THE IMPERIAL CONSORT'S RISE TO POWER - CHAPTER 144

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

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 144

After Zhou Bin left, Gu Han had been pondering how to broach the subject with the Emperor.

Technically, it was about allowing Zhou Bin to raise the Eldest Princess, but in reality, it meant promoting her. Regardless of her own involvement, in the eyes of others, she would appear to be seeking personal gain for her own faction. After all, who in the harem didn't know that Zhou Bin was her person?

Gu Han pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling quite troubled.

When Lu Yu arrived, he found her with a deeply furrowed brow. He raised an eyebrow slightly; ever since Gu Han had caught a vague glimpse of his true intentions, she had handled most matters with a sense of ease and confidence, born from the security of his favor.

While Lu Yu felt gratified, he also felt a subtle, hidden sense of loss.

The more capable and at ease Gu Han became, the less she seemed to need him. Seeing her in such a state was rare, so Lu Yu didn't even wait for her to speak before asking:

"What is the matter? Why the long face?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a flash of regret crossed Lu Yu's mind, he should have waited for her to tell him of her own accord.

However, once spoken, words could not be taken back. Lu Yu touched his nose and looked at Gu Han as if nothing were amiss, his expression softening with a rare, gentle warmth.

Gu Han’s resentful gaze slowly fell upon him, giving Lu Yu a start.

It is said that "no one knows the son better than the mother." Since the Emperor hadn't been particularly subtle in his actions, she could sense a few things, so how could the Empress Dowager not?

Precisely because of this, the Empress Dowager had entrusted her with delivering this message. Thus, in Gu Han’s eyes, Lu Yu had to bear half the responsibility for this predicament.

Gu Han had also realized that she seemed to be growing more pampered lately. Relying on the Emperor's feelings for her, she felt perfectly justified in nursing a grievance against him. Since the Emperor showed no sign of annoyance, she didn't bother to hide it. Meeting Lu Yu's questioning gaze, she finally spoke softly:

"I went to Cining Palace today and saw the Eldest Princess."

Lu Yu’s movements slowed slightly as he listened to her continue as if nothing were wrong: "I noticed that the Eldest Princess's health doesn't seem as poor as the rumors in the palace suggest. She is seven years old now and should be learning etiquette and rules."

"Today, I heard the servants at Cining Palace mention in passing that the Empress Dowager hasn't had much of an appetite lately. It seems she finds it difficult to care for the Eldest Princess."

Lu Yu guessed roughly what she wanted to say. When Gu Han stole a second glance at him, he interrupted her hesitation:

"You want to choose an adoptive mother for the Eldest Princess?"

Gu Han covered her lips and nodded.

Lu Yu immediately felt the matter was thorny. Gu Han was not one to wear her heart on her sleeve; for her to be so visibly troubled meant this was a difficult task. If it was hard for her, it would likely be just as troublesome for him.

In that case, the person who truly wanted this done was likely not Gu Han herself.

Lu Yu reached out and handed her a piece of freshly peeled lychee. With her mouth suddenly full of fruit, Gu Han’s almond eyes widened in a glare. She hastily covered her mouth to swallow the lychee, but before she could speak, she heard the man before her say unhurriedly:

"You manage the harem; you may decide these matters for yourself."

As soon as he finished, Gu Han’s movements stiffened. She looked at him with a troubled expression. Lu Yu thought to himself, As expected.

He pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly:

"Fine. Speak. What is truly on your mind?"

Gu Han stammered: "I noticed that the Eldest Princess and Zhou Bin are very close. It seems the Princess herself wishes for Zhou Bin to raise her..."

Lu Yu remained silent, staring at her until her voice trailed off into nothing. After a long moment, Gu Han lightly swatted his arm and whispered:

"The Empress Dowager summoned me to Cining Palace today for this very reason. It wasn't as if I could easily refuse."

Seeing that she had finally told the truth, a soft huff escaped Lu Yu's nose. He took a sip of tea, his face unreadable. Gu Han couldn't help but press him:

"What is Your Majesty’s thought? At least give me a hint."

Lu Yu loved it when Gu Han spoke like this, as if only the two of them were on the same side in this harem. He sipped his tea slowly, not wanting to keep her in suspense, and gave her a definite answer:

"Do not worry about this. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, I will handle everything at once."

Gu Han shot him a suspicious look.

The matter of Ye Xiurong assisting in managing the harem was being pushed until after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and now the matter of Zhou Bin raising the Eldest Princess was the same. A thought suddenly popped into Gu Han’s mind—

Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at Lu Yu in surprise.

It couldn't be...

Lu Yu knew she had guessed something, and he gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

Gu Han immediately cast the matter from her mind. Since the Emperor had made his decision, further speculation was only making things difficult for herself.

The next day, Gu Han sent a message to Cining Palace. The general meaning was that she had passed the word to the Emperor, but she was unaware of his final decision.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager merely raised an eyebrow, a look remarkably similar to Lu Yu’s.

Seeing this, Nanny Wu straightened the Empress Dowager’s collar and asked curiously:

"What is Your Ladyship thinking?"

The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes slightly: "I was thinking that Consort Zhao is indeed clever, and my son is fortunate."

She could tell that Gu Han’s message held something back, something that undoubtedly concerned the Emperor. In this matter, Gu Han had fulfilled her promise, but for the rest, she was entirely on the Emperor’s side.

It was rare for her son to take a fancy to someone, and Consort Zhao did not disappoint his affection.

The Empress Dowager shook her head, feeling no displeasure toward Gu Han’s actions. She did want to plan for Zhou Bin, but in her heart, the most important person was naturally the Emperor. As long as Consort Zhao stood on the same side as her son, the Empress Dowager would turn a blind eye even if she was slightly disobedient.

The Empress Dowager was clear-headed; her health wouldn't last much longer, and she didn't want to leave a mess for her son before she passed. Since Consort Zhao and Zhou Bin had their own friendship, regardless of whether Zhou Bin could raise the Eldest Princess, her future wouldn't be difficult.

She would just be... lonely.

Cining Palace remained quiet for a long time, which surprised Gu Han and kept her on edge for a while. Lu Yu merely rolled his eyes at this; since he had dared to give Gu Han his word, he knew his mother wouldn't be displeased with her.

For anything else, Lu Yu wouldn't say, but as far as he was concerned, his mother had always gone to great lengths to be good to him.

With the Mid-Autumn banquet approaching, and given the Emperor's attitude, Gu Han stopped worrying about what Cining Palace was thinking. Ye Xiurong had been visiting Yihe Palace frequently of late. Although Gu Han had given her full authority over the banquet, Ye Xiurong always came to ask her advice on certain procedures.

After several visits, Gu Han couldn't help but press her hand to her forehead. Ye Xiurong was indeed very clever, but perhaps a bit too clever.

By coming here so often, she was undoubtedly signaling to Gu Han that she had no intention of usurping the power of the six palaces. However, Gu Han turned a deaf ear to it all, acting as if she knew nothing.

Since the Emperor had already chosen Ye Xiurong to assist, it wasn't a job she could simply refuse.

Looking at the tedious nature of the Mid-Autumn banquet, Gu Han felt she had found herself a good helper. Perhaps out of a bit of guilt, she became increasingly polite to Ye Xiurong, ensuring that every time she visited Yihe Palace, there was an abundance of fruit and pastries.

Ye Xiurong could only force a smile.

Watching Ye Xiurong's departing figure, Gu Han breathed a sigh of relief. Dealing with smart people had its benefits; one didn't need to speak plainly—a slight hint was enough for them to understand.

As there was no Empress, on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Emperor once again stayed overnight at Yihe Palace.

After their passion subsided, the room fell quiet. Lu Yu held Gu Han, gently wiping the sweat from her neck with one hand. Gu Han was already half-asleep, resting against him.

Lu Yu leaned down to kiss her forehead, then, almost imperceptibly, tossed the pillow beside Gu Han further away.

In the palace, there were always ways to make it easier for a woman to conceive. This was a rule left over from previous dynasties when heirs were scarce. In the past, concubines would place a soft pillow under their waons after intimacy. Gu Han found it uncomfortable and rarely used it.

Even so, Lu Yu tossed the pillow to the foot of the bed, seemingly wanting it out of sight.

Gu Han vaguely sensed Lu Yu's movement and asked muzzily:

"...What is Your Majesty doing?"

Lu Yu's eyes flickered. He withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened and whispered lowly: "Nothing. Go to sleep."

Gu Han was incredibly sleepy and truly trusted the Emperor. Hearing this, her heavy eyelids finally closed, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke the next day, Lu Yu was no longer by her side as usual. Gu Han yawned and sat up, the silk quilt sliding down to reveal faint, ambiguous marks on her neck and shoulders that would easily make anyone blush.

Even though Jiu nian had seen this many times, she still wasn't used to her mistress’s post-intimacy allure. She whispered a playful scold:

"Your Ladyship truly has no shame."

Gu Han shot her a light glare and covered a yawn. Her gaze followed the servants tidying the bed, and when she saw a maid retrieve that pillow from the corner, she let out a small "Oh?"

Gu Han asked Jiu nian:

"Have I been very restless while sleeping lately?"

For children of noble families, etiquette was required even in dreams. When she was young, she had been punished many times for improper sleeping postures.

Jiu nian was puzzled by the question and replied: "Your Ladyship's sleeping posture has always been very good."

Immediately, a strange expression appeared on Gu Han’s face.

She remembered that she found the pillow uncomfortable for its intended purpose, so she always kept it by her side. Unless there was some major movement, the pillow shouldn't have ended up where the servant had just found it. A suspicion rose in her heart as she recalled sensing the Emperor doing something last night.

Gu Han wondered, could it be that the Emperor had tossed the pillow away?

But why?

The pillow was meant to help a woman conceive. If the Emperor tossed it away, did it mean he didn't want her to get pregnant?

Gu Han couldn't figure it out, and her mood inevitably dipped, losing the high spirits she had upon waking. This left the palace servants confused and walking on eggshells.

Today, Gu Han wore a rouge-red cloud-woven silk palace dress. She was fair-skinned to begin with, and having been favored just yesterday, her eyes were bright and her every move exuded a certain charm and elegance, like a blooming lotus, heart-stirringly beautiful.

Jiu si was stunned by the result after finishing her makeup. It wasn't until her mistress looked at her questioningly in the bronze mirror that Jiu si snapped out of it, her face flushing.

While Gu Han was triumphant, others were naturally despondent.

In Yian Palace, after Concubine Wei was demoted, she was no longer allowed to live in the main hall. She had now moved to a side hall, directly across from Noble Lady Yao. Noble Lady Yao, unaware of the truth and believing that Concubine Wei had plotted the Empress's premature labor that day, had been speaking to her with constant sarcasm.

Furthermore, Noble Lady Yao held a higher rank than Concubine Wei, so the servants of Yian Palace could only obey her.

During this time, Ya luo felt as if she had returned to the days when they first entered the Prince's Estate. The sound of Noble Lady Yao's pointed insults drifted in from outside, exceptionally harsh, forcing Yaluo to snap back to reality.

Ya luo turned to look at her mistress, who was sitting quietly by the window, and let out a soft sigh. She had no idea what her mistress was thinking.

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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