"Zhang De, have you found out the truth?"
As soon as Hai Ling spoke, her imposing presence caused Zhang De to tremble. He quickly knelt down and reported, "This servant didn't sleep a wink last night and investigated all night. There are currently 916 eunuchs and 834 palace maids in the palace."
"Now I want to release a group of palace maids of marriageable age, as well as those elderly eunuchs who can return to their hometowns to enjoy their old age. Go and find out how many people can be released."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Zhang De had always been puzzled as to why the Empress wanted to investigate the palace maids and eunuchs. Now, after hearing her explanation, he finally understood. It turned out that the Empress wanted to reduce the number of personnel. To be honest, without the empress and concubines in the palace, these palace maids and eunuchs had nothing to do. In private, they engaged in all sorts of activities, such as forming secret relationships, drinking, and gambling.
The Empress is shrewd; letting her go was the right thing to do.
There's no problem with releasing the palace maids, but the eunuchs, because they're old and many have no relatives left in their hometowns, would be left with no place to live and would probably be unwilling to go.
Zhang De's eyebrows twitched, unsure how to begin. To be honest, he was genuinely afraid of the Empress. He always felt that her gaze seemed to be directed at him, so he decided to be cautious.
"However, we must not be too forceful. Those old eunuchs, if there is no one outside the palace, may stay. Once you find someone, release them. Also, it is best to warn them not to cause trouble. If I find out, you will be the first one to be kicked out."
Hai Ling's cold, angry rebuke sent chills down Zhang De's spine. He knew it, he knew it.
The first person the Empress wanted to punish was himself. He didn't want to be kicked out, so Zhang De kowtowed repeatedly: "This servant will definitely serve well and live up to the Empress's trust."
Zhang De withdrew and went to handle the matter himself.
That evening, when Ye Lingfeng returned, Hailing told him about letting the palace maids and eunuchs out. However, Ye Lingfeng didn't care about these things. What he cared about was Hailing's health and the banquet the next day. Those noblewomen of the court were not to be underestimated.
"Ling'er, be careful tomorrow."
On the crimson bed, the two nestled tenderly together. Smiles graced their jade-like faces, and their eyes shone like jewels, tinged with a crimson hue. They held the little girl in their arms tightly, though she was now his empress. Sometimes he felt uneasy, unsure of where this feeling came from.
"I will, don't worry."
Hai Ling nodded, knowing that he cared about her. This man put her first in everything. For a woman to receive this was the greatest happiness. A smug smile unconsciously appeared on Hai Ling's lips.
"Don't worry, I won't let those people bully me. After all, I am the Empress. Do they think they are more powerful than the Empress?"
However, those women were no pushovers either. Although she was the Empress, she was a penniless one, while the others, though titled noblewomen, were probably all incredibly wealthy and powerful.
Tomorrow, let her travel back and forth among the noble ladies of Beilu.
As Hai Ling was thinking, Ye Lingfeng leaned down and whispered in her ear, gently biting her earlobe, causing her to tremble involuntarily. Looking up, she saw the man above her, his boundless black eyes burning with a fierce, beast-like flame. Having experienced the pleasures of love, Hai Ling knew exactly what this man wanted to do. She couldn't help but lick her lips, a simple gesture that only fueled Ye Lingfeng's passion, and he pounced on her like a hungry wolf.
"Ling'er, let's try to have a baby together so you won't be bored."
Hai Ling's mouth was blocked, and she was trapped in Ye Lingfeng's arms. She wanted to protest, but couldn't speak. She could only mumble a rebuttal, saying that it was impossible to have a child in the current situation. They should deal with Bei Lu first and then consider having children. However, Ye Lingfeng didn't care about anything else. His big hands had already started to ignite a fire on her body, and the room became ambiguous and intimate.
This time was different from before; it was passionate and long-lasting. The two lingered for half the night before finally resting. The next day, Ye Lingfeng went to court as usual, full of energy, without the slightest sign of fatigue. On the contrary, he seemed to have more energy than before. Hai Ling, on the other hand, felt as if all the bones in her body were about to fall apart. Her legs felt weak and limp, as if they weren't even her own. She realized that he had been so gentle and reserved before because he was concerned about her health. Men were indeed like tigers and wolves; once they set their sights on you, you'd be lucky to escape with your life.
Regardless of whether she could get up or not, today was the day for the banquet for the noblewomen, and Hai Ling naturally couldn't be listless and let those noblewomen look down on her. So after getting up, she first took a bath, and only after she felt a little better did she start to dress. She wore a yellow embroidered phoenix robe with a white gauze tied around her waist, and her long black hair was lightly tied up. Her already fair skin was made even more radiant by the bright yellow color. The embroidered robe outlined her graceful figure, and with every gesture, she easily exuded the noble air of an empress. Her eyes were imposing, and her cold pupils casually swept across the room, revealing a domineering and cold aura.
The two maids, Shi Mei and Shi Lan, were pleased with what they saw and smiled lightly, saying, "Your Highness will surely win first place today and show those women what it means to be a model of virtue for the nation."
Today, she was going to give the situation a good shake-up. Although the Northern Lu Kingdom was currently empty and in disarray, Ye Lingfeng would definitely get things back in order. As the Empress, she would naturally help him. So, the most important thing right now was to avoid chaos and not let these women look down on her.
"Isn't it almost time?"
Hai Ling asked, and Shi Mei nodded, then reported: "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager sent word earlier that she is not feeling well today, so she will not be attending. Everything will be decided by Her Majesty the Empress herself."
Hailing nodded; it suited her just as well that her mother wasn't going.
"Let's go."
Hai Ling turned and walked out, followed by her maids Shi Mei and Shi Lan, heading towards Guangyang Palace in a grand procession.
Today's banquet will be held in Guangyang Palace.
Then the eunuch announced, "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."
Inside Guangyang Palace, the women who had been chatting noisily all stopped and looked towards the entrance of the palace. A woman walked in, surrounded by admirers. Who else could it be but the Empress?
All the women rose and bowed loudly: "We, your humble servants, greet Your Majesty the Empress."
Hai Ling did not immediately tell the ladies to get up. Her beautiful eyes swept over them one by one, and after a quick glance, she could tell that these ladies living in high society were no less capable than their husbands. So, with just a glance, she could tell that the people in the hall were divided into several factions.
These major factions may be the forces at court. To settle the affairs of the Northern Lu government, it is necessary to deal with these forces.
Among them were people from the Western Prefecture, including the wife of Marquis Jiang Yuan, who stood beside them. Then there was the faction of Prime Minister Zhongli, and another was a non-royal prince, Xi Rong. Although the non-royal prince did not have much power, it was said that many economic lifelines in Northern Lu were in the hands of the Xi family. Whenever the court had a crisis, the Xi family would donate a large sum of money, so they were deeply loved by the people of Northern Lu. In addition, there was the faction of the Marquis of Ningnan. The Wen family of the Marquis of Ningnan had a connection with Hai Ling, so the wife of the Marquis of Ningnan and the wife of the heir apparent were more affectionate towards Hai Ling than others when she appeared.
In addition, there are two other factions: the Anyang Prince's Mansion and the Zhaoyang Prince's Mansion. In short, these are the most prominent factions. As for what other tricks they play in private, it's not something you can tell just by looking at them.
After looking around, Hai Ling had already walked to the center of the main hall, and her voice, as clear and pure as wine, rang out.
"Everyone, please get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress."
A clear and resounding voice rang out in the hall, and everyone stood up. Only then did they look up at the Empress at the head of the hall. The Empress was indeed as beautiful as a fairy. It was no wonder that she was favored by Emperor Xie. Such a beautiful woman deserved to be favored.
Some people thought this to themselves, but when Princess Zhaoyang, Feng Yao, looked at the noble and incomparably beautiful woman, her heart was filled with hatred, and she almost ground her teeth to powder.
Not only was Princess Zhaoyang Feng Yao angry, but Princess Anyang Yan Xiaoxiao was also furious with Hai Ling. She had originally wanted her younger sister Yan Xiangxiang to enter the palace to serve the emperor, but she never expected that the empress would monopolize the emperor's attention. Just thinking about this woman made her hateful.
But even if they hated this woman, they couldn't show it on their faces, so all the women gathered around Hailing and started flattering her.
It was already noon, and the banquet began.
Hai Ling sat in the very center, flanked by Princess Anyang Yan Xiaoxiao and Princess Zhaoyang Feng Yao. The others, in descending order, were the ladies of the Western Mansion, the Prime Minister's wife, Princess Cang of a different surname, and people from the Ningnan Marquis's Mansion.
In short, this table was filled with ladies of high status, while the rest sat at another table.