Chapter 168: Volume 1, Chapter 168: Working Against Herself

The more Han Xinglan thought about it, the more brilliant this plan seemed. Looking at Rong Luoge, he said, "You truly are my understanding flower."

Rong Luoge gave a light cough. She had merely borrowed the wisdom of countless predecessors and truly felt ashamed, but since she could not say so, she had no choice but to brazenly accept the praise.

"As long as you think it's feasible, that's good," Rong Luoge said with a smile.

"Feasible, yes, but there are still many detailed rules that need to be prepared," Han Xinglan said in a low voice. Cooperating with merchants—since no merchant is honest, the court naturally had to make preparations to ensure nothing could go wrong.

Rong Luoge nodded. "That is only natural. Laws exist to protect the interests of both parties, but with the nation in crisis now, I believe the merchants will be quite willing to share the burden for the country."

This was a feudal imperial era, not the socialist era of later times. The detailed rules Han Xinglan spoke of were certainly not the more lenient kind she had in mind.

These specific matters were not her forte either. She was only offering suggestions; the rest depended on how His Majesty's courtiers carried them out.

As long as the general direction did not change, the matter would essentially succeed.

Whether it was paper armor or reforming the Imperial Manufacturing Bureau, both were major undertakings, and the uproar they would cause in the court could be imagined.

Even without being in the court, Rong Luoge could anticipate how much pressure Han Xinglan would face, but there was no help for it. As long as he did not want to be a foolish ruler, such matters would only grow more numerous in the future. Only when his imperial authority grew weightier and he established an irresistible image among his courtiers, when decrees flowed smoothly across the four seas and all were united from top to bottom, would he be able to catch his breath.

Just thinking about this made Rong Luoge feel tremendous pressure, as if her hair were about to fall out.

While Han Xinglan sparred with the courtiers in the front court, Rong Luoge began arranging for the dowager consorts to depart for the temporary palace in the Hou Gong. The Late Emperor had many consorts in his Hou Gong, but few that Rong Luoge could remember—only those of higher rank and stronger presence. The rest held low positions, had no children to rely on, and there were many who had never even received the emperor's favor after entering the palace. Looking at the long list of names on the register, Rong Luoge sighed softly.

So many women's best years were wasted in this Hou Gong. Yet there was nothing more she could do for them. What she could do was ensure they would not suffer on the journey to the temporary palace, and that after arriving they could live a more comfortable and relaxed life, unlike the consorts sent to the temporary palace in previous dynasties who had even their food and clothing docked, living in extreme hardship.

As for the future, perhaps when the day of a general amnesty came, she could find an opportunity to give them a chance at freedom. But even with such an opportunity, they might not be willing to return home.

After returning home, given their status, it would be impossible for them to marry. They could only be supported by their families, but without additional income, how would their families be willing to keep supporting a burden?

Harsh as these words were, they were the truth. After all, not all consorts taken into the Hou Gong came from noble backgrounds. Many were beauties selected from various regions, and their family circumstances were quite ordinary.

Rong Luoge sighed softly—truly a sin. Today was the day to send them out of the palace. Rong Luoge went in person to watch them board the carriages. Among them were Lady Liu of Bright Deportment and Lady Xu of Bright Beauty, whom she had met a few times before.

Lady Liu of Bright Deportment had a calm expression and had already come to accept all of this, but Lady Xu of Bright Beauty had red-rimmed eyes and looked utterly dispirited. The way the two looked at Rong Luoge was also different—one as calm as ever, even smiling at her, while the other's eyes were full of resentment, her staring gaze far from comfortable to endure.

Rong Luoge watched them board the carriages one by one and depart, and the vast palace seemed to fall silent all at once.

Noble Beauty Zhong sat in her own hall, still somewhat restless. Looking at Noble Dowager Gui across from her, she said, "If not for this child, I would be going to the temporary palace now. That place is truly not fit for human habitation."

Liu Yingying smiled upon hearing this. "So you are a fortunate person, and I get to bask in some of that good fortune too. From now on, let us support each other and depend on one another."

Noble Beauty Zhong touched her belly. Even though she was pregnant, she had no voice before His Majesty, and the Empress Dowager had no affection for her either. Giving birth alone in the palace, she had no idea what she might encounter.

But Noble Dowager Gui had a good relationship with Noble Consort, and it was precisely because of this that she had nodded and agreed to let Noble Dowager Gui help raise the child together with her.

For the child's future, having an additional adoptive mother was not a bad thing. It was even possible that through Noble Dowager Gui's connections, the child could gain some notice before His Majesty and the Noble Consort. What the child's future prospects would be was hard to say, but at least in the palace they would not be forgotten.

Moreover, after Consort Hui was taken out of the palace by her family, Dongming Hall had been given to them to move into. Given Noble Beauty Zhong's current status, she naturally could not live in Dongming Hall, but with Noble Dowager Gui there, she could reside in it.

So right now, Noble Beauty Zhong was still quite grateful to Noble Dowager Gui. At least for the time being, the two of them got along very well living under the same roof.

After sending these people away, the new emperor's Hou Gong had very few people, and the entire Hou Gong seemed to quiet down. The Empress Dowager was now mourning the Late Emperor and did not go out often. She had not handed over palace authority, but she also had not overtly interfered in Hou Gong affairs. The current situation amounted to this: the dowager consorts were under the Empress Dowager's management, and the new emperor's consorts were under the Noble Consort's management.

With the Empress Dowager currently having no intention of interfering, Rong Luoge's days became much easier.

"After the unoccupied palace halls are cleaned, lock them up to reduce expenditures," Rong Luoge said, flipping through the account books. "There are only this many masters in the palace—where is the need for several thousand palace servants? We must inevitably release a batch of people. Have the Internal Affairs Bureau submit a list, prioritizing those who entered the palace early and are older in age. Those who should leave to marry should leave to marry. Do not delay people."

"Noble Consort is truly kind-hearted," Wet Nurse Zhao said with a smile. "But with such a big commotion, I fear Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will not agree."

"War has already ignited at the borders, and the national treasury can barely support the military expenditures. What we can do is lighten the burden for His Majesty. I believe Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will be willing to do the same," Rong Luoge said in a low voice.

Moreover, she wanted to take this opportunity to purge the spies planted by various factions throughout the palace. Rong Luoge certainly did not want to eat a slice of cucumber in the morning and have every courtier know about it by the next day.

Why had Consort Ming's intelligence been so well-informed back then?

Naturally, it was because she had many spies.

If she did not seize this chance to clean house, such opportunities would be rare in the future.

Having made up her mind, Rong Luoge sent Wet Nurse Zhao to relay the message to the Internal Affairs Bureau. She knew that once the message was delivered, her side would no longer have peace.

It did not matter. She could handle it.

Rong Luoge had guessed correctly. Upon receiving the message, the Internal Affairs Bureau did not immediately carry out the order, but instead went to the Empress Dowager's side to report on her.

The more people in the Hou Gong, the more profits the Internal Affairs Bureau could skim. Now that she was about to cut into their profits, of course they would jump up and work against her!