Paying Respects

Chief Palace Attendant Fang brought in a small cup of tea, allowing Xie Ning to moisten her throat before the others arrived.

Qinghe complained, "These people are really something. They know it's time for the congratulatory ceremony, but they're still taking their time. Now we have to wait for them."

"In fact, life in the palace has improved a lot now," said Chief Palace Attendant Fang, keeping her voice low since there was no one else present. "When the Empress Dowager was still around, the rules in the palace were more than ten times stricter than now. The Empress and the consorts had to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager as early as the morning court session. No one dared to be late, or else the Empress Dowager might truly have punished them with a beating. It's not just about the severity of the beating; it's about how one can hold their head high in front of others after being publicly beaten."