After the results of the consort selection, the good news was sent out of the palace on the same day. Kun Ling Bureau also sent officials to each fu to report the good news. Yu Shu personally went to Grand Secretary Ji's fu. The Ji family had the first Empress of the Great Yan. A great honor fell on the heads of the family. It was enough to bring glory to the ancestors. It could be imagined that the girls of the Ji family would become precious and hard to find.
Ji Hongru had become the father-in-law of the country and successfully entered the ranks of the Imperial Family.
He was not a pedantic person. Otherwise, he would not have supported the Emperor of Yan to become the Emperor. He was not like some of the elders in the court who disliked Yu Shu, this woman who came later. He was very polite to her, treating her as an honored guest and thanking her again and again. The old man was smart. He came late to have a daughter. None of his first three sons were as considerate as his youngest daughter. Sending her into the palace was out of helplessness. He had thought that with the Empress Dowager's own niece in front of him, the Empress would never be his family's turn.
But he chose his daughter and tricked Empress Dowager Wei. If one said that this result had nothing to do with Yu Shu, Old Man Ji wouldn't believe it. The Princess Royal had been pestering Ning Wang when they were in the capital. When they reached Jing, Ning Wang and this famous female official of the previous dynasty got along and somehow managed to coax the Emperor to grant the marriage. The cooked duck flew away. How could the Empress Dowager and the Princess Royal not hate? The two sides had a grudge. Maybe after a few moves, the position of Empress finally landed in his family.
No matter how it came about, Ji Hongru knew he couldn't offend the woman in front of him. The Celestial Commissioner was in her hands and there was also the Kun Ling Bureau. His youngest daughter had just arrived in the palace and needed to rely on her for many things.
Therefore, Yu Shu and the newly appointed Imperial Father-in-law Ji exchanged pleasantries and formed a friendship. They had a mutual understanding that from now on, their common enemy would be the Empress Dowager in the hougong.
Imperial Father-in-law Ji personally saw Yu Shu to the gate. Seeing her get on the sedan, he turned and calmed down. He gathered all the sons and daughters-in-law of the three branches to the study and carefully beat them up to prevent any more accidents before the Empress's coronation ceremony.
.....
When Yu Shu returned to Taixi Tower, the sun had just set. She wrote a note and asked the black-robed guards to send it to Xue Rui to let him know that the Empress had been decided. The Ji family was very sensible.
Ji Hongru's guess was absolutely correct. Half of the reason why Wei Family lost the Empress was due to Xue Rui and Yu Shu's efforts. This matter was not difficult to handle. As long as they accurately grasped the Emperor's thoughts, Xue Rui's side would inconspicuously throw a tantrum while Yu Shu's side would restrain the Empress Dowager and secretly build support for the two daughters of Dai Family and Ji Family, causing the Empress Dowager to feel a sense of crisis and have no choice but to stand up for her maiden daughter. Yet the higher the Empress Dowager Wei raised Miss Wei, the more the Emperor disliked her. Even more, the Marquis of Cheng En, Wei Xihan, wasn't the Emperor's di jiujiu. Was there a need to give his family so much face?
"When the Empress Dowager comes back to herself, she will probably be very angry," Yu Shu leaned against the chair, one hand propping up her head, the other lightly tapping the white jade table. She hummed: "She is heartless, I am heartless."
Empress Dowager Wei didn't come to provoke her and Xue Rui, didn't provoke Xue Rui and the Emperor. Who cared if the daughter of the Wei Family became the Empress? She and Xue Rui weren't useless.
"Situ Nuyu is here." A report came from outside the tower.
"Let her in."
Yu Shu put away her lazy attitude and sat up straight to see the person come in. Situ Qinglan had been running around the palace for a whole day and was exhausted. She forced herself to come back to report.
"Grand Secretary, the consorts of the palaces have already been settled in. Empress Ji will temporarily live in Phoenix Perching Palace before the conferment ceremony. Consort Wei Shu was originally arranged to live in Yongle Palace, but the Empress Dowager later issued an edict and changed it to Zhongcui Palace. Pin Li was granted to live in Xixia Palace, and the two Jieyu and the two Zhaoyi are temporarily living in a side hall. The rest are scattered."
When Yu Shu learned of the Empress Dowager's interference, she said without hesitation, "The two Honored Consort Shu of the previous dynasty didn't have a good ending in Yongle Palace. The Empress Dowager is afraid that Consort Wei Shu will also be unlucky, so she moved to Zhongcui Palace, a place with good feng shui. Does she want our dynasty to have an Empress Dowager Xue? Hehe. "
Situ Qinglan kept her head low and didn't reveal any strange expression when Yu Shu used Empress Dowager Xue to mock the harem. Empress Dowager Xue of the previous dynasty was Emperor Chongzhen's birth mother. She clearly had the Empress above her, but she flourished because of the late emperor's favor. Zhongcui Palace was her residence. The Empress had no children, so she relied on her son to survive until the end and earned the honor of being a mother empress dowager. She could be considered a "role model" for the women in the harem.
"Once the conferment ceremony is over, the Earth Feather Bureau will have to make preparations." Yu Shu was referring to the establishment of the Book of Earth.
Situ Qinglan hesitated. "The Book of Earth is an old system of the previous dynasty. The Empress Dowager is in charge of the harem now. She hasn't mentioned this matter, so I'm afraid she won't be willing to continue using it. Also, His Majesty might not be happy. Commissioner Celestial Commissioner, you can make arrangements for him on your own. "
Yu Shu nodded. "You're right, but the Book of Earth can't be removed. Otherwise, where will the Earth Feather Bureau get its authority? Therefore, we have to amend the old system and allow it to continue according to our Emperor's temperament."
"What do you mean?"
"In the previous dynasty, the Emperor had to follow the schedule on the Book of Earth to visit the feipin of the palaces. We can change it. The Book of Earth won't record which feipin's turn will be favoured, only which feipin's are not suitable to be favoured. The rest will be up to the Emperor to do as he pleases."
Relaxing the restrictions didn't mean there were no restrictions. Removing the restrictions on the Emperor and shifting it to the feipin, it would preserve the authority of the Earth Feather Bureau and wouldn't annoy the Emperor.
"Taishu is wise and has deep foresight." Situ Qinglan asked in a low voice, "If the Empress Dowager comes out to obstruct it, what will happen?"
Yu Shu smiled carelessly and said meaningfully, "Is there only the Empress Dowager in the hougong? Where do you put the Empress?" The one who should support the use of the Book of Earth the most was undoubtedly the Empress. And if Empress Ji wanted to sit firmly in the position of Empress, she couldn't do it without the help of the Earth Feather Bureau. This was called mutual benefit. It was more useful than any kind of face or favour.
Situ Qinglan admired inside. Taishu's manipulation of power had reached the point of perfection. Empress Dowager Wei had really lifted a rock to smash her own feet by provoking this one.
"Since we've finished talking about official matters, let's talk about private matters." Yu Shu stood and walked down the steps to the tea table by the window. Pointing at the yellow rosewood chair opposite her, she called for her to sit down and talk.
"In the early years, I couldn't attend to you so I didn't ask. Now that it's peaceful, I have to ask you, what are you going to do with your marriage? Are you going to continue to wait for your marriage or find someone of equal status to marry? You can't just wait like this. "Look at how hard it was for her to be the superior. She had to worry about the marriage of her subordinate.
Situ Qinglan hadn't expected her to suddenly mention this, and it was after the selection of the hougong's concubines. How could she not feel guilty? She opened her mouth and said timidly, "I, I haven't thought about it yet."
Yu Shu poured a cup of tea to moisten her throat before saying, "Then think about it now. I'll give you some advice."
Situ Qinglan was silent. Others didn't know, but how could she not know? Taishu's Great Dong Ming Art was profound. It was useless to lie in front of her. She probably saw through her thoughts already.
"Qinglan," Yu Shu called her by her maiden name. Her tone was much warmer than when they were talking about official matters, "When a woman reaches an age but refuses to marry, it's either that she hasn't met someone she likes or that she already has someone in her heart. Which one are you?"
Situ Qinglan lightly bit her lower lip. She lowered her head to look at her fingers on her knees. She paused for a moment before replying in a small voice, "This subordinate already has someone in my heart but I'm not worthy of him. I don't dare to have wishful thinking."
"Then don't think about it anymore. I urge you to give up on it as soon as possible."
Situ Qinglan looked up at her blankly. Yu Shu said seriously, "What? Do you think I will encourage you to be so infatuated? Don't be silly. Even you say that you are not worthy of him. It's obvious that you also know that this is not a good marriage. You don't dare to fight for it and you don't want to let it go. In the end, you will be the one wasting your time. It's better to let it go as soon as possible. What do you think? "
"I, I …" Situ Qinglan was struggling in her heart. She knew what the Taishu said was right. But it was not easy to make her give up completely. If she could give up, she would have done so long ago. Before entering the palace, she also thought about ending it. However, when she saw that person with her own eyes, her idea of giving up turned into unwillingness. She couldn't deceive herself. She had always been clear about what she wanted.
Yu Shu didn't urge her to make a decision. Instead, she waited patiently for her to make a choice. The road was dead, but people were alive. Whether or not they could walk out of it depended on themselves.
"Taishu," Situ Qinglan's eyes turned red unconsciously. She buried her head and didn't dare to look at Yu Shu's face. She stood up and took a step forward. She knelt in front of her and gathered up her courage to beg, "I want to enter the palace. Please help me."
Yu Shu had expected this result. She still felt a little sorry for her. There were so many women in the world. They were like moths flying into a flame. Even though they knew they couldn't do it, when they met the person, they would still run into it.
"There are three thousand beauties in the harem. The current emperor is not a man who indulges in women. You have given up your freedom and chosen the most difficult path." Yu Shu made it very clear. She hoped that she could stop before it was too late. Even if the Emperor of Yan had already paved the way for her, as long as she regretted it now, there was still time.
Situ Qinglan gritted her teeth and said resolutely, "I am not afraid. Instead of regretting for the rest of my life, it is better to try."
"Hey, get up." She put her hand in front of Situ Qinglan and helped her up. That meant she had agreed. Situ Qinglan was instantly overjoyed. Her eyes lit up with hope. It was undoubtedly a fool's dream for her to enter the palace and serve the emperor. She couldn't even get past the Empress Dowager. But if the Taishu was willing to help her, it would be a different story.
"I can let you do what you want. But you have to listen to my arrangements. Don't do anything rash. Otherwise, I won't care if it is a blessing or a curse for you in the future." There was no turning back.
Situ Qinglan hurriedly promised, "Don't worry, Taishu. I will never do anything stupid."
Yu Shu nodded and then warned her, "Then go back today. I will arrange a chance for you to show your face in front of the Emperor. But you have to remember to keep your place and maintain your integrity. Don't use those underhanded methods. If you want to enter the hougong, then let the Emperor invite you openly."
Empress Dowager Wei thought herself clever and thought that no one knew a son better than a mother. She had picked those young and tender girls for her son. But only men knew what men liked. Xue Rui had revealed to Yu Shu a long time ago that the Emperor liked women who were as gentle as water, but couldn't be so soft that they didn't have a personality. Their age couldn't be too different. In other words, he liked women with femininity. That bunch of girls in their teens, what femininity did they have?
Situ Qinglan's inferiority complex was just because of her age and birth. She didn't know that these two points were her strengths, and suited the Emperor's appetite. As long as she knew when to advance and when to retreat, she wouldn't have to worry about the Emperor's love in the future.
And for Yu Shu, arranging for Situ Qinglan to enter the palace had other uses. The Empress Dowager was too bored. Then she would muddy the waters of the hougong, and trap her inside so she couldn't climb out.
"Taishu, Qinglan is extremely grateful for your recognition and help. If there is a future, I will repay you." Situ Qinglan solemnly promised.
Yu Shu smiled. She didn't believe in revenge. People would change. She didn't expect Situ Qinglan to be so humble and obedient to her like now. She didn't expect Situ Qinglan to be so powerful one day. But she could guarantee that she would always stand higher than them, and would always need them to look up to her.
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