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Chapter 56
No matter what happened in the palace, it would quickly be covered over by new events. In mid-April, peach blossoms rioted on the branches, their sweet fragrance drifting throughout the palace.
The little prince's placement was finally decided.
Yè Xiūróng of Hanxi Palace had been in the palace for nearly seven years, remaining quietly unremarkable all this time. Her imperial favor was mediocre, and she never made a fuss. Even though she held high rank in the palace, few people paid her any mind.
Translator’s Note: Yè Xiūróng or Cultivated Countenance Ye - Junior rank 3
When the imperial edict was first announced, Gu Han was genuinely surprised. She even paused before remembering who this Yè Xiūróng was.
Gu Han didn't have a deep impression of her, she only remembered her as someone proper who always arrived early for morning greetings. Gu Han herself came neither early nor late, and whenever she glanced around casually, she would catch sight of this Yè Xiūróng.
She was respectfully deferential toward the Empress and kind to the lower-ranking consorts. Gu Han recalled she should be the legitimate daughter of the Ye family from Jiangnan. The Ye family had been passed down for a hundred years, a true family of scholarly tradition.
Gu Han gathered her thoughts, realizing the Emperor had truly put great effort into selecting a foster mother for the little prince.
The little prince's birth mother was from the Yu family of the capital, the current Grand Tutor, both reputation and status befitting the word "noble." Now adding the Ye family from Jiangnan, with just one imperial edict, the power behind the little prince had become intricate and complex.
Sometimes Gu Han felt the Emperor must be obsessed, no matter what the matter, he always emphasized balance and checks.
Regardless of what the Ye family and Yu family thought, they would be bound together because of the little prince, and it could also check the Chen family. Just the matter of one little prince's placement involved so many twists and turns that thinking about it gave Gu Han a headache.
So many people must have been disappointed by this decision, but Gu Han felt the one most pained was probably Consort Shu.
Gu Han recalled that day when the Emperor had the little prince temporarily reside at Yian Palace, Consort Shu's dazed confusion and shock. She couldn't help but sigh. What a pity that pipe dream had been so brief.
Consort Shu's status and family background meant the Emperor could hardly raise the little prince under her care.
Half a quarter-hour's distance from Changchun Hall, there was a peach grove. Gu Han strolled there with Jiu Nian and Jiu Si, directing palace servants to pick some peach blossoms while also breaking off a few pleasing branches herself.
Jiu Nian glanced at her. Gu Han pretended not to notice. Jiu Nian shook her head:
"What does my lady want these for?"
Ever since the Emperor had called her mistress plump that day, she'd rarely touched sweets and pastries. In just a month, her waist had thinned to barely a handful.
Every day she would have fresh flower branches arranged in the palace, but her mistress didn't really care about such things. She didn't use them for food or admiration, so Jiu Nian was somewhat puzzled—what did her mistress want peach branches for?
Gu Han said softly: "During morning greetings, Her Majesty mentioned His Majesty's health hasn't been well lately."
She said only this. Whether or not Jiu Nian understood, she gathered her armful of peach blossoms, boarded her sedan chair, and had herself carried to Yangxin Hall.
Since the little prince was born, the Emperor hadn't entered the harem. Now that news came of his poor health, countless women in the harem wanted to show their concern. Gu Han, mixed among them, wasn't particularly conspicuous.
Outside Yangxin Hall, Liu An was nestled in the covered corridor. From afar he spotted a sedan chair approaching and wondered to himself which number this was.
Just as he was about to have someone turn her away, he caught sight of Jiu Nian walking beside the chair. Liu An jumped up in surprise and hurried forward to greet her. Gu Han had just bent to descend from the chair when she heard someone paying respects.
Gu Han raised her eyes and smiled faintly: "Please rise, Gonggong."
She wore a palace gown of hundred-flower brocade, holding peach blossoms. Her willow-leaf brows curved slightly with a smile, making her appear even more gentle and soft. Liu An only glanced once before lowering his head, not daring to look again.
Gu Han looked toward the palace hall, her brows and eyes lowering gently as she asked Liu An:
"I heard His Majesty isn't feeling well. I don't know if he's willing to see me. Could Gonggong please announce me?"
How could Liu An refuse? He bowed and turned into the hall. In just moments he came out quickly, smiling respectfully:
"His Majesty requests Concubine Zhao to enter."
Gu Han lowered her eyes somewhat bashfully and handed the peach blossoms to the palace servants for inspection. Seeing how careful she was, Liu An's estimation of her immediately rose several notches. Some consorts felt that having the items they brought inspected before the Emperor was disrespectful to them.
Liu An always found this amusing. If they didn't inspect and something went wrong, how many heads would they have to spare?
Incense burned inside Yangxin Hall. As soon as Gu Han stepped in, she noticed the south-facing window was cracked open. Lu Yu, unusually, wasn't handling state affairs at this hour but was sitting leisurely on the cushioned couch flipping through documents.
Gu Han first came forward to pay her respects. Before Lu Yu could tell her to rise, she looked him up and down. His complexion was rosy, no different from usual really, though his eyes showed some fatigue, but for him, this was normal.
Lu Yu raised an eyebrow and beckoned to her:
"Come here."
His gaze fell on the peach blossoms in her hands. Lu Yu clicked his tongue lightly and said:
"You just went flower-viewing with Concubine Zhou?"
That Gu Han often spent time with Concubine Zhou was no secret in the palace. Concubine Zhou had a lively temperament and often dragged Gu Han around the palace for leisure. So when Lu Yu saw those flowers, he assumed Concubine Zhou had just taken Gu Han flower-viewing.
Gu Han was about to step forward when she heard this. Her almond eyes immediately showed playful reproach:
"I specially went to pick flowers for Your Majesty, yet in Your Majesty's words, I've become so heartless?"
Everyone in the harem knew the Emperor wasn't feeling well. At a time like this, for her to still have the leisure to go flower-viewing with Concubine Zhou, wouldn't that be heartless?
Lu Yu set down his documents, raising an eyebrow in confusion: "You picked flowers for me?"
Gu Han ignored him and walked around the inner hall, finding the most beautiful vase, then prepared to arrange the peach blossoms in it. Lu Yu gasped:
"That's from the previous dynasty."
Precious and rare, placed in the hall only as decoration.
Gu Han paused, turning back blankly: "If a vase doesn't hold flowers, what's the point?"
Lu Yu was momentarily speechless. After a long pause, he waved his hand:
"Fine, use it."
Gu Han inserted the peach blossoms and arranged them, spreading out the flowers. Lu Yu suddenly paused, the beauty arranging flowers had brought a bright touch of color to the hall.
Lu Yu suddenly understood why the woman had gone to pick an armful of peach blossoms before coming.
After she finished arranging them, Lu Yu extended his hand. Gu Han took it, then answered his earlier question:
"Last time I came, I noticed Your Majesty's Yangxin Hall was rather gloomy. When Your Majesty is ill, seeing some bright colors should improve your mood."
Lu Yu said unhurriedly:
"But peach blossoms' delicate beauty can't compare to Han'er by even a fraction. If you want to lift my spirits, you might as well come more often. Seeing you is far more useful than flowers."
Gu Han's ears turned red at his words. She looked up at the Emperor in surprise. Lu Yu felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze and raised an eyebrow: "Why are you looking at me?"
Gu Han propped her chin and said: "I'm wondering, could it be that Your Majesty's illness means even the medicine you're taking is sweet?"
She was implying in a roundabout way that Lu Yu was full of sweet talk today.
Lu Yu was momentarily at a loss for words. He didn't let her sit on the cushioned couch, and before Gu Han could wonder why, he explained:
"I still have a cold. Be careful not to catch it."
This was for her own good. Gu Han wouldn't risk impropriety for a moment's intimacy. Her pair of almond eyes looked Lu Yu over from head to toe before she held her cup and took a sip of tea:
"So Your Majesty really is ill."
Lu Yu found this amusing: "Did you think it was fake?"
Gu Han blushed, humming and hawing for a while before mumbling:
"I thought Your Majesty didn't want to enter the harem and was just making excuses to put us off."
Hearing such improper words, Lu Yu wanted to scold her. This woman had originally seemed so gentle and proper, but the closer he got to her, the more her true nature showed, quite mischievous. Yet when she spoke, it was soft and slow, making it impossible to feel any annoyance toward her.
Lu Yu reached out and flicked her forehead, saying seriously:
"You've been spending time with Concubine Zhou. I had thought she might learn from you and become quieter and more composed. I never expected it to be reversed, you've learned her loose tongue instead. Even daring to say things that question imperial pronouncements. Aren't you afraid I'll punish you?"
Gu Han covered her forehead and hooked onto Lu Yu's sleeve, softening her voice: "I only say such things in front of Your Majesty."
Her deliberate show of submission immediately deflated his temper.
After a while, Lu Yu said:
"These next few days, I'll be entering the harem less. Don't cause trouble."
These words made Gu Han unhappy. She drooped her eyes listlessly and said sullenly: "When have I ever deliberately caused trouble?"
Should she be blamed for trouble that others deliberately sought with her?
Seeing her like this, Lu Yu knew she'd misunderstood. He lifted his hand to grasp her chin, forcing her to raise her head, then lowered his voice:
"Your temper is getting bigger and bigger. You know very well what I mean."
"Yu Cáirén will be coming out to pay respects. She did wrong by you, but she did give birth to the little prince after all. I can't punish her severely. If you run into her, just ignore her."
Concubine Chen's fate was still fresh in everyone's minds. Lu Yu understood this woman's temperament somewhat, she was naturally petty.
Gu Han felt put out hearing this. She bit her lip and pushed his hand away:
"After all this talk, Your Majesty is just afraid I'll bully Yu Cáirén."
Lu Yu got a headache from this. The vein at his temple twitched as he scoffed:
"Whether I favor you or her, isn't that clear in your heart?"
Everyone had to yield before an imperial heir. When Yu Cáirén's plot against her failed, Lu Yu still demoted her on the very day she gave birth. If anyone else had been in Gu Han's place, just see whether he would have done the same.
Gu Han looked at him with annoyed eyes: "Then what does Your Majesty mean?"
Lu Yu couldn't bear seeing her like this. All his temper immediately vanished as he helplessly hinted:
"Think about where the little prince is being raised."
The little prince was being raised in Yè Xiūróng's palace. The previous court had achieved the result he wanted, and with the little prince as a bond, Yè Xiūróng and Yu Cáirén would inevitably form an alliance. With Yè Xiūróng there, how much could Gu Han accomplish by targeting Yu Cáirén?
But Lu Yu couldn't spell all this out for Gu Han.
He did favor Gu Han, but Yè Xiūróng and Yu Cáirén were also palace consorts. That he could hint this much showed he truly cherished Gu Han.
Gu Han twisted her handkerchief, still listlessly lowering her eyelids, hiding the emotions in her eyes.
Actually, Gu Han had already vented most of her anger. But since the Emperor didn't know these details, she had to put on a bit of a show in front of him.
After quite a while of her silence, Lu Yu pinched her cheek and asked quietly:
"Still unhappy?"
Gu Han turned her face away and said in a muffled voice: "I'm willing to listen to Your Majesty, but it's precisely because of this that they think I'm easy to bully."
Lu Yu was momentarily choked up, unable to refute what she had said at all.
After a slight pause, Lu Yu said:
"Fine."
As long as she didn't go too far, Yè Xiūróng wouldn't meddle unnecessarily. Besides, he was here after all. There really was no reason for her to keep yielding.
Otherwise people would look down on her and take her even less seriously.
---
Author's Note:
Kunning Palace: Empress
Yi'an Palace: Consort Shu
Xianleng Palace: Imperial Consort De
Zhaoyang Palace → Main Hall: Xiuyi He
Zhaoyang Palace → Side Hall: Rong Baolin
Yihe Palace → Changchun Pavilion: Female Lead
Rongcui Hall: Beauty Miao
Cuizhu Pavilion: Beauty Lin
Changning Courtyard: Zhou Meiren
Hanleng Palace → (Main Hall transferred to Side Hall): Talented Lady Yuan
Also appearing: Noble Lady Lin, Liu Baolin
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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