After all, she had been a key figure in helping the Empress Dowager and Gu Chaobei successfully accomplish their great undertaking. If the Empress Dowager wasn’t protecting her this time, it was because of the Emperor’s involvement. Since she wasn’t protecting her anyway, helping push Qinghuan forward shouldn’t be a problem, right?
“Thank you, Consort Shen,” Qinghuan obediently knelt down, her face earnest as she said, “Qinghuan will certainly repay Your Ladyship’s kindness and rescue you!”
Shen Hanlu closed her eyes. Every transmigrator who came to the imperial palace inevitably had to make a trip to the Cold Palace—she would have a chance to get out eventually. Previously, she had been too softhearted toward Shen Guiyan, failing to eliminate her with one strike, which instead gave her the opportunity to counterattack.
Next time, she definitely couldn’t let her off again!
“Consort Shen, please,” the Cold Palace steward was already standing outside. Shen Hanlu took a deep breath and followed him out.
Qinghuan stood in Luhua Palace, watching her leave. She smiled slightly, then turned and headed toward the Eastern Palace.
“Regarding Consort Shen’s poisoning, this concubine is also very confused,” Consort Jiang sat in Xiuzhuang Palace, frowning. “That day, it was Qinghuan who invited this concubine to go pay respects together, saying she had made chilled mango sago to present to Consort Shen and asking this concubine to carry it in first. As soon as this concubine entered, Consort Shen said she had never eaten this before and directly tasted it. Afterward, Qinghuan came in somewhat angry, even feeling that this concubine was passing off someone else’s gift as her own, stealing her credit.”
Shen Guiyan listened and asked, “Consort Shen was poisoned from eating that?”
“Yes. Within half a shichen, she was crying out about stomach pain. When the imperial physician came to examine her, he said there was a problem with the chilled mango sago. This concubine was truly utterly wronged. Qinghuan also said it had nothing to do with her—she had made it and even had a palace maid taste-test it first. Only after confirming it was safe did she dare present it, so it must have been this concubine who tampered with it.”
“After that, without asking anything else, Consort Shen went straight to Empress Dowager Wen to lodge a complaint. The Empress Dowager didn’t ask many questions and directly pronounced this concubine guilty.”
Shen Guiyan thought for a moment and said, “Ordinarily, Qinghuan’s relationship with Consort Shen must be closer than yours, right?”
“Naturally,” Jiang Biyue pressed her lips together. Looking at Shen Guiyan, she was truly too angry to bear it and simply revealed everything, including past events at the residence: “Qinghuan’s ambitions are no small matter. Back at the Gu residence, she was already scheming about how to compete with you for favor. She even staged a haunting incident herself, hoping the master would spread his favors evenly.”
“Oh?” Shen Guiyan raised an eyebrow. “So it was her causing trouble.”
“Exactly! Consort Yan must be on guard against her in the future,” Jiang Biyue said through gritted teeth. “I treated her extremely well, never looked down on her for her origins, and even spoke favorably of her before the Emperor, helping her enter the palace as a Talented Lady. Who would have thought she would repay kindness with ingratitude like this, stepping on this concubine to climb up and draw closer to Consort Shen.”
Not only did she fawn over Consort Shen every day, but originally they were supposed to advance and retreat together. Now, however, she found this concubine’s favor an eyesore, clung to Consort Shen, and kicked her aside. That girl’s mind was truly both ruthless and vicious.
Shen Guiyan listened without making any comment, only taking Jiang Biyue’s hand and saying, “Just keep your distance from petty people. In this palace, you’re also someone from the Emperor’s past—you needn’t fear being unable to get by. Now that Consort Shen has entered the Cold Palace, just live your own life well.”
Jiang Biyue thought about it, nodded, and obediently sat beside Shen Guiyan with her head lowered.
The Emperor resumed attending court, though he still didn’t go to pay respects to Empress Dowager Wen much, instead going to Grand Empress Dowager Nian’s palace every day.
Princess Duanwen pulled Shen Guiyan to walk in the Imperial Garden, saying as they walked, “Recently, everything in the court seems strange.”
“Strange in what way?” Shen Guiyan asked softly.
“The Emperor and Empress Dowager Wen have been at odds since that incident. The Emperor seems to be somewhat opposing the Empress Dowager, but for minor skirmishes, the Empress Dowager just endures it. Regarding the rumors about new policies, the Empress Dowager hasn’t yielded a single step and has suppressed them completely.”
“New policies?”
Princess Duanwen stood on a small bridge, swinging a willow branch in her hand. “Some court officials are saying that the current bureaucratic system is no longer suitable and want to formulate new policies. As soon as they started to speak, the Empress Dowager shouted them down. The Emperor wanted to listen, but the Empress Dowager directly called for court dismissal, which angered the Emperor again.”
In today’s world, commoners were as lowly as grass. Above, they couldn’t reach the Emperor’s ears; below, they were exploited by officials—the people were destitute. Shen Guiyan had seen plenty of this before—refugees filled the streets in waves.
“I find it rather amusing. When the Emperor was still a wastrel, when did he ever care about public opinion or the people’s conditions? Now that he sits on the throne, he can actually see the people’s suffering,” Princess Duanwen said. “Quite a few veteran ministers were shocked by him.”
Shen Guiyan looked into the distance. Spring seemed to be arriving soon—many places in the Imperial Garden already showed hints of green.
Gu Chaobei—he always appeared indifferent to everything, but in reality, he remembered it all in his heart, didn’t he?
“In any case, the court is somewhat chaotic now. Why don’t we go sit in Mother’s palace for a while,” Princess Duanwen pulled Shen Guiyan, then thought to add, “Grand Empress Dowager Nian’s palace.”
Shen Guiyan nodded and followed her toward the Northern Palace. Along the way, Princess Duanwen couldn’t help sighing, “Originally, Empress Dowager Wen and my mother were always at odds. Who would have thought that after the Emperor ascended the throne, with my mother not involving herself in harem or court matters, they would actually coexist peacefully like this.”
People did tend to tolerate each other when there were no conflicts of interest. Shen Guiyan thought of something she had always been curious about and couldn’t help asking, “Does the Princess know about the Emperor’s background?”
Princess Duanwen’s steps paused slightly. She glanced at her sideways and said with lowered eyes, “Mother said he was the child of a palace maid from her palace who was sent to the Prime Minister’s residence.”
“Which palace maid?”
Princess Duanwen released her hand somewhat uncomfortably and frowned. “I’m not very clear about that either. Why must you ask so many questions?”
Shen Guiyan was startled. Seeing Princess Duanwen’s obvious expression of knowing but not wanting to say, she became even more curious.
Grand Empress Dowager Nian had once been the sole favorite of the harem. Now she was willing to keep such great power as the Nian family possessed unused, staying in the deep palace to live out her years, desiring nothing. She always felt something was off about this.
However, this was a matter of great importance. Right now, she was just a minor consort in the harem—if she shouldn’t ask, then she wouldn’t.
“You’ve come,” Grand Empress Dowager Nian was reclining on a soft couch drinking tea. Seeing Princess Duanwen and Shen Guiyan, she beckoned and said, “Just now, Empress Dowager Wen sent word to this dowager that she wants to promote Talented Lady Qing to Consort.”
“What?” Princess Duanwen’s eyes widened as she moved closer to Grand Empress Dowager Nian. “Why is that? Who is Talented Lady Qing?”
Grand Empress Dowager Nian said, “A chamber maid from the Gu residence, wasn’t she? What’s that saying—when one person attains enlightenment, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. She hasn’t thought about what will happen in the future if there are imperial princes—how could such an origin be acceptable?”
Princess Duanwen frowned. “Empress Dowager Wen is completely doing as she pleases—promoting whoever she wants, demoting whoever she wants. This is the Emperor’s harem! Mother, won’t you restrain her at all?”
“How can this dowager restrain her?” Grand Empress Dowager Nian laughed mockingly. “The Wen family is practically walking sideways across the realm. Can this dowager stop them?”
Shen Guiyan obediently stood to the side listening with her head lowered.
Grand Empress Dowager Nian’s gaze fell on her, and she beckoned. “You, come here.”
Shen Guiyan didn’t hesitate. She had been trained extremely well by Grand Empress Dowager Nian—when called over, she went immediately.
Grand Empress Dowager Nian looked at her and said, “Can you endure so many women around him?”
Shen Guiyan was startled. She looked up at the Empress Dowager in confusion, then said in a low voice, “Don’t I have to endure it?”
“At least you know your place. It seems you haven’t given up yet,” Grand Empress Dowager Nian snorted. “Wait one more month for this dowager. After one month, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy.”
This fierce yet meaningful statement left Shen Guiyan stunned for a moment, but she nodded in agreement. “Alright.”
She vaguely seemed to have guessed something, starting from those cotton knee warmers from Grand Empress Dowager Nian.
Qinghuan was promoted to Consort. Wearing clothing much more luxurious than before, she knelt respectfully before Empress Dowager Wen and said, “This concubine comes at Consort Shen’s request to ask the Empress Dowager to make a decision. Your Ladyship is still in the Cold Palace.”
Empress Dowager Wen rubbed her forehead and said impatiently, “Just let her reflect in the Cold Palace for a while longer. Sometimes when people are too foolish, even if they come out, they can’t survive. You should focus on serving the Emperor well—his temper has been growing worse lately.”
“This concubine obeys the decree,” Qinghuan replied obediently.
Empress Dowager Wen glanced at her and suddenly felt she was much more pleasing to the eye than Shen Hanlu. Recently, there were too many court matters—she really had no time to deal with that troublemaker Shen Hanlu. She was thinking about what methods to use to make the Emperor trust and depend on her again.
“Changqing,” Empress Dowager Wen sighed.
Yuwen Changqing beside her stepped forward. “This subject is here.”
“This dowager has always trusted you most. Tell this dowager, how much longer will the Emperor keep this up?” Empress Dowager Wen was very troubled. “The new policies are not feasible. This dowager already made that clear in court, yet after dismissal, he kept several elders in the Imperial Study and wouldn’t allow this dowager to enter. What can he possibly accomplish?”
Yuwen Changqing bowed and said, “The Empress Dowager knows the Emperor is just making trouble. Why pay him any mind? The Emperor has a child’s temperament—when provoked, he’ll cause destruction recklessly. The Empress Dowager should just endure it.”
With these words from Yuwen Changqing, Empress Dowager Wen felt much more at ease. She held military power and had the Wen family backing her—what was there to fear? The Emperor was mud she had propped up. If he truly dared to climb the wall, she could scrape him back down again.
“Then Consort Qing must put in some effort recently to serve the Emperor well,” Empress Dowager Wen turned and said.
Qinghuan bowed her head in acknowledgment. “This concubine obeys the decree.”
Once merely a chamber maid whom no one respected, she was now a lofty Consort. Walking along the palace paths, Qinghuan held her head high, extremely pleased with herself. Qingluo came to meet her and asked in a low voice, “Sister Qinghuan, won’t you rescue Consort Shen?”
“Even Empress Dowager Wen refuses to save her. I’m just a lowly Consort—what can I do?” Qinghuan snorted and glanced at Qingluo. “Do you know whose token the Emperor turned over tonight?”
Qingluo had recently grown close to a steward eunuch from the Internal Affairs Bureau, so naturally her information was well-informed.
“It seems he didn’t turn over any token, but Consort Yan’s pregnancy has some issues. The Emperor might go check on her tonight,” Qingluo said in a low voice.
Qinghuan nodded and smiled. “Then that’s easy to handle.”
“Sister, do you want to snatch the Emperor from Consort Yan?” Qingluo’s eyes widened. “That’s not good…”
“What’s not good about it?” Qinghuan snorted coldly. “People like you are content with lowliness, which is why you can never get ahead.”