Chapter 459

Chapter 459 After the coronation ceremony, Xie Run officially took up residence in Fengyi Palace, holding the seal and managing the affairs of the Six Palaces. Having managed the affairs of the Six Palaces on behalf of others for many years, she had now truly gained experience through practice. Everything was arranged in perfect order, much to the Emperor's satisfaction. After the coronation ceremony came the ceremony for installing the Crown Prince. Busy for the better part of a year, the procedures were only completed before the new year, and Taotao smoothly moved into the Eastern Palace. Xie Run first pleaded on behalf of Consort Jingshu, having the Eighth Prince registered under Consort Jingshu's name. Then she raised the matter of the grand promotion across the Six Palaces. When the consorts of the Six Palaces came to pay their respects on the first day, Xie Run gave a few words of admonishment according to protocol, then said: "The Emperor has returned victorious and wishes to grant promotions across the Six Palaces. The imperial edict has now arrived—let all sisters hear the decree together." Many in the palace had already received word, yet the smiles on their faces could not be suppressed. Eunuch Shian entered with his attendants, and the consorts of the Six Palaces performed the proper rites. "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Consort Jingshu is promoted to Consort Jingde, Lady Xian to Noble Lady Xian, Lady Hua to Xiuyuan Hua, Lady Fang to Lady of Handsome Fairness, Lady Kong to Chongrong, Consort Shen to Lady of Gentle Radiance, and Concubine Fang is promoted to Cairen Fang..." Not everyone could receive a promotion in the grand elevation of the Six Palaces. Take Forest Lady Ming, who had erred upon first entering the palace, or Beauty Duan, who had been dragging along with a lingering illness, barely clinging to life. But Xie Run was of a gentle disposition—as long as one had been honest and dutiful over the past three years, she put in a good word for them. Cheers of celebration rang through the palace, joy radiating from every face. Only Noble Lady Xian and Xiuyuan Hua wore complex expressions. Consort Jingde, being of a mischievous nature, immediately laughed: "Both sisters have been promoted, yet why do I see no joy on your faces?" Noble Lady Xian's face turned pale with fright as she hastily explained: "Sister Consort Jingde must be mistaken—this sister is simply overcome with joy." "I see." Consort Jingde said with a smile: "I do recall that when this sister first entered the palace, she was already a Bright Lady? After all these twists and turns, she has finally returned to her original rank." These words were rather poignant to hear. Noble Lady Xian had struggled through all these years in the palace, rising and falling, yet in the end, she had only been standing still. Xie Run said gently: "Consort Jingde has always loved to jest. Noble Lady Xian, do not take it to heart." Noble Lady Xian no longer had the spirit to make trouble, and replied obediently: "This concubine will heed the Empress's words." Just as one conflict was settled, Consort Jingde opened her mouth to provoke Hua Yu: "Xiuyuan Hua has always been straightforward, with every thought written on her face." "Now that you've received a promotion, you alone seem displeased. Could it be that you find the rank the Emperor granted you too low?" She chuckled lightly behind her handkerchief: "When it comes to rank advancement, who in the entire palace can compare to Xiuyuan Hua?" "Rising from Baolin to Lady of Handsome Fairness in half a year—countless sisters must envy you." Hua Yu was flushed with anger, grinding her teeth: "Sister Consort Jingde seems most delighted today." "Though Noble Lady Xian has gone in circles back to her original rank, at least the Sixth Prince is well-behaved, never courting trouble, and close with the Crown Prince." "As for the Seventh and Eighth Princes raised by Sister Consort Jingde... this sister heard just yesterday that the two princes had another fight." "The two princes are no longer young. Sister Consort Jingde might at least teach them to learn brotherly harmony from the Crown Prince and the Tenth Prince." Hua Yu rarely retorted, but when she did, she struck two hearts at once. The praised Noble Lady Xian was not pleased at all. What she feared most was the Sixth Prince's closeness to the Crown Prince—fearing that all her painstaking efforts would ultimately benefit someone else. The discord between the Seventh and Eighth Princes was also Consort Jingde's sore spot. Hua Yu's words struck directly, drawing cold laughter from Consort Jingde: "This sister certainly knows how to raise the Ninth Prince." "Just the other day, I saw the Ninth Prince playing with the Fourth Princess. He wept at the slightest thing, utterly delicate—for a moment, I could hardly tell which was the princess and which was the prince." "This sister should devote more effort to teaching the Ninth Prince. If he could learn even half of General Hua's might, I daresay the Emperor would be pleased to see it." Hua Yu had only this one son, the Ninth Prince, and her body had been damaged during childbirth. She treasured the Ninth Prince like a pearl in her palm—even more doting than Consort Hui had been with the Third Princess. She wouldn't even let him go out to play, and if he scraped his skin, she would make a fuss known throughout the entire palace. Over time, the Ninth Prince had been raised to be extremely delicate, crying at the slightest thing. The other princes didn't enjoy playing with him. The Fourth Princess was the youngest in the palace, and the Ninth Prince would occasionally play house with her. Sometimes he would throw a tantrum over the smallest matter, causing the Fourth Princess much grievance and bringing Lady Kong to tears on several occasions. Hua Yu was so angry she stood up directly, as if about to come to blows with Consort Jingde. The other consorts below shrank their necks, sitting to the side and watching the spectacle. A faint smile curved on Xie Run's lips: "Are all sisters about to have a fight? Tomorrow I shall report to the Emperor and have him set up a fighting arena in the harem, so all of you may compete for supremacy?" Consort Jingde gave an awkward laugh: "The Empress does love her jokes." With that, she smiled brightly at Hua Yu: "Sister Hua, it was this sister's fault. This sister apologizes to you—I hope you can forgive me." Hua Yu was not one to pretend. She gave a light snort and turned her head, sitting back down in her seat. Consort Jingde sat to the side, smiling as if nothing had happened, even finding the leisure to chat with Consort Shen and Consort Fang about raising children. This incident made everyone wary of provoking the two of them again. Xie Run sat at the head, finally understanding how the Empress had felt watching the daily dramas until she grew numb. The days in the palace finally seemed to settle into some peace, and then Xie Run received word. Her elder sister, Xie Jiang, was to travel to Xiazhou to practice medicine and wander. After the Xia Dynasty had been reclaimed, it had been renamed Xiazhou. It was now under the command of Hua Yu's elder brother, General Hua, who served as acting prefect, carrying out the duties of governance and education. The most turbulent place in the Great Yu Dynasty now was probably Xiazhou. In Xie Jiang's life, this journey was something she would have to take sooner or later. When Xie Run heard the news, she felt a pang of melancholy, though she was not surprised. The melancholy likely stemmed from that sense of dependence she had on Xie Jiang, which now seemed to have nowhere to rest. That evening, the Emperor stayed at Fengyi Palace. Seeing Xie Run in low spirits, he asked an extra question. Upon learning the reason, he almost wanted to laugh. "If you can't bear to part with her, just find an excuse to keep her in the capital to accompany you." "You are the Empress. Keeping her in the capital is merely a matter of issuing an imperial decree." Xie Run shot the Emperor a sideways glance. "In Your Majesty's eyes, is your consort really so domineering?" "My sister has her own life. Though I am honored to be Empress, I cannot interfere arbitrarily and ruin our bond as sisters." The Emperor had no brotherly bond with his own brothers, so naturally he could offer Xie Run no good advice on this matter. He propped his chin in thought, then said, "If all else fails, why not go see her off?" Xie Run immediately sat up straight, her eyes bright. "Truly?" "Your consort can leave the palace to see her off?" The Emperor's original meaning had been to see her off at the palace gate, but seeing Xie Run's delighted expression, he couldn't bear to say anything that would disappoint her. The Emperor said, "That's not impossible either." Such matters depended entirely on whether the Emperor permitted it and was willing to show leniency. Now that the Emperor had agreed, it could naturally be done. Xie Run was so excited she barely slept half the night. Spring arrived suddenly. Xie Run, accompanied only by Dantao, Xiaoshu, and a few guards, left the palace to see Xie Jiang off at the outskirts of the capital. The moment she stepped down from the carriage, she couldn't help but look up at the sky. It had been a long time since she had seen the sky beyond the imperial city walls. Though separated by only a single wall, the sky outside the city and the sky inside the city were vastly different. Xie Run suppressed the excitement in her heart, slowly calming her emotions. In the distance, the jingling of carriage bells sounded. She turned to look. Xie Jiang lifted the curtain, leaped down from the carriage, and strode quickly toward Xie Run. Xie Run's voice trembled with emotion: "Elder Sister!" Xie Jiang's gaze was complex, filled with feeling. "I didn't expect you to come see me off." Xie Run smiled gently. "It's been too long since I left the palace. Your younger sister wanted to see the sky outside the palace walls, to see the direction in which Elder Sister departs the capital, so that I may know how to welcome you home in the future." Xie Jiang looked deeply at Xie Run for several moments, then suddenly leaned forward and embraced her. "Wait for me." Xie Run's gaze froze slightly, then she heard Xie Jiang say, "Wait until I return from Xiazhou, and I'll take you out of the palace." Suddenly, tears welled up in Xie Run's eyes. So that casual remark she had made back then—Xie Jiang had taken it to heart. She wiped away the tears slipping from her eyes and smiled. "Alright, I'll wait for Elder Sister to return." In ancient times, carriages and horses were slow. This journey to Xiazhou would likely take three to five years. But Xie Run could afford to wait. The worst thing for a person is to have no hope to look forward to. Whether or not she could eventually leave the palace, at least thinking of Xie Jiang, thinking of the future... filled her heart with joy and anticipation.