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 and thank you to Everyone who stayed till the very end. A big thank you to all my dear readers who stayed even with the chaotic posting schedule. you all have my heart. These are the last few chapters please drop your comments and what you think i should do better or any novel you want me to translate or post more chapters on.

Chapter 158: Extra 2

Gu Han had no ready proposal, yet she couldn't simply throw the question straight back without an answer. She offered thoughtfully:

"As things stand in the palace, only a few concubines possess the status to foster the Youngest Princess. Concubine Ye already has the Second Prince under her care, and Xiurong Zhou is raising the Eldest Princess. On the other hand, Consort Xuan and Xiurong Fang have no children of their own."

She stopped right there.

Gu Han made not the slightest reference to herself—a deliberate omission whose intent was crystal clear, and Lu Yu naturally caught it. Her stance had been plain from the start, and he found no fault in it.

As for the circumstances Gu Han outlined, Lu Yu was already well aware of them. In truth, he had held a candidate in mind all along; consulting Gu Han was merely his way of ensuring she was never kept in the dark.

Following her lead, Lu Yu asked, "What do you think of Consort Xuan, Han'er?"

Gu Han’s movements paused momentarily. Consort Xuan held the highest rank in the harem after Concubine Ye and herself. She had entered the Prince's Estate in the same year as the late Empress and Consort Ling; her seniority was beyond question, and her current position had been granted during the harem promotions of the previous year.

Gu Han mused internally that the Emperor had likely harbored this intention back then, delaying the final decision only to observe Consort Xuan a while longer.

Indifferent to where the Youngest Princess ultimately landed, she offered a gracious word once she saw the Emperor had made up his mind:

"The choice Your Majesty selects for the Youngest Princess will naturally be the finest."

Lu Yu cast a dry, exasperated glance in her direction.

With the Youngest Princess’s placement settled, Lu Yu wasted no time and issued the imperial decree shortly after. To receive an imperial child out of nowhere filled Consort Xuan with boundless delight. The young princess had been nursed back to vibrant health, showing no trace of her earlier frailty; watching her lie there so placidly, Consort Xuan felt her heart melt entirely into tenderness.

Her eyes soft with warmth, Consort Xuan addressed the messenger:

"Please convey to His Majesty that I will treat the Youngest Princess as my very own, giving her my whole heart and devotion."

Consort Xuan’s imperial favor had always been ordinary, and she had long ceased to pine for the Emperor's fleeting affections. She saw the reality clearly: His Majesty’s heart now rested entirely upon the Imperial Noble Consort. In a palace where imperial offspring were scarce, fostering the Youngest Princess secured the remainder of her life, and even that was secondary.

Consort Xuan looked upon the infant with growing affection. With the child present, her Fanyu Palace would no longer feel cold and desolate.

There are no secrets in the palace. A single visit from the Emperor to Yihe Palace had settled the Youngest Princess’s destiny. Consort Xuan felt a deep surge of gratitude toward the Imperial Noble Consort, while the rest of the concubines held her in even greater awe, not daring to treat her with the slightest disrespect.

A powerful consort was not in herself terrifying; what rendered everyone powerless was a consort who could bend the Emperor's will so seamlessly to her own.

Inside Hanxi Palace, Su Li helped her mistress dress, chatting about recent palace happenings along the way:

"That Noble Lady Lin seems to possess quite a few tricks up her sleeve."

Having just stepped out of a warm bath, Concubine Ye felt comfortably relaxed and paid little mind to Su Li’s commentary. She noted placidly: "The palace has never lacked clever schemers. To catch the Emperor's eye—now that is real capability."

When it came to calculation, who among the former Empress, Consort Shu, or Consort Ling had not been a master of the art? Noble Lady Lin was nothing more than an unformed novice by comparison.

Shut down so firmly, Su Li dared not chatter further.

After Concubine Ye retired to her bed, Su Li's words drifted back through her mind. She shook her head in silence. A full month had passed since the new concubines entered the palace, yet not a single one had been summoned for night service—nor had any of the veteran consorts.

Previously, many concubines had frequented Hanxi Palace under the guise of keeping her company, when in truth they were subtly egging her on to clash with the Imperial Noble Consort.

Concubine Ye was no fool. First, she lacked the Emperor's affection; second, her authority in assisting with harem affairs had been handed to her simply because the Emperor couldn't bear to let the Imperial Noble Consort overexert herself. What leverage did she have to challenge her?

She had no intention of throwing herself against a stone like an egg.

Lately, having discerned her unyielding stance, fewer and fewer people visited Hanxi Palace, save for the newly arrived concubines. Many of the veteran consorts had settled into peace of mind; though devoid of imperial favor, shedding their expectations had stripped the harem fights of their former venom.

A few days prior, Concubine Ye had even heard that Xiurong Yao and Noble Lady Yuan were gathering to play card games—a rare sight in the palace indeed.

Preferring a quiet atmosphere above all, Concubine Ye found the current atmosphere rather pleasant. Looking back, the endless turmoil of the past had ultimately stemmed from the Emperor himself; by dangling unnecessary hopes before others, he had naturally driven everyone to scramble for that sliver of opportunity.

Concubine Ye suddenly instructed:

"I hear the Imperial Noble Consort's appetite has been poor of late. Tell the Imperial Kitchens to prepare her meals with extra care."

Keeping watch for the night, Su Li had been nearly asleep when the command startled her awake. She murmured, "The Imperial Kitchens wouldn't dare show the slightest negligence toward Yihe Palace."

Concubine Ye turned over, ignoring Su Li's confusion.

She wished only for the Imperial Noble Consort to live a long life and enjoy everlasting favor, so that this harem might remain at peace forever.

If anyone suffered most from the Youngest Princess's new placement, it was Noble Lady Lin. She involuntarily raised a hand to her forehead, unable to fathom where her calculations had gone awry.

By rights, given her background, starting with the rank of Imperial Concubine (Meiren) upon entry would not have been excessive. As long as the Youngest Princess remained without a foster mother, she could have leveraged a bit of imperial favor alongside her blood relation to claim the child under her care.

Though she felt no genuine affection for the Youngest Princess, her father had repeatedly impressed upon her before her departure to establish a firm bond with the child. Daring not to forget, this sudden turn left her in an utterly embarrassing plight.

Her attempt to visit the child had instead prompted the Emperor to assign the princess to Consort Xuan. When the infant had no foster mother, the Emperor had forbidden her from visiting; now that the child resided in Fanyu Palace, her opportunities to catch a glimpse of her were even more remote.

Frustrated, Noble Lady Lin wrung her handkerchief tightly. The tea on the table had grown cold, yet she downed a cup without hesitation. As the chill settled in her chest, her overheated head cooled down considerably.

Since the Youngest Princess could no longer serve as her stepping stone, she had no choice but to chart a new course. With both the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort disliking her at present, her best move was to keep quiet for a while.

Fortunately, the Emperor was not summoning anyone for night service, so laying low for a spell would cost her nothing.

Following that day, Gu Han observed that Noble Lady Lin had indeed grown quiet, stripped of the restless impetuosity she had displayed upon first entering the palace. Sighing softly to herself, Gu Han couldn't help but spare her an extra glance.

Visiting Yihe Palace that afternoon with the Eldest Princess, Xiurong Zhou nibbled on a pastry and remarked with curiosity:

"I've noticed you paying quite a bit of attention to that Noble Lady Lin lately."

Gu Han offered a soft hum and nodded slightly.

These are the last few chapters please drop your comments and what you think i should do better or any novel you want me to translate or post more chapters on.

Xiurong Zhou pondered for a moment, then looked at her with a teasing smirk: "Your Ladyship, do you feel you've grown quite a bit more delicate and spoiled lately?"

In the past, she had always viewed Gu Han as gentle as water—speaking in soft, delicate tones that unwittingly softened the hearts of those around her. Now, however, Xiurong Zhou felt she exhibited more of the charming, willful demeanor of a cherished young woman.

Gu Han’s face flushed red at the comment. She cast an annoyed glare at her friend: "You're getting more and more improper with your words."

Seeing Xiurong Zhou prepare to debate the point further, Gu Han hastily pivoted the conversation:

"As the Eldest Princess grows older, it is time to find her a mentor nanny. I intend to suggest to the Emperor that she enter the Imperial Academy next year."

At the Imperial Academy, the tutors instructing the princes were all grand scholars of great renown. Gu Han had always believed that women ought to cultivate wisdom and vision; learning mere court etiquette bred a narrow outlook, whereas understanding the vast world saved one from dwelling solely on romantic entanglements.

Gu Han had a daughter of her own. Consort Shu’s past had left a deep impression on her—a woman so remarkably intelligent, yet completely undone by love. The memory kept Gu Han vigilant, unwilling to let An'er fall into the same trap.

Xiurong Zhou’s eyes lit up immediately. Forgetting her banter, she nodded eagerly:

"That would be truly wonderful!"

Xiurong Zhou was well aware that Gu Han proposing the Eldest Princess’s entry into the Imperial Academy now paved the way for An'er to enter smoothly in the future—but what of it?

As a mother, it was only natural to plan for one's children, and the tangible benefit fell directly upon the Eldest Princess. That alone was more than enough. In human relationships, one judges actions rather than underlying motives.

Seeing her agreement, Gu Han raised the matter with Lu Yu that very night. Lu Yu cast her a subtle glance before she could notice.

When Gu Han gave birth, the experience had been harrowing, and Lu Yu never wished to relive that overwhelming dread. Furthermore, the late Empress’s death in childbirth had cast a lasting shadow over him. For years, he had deliberately avoided letting Gu Han conceive again.

Now, his rare visits to the rest of the harem signaled that the palace would yield no further imperial children. That being the case, the princes and princesses were equally precious.

Lu Yu had always valued his offspring, and Gu Han’s proposal was undeniably in the children's best interest; he had no reason to refuse. Indeed, the princesses of the imperial house should not have their horizons confined to the inner courtyard.

Lu Yu lowered his gaze to look at An'er. After a quiet moment, he looked up and said:

"Tomorrow, I shall issue a decree: henceforth, regardless of whether they are princes or princesses, all shall enter the Imperial Academy upon reaching the appropriate age."

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Why you should read: FL transmigrates and decides to seduce a pitiful good-looking youth, using him to boost her cultivation... But oops! Who would've thought — that's the novel's ultimate villain that she had picked up! And now he doesn't plan to let his "jiejie" go!

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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