THE IMPERIAL CONSORT'S RISE TO POWER

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Chapter 148.

Lu Yu’s display of love was fervent and overbearing, giving Gu Han no chance to retreat.

The palace servants had withdrawn long ago, discreetly cordoning off the area. It felt as though only she and Lu Yu remained in the world. Red silk ribbons fluttered before her eyes as Gu Han, in a daze, was pressed against the osmanthus tree. The rough bark chafed painfully against her back.

A dense rain of kisses fell, leaving her breathless. Her arms were forced helplessly around Lu Yu’s neck; only when she could no longer restrain herself did she lose control and bite his shoulder, stifling the broken moans that threatened to spill out.

She thought she heard Lu Yu let out a low chuckle, which fueled her irritation. She bit down harder.

Lu Yu hissed, drawing in a sharp breath.

He had forgotten—at times like this, Gu Han’s temper was never particularly gentle.

A long while later, the storm subsided. Lu Yu wrapped her tightly in a cloak, shielding her body from view. Flushed with shame and unable to face anyone, she buried her head completely in his shoulder. She turned her head slightly, her warm breath fanning against his neck. Lu Yu lowered his gaze, masking the emotions in his eyes.

Gu Han likely didn't realize that it was only in moments like these that she relied on him so utterly.

Tossed about until she was exhausted, Gu Han found she lacked even the strength to lift a hand. The Mid-Autumn moon, nearly a perfect circle, cast its glow upon them, stretching long shadows amidst the swaying branches.

Gu Han glanced up at the bright moon and paused, suddenly saying:

"Your Majesty, the moon is full."

This was the third Mid-Autumn state banquet she had spent in the palace, but the first she had truly spent with the Emperor.

Lu Yu bowed his head slightly, responding: "I am here."

Perhaps seduced by the tenderness in his voice, or perhaps struck by a sudden wave of homesickness and the realization of how lonely the Mid-Autumn festival usually felt, Gu Han asked a question before she could think it through:

"In every Mid-Autumn to come, will Your Majesty accompany me?"

It was an overstepping question.

Even an Empress could not demand such a guarantee from an Emperor. Especially with the imperial selection looming next year, no one knew what would happen. Gu Han’s inquiry seemed almost meaningless.

As expected, Lu Yu fell silent for a moment. The bright spark in Gu Han’s eyes dimmed slightly. They returned to Yihe Palace in silence, and she promptly pushed the matter to the back of her mind.

With or without Lu Yu, Gu Han could spend Mid-Autumn happily. Since the death of her elder sister, she had long understood that no one stays with anyone forever.

Thinking this, she quietly tightened her grip on a red silk ribbon she had somehow kept in her palm.

Just as she lay on the bed in the inner hall of Yihe Palace, drifting into sleep, a hand suddenly pulled her by the waist. Lu Yu’s deep voice vibrated near her ear:

"I have thought about it. I do want to stay with you."

Lu Yu himself couldn't guarantee he would be there every single Mid-Autumn, but he had thought for a long time—at least at this moment, he hoped even more than Gu Han did that she would be by his side every year.

The woman had only asked once and seemed not to care about the answer. Yet those words had remained wedged in Lu Yu’s chest, leaving him with no desire for sleep in the dead of night.

Gu Han kept her eyes closed, but her breathing hitched for a split second. She sat there in a daze; she hadn't expected the Emperor to actually give her a reply. Her instinct was to wonder how many others he had said this to, but uncontrollably, she pressed her lips together to hide the rising curve of her smile.

Finding no sound in the hall for a long time, Lu Yu ground his teeth in frustration. The woman was clearly awake, yet she refused to answer him.

After the annoyance came a flash of guilt. Had he responded too late and upset her?

It was an indefinable emotion—perhaps knowing he wouldn't get the answer he wanted, or knowing the answer might lack sincerity—Lu Yu did not ask Gu Han how she felt about him after his confession today.

He simply, dominantly, let her know his feelings—and left her with no choice but to accept them.

The "absurd" events of Mid-Autumn night, though unknown to the concubines beforehand, became crystal clear to them the next day.

After all, there are no secrets in this harem. The Emperor had taken Noble Consort Zhao away from Yihe Palace late last night; today, a concubine had sent someone to scout their path. The report sent a literal sharp pain through that concubine's heart.

The sight of those red silk ribbons made the concubines' eyes turn red with envy.

However, by the time the news spread and the crowd of consorts sent people to look, every single ribbon on the tree had long since vanished, leaving the first concubine fuming with a stifled chest.

In Hanxi Palace, Suli entered with light steps. Consort Ye was sitting at her dressing table; she could see Suli’s face full of gossip reflected in the bronze mirror.

Consort Ye sighed and rubbed her forehead. In previous years, when her palace had nothing to do, it was fine for Suli to be unrefined and love a good spectacle. But now that Hanxi Palace was under everyone's scrutiny, such behavior lacked gravitas and made it easy for others to seize a weakness.

Before Consort Ye could speak, Suli blurted out:

"Has Your Ladyship heard what happened in the palace last night?"

With nothing else to do and no outsiders present, Consort Ye gave a noncommittal hum.

Suli grew more excited: "Though the other masters didn't see it personally, Yao Xiurong described it so vividly. Does Your Ladyship think it's true?"

Yao Xiurong was also a beneficiary of yesterday's promotions. Though she entered the palace latest, she had reached the position of a palace mistress early. In just a few months, her status and Concubine Wei’s status in Yian Palace had completely flipped.

But the news Yao Xiurong spread today was something Suli found hard to believe.

Supposedly, the Emperor had written a whole tree's worth of red ribbons for Noble Consort Zhao, filled with both their names.

How could the Emperor possibly do such a thing?

Consort Ye merely glanced at her slowly through the mirror and said indifferently: "What is there to disbelieve? No matter how bold Yao Xiurong is, she wouldn't dare spout nonsense about the Emperor and the Noble Consort."

Suli instinctively argued: "But—"

Consort Ye interrupted her: "There are no 'buts'."

Seeing Suli's confusion, her mistress gave her a half-smile. "When you all claim not to believe this, is it because you think it's impossible, or because you don't want to believe it?"

Suli was instantly rendered speechless.

Consort Ye shook her head silently. It wasn't just Suli; all the concubines in the harem claiming disbelief—whether they truly believed it or not, only they knew.

But Consort Ye knew they dared not believe it. Otherwise, how preposterous would it be—if the Emperor had truly lost his heart to Noble Consort Zhao, what did the rest of the harem's concubines even matter?

Consort Ye didn't care for this mess. Once she was ready, she took Suli to Yihe Palace. Her words yesterday had displeased the Noble Consort; today she was going specifically to apologize.

In Yihe Palace, Jiu si was applying medicine for Gu Han. Gu Han let out a sharp intake of breath every now and then, glaring at Lu Yu. Lu Yu uncomfortably averted his eyes.

After the Mid-Autumn banquet, Lu Yu had three days of rest. When Gu Han woke today, she was surprised to see him still there, but she soon lost interest in him.

Her back was stinging with a burning pain.

Memories of last night flooded back. Before she could feel embarrassed, the pain in her back made her knit her fine brows.

She called Jiunian to bring a bronze mirror. Looking into it, Gu Han found that her back was rubbed raw and red in patches. Jiu nian gasped immediately:

"What did Your Ladyship do? The skin on your back is almost rubbed off!"

What did she do?

Gu Han’s face turned beet red, unable to answer. Fortunately, Jiu nian quickly realized, went quiet, and had a maid bring the cooling ointment to apply a thick layer.

Lu Yu didn't dare speak. He also didn't mention that when he got up today, he found bloodstains on his shoulder where Gu Han had bitten him.

If he spoke, he would only be looking for trouble.

Soon, a message came from outside: Consort Ye requested an audience.

The medicine on Gu Han’s back wasn't finished, and she was afraid Consort Ye was coming to talk about being "overwhelmed" again. She looked at Lu Yu and said:

"It is inconvenient for me. Your Majesty, you go first."

Seeing Jiunian about to pack the medicine away, only to start applying it again after Gu Han’s words, Lu Yu resignedly stood up.

In the outer hall, Consort Ye sensed something was off the moment she entered.

Hanxi Palace rarely lit red lanterns, so when she headed to Yihe Palace at the hour of the Dragon (7-9 AM), she only thought about arriving early to show respect. But now, she remembered—Noble Consort Zhao was different. She had served the Emperor last night, and it was highly likely he hadn't left yet.

When she stepped onto the veranda and saw Liu An, Consort Ye knew her guess was right.

She paused. She had come to apologize, but the Emperor’s presence made it awkward. Noble Consort Zhao might think she had ulterior motives. After all, Consort Ye knew about the musician in Yihe Palace who had tried to seize an opportunity for favor and was subsequently expelled.

When she saw only the Emperor emerging from the inner hall, Consort Ye couldn't hide her surprise. She instinctively looked behind him, but indeed, there was no sign of the Noble Consort. Consort Ye was speechless.

She knew the Noble Consort was favored, but was she perhaps too relaxed?

Lu Yu seemed oblivious to her thoughts. He nodded calmly: "Sit."

Consort Ye sat down formally, lowering her eyes. "I did not know Your Majesty was here. I have disturbed Your Majesty and Her Ladyship; please do not take offense."

Lu Yu was still thinking about Gu Han’s injury and held no grudge against Consort Ye. He shook his head. "It is no matter. You seek the Noble Consort for a reason?"

Consort Ye stole a glance at the Emperor, feeling odd. The Emperor had an attitude as if he were the Noble Consort himself. Though they were both his concubines, in this moment, Consort Ye felt subtly excluded from the space between the Emperor and the Noble Consort.

Suppressing her thoughts, she gave a bitter smile. "I spoke some words yesterday that I fear upset Her Ladyship. I came specifically to apologize."

Gu Han had already vented to Lu Yu yesterday, so he knew exactly what had been said. He said indifferently:

"The Noble Consort is young. Taking charge of the harem so suddenly, it is inevitable she would be nervous or flustered, no matter how steady she is. You have been in the palace for years and are reliable; that is why I issued the decree for you to assist her."

In other words: managing the harem was his decree; looking for the Noble Consort would do no good.

Consort Ye could only thank him for his grace.

She couldn't help but glance toward the inner hall. Gu Han is young?

When the late Empress entered the Prince’s estate at fifteen and managed the entire household, she never heard the Emperor say the Empress was "young and working hard."

To be cherished truly makes one different.

Estimating the talk outside was finishing, Gu Han finally appeared, having dressed slowly. She had applied some makeup, making her cheeks look as radiant as hibiscus. Her appearance seemed to gather all the light in the room.

She smiled faintly: "It was my poor hospitality that kept Consort Ye waiting."

The shock in Consort Ye’s eyes faded. "I came to apologize to Your Ladyship."

Gu Han looked surprised, exchanged a glance with Lu Yu, and smiled. "Consort Ye is too serious. It is almost noon; stay and eat with us."

Consort Ye declined repeatedly and, after a few polite excuses, hurried to take her leave.

Lu Yu raised an eyebrow. After she left, he asked: "You don't like dealing with her?"

Otherwise, she wouldn't have used lunch as an excuse to send the guest away.

Gu Han looked at him in surprise, then shook her head slightly. "Not at all. Consort Ye is sensible. Dealing with her is quite stress-free."

Lu Yu was smart enough not to ask which people were not stress-free.

He adjusted his posture. Seeing it was nearly noon, he planned to return to his official duties after lunch. But plans changed quickly. Footsteps sounded outside, and Jiusi ran in, saying to Gu Han:

"Your Ladyship, rumors about last night are spreading everywhere in the palace."

Last night?

Gu Han instinctively thought of those embarrassing moments. Her toes curled in shame, and her expression changed instantly. "Who spread them?"

She looked at Lu Yu. She remembered that before dawn, the Emperor had told Liu An to remove the red ribbons from the osmanthus tree. After all, those things would only cause senseless envy in the harem.

Lu Yu had a bad feeling.

"It was Yao Xiurong. This morning, she apparently sent someone to the osmanthus garden even before Eunuch Liu arrived. By the hour of the Dragon, the news had spread throughout the harem."

A light "harrumph" came from the woman beside him.

Lu Yu’s gaze drifted, not daring to meet Gu Han’s eyes.

The "stressful" person had appeared too quickly. Lu Yu didn't even stay for lunch; he stood up hurriedly, used "official business" as an excuse, and made a quick exit.

Gu Han huffed at his departing back. Jiu nian asked worriedly:

"Your Ladyship, what should we do about these rumors?"

Gu Han didn't take it to heart, saying indifferently: "With rumors, blocking is worse than letting them flow. The more I make a deal of it, the more they will think it's true."

Jiu si wanted to say something, but ultimately kept her mouth shut.

She didn't understand—why would Her Ladyship want to hide such a wonderful thing?

Gu Han soon put the matter aside. However, she didn't expect that while the Mid-Autumn rumors did fade quickly, they were replaced by a different kind of gossip.

Jiu si’s face was livid with rage:

"They are saying Her Ladyship had someone she loved before entering the palace. They say it with such conviction—it makes me so angry!"

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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