Chapter 292: Volume 1, Chapter 292: What Sweet Dreams Are You Dreaming?

Once it was put this way, Rong Luoge remembered. She thought for a moment and said, "We originally planned to merge the Official Manufacturing Bureau with the workshops at the Glazed Tile Workshop. Especially since construction at the Glazed Tile Workshop is underway, Shi Lian will certainly have ideas once he gets the news. I remember you told me before that Shi Lian and the Marquis of Anding had long been secretly colluding, right?"

Han Xinglan nodded. "Yes, only back then they weren't so brazen about it."

"With the Marquis of Anding making trouble like this, who else is backing him?" Rong Luoge looked at Han Xinglan and asked.

"Grand Tutor He Runzhi. The He family may appear low-key, but behind the scenes, many matters are manipulated by his hand."

He Runzhi?

Rong Luoge suddenly understood. "So it's him. I thought it was families like the Liao and Lan. But come to think of it, that's not very likely. After all, His Majesty now heavily favors the Prince of Liang, the Prince of Shou, and the like. These families currently have no conflict of interest with His Majesty, so they probably won't get involved for now—there's nothing in it for them, after all."

"Yes." Han Xinglan looked up at the ceiling. "The most pressing matter now is to speed up the construction of the workshops, then relocate the Official Manufacturing Bureau there. Only when the entire Official Manufacturing Bureau is back under the court's control will it work."

Rong Luoge felt it wouldn't be that easy.

Facts proved Rong Luoge's thinking was correct. The Official Manufacturing Bureau had been an independently operating government office throughout successive dynasties of the Owl Nation. Reorganizing it would meet tremendous obstacles.

But this was something Rong Luoge couldn't help Han Xinglan with. She could only do her best to help him with the workshop plans and blueprints; the rest was up to him.

Han Xinglan's moves against the Official Manufacturing Bureau caused endless disputes both in and out of court. Rong Luoge threw herself into hard work at the Weaving Workshop with Kang Shufei and Lady Qiongzhang. Not only did she have Kang Shufei and Lady Qiongzhang personally overseeing things, she herself stayed stationed there, walking through every single process of the Weaving Workshop.

From silk processing and silk sorting to weft winding and warp preparation, from paste application and warp counting to mounting on the loom, then constantly adjusting the patterns, repeatedly dipping into water to test colors, repeatedly getting on the loom to make adjustments—Rong Luoge and Han Xinglan, this husband-and-wife pair, grew visibly thinner at a rate the naked eye could see.

All the flesh she had gained during pregnancy was given up. In two months' time, her waist became slender again, and her once slightly rounded features returned to a striking, bold bone structure with sharp, defined angles.

Especially now, her commanding presence was even stronger. Sometimes, without saying a word, a single glance from her was enough to make everyone in the Weaving Workshop not dare to breathe loudly.

The weaving side was going smoothly, as most of the craftsmen were experienced hands who picked things up quickly. What Rong Luoge needed to adjust the most was the patterns. Kang Shufei and Lady Qiongzhang also focused mainly on researching colors. A new pattern required constant adjustments to the warp and weft threading, and certain special colors demanded endless experimentation.

What gave Rong Luoge the biggest headache was dyeing, because water temperature was a crucial part of the process. If the water temperature was too high or too low, the dyed color would show differences. Moreover, color mixing also required constant adjustment of the formulas.

She knew how to mix many colors, but the exact proportions still had to be tested again and again. She would often return to Fengyi Palace with residual dye still on her hands. Several times Han Xinglan caught her, and he would hold her hands and wash them clean over and over again. Because the color would seep into the crevices of her nails, it was very difficult to wash out. Sometimes the two of them would spend a very long time just washing hands.

As the weather grew hotter and hotter, Kangkang had also learned to turn over by himself. Seeing his busy parents return to Fengyi Palace in the evening was his happiest moment.

With the establishment of the Weaving Workshop, the news spread that Kang Shufei and Lady Qiongzhang would be entering and exiting the palace following the Empress, with Kang Shufei as head and Lady Qiongzhang as deputy, to take over the Weaving Workshop. The entire Hou Gong was in an uproar.

The Empress Dowager even sent someone to summon Rong Luoge for a talk. Rong Luoge had been busy all day before returning to Fengyi Palace, her face showing great exhaustion. After more than two months of preparation, the Weaving Workshop would begin selling fabrics to the public tomorrow. Today, she, Kang Shufei, and Lady Qiongzhang had been busy until the sun set behind the western hills, so tired they didn't want to lift a single finger.

Rong Xin said with great heartache, "Your Highness, why doesn't this servant make a trip to Funing Palace instead?"

Rong Luoge knew some things would have to come sooner or later. She waved her hand. "Bring me something to eat first. I'll pad my stomach a little, then go over."

Que Cai heard this and turned to head out immediately. In the small kitchen, there was long-prepared bird's nest soup along with several pastries sent from the imperial kitchen, warming on a small steamer.

Ever since the Empress started frequently returning very late from the Weaving Workshop, His Majesty had a small kitchen added to Fengyi Palace, precisely to ensure that the Empress could always have a hot meal.

Rong Luoge drank a cup of bird's nest soup and ate a plate of yam cakes and crystal cakes, and only then did her rumbling stomach feel somewhat better.

She changed into another set of clothes, carefully tidied her appearance before the mirror, and after making sure there were no flaws, she boarded the soft palanquin and headed for Funing Palace.

The palanquin stopped all the way at Funing Palace. Rong Luoge got down, supported by Rong Xin's hand. The young palace maid standing guard at the entrance of Funing Palace immediately went in to announce her arrival. The others hurriedly bowed in greeting. "Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress."

"Rise." Rong Luoge strode into Funing Palace. Funing Palace remained unchanged from before, quiet and still. This kind of silence would often make people uneasy, but Rong Luoge felt no pressure at all.

Entering the main hall, she saw the Empress Dowager seated on the throne. She stepped forward to pay her respects. "This consort greets Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. May Her Majesty be well."

Rong Luoge heard the Empress Dowager say, "Rise, Empress. You are a rare guest now. It is not easy to get a glimpse of you."

Rong Luoge rose and took her seat. She looked at the Empress Dowager with a smile and spoke unhurriedly. "Please do not take offense, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. Ever since His Majesty entrusted the Weaving Workshop to this consort, these past few months have been so busy that day and night blurred together. I couldn't even attend to Kangkang. Fortunately, I did not fail my mission and can finally report back to His Majesty."

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager looked at Rong Luoge. "That Weaving Workshop—how did you come to think of letting Kang Shufei and Lady Qiongzhang go there? Can you trust them?"

When Rong Luoge heard this, she knew exactly what the Empress Dowager was scheming. This was probably about wanting to send Su Ying over, wasn't it?

They had been in the palace for several months, but Han Xinglan hadn't favored a single one of them. At first they could still sit tight, but now they were probably burning with anxiety.

Rong Luoge looked at the Empress Dowager and said earnestly, "To answer the Empress Dowager, this was all decided by His Majesty. Official Kang and General Fu are utterly loyal to His Majesty. Since His Majesty's enthronement, the two have taken on numerous assignments and completed them all very well. His Majesty's heavy reliance on Kang Shufei and Lady Qiongzhang is also a show of regard for the two officials. It is only proper."

These words were like a slap across the Empress Dowager's face. Prime Minister Su had repeatedly opposed His Majesty in court—and with that track record, she still wanted Su Ying to rise in the Hou Gong? What sweet dreams was she dreaming?

After being warned by Han Xinglan last time, the Empress Dowager had indeed kept quiet for a while. Now she wanted to jump out again?

Rong Luoge naturally would not let her have her way!