Lin Wan then continued to keep a low profile, being extremely careful when greeting the other consorts, trying not to catch anyone's eye. This palace is not easy to get along with, for the sake of survival and face value, in the past, losing in the company meant packing up and leaving, but now losing here means losing one's life, those White Silk Pavilion, Wine Punishment Department, Cold Palace are not to be trifled with.

  Yu Gui Pin and several other Gui Pins below her were not favored, while those below them, such as Mao Pin, Wen Pin, and Jin Pin, received some favor, so Lin Yin did not dare to neglect them.

  In the new imperial harem, it goes without saying that Bai Liangdi was not to be trifled with. Lin Yuxian's face turned green as she paid her respects, but in front of the empress, she didn't dare overdo it and could only nod slightly. The next in line, Tian Xiaoyi, and her sister Yun Guibin were both beautiful women who didn't make things difficult for Lin Yuxian. Jia Guiren's looks were not exceptional, but as one of the few consorts to have received a title, she naturally enjoyed some favor. The other beauties and ladies-in-waiting either had been selected together with Lin Yuxian this year or were older women who had been forgotten by the emperor and no longer enjoyed his favor, their faces filled with jealousy as they looked at Lin Yuxian.

  Lin Yan made a complete circle in the spacious hall of Changxin Palace before finally completing her task of paying respects to the imperial consorts. Oh my god, because of her low rank, she had to make obeisance to more than half of those present, and her knees would definitely be bruised and purple by the time she returned. At this moment, Lin Yan understood why all the women in the palace wanted to climb up the ranks - they couldn't take this bowing and scraping from dawn till dusk.

  Everyone sat down and chatted harmoniously. Recently, there were no major events, so they talked about some trivial matters such as clothes and jewelry. After half an hour, the empress waved her hand and dismissed everyone.

  Lin Wan was finally relieved, supported by the first snow and trembling in both legs as she crawled back. She thought that today was actually lucky enough, the queen, Rong Fei, Xiang Fei and other heavyweights did not have a single thought focused on her, and Bai Liangyi's difficulties were also easy to deal with, but the ceremony of paying respects was a bit too terrifying.

  ***

  In the Changxin Palace, the Empress habitually sat on a rose-colored soft couch, with a hint of fatigue on her face.

  The palace maid beside her was recounting everything that had happened that morning, down to the smallest detail and in clear language - mainly about Lin Wan and Bai Xiuyi.

  The queen listened and didn't show much emotion on her face, only murmuring a sentence: "Consort Rou is still the same."

  Standing behind her, the eunuch Zhen hurriedly furrowed his brow and advised the Empress: "Your Majesty must not be careless, Rong Fei and Xiang Fei these two people..."

  "I know." The empress raised her hand to stop her and said calmly: "In any case, the imperial power is in my hands alone. We can't be impatient now."

  The empress nodded and ordered, "Go to the warehouse and fetch some good things to send to Lin. I haven't congratulated her on her promotion yet. After all, it's a rare promotion by leaps and bounds, and the emperor is fond of her."

  "Lin's family?" Qi Mama was somewhat perplexed: "A low-ranking good man, with such a poor family background, looking at that timid appearance also knows it's someone without a future, why must the princess spend her mind on her?"

  Qī Māma was the wet nurse of the Empress, and had always been treated as half a mother figure. She could speak freely in front of the Empress and discuss matters with her. She knew the Empress too well, knowing that she would never do anything useless or care about anyone who was useless. But this Lin Liangren, Qī Māma thought he was quite useless.

  The family background is not good, and the position is low. It's hard for such a person to climb up. The only thing that can be praised is that the emperor was quite generous when he first served as a concubine. As for skipping ranks, Xiang Fei was the one who was really eye-catching at first. Within a month, she rose from Liang Qi Xiao Zhu to Rong Hua Niang Niang and was granted Lin Zhi Palace. Lin Shi is still an eighth-grade concubine no matter how hard she tries. How can this be compared? Besides, skipping ranks in the palace is not a rare thing. A year ago, Emperor brought back a dancer named Liu Cai Nu from his southern tour. She and Lin Shi are almost identical. She was promoted to Xuan Pei and then skipped to Liang Ren. As a result, she quickly gained favor but lost it even faster. Finally, she was designed to offend Xiang Fei and was demoted to the Cold Palace. It's not sure whether she is still alive now.

  "The Empress nodded, but then smiled and said: "The palace doesn't care about her future, only now, the palace won't let her avoid trouble. Even if she can't last more than three months like that Liu woman, it will still add some chaos to the new imperial concubine's side, and we'll have something to watch, isn't that joyful?"

  "Ah, I see! Your Majesty's wisdom is truly superior! The more chaotic they are, the better it will showcase your benevolence... This old slave will go and take care of it immediately..."

  The queen nodded and granted a favor, then instructed: "Also, go and summon Bai Liangdi. Although she is shallow but comes from a good family, she is a useful pawn..."