THE IMPERIAL CONSORT'S RISE TO POWER - CHAPTER 142

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Chapter 142

Gu Han had assumed that, at most, the Emperor would demote Consort Shu to the rank of Xiurong, as the third rank was the exact threshold required to raise an Imperial heir.

But after a long silence, the Emperor spoke:

"Lady Wei, formerly Consort Shu, has conspired to harm a consort and the Imperial heirs. Her crime is inexcusable. However, in consideration of her merit in raising the Little Princess, from this day forth, her title is revoked, and she is demoted to the rank of Pin (Concubine)!"

Gu Han turned her head in shock, looking at Lu Yu in amazement.

To be demoted from the first-rank Fei all the way down to Pin—even lower than Noble Lady Lin, who used to cling to her, was a subtle and biting position. This punishment was indeed severe.

Gu Han caught the Emperor's gaze as it drifted over her. That phrase "in consideration of her merit in raising the Little Princess" felt as though it were spoken specifically for her ears. Gu Han pursed her lips and looked away, feeling slightly awkward.

In truth, Gu Han hadn't expected the matter to be exposed so quickly. She had planned to wait until her body showed signs of frailty. Who knew the Emperor would arrive so soon, or that her own body would be so "reactive," allowing him to spot the clues instantly?

Now that neither she nor the children were actually harmed, taking Consort Shu's life over this would have been a monumental task.

Gu Han sighed softly in her heart. Catching the wild joy on Noble Lady Lin's face and the dazed look on Consort Shu's out of the corner of her eye, she eventually became the first to echo the Emperor’s decree:

"I thank Your Majesty for seeking justice on my behalf."

Just as she was about to sink into a formal bow, Lu Yu stopped her. He looked at the curve of her lowered neck, seemingly speechless for a moment.

In his eyes, Gu Han was always brilliant and transparent. She knew he wouldn't take Consort Shu’s life, so after he announced the punishment, she quickly deduced this was the limit of what he could do. She wasn't exactly submissive, but she always understood his heart best.

As he had once said, she always knew what to do and what not to do.

Lu Yu also saw how Consort Shu’s body swayed. In this moment, he finally understood that people are, after all, different.

Clearly, the woman before him, now Concubine Wei—looked more disheveled than Gu Han, but the moment Gu Han bowed, his mind was entirely focused on her. He felt she had been wronged, and his heart ached for her instinctively.

This was an emotion he wouldn't feel even if Consort Shu collapsed right in front of him.

Lu Yu didn't realize that the heartache in his eyes was almost palpable. Concubine Wei watched him, her mind drifting. She was more agitated by his expression than by the news of her demotion. She couldn't help but remember—

Back in the Prince’s Estate, when she was forced to drink safflower decoction by side-consort Chen, when maids and physicians rushed in and out while she bled uncontrollably... even then, when the Emperor was less guarded and more raw than he was now, he had never shown her this kind of heartache.

It was as if ten thousand needles were stabbing her heart. Her hands shook as she knelt on the ground, watching the Emperor gaze upon another woman with such pity. She finally closed her eyes.

She knew that from this day forward, the harem would never be the same.

The balance the Emperor had subtly maintained was gone. Since his eyes held only Consort Zhao, he naturally wouldn't allow anyone to threaten her position or the safety of her children.

Consort Shu even had a dark, cynical thought: The Empress only gave birth to a weak, sickly princess. For the Emperor, that was likely a relief, wasn't it?

The long-awaited legitimate son versus the sudden new favorite—in the end, the new favorite had won out.

And because of that, a secret guilt lived in his heart, forcing him to value the Little Princess a bit more. In the past, he would visit Yian Palace every few days to check on her.

Concubine Wei lowered her head, feeling numb.

Aside from Noble Lady Lin, whose emotions were leaking out, the others in the hall felt a sense of unreality. Their moods were strange, eventually settling into a complex mix of sighs. Most of all, the way the Emperor treated Consort Zhao left them feeling stifled.

The phrase "the old cannot compete with the new" had truly been a constant from ancient times to this very day.

Consort Shu’s punishment was demotion and house arrest, but as for Aliu and Ashu, Lu Yu frowned deeply, unable to make a decision for a long time.

Gu Han could guess his thoughts. Ultimately, Ling Zhāoróng's actions that day had been too cruel, and the wet nurse’s curses had left too deep an impression on the Emperor. When it came to executing servants who had erred, he was now wavering.

Gu Han’s eyes flickered almost imperceptibly. Before anyone could notice, she reined in her emotions. She placed her hand on Lu Yu’s arm—the one he was using to support her, and after drawing his full attention, she spoke softly:

"Your Majesty, these two servants are indeed guilty, but they were forced into it with no other choice. Their lives may be spared. Just demote them to the Laundry Bureau. The Princes are all young; let this be an act to accumulate merit and blessings for them."

Lu Yu was already worried she would be upset by the lenient treatment of Consort Shu. Now that she spoke, even though she was pleading for the servants, he didn't hesitate for a second. They were just two slaves; he wouldn't deny her:

"I will do as you wish. However, while they are spared from death, they cannot escape punishment. Give them twenty strokes of the cane before sending them to the Laundry Bureau."

The Laundry Bureau was the most grueling place in the palace, filled with servants who had made mistakes. But for Aliu and Ashu, not losing their lives was an unexpected blessing. For servants, beatings and punishments were daily bread; twenty strokes wouldn't be enough to kill them.

Aliu breathed a massive sigh of relief, slumping to the floor. She and Ashu kowtowed desperately in gratitude.

During this, Ashu’s eyes seemingly met Gu Han’s by accident. He paused, then immediately lowered his head as if the eye contact had been a mere fluke. He gripped his sister's sleeve tightly.

The incident of the poisoned pots ended there. The plants were all removed from Yihe Palace, and the concubines gradually dispersed.

As they exited the gates, Noble Lady Lin "accidentally" bumped into Concubine Wei’s shoulder. Meeting Yaluo’s indignant gaze, Noble Lady Lin’s eyes turned vicious. she lifted her hand to cover her lips:

"Look at me, so anxious to get back that I carelessly bumped into Concubine Wei. Did I hurt you, Concubine Wei?"

She emphasized the title "Concubine Wei," intending to remind Ya luo that their status was no longer what it once was. Ya luo was ashen with rage, but Concubine Wei remained calm, sweeping a cold, emotionless glance over Noble Lady Lin.

That glance gave Noble Lady Lin pause. It reminded her of the old Consort Shu, looking down on her with that same indifferent air. Her hatred grew, but her mind became clearer. She knew where she was and that she couldn't afford to be reckless. Furthermore, she still harbored a lingering dread of Concubine Wei.

She stopped harrassing them and turned to leave, her gaze dark.

The surrounding concubines watched this brief drama. Some lower-ranking women couldn't believe the once-mighty Consort Shu had fallen like this; they lingered, seemingly hesitating whether to offer comfort.

Ye Xiurong gave them a single glance before withdrawing her gaze and leaving with her maid, Suli.

Suli kept looking back. Ye Xiurong shook her head helplessly:

"What is there to see?"

Suli turned back with a sheepish grin: "This servant just feels it’s all a bit surreal." She glanced back once more and exclaimed softly: "Your Ladyship, it looks like someone has actually gone to speak with Concubine Wei."

Ye Xiurong didn't care. she merely smoothed her features and said slowly: "Everyone knows Concubine Wei tried to harm Consort Zhao. Anyone who dares to approach her now is simply unafraid that Consort Zhao will remember them."

Since Consort Zhao entered the palace, first Consort De fell, then the Empress, and now Consort Shu. The former "Big Three" of the palace had all collapsed because of her. Ye Xiurong did not believe for a second that Consort Zhao was the gentle soul she appeared to be.

Concubine Wei was now ranked below Noble Lady Lin. Previously, Noble Lady Lin had nearly been humiliated to death by her. With her petty nature, she wouldn't let it go. From now on, the palace was going to get very "lively."

To appease Consort Zhao, the Emperor truly had no regard for past sentiments.

Suli’s eyes darted around as if she wanted to say something. Ye Xiurong, anticipating her, cut her off:

"Put those thoughts away. My little Prince is frail; he can't handle such turbulence."

Suli stuck out her tongue and finally fell silent.

In Yihe Palace, once the outsiders had left, only Gu Han, Lu Yu, and their attendants remained. Lu Yu looked at Gu Han’s heavily bandaged hands, wanting to say something, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat.

Gu Han took a peek and felt that his current state was rather stifling. She didn't bring up Consort Shu again, but said instead:

"Now that Consort Shu is demoted, she can no longer assist in managing the harem. My hands are injured, so I cannot overexert myself. Has Your Majesty thought of someone to help me share the burden?"

As long as the true power remained in her hands, Gu Han didn't mind delegating tasks. The Emperor was the ruler of a nation, and he didn't do everything himself.

As expected, Gu Han’s words shifted Lu Yu’s focus. He frowned and asked:

"In your opinion, who do you think is fit for the task?"

Gu Han almost rolled her eyes. In the palace, she was only close with Zhou Bin. If it were up to her, she’d naturally want Zhou Bin to help. But regardless of whether Zhou wanted the extra work, her rank wasn't high enough for the position.

As for the others, Gu Han thought it over and couldn't decide who would be skilled enough.

Gu Han gave Lu Yu a sharp, annoyed look:

"Your Majesty is making things difficult for me. How could I know the sisters of the harem better than you do?"

Gu Han’s jab made Lu Yu feel a bit sheepish. He rubbed his nose and thought of a candidate:

"What do you think of Ye Xiurong?"

Gu Han paused. Ye Xiurong?

She surreptitiously looked at the Emperor. When the Second Prince had nowhere to go, the Emperor had thought long and hard before placing him under Ye Xiurong's name. Now, looking for someone to help manage the harem, he thought of her again.

It seemed that Ye Xiurong held a certain level of trust in the Emperor's heart.

With the Eldest Prince still around, Gu Han wasn't particularly wary of the Second Prince. She nodded slightly:

"Ye Xiurong has always acted with propriety. I will follow Your Majesty's lead."

Just as she finished, Gu Han felt the Emperor was hesitating over something. After a moment, he said: "The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. Let Ye Xiurong assist you with the preparations first. As for managing the harem affairs, we will discuss that after the festival."

Gu Han was puzzled. Her hands would heal in a few days; there was no need to wait until after the festival.

What was he hesitating about?

But she didn't argue. Everything in the palace had been running smoothly lately; she could handle things on her own. Besides, the Mid-Autumn banquet was indeed a busy time with many tedious details. She was happy to let Ye Xiurong take over the heavy lifting.

Having reasoned this through, Gu Han didn't care what Lu Yu was thinking. She said:

"Since Your Majesty has decided, I will send someone to inform Ye Xiurong tomorrow."

Lu Yu gave a low hum of agreement, his emotions unreadable. Gu Han asked:

"What is Your Majesty thinking about?"

Lu Yu didn't speak for a long time. Finally, he lowered his eyelids and asked in a muffled voice: "Your hands... do they hurt?"

Gu Han paused. Her fingers seemed to twitch slightly. A moment later, she came back to herself and whispered:

"...They don't hurt much anymore."

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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