Chapter 352: Chapter 352

As anticipated earlier, on the very second day after returning to the palace, Noble Consort Wen handed back all harem authority, citing the Tenth Prince's young age leaving her unable to manage both duties. She specifically ordered her palace servants to deliver all account books without missing a single volume to the Palace of Eternal Spring.

The winter weather was chilly, and immediately upon returning to the palace, An Ning had her people move into the warm pavilion early. Knowing their mistress's habits, the palace attendants had already laid thick woolen carpets throughout the sleeping quarters.

Red plum blossoms by the window emitted a faint, fragrant aroma.

At that moment, An Ning was leisurely reclining on her couch, allowing the palace maids to meticulously wipe her palms with rose-infused handkerchiefs. After a while, they replaced them with clear water, going through each step of the process before carefully applying the new jade complexion cream recently delivered by the Imperial Household Department...

Just these daily maintenance routines took a full half-hour, by which time the head palace maid's report on palace affairs was reaching its conclusion.

Noble Consort Wen was really quite interesting!

Looking at the account books before her, An Ning couldn't help but think.

With someone of An Ning's humble background holding authority first, as a noble lady meticulously trained by the Niohuru clan, if everything were perfectly conventional, it would somewhat disgrace her family's honor.

Yet if she were too diligent and responsible, it might raise suspicions with His Majesty above about coveting harem power.

Casually crossing out several names from the roster, An Ning soon picked up the book beside her again.

As for other matters, they were naturally handled by the palace staff.

Some time later, at Yanxi Palace

Upon hearing that all the personnel she had painstakingly installed recently had been completely removed in less than a day,

On the warm kang bed, Consort Hui's hand holding the teacup paused momentarily before she lightly sighed:

"Truly worthy of being someone His Majesty values so highly! Her discernment is genuinely impressive!"

Being away from the palace for months with so many personnel changes, yet still accurately identifying spies others had planted—such skill, tsk!

It seemed that henceforth, communicating messages with outside the palace would only become increasingly difficult.

Like now, with eighty percent completeness and twenty percent minor shortcomings revealed due to sudden takeover, it was just perfect.

Otherwise, if a thorough investigation were pursued... never mind what His Majesty might think, she had no desire to test this woman's capabilities.

"By the way, besides our people, what about the other palaces?"

After a moment of silence, Consort Hui suddenly asked.

"Reporting to Mistress, we've heard that Imperial Consort Shu of Yonghe Palace seems to have been in quite a temper these past couple of days..."

"Imperial Consort Yi was also affected, along with several other consorts you previously knew about..."

In short, from what they currently knew, almost everyone who had made moves had been caught without exception.

"This one really... shows no one any favor, as decisive and efficient as ever!"

For some reason, hearing this made Nala clan's previously somewhat displeased mood instantly feel much more comfortable.

A palace maid nearby couldn't help sighing:

"Ah, others are one thing, but our Eldest Young Master will reach the age for selecting marriage partners in a couple of years. Wasn't it appropriate for you to place some people in advance?"

Being a veteran of the palace after all, this woman was rather unaccommodating. The young maid couldn't help muttering complaints quietly, yet Consort Hui beside her remained composed, without even much anger showing on her usually well-maintained face:

Playing with her crimson nail polish, the palace-dressed beauty lightly laughed:

"Just minor matters. Guyu, you must remember—as long as this woman remains without offspring for even one day, she is not our Yanxi Palace's enemy."

Of course, given this woman's typically vengeful and unrestrained nature, unless necessary, there was no need to rashly offend her either.

After all, Consort Chen was truly formidable—someone who dared confront even the Grand Empress Dowager head-on without restraint.

Considering she had attachments and concerns, swallowing this grievance was manageable anyway. Nala clan certainly had no intention of truly confronting this woman to test how thick-skinned she really was.

Evidently, many others shared the same perspective.

The final result was that An Ning swiftly eliminated a large group of people, and aside from a few genuinely foolish ones who collapsed at the slightest touch, zero individuals throughout the entire palace truly dared cause trouble.

Not even secretly making underhanded moves.

The next day, everyone still addressed each other as "sisters" quite harmoniously when meeting.

Sarcastic remarks, ostracization—nonexistent!

Within the spiritual sea, the system witnessing this scene was utterly dumbfounded. Huh? What about the promised harem struggles?

Considering how few days this worthless emperor visited the rear palace each month, with their host occupying more than half of them alone, and frequently disregarding others' dignity... shouldn't this have triggered harem battle mode?

Even the two Empress Dowagers maintained quite good daily attitudes, never omitting their host from rewards. Even for routine nursing duties, their host was rarely assigned.

"What why? When risks and benefits aren't proportional, naturally nobody does such foolish things!"

Lounging leisurely on her soft couch, An Ning couldn't help lightly snorting. This was the advantage of maintaining a vengeful, formidable persona.

Someone beautiful enough, sufficiently favored, with considerable skill, plus ruthless enough, yet without offspring or major attachments. Unless the benefits were enormous, how many sensible people would proactively provoke such a person?

Moreover, most senior consorts currently had children—they had vulnerabilities. As long as their core interests weren't threatened, they wouldn't act.

As long as she wasn't truly monopolizing favor, completely blocking everyone's advancement paths in the palace, even if they fought desperately over the remaining scattered days, most people wouldn't truly dare target her.

Of course, her current rank being sufficiently high also helped.

Indeed, An Ning thought, compared to a gentle, kind, understanding flower, an unrestrained, crazy poison-tongued beauty suited her better...

Instantly eliminating ninety-nine percent of troubles.

Outside, winter snow fell heavily, yet inside the warm pavilion of the Palace of Eternal Spring, it remained comfortably warm as always.

Leisurely sipping the newly-tributed wine of this year, An Ning continued lounging on her couch, flipping through her detailed astrology book.

Since she had free time anyway, learning more interesting things wasn't bad—might actually prove useful someday!

In any case, by the time they departed for the Hot Spring Resort half a year later, An Ning had lost count of how many times she'd flipped through the I Ching, and had read numerous existing books in the library collection regarding astrology and even celestial divination.

Honestly, ancient people were quite impressive in certain aspects.

Soaking in the warm spring waters, An Ning couldn't help thinking, until noticeable warmth distinctly different from the hot spring heat approached from behind.

"Worried I'd feel stifled in the palace, specially bringing me out to relax, hmm?"

From within the jade pool continuously steaming with heat came the woman's slightly mocking laughter.

Yet after her words fell, the pool's temperature instead rose even higher.

Tsk, such nice words. Who exactly ended up having their mind relaxed? Recalling the various absurdities of recent times, through her dazed state, An Ning couldn't help rolling her eyes internally.

No wonder he'd been so enthusiastic earlier.

Really not afraid of his health suffering.

Time passed swiftly. While An Ning occasionally went out for strolls, mostly staying in the palace reading books and watching performances, occasionally summoning her sister and niece for visits, the long-anticipated Changchun Garden was finally completed.

Unfortunately, before An Ning could enjoy it happily for even two years, first the Grand Empress Dowager passed away, then not two years later, the Imperial Noble Consort died from serious illness.

At the mourning hall, observing the row of children arranged from tall to short before her, in a flash of insight, An Ning finally realized what seemed off.

One, two, three, four... wait, even including the Twelfth Prince still in swaddling clothes, there were only eleven total.

That wasn't right—it was already the twenty-eighth year. Shouldn't the so-called "nine princes" have all appeared by now?

Yet currently, glancing at Consort De whose figure showed no obvious abnormalities beside her. On the return journey, An Ning couldn't help giving the person beside her a strangely speculative look.

Logically, the medicine she'd provided earlier shouldn't have caused major issues. After all, with no need for succession struggles, there was no reason to reduce others' survival difficulty.

Considering the noticeably fewer infant cries heard in the palace these recent years, An Ning couldn't help suspecting:

Could it be... he'd truly played around too wildly and become... depleted?