CHAPTER 554: CHAPTER 536: A SHOW OF FORCE

Xie Xun didn’t have much time to accompany Fengyu, and he was reluctant to let her stay too far from him. Because of his heavy workload, Fengyu took Dongxue and Xia Zhu for a stroll through the rear palace. At present, the harem was still undergoing a personnel cleanup, which hadn’t been completed yet. Xie Xun instructed someone to take Fengyu to Changshou Palace and Changning Palace for a look. If she liked anything or wanted anything added, it should all be arranged according to her preferences.

The eunuchs of the Rituals Bureau were intent on currying favor, and perhaps they had received some pointers from Xie Xun. They mentioned how former Dowagers who resided at Changshou Palace were all exceptionally healthy and long-lived, and that concubines throughout the palace were very fond of Changshou Palace. Adjacent to it, Changning Palace was once the residence of an ancestral Empress. Its feng shui was impeccable, and its scenery delightful. Yuwen Jing had very few concubines, and the East and West Six Palaces were spacious enough. Yuwen Jing disliked women approaching Yangxin Palace. Apart from Feng Shu’s Yingchun Palace and the Empress’s Weiyang Palace, the rest of the women’s palaces were located at quite a distance; both Changshou Palace and Changning Palace had been vacant for some time.

Now, with renovations underway, Fengyu strolled through Changshou Palace. Compared to Yangxin Palace, Changshou Palace was slightly smaller. However, its layout was similar enough that it could be used as a substitute for Yangxin Palace without issue. The main concern was the plan to merge the two palaces, requiring renovations, the addition of walls, and a decision about how to utilize the expansive space in between.

Fengyu wanted a martial arts training ground there. Xie Xun enjoyed practicing swordsmanship, and the empty space in the middle was sufficient. The other areas could be used to construct a winding corridor and artificial hills, connecting the two palaces via the corridor.

This proposal called for significant modifications, placing the Rituals Bureau in a tough spot. The new Emperor’s enthronement ceremony was imminent, and palace renovations needed to be swift. If they were to execute such extensive alterations, they might not finish in time for the ceremony. It wouldn’t be fitting for the newly enthroned Emperor to still reside in the current smaller side palace.

Xie Xun hadn’t replaced any of the staff within the Imperial Palace Inner Court. They were all people left over from the previous dynasty, primarily because he was too busy and hadn’t had the bandwidth to address matters of the previous court or harem. Even if he wanted to replace them now, it would be hard to find substitutes immediately.

Within the Yuwen Dynasty, the Rituals Bureau wielded great power as the overall department managing the twelve bureaus of the Inner Palace. Wang Zhen, the head Eunuch of the Rituals Bureau, harbored some discontent, thinking Fengyu’s demands were overly fastidious.

"Miss Feng San, this servant believes that the renovations of the two palaces should not be overly extensive, focusing instead primarily on refurbishing the inner chambers. If the renovations are too large-scale, they might extend work hours excessively and risk delaying His Majesty’s enthronement ceremony," Wang Zhen remarked, knowing full well that the woman before him would become the Empress in the future.

Yet the Rituals Bureau primarily served the Emperor, not the Empress. Hence, there was a certain arrogance about them, and they tended to look down upon Fengyu, even though their words did not directly offend her. Their tone conveyed a degree of insolence, as if to subtly assert that she had better heed their way of doing things—a clear power move.

Since the regime change, everything remained business as usual within the Inner Palace. The Rituals Bureau had thoroughly grasped the new Emperor’s preferences and temperament but knew very little about Fengyu. All they knew was that Emperor Jianming had decreed her marriage to Xie Xun. She had gone through rebellion, hardships, and shared life and death with him in Yanyang before managing the economy in West State. To the Rituals Bureau, she was merely a merchant’s daughter, with no distinguished background or high status.

Wang Zhen, observing Fengyu’s delicate and gentle demeanor, perceived her as someone easily bullied. He had encountered women from prominent families, such as Lin Yushu—graceful, composed, and commanding in presence—and Princess Huazhen—spoiled and capricious since childhood. These women had wealth, backing, and self-assurance.

Fengyu, on the other hand, was different. Her appearance resembled a fragile flower, easy to crush. Coupled with Feng Shu’s recent passing that left her disheartened and disengaged, her lack of vitality made her seem passive, almost forlorn. This led the Rituals Bureau staff to speculate whether there might be marital discord between the new Emperor and his prospective Empress, and question whether she would truly become the Empress. Even as Empress, the Rituals Bureau maintained a certain degree of authority in front of her.

"This is the palace where I will reside long-term. Renovate it according to my preferences," Fengyu stated bluntly. She disliked being contradicted. Considering that she and Xie Xun would live there for decades, how could anyone disregard her requests and make careless modifications?

The Rituals Bureau thought to themselves, "Truly clueless to the situation."

"Miss Feng San, what if the enthronement ceremony is delayed?"

"If it’s delayed, so be it. We’re living perfectly fine in the side palace now," Fengyu replied indifferently. Xie Xun didn’t care about where he stayed, what he ate, or how the palace was renovated. It was solely because she cared that everything was arranged to ensure her personal comfort.

Wang Zhen gasped in disbelief. To them, the new Emperor’s preferences were paramount, yet Fengyu seemed entirely apathetic toward them. Extensive renovations would inevitably delay the ceremony.

Fine, if Miss Feng San insisted, he would comply!

Fengyu’s expectations for her residence were vastly different from Xie Xun’s. Even during adverse conditions in West State, she had adorned her boudoir lavishly, exuding wealth. Her demands were meticulous and exacting, starkly contrasting Xie Xun’s simplistic room furnished with only a bed and a desk.

The long-abandoned Changshou Palace, though cleaned to perfection, still had outdated decor. Fengyu’s demands ranged from replacing all beds, tables, and gauzy curtains to even swapping out screen embroidery. The eunuchs of the Rituals Bureau trailed behind her, jotting down requests in their notebooks, which filled up with dense rows of entries. This wasn’t merely refurbishment.

It was essentially reconstruction!

Miss Feng San nearly went as far as wanting to replace the scratched beams on the ceilings.

Furthermore, every item placed in the palace was to be made of gold, jade, and silver. Unlike the traditional imperial preference for simplicity and elegance, Fengyu’s taste diverged; she had an affinity for lavish gold and jeweled decorations.

The Rituals Bureau had an inventory catalog of screens, and Fengyu picked the most opulent ones, embedded with the largest number of gemstones.

Wang Zhen couldn’t help but feel discontent. This level of extravagance was unprecedented across dynasties. Even Lin Yushu, with her esteemed Lin Family lineage, would defer to Yuwen Jing’s preferences.

The new Emperor clearly disdained wastefulness—even reducing his meals to five dishes—yet this prospective Empress seemed intent on filling her chamber with treasures. Her ostentatious style smacked of nouveau riche tendencies, utterly disregarding the new Emperor’s preferences. If the Emperor were to erupt in fury, the ones penalized would be the eunuchs executing her orders.

This Third Miss truly lacked discretion.

The Rituals Bureau’s remarks had grown openly sarcastic. "Miss Feng San, the renovations to Changshou Palace must align with the enthronement ceremony. It’s a matter of decorum and reputation. After all, we cannot have the new Emperor residing in the side palace post-ceremony, lest it invites ridicule. The palace must also accommodate the new Emperor’s tastes. If you insist on such modifications, it places this servant in a difficult position."

"Can’t you handle it?" Fengyu asked coldly.

Recently, Fengyu had been uninterested in much, but she rarely found herself motivated enough to focus on renovating her living quarters. The Rituals Bureau’s head eunuch, Wang Zhen, had been obstructing her at every turn, his remarks increasingly barbed.

She didn’t wish to make things hard for these eunuchs, especially considering the burdens Xie Xun faced since ascending the throne. Matters of the previous dynasty were chaotic enough without adding palace drama. However, this individual was clearly overstepping.

"It is indeed difficult!" Wang Zhen replied with a touch of mockery. The Third Miss wasn’t even the Empress yet, yet she carried herself with undue airs. Wasn’t she afraid it might become the laughingstock of the court? Even after entering the palace, she would be reliant on the Rituals Bureau for everything.

Hence, now was the moment to put her in her place.

"Very well, then replace him with someone who can handle it!" Fengyu responded coolly, her gaze shifting to the group of eunuchs behind Wang Zhen. "For all the demands I’ve just made—whoever can accomplish them will be appointed to the position of Eunuch Director."

Wang Zhen, "..."

He stared at Fengyu in utter shock, unable to believe that she would dare to challenge the Rituals Bureau before even becoming Empress. "Miss Feng San, the appointments within the Rituals Bureau—even an Empress lacks authority to interfere with them. Our positions and assignments are decided solely by His Majesty."

Fengyu wasn’t about to gloss over his arrogance, her expression darkening as she gazed at the group of eunuchs. "Fine. Since none of you can manage the task, you can all pack your belongings and leave. We’ll replace you with people who can get the job done. I’ve fought my way through life and death alongside Xie Xun for years—not to tolerate insolence or to keep pampering you lot as our masters!"