Chapter 79: Establishing Authority in the Palace

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The courtyard was filled with people kneeling, heads lowered, not daring to look up. Two elderly palace Momos, kneeling in the front, kowtowed to Chu Jinyao. “Crown Princess, this old servant is wronged! We have been loyal, teaching you the palace rules, accompanying you from the Marquis’s residence to the palace, and always serving faithfully. Whoever has wronged the Crown Princess, it certainly wasn’t us!”

 

These two were trying to rely on their past merits again. Chu Jinyao didn’t engage with that. Instead, she asked Momo Gong, “What are these two bundles here?”

 

Momo Gong stepped forward to speak, but Momo Liu, fearing she would be accused, hurriedly interrupted, “Crown Princess, this is all a misunderstanding…”

 

“Silence!” Linglong, standing beside Chu Jinyao, scolded. “The Crown Princess is speaking, how dare you interrupt?”

 

Chu Jinyao raised her hand slightly, signaling Linglong to step back. She nodded toward Momo Gong, “Momo Gong, continue.”

 

“Yes,” Momo Gong glanced triumphantly at the two women on the ground and said, “This old servant was making soup for the Crown Princess today, and as I was leaving the small kitchen, I saw these two Momos carrying bundles and heading out through the side door. I called out to them twice, but they didn’t respond. Their behavior seemed suspicious, so I followed them, only to overhear them talking in a corner about selling palace goods for money.”

 

There was a faint gasp from the surrounding servants and eunuchs. Although they didn’t dare make any overt reactions, they exchanged worried glances. Taking things out of the palace to sell was a grave offense—one that could cost them their lives. Chu Jinyao finally turned to Momo Liu and Momo Hong. “Did you truly take palace property to sell outside?”

 

Momo Liu’s face turned pale, her eyes darting around frantically. Sensing the situation was turning against her, Momo Hong quickly tried to distance herself. “Crown Princess, please investigate thoroughly. This old servant was merely taking her personal savings to be exchanged outside for some retirement funds. I know this is against palace rules, but I had no other cash on hand. It just so happened that Momo Liu said she had a way, so I followed her. I didn’t expect this to happen… It was my short-sightedness, going against the palace rules. Please punish me.”

 

Momo Liu, infuriated, realized that Momo Hong was shifting all the blame onto her. She quickly responded, “Crown Princess, this servant is wronged! I traveled all the way from the capital to Taiyuan to teach you palace etiquette for an entire year, and I have loyally served you in the capital. After all my efforts, does a mere accusation outweigh all the dedication I’ve shown?”

 

Momo Liu was relying on her past contributions, constantly bringing them up. Although they weren’t tired of saying it, Chu Jinyao was tired of hearing it. She straightened her sleeves and sighed. “I wanted to show kindness to the two of you, acknowledging the care you provided during my upbringing. Back at the Marquis’s residence, I always prioritized you. Even after arriving in the palace, I didn’t want to burden you with heavy tasks. I even distributed extra duties to Momo Gong and Linglong to spare you any hardship. Moreover, haven’t your rewards been the highest in the palace? I’ve been nothing but sincere, yet you repay me like this. You’re my Momos, yet you steal palace property to sell outside. Today, you were caught by Momo Gong, but if someone else had discovered it, they might have thought it was under my orders. I’ve treated you with genuine kindness, but you refuse to appreciate it.”

 

When sentiments become entangled, it’s important not to leave room for accusations. These Momos wanted to use their past favors to leverage against her, but Chu Jinyao turned the tables by painting them as ungrateful and greedy.

 

Everyone in the palace had witnessed the Momo’s behavior over the past few days, and they all felt that the Crown Princess had been more than gracious. These two, emboldened by the Crown Princess’s respect, had gone too far. The Momos were left speechless, especially now that they had been caught red-handed. Their decades of dignity were in shambles. Momo Liu clung to one last hope—she had been sent by the Empress herself. Chu Jinyao might scold them, but surely she wouldn’t dare take serious action. Holding onto this thought, Momo Liu said, “Crown Princess, you can’t ruin the lives of loyal servants based on mere accusations. I was sent by the Empress to instruct you in your words and deeds. Even if you don’t trust me, you must trust the Empress!”

 

“How dare you!” Chu Jinyao suddenly raised her voice, her tone full of authority. “You, a mere servant, dare implicate the Empress? Are you suggesting that your theft of palace property was ordered by the Empress?”

 

Momo Liu immediately lowered her head. “This servant wouldn’t dare.”

 

“Outrageous. Since you claim to be wronged, then we’ll resolve this clearly today, in front of everyone.” Chu Jinyao turned her head slightly, and Linglong stepped forward. “Crown Princess?”

 

“Take some people and search their quarters thoroughly. Let’s see if they’ve been wronged.”

 

Linglong left with her orders, and after a short while, she returned with many bundles. Standing at the steps, she first showed them to Chu Jinyao, then turned to display them to the gathered crowd.

 

The young maids gasped again—inside the bundles were piles of broken silver. Chu Jinyao sighed, her expression one of deep disappointment. “I’ve always treated you with respect, yet you repay me with such treachery. How will you explain these silver coins? Will you claim the Empress ordered this too? The Empress, who governs the Six Palaces with virtue, would never stoop to such acts. You committed these deeds yourself and dare try to implicate her? Your crime is unforgivable.”

 

With this statement, Chu Jinyao clearly separated the Momos’ wrongdoing from the Empress, making it clear that she was punishing servants who had misbehaved—not acting against the Empress’s people. Momo Hong, quick-witted, immediately kowtowed. “Crown Princess, these are all her belongings. They have nothing to do with me!”

 

“You!” Momo Liu shouted in fury, but before she could say more, Chu Jinyao raised her hand to stop her.

 

“Enough. This bickering in the palace is disgraceful.” Chu Jinyao signaled Linglong to take the two away before they could speak further. She needed to make sure their words were controlled.

 

Linglong understood and immediately called the eunuchs to drag them off. Momo Liu still tried to plead for mercy, but Linglong silenced her. “Be quiet. Do you think the deep palace is a place for your loud protests? Lock them up in the empty room at the back and wait for the Crown Princess’s judgment.”

 

The Momos were gagged and dragged away, their struggling fading into the distance, making the courtyard feel even more silent in contrast.

 

Chu Jinyao’s gaze swept over the kneeling servants before finally settling on Ziyan. “Ziyan, how long has this smuggling of palace goods been going on?”

 

Ziyan stepped forward and, with a deep curtsey, replied, “This servant does not know.”

 

“And have any of the goods they sold come from the Eastern Palace?”

 

Ziyan hesitated, unable to give a definitive answer. The items in the Eastern Palace were all carefully accounted for, and Ziyan believed they wouldn’t dare touch them. But what if?

 

Seeing Ziyan’s silence, Chu Jinyao chuckled softly. “Ziyan, you are the most trusted head maid of the Crown Prince. He trusts you, and so do I. Isn’t that right?”

 

Cold sweat dripped from Ziyan’s forehead. She finally realized why this scene had been staged in front of everyone. It wasn’t about punishing two dishonest Momos—it was about establishing authority. The Crown Princess was warning them.

 

Ziyan quickly knelt, and the other four senior maids followed suit, not daring to remain standing. Ziyan, bowing low, said cautiously, “The Crown Princess’s words are wise. From now on, Ziyan will strictly discipline the servants. What happened today will never happen again.”

 

Qiuchan, one of the maids, felt indignant. It was the Crown Princess’s own Momos who had caused this mess, so why was Ziyan being blamed? She was fuming, but Yuyan pulled her down to kowtow alongside the others. “Thank you for your grace, Crown Princess. We dare not fail in our duties.”

 

Chu Jinyao looked at the maids of the Eastern Palace kneeling in submission. She let them stay kneeling for a while before finally allowing them to rise. “Enough, you may get up. I know you are all competent. What happened today is a warning. It must not happen again.”

 

Ziyan, sweating profusely, rose with the others. Once they were standing, Chu Jinyao stood and walked to the doorway, addressing the courtyard full of servants. “What happened today is not over just because we punished the guilty. Ziyan is in charge of many tasks, and she can’t handle every detail personally. Don’t think you can take advantage of her busyness to slack off or deceive her. Today, it was my Momos who were caught, and though it pained me, I still dealt with them according to palace rules. If anyone else breaks the rules, regardless of their status or connections, they will be punished according to the same rules. I will not show any mercy. Understood?”

 

“Understood,” the servants answered in unison, their faces pale with fear. Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Chu Jinyao’s eyes scanned the crowd. No one dared show any sign of impatience or disobedience. Satisfied that her message had been received, she returned to her seat and lifted her tea cup as a signal for the gathering to disperse. “Let today’s events serve as a warning. Remember them well. Now, you may go back to your tasks.”

 

The servants all bowed to Chu Jinyao and, keeping their heads low, began to leave in an orderly manner. Linglong and Dingxiang came forward to assist Chu Jinyao. Once her figure disappeared from view, the tension in the courtyard broke, and the gathered servants finally dared to scatter and resume their duties.

 

Inside the inner hall, Dingxiang, who was simple and honest, couldn’t help but praise Chu Jinyao. “Crown Princess, you were really impressive earlier.”

 

Finally alone, Chu Jinyao allowed herself to sit down and sip some warm tea to soothe her throat. She laughed at Dingxiang’s remark. “Was I really that impressive? Tell me, what exactly was so impressive?”

 

Dingxiang, who had been serving Chu Jinyao the longest, since she returned to the Marquis’s residence, thought carefully before answering. “When the Crown Princess was scolding people just now, you weren’t loud or angry, but you still had a strong presence. No one dared look up.”

 

This made both Chu Jinyao and Linglong laugh. Seeing them laugh, Dingxiang tilted her head and added, “When the Crown Princess was lecturing Ziyan, you even looked a bit like the Crown Prince.”

 

“Nonsense,” Chu Jinyao chided with a playful roll of her eyes, her face full of amusement.

 

Linglong, standing beside her, joined in. “Dingxiang may be a bit blunt, but she’s right, Crown Princess. You’ve become more like the Crown Prince lately, especially when you’re disciplining people—calm, but with an imposing air.”

 

“You two are just trying to flatter me,” Chu Jinyao said, not taking their compliments too seriously. She then instructed, “As for those two Momos, don’t give them any food tonight. Tomorrow, besides delivering their meals, make sure no one speaks to them. And make sure they’re kept separately so they can’t coordinate their stories.”

 

Linglong curtsied. “Of course, Crown Princess. I’ll remember. What should we do with them in the end?”

 

“Let’s keep them locked up for now. Once they’ve been isolated for a few days, their spirits will be broken. That’s when we’ll question them about other matters.”

 

“You mean…” Linglong trailed off as Chu Jinyao shot her a glance. Linglong immediately bowed her head. These Momos might hold valuable information about the Empress, but such things could never be spoken aloud.

 

Chu Jinyao sat back on her couch as Linglong and Dingxiang stood nearby, keeping her company. Just as they were chatting, the sound of beads clinking came from the partition door. Ziyan entered and greeted Chu Jinyao with a smile. “Crown Princess, may you be at peace.”

 

Sitting at the head of the room, Chu Jinyao noticed the token in Ziyan’s hand and calmly asked, “What brings you here, Ziyan?”

 

Ziyan replied, “I’ve been fortunate enough to serve the Crown Prince for many years, though I’m often clumsy in my duties. It’s only because of His Highness’s trust that I’ve managed to continue. But now that the Crown Princess has arrived, it’s only proper that I hand over the responsibilities of the palace to you. I shouldn’t continue holding such duties.”

 

With that, Ziyan tried to offer the keys and tokens to Chu Jinyao. But Chu Jinyao didn’t accept them, instead asking, “Why the sudden talk of stepping down? You’ve managed these affairs for years, and everyone knows your hard work. His Highness and I still rely on you. Why say such things?”

 

Ziyan realized that this was going to be more difficult than she thought. The Crown Princess had made a deliberate show of punishing the Momos in front of her to send a message. The Crown Princess wasn’t going to let this pass so easily. After the commotion earlier, Ziyan had tried to find out where the Crown Prince was, only to learn that he had been in the front hall all along, dealing with affairs of state. His absence from the scene was the biggest statement of all.

 

Having thought it through, Ziyan decided to come forward. Yet, even as she tried to offer the keys, the Crown Princess didn’t immediately take them. This hesitation meant that things would be much trickier than if she had just accepted.

 

Thinking quickly, Ziyan answered carefully, “This servant is foolish, but thanks to His Highness’s kindness, I’ve been able to serve in the Eastern Palace. Now that the Crown Princess is here, you are the rightful mistress of the palace. I’m not worthy of continuing to manage such important affairs.”

 

“You’re being too modest,” Chu Jinyao replied. “The Crown Prince entrusted you with these duties because of your competence. I trust you just as much. When I scolded you earlier, it was only for appearances’ sake. I had to reprimand you in front of others to maintain order. If you resign because of this, it would mean you’ve misunderstood my intentions.”

 

“This servant wouldn’t dare!” Ziyan quickly apologized. “The Crown Princess’s words were completely justified. I failed in my duties, and I wouldn’t dare bear a grudge.”

 

“Good,” Chu Jinyao smiled as she personally helped Ziyan to her feet. “I’m glad you don’t blame me. His Highness values your abilities, and as his wife, I value what he values. We’ll continue to rely on you in the Eastern Palace.”

 

Chu Jinyao repeatedly emphasized words like “we” and “husband and wife,” making her stance clear. Ziyan understood and knelt again, “Thank you, Crown Princess. Serving you and the Crown Prince is this servant’s greatest honor.”

 

“You’re too humble. Now that we’ve cleared the air, don’t speak of stepping down again. The Eastern Palace still needs you.” Chu Jinyao glanced at the keys and tokens, but quickly looked away. “Take these back. I trust you to continue managing things.”

 

Ziyan tried to insist, placing the items on the table beside Chu Jinyao. “This servant has served temporarily in your absence, but now that the Crown Princess is here, it’s only right to return what belongs to you.”

 

After a few more polite refusals, Chu Jinyao finally smiled and agreed. “Very well. Linglong, take these on my behalf.”

 

“Yes, Crown Princess!” Linglong, beaming, took the keys and locked them away. While Ziyan retained her title, Chu Jinyao had now taken control of the real authority. Ziyan would continue to manage the day-to-day affairs but would have to report to Chu Jinyao on major decisions.

 

This arrangement was the best outcome. Chu Jinyao could have removed Ziyan entirely, but that would have been risky. Finding a suitable replacement would have been challenging, and managing the palace’s affairs poorly could have caused even bigger problems. It was better to keep things as they were but ensure that Ziyan knew who was truly in charge.

 

As for the disrespectful maid Qiuchan, Chu Jinyao didn’t even bother to dwell on her. She was just a maid, easily replaceable. If Qiuchan ever stepped out of line again, Chu Jinyao would simply hand her over to Ziyan to deal with.

 

After handing over control of the kitchen and storerooms, Ziyan lingered for a moment, unsure whether to feel relieved or resigned. One thing was clear: the Crown Princess might appear gentle and graceful, but she knew exactly what to tighten her grip on and what to let go.

 

Ziyan eventually stood and offered up the two critical positions: the head of the kitchen and the head of the storeroom. Until now, Ziyan had pretended not to notice that these positions were still filled by her people, but she could no longer act ignorant.

 

The kitchen, where food and medicine came from, was vital, and the storeroom, where all palace supplies were kept, was even more crucial. Recognizing Ziyan’s gesture, Chu Jinyao accepted it graciously, assigning Momo Gong to oversee the kitchen, with Dingxiang as her assistant. Momo Gong, being older and more experienced, was well-versed in the necessary precautions for handling food and medicine. Although she had originally been sent by Chu Jinyao’s grandmother, Momo Gong understood that her true loyalty now lay with Chu Jinyao.

 

Dingxiang, though simple and honest, was someone Chu Jinyao trusted deeply, and she would serve as a balancing force in the kitchen. As for the sharp-eyed and astute Linglong, she was given control of the storeroom.

 

With her trusted people now in place, Chu Jinyao glanced outside and suddenly wondered, “Where is His Highness? He should have returned by now.”

 

No one dared answer. Chu Jinyao stood up and peered out for a while before sending a young eunuch to the front hall. “Go and ask if His Highness has returned. If he has, tell Eunuch Lin it’s time to eat and that His Highness should come back.”

 

The young eunuch responded promptly and ran off. After waiting for a while, instead of the eunuch’s message, the Crown Prince himself returned.

 

“Your Highness,” Chu Jinyao walked to the door of the hall and personally untied the cloak from Qin Yi’s shoulders. “Why are you so late today?”

 

Her tone was that of a wife scolding her husband for coming home late. Strictly speaking, this was somewhat improper. As the Crown Prince was busy with state affairs, a woman had no place questioning him. Chu Jinyao realized this right after speaking and regretted it, but Qin Yi didn’t seem to mind. He explained, “The end of the year is approaching, and there’s a backlog of work in the Six Ministries. That’s why I was delayed.”

 

Chu Jinyao sneaked a glance at Qin Yi’s face. Noticing her gaze, Qin Yi caught her eye and asked with a smile, “What’s the matter?”

 

“Nothing,” Chu Jinyao smiled, linking her arm through his. “I was just afraid you’d be upset with me for asking too much.”

 

Qin Yi let her cling to him, and in a soft voice, he reassured her, “It’s fine.”

 

He didn’t mention that since the death of Empress Wenxiao, it had been a long time since anyone cared about whether he returned early or late. There was no need to bring up such matters now. However, he had realized something else: Chu Jinyao, usually so “upright,” became particularly affectionate when she felt guilty or when she needed something, as if she instinctively knew how to sweet-talk him.

 

Qin Yi understood but didn’t let on. He allowed Chu Jinyao to lead him to dinner, where she busied herself serving him food and tea with great attentiveness.

 

After dinner, once the dishes had been cleared away and no one else was around, Chu Jinyao sat next to Qin Yi, gently tugging at his sleeve. “Your Highness?”

 

Qin Yi glanced at her. “What is it?”

 

“Today, I reprimanded some of your people. You’re not mad at me, are you?”

 

“Whether I’m mad or not, it’s already done, isn’t it?”

 

“No, that’s not it,” Chu Jinyao edged closer, holding onto his sleeve as she explained. “I wasn’t targeting your people or trying to undermine your authority. It’s just that… well, this is where you grew up, and these people are all familiar to you. But I don’t know anyone here. Suddenly, I’ve moved into your Eastern Palace, and I had to do something, or they wouldn’t recognize me.”

 

Qin Yi had been teasing her earlier, but when she said, “This is where you grew up,” something inside him stirred. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, this palace was indeed filled with his memories, and now, Chu Jinyao had moved into this space.

 

Qin Yi sighed inwardly, not wanting to tease her any longer. “I was only joking. You don’t need to take it seriously. In the future, whatever you do, don’t worry. As long as I don’t stop you, just go ahead with it. Nothing will happen.”

 

“Momo Liu was stealing, and I’m worried that some of our palace property might have gone missing. I was thinking of having everything in the Eastern Palace inventoried and recataloged. Is that alright?”

 

“Haven’t I already said? You’re the Crown Princess. Of course, you can make these decisions.”

 

“Really? You’re not upset?” In truth, Chu Jinyao had been a bit anxious. She had deliberately let Momo Liu’s actions go unchecked, allowing her to grow bolder until she dared steal palace property. Though it was all part of her strategy for self-preservation, from the Eastern Palace’s perspective, why should it tolerate such behavior? If something had truly been lost, how could she explain it?

 

“I suppose I’m a little annoyed,” Qin Yi said slowly. “When Xiao Linzi told me you were asserting your authority in the back hall, I didn’t want to interrupt, so I went to the front hall to handle some memorials. You really are something. If I hadn’t come back, would you have just kept going without checking in on me?”

 

“Of course not!” Now that she knew Qin Yi wasn’t angry and was even willing to support her, Chu Jinyao was fully at ease and no longer afraid of his teasing. “I’ve been thinking about you this whole time. I just didn’t want to disturb you while you were working, and now you’re blaming me for that!”

 

As she finished speaking, Chu Jinyao reflected inwardly. It was remarkable how easily people become greedy. Back when she was living in the Marquis’s residence, she wouldn’t have dared speak like this in front of her grandmother or father. Yet now, with Qin Yi—someone theoretically more intimidating—she felt comfortable enough to talk back, even turning his words against him.

 

She had always believed in staying within her limits, but now that it was happening to her, Chu Jinyao realized how difficult it was.

 

Translator’s Note :- Hello guys, you will get 2 chapters each on Mon , Wed , Fri each week on fixed time. Look forward to the next parts.