It's not uncommon for stones in water and the moon in a pond to be visible in this way.