The mourning period for the Emperor has mostly passed, and the officials' thoughts have shifted, their minds restless. Even if they still eat buns and drink cold water, they are willing to go to the palace rooms. In groups of threes and twos, they gather together, vaguely hinting at things that can't be helped.
This is something that inevitably happens during a change of the throne, no matter how one tries to control it.
Take Chief Historian Chen for instance; he had dinner with Vice Minister Dong the night before last, exchanged glances with Vice Minister Yang from the Ministry of Justice yesterday, and tonight, he sought out two other officials from the "Princess Party" for chatter.
Jiang Shaohua herself doesn't need to personally involve herself. It saves a lot of trouble and doesn't provoke the displeasure or resentment of Grand Empress Dowager Zheng.
