THE IMPERIAL CONSORT'S RISE TO POWER

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

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..." Today, we join together in remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross and the profound sacrifice that changed the world forever. Have a blessed and reflective Easter season.

Chapter 78

Gu Han grasped Lu Yu's sleeve and said quietly: "Your Majesty, I'm not feeling well. I'd like to return."

She had just come out and was already saying she felt unwell. Lu Yu furrowed his brows very slightly but didn't stop her, watching as Jiu Nian helped her back to the inner hall.

When passing Zhāoróng Ling, Gu Han couldn't help herself, she turned her head to look at her once more.

Zhāoróng Ling was puzzled but still forced herself to smile at her. What surprised Zhāoróng Ling was that Noble Lady Zhao seemed to freeze for a moment, then quickly turned her head away and stopped looking at her.

In the inner hall, A You was applying medicine to Zhou Měirén. Seeing Gu Han return in such a distracted state, she couldn't help but be surprised:

"How did you come back so quickly?"

Jiu Nian glanced at her mistress and shook her head at Zhou Měirén.

Zhou Měirén looked at Gu Han suspiciously. Gu Han took a deep breath. After a moment, she rubbed her forehead with a headache and instructed quietly: "Go out and keep watch."

Jiu Nian looked at her worriedly before bowing and withdrawing.

Zhou Měirén was completely confused. What on earth had happened in the outer hall?

Gu Han's thoughts were unsettled. She began questioning why the Empress and Consort Shu had wanted Zhāoróng Ling to appear. Judging from their past attitudes toward Zhāoróng Ling, she seemed inconsequential, they'd never actively mentioned her, naturally there'd been no confrontation either.

She placed her hand on her lower abdomen and gently rubbed, constantly warning herself to stay calm.

After a long while, just as Zhou Měirén was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard Gu Han ask:

"Has Her Majesty ever told you why Zhāoróng Ling has been recuperating in the palace all this time?"

Zhou Měirén immediately became alert. The "Her Majesty" Gu Han referred to could only be the Empress Dowager. Though Zhou Měirén didn't know why she'd ask this, she thought carefully for a moment before shaking her head:

"Aunt never mentioned Zhāoróng Ling to me."

Before Gu Han could feel disappointed, Zhou Měirén continued:

"However, before entering the palace, I did hear some news related to Zhāoróng Ling."

Unlike Gu Han, before entering the palace Zhou Měirén had admired the Emperor and was determined to enter, and because she had the convenience of the Empress Dowager, she wasn't as unfamiliar with palace secrets as the other new consorts.

"You should know Zhāoróng Ling is from Jiangnan. When she first entered the prince's residence, her health wasn't as poor as it is now. I heard that a year ago, when Zhāoróng Ling accompanied His Majesty on the southern tour, an incident occurred. The imperial procession hurriedly returned to the capital, and after that, Zhāoróng Ling's health collapsed."

When Zhāoróng Ling gave birth to the little princess, she had a difficult delivery, causing her health to deteriorate. The little princess also suffered from congenital deficiencies. Later, her health had finally improved somewhat when she accompanied the Emperor on the southern tour, only to suffer another misfortune. After returning, she'd barely left Chonghui Palace's gates.

Zhou Měirén quietly told Gu Han all the news she knew, then looked up puzzled:

"What's so special about this Zhāoróng Ling? After you went out, you came back looking like you'd suffered a huge blow."

Gu Han didn't know how to explain. It wasn't that she'd suffered a blow, her feelings were just complicated.

She was curious about the incident Zhou Měirén mentioned and wanted to ask, but since Zhou Měirén hadn't said more, it meant she didn't know either. Gu Han recalled Zhāoróng Ling's pallor and weak, powerless steps. Gu Han didn't doubt at all that she didn't have much time left to live.

Such a person could be said to pose no real threat.

So what were the Empress and Consort Shu trying to do?

Gu Han couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she thought. Her forehead throbbed with needle-like pains. She rubbed it and drew in a sharp breath. Zhou Měirén couldn't stand seeing her torment herself like this:

"Enough. You just had a fright, what can't wait until later?"

Zhou Měirén glared at Jiu Si: "Help your mistress lie down already."

Gu Han didn't resist and let Zhou Měirén give orders. Seeing her lie down obediently, Zhou Měirén lowered her voice:

"You're usually so clever, don't get confused now. Never mind any Zhāoróng Ling. Your top priority is to take care of your health. If you lose the big picture over small matters, you'll regret it later."

Zhou Měirén glanced at her and said meaningfully: "Besides, cousin is here."

This sentence completely cleared Gu Han's head.

Indeed, the Emperor was here.

Gu Han's mind flashed back to what the Emperor had said when she'd first been found pregnant, you know what you should and shouldn't do.

In the Emperor's eyes, she was someone with proper judgment. Then she absolutely couldn't lose that sense of proportion over other matters.

At that moment in the outer hall, everyone was still shocked by the recent discovery. For a time, no one spoke. Lu Yu ordered servants to give Zhāoróng Ling a seat. She'd just sat down when another bout of coughing seized her.

These sounds finally brought everyone back to their senses. The Empress looked at Zhāoróng Ling with concern:

"Ah, this concerns an imperial heir, we had no choice but to make you come."

Toward the Empress, Zhāoróng Ling's attitude wasn't as courteous as it had been toward Gu Han. It was even somewhat coldly indifferent. She only lowered her head, not meeting the Empress's eyes, and said weakly:

"The Empress gives me too much credit."

Not a word more to the Empress.

The consorts found this unsurprising. Consort Shu even raised her handkerchief to cover her lips, hiding the slight curve at the corners.

Lu Yu seemed oblivious to the atmosphere between the two. Somewhat impatiently cutting off the Empress's pleasantries, he said directly:

"We summoned you because today's incident involves Chonghui Palace. The servants should have told you everything on your way here."

Zhāoróng Ling smiled bitterly: "This consort's health is poor. When the First Prince rests, I can only hand him to the servants. The First Prince is young after all, he might wander near the Cold Palace. Perhaps they simply didn't notice the route for a moment. As for the specific reasons, this consort doesn't know either."

The people around the First Prince had all been personally arranged by the Emperor. Moreover, the First Prince wasn't Zhāoróng Ling's biological child. He was old enough to remember things, and Zhāoróng Ling had always treated him more courteously than intimately.

So to pin what the First Prince's people did on Zhāoróng Ling was rather far-fetched to begin with.

Zhāoróng Ling glanced at the Empress and shook her head inwardly, wondering why their Empress had wanted her to make this trip today.

Lu Yu also glanced at the Empress discreetly.

Having investigated this far, Lady Lin had never actively contacted Lady He. The Empress had never sent anyone to the Cold Palace. Only the First Prince's people had made contact, and the First Prince's people were personally arranged by the Emperor.

It seemed Zhāoróng Ling was implicated, but Lu Yu knew clearly in his heart that anyone in the harem might strike at Gu Han, except Zhāoróng Ling.

The trail seemed to end here.

But who in this palace had such heaven-reaching methods? Lu Yu wasn't without suspicions, but the one thing Lu Yu couldn't understand was, what exactly did the Empress want to do?

Harm the imperial heir in Gu Han's womb?

That didn't seem right either. Currently only Hanxi Palace and Chonghui Palace had princes. Whatever schemes the Empress made would only benefit others.

No matter how puzzled Lu Yu was, without evidence he couldn't do anything to the Empress. The hall was silent when Qiu Cáirén suddenly said suspiciously:

"Since someone used Lady Yu's death to try to harm Noble Lady Zhao, and we can't find anything from Noble Lady Zhao's side, why not investigate from Lady Yu's side?"

After Qiu Cáirén spoke, Liu An imperceptibly touched his nose.

Who didn't know Lady Yu's death was connected to today's incident?

But the higher-ranking people hadn't mentioned this matter. Even when Noble Lady Zhao came out earlier, she hadn't said anything about investigating Lady Yu. Lady Yu's death was predestined, once they investigated, they might very well uncover things that shouldn't be uncovered.

Anyone with eyes didn't want to invite trouble.

This Qiu Cáirén had been silent all along, yet chose this moment to show off her cleverness.

Seeing that after she spoke, not a single person in the hall agreed, Qiu Cáirén was puzzled and confused. She stole a glance at the Emperor, not understanding where she'd gone wrong.

Just as she was about to say more, the servant beside her tugged at her.

The servants didn't know the truth, but she did, sometimes being deaf and mute was safest in this harem.

After such prolonged silence, no matter how foolish Qiu Cáirén was, she understood there was something suspicious about Lady Yu's death. Her body trembled. She wished she could go back in time and slap herself for speaking. She quickly stepped back into the crowd, hiding herself.

Finally, it was the Empress who broke the silence:

"Your Majesty, it's getting late, almost time for morning court. Moreover, with all of us blocking here, Noble Lady Zhao can't rest properly either. Why don't we disperse for today?"

Even the Court of Judicial Review wouldn't solve a case in just one day.

Lu Yu's fingers tapped on the armrest. He knew full well the truth of this matter couldn't be uncovered, but to let it go like this left him unsettled too. After a long pause, he said heavily: "Lady Lin and Lady He plotted to harm an imperial heir. Grant them death."

The Empress's expression immediately changed:

"Your Majesty?!"

Lu Yu looked directly at her: "Lady He in the Cold Palace indeed only had contact with Lady Lin. No one can prove Lady Lin is innocent."

The Empress was about to speak when Lu Yu directly cut her off:

"This concerns an imperial heir. I will absolutely not show leniency!"

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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