Emerging from the inner chamber, the Emperor reflected that placating people was truly a skillful task, indeed more exhausting than soothing a dozen quarrelsome old slickers during a morning court session.
In the court hall, when the court officials below were quarreling, he could sit in the highest seat, watch them quarrel, listen to what they were arguing about, and wait for them to finish before thundering at them, which guaranteed they'd cower obediently.
But it didn't work with his Little Concubine; he couldn't wait until she had finished being upset before coaxing her—that would be too late. He had to start with gentle and soft-spoken coaxing right from the beginning.
He couldn't rush her, for if he became anxious, she'd become even more so;
nor could he be harsh, as that would scare her into crying;
and he couldn't be rational either, because reasoning was useless!