THE IMPERIAL CONSORT'S RISE TO POWER

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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 153

Gu Han chased after Lu Yu and followed him back to Yihe Palace. Even though Lu Yu hadn't said a word, Gu Han could sense that his mood was far from good.

However, the fact that Lu Yu did not return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation gave Gu Han a sliver of relief, it meant things hadn't reached a truly disastrous point yet.

As the night deepened and they finished their evening preparations, Gu Han and Lu Yu lay together on the bed. Just as Gu Han was on the verge of falling asleep, she suddenly heard Lu Yu ask:

"What was the deal with that love poem?"

Drowsy and muddled, Gu Han didn't react immediately. She froze for a moment before snapping into full alertness.

The candles in the hall were not lit; only a sliver of dying moonlight filtered into the room. Gu Han tried to use this faint glow to look at Lu Yu, but his features remained blurred. In that brief span of time, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind.

She had considered simply pushing the blame onto Concubine Wei entirely.

But she quickly discarded that idea. She chose to tell the truth:

"Years ago, during the Old Madame Xie's birthday banquet, my elder sister's hand was injured, so I held the pen in her stead. I had long since forgotten the matter; I simply do not know how that slip of paper fell into Concubine Wei's hands."

Her words were seven parts truth and three parts fiction.

Gu Han did not mention the Liu candidate even once. It was impossible for her to tell anyone that she was the one who pushed the girl into the well. Even though it had truly been an accident during a moment of shoving, nearly three years had passed; if the truth were revealed now, people would only call her heartless and cruel.

Gu Han was unwilling to do anything that brought only harm and no benefit.

Regarding the love poem, however, she was telling the truth. She tilted her head up to look at Lu Yu, wondering if he would believe her.

Yihe Palace was profoundly silent in the dead of night. After a long while, Gu Han felt an arm reach out and pull her firmly against his waist, pinning her there. Gu Han’s heart finally settled. Lu Yu’s low, displeased voice sounded right against her ear:

"From now on, regardless of who it is, you are not permitted to write on someone else's behalf."

Gu Han curled her lip in the darkness and murmured, "I certainly wouldn't dare do it again."

Roused by Lu Yu, Gu Han’s sleepiness had vanished. Her emotions felt somewhat peculiar as she asked:

"Since Your Majesty knew that the handwriting on the note was mine, why did you say those things back then?"

Lu Yu’s arm pressed heavily across her body, his grip tightening, but he did not answer her.

Gu Han switched to a different question:

"Your Majesty kept insisting you trusted me, yet you still appeared at the osmanthus grove tonight with Concubine Wei. I manage the harem, yet I had no idea when Your Majesty went to Yian Palace. You certainly kept me in the dark."

Gu Han couldn't see Lu Yu’s expression, but she heard a soft tsk in the darkness.

Lu Yu remained silent.

Gu Han let out a soft huff and turned around, turning her back to him.

Lu Yu didn't get angry. He simply pulled her back into his embrace. Gu Han heard his low whisper:

"I never doubted you."

In the darkness, Gu Han’s eyes remained open. She pursed her lips slightly, harboring a hint of skepticism toward his words.

Lu Yu was telling the truth.

The moment his investigation led back to Yian Palace, he understood that Concubine Wei must hold some sort of leverage over Gu Han. That was why he had gone to see her personally. Between Gu Han and anyone else, he would always choose to believe Gu Han.

However, Lu Yu did not say these things to her. He couldn't bring himself to say them.

It wasn't until the next day that Gu Han learned Xie Chang'an had left the palace early in the morning, with no one to see him off.

Gu Han bit her lip and had Jiu nian send word to her family estate. She knew her mother was someone who spoke harshly but had a soft heart; no matter how much she complained about the Xie family implicating the Marquis's house, she wouldn't sit by and do nothing for Xie Chang'an.

Gu Han had more pressing matters to deal with now. She glanced at the palace servant standing before her, dripping with cold sweat, and arched an eyebrow:

"Didn't the Emperor send you to Yian Palace?"

Xiao Wenzi wiped away his sweat and said bitterly, "Concubine Wei wishes to see the Emperor one last time. This servant was unsure how to proceed, so I came to ask Your Ladyship."

Gu Han found it amusing:

"If you're unsure, go find your master. Why are you coming to me?"

Xiao Wenzi could only give a fawning smile. Concubine Wei had been ordered to die yesterday, and he had been sent to deliver the white silk, but she insisted on seeing the Emperor before she died.

Concubine Wei had once been the favorite of the harem, and Xiao Wenzi didn't know if the Emperor would see her. If he reported the news directly to the Emperor, he was worried he would offend the Noble Consort. Thus, he made this trip to see her first.

Gu Han quickly deduced Xiao Wenzi's thoughts. She had to admit, she found his show of respect quite useful. She gave a slight nod and said:

"It is the Emperor she wishes to see. Go ask him; I cannot make that decision."

Xiao Wenzi understood that the Noble Consort was allowing him to report the message. He immediately bowed in gratitude and hurried away.

After he left, Jiu nian was completely perplexed:

"Why did Your Ladyship agree to let Concubine Wei see the Emperor?"

Gu Han curled her lip. "How do you think Xiao Wenzi usually treats the concubines of the harem?"

As a servant from the Emperor's personal presence, Xiao Wenzi was usually neither humble nor arrogant toward the consorts. Yet, faced with a request from a dying woman, he felt caught in a dilemma. Clearly, he felt the Emperor would see her.

Why should Gu Han play the villain? The decree had been issued; Concubine Wei wouldn't survive the day. It was better to avoid a situation where the Emperor might remember her fondly later and harbor resentment toward Gu Han for being heartless.

The human heart is difficult to fathom. In these matters, Gu Han didn't dare be careless. There are always people who only begin to cherish old feelings after they’ve lost them.

Word soon came from the Emperor's side: he had agreed to see Concubine Wei.

When the news arrived, the servants of Yihe Palace instinctively moved with lighter steps. Observing their cautious attitudes, Gu Han didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

However, she couldn't help but be curious. What would Concubine Wei say in their final meeting? Would she stubbornly persist in slandering her?

Perhaps because Lu Yu had been doting on her so much lately, her curiosity was piqued. She found she couldn't sit still. She stood up abruptly, leaving Jiunian looking bewildered.

"Where is Your Ladyship going?"

Gu Han nodded to her. "We’re going to Yian Palace to take a look as well."

Jiunian and the others were shocked, but they had no choice but to quickly prepare her procession. A short while later, the group headed toward Yian Palace.

Inside Yian Palace.

Lu Yu did not keep Concubine Wei waiting for long. After receiving the message, he arrived quickly.

In just one night, Yian Palace seemed to have become much more desolate. Many of the decorations and furnishings had been removed; the Palace Internal Affairs Department had never moved so quickly. Concubine Wei was sitting at her dressing table, just like the night before.

But unlike yesterday, she was not wearing her magnificent, exquisite palace robes, and the glittering jewelry was gone from her head. Her dark hair hung loose, and she wore a simple, plain-colored long dress. For a moment, Lu Yu thought he was seeing her as she was when she first entered his estate.

When Concubine Wei first arrived, she had almost nothing but her face.

Lu Yu had been busy with government affairs and rarely visited the back courtyards, so he hadn't paid her much attention. The first time he saw her, she was wearing a plain lotus-root-colored dress, standing in a corner to pay her respects, as if she wanted to hide herself away.

Lu Yu saw through it instantly—she was intentionally hiding her beauty. It made sense; such a striking appearance would only draw unwanted eyes in the estate's courtyard.

Later, Lu Yu intentionally raised her status and began to dote on her. Her dresses began to feature bright, vivid colors that complemented her face.

Lu Yu felt a brief moment of nostalgia, but it passed like wind over water. From the beginning, his intentions for Concubine Wei had been calculated; in terms of pure emotion, it didn't even compare to what he felt for the Empress.

Concubine Wei knelt on the floor. She looked up at Lu Yu and said gently:

"Your Majesty has come."

Lu Yu gave a noncommittal "Mn." He found a seat, behaving as if Concubine Wei had never been his favorite. His gaze was calm to the point of indifference.

"You wanted to see me. What do you have to say?"

Concubine Wei said, "I thought Your Majesty wouldn't see me again."

Lu Yu raised a hand to pinch the space between his eyebrows, appearing tired. He didn't enjoy listening to these empty words. He let his eyelids droop listlessly. He had made this trip only because, when Xiao Wenzi asked him, he suddenly realized that the "old-timers" who had accompanied him for years were almost all gone.

Perhaps it was a sense of melancholy or reflection that brought him here.

Sensing his impatience, Concubine Wei lowered her voice and asked the question she wanted to know most:

"I do not understand. Why is the Noble Consort allowed, but I am not?"

Lu Yu was tired of answering this. He wanted to get up and leave, but her next words made him pause. Tears rolled down her cheeks:

"I have been with Your Majesty for eight years. I was always the one who understood your heart best. In what way am I inferior to her?"

For years, she had been like a blade in the Emperor's hand. Wherever he pointed, she struck; she had never disappointed him. In this world, who was a better match for the Emperor than her?

Lu Yu thought about this question seriously. Ultimately, he shook his head:

"I do not know either."

Just as Concubine Wei thought there might be a turn of events—that perhaps the Emperor would change his mind—his next words shattered her final hope:

"But when the two of you were kneeling there at the same time, I simply felt that she was the one being wronged."

Having said this, Lu Yu did not stay a moment longer. He turned and left.

The moment the palace doors closed, the woman kneeling on the floor broke into uncontrollable sobs.

When Lu Yu stepped out, he let out a long breath. He was about to speak when he sensed something was wrong. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Liu An:

"Who was here just now?"

Concubine Wei had committed a crime, and the side hall where she lived was not being cleaned. A fine layer of dust had settled on the floor. A patch of dust near the hall was visibly different from the rest—as if someone had stepped on it.

Liu An bowed guiltily.

Lu Yu reacted instantly. He hurried out and, sure enough, saw someone at the palace gate guiltily trying to climb onto her procession.

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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