THE IMPERIAL CONSORT'S RISE TO POWER

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Chapter 146

Consort Ye’s words were sincere, but Gu Han was no soft-hearted saint. Consort Ye wanted to play it safe and stay out of trouble, but who didn't?

Since entering the palace, Gu Han had never had the luxury of "staying out of trouble."

Consort Ye had been promoted and was raising the Second Prince. She had reaped all the benefits, yet she wanted to avoid all the headaches. Where in the world was such a bargain found?

Besides, appointing Consort Ye to assist in managing the harem was the Emperor's decree. Instead of going to him to decline, she kept coming to Gu Han. Did she think Gu Han was a soft touch?

Once you enter this harem, you cease to be a free person. This was true for Gu Han, and it was equally true for Consort Ye.

Gu Han bore no ill will toward Consort Ye, but her words were somewhat grating. Consort Ye claimed she was too busy with the Second Prince to handle other matters, but Gu Han had to care for both Ze'er and An'er as well; she also had little energy to spare for palace trifles.

While grumbling internally about the Emperor making trouble for her, Gu Han politely declined Consort Ye’s request:

"Consort Ye does work hard, but I wonder exactly which 'other matters' you are referring to?"

Consort Ye fell silent. She wasn't stupid; she understood the subtext. She knew that if she continued to push back, Noble Consort Zhao would become truly displeased. To outsiders, her constant refusal to accept power over the six palaces would look like sheer ingratitude.

Consort Ye lowered her eyes: "It was I who spoke out of turn."

Gu Han paused, not wanting to make things too difficult for her. Before leaving, she dropped a final piece of advice: "Listen to me, Consort Ye. Once you are in this harem, there are some troubles you simply cannot hide from."

"To be valued by the Emperor is a mark of imperial favor. Even if you wish to decline for yourself, you must consider the future of the Second Prince under your care."

These were heartfelt words, spoken only because Gu Han saw that Consort Ye wasn't a schemer.

The Emperor's favor—be it thunder or rain, must be accepted. Regardless of what Consort Ye felt, the Emperor valued her and had promoted her; she no longer had the right to refuse. If she truly hated the idea of managing palace affairs that much, she should have personally told the Emperor.

To be blunt: if she really wanted to keep a low profile, why did she agree to raise the Second Prince? If that was by imperial decree, so was this. One cannot pick and choose which decrees to follow.

Gu Han muttered to herself that she wouldn't help Consort Ye plead her case with the Emperor.

As the Noble Consort's procession departed, Consort Ye stood still for a long time. Suli looked at her in confusion: "Your Ladyship, what were you discussing with Noble Consort Zhao?"

Everyone in the palace was sharp. Suli could see that Noble Consort Zhao had left in a bad mood and had been cold toward her mistress.

Consort Ye rubbed her temples and shook her head: "You will find out soon enough."

By evening, Suli understood. An imperial decree arrived, ordering Consort Ye to assist Noble Consort Zhao in managing the harem. Hanxi Palace was overjoyed; the servants practically floated as they saw off the eunuch who delivered the news.

Suli was also happy, but as she entered the inner hall, she remembered her mistress's words from that afternoon. Her joy faded, and she stepped inside cautiously. Sure enough, Consort Ye’s expression was indifferent.

Suli asked hesitantly, "Did Your Ladyship already guess the Emperor would issue this decree?"

Assisting in harem management was something many concubines dreamed of. Why was her mistress so unhappy?

Consort Ye's eyelids drooped listlessly. "I do not want to be dragged into their mess."

Suli blurted out, "But this is not for Your Ladyship to decide!"

Realizing her slip, Suli immediately covered her mouth and hit the floor with a thud, her face pale. "This servant spoke out of turn! Please punish me, Your Ladyship!"

Silence reigned for a long time. Finally, Consort Ye let out a long sigh. "Get up."

As Suli stood up tremblingly, Consort Ye gave a self-deprecating smile. "You are right. It is not for me to decide. It’s just that thinking about my peaceful days being gone forever makes me feel... unwilling."

Suli felt her mistress was overthinking it. she whispered, "The moment Your Ladyship chose to raise the Second Prince, you were already involved."

It was only a matter of time. To put it bluntly, Noble Consort Zhao had been in the thick of the fire for ages, while Consort Ye had been lucky enough to hide away and raise the Prince in peace for this long. That was fortune enough. If her mistress didn't gain some power to protect herself, she would be slaughtered like a lamb the moment someone decided to target the Second Prince.

Suli’s words were like a wake-up call. Consort Ye’s head throbbed, and she sighed, "I was indeed obsessed with a foolish notion."

"Prepare yourself," Consort Ye said softly. "Tomorrow, we go to Yihe Palace to apologize to the Noble Consort."

On the other side, Gu Han wasn't dwelling on Consort Ye. Upon returning to Yihe Palace, she found an uninvited guest.

Gu Han glared at Zhou Xiūróng (formerly Concubine Zhou), who was bending over to tease little An'er. "Why haven't you returned to your own palace? What are you doing here?"

Zhou Xiūróng pulled her hand back and gave a sheepish laugh. "I saw you talking to Consort Ye from a distance and didn't want to interrupt, so I came here first."

Once the servants helped Gu Han out of her cumbersome palace dress and jewelry, she sat down comfortably to talk. "What could possibly bring you here the moment the banquet ended?"

Zhou Xiūróng ’s expression turned strange. "Does Your Ladyship remember that girl from the Lin family at the banquet?"

Since it had just happened, Gu Han couldn't forget. The slight smile on her face vanished.

She frowned. No matter what the Lin family was planning, as long as that girl hadn't entered the palace, she wasn't worth worrying about yet. Why did Zhou Xiūróng make a special trip for this?

Then, Gu Han paused. A thought occurred to her.

"The Lin daughter?" Gu Han arched an eyebrow. "I remember the Lin girl who entered the palace during our selection was the youngest legitimate daughter. Where did this one come from?"

Zhou Xiūróng curled her lip. "Your Ladyship might not have met her, but I have seen her once or twice."

Because Gu Han’s family had faced hard times and her sister Gu Tang had passed away, she had rarely attended social gatherings and knew few noble ladies her age. After the Emperor ascended the throne, the Zhou and Lin families rose in status, so Zhou Xiūróng was more informed.

"Something big happened in the Lin family," Zhou Xiūróng explained. "Since the late Empress fell ill, the Matriarch of the Lin family has been bedridden."

Unlike Gu Han's family, the Lin household was never peaceful. Duke Lin was famous for doting on his concubines, though he had behaved while the Empress was alive. The Matriarch had three daughters and one son; the eldest and youngest were dead, the second was married off, and the son was capable. Even so, Duke Lin rarely visited the main courtyard.

"This girl is the daughter of a concubine," Zhou Xiūróng continued. "Not long ago, she was officially recorded under the Matriarch’s name as a 'legitimate' daughter."

Gu Han immediately understood the scheme. There was a selection coming next year. Duke Lin, once the Emperor’s father-in-law, couldn't bear to let go of that glory. The Lin family was grooming a new girl for the palace.

Because the current dynasty valued legitimate birth, a concubine's daughter would never reach a high rank. Thus, the Lin family had pulled this stunt.

Gu Han felt sickened. The Matriarch was still bedridden, likely still grieving her lost children, yet Duke Lin was already forcing her to adopt a concubine's child for political gain.

Suddenly, Gu Han let out a cold laugh.

The Lin family wanted their daughter in the palace, and they were aiming for the position of Empress. Naturally, Gu Han—the current most powerful woman—was the thorn in their side. No wonder they pulled that stunt at the banquet; they wanted to show everyone that Gu Han was inferior to the late Empress.

Gu Han never intended to compete with a dead woman, but the Lin family’s tactics disgusted her.

She issued a cold command: "The musician from tonight's banquet showed improper conduct before the throne. Give her thirty strokes of the cane and expel her from the palace."

Gu Han wouldn't kill her, but there were many ways to make life worse than death. She wanted to see who would dare shelter someone kicked out of the palace by her order. The musician wasn't like the girl Alu from before; the Empress was gone, and the Lin family’s reach wasn't that long. Whether the musician was coerced or bribed, she had opportunities to speak the truth to Gu Han or Consort Ye. Since she chose that path, she had to bear the consequences.

Zhou Xiūróng didn't comment on the punishment but asked curiously, "If this Lin girl really shows up at the selection next year, what will you do?"

Gu Han flashed a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "She is so determined to enter the palace... if I were to reject her, wouldn't that seem too unkind?"

Zhou Xiūróng caught her breath. She was no longer the naive girl she was when she first entered the palace; she could hear the freezing cold in Gu Han’s voice.

Outside the palace, Gu Han couldn't touch her. But once she stepped into this harem, with Gu Han's current power, making her life miserable would be as easy as breathing.

Zhou Xiūróng shook her head, feeling a spark of sympathetic amusement for the Lin girl's impending fate.

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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