NCCnovel Chapter 266 Queen - Cultivating Power
Chapter 266 Queen - Cultivating Power
Cen Jiexiao continued, "If you want to survive, you must have your own power. Your Majesty, your original power is the foundation of your foothold in the palace, so you must hold on to it firmly."
He Yunshu nodded slightly to show that he understood.
Cen Jiexiao added, "At the same time, all levels of the palace cannot be easily abandoned. Even ordinary palace maids, guards, and eunuchs can be trained to become useful people."
He Yunshu frowned slightly, somewhat confused: "Palace maids, guards, eunuchs? These people are of low status, what use can they have?"
Cen Jiexiao explained, "Your Majesty, although these people are of humble status, they are well-informed and have many eyes and ears. They can help you gather intelligence and pass on messages. If there are things that are inconvenient for us to do in person, we can use them to do it. At a critical moment, they may even play an unexpected role."
He Yunshu listened to Cen Jiexiao's words and couldn't help but feel a little confused. Could these insignificant people really help her? She asked hesitantly, "Jiexiao, I...I don't understand."
Cen Jiexiao smiled and said, "It's okay if you don't understand. Your Majesty, you must remember that in this harem, there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests. You must learn to use and control people's hearts, so that you can be invincible in this war without gunpowder."
He Yunshu nodded, not quite understanding what she was saying, and her admiration for Cen Jiexiao increased even more. She knew that what Cen Jiexiao was talking about was something she had never encountered before, but she believed that as long as she followed Cen Jiexiao, she would definitely be able to find another way to survive in this harem.
Cen Jiexiao paused, as if she suddenly remembered something important. Her expression became serious, and she lowered her voice and said, "By the way, Your Majesty, there is one more thing I want to remind you of."
He Yunshu looked at Cen Jiexiao's solemn expression, feeling a little nervous as he asked, "What's going on?"
Cen Jiexiao carefully looked around, and after confirming that no one was around, she whispered in He Yunshu's ear, "In this palace, right now, the person you least want to offend is Empress Dowager Li."
He Yunshu's face changed and his heart trembled.
"Yes, the Empress Dowager's followers are spread throughout the court. In order to avoid this mess, my father chose to be stationed in the border military camp for a long time and has not returned home for many years." He Yunshu's voice trembled a little.
"Yes, although Empress Dowager Li has retreated behind the scenes, her power is still enormous, and she has many confidants in the court and the harem. Your Majesty must be careful and vigilant, and must not confront her head-on." Sister Cen Xiao said in a serious tone, word by word.
Seeing He Yunshu's expression was off, Cen Jiexiao quickly added, "Your Highness knows there's some... unpleasantness between you and the Queen Mother. However, for your safety, please be patient for now and refrain from acting impulsively."
"I understand." He Yunshu took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She knew that what Cen Jiexiao said was right. She had to be patient and cautious in order to survive in this harem.
"Your Majesty, please think about it again. In this harem, in addition to the open struggles, there are more undercurrents. If you are not careful, you will be doomed." Cen Jiexiao lowered her voice and spoke in a mysterious tone.
"So what I just said boils down to one sentence: we must build our own intelligence network."
He Yunshu frowned slightly: "Intelligence network? Jiexiao, you mean..."
Cen Jiexiao snapped her fingers.
"Yes, those numerous palace maids, eunuchs, and guards mentioned earlier. Although these people hold low positions, they are spread across every corner of the palace, are sharp-eyed and have excellent information. If we can recruit them for our own use, they will be a force that cannot be underestimated!"
"You mean, bribe them?" He Yunshu asked.
Cen Jiexiao shook her head. "Bribery is only one of the methods. What's more important is to make them loyal and devoted to you. You can start with the following aspects."
She held up a finger and said, "First, use both kindness and authority. Give generous rewards to the loyal, such as gold, silver, jewelry, silks, and satins, so that they can feel the Queen's favor. For the disobedient, give them slight punishments so that they know the Queen's majesty. In short, make them both respect and fear the Queen, so that they will obey."
She held up a second finger. "Second, cater to their preferences. Everyone has their own preferences and weaknesses. Your Majesty can adopt different strategies for different people. For example, if someone likes money, give him money; if someone likes power, give him power; if someone likes beautiful clothes, reward him with silk and satin..."
She held up her third finger. "Third, establish a hierarchy. These palace maids, eunuchs, and guards can be divided into different levels. The higher the level, the better the treatment they enjoy. This will motivate them to work harder for the Empress."
She held up her fourth finger. "Fourth, regular assessments. You can regularly assess their work, reward good performance, and punish poor performance. This will ensure their work efficiency and loyalty."
She held up her fifth finger. "Fifth, confidentiality measures. To prevent intelligence leaks, a strict set of confidentiality measures must be established. For example, using codes and secret phrases to transmit information, regularly changing contacts, and so on."
He Yunshu nodded repeatedly, his eyes gradually showing excitement: "Sister Xiao, you are right! Why didn't I think of this?"
Cen Jiexiao smiled slightly.
"However, winning people's hearts is no easy task. In addition to what I just said, it also requires your wisdom and patience."
He Yunshu deeply agreed with Cen Jiexiao's suggestion and praised her repeatedly: "Jiexiao, you are really my lucky star! With you around, I feel much more at ease."
Cen Jiexiao smiled modestly, but she secretly thought: This harem is truly unfathomable. A single misstep could lead to ruin. It seemed she would have to be doubly cautious. Over the next few days, Cen Jiexiao began to "direct the affairs of the state" within Fengyi Palace, helping He Yunshu consolidate his power. She first selected several clever and reliable palace maids and eunuchs, bestowing them generous rewards and promising them higher positions in the future. Then, she secretly investigated the other concubines, gathering their weaknesses and leverage.
One day, sunlight filtered through the lush branches of a sycamore tree, casting dappled shadows. Cen Jiexiao strolled leisurely through the gardens of Fengyi Palace. The air was filled with the delicate fragrance of osmanthus, refreshing her heart. Suddenly, a burst of noise shattered the tranquility. Cen Jiexiao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of palace maids and eunuchs gathered together, like a swarm of buzzing bees, pointing and whispering, their faces filled with fear, curiosity, and gloating.