The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

News of the incident in the Imperial Garden spread throughout the palace faster than Zhao Gao had anticipated.

Before the lanterns were lit, the head maids serving the various empresses had already relayed the news to their mistresses.

Such matters are considered minor in the imperial harem.

An old nanny offended an unfavored prince, was caught by the officials of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and was dealt with according to the rules. How serious could that be?

But it is also quite large.

That old nanny was Consort Huang's personal nanny. Consort Huang was in favor of the emperor, and Zhao Gao ordered her to be beaten to death.

They didn't even give her a chance to plead for mercy. How can this be considered disciplining a servant?

This is clearly a warning shot.

What's even more intriguing is His Majesty's attitude.

Consort Huang wept before the Emperor for half an hour, but instead of punishing Zhao Gao, His Majesty issued an edict ordering Zhao Gao to rectify the etiquette of the inner court.

What does this mean?

This means that in His Majesty's heart, a prince is a prince, a noblewoman is a noblewoman, and a servant is a servant; no one can confuse the hierarchy.

When the news reached Fengyi Palace, the Empress was leaning on the chaise longue in the warm pavilion, having her head maid, Granny Zhou, massage her legs.

Granny Zhou was the Empress's dowry maid and had been in the palace for nearly thirty years.

She was the only person in the Phoenix Palace who dared to tell the truth in front of the Empress.

She recounted the events in the Imperial Garden from beginning to end, and then added in a low voice, "Your Majesty, this matter has spread throughout all the palaces. Consort Huang cried all afternoon, saying that Zhao Gao has gone too far."

"But His Majesty not only didn't blame Zhao Gao, but instead ordered him to rectify the etiquette of the inner court. Your Highness should carefully consider the direction of this."

The Empress, who had been half-closing her eyes, slowly opened them upon hearing the last sentence. She sat up, remained silent for a moment, and then sighed softly.

She certainly knew the weight of this matter.

The old nanny cursed the Ninth Prince for "having no one to take care of him," but while she was cursing the Ninth Prince, she was actually slapping her own face.

She was the Empress, the legal mother of all the princes and princesses.

The phrase "no one to raise her" can be interpreted as the servant's loose tongue, or more seriously, it can be seen as an accusation that she failed in her duties as a legal mother.

His Majesty's order for Zhao Gao to regulate the inner court etiquette may well have been a way of giving her a warning.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt she couldn't sit in the Phoenix Palace pretending she knew nothing anymore.

Now that this matter has reached the Emperor's court, she must adopt the demeanor of an Empress.

We need to give Consort Huang a warning, so that people don't think that she, the Empress, is weak and easily bullied.

She also needs to appease the Ninth Prince, even if it's just a superficial gesture, to show His Majesty that she, as the legitimate mother, has not mistreated her illegitimate son.

She stood up from the chaise longue, tidied her temples, and in a calm and unhurried tone instructed Granny Zhou to prepare a sedan chair and go to Consort Huang's place first.

When the news of the Empress's arrival reached Consort Huang's palace...

Consort Huang was reclining on the chaise longue, her eyes red and swollen from crying, clutching a handkerchief that was mostly soaked with tears in her hand.

The incident in the Imperial Garden made her feel extremely humiliated.

She was personally appointed as a Noble Lady by His Majesty, and her father was the Vice Minister of Revenue. She gained the Emperor's favor in less than half a year after entering the palace, and even the Empress treated her with kindness.

The results of it?

A eunuch dragged her personal maid out and beat her to death right in front of her, without giving her a chance to plead for mercy.

What frustrated her even more was that when she went to the Emperor to complain, the Emperor not only did not stand up for her, but also ordered Zhao Gao to rectify the etiquette of the inner court.

What's the logic behind this?

Is her reputation less valuable than that of an unfavored ninth prince?

Upon hearing that the Empress had arrived, Consort Huang hurriedly got up from the couch, quickly wiped her face, straightened her clothes, and rushed to the door to greet her.

The Empress slowly walked into the hall, her gaze lingering for a moment on Consort Huang's swollen eyelids.

Then, without making a sound, he moved aside and sat down in the main seat in the center.

Consort Huang bowed respectfully, about to say a few polite words.

The Empress did not offer her a seat, but merely studied her for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Has Consort Huang been crying?"

Consort Huang's eyes reddened again, and she lowered her head, saying, "Your Majesty, please understand, it's not that I don't know the rules."

"That Zhao Gao is really too much. He dragged my personal maid out in front of me without even giving her a chance to plead for mercy."

"Since entering the palace, I have never suffered such humiliation. It is truly..."

"Zhao Gao was acting according to palace rules, and the people around you really need to be taught a lesson."

The Queen interrupted her in a tone that was not harsh, but rather gentle.

But every word felt like a soft needle piercing Huang Guiren's heart.

She picked up her teacup and took a slow, deliberate sip.

Then he raised his head and looked at Consort Huang, his eyes showing no anger, only a calm understanding.

She asked Consort Huang if she knew what her maidservant had said in the Imperial Garden.

She said that the Ninth Prince "has no one to take care of him".

The Empress asked Consort Huang who she was referring to when she said "no one will take care of me".

Consort Huang was stunned.

She opened her mouth as if to explain, but couldn't say anything.

The Empress put down her teacup and added slowly, "His Highness the Ninth Prince is His Majesty's own son, and he has grown up under my care since childhood."

"When she insulted the Ninth Prince by saying he was 'uncared for,' was she implying that I, the Empress, had failed to properly raise my illegitimate son? Or was she saying that His Majesty had failed in his responsibilities as a father?"

"This slap is a slap in the face to both me and His Majesty. His Majesty's decision to have Zhao Gao beat her to death was already a gesture of respect for you."

"If we consider it as a serious act of disrespect, you, as her master, cannot escape responsibility."

Consort Huang's face turned deathly pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. She knelt on the ground with a thud, her voice trembling, "Your Majesty, please understand! I have never harbored any disrespect for the Empress or His Majesty! That old servant was so outspoken; I will certainly discipline him severely when I return!"

"Go back and discipline your people properly." The Empress looked down at Consort Huang, who was kneeling on the ground.

He remained silent for a while, then slowly stood up and walked to her.

She didn't tell Consort Huang to get up, but instead leaned down slightly and added another sentence in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

These words made Consort Huang kneel on the ground for a long time without getting up.

"I've come today to give you a reminder."

"Zhao Gao is from the Directorate of Ceremonial, and behind him stands Wang Zheng, and behind Wang Zheng stands His Majesty."

"The man who beat you to death today, His Majesty not only did not blame him, but also gave him the task of rectifying the etiquette of the inner court."

"You think His Majesty is siding with Zhao Gao? No, His Majesty is giving a warning to everyone in the harem."

"A prince is a prince, a concubine is a concubine, and a servant is a servant. No one can be disorderly in their hierarchy. You should decide what to do next."

After the Empress finished speaking, she straightened up, turned around and walked out of the palace with a calm and dignified gait.

Granny Zhou lifted the beaded curtain and slowly stepped out of the threshold.

The sedan chair was already waiting in the courtyard. The Empress got into the sedan chair and whispered, "Go to the Ninth Prince's place."

Zhou Xing has been back from the Imperial Garden ever since.

He sat on a small stool by the window of the side hall, holding a copy of "The Geography of the Great Zhou Dynasty" in his hands, turning the pages over and over again.

Chunlan's face was swollen on one side, and her eyes were still red, but she had already cheered herself up and was grinding ink on the side.

Qiuju squatted in the courtyard, loosening the soil in the flowerbed with a small shovel, and every now and then she would look up to see if His Highness had given any instructions.

The entire side hall was as quiet as if nothing had happened, but the three of them knew in their hearts that some things were different from yesterday.

The news of the Empress's arrival was delivered by a errand boy who scrambled in and stumbled in.

He was panting heavily, his forehead covered in sweat, and his voice trembling: "Your Highness, the Empress has arrived!"

Zhou Xing put down his book, jumped off the stool, and straightened his clothes.

He glanced at Chunlan, who was already pale with fright. She quickly put down the ink stick and knelt by the door.

When the palace doors were pushed open, the Empress walked in slowly, followed only by Granny Zhou.

Her gaze swept around the side hall first.

The furnishings were simple, with almost no decorations other than the most basic tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets.

Then her gaze fell on Chunlan, who was kneeling on the ground, and on the still-swollen, red handprint on her face.

Zhou Xing stepped forward, knelt down properly to pay his respects, his voice still timid and somewhat childish: "Your subject pays his respects to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be blessed."

The empress looked at him kneeling on the ground and suddenly felt a little dazed.

She has only seen this child a few times a year, even though he has been born for so many years.

It's always like this whenever I see him.

He knelt timidly, spoke cautiously, and never glanced at anyone.

She had never thought there was anything wrong with it before.

But today she suddenly realized that this child was like a forgotten weed in a corner of the harem.

No one stood up for him, no one stood up for him, and even when his palace maid was slapped, he had nowhere to seek justice.

And she was also his legal mother.

She stepped forward and personally bent down to help Zhou Xing up.

Her movements weren't gentle, and were even somewhat awkward.

She wasn't used to being so close to her illegitimate son.

But her tone was softer than usual: "Xiao Jiu has been wronged."

"I have investigated the matter in the Imperial Garden today. That treacherous servant was extremely audacious and defied his superiors. Your father has already issued an edict to punish him severely."

"If anyone dares to disrespect you again, come and tell me."

Zhou Xing lowered his head and replied softly, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your concern."

"Your subject has not suffered any injustice, but it is Sister Chunlan who was beaten that makes your subject sad."

The Empress turned her head and glanced at Chunlan kneeling on the ground. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Chunlan's swollen face before she nodded slightly: "I can see your loyalty to your master."

"I will have someone send some ointment over later. Take good care of yourself and serve His Highness the Ninth Prince with extra care in the future."

Chunlan quickly kowtowed to express her gratitude, her voice still trembling.

The Empress then turned to Zhou Xing, took a brocade box from Zhou Mama and handed it to him.

The contents weren't particularly valuable, but their weight far exceeded the contents themselves.

Gold and silver ingots, the Four Treasures of the Study, and several newly made brocades.

The Empress also said that she had instructed the Imperial Household Department to select a reliable head nanny for him.

The staff in the side halls were to be replenished according to the princes' quotas, and any missing personnel were to be reported to the Phoenix Palace.

When Zhou Xing accepted the brocade box with both hands, he knew better than anyone else what was going on.

The Empress's act of being a loving mother was not for him, but for her father, the Emperor.

His Majesty has already taken notice of the Ninth Prince in today's matter, so the Empress must also take notice of the Ninth Prince.

But whether this concern is genuine or just an act doesn't matter.

The important thing is that from today onwards, life will be better for the side hall, and their allowances will not be deducted.

Palace maids will no longer be slapped indiscriminately, and head maids will be provided.

This is enough.

He held the brocade box with a sweet smile and said in a childish tone, "Thank you, Mother. You are so kind to me."

The Empress smiled slightly, gently patted his head, and then turned and left the side hall.

The sedan chair gradually disappeared along the passageway, and the side hall returned to silence.