GBP Chapter 457 Reorganizing the Harem
Chapter 457 Reorganizing the Harem
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!" Yu Shu rushed into the Imperial Study in a panic, even staggering slightly from her hurried steps.
After coming to a stop, she quickly bowed and said urgently, "Your Majesty, the Dragon Consort has secretly made contact with the Dragon Clan. In my opinion, the Dragon Clan will not stand idly by after learning of this, and will surely take action!"
Qin Wu listened to Yu Shu's report, but his face did not show the slightest surprise.
In fact, he had anticipated the Dragon Consort's move. After all, two clan leaders of the Phoenix Clan had married into the Qin royal family, and it would be truly strange if the Dragon Consort had no reaction to this.
Just as he had expected, the Dragon Princess decisively established contact with the Dragon Clan, which was quite reasonable.
At this moment, Qin Wu was secretly pondering how the Dragon Clan would deal with the current situation.
To be honest, deep down he had a faint sense of anticipation, wanting to see what methods the ancient and mysterious dragon race would use to deal with this unexpected turn of events.
However, despite this, he knew he could not allow the women of the harem to freely and frequently contact the outside world.
Otherwise, the palace would inevitably descend into chaos.
Thinking of this, Qin Wu frowned slightly, and after a moment's thought, he instructed, "Don't be anxious for now. However, it's best to minimize contact between the inner palace and the outside world regarding matters of the inner palace. Here's what we'll do: Go see the Empress immediately, explain the situation to her in detail, and ask her to handle this matter properly."
Qin Wu decided to entrust this matter to the Empress for two reasons: firstly, because it was a matter within the scope of palace affairs; and secondly, because the Empress had been living in seclusion in the palace for a long time and had only recently emerged from seclusion.
This opportunity will also allow the Empress to regain her authority and quell the chaos in the harem.
"Yes, Your Majesty! Rest assured, this servant will go and report this matter to the Empress immediately." After receiving the order, Yu Shu did not dare to delay for a moment. She hurriedly bowed and took her leave. Then she turned around and left the Imperial Study in a hurry, heading straight for the Empress's bedroom.
"Liu Feng." As Yu Shu's footsteps faded into the distance, Qin Wu's deep and authoritative voice once again echoed slowly in the solemn and dignified Imperial Study.
The sound seemed to carry an invisible pressure, filling the entire room with a tense atmosphere.
"Your Majesty!" Liu Feng reacted to the sound and saw a figure appear swiftly like a ghost.
He bowed deeply to Qin Wu, who was sitting behind the desk, and waited for the emperor's further instructions.
Qin Wu narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at Liu Feng before him, and said slowly, "You must have heard the news just now, right? Immediately send people to keep a close watch on them. As for matters concerning the Dragon Clan, even the most insignificant details must be reported to me once a day."
Liu Feng quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty! I will arrange capable people to ensure that no clue is overlooked."
However, Qin Wu seemed unsatisfied with this. He paused briefly before continuing, "Not only that, but issue my decree to the Eight Royal Clans, ordering them to immediately contact the Upper Realm and dispatch special personnel to monitor the Dragon Clan. I need to know every move the Dragon Clan makes, and I will not tolerate the slightest oversight!"
"Yes!" Liu Feng didn't dare to hesitate for a moment and hurriedly accepted the order and left.
He knew that this matter was of great importance and that he had to do his utmost to fulfill his mission.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense within the deep and magnificent inner palace.
Empress Jiang Pingle sat upright on her phoenix throne, listening solemnly to the news that had just arrived.
Her beautiful yet dignified eyes narrowed slightly, and she immediately issued an order, commanding all the concubines of the rank of Consort or above to come to her court at once.
Before long, a group of elegantly dressed and graceful concubines hurriedly arrived at the palace. They were filled with unease, wondering why the Empress had summoned them.
However, before everyone could even get their bearings, Jiang Pingle slammed her hand on the armrest and roared, "Dragon Consort! Do you know your crime?"
The usually arrogant Dragon Consort was now ashen-faced, trembling as she knelt on the ground, not daring to offer any explanation.
It turned out that Jiang Pingle had received a secret report that the Dragon Consort was secretly colluding with the Dragon Clan outside the palace, attempting to interfere in palace affairs.
This behavior seriously violated a major taboo in the imperial harem and naturally could not be let off lightly.
Therefore, in front of all the concubines, Jiang Ping Le showed no mercy in severely punishing the Dragon Consort.
Meanwhile, to prevent similar incidents from happening again, Jiang Pingle decisively dispatched his trusted guards to guard the communication array that connects with the Dragon Clan, and strictly ordered that no one may use the array without the Empress's permission.
This move caused a huge stir, and the other concubines present were all silenced.
They watched helplessly as the Dragon Consort was severely punished, and they knew in their hearts that from now on, this seemingly peaceful harem would probably never be as carefree as it used to be.
Especially when they saw that the communication array in their own palace was also tightly surrounded by a large number of imperial guards, they deeply felt the empress's determination to manage the inner palace.
As expected, Jiang Pingle did not stop there after dealing with the Dragon Consort.
She launched a comprehensive and in-depth investigation with swift and decisive action, determined to expose all the malpractices within the imperial harem.
It was only after the investigation that it was discovered that the harem was already utterly corrupt, rife with intrigue, power struggles, and other treacherous schemes, and in some places, the corruption had reached its very core.
Faced with such a shocking sight, Jiang Pingle was furious.
She decided to use an iron fist to vigorously rectify the order of the harem and would never tolerate anyone who violated the law or broke the rules.
For a time, the entire harem was filled with an atmosphere of fear and unease, with everyone feeling insecure.
Those concubines who had once harbored ulterior motives all restrained their behavior, fearing that they might inadvertently become the Empress's next target.
After a period of strict rectification, the imperial harem finally gradually returned to its former peace and tranquility.
During this process, Jiang Pingle's decisiveness, wisdom, and ruthlessness deeply impressed everyone.
People couldn't help but marvel that the empress's behavior was exactly the same as her husband's—the current emperor, as if they were cut from the same mold!
The entire harem was ravaged by bloodshed, and countless people were implicated and perished in this great purge.
The Empress's actions caused a huge uproar in the court, like a stone thrown into a still pond.
Many ministers submitted memorials impeaching the empress, vehemently criticizing her for acting so recklessly and wantonly killing people in the palace.
They firmly believe that as the mother of a nation, she should be kind and benevolent, not so cruel and inhumane.
It should be noted that the concubines and palace maids in the harem all had some degree of connection with officials of the previous dynasty.
However, Qin Wu remained unusually calm and tough in the face of these overwhelming calls for impeachment.
Without hesitation, he chose to stand on the Empress's side, and even personally issued a stern warning to all officials in the court.
Qin Wulong was furious. His piercing gaze swept over the assembled officials below, and he roared, "The Empress is in charge of all matters in my harem! No one may object! The harem is not allowed to interfere in court affairs, and likewise, no one from the court may meddle in harem matters! If anyone dares to disregard my decree and interfere recklessly, don't blame me for being ruthless and showing no mercy!"
Qin Wu's thunderous rage instantly silenced the previously noisy court.
The officials looked at each other, still harboring resentment, but in the face of the emperor's powerful authority, they ultimately dared not utter another word.
From then on, no one dared to mention matters of the harem, fearing that they might inadvertently anger the emperor and bring about their own demise.
With Qin Wu's support, the Empress continued to implement her iron-fisted methods in the harem to reorganize it.