Wumian stretched zily before continuing,

  “Alright, the new concubines’ residences haven’t been arranged yet. You should all head back now.

  You ten—if you have any issues, go to Guifei. She manages the harem, and she’s the most thorough in handling things. Just bring your concerns to her.

  Until your residences are settled, you won’t be summoned for the Emperor’s service, nor do you need to come for morning greetings.”

  Everyone agreed obediently.

  Guifei opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Wumian stood up decisively.

  “That’s all. Those of you with children, make sure to care for them well. I’ve never raised any myself, so I wouldn’t know how to. Anyway, if anything comes up, just ask Guifei.”

  Guifei: …

  She had intended to crify something, but the Empress’s firm dismissal left no room for conversation.

  So, what else could she do but let it go?

  —

  Upon returning to her Chaoyang Pace, Guifei immediately began adjusting the housing arrangements for the new concubines.

  She had already made a pn earlier, but due to the Empress’s unexpected attitude, she had to make a few tweaks.

  Still, she wasn’t overly concerned.

  After finishing her adjustments, she sent the finalized housing arrangements to the Emperor.

  Ying Qionglou reviewed the list but made no changes.

  Instead, he instructed a trusted eunuch to deliver it to the Empress.

  “Tell the Empress I have reviewed it.”

  This message was clear—he found no issue with the arrangements and subtly implied that she shouldn’t change anything either.

  Eunuch Lu Zhong personally delivered the list, which was a sign that this decision came directly from the Emperor.

  Thus, it was not to be altered.

  —

  Wumian skimmed through the list before nodding in approval.

  “This is well-arranged. I have no objections.

  Just one small request—please pass along to His Majesty that Hu Meiren and Lin Baolin don’t get along.

  If possible, have Lin Baolin moved to a separate pavilion.

  Of course, this is entirely up to His Majesty’s discretion. Just rey the message for me.”

  Lu Zhong was momentarily stunned, but quickly acknowledged the order and left with the list unchanged.

  When Lu Zhong returned to the Yinguang Hall in Taiji Pace, he reyed the Empress’s words exactly.

  Ying Qionglou frowned slightly.

  “What’s going on between Hu Meiren and Lin Baolin?”

  “Your Majesty, Hu Meiren has a strong personality, while Lin Baolin is simple and naive. Naturally, there have been some conflicts.”

  In other words—Hu Meiren was bullying Lin Baolin.

  The Emperor exhaled.

  “If that’s the case, find another pce for Lin Baolin to live.

  Finalize the list with Guifei. That will be all.”

  —

  Lu Zhong quickly arranged for Lin Baolin to move into Yanyue Pavilion, a quiet and well-located residence near the Imperial Garden.

  Afterward, he delivered the final housing list to Guifei.

  Seeing that the list had remained unchanged, Guifei let out a small sigh of relief.

  She immediately set about arranging for the newcomers to move in.

  Determining where new concubines would live wasn’t just about finding them a pce to stay. These arrangements shaped the future hierarchy of the harem.

  If a new concubine gained favor, she would remember who had pced her in a desirable residence. And in the harem, while many women schemed, few would actively seek out enemies right away.

  Guifei’s choices had all been carefully considered.

  If the Emperor approved, that was ideal.

  If he objected, she would have to adjust everything again— and that would be troublesome.

  Guifei didn’t pay much attention to the Empress’s wishes.

  To appear accommodating, she arranged for Zheng Baolin to reside in Xian Fei’s Xuanwei Pace.

  Zheng Baolin and An Yunu were two of the four women the Empress had personally chosen for their beauty.

  The Emperor, believing that Wumian had taken a particur interest in Zheng Baolin, granted her a higher rank.

  Meanwhile, Guifei, assuming that this was the Empress’s way of asserting influence, thought she was being considerate by pcing Zheng Baolin in Xian Fei’s pace.

  However…

  Wumian had no idea who Zheng Baolin even was.

  _____

  Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the Harem…

  After finalizing the housing arrangements, Guifei handed the list to her attendants and gave orders for the moves to proceed.

  Ever since she took over harem management, the Empress had been sick. The Emperor didn’t favor her. Over time, the higher-ranking concubines gradually stopped caring about her presence. Simply giving her some superficial respect was already generous.

  Still, one gring problem had emerged.

  Xian Fei, despite her title, was no longer favored. She had given birth to the Second Prince, but the child was weak and sickly. Moreover, her own health had suffered, rendering her unable to conceive again. For years, she had remained neglected.

  And now, they had assigned ‘the Empress’s chosen concubine’ to her pace? Was this an attempt to pit the Empress against Xian Fei?

  _____

  “Your Highness, the 19th is Li Fei’s birthday. How should we handle it?”

  In Chaoyang Pace, Guifei’s chief attendant, Xiangqing, approached her for instructions.

  Guifei furrowed her brows.

  “Follow the Emperor’s orders.”

  “Yes, but… should the celebration be held in Hanliang Hall or somewhere else?”

  Xiangqing hesitated. Everyone knew the Emperor had specifically mentioned that Li Fei’s birthday should be well-celebrated.

  Guifei took a slow breath.

  “Go ask Li Fei where she wants it to be held. Get a clear answer—I don’t want to be accused of overstepping.”

  “Understood, I’ll go immediately.”

  ______

  When it came to Li Fei, there wasn’t a single woman in the harem who wasn’t frustrated.

  Why?

  Because she was too favored.

  She had entered the pace in the fourth year of Xihe.

  Like many others, she had been chosen through the Imperial Selection. Her family background was not impressive. She was the legitimate daughter of a minor Jiangnan official.

  At seventeen years old, she was assigned the seventh-rank title of Liangyi. Frankly, that was already quite high as most newcomers began as Yunu or Baolin. Only those with exceptional family backgrounds were granted Liangyi or higher.

  No one knew why Li Fei had been given such a high rank immediately. But one thing was certain—she had never fallen out of favor since.

  After serving the emperor for the first time, Li Fei was immediately promoted to Meiren.

  A year ter, she was elevated to Jieyu.

  Then, at the beginning of st year, she skipped over the entire rank of Pin, directly rising to the second-rank title of Fei—and was granted a personal title: Li (丽).

  Was She Beautiful?

  Yes, Li Fei was indeed beautiful.

  But—was there any woman in the harem who wasn’t?

  Yet, the emperor’s favor was very real.

  Even Guifei, who had both imperial favor and a child, and had been favored since the Crown Prince’s residence, still had to be cautious when dealing with Li Fei.

  How many concubines could boast that the emperor actually remembered their birthday?

  Not many.

  Yet, Li Fei had that privilege.

  ____

  She sent word that she wished to hold her birthday celebration in the Imperial Garden.

  “The peonies will be in full bloom by then—it will be the perfect time to enjoy them.”

  Guifei frowned but still made the arrangements.

  ____

  In Fengyi PaceWumian also received an invitation.

  She frowned.

  “Can I not go?”

  “What’s the point of attending? She’s at the height of His Majesty’s favor. Why should I bother showing up?”

  Zhang Momo sighed.

  “Your Majesty, you are the Empress. How can you avoid her? Since she personally sent an invitation, you must attend. She may be favored, but she has no children. If you give birth to the imperial heir first, no one could surpass you.”

  Wumian raised a hand.

  “Fine, I’ll go.”

  This momo was excellent in every way—except she talked too much.

  She turned to an attendant.

  “Summon Yanming and Xinliu.”

  A pace maid bowed and left.

  Before long, Yanming and Xinliu entered.