"One node is complete."
"Consort Wu, mother of Xinping, has managed the inner palace for over a decade and still commands considerable power indeed."
"There is no need for rebellion, and she is unlikely to rebel—even for her daughter's sake. As long as there is a tacit understanding to adjust certain personnel assignments, or even without personnel changes, simply altering duty rosters, then with her acting for her daughter, there will basically be no problem!"
The imperial palace held tens of thousands of eunuchs and court ladies, and its operation was a machine both intricate and covert.
To prevent factionalism and corruption, as well as for objective rest requirements, personnel still followed a rotational duty system.
Consort Wu could not arbitrarily appoint or dismiss personnel, but influencing duty schedules posed no problem at all.
Such influence, combined with the empress's coordination, became a crucial force.
"His Majesty's planning has always been like this!" Holding up her skirt, Zhou Yao nodded gently, her open plots and hidden schemes, overarching strategies and minute calculations, flowing almost like drifting clouds and flowing water, penetrating every nook and cranny.
"His Majesty never needs everyone to be loyal; he only needs them to actually work for His Majesty in practice!"
"Consort Wu is just like that!"
The side door of the Princess Manor remained tightly shut, and the rain in the sky kept falling. Pedestrians on this street had originally been sparse, and now it grew even quieter, as if only the sound of falling rain existed.
A moment later, an oxcart slowly approached. The driver looked like a very ordinary man. Such an ordinary oxcart and driver could be seen everywhere in this Capital City, with nothing to catch the eye.
When the oxcart reached the front of the Princess Manor, the side door