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Translator's note: I would like to give a big shoutout to Stephnora and Anxiousempathx for supporting me. you made me so happy guys. A big thank you to all my dear readers who stayed even with the caotic posting schedule. you all have my heart.
Chapter 129: Change in the Wind
It was already the middle of the night. The night was thick and dark. The sound of weeping continued in Kunning Palace. Gu Han and Zhou Bin sat in the side hall while palace servants continuously massaged their knees. Even with the quilted silk, after a long time, their knees were aching and sore.
Zhou Bin had never suffered such hardship. She couldn't help asking, "When can we go back?"
Gu Han looked at the hourglass. "It’s late. You go back to your palace and rest first, but come back before the hour of Chen (7 AM) tomorrow."
Hearing she had to be back before 7 AM, Zhou Bin immediately looked listless. Her knees were hurting badly, so she didn't waste any more time and stood up. "Then I’ll head back. Oh, I saw the Marchioness of Rongyang earlier."
Gu Han nodded; she had seen her mother too. During a national mourning vigil, these titled ladies were destined to get no rest. The Imperial Kitchen would prepare some simple vegetarian night-meals. Gu Han was worried about her mother's health and looked at the hourglass several times.
Jiu Nian was kneeling and rubbing her legs. Seeing this, she said, "Why don't you take the Marchioness back with you when you return to rest, My Lady? You can come back together tomorrow."
Gu Han lived alone in Yihe Palace; clearing a side hall for the Marchioness to rest was no trouble. But Gu Han paused and said, "Let's wait a bit longer."
Jiu Nian didn't understand. Zhou Bin had already left, and she had just stepped out and noticed Consort Shu was no longer in the main hall either. What was her mistress waiting for?
Gu Han waited for another fifteen minutes but still didn't see Lu Yu. Her eyes darkened imperceptibly before she told Jiu Nian, "Go and call my Mother. Say I have summoned her."
Jiu Nian left, and the eunuch Xiao Fang-zi came forward to support Gu Han, saying in a very low voice, "The Emperor went to Cining Palace during the first half of the night."
Gu Han narrowed her eyes. The first half of the night?
Gu Han suddenly felt she couldn't understand the Emperor again. Regardless of everything, the Empress was his legal wife. Now that the Empress’s body was lying in this state in Kunning Palace, would the Emperor not even come to offer a single stick of incense?
Jiu Nian entered the main hall and bowed under the gaze of the various noblewomen. "Marchioness, My Lady asks for you to come over."
Even if some of the ladies didn't recognize Jiu Nian, they immediately knew whose person she was. There were few people in the palace called "My Lady," and the only one connected to the Rongyang Marquis household was that one.
The noblewomen nearby exchanged glances, their expressions varied. The Marchioness was also startled, but she bowed her head respectfully. "Please lead the way, Auntie."
Regardless of status, these titled ladies were very polite to palace personnel—calling eunuchs "Gong-gong" and maids "Gu-gu" (Auntie) was a standard rule. Even though Jiu Nian had once been a mere servant girl in the Marquis's house, the Marchioness did not neglect her in the slightest.
Gu Han met her mother on the small path beside Kunning Palace. Seeing her dressed so thinly, she immediately handed over a cloak from a servant's hands. "Mother, why did you come to the palace dressed so thinly?"
The cold night wind was biting. The Marchioness didn't refuse her daughter’s kindness. Wrapping the cloak tightly, she said with a bitter smile, "When the news came from the palace, your father and I were already asleep. We came in such a hurry, we couldn't think of such things."
Gu Han frowned but said nothing more. "Come back with me to rest; we will come back together tomorrow."
The Marchioness hesitated. "That is not in accordance with the rules."
It was a matter of everyone turning a blind eye. Gu Han knew what she was worried about and interrupted her. "It’s fine." If she couldn't even manage to give her mother a little convenience, she would be unworthy of the title of a favored consort with a son.
Seeing her non-negotiable expression, the Marchioness stopped speaking. She had been kneeling half the night and felt uncomfortable all over; she followed Gu Han back to Yihe Palace.
Gu Han pointed to the side hall. "The Prince and Princess are living there. They should be asleep now, so I won't take you in to avoid waking them. You can see them when you wake up tomorrow."
The Marchioness hadn't expected to see her grandson and granddaughter during this visit. A hidden joy touched her face, and she waved her hand. "No rush. Letting the Prince and Princess rest is what matters."
Gu Han had her servants prepare a side hall and sent her mother to rest. After staying up half the night, she was so tired she was a bit dazed, let alone her mother.
Gu Han didn't hide her actions from others. When Lu Yu found out, he only said, "There are so many people keeping vigil; one missing person won't matter."
The head eunuch Liu An was already used to the Emperor’s blatant favoritism. Besides, the vigil lasted seven days; if Gu Han truly collapsed from exhaustion, the ones who would suffer would be the servants like them.
The other consorts mostly remained silent upon hearing the news. Some, like Ye Xiu-rong, went to the side hall to check on the Second Prince. Her legs also ached from kneeling; her servants brought hot water for her to soak her feet. As she dried them and climbed into bed, she suddenly muttered, "The sky in the Palace is about to change."
The maid was confused and didn't know whether to respond. Ye Xiūróng gave a long sigh. "The younger generation is truly formidable."
The maid understood this part. "Is My Lady speaking of Zhao Xiūróng?" She felt her mistress was exaggerating and tested the waters: "Even if the Empress and Ling Zhāoróng are gone, there is still Consort Shu ahead of her. How can she deserve such praise?"
Ye Xiūróng shook her head silently. "Do you think the 'change' I spoke of refers to Gu Han?"
The maid was confused again. Fearing her servants would cause trouble, Ye Xiūróng broke it down for her. "If you ask me whom I admire most in this harem, Ling Zhāoróng would be first. Gu Han indeed has great favor, and she might not be inferior to Ling Zhāoróng, but in one thing, she is not as ruthless as Ling Zhāoróng was."
This ruthlessness referred not just to others, but to oneself. "You heard Ling Zhāoróng's words today. She risked her life just to snatch back a sliver of the Emperor’s trust."
The maid felt it was a pity. "My Lady says you admire Ling Zhāoróng, but she could have kept those things quiet. Wouldn't it have been better to let the Emperor remember her as his savior?"
Ye Xiūróng shook her head. "That is where her brilliance lies."
"Regardless of who benefited from today's events, aside from the Empress and Ling Zhāoróng, who do you think was struck the hardest?"
The maid was blank. Ye Xiūróng told her calmly, "It was the Emperor."
To kill the heart—to be pointed at and called a fool by a servant, to be told by his most trusted consort that the life-saving debt was nothing but a scheme... all these things were heavy blows to the Emperor.
Why was the Emperor called a fool? Why did Ling Zhāoróng risk everything for a sliver of trust? It was all because he listened to one-sided stories and placed blind faith in the Empress. Ling Zhāoróng would rather lose all her posthumous honors just to completely erase the Empress from the Emperor’s heart.
In fact, Ye Xiūróng suspected that the old nurse confessing everything was also Ling Zhāoróng’s doing. Otherwise, since the Empress died in childbirth, wouldn't the Emperor have felt a sense of lingering guilt for her?
After this, even if the Emperor isn't fully enlightened, he should at least reflect. And the more clear-headed and just the Emperor becomes, the safer the Eldest Princess, who has no one to rely on—will be.
But there was one thing that felt off to Ye Xiūróng. Why did it feel like Ling Zhāoróng’s actions were also paving the way for someone else? Yet Ling Zhāoróng never made friends in the palace.
Ye Xiūróng thought about it, and there was only one person who seemed a possibility: Gu Han. Gu Han has Favor and a son, and most importantly, she has the hidden backing of the Empress Dowager. Looking at how Zhou Bin only associates with her, one can guess. It wouldn't be surprising if Ling Zhāoróng placed her bet on Gu Han before she died.
That was why Ye Xiūróng remarked that the younger generation was formidable. So what if Gu Han isn't as ruthless to herself as Ling Zhāoróng? Just by the fact that she can make the Emperor truly like her, she has a talent others cannot reach.
Ye Xiūróng lost the desire to speak further. Seeing her maid still looked doubtful, she gave a low laugh. "Just wait and see. She won't be a 'Xiurong' for much longer."
Yesterday, Gu Han didn't return to bed until after midnight. When she was woken by her servants at 7 AM, she was so tired she couldn't open her eyes. No matter how much Jiu Nian felt for her, she could only use warm water to soak a cloth and press it to her face.
Gu Han’s groggy mind gradually cleared. The nannies brought in the Prince and Princess. She put on her shoes and asked, "Where is my Mother?"
"Jiu Si is serving her." Gu Han nodded; Jiu Si was someone from the Marquis's house, so her mother wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
The Imperial Kitchen sent breakfast, very plain and vegetarian. Gu Han said nothing and drank a bowl of rice porridge. She didn't disturb the Marchioness, who was happily holding the infants, and asked quietly: "After I returned yesterday, did anything happen at Kunning Palace?"
Xiao Fang-zi was observant. "Nothing happened, and the Emperor did not appear."
Gu Han frowned slightly. After a night's sleep, she had mostly guessed Ling Zhāoróng’s intention, and she had to accept this favor.
Putting down her chopsticks, she suddenly remembered something. "Where is the little Princess?" Yesterday the Empress Dowager took the Eldest Princess, but there had been no word on where the Empress’s newborn baby would go.
Given the Empress's situation, it was likely the baby's health was poor, maybe similar to the Eldest Princess's. This was a "hot potato." First, she was a legitimate Princess; second, she was frail, one mistake and she could stop breathing. Who would dare take her? Gu Han certainly didn't.
Xiao Fang-zi hesitated. "After the Emperor went to Cining Palace yesterday, he took the little Princess back to Yangxin Hall."
He peeked at his mistress. To be raised in Yangxin Hall was an honor usually reserved for princes; he was worried Gu Han would feel unhappy.
Xiao Fang-zi was overthinking. Gu Han’s first thought was: The Empress Dowager was unwilling to take the baby? Otherwise, why did the Emperor wait until after leaving Cining Palace to take her to his own hall?
A Princess is not like a Prince; the Emperor cannot personally raise her for long. He would eventually pick a consort to act as her mother. Because of the baby’s special status, the records of her birth mother could never be changed.
Gu Han felt a bit of trepidation. The Emperor wouldn't ask her to raise the little Princess, would he?
While Gu Han was worrying, Lu Yu was also thinking about this. He had gone through all the consorts of the third rank and above in his head. Finally, his gaze landed on Gu Han’s name.
Liu An saw this. "Is Your Majesty going to give the little Princess to Zhao Xiūróng to raise?"
Liu An thought he had guessed right; after all, the Emperor only seemed to trust her now.
To his surprise, the Emperor shook his head expressionlessly. After a long silence, Lu Yu’s voice rang out:
"She wouldn't want it."
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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