In this selection, Xiao Jingheng has chosen nine new talents.
That night, the roster of these talented women was delivered to the Phoenix Palace by Xiao Yinz.
He said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has instructed this servant to bring the roster and let Your Majesty arrange the positions and palace rooms for the new entrants."
There are only so many eligible women in the court each year,
and they must have both family background and appearance. Choosing from them leaves only a few.
Zhao Hua carefully looked through the roster of these new talents, lightly writing down their positions and palace rooms,
When it came to Ru Ge's turn, Zhao Hua was about to write, but suddenly heard Xiao Yinz say,
"Among this group of new talents, the Emperor has granted a title to Mrs. Nalan, calling her 'Precious.'"
Zhao Hua understood and casually said with a smile,
"The Emperor values Mrs. Nalan, so let's grant her a noble position."
Xiao Yinz continued, "Regardless of how Your Majesty arranges the positions and palace rooms, the Emperor hopes that Mrs. Nalan's residence can be closer to the Ruyi Gallery."
Zhao Hua paused with her pen in the air, her eyes flickering.
In the six palaces, the closest palace to the Ruyi Gallery is the Zhuixia Palace where Rongyue resides alone. Now that Mrs. Nalan Ru Ge is of unknown depth, Zhao Hua truly doesn't want to arrange for them to live together.
But Xiao Jingheng has already sent a message through Xiao Yinz. If Zhao Hua refuses, it will likely cause more trouble.
So she can only temporarily arrange for Ru Ge to stay at Zhuixia Palace, and remind Rongyue to be more cautious in the future.
After everything was arranged, Zhao Hua handed the roster back to Xiao Yinz and said,
"Let the Palace Affairs Department handle the arrangements. The new talents will enter the palace in two days. You all will be busy, so be sure to serve diligently."
Xiao Yinz smiled obsequiously and said, "In this palace, there are only two proper masters, Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Queen Mother. Among the consorts, only you, Your Majesty the Queen Mother, can be served diligently."
Zhao Hua coldly sneered, unable to tolerate Xiao Yinz's flattery even a bit,
and said, "I'm tired. You can go back and report. Also, tell His Majesty for me that regarding the entry of the new talents into the palace, after His Majesty attends the morning court tomorrow, I will personally report to him."
Xiao Yinz said, "This servant understands. However, Consort Yin has informed the Imperial Household Department in advance that her maternal family has sent some top-quality beef, which His Majesty loves. She intends to cook and send it over during tomorrow's lunch. If Your Majesty the Queen Mother has matters to discuss with His Majesty, then this servant will inform Consort Yin to choose another day to come."
After saying this, Xiao Yinz bowed and left,
But just as he was about to step out of the main hall's palace door, he was called back by Zhao Hua,
"Wait."
Xiao Yinz hurriedly stopped and turned back, "Does Your Majesty the Queen Mother have any more orders?"
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Hua said, "There's no need to inform Consort Yin. She has always had His Majesty's favor, and it wouldn't be right to disappoint her. If she comes to the Chaoyang Palace tomorrow, just announce it when you enter. I will take care of her after I finish talking with His Majesty."
Xiao Yinz said, "Your Majesty the Queen Mother is truly considerate of the consorts, setting an example for all women."
Zhao Hua glanced at him, too lazy to respond, and waved her hand to dismiss him.
After he left, Zhao Hua instructed Xiaofuzi, "Tomorrow, you go and keep an eye on the entrance of Consort Yin's palace. When she leaves, hurry to Chao Yang Palace to find me. Have Xiaoyinzi go inside and report back, saying that Cheng Ye is a bit fussy, and the wet nurse can't soothe him. Only I can return to calm him."
Xiaofuzi nodded in understanding without asking for more details.
The next day, as soon as Xiao Jingheng finished morning court, Zhao Hua rushed to Chao Yang Palace and detailed the arrangements for the new court ladies to him.
"Nalan Shi is the only one among this group of ladies whom Lord Xiao personally granted a title. So, the other court ladies should respect her. Hence, I granted her the position of Consort. Additionally, she is skilled in painting, so I placed her in the Zhaixia Palace to live with Consort Shun. It's close to Ruyi Gallery and aligns with her preferences. As for the remaining court ladies, their arrangements and names have been submitted to the Palace Affairs Department. If Lord Xiao finds anything inappropriate, modifications can be made."
"No need," Xiao Jingheng waved his hand, smiling. "Zhao'er has arranged everything perfectly. Why would I nitpick?"
Zhao Hua also smiled, "Ideally, Lord Xiao should be the one to decide the positions of the new court ladies. However, I can't fathom your thoughts, so how can I arrange everything to your satisfaction?"
Hearing a hint of jealousy in her words, Xiao Jingheng quickly embraced her slender waist, laughing aloud, "As long as it's Zhao'er's arrangement, I'm satisfied. A harmonious husband and wife, that's how it should be."
His hands wandered restlessly around Zhao Hua's waist, tickling her.
Zhao Hua skillfully dodged, slipping out of his embrace, then circled behind him, gently massaging his shoulders.
"I'm just thinking, now that the new court ladies have entered the palace, there are too many promises being made. The main positions are somewhat vacant. For instance, among the consorts, there are only Consort Yin and Consort Yun. As for concubines, there's only Consort Shun."
Xiao Jingheng pondered for a moment, saying, "I promised the positions of Noble Consort Chen and Noble Consort Ru before. However, the establishment of Empress or Noble Consort usually happens when the Empress is absent or unwell. With you managing the six palaces efficiently, it's not appropriate to establish a Noble Consort at this time."
Zhao Hua expressed indifference, "If I manage the harem, there are times when I might be too lenient. If Noble Consort Chen could assist me in governance, balancing leniency and strictness, it might be a good solution for the stability of the six palaces. Just don't elevate Noble Consort Chen and neglect the elderly ones who have served you for a long time. Unequal treatment might lead to complaints, not only on the surface but also in private."
Xiao Jingheng said, "Since my enthronement, there hasn't been a grand conferment of the six palaces. Now, with peace across the land, it's a commendation for meritorious officials and a positive event. Let's elevate Consort Shun to Consort, and Consort Ru to Concubine. As for the others who have long served in the palace, let's sequentially promote their positions."
As he finished speaking, Xiaoyinzi hurriedly arrived and, after bowing to them, spoke to Zhao Hua.
"Your Majesty, Gong Gong from the palace is here to see you," said Xiao Yinzi, "Prince Four is crying loudly, his throat is hoarse. The nurses can't calm him down, so they've asked you to come and see..."
Hearing this, Zhao Hua furrowed her brows slightly, concern evident in her expression.
Xiao Jingheng knew she was worried about their child, so he said, "The child has been with you since infancy and can't bear to be apart from you. You should go."
Zhao Hua understood that at this moment when Xiao Yinzi came to deliver the message, Consort Yin would soon arrive outside the Chaoyang Palace gates.
Taking a moment to compose herself, she raised her voice slightly and said to Xiao Jingheng, "Xiao Lang, recently the Mongols and the North Tribe have been very stable. In October of this year, envoys from all nations will come to pay tribute, especially the Mongols and the North Tribe. When the two tribes enter the palace, they'll see the situation inside. The people of the North Tribe might feel uncomfortable seeing other nobles elevated to the rank of consort while Consort Yin remains a concubine. It might cause some discontent among the North Tribe's Ada Kehan."
Consort Yin's personality was too strong for Xiao Jingheng's liking. Lately, he had been favoring the Mongols and distancing himself from the North Tribe, intending to provoke rivalry between the two tribes.
At the beginning of the year, the tribute from the Mongols to the court exceeded that of the North Tribe by more than double. Xiao Jingheng's closeness to the Mongols was meant to show the North Tribe that if they wanted the court's policies to favor them and ensure a comfortable life for their daughter in the palace, they would have to sacrifice some benefits and show loyalty to the court.
So when Zhao Hua made this proposal, he almost immediately rejected it, "Although Consort Yin has served in the palace for a long time, she has no children of her own. If she were to be promoted again, it would be inappropriate. Let's discuss this matter later."
Zhao Hua didn't insist further, only smiling and saying, "The Emperor's decision is final. Cheng Ye is still waiting for me in the palace, so I will take my leave first."
Upon leaving the Chaoyang Palace gate, Zhao Hua didn't see Consort Yin's figure. She quietly asked Xiao Fuzi, "Where is she?"
Xiao Fuzi replied in a low voice, "She heard the Emperor and Empress's conversation outside the gate and didn't look too good. She asked this servant to pretend not to have seen her and left."
Zhao Hua listened quietly, then with Xiao Fuzi's support, she boarded the phoenix sedan without saying anything more.
