THE IMPERIAL CONSORT'S RISE TO POWER - CHAPTER 34

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Chapter 34

Qiaosui's agonized screams continuously came from outside the hall. During this time, Gu Han kept her eyes lowered without speaking, still clutching Lu Yu's sleeve.

With His Majesty standing, naturally no one else could sit down. Consort Shu swept her gaze toward that seemingly dazed Concubine Gu, especially noting His Majesty's seemingly indulgent tolerance toward Concubine Gu. She paused slightly, the emotions between her brows and eyes imperceptibly growing more detached.

She was tired of standing. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, she had been accustomed to favor and had never been ignored like this.

Through several encounters, Consort Shu wasn't unaware that this Concubine Gu particularly pleased His Majesty, but she had deliberately overlooked it. Consort Shu knew her attention should be focused on the Empress and Consort Chen. Concubine Gu was just a newly selected concubine, no matter how favored, she posed no threat to her.

Because she understood His Majesty too well.

His Majesty was a rational and clear-headed person. He always knew what he was doing.

Precisely because of this, Consort Chen could repeatedly act on her whims to deal with Gu Han, but she could not, even though Consort Shu clearly knew she shouldn't allow Concubine Gu to continue gaining favor.

Consort Shu gripped her handkerchief tightly. Pain from her fingertips brought her back to her senses.

Out of sight, out of mind, she moved her gaze away from Concubine Gu. Consort Shu had always been delicate, and now her brows and eyes were tinged with impatience. Tired of standing, she willfully leaned into Yaluo's embrace.

With Consort Shu's high rank, her position was quite conspicuous. As soon as she moved, others noticed.

Lu Yu also saw it. He only frowned slightly and rebuked Changchun Pavilion's servants:

"What are you standing there for? Haven't you offered seats to your mistresses yet?"

Changchun Pavilion was only so large, naturally not everyone could be seated. The palace servants scrambled up and brought in several round stools. Consorts of the third rank and above could finally sit, while the rest still had to stand.

Everyone fell silent, their envious gazes turning toward Consort Shu, all understanding why His Majesty had suddenly offered seats.

Gu Han couldn't help but look up at Consort Shu as well.

Consort Shu sat down leisurely. Propping her cheek with one hand, she said in an unhurried tone, "How could a mere servant obtain such medicine?"

A flash of surprise crossed Gu Han's eyes. She naturally knew Qiaosui couldn't procure this medicine. All medicinal materials in the harem came from the Imperial Medical Bureau, and all medication use at the Bureau was recorded. Apart from the Bureau, the only way to obtain medicine was from outside the palace.

The food and provisions for harem consorts naturally didn't appear from thin air, but items sent into the palace from the palace gates were also recorded, and everyone was searched.

A palace maid who'd been low-profile and unremarkable in the past couldn't possibly have such channels.

Even if Qiaosui refused to confess under torture, one could still investigate from this angle.

But Gu Han didn't understand why Consort Shu would suddenly help her.

Perhaps Consort Shu's original intention wasn't to help her, but these words indeed reminded everyone. Immediately the expressions of those in the hall varied. Lu Yu nodded slightly to Liu An, and soon Liu An withdrew.

After about a quarter-hour, Imperial Physician Dan, head of the Imperial Medical Bureau, quickly arrived. Only those people could procure supplies from outside the palace. Liu An quickly obtained the list and brought everyone over.

Changchun Pavilion's hall was packed with people kneeling in a dark mass, trembling with fear knowing they were involved in a case of harming a consort.

At this moment, Gu Han suddenly glanced at Xiuyi He. She sat in her seat with a cold face. If one looked carefully, one could even detect her hidden trace of regret, as if regretting that Gu Han had actually escaped calamity.

But aside from this, she showed no guilty or flustered expression.

As for Consort Chen, compared to when she'd first entered the palace, the perpetual gentleness on her face had faded considerably. But she likewise showed no abnormality, only occasionally and inadvertently letting her gaze fall on Xiuyi He before quickly withdrawing it.

If not for Qiaosui's earlier loss of composure in her shock, Gu Han wouldn't have noticed this detail.

All the palace consorts were here, only missing Zhāoróng Ling who was recovering from illness and Miao Měirén who was pregnant. Consort Chen should still be in confinement, but with the month nearly over and the Changchun Pavilion incident occurring, Lu Yu turned a blind eye to her presence here.

Gu Han's thoughts were in disarray. She unconsciously tightened her grip on her handkerchief, forgetting that what she clutched wasn't a handkerchief but Lu Yu's sleeve. Lu Yu lowered his eyes slightly to see her delicate brows drawn tightly together.

For a moment he couldn't tell if she was worried about the truth of the matter or if sitting so long had made her back wound ache.

But it didn't matter. He raised his eyes to instruct:

"Bring a cushion for your mistress."

As soon as the words fell, some people's expressions changed. Consort Chen turned her head to look at Gu Han, recalling His Majesty's ice-cold attitude toward her that day. Her emotions surged, when had His Majesty ever been so considerate?

Gu Han inadvertently met Consort Chen's eyes. There was no emotion there, she just stared at Gu Han once. Gu Han's breathing caught slightly. For a moment she felt her whole body go cold with dread. She steadied her breathing and came back to herself, tugging at Lu Yu's sleeve and saying quietly:

"Your Majesty need not go to such trouble."

Lu Yu ignored her. The interrogation below also quickly concluded. Among those who had returned with supplies from outside the palace, none had brought medicinal materials. So of the only two leads, apart from Qiaosui, only the Imperial Medical Bureau remained.

Imperial Physician Dan had brought the records with him. He respectfully bowed his head and said:

"In these past two months, aside from various mistresses retrieving necessary medicinal materials when ill, only a palace maid from Concubine Gu's palace and one from Chaoyang Palace obtained medicine separately from the Imperial Medical Bureau."

Hearing the three words "Chaoyang Palace," Gu Han roughly guessed what would happen next.

However, someone in the hall suddenly said softly:

"Concubine Gu's palace? Could this be a self-directed performance?"

Gu Han immediately looked up. Among so many consorts standing together, originally Gu Han shouldn't have been able to distinguish who spoke. But all those consorts, not wanting to invite trouble, had hastily distanced themselves from the speaker.

This directly exposed who had spoken.

Gu Han locked onto her at a glance, the person who'd argued with Rong Ling that day at Taihe Hall: Bǎolín Song.

Bǎolín Song clearly hadn't expected to be caught so directly. Her face turned deathly pale. She shrank back timidly, not daring to meet Gu Han's gaze, trying to hide to the side.

But Gu Han had a bellyful of fire and had no intention of letting her off:

"Bǎolín Song, when speaking you must have evidence. I wonder, in Bǎolín Song's view, what would I gain by risking my life to stage such a scheme?"

Bǎolín Song had spoken impulsively. Now holding back for a long while, she couldn't produce a single word.

Gu Han bit her lip. "Or does Bǎolín Song feel that casually slandering a superior is no great matter?"

Everyone was shocked. Lu Yu was also somewhat surprised. In Lu Yu's view, Gu Han's temperament was somewhat soft in this palace, no matter what happened, she always appeared unaffected. This was the first time he'd seen the woman bristling with thorns.

However, Lu Yu didn't think anything was wrong. If one couldn't stand on one's own, how long could others protect her?

Moreover, she'd just suffered grievance and fright today. Now to be accused of self-harm, if she still said nothing, that would truly be a clay temperament, allowing anyone to bully her.

So Lu Yu only glanced blandly at Bǎolín Song.

There were few fools in this harem, naturally everyone could see His Majesty was partial to Concubine Gu. Bǎolín Song dropped to her knees with a thud, her face ashen:

"This consort spoke carelessly. I beg Your Majesty's and Concubine Gu's forgiveness."

Though Xiuyi He thought Bǎolín Song useless, she wasn't pleased to see her fall into Gu Han's hands. Before Liuyue could even stop her, she heard herself say coldly:

"Baorin Song's words aren't wrong. The Imperial Medical Bureau clearly indicated records of Changchun Pavilion obtaining extra medicine. This possibility cannot be ruled out."

No one expected that Xiuyi He, who had the greatest suspicion, would speak at this moment. The hall fell eerily silent for an instant.

Gu Han couldn't even be bothered to speak to Xiuyi He.

Today's matter clearly pointed to Xiuyi He, yet she still hadn't noticed anything wrong. For a moment Gu Han even doubted how Xiuyi He had managed to reach the position of palace mistress.

Liuyue finally managed to pull Xiuyi He back. Xiuyi He frowned and finally noticed the others' gazes upon her. She immediately grew angry:

"What are you all looking at me for?"

The palace maid from Chaoyang Palace who'd obtained the medicine was called Xiaohua. When Liu An led people to fetch her, they discovered the maid had already died in her room, poisoned by the very powder that had been scattered in Gu Han's palace.

That person was a second-rank palace maid from Chaoyang Palace's main hall, otherwise how could she have the capability to obtain medicine from the Imperial Medical Bureau?

Imperial Physician Dan quickly said, "Among this powder, there are indeed medicinal materials that Xiaohua retrieved from the Imperial Medical Bureau."

This was practically ironclad evidence. Xiuyi He felt struck by lightning. Stupid as she was, she understood she had been schemed against. But she couldn't fathom why, she had no grievances or enmity with others in the harem. Why harm her?

Xiuyi He suddenly stood up, saying through gritted teeth:

"Impossible! I never sent anyone to the Imperial Medical Bureau. Where would poison for Concubine Gu come from?"

Gu Han lowered her eyes without speaking. Actually, at this moment, Gu Han confirmed the culprit's identity.

Daring to openly harm lives in the harem, killing to silence witnesses, or rather, dead men tell no tales. How similar was this to the methods used during Mid-Autumn?

Xiuyi He continued protesting her innocence. Gu Han heard her say:

"It must be Concubine Gu! She harbors resentment toward this consort, so she staged this self-directed performance to frame me! Your Majesty! You must see clearly! Don't be deceived by this wretch!"

Gu Han rather speechlessly pulled at the corner of her lips. But to others, she seemed angered by Xiuyi He's words, her breathing growing heavier. As if afraid she'd say something unseemly, she turned her head away, out of sight, out of mind.

Outside the hall, Qiaosui, who'd been tortured until now without confessing, apparently heard of Xiaohua's tragic fate and immediately chose to confess. She was carried in. Some consorts immediately raised handkerchiefs to cover their eyes.

The torturers hadn't shown the slightest mercy. Gu Han looked up, then the next moment also frowned and turned her head away.

Gu Han even suspected Qiaosui's spine had been broken. The clothing on her back was dark with bloodstains. Servants who'd committed crimes wouldn't have imperial physicians treat them. If her fate was poor, she simply couldn't survive.

Gu Han heard her trembling voice, each word shaking feebly:

"This... this servant will speak... It... it was... Xiuyi He... who instigated... this servant..."

Gu Han lowered her eyelids lightly, concealing the coldness in her eyes. Even at this point, she still insisted on pinning it on Xiuyi He. Since she herself wasn't afraid of death, why should others sympathize with or pity her?

Xiuyi He's voice cut off abruptly. She looked at Qiaosui with hatred, wishing she could flay her alive:

"I don't even know you, you lowly slave! Where would instigation to poison come from?!"

Qiaosui looked at Xiuyi He in disbelief, as if struck pale by this accusation, then completely gave up hope. She said word by word through gritted teeth:

"...This... this servant... dares not... speak falsely..."

Qiaosui's appearance was too miserable, seeming ready to faint at any moment, making it hard not to believe her words.

Moreover, both testimony and physical evidence were laid out before them.

Gu Han closed her eyes slightly, hiding that trace of regret in her heart. She naturally wanted to bring the person who'd truly harmed her to justice. But Gu Han knew clearly in her heart, today it was impossible to expose Consort Chen. Consort Chen might not be clever, but she had operated in the palace for a long time. Her connections and capabilities couldn't be underestimated.

This matter nearly involved His Majesty's safety and naturally couldn't be handled lightly. With Xiuyi He demoted to commoner and thrown into the Cold Palace, this matter finally concluded completely.

Changchun Pavilion was thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom before Gu Han was helped into the inner hall.

By the time Changchun Pavilion quieted down, the daylight outside had also completely darkened. Gu Han wouldn't attend bed. Lu Yu instructed her to rest well and didn't linger long. Jiusi attended to her washing up, wearing a happy smile:

"Fortunately Master was clever, this exposed Xiuyi He!"

Gu Han didn't speak. Actually, toppling Xiuyi He was a good thing for her. After all, Xiuyi He had always disliked her, the two had long stood in opposition.

But compared to Consort Chen, Xiuyi He wasn't quite up to par.

Missing the big fish and only catching a small shrimp, how could Gu Han be happy?

Jiu nian was attentive and keenly noticed her mistress's mood wasn't very good. She asked somewhat hesitantly:

"Does Master feel something is wrong?"

Gu Han raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Why do you say that?"

Jiu nian hesitated, but under her mistress's gaze, she also closed her eyes and spoke the words that had been stuck in her heart:

"Because this servant feels that aside from Qiaosui's initial refusal to confess, everything today went too smoothly."

There were only two ways to obtain medicine. How many palace servants went out daily to procure supplies? How could there not be some hidden dirt? Even if this investigation only targeted medicinal materials, one must know, there were more than a thousand servants in the harem. Among them, those who could obtain medicine from the Imperial Medical Bureau could be counted on one's fingers.

What if someone was injured?

Saving up some silver and having those procuring supplies bring basic medicinal materials was the most economical method. Yet this investigation found no one with any problems. The Imperial Medical Bureau also happened to have only two people who had obtained medicine.

One of them was their Changchun Pavilion.

Why had Changchun Pavilion obtained extra medicine? Naturally it was for that prescription to nourish Master's health, this had been cleared with His Majesty, so naturally it wouldn't arouse His Majesty's suspicion.

Very smoothly they'd traced it to Xiaohua. Then Xiaohua committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Qiaosui also identified Xiuyi He at this time, leading to both testimony and physical evidence being present. Xiuyi He simply couldn't escape the charges.

Jiu nian couldn't say exactly what was wrong—she just felt everything had gone too smoothly.

Jiunian said in a small voice, "Moreover, Qiaosui had already endured so much beating. Why at the last moment would she still identify Xiuyi He?"

To say she confessed because seeing Xiaohua killed to silence her made her feel the sorrow of the hare at the death of the fox was pure nonsense. Looking at how badly she'd been beaten, she simply couldn't survive.

Rather than saying she feared being silenced, confessing at that moment would most easily gain others' trust.

Gu Han looked at her approvingly. Jiu nian immediately knew her mistress also had suspicions. Jiusi listened with complete confusion:

"Oh my, what are Master and Sister Jiu nian talking about? This servant can't understand at all!"

"Wasn't the culprit Xiuyi He? Master noticed something wrong, why didn't you say so when His Majesty was there?!"

Jiunian pushed her forehead, then frowned:

"Master saying nothing at the time was correct. The person behind this is hidden too deeply. Since that person had prepared, even if Master had spoken then, it probably would've been futile. Alerting the enemy would be secondary—leaving a bad impression in His Majesty's heart would be the real harm."

Moreover, Jiunian glanced at her mistress's unhurried expression and smiled slightly:

"Master should have guessed who did it."

Gu Han pulled at the corner of her lips and shook her head. "So what if I've guessed? At least right now I can do nothing about her."

Jiu nian's expression was very calm:

"Having no way to deal with her now doesn't mean there won't be a way in the future. Master has only been in the palace three months, yet already made that person so unable to restrain herself. Looking at her temperament, she's not steady either. She must have made many enemies. As long as we seize the opportunity, we need not worry about avenging this grievance in the future!"

By the end, Jiucnian's words carried a trace of ruthlessness.

Poisoning within the hall, coming for their lives, naturally Jiu nian couldn't help but hate.

Jiu si didn't understand, but she wore an expression of sharing the enemy. Gu Han smiled and pushed her forehead, propping her cheek as she said slowly:

"Jiu nian is right, but there's also no reason to keep enduring."

Jiunian was puzzled. "What does Master plan to do?"

Gu Han looked toward Jiu si. Under her gaze, Jiu si instinctively reached up to touch her face, saying slowly in a small voice:

"What is it, Master?"

"I remember you have a good relationship with the little maid beside Jiu'er."

The Jiu'er Gu Han mentioned was the daughter of Concubine Song from the Marquis household, also Gu Han's half-sister. Concubine Song had plain features. During childbirth, she'd been schemed against by another concubine in the household. After giving birth to a daughter, her health was ruined.

Gu Han wouldn't defend her mother's inaction at the time, but after Mother dealt with that concubine, Concubine Song wholeheartedly attached herself to Mother. She also knew Jiu'er's marriage prospects would depend on Mother's decisions, so she treated Mother with utmost respect.

What was worth mentioning about Concubine Song was that she possessed medical skills. Not saying top-tier, but she had no problem diagnosing difficult ailments. Jiu'er had learned quite a bit following her, but Jiu'er had a troublesome temperament and didn't study diligently, causing quite a few embarrassing incidents.

The Marchioness was quite skilled at managing the inner household. Gu Han and the others all knew they would be mutual support in the future. Especially with Gu Han being a legitimate daughter, so even though the concubines occasionally had disputes, Gu Han's generation had few conflicts.

So hearing this, Jiusi directly nodded.

Gu Han curved a smile. "That incense Jiu'er gave Aunt An, can you make it?"

As soon as her words fell, both Jiu si and Jiu nian's eyes widened. Jiu si nearly cried out in surprise. Jiu nian wasn't so exaggerated but couldn't help covering her lips to stifle a laugh.

Jiusi quickly nodded. "Yes! At the time this servant found it amusing and specifically asked Aliu for the formula."

Though Jiu si had a lively temperament, her hands were remarkably skillful. On this point, even Jiu nian had to admit she couldn't match Jiu si.

So after Jiusi prepared that incense, Gu Han handed it to Little Fangzi.

Little Fangzi was surprised. "Master, this is for...?"

These past days, Gu Han had replenished her depleted qi and blood. Her cheeks showed a rosy pink. Hearing this, she only propped her cheek and curved her lips in a light smile:

"Give it to Xie Ang'an. Tell him to send this incense into Xianleng Palace. He'll know what to do."

Little Fangzi naturally had no objection.

Gu Han watched Little Fangzi leave before withdrawing her gaze. She truly couldn't deal with Consort Chen now. Even though she could send things into Xianleng Palace through Xie Ang'an's hands, she couldn't choose to poison Consort Chen.

If a prince's birth mother were poisoned, His Majesty would absolutely investigate thoroughly. Gu Han didn't dare guarantee His Majesty definitely couldn't trace it to her.

So she could only choose to make Consort Chen suffer some hidden losses.

Thinking of that incense's effect, Gu Han curved the corners of her lips. Just something Jiu'er had accidentally concocted, but in this harem it would likely be exceptionally useful.

Gu Han didn't know how Xie Ang'an managed it, but in less than two days, he had Little Fangzi report back, it was done.

Gu Han calculated the time for that incense to take effect and couldn't help feeling some anticipation.

By the time Gu Han had completely recovered and could leave Changchun Pavilion, a light snow had already fallen in the capital. It came at night. When Gu Han woke the next day, she saw nothing but white expanses outside.

The fragrant osmanthus in the hall had long been replaced by Jiu nian with red plum blossoms, adding even more bright color to the hall.

Jiu nian styled Gu Han's hair while saying from the side:

"Today is the fifteenth, we must go pay respects at Cining Palace. Master has just recovered from long illness. 

Wearing a bright color would also invite good fortune?"

Gu Han fiddled with the jade beads hanging from her glass hairpin in the bronze mirror, letting Jiu nian select a rouge-colored palace gown for her. As a concubine, she could have a procession. This was Gu Han's first time not walking to Kunning Palace for morning greetings.

She'd been lax these days recovering, so her arrival time at Kunning Palace was inevitably somewhat late.

Just hearing "Concubine Gu arrives," everyone turned to look. The beaded curtain was lifted by palace servants.

When the woman stepped in, she brought some frost and snow from outside with her. She wore a great cloak, its fox fur collar hiding half her palm-sized face. A faint red plum fragrance seemed to drift over. What met the eye was the woman's fair skin, nearly able to outshine frost and snow, and those clear, pure almond eyes.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Not until palace servants removed Concubine Gu's great cloak did everyone finally come back to their senses. 

Nearly half a year in the palace, Gu Han had matured somewhat. Wearing such a bright color as rouge set off her features, compared to her usual gentle grace, she now carried a touch more brilliance. But regardless of which, when she raised her eyes to look over, it made people feel dazzled.

The hand Consort Chen pressed on the table edge exerted some force before she could maintain the smile on her face:

"Not having seen younger sister Concubine Gu in so long, you've become even more impossible to look away from."

Gu Han had just sat down when a blush involuntarily rose to her cheeks. She lowered her eyes slightly, seeming terribly embarrassed. "Consort Chen must stop teasing this consort."

The two words "Consort Chen" were particularly grating. Since having her title revoked, others knew she felt displeased. Apart from the Empress and Consort Shu, everyone else only called her "Your Ladyship." This Concubine Gu, just emerging, whether intentionally or not, had jabbed at her heart.

The smile on Consort Chen's face faded slightly.

As they spoke, Consort Shu also finally arrived at Kunning Palace, almost simultaneously with the Empress's emergence. After everyone paid respects, Consort Shu glanced at Gu Han, her gaze seeming to pause on her cheeks, or perhaps not:

"Concubine Gu's timing is quite good. Last time paying respects to the Empress Dowager, she even mentioned you."

Hearing this, Gu Han felt genuinely surprised. How noble was the Empress Dowager, she actually remembered her?

Comparatively, the Empress said nothing, only asking a couple of questions about Gu Han's health before leading everyone to Cining Palace for morning greetings. However, passing by Consort Chen, the Empress seemed to catch a very faint fragrance. She couldn't help glancing at Consort Chen.

Here are the ranks of imperial consorts:

- Empress (皇后 Huánghoù) — Head of the Imperial Harem

- Imperial Noble Consort (皇贵妃 Huáng Guìfēi) — Rank 1

- Noble Consort, Pure Consort, Virtuous Consort, Worthy Consort (贵妃、淑妃、德妃、贤妃 Guìfēi, Shūfēi, Défēi, Xiánfēi)** — Senior Rank 1 (The Four Consorts, with Noble Consort as the highest)

- Consort (妃 Fēi) — Junior Rank 2

- Bright Deportment, Bright Countenance (昭仪、昭容 Zhāoyí, Zhāoróng) — Senior Rank 3

- Cultivated Deportment, Cultivated Countenance (修仪、修容 Xiūyí, Xiūróng) — Junior Rank 3

- Noble Lady (贵嫔 Guìpín) — Senior Rank 4

- Imperial Concubine (嫔 Pín) — Junior Rank 4

- Beauty (美人 Měirén) — Senior Rank 5

- Talented Lady (才人 Cáirén) — Junior Rank 5

- Precious Grove (宝林 Bǎolín) — Senior Rank 6

- Imperial Woman (御女 Yùnǚ) — Junior Rank 6

- Palace Maid (宫女子 Gōngnǚzǐ) — Senior Rank 7

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