Chapter 175: Volume 1, Chapter 175: The Stratagem of Sowing Discord

Rong Luoge took the roster that Xu Shuyuan had delivered and sat on the soft couch, carefully flipping through it. In the hall there was only the sound of pages turning. Xu Shuyuan sat below holding a cup of tea, her heart somewhat uneasy.

The Internal Court Office wielded great authority. Its Chief Administrator was a second-rank high official, generally held by a member of the imperial family.

The Internal Court Office oversaw multiple departments: the Accounting Bureau managed the office's revenues and expenditures; the Rites Bureau managed its sacrifices and the ranks of eunuchs; the Military Affairs Bureau managed martial posts; the Punishment Bureau managed the office's criminal cases. Beyond these, there was the Construction Bureau for repairs, the Qingfeng Bureau for cattle and sheep livestock, and the Granary Office for imperial estate rents and taxes...

There were dozens of departments large and small, with over a thousand officials currently in active posts. Rong Luoge felt a shock as she flipped through the ledger.

She never imagined that a single Internal Court Office would have so many people. After all, the Internal Court Office had nothing to do with outer court officials, managing only the affairs of the inner palace.

Rong Luoge thought to herself—with so many people, no wonder the Hou Gong's expenditures were so enormous. How could they not be?

There were only a few masters in the Hou Gong, yet the number of people working beneath them was multiplied hundreds of times over. It was terrifying.

Xu Shuyuan saw that Noble Consort Rong's expression was unfavorable. After a moment's thought, she did not continue playing dumb, but took the initiative to speak: "Your Ladyship, I first took inventory of the roster of palace servants in the Hou Gong. At present, there are over two thousand eight hundred registered palace servants, and this does not include the Internal Court Office's functionaries. After deducting the servants retained by each palace and those on duty throughout the inner palace, fewer than half of the remainder can be released."

Xu Shuyuan could not tell whether this matter was Noble Consort Rong's idea or His Majesty's, but releasing so many palace servants was truly a headache.

Rong Luoge listened to Xu Shuyuan's words, then raised her head to look at her and said slowly: "The personnel retained on duty at each location—have they all been accounted for clearly?"

"Yes. Calculated by two-shift rotation, this is already the bare minimum and cannot be reduced further," Xu Shuyuan said.

Rong Luoge nodded. She understood Xu Shuyuan's meaning. Though the Hou Gong had few masters, whenever grand banquets were held for the New Year and festivals, with courtiers and titled ladies entering the palace to celebrate together, the Hou Gong could not possibly lack even palace servants to serve tea and pour water.

"Have you shown the list to the Internal Court Office?" Rong Luoge asked.

At this, Xu Shuyuan's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Recalling the Chief Administrator of the Internal Court Office's smug face, she trembled all over with anger, but in front of Her Ladyship she could not voice her grievances. The Lady had entrusted her with this task; if she handled it well, it was her ability. If she handled it poorly, she would likely never have another chance to rise.

Gathering herself, Xu Shuyuan said: "The Internal Court Office rejected this list, saying it did not conform to regulations. According to palace rules, even the release of palace servants must not exceed one-third of the total number."

The palace servants to be released on this list already approached half.

Rong Luoge gave a cold laugh. "The Chief Administrator of the Internal Court Office is truly a considerate person. I looked at the inner palace's expenditures—each year, the Hou Gong's spending alone ranges from several hundred thousand taels to over a million taels of silver. Now that war has ignited at the border, if these funds could be saved, how many soldiers at the border could eat their fill, stay warm, and keep their lives!"

Xu Shuyuan's heart skipped a beat, and she said at once: "Your Ladyship speaks rightly, but I fear this matter will not be easy."

Rong Luoge certainly knew it would not be easy. "If the Internal Court Office does not agree, let them come up with the silver to make up for this portion and send it to the border. As long as they can produce it, I naturally will not interfere in this matter further. If they cannot, then they need not spout any more nonsense."

Rong Luoge noticed that many official posts in the Internal Court Office appeared duplicative—clearly, people were holding sinecures and drawing salaries for nothing.

"Go to the Internal Court Office once more and hear what they have to say," Rong Luoge said, looking at Xu Shuyuan.

Xu Shuyuan immediately rose to her feet. "I shall go at once."

Rong Luoge nodded and looked at Xu Shuyuan, saying: "Now the nation faces great calamity and war spreads. Defending home and country is the duty of every citizen of the State of Xiao. Just go and do it—have no fear."

Hearing this, Xu Shuyuan understood. Noble Consort Rong's attitude was resolute: the Internal Court Office must downsize its personnel and disgorge the silver it had swallowed.

Her hand gripping her handkerchief tightened. This matter was dangerous, but it was equally an enormous opportunity. If she handled it well, her standing before Noble Consort Rong would naturally be secure hereafter.

Wealth and rank are sought amid danger. Since she could not hope for imperial favor, she could only forge another path.

"Your Ladyship is right. I shall devote myself fully to handling this matter and will not disappoint you." After declaring her stance, Xu Shuyuan rose and departed, heading straight for the Internal Court Office.

Rong Luoge watched her retreating figure and sighed softly, hoping that good news would come this time.

But relying on a newly appointed Shuyuan alone could not bring down those old foxes in the Internal Court Office. She needed to strike from the flank, undermine their foundations, and make them fall into chaos among themselves—only then could she seize the opportunity to act.

"Yuan Bao!" Rong Luoge called out.

Yuan Bao, standing guard outside the door, immediately bowed and entered. "This servant is here. What does Your Ladyship command?"

"Go to the Internal Court Office and spread the word about the downsizing and streamlining of official posts there. You must ensure that everyone, from top to bottom, knows about it," Rong Luoge said.

Yuan Bao was taken aback. He raised his head to look at the Noble Consort and said hesitantly: "Your Ladyship, once this news gets out, I fear the Internal Court Office will be thrown into chaos."

The Internal Court Office's posts were leisurely and lucrative; without some connection, no one could squeeze in. Who would want to lose such a post? This was a matter that would offend people greatly.

"What I want is exactly for them to fall into chaos on their own. You must let them know that the Internal Court Office is to be streamlined, but those who remain will be the capable and talented ones," Rong Luoge said with a smile.

She knew nothing about the Internal Court Office, but the officials within the office itself naturally knew one another very well. If she struck hard at a turtle's shell, she might not pry open even a single crack. But if they began reporting and exposing one another from within, falling into chaos on their own, only then could she seize the opportunity to succeed.

She only needed the people of the Internal Court Office to know that those with ability and merit would stay, while those without merit or competence would pack up and leave.

In order to stay, these people would naturally know what to do.

If Xu Shuyuan spread this news, they certainly would not believe her—after all, she was merely a consort of the Hou Gong. But Yuan Bao carrying this message carried a different weight entirely; his master was the Chief Eunuch by His Majesty's side.

The people of the Internal Court Office would surely suspect whether this matter was His Majesty's intention. If it was His Majesty's intention, it was naturally different from this Noble Consort taking matters into her own hands.

She intended to exploit this psychology to pry open their mouths from within. Once a crack was opened, everything that followed would be easy.

Yuan Bao was a clever man—otherwise he could not have taken Shi An as his master. A moment's reflection told him the Noble Consort's true intent, and he immediately headed for the Internal Court Office.

Rong Luoge wrote and drew on the roster. Xu Shuyuan in the open, Yuan Bao in the shadows—the two of them, one dark and one bright, egging each other on, would surely accelerate the progress of matters.