THE IMPERIAL CONSORT'S RISE TO POWER

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Translator's note: Finally there are advance chapters availaible on Kofi

Chapter 84

On the way to Xuanming Palace, Gu Han thought of many things, whether this trip would expose her relationship with Xie Chang'an and draw him into others' sights. The risk was enormous, yet Gu Han couldn't turn a blind eye to Xie Chang'an's peril.

A quarter of an hour later.

The palanquin stopped outside Xuanming Palace. Jiu nian supported Gu Han as they hurried into the western side hall. The moment they entered, they heard An Cáirén's hysterical voice:

"How dare you!"

Gu Han looked around, her eyes sweeping the room. She saw Xiao Fangzi supporting a young eunuch, his worried expression impossible to hide. The young eunuch had his back to Gu Han, preventing her from seeing his face clearly, but just that one silhouette made Gu Han hesitate.

An Cáirén hadn't yet noticed Gu Han and continued her furious rebuke:

"Barging into my palace without reason, even if Noble Lady Zhao came in person, I won't let you off!"

Who could understand the grievances in An Cáirén's heart today?

Publicly slapped by Yuan Cáirén, losing all face and dignity, then encountering a servant who didn't take her seriously, she'd brought the servant back to her palace and had just ordered him to kneel when suddenly Xiao Fangzi and Jiu si burst in, interrupting what she'd planned to do next.

In her fury, An Cáirén had spoken without thinking.

Gu Han pulled a cold smile, raised her eyes, and looked coolly at An Cáirén:

"Whether I can be forgiven or not, I'm afraid An Cáirén doesn't have the authority to say."

That one cold, emotionless sentence made An Cáirén freeze. She suddenly looked up to see Noble Lady Zhao standing there, she didn't know when she had arrived or how much of her wild ranting she'd heard. Her expression changed several times immediately.

Hearing that voice, the person who had been keeping his head lowered also stiffened for a moment.

Quickly, she forced herself to remain calm:

"Regardless, these two servants barged into my palace, that's insubordination. Even if we go before the Empress, I have my rights!"

Though An Cáirén still held her neck stiffly, clearly her arrogance had diminished considerably.

Supported by Jiu nian, Gu Han stepped forward two paces and finally saw Xie Chang'an clearly. Just one glance, and Gu Han couldn't bear to look directly at him again. In her memory, Xie Chang'an was still that Second Young Master Xie—noble and refined like a gentle breeze under clear skies.

But now, he kept his head lowered, his back slightly hunched, weakness clinging to his features. Three years in the palace had worn him down terribly, not a trace remained of his former nobility and proud bearing.

Gu Han suppressed the bitterness in her heart, not letting anyone detect anything unusual. Xiao Fangzi supported Xie Chang'an as they retreated a few steps. Just those few steps deepened the lines between Xie Chang'an's brows considerably. Gu Han's gaze moved downward, landing on his knees, where there seemed to be some darkness.

Gu Han's expression changed instantly. She looked toward the prayer cushion on the floor. Seeing this, An Cáirén stepped forward somewhat guiltily, trying to block her view. Gu Han's heart kept sinking.

She let go of Jiu nian's supporting hand and crouched down to feel the cushion. The moment she touched it, her fingertips felt a sharp pain. Hidden inside this cushion were silver needles!!

Gu Han immediately stood up and slapped An Cáirén hard across the face. Her sleeve seemed to carry the sound of wind. Before An Cáirén could react, she was clutching her burning cheek and had fallen sideways to the ground. She looked up at Noble Lady Zhao in disbelief.

Gu Han raised her hand to point at her. The angrier she became, the calmer she grew, and her words came out cold enough to hurt:

"Private punishment is forbidden in the harem. You, a mere Cáirén, dare to be so presumptuous!"

An Cáirén's eyes flickered guiltily as she said: "This worthless servant was disrespectful to me, so I punished him..."

Gu Han had no desire to hear anything she had to say. Worried about Xie Chang'an's injuries, she dropped a single sentence:

"Who are you to do so?!"

This referred not only to Xie Chang'an but also to An Cáirén's wild accusations against Jiu si and the others when Gu Han first entered.

Gu Han calmed herself somewhat and ordered Xiao Fangzi: "Take him back to Zhongsheng Hall."

Throughout this exchange, Gu Han didn't even dare glance at Xie Chang'an. Xiao Fangzi understood perfectly and hurriedly led people to take Xie Chang'an away.

An Cáirén didn't dare openly oppose Noble Lady Zhao, but she really couldn't save face, so she said:

"He's not from Changchun Pavilion, why is Noble Lady Zhao standing up for him?!"

Gu Han glanced at her coldly: "What I choose to do requires no explanation to you."

"Someone come. An Cáirén has committed insubordination. Give her ten slaps and make her kneel for half a shichen, kneeling on this very cushion."

An Cáirén was terrified. Seeing palace servants approaching, she struggled desperately, crying out continuously: "You can't do this! You can't! This is private punishment, His Majesty and the Empress won't allow it!"

The moment she was pressed down to kneel on the cushion, An Cáirén couldn't help but scream in pain.

Gu Han turned a blind eye to this, saying coldly: "If you're dissatisfied, I'll wait at Changchun Pavilion for you to report me to the Empress!"

Dropping this sentence, Gu Han turned and left directly.

Less than half a shichen later, the palanquin returned to Changchun Pavilion. Nanny Zhao had just finished preparing medicinal food. Without commenting on her whereabouts, she simply said:

"Your complexion doesn't look good, Mistress. Drink the medicinal food first."

Gu Han didn't refuse. She smiled faintly at Nanny Zhao and drank the medicinal food as usual. But for some reason, the moment it entered her stomach, her expression changed. She covered her mouth and retched repeatedly.

Changchun Pavilion immediately descended into chaos.

The Emperor had been very busy today. Having just emerged from the Imperial Study, Lu Yu saw a servant say something to Liu An. Liu An's eyes widened. Seeing this, Lu Yu lifted his eyelids slightly. Once he'd boarded the palanquin and Liu An approached, he tapped the edge of the window frame, saying indifferently:

"What happened?"

Liu An bowed respectfully, his words carrying some surprise:

"Today Noble Lady Zhao went to Xuanming Palace. It's said that An Cáirén had detained a servant. After returning to her palace, Noble Lady Zhao suddenly couldn't stop vomiting and can't eat anything. Nanny Zhao just summoned the imperial physician."

After a pause, Liu An added: "Xuanming Palace also requested an imperial physician."

But clearly, His Majesty hadn't taken in the second half of his statement at all, only stopping on the fact that Noble Lady Zhao couldn't stop vomiting. His eyes darkened:

"Proceed to Changchun Pavilion!"

He'd just spent last night at Changchun Pavilion. When he left this morning, the woman had been perfectly fine, nothing wrong at all. It had only been half a day, and now she couldn't eat anything. Although this was a normal reaction during pregnancy, when it came to Gu Han, Lu Yu felt something was off.

By the time he arrived at Changchun Pavilion, Lu Yu saw Jiu si carrying medicine inside. The moment it was brought before Gu Han, it triggered a reaction—her face paled slightly. She pushed away the medicine bowl in Jiu si's hands and clutched a spittoon, vomiting continuously.

Perhaps she'd been vomiting severely before, there was hardly anything left in her stomach. After retching for a long while, she only brought up bitter water.

Lu Yu strode inside, demanding sternly: "What exactly is going on?"

Even Nanny Zhao couldn't explain clearly.

But when Gu Han saw him, she covered her face with both hands, her voice weak and powerless with a hint of tears: "Your... Majesty, please leave..."

Lu Yu paused mid-step, neither advancing nor retreating, completely bewildered as he looked at the woman, not knowing when he'd offended her again. Even in this condition, she wouldn't let him come one step closer.

It was Nanny Zhao, who'd lived long and seen much, who carefully observed that His Majesty truly showed no trace of disgust before quietly explaining on Gu Han's behalf:

"Please forgive her, Your Majesty. The Imperial Consort is pregnant for the first time. Encountering this situation for the first time, naturally she doesn't want the one she holds dear to see her in such an unsightly state."

Especially since no matter what one had eaten during the day, once vomiting occurred, the entire room would smell unpleasant. Fortunately, the palace didn't use any incense, and the servants had opened the windows to let in fresh air, making the hall somewhat better.

Lu Yu couldn't honestly claim the hall had no odor, but seeing the woman's eyes reddened with distress, appearing utterly miserable, he couldn't care about such things for the moment.

However heartless he might be, he wasn't so tactless as to disdain her when Gu Han was bearing him children.

Understanding what Gu Han was worried about, Lu Yu's concern diminished somewhat. Feeling both amused and exasperated, he stepped forward to grasp the woman's hands, pulling them from her face, saying sternly with annoyance:

"Is this how shallow you think I am?"

Gu Han hesitantly raised her eyes to glance at him. Though she said nothing, that single look made her meaning unmistakably clear.

Lu Yu immediately felt a surge of frustration stuck in his chest, unable to rise or descend, suffocatingly oppressive.

He admitted that initially he'd treated her well because she was beautiful. Even now, he wouldn't deny that factor still played a role, but was that the only reason?

Annoyed, Lu Yu flicked her forehead hard without holding back. Gu Han's skin was already fair, and her forehead quickly reddened.

Gu Han covered her forehead with a muffled groan. Seeing this, Nanny Zhao gave Lu Yu a disapproving look.

Lu Yu's temples throbbed with a headache. For a moment, he didn't know whether assigning Nanny Zhao to the woman had been good or bad.

After a moment, he avoided looking at the woman and instead asked Nanny Zhao:

"What did the imperial physician say?"

Nanny Zhao glanced at Gu Han. Seeing her keep her eyes lowered without movement, Nanny Zhao told the truth: "The physician said the Imperial Consort experienced excessive emotional fluctuations, which intensified her pregnancy symptoms."

Lu Yu frowned: "Excessive emotions?"

He looked at the woman suspiciously and asked her directly:

"What did you do today?"

Gu Han bit her lip lightly. As early as when she'd headed to Xuanming Palace, Gu Han had known that even if Lu Yu previously hadn't known Xie Chang'an was in the harem, after today's events, Xie Chang'an's existence could no longer be hidden from the Emperor.

As for why she thought His Majesty might not have previously known Xie Chang'an was in the palace, the harem had thousands upon thousands of servants. For someone of Lu Yu's status to be aware of every single servant would be somewhat impossible.

Even though Xie Chang'an's identity was somewhat special, to the Emperor, he still wasn't worthy of attention.

Seeing her hesitate, Lu Yu became more attentive instead. He glanced at Liu An, and soon everyone in the hall had withdrawn.

Gu Han chose to tell the Emperor this matter herself. Regardless, it was better than having others tell His Majesty and causing unnecessary trouble. Gu Han lowered her head slightly and said quietly:

"Your Majesty should know that my elder sister once had a marriage engagement with the former Second Young Master of the Xie family."

Lu Yu nodded imperceptibly.

At the time, this matter had been known throughout the capital without exception. The Xie family fell, and the eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Rongyang's household died of illness. The Xie family had been his political enemies at the time, but that didn't mean he had any personal opinion of Xie Chang'an. To the world, Gu Tang could be called deeply devoted.

It was just that later generations had to bear the burden of that deep devotion.

But Lu Yu didn't understand why Gu Han was bringing this up now.

After the Xie family's downfall and the execution of the entire household, Lu Yu had never paid attention to the matter again. Even after learning that Xie Chang'an had disappeared, Lu Yu had never taken it to heart.

The Xie family had never possessed military power. A person who'd lost his family's protection and could be called powerless posed no threat whatsoever to Lu Yu.

As for whether others would help Xie Chang'an?

Lu Yu lowered his eyes coolly. When it came to self-interest, who would dare invite trouble upon themselves?

Though Gu Han seemed to speak hesitantly, she was constantly observing Lu Yu's expression. Seeing his indifference, she knew he hadn't taken the matter much to heart. Gu Han was very clear about her own circumstances. If she truly harbored hatred toward Lu Yu because of the Xie family's downfall, she wouldn't have chosen to enter the palace in the first place.

The matter of choosing sides in the succession struggle could be called a gamble, one accepts the outcome, win or lose.

Gu Han gathered her thoughts before saying softly: "Back then, Second Young Master Xie treated me like a real older brother, very well."

She wanted to lay groundwork for what she was about to say, but when Lu Yu heard "very well," he found it rather distasteful. He clicked his tongue lightly and interrupted her:

"Speak plainly."

He had no patience for hearing about how well some other man had treated her.

Since entering the palace, he'd showered her with endless favor, yet he'd never heard a single word of praise from her.

Gu Han lowered her eyelids. Inside her sleeve, she clutched her handkerchief tightly, her voice very soft and quiet:

"The person An Cáirén brought back to her palace today... was Xie Chang'an.”

Translator's note: guys please i am looking for a volunteer editor, chat me up on dis cord if you are interested. Discord: d_ladypresident

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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