Chapter 374

Chapter 374 "But in these past days, everyone has been watching with cold eyes—Consort Jing only stays in her own palace day after day, never going out unless necessary, and hasn't even gone to see the Seventh Prince once." "Looking at it that way, could she have genuinely helped Beauty Wu out of kindness back then, and not for the sake of the child in Beauty Wu's womb?" After Xie Run heard this, she smiled and shook her head. Lady Lu looked at her curiously. "Sister Xie, you know my vision is only this wide—I can only see what's right in front of me. Anything more, and my brain isn't enough for it." "What does that smile of yours mean?" Xie Run asked in return, "What do you think of Consort Jing these days—is she still reliable?" "Reliable?" Lady Lu was also taken aback, having never thought to use that word to describe anyone in the harem. Still, she thought about it seriously before answering. "Consort Jing used to find fault with everyone she saw, as if she had a belly full of resentment with nowhere to vent, so naturally no one liked her." "But when you really think about it, there doesn't seem to be any deep-seated hatred. She never actually clashed with anyone, nor has she ever schemed against anyone." "Now that she's changed her temperament and no longer argues with people, compared to Zhaorong Hua, Consort Wen, and the others, she does seem a bit more reliable." Xie Run smiled. "If that's what you think, then the Emperor probably thinks so too." "In the future, the harem will only have more princes and princesses, not fewer. They can't all be raised in the Princes' Residence, can they?" Lady Lu: "..." Xie Run: "If the Emperor wants to find a reliable foster mother for the princes and princesses, Consort Jing, who has thoroughly reformed her ways, would be the first choice." "Why would she be in such a hurry to get close to the Seventh Prince?" "If the people at the Princes' Residence fail to take good care of the Seventh Prince, the Emperor will have to give him to Consort Jing sooner or later anyway. There's no need for Consort Jing to show such an eager, unsightly appetite and invite gossip for no reason." "Even if there were no Seventh Prince, once the Eighth Prince and Ninth Prince are born in the future, she'd still manage to get one." Having spent so long together in the harem, Xie Run could roughly guess Consort Jing's calculations. Lady Lu said subconsciously, "But Zhaorong Hua and Noble Lady Xi, who are currently pregnant, can both raise their own children." Xie Run's expression was calm. "The Emperor will inevitably hold an imperial beauty selection sooner or later." "The newly selected candidates won't have high ranks, and it will be difficult for them to have the opportunity to raise their own children." "So that's Consort Jing's opportunity." Lady Lu seemed to understand but not quite. "No wonder Sister Xie said Consort Jing's scheme is an open one." "Looking at it this way, the Seventh Prince born to Beauty Wu might not be easy to raise." "If you want a prince, the first choice is one whose birth mother is no longer around." "The second choice is one whose birth mother is well-behaved and knows her place." "If she raises the Seventh Prince, Beauty Wu as the birth mother won't stay quiet." Xie Run had been to the Princes' Residence several times, all to take care of the Seventh Prince's daily needs. She had also watched with her own eyes as the child went from a little black monkey to plump and fair, and his features truly did bear some resemblance to Beauty Wu. But for a child like this, with a birth mother like Beauty Wu, who knows what storms might arise in the days to come. The next day, the entire harem went to pay respects to the Empress. The Empress arrived late, but she brought a surprise for the Six Palaces. In Fengyi Palace, the Empress sat high in the seat of honor, her bearing dignified, her brows composed, exuding an aura of authority without anger. "Yesterday, the Emperor discussed with me, saying that you are all veterans from the prince's household, having served by his side for so long. Even without great merit, you have your share of hard work. As the years pass, there should be some rewards." "So I thought—this year there will likely be an imperial beauty selection, and it wouldn't do to let you veterans of the prince's household hold lower ranks than the newcomers. So I proposed to the Emperor that your ranks be adjusted." The moment these words left the Empress's mouth, the eyes of the consorts waiting to pay their respects in Fengyi Palace all lit up. Although Lady Lu had received word from Xie Run, seeing that the festival had already passed with no news from the Emperor's side, she had thought there was no hope of promotion. Who would have thought that after the festival, a huge meat pie would fall from the sky, nearly knocking her senseless. As the Empress's words came to an end, the eunuch beside her took out an imperial edict and slowly unrolled it. Xie Run knew she had no hope of promotion, yet she still respectfully knelt down, listening absentmindedly. "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Consort Zhaode is promoted to Noble Consort Zhao, Consort Jing to Consort Jingshu, Zhaorong Hua to Consort Hua, Ritualist Hui to Zhaorong Huizhao, Lady of Handsome Fairness Xi to Noble Lady Xichong, Consort Fang to Lady of Handsome Fairness, Lady Lu to Imperial Concubine. Let this be known." Everyone replied, "We thank the Emperor for his boundless grace." Suddenly hearing that she had been promoted, Xie Run didn't even react. She followed the crowd in shouting thanks to the Emperor for his boundless grace and was about to rise when she looked up and met the eyes of the eunuch delivering the edict—eyes full of smiles and fawning deference. Xie Run savored the moment for a while before realizing—she had been promoted again. And she had become a Noble Consort. This was truly a position second only to one person in the harem. A Noble Consort in the current harem was worth far more than one in the Retired Emperor's harem. This position was something Xie Run hadn't even dared to think about before. She had thought the Emperor was holding back, planning to wait until she became pregnant again before promoting her. Who would have known... the Emperor could sometimes really surprise people. The Empress took in the expressions of everyone below, smiled properly, and raised her hand. "Today is a day of great joy, so there's no need to be too restrained. Enjoy yourselves as you should." "All within the Six Palaces are sisters. I only hope you will get along well in the days to come and bear many children for the Emperor." The assembled consorts no longer suppressed their smiles, beaming as they replied, "We humbly heed the Empress's instruction." That address of "Empress" was delivered with utmost respect and sincerity. The Empress was a decisive woman—after announcing the promotions and inquiring about the well-being of the princes and princesses, she did not keep them long. Of course, it might also be that the Empress's health was failing more and more, and she could not sit through the greetings for too long. On the way back, Consort Jingshu saluted Xie Run: "Today, Flower Xiuyi did not come—she missed quite a surprise." Because there were so few children in the harem, the Empress gave special treatment to those with child. Among the several pregnant consorts in the harem now, the Empress had excused them from morning greetings once their pregnancies were confirmed. Of course, the Empress excusing them was one thing—whether they actually came was another. Beauty Wu had caused no small amount of trouble during her pregnancy, but she later settled down and resumed her greetings as usual after the pregnancy was secure. Noble Lady Xichong had kept her pregnancy a strict secret for the first three months, attending greetings without missing a single day. After the pregnancy was secure, she remained even more diligent, never slackening. She formed a perfect contrast with Flower Xiuyi. Since Flower Xiuyi's pregnancy was confirmed, she had not shown her face at Fengyi Palace except on the major occasions of the first and fifteenth of each month. As her pregnancy advanced, she did not even appear for festivals or the New Year. This was already a clear display of arrogance born of favor. But the Emperor said nothing, the Empress said nothing, and naturally no one else in the palace dared to say anything. It would not have been a major matter, but with Noble Lady Xichong providing a daily contrast, Flower Xiuyi stood out all the more. Consort Jingshu's sudden mention of this was also a deliberate way of bringing up Hua Yu's arrogance from favor. Quite a few people in the harem could not stand Hua Yu, but with the Emperor shielding her, no one could do anything to her. Consort Jingshu smiled: "If Flower Xiuyi had come, she would not have missed today's good news and could have rejoiced sooner." Xie Run smiled: "She will find out sooner or later. Whether she comes or not makes little difference. The Emperor thinks of her and promoted her—that alone shows his favor well enough." "Favor?" Consort Jingshu could not help raising an eyebrow at these words. "It would not be remarkable for anyone else to say that, but coming from Noble Consort Zhao, it is quite something." "Speaking of favor, who in the Six Palaces can compare to you?" "Since the New Year, the Emperor has come to the harem only twice, and both times he stayed the night in your palace. Such grace—others could not hope for it even if they wished." "And now you have become Noble Consort, second only to one person in this harem. Who would dare not to respect you from now on?" "The Empress said we are all sisters—what is there to speak of regarding respect?" Xie Run looked calmly at Consort Jingshu, then suddenly said, "In a while, the imperial beauty selection will likely begin." Consort Jingshu smiled even more brightly: "The palace will gain a few more younger sisters." But what she truly thought, no one could guess. The two exchanged a glance, smiles on their faces, yet the smiles did not reach their eyes—each harboring their own thoughts. On the road, Lady Lu walked back together with Xie Run, her face full of smiles, barely containing her excitement: "Though I heard some news earlier, it was never quite accurate." "Today, when I heard my name mentioned in the imperial decree, I was so excited I nearly fainted. Had Cuiniao not pinched my arm, I would have lost my composure long ago." Xie Run smiled faintly: "Even if you had fainted, it would have been for a joyful occasion—a good thing." Lady Lu knew Xie Run's words were meant to comfort her, but they made her heart feel especially happy. The rank of Imperial Concubine was not high in the current harem, but once new people entered the palace, it would make a difference. Traditionally, newcomers were enfeoffed starting from Baolin or Cairen, and those with good family backgrounds or who particularly caught the Emperor's eye would be given the rank of Lady of Beauty. For them to start at the same rank as her—she, as a veteran, would feel humiliated. Now, sitting at the rank of Imperial Concubine, she would not have to start a head lower than others. To put it in a way that invites laughter, she could even receive the newcomers' salutations and hear them call her "elder sister"—that would be enough satisfaction for her lifetime. Lady Lu could not help but sigh: "Though life in the palace is hard to endure, if one can endure like this, in ten or twenty years, there may yet be a day of rising." Xie Run: "It is good that you can think this way." "We are veterans who came to the palace together from the prince's residence. To speak frankly, those who loved to stir up trouble in the past have all stirred themselves into ruin." "Our Emperor favors those who know their place. As long as one stays obedient and does not harm others, one can always rise day by day." Xie Run paused mid-sentence. In truth, she felt that opportunities for a grand promotion of the Six Palaces would not come often. The Emperor was so generous now only because there were truly few people in the harem. After the beauty selection, wave after wave of Selection Candidates would be brought into the palace. If the Six Palaces were frequently promoted on a grand scale, she wondered whether the Imperial Household Department's silver would suffice. Given the Emperor's nature, he would either select as few candidates as possible during the beauty selection, or he would control the frequency of grand promotions. Lady Lu was in high spirits and nodded repeatedly at Xie Run's words. But she could not suppress her gossipy nature: "In this grand promotion of the Six Palaces, everyone received a rise in rank—only Consort Wen, Noble Lady Xian, Beauty Duan, and Beauty Wu were left off the list." "Consort Wen's status is unsuitable, Beauty Wu was just promoted, Beauty Duan has long been loathed by the Emperor... but Noble Lady Xian—I truly cannot fathom why." Xie Run lowered her eyes, her lashes trembling slightly, a faint smile at the corners of her mouth: "The Emperor dislikes nothing more than those who stir up trouble." "Noble Lady Xian made quite a fuss in the harem back then over the Sixth Prince—she likely earned the Emperor's displeasure long ago." "Her name isn't on today's list for the grand promotion across the Six Palaces. Either the Emperor is deliberately expressing his dissatisfaction with her, or he feels that since she's already obtained the Sixth Prince, there's no need to elevate her rank further." The Emperor had never liked people who caused a stir. To promote someone who made trouble—wouldn't that be encouraging her to keep making trouble from a higher position? It would also set a bad example for the Six Palaces. Lady Lu sighed a little: "I wonder if Noble Lady Xian is satisfied." "I'm already at the rank of Bright Lady. Even if I were on the grand promotion list, I'd only go from Bright Lady to another title within the Nine Concubines—no real difference." After leaving Fengyi Palace, Noble Lady Xian had remained silent, walking quickly all the way back to her own palace. When the palace maid beside her couldn't help but speak up to comfort her, she said these words. Wen Jin let out a soft breath of relief: "As long as you understand things clearly in your heart, Mistress." "Raising the Sixth Prince—that's a lifelong support, far better than a small rank." "If you told the rest of the harem that you could trade a rank for a prince, everyone would be desperate to make that exchange—it's just that they'd never have the chance." Noble Lady Xian, soothed by Wen Jin's words, finally let the anger in her chest settle. Though she spoke lightly, when her name hadn't been read out during the decree today, her face had turned ashen. Half from anger, half from fear. Angry at the Emperor's favoritism, afraid that the Emperor truly despised her. Even Lady Lu—someone the Emperor had long grown weary of—had been promoted. How dissatisfied must the Emperor be with her to skip over her entirely? Noble Lady Xian seemed to be reasoning with herself: "The Emperor probably thinks that since I'm already raising the Sixth Prince, promoting me further would draw too much attention, so he didn't include my name." "Now that I have the Sixth Prince, I won't be greedy. I'll just raise him well—my later years won't be without someone to rely on." Wen Jin: "Isn't that right? There are plenty of people in the harem now who envy you." Noble Lady Xian finally showed a hint of a smile. But she was ultimately narrow-minded—she didn't want to show her face at the morning greetings and be laughed at. The next day, she used the Sixth Prince's discomfort as an excuse and didn't attend. Everyone remaining in the palace was tactful; they could all see that Noble Lady Xian was simply too embarrassed to show her face and had found an excuse to skip the greetings. No one called her out on it. But after the greetings ended, there was inevitably some gossip. "She can't face it herself, so she drags the Sixth Prince into a lie to cover her shame." "Really now—doesn't she fear bringing bad luck to the Sixth Prince? Clearly, a birth mother would truly cherish her child—she's not the real mother." "Look at how Bright Lady Hui dotes on the Third Princess? And then look at how Noble Lady Xian raises the Sixth Prince?" The only one in the palace who loved to gossip like this was Lady Lu—no one else. But this time, Lady Lu wasn't gossiping with Xie Run, but with Lady Fang. She had nothing better to do on ordinary days and loved to visit Lady Fang. The harem was dull, and since Lady Lu was talkative, Lady Fang—who was usually quiet as a gourd—gradually warmed up to her. Unfortunately, today was unlucky—all these words fell right into the Emperor's ears. The Emperor had been reviewing memorials in the imperial study until his head ached, so he'd brought his attendants out for a stroll. He happened to overhear Lady Lu and Lady Fang's complaints. The Emperor glanced at Shi'an. "Who is that?" He remembered most of the consorts' names and faces, but Lady Lu had never really appeared before him. In the past few years, he'd only seen her once or twice—he truly didn't recognize her. Eunuch Shian: "Your Majesty, that is Lady Lu. She's an old hand from the prince's household—formerly a maidservant, and she served Your Majesty once."