jdhmnovel Chapter 217 Tranquil Daily Life
Chapter 217 Tranquil Daily Life
Jiang Xinyu was neither a head maid nor a female official, and therefore had no right to interfere in the inner palace.
But since he's Xiao Yuan's wife, no one dares to disobey her when she's in charge.
After the palace coup, Xiao Yuan killed many people in the palace. From the imperial concubines to the palace maids and eunuchs, there was no one who was not afraid of him.
Besides, this lady herself was no saint.
Even without Supervisor Xiao's intervention, anyone who displeases her would probably be slapped into the ground.
When the Empress Dowager saw Jiang Xinyu scold away two concubines, she tearfully grabbed Jiang Xinyu's hand.
If it weren't for her son's safety, she would have liked to keep Mrs. Xiao with her.
Too many people have been looking for her lately. She can refuse to see those noblewomen from outside the palace, but these imperial concubines can come at any time.
She was just a lowly palace maid with no family background and no looks. She got lucky and gave birth to a prince, but was only given the title of "Talented Lady".
To be frank, the old emperor really did sleep with her that one time.
Nowadays, those who can become imperial concubines in the palace all have princes and princesses by their side, either with a powerful family background or favored by the emperor. None of them are easy to get along with.
She felt intimidated when she spoke to them.
She knew that now that the Empress Dowager's son had become the emperor, the government was still in the hands of others.
She dared not cause trouble, fearing that the regent would find her and her son troublesome and simply replace him.
Putting aside her understanding and perspective, her personality alone made Jiang Xinyu completely lose her composure.
They're afraid of this and that, rambling on and on without ever getting to the point.
Jiang Xinyu had originally wanted to befriend Jin Zeyu's mother, but after seeing her in person, she gave up on the idea.
It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change a person's nature. This Empress Dowager He will definitely not change in three to five years.
To prevent any trouble from happening here, Jiang Xinyu arranged for July to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Dowager He, and also had Xiao Yuan transfer two skilled female officials from the Eastern Depot.
The newly transferred team consists of twin sisters; the elder sister, Jin Huan, is skilled in martial arts, while the younger sister, Yin Huan, is skilled in light-body techniques.
When the other party is reasonable, use July; when they are unreasonable, use Golden Ring. If you really can't beat them, you can run away with the Empress Dowager on your back.
If you can't lift her up, then don't lift her up. Just build a frame around her, tie her up, and let her be a puppet.
Jiang Xinyu dislikes internal strife and pointless competition the most; if one path is blocked, she will try another.
What a big deal.
Empress Dowager He was indeed quite eccentric. Anyone else would feel uncomfortable being controlled like that, and this could very well be clear evidence of eunuchs seizing power and suppressing the empress dowager.
This person, however, showed absolutely no discomfort.
She wished someone would make all the decisions for her so she could just do needlework, plant flowers, and live a quiet life.
They worked very hard in July too.
She was appointed as the head palace maid in the Empress Dowager's palace as soon as she arrived.
All the eunuchs and palace maids here are under her command, which is much more prestigious than managing some maids and servants in the governor's mansion.
Of course, July wasn't so shallow as to just want to show off; she was happy to be able to help the Grand Eunuch and his wife.
As a girl who used her brains to make a name for herself and pave her own way to success, July is far more knowledgeable than this Empress Dowager He.
She knew that a weak ruler and a strong minister would inevitably lead to conflict.
Their chief minister was a powerful official, and when the emperor was young, he relied on him and naturally had no worries.
Once the emperor comes of age and assumes personal rule, irreconcilable conflicts are likely to arise between the two sides.
Since she doesn't plan to get married in the future, it's good for her to stay by the Empress Dowager's side and help the Eunuch gather information.
It will take at least ten years for the little emperor to grow up.
Empress Dowager He was a gentle and kind person, and she refused to believe that she couldn't win the Empress Dowager's heart.
If the young emperor and the eunuch get along well and part ways amicably, that would be fine.
If that child becomes ungrateful and harbors ill intentions towards the supervisor, that will be the time for her to play her role.
Jiang Xinyu didn't think too much when she sent Qiyue over. After all, killing the young emperor was just a matter of lifting a finger, and there was no need to go to such lengths.
She felt that July was reliable, insightful, and capable, and that having her around would prevent Empress Dowager He from making foolish mistakes.
Another reason is that July had already said she didn't want to get married.
If she were by my side, if she didn't get married in July, she would at most be a maid for life, which would ultimately make her a servant.
It would be different if she were by the Empress Dowager's side.
The Empress Dowager's head palace lady was a third-rank official, with a proper rank and salary, and was respected wherever she went.
In the Great Jin Dynasty, only the wives and mothers of first-rank officials could be granted the title of First-Rank Lady, those of second-rank officials could be granted the title of Second-Rank Lady, and those of third-rank officials could only be granted the title of Virtuous Lady.
Even then, it has to be the man who requests the title; most of the time, only the original wife gets the title.
For some women who remarry after their first wife dies, whether they can be granted another title depends on two factors: first, whether the man in charge of the household dotes on them, and second, the emperor's mood.
That's why so many women are unwilling to become second wives.
The ladies-in-waiting in the inner court were different; they earned their honors themselves, not by relying on men, making them a cut above those gentle and pleasing ladies.
Nowadays, when you go out in July, even high-ranking officials of the imperial court have to address you respectfully as "Lady Official".
Normally it's fine, but if something happens, the value of this becomes extremely high.
For example, if someone gets involved in a case, commoners and servants are required to kneel before officials.
They can punish you with a board if they want, and they can detain you if they want.
But those with official titles and positions are different.
A third-rank female official like July would not be dared to be interrogated by the county magistrate, and even the Dali Temple would have to respectfully allow her to sit down and answer questions.
Although Jiang Xinyu didn't care about these differences, she knew that July definitely did, since people of this era had different ideas from her.
Jiang Xinyu arranged for Qiyue to be placed by the Empress Dowager's side to save trouble; she forgot to tell Jin Zekang, but Xiao Yuan should have informed her.
Jin Zekang had no objection to this.
He had heard a bit about Empress Dowager He's style. In the past, when Xiao Ba suffered setbacks in the palace, most of the responsibility lay with Empress Dowager He for her lack of authority.
Even if you don't have a good family background and can't compete for favor, you don't need to be afraid of everyone.
If you don't dare to compete with other concubines, can't you even control a few servants in your own palace?
If you just swallow your anger when they mistreat the prince, do you think the emperor will beat you up for the sake of a few servants?
His own mother was not strong-willed, and he deeply understood the helplessness of a mother who didn't have a strong personality.
However, as an outsider, he shouldn't interfere in matters concerning the Empress Dowager, so Jiang Xinyu taking over was a good option.
After finishing his conversation with the Empress Dowager and several restless concubines, Xiao Yuan took a sip of tea.
Only then did he notice his adopted son, who was pouting, and asked, "Why haven't you left yet?"
Ye Xiao felt utterly disheartened.
He had a misconception that he wasn't his godfather's son, but rather a burden that Jiang Xinyu had brought from her maternal home.
The stepmother didn't show it, but the stepfather later turned out to be quite honest; he really didn't take himself seriously.
Xiao Yuan frowned at his disgusted expression. "What's with that expression?"
"I almost forgot, what are you here for?"
Ye Xiao was too embarrassed to question his godfather about why he hadn't been informed of the plan.
Being favored gives one the right to be fearless; why bother saying anything and making a fool of oneself when even one's godfather doesn't want to talk to him?
Ye Xiao swallowed his questions and forced a smile, saying that he hadn't seen his godparents in a long time and had come to pay his respects.
His smile was even uglier than a cry, which made Jin Zekang unable to suppress his laughter.
Xiao Yuan smiled as well, "If you have time, go and take a look at the residences. Keep whichever you like, the Left Prime Minister's or the Second Prince's residence."
If you have money in the account, you can use it yourself. Just let me know when you've finished renovating the Marquis's mansion.
Pick an auspicious day, and on the day you move, we'll officially register you in the family genealogy and you'll take my surname, Xiao.
Xiao Xiao didn't sound good, so your godmother and I gave you a new name.
The Zhuangzi (Chapter 24, "Zaiyou") states, "When the corpse dwells, the dragon appears; when the abyss is silent, thunder roars."
From now on, your surname will be Xiao and your given name will be Mo. You will receive a courtesy name after you reach the age of twenty and have your coming-of-age ceremony.
After Xiao Yuan finished speaking, Ye Shier burst into tears. It turned out that his godfather had been teasing him on purpose. He was still his godfather's only good son.
I'm so touched, Godfather.
In his excitement, Ye Xiao wanted to throw himself into Xiao Yuan's arms and act coy, but unexpectedly, Xiao Yuan subconsciously dodged and Ye Xiao missed his target.
The boy sat on the ground looking completely bewildered. Did his father like him or not?