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Translator's note: Finally there are advance chapters availaible on Kofi
Chapter 121
Xiao Chongzi was escorted back to Chonghui Palace. The moment he entered the hall, his legs went so weak he collapsed to his knees, stammering in panic and fear:
"Your—Your Majesty, this servant knows nothing!"
Anyone could see he was hiding something.
Lu Yu only glanced at him once before suddenly falling silent. Liu An sighed inwardly. It was Consort Shu who stepped forward, frowning:
"Why did you go to the training grounds today?"
Xiao Chongzi kept his head down, covered in cold sweat: "This servant wasn't on duty today and was just wandering around the palace. I unconsciously walked to the training grounds, this servant didn't do anything!"
No one believed these words. Consort Shu only sneered coldly:
"I see you won't shed tears until you see your coffin! The hour of mao hadn't even broken dawn yet—you took advantage of the darkness to go to the training grounds just to casually stroll around?!"
Xiao Chongzi was struck speechless. He kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, insisting he'd only wandered to the training grounds by accident. Consort Chen looked at him with eyes that wanted to drink his blood.
Gu Han coldly watched this farce. At this moment, she was almost certain the Empress was being framed.
But unfortunately, among everyone, the Empress had the most suspicion. Even if Xiao Chongzi refused to confess unto death, the only evidence still vaguely pointed to the Empress.
Suddenly, Lu Yu lowered his eyes and looked at Xiao Chongzi with cold indifference. He asked expressionlessly:
"I'm asking you one last time—who instructed you to plot against the imperial heir?"
A drop of cold sweat slid from the corner of Xiao Chongzi's eye. He swallowed hard. The prepared explanation he'd readied struggled to leave his mouth at this moment:
"...This—this servant is wronged!"
He only said this one sentence. Even when finally dragged into the Bureau of Careful Punishment, he never implicated anyone.
But the more he acted this way, the more people couldn't help suspecting the Empress. Xiao Chongzi had served the Empress for nearly ten years. Besides the Empress, who else was worth him risking his life to conceal the truth?
Xiao Chongzi was dragged away, but Chonghui Palace remained silent as cicadas in winter. Everyone didn't even dare breathe heavily.
Seeing the Emperor make no move for a long time, Consort Chen looked up in disbelief:
"Your Majesty! The evidence all points to the Empress wanting to harm the eldest prince! What are you still hesitating about?!"
Lu Yu's face was grim. His gaze swept over everyone in the hall—not even skipping Gu Han. So he very clearly noticed the woman's expression. Lu Yu paused almost imperceptibly.
He couldn't quite read the emotion in the woman's eyes. She seemed to have guessed today's incident had nothing to do with the Empress, but she was still observing, as if waiting, waiting to see how he would handle this matter when the evidence appeared conclusive.
Lu Yu pressed down on his thumb ring, suddenly feeling irritated and restless. He didn't know at whom it was directed, but ultimately it could only be directed at the person who'd orchestrated today's scheme.
What she was calculating wasn't just the Empress, was it?
Lu Yu clearly knew today's incident wasn't the Empress's doing, yet he had to follow that person's plan, because several recent incidents in the palace had all been related to the Empress—each one more serious than the last. If he didn't severely punish the Empress now, he couldn't appease the masses at all!
Just then, Gu Han suddenly stepped forward. She bowed:
"Your Majesty, today's incident lacks sufficient evidence to prove the Empress did it. Xiao Chongzi is indeed suspicious, but no one personally witnessed him tampering with anything at the training grounds. To draw conclusions so easily, I fear in the future when others give testimony, they'll also learn to be ambiguous. I ask Your Majesty to reconsider."
Seeing it was Gu Han speaking up for the Empress, Consort Chen was immediately shocked:
" Zhao Xiūróng, have you gone mad?! Have you forgotten who it was that nearly caused you to miscarry?"
Gu Han pressed her lips together, quickly lowering her eyes: "One matter is one matter. The two cannot be compared."
If her hand gripping the handkerchief had relaxed just a bit, perhaps the woman's words would seem more honest and credible.
Lu Yu was also stunned. He completely hadn't expected Gu Han would speak up for the Empress at this time.
Actually, Gu Han didn't want to speak for the Empress at all. She wished nothing more than for the Empress to fall today. But she could see clearly, today the Emperor simply didn't want to punish the Empress. In fact, because the person behind this was pushing too hard, the Emperor had developed a contrary mindset.
Even if the Emperor truly punished the Empress today, he would instead feel guilty toward her afterward. For Gu Han, that would be even more disadvantageous.
That's why she stepped forward at this moment.
She was only trying to ease the Emperor's worries.
Zhou Bin eyes flickered. She also quickly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, Zhao Xiūróng speaks reasonably. With only the current evidence, we can only say the Empress is suspicious. It cannot prove the Empress plotted against the eldest prince."
"The Empress is the mother of the nation. Every decision should be made carefully!"
Imperial heirs were indeed important, but the Empress's weight wasn't light either. To punish the Empress based merely on slight suspicion, this simply didn't make sense!
Following Gu Han and Zhou Bin's words, the atmosphere in the hall gradually eased somewhat. Consort Shu sensed something. Her expression changed slightly, her face even turning pale for a moment.
Lu Yu looked at Gu Han for a long while before saying in a deep voice:
"Have the Bureau of Careful Punishment continue interrogating."
"Before the results come out, no one from Kunning Palace may step outside the palace gates."
Consort Chen couldn't accept this outcome. Just as she was about to speak, Consort Shu was the first to bow:
"Your Majesty is wise."
Everyone bowed in salutation.
Consort Chen looked at Consort Shu in shock, feeling they'd all gone mad. Today was a rare opportunity to topple the Empress—were they just going to let it slip away before their eyes?
Lu Yu left very quickly today. Consort Chen fell to her knees. As Gu Han passed by her, she suddenly looked up:
"The Empress wanted Zhao Xiūróng's child dead, yet Zhao Xiūróng can still plead for her enemy. What a truly compassionate heart!"
Her words were naked with sarcasm.
Gu Han hadn't wanted to waste words with Consort Chen, but inadvertently meeting Consort Chen's resentful, even self-reproachful gaze, her steps suddenly paused. She lowered her eyes and said calmly:
"Everything I do is for their good. I have a clear conscience."
So what if she pleaded for an enemy? As long as it paved the way for her children, no matter how distasteful the task, she could suppress her emotions and do it.
What she coveted wasn't merely these next two or three years.
Consort Chen was somewhat stunned. In just a moment's distraction, Gu Han had already passed her and stepped out of Chonghui Palace.
Consort Shu heard their entire exchange. Looking at this enemy she'd once hated so deeply, she suddenly said mockingly:
"She's much smarter than you."
Though that trace of mockery—for a moment it was unclear whether it was directed at Consort Chen or at herself.
Actually, Gu Han's inner state wasn't as calm as her surface appeared. She regretted it so much she wanted to go back a quarter hour and stop herself from speaking. But all these turbulent emotions ceased the moment Gu Han saw Lu Yu waiting outside the hall.
Lu Yu stood before his palanquin. He seemed somewhat weary, and also somewhat vexed. He raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Hearing the commotion, he turned to look, and then he said:
"Han'er, come here."
At this moment, Gu Han was absolutely certain—the Emperor was waiting for her.
Gu Han paused before stepping forward. The Emperor naturally extended his hand to help her. Gu Han pressed her lips together for a long moment before placing her hand in his.
Lu Yu keenly detected her hesitation and looked at her with some confusion. But Gu Han only remained silent. The palanquin traveled quietly all the way to Yihe Palace. Lu Yu frowned at this silence:
"What's wrong with you?"
The woman kept her eyes lowered for a long time before finally saying softly: "This is the first time Your Majesty has waited for me."
Lu Yu paused slightly.
This should clearly be a good thing, but somehow, Lu Yu felt a trace of unease at this moment. Even he himself found it absurd and inexplicable—he would actually feel uneasy because of a woman's emotions?
But precisely because he was very clear about his feelings toward this woman, he could confirm that unease was real.
He couldn't help intensifying his tone slightly: "Han'er."
However, the woman didn't give him a chance to speak, asking very quickly:
"Is it because I pleaded for the Empress today?"
Lu Yu was struck speechless. He wanted to say it wasn't, but the truth was, he had indeed been moved after the woman said those words and had thought to wait for her to return together.
But he also felt something was wrong.
Lu Yu didn't know why he'd been moved then, but at least it had nothing to do with the Empress.
A drop of coolness fell on the back of his hand, making Lu Yu suddenly come to his senses. Realizing something, his expression changed immediately. He raised his hand to cup the woman's face. Sure enough, at some point the woman's eyes had turned red and wet. Lu Yu frowned:
"Why are you crying?"
With a sharp slap, Gu Han knocked Lu Yu's hand away. Lu Yu had never been struck by anyone and was momentarily stunned. But soon he couldn't care about that, because the woman before him was crying harder and harder.
In the two years Gu Han had been in the palace, Lu Yu had never seen her cry like this. He panicked:
"If you're dissatisfied about something, just say it directly. Since entering the palace, when have I ever let you suffer grievances?"
Lu Yu was about to say more when he heard the woman cry:
"Your Majesty clearly knows she previously tried to harm Ze'er. I hate her so much in my heart—even if I pleaded for her today, it couldn't possibly be sincere!"
Lu Yu was speechless. Precisely because he knew this, he found it all the more precious.
"Does Your Majesty know, just as I stepped out of Chonghui Palace, Consort Chen praised me for having a compassionate heart!"
Being praised for compassion in such a situation was like stabbing at her heart.
Gu Han looked at Lu Yu with reddened almond eyes, full of resentment:
"Consort Chen alone wasn't enough! Even Your Majesty had to mock me. If I hadn't seen Your Majesty in difficulty, why would I have said even one extra word?! I don't need Your Majesty to wait for me!"
Lu Yu could treat all the woman's earlier complaints with equanimity, but this last sentence made him lower his voice involuntarily:
"Gu Han!"
Gu Han's body trembled. She tightly closed her eyes.
Lu Yu's heart felt uncomfortable. He pulled the woman into his embrace, knowing that if he didn't clarify this matter, the woman would likely harbor resentment in her heart:
"I knew you felt terrible inside, which is why I waited for you outside the hall."
After a pause, he added softly:
"It has nothing to do with anyone else."
---
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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