Imperial Concubine Fu frowned. “Concubine He was always by this concubine’s side. Why would the High Priestess say it was Concubine He who pushed her into Taiye Lake? To receive heavenly punishment just like that—this concubine always feels there’s some meaning of silencing a witness.”

Last night she had dreamed of Concubine He. Concubine He told her to avenge her. She and Concubine He had always been close, except for one time when Concubine He dressed too beautifully and nearly overshadowed her, so she punished her by sending her to the back courtyard. Other times, their relationship had been quite good.

So having just recovered from serious illness, she wanted to come ask for the truth.

Consort Hua raised her eyebrows slightly, holding her teacup and skimming the tea foam off and on. “You just can’t judge people clearly. Qingzhu was like that, Concubine He was like that too. People around you were used by others, and you didn’t know a thing about it.”

What did this mean? Imperial Concubine Fu leaned forward slightly. “Does elder sister have some instruction to give?”

Consort Hua put down her teacup and said softly, “This palace investigated Concubine He’s death, but His Majesty said it was heavenly punishment, so it can only be heavenly punishment. This palace cannot say it was anything else. Do you understand?”

Imperial Concubine Fu’s heart jumped. Concubine He’s death truly wasn’t heavenly punishment? She had also found it strange—why would Concubine He, perfectly fine, go push Consort Shen into the lake?

“Elder sister means… His Majesty is protecting someone?”

Consort Hua looked at her meaningfully. “Younger sister is clever. Some things this palace doesn’t need to say too clearly. Go back and think about it yourself—from Qingzhu to Concubine He, what exactly happened—and you’ll be able to figure it out.”

With the Qingzhu incident, everyone in the palace knew that Pure Consort Qing had taken the blame. If His Majesty said she was the culprit, then she was—others couldn’t say much.

Obviously His Majesty was protecting someone! Imperial Concubine Fu thought as she walked. Who in the palace could the Emperor protect? Only one person—Noble Consort Yan.

Originally, it was she who kept Qingzhu at Yonghe Palace. In the end, Qingzhu died. That young girl must have been silenced because she didn’t want to lie. To protect Noble Consort Yan, the Emperor pushed out Pure Consort Qing to take the blame.

Thinking this way, everything really did make sense. Why did Concubine He die? It was possible that girl held a grudge against her, so she turned to Noble Consort Yan, then went to push Consort Shen into the lake to frame her, causing Consort Shen, after becoming High Priestess, to specifically say she couldn’t become Empress.

If she couldn’t become Empress, who was most likely to ascend to the Empress position? Wasn’t it Shen Guiyan?

Suddenly enlightened, Imperial Concubine Fu trembled with anger all over.

She had thought Shen Guiyan truly was content with her lot and indifferent to worldly affairs. It turned out she had been making so many moves behind the scenes. If Consort Hua hadn’t reminded her, she would have remained in the dark!

“Your Ladyship.” The newly promoted young palace maid Wanqing said in a low voice, “A message came from the residence saying you needn’t worry too much. Someone will arrange matters among the common people.”

The battle for the Empress position would begin among the common people.

Imperial Concubine Fu laughed coldly. “Pass a message to Grandfather. Not only do I want my momentum to rise, I also want Shen Guiyan to be utterly disgraced!”

Wanqing was startled. Looking at her master’s cold profile, she hurriedly acknowledged.

Shen Guiyan actually had an advantage. After all, she had previously aided refugees and had some reputation in the capital. Recently, she had even used money obtained from Shen Hanlu to establish academies.

However, Scholar Zhou’s expression was very serious. He looked at her and shook his head.

“This method of selecting an Empress is truly too biased.” Scholar Zhou said, “Some matters should heed public opinion; some matters cannot heed public opinion. The Empress is His Majesty’s legitimate wife and also the nation’s mother. To be selected by some common people who know nothing—what good can that do? This old man heard rumors among the people and originally wanted to believe the High Priestess somewhat. But once these words came out, this old man knew—she’s a fraud.”

Shen Guiyan pressed her lips together. “Even if it’s disadvantageous, I want to try. I can’t just hand the position over to someone else for nothing.”

Scholar Zhou glanced at her and stroked his beard. “If Your Ladyship becomes Empress, what can you do for the common people?”

Shen Guiyan composed her expression seriously. “No starving people dying in the streets, no farmers tilling barren land. Young children will study, the old and orphaned will have care. This is what Scholar taught Yan’er long ago. If there’s an opportunity, Yan’er will certainly realize it.”

No more refugees starving in the streets, wrapped in straw mats. No more tragedies like Sixi’s family. Establish academies to teach propriety, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness. The old and orphaned could also live out their days in peace.

She was the Fourth Young Madam and could do small things. If she became the Phoenix Empress, she could do great things.

People often said she worried about things she shouldn’t worry about, that instead of living her own life well, she played at being Guanyin the merciful.

But having a kind heart—there was nothing wrong with that at all.

Scholar Zhou’s old face broke into a smile. He nodded. “This old man understands. I’ll take my leave today and return to arrange academy matters.”

Shen Guiyan stood up and saw him to the entrance of Yonghe Palace.

The seventeen academies established in the capital with her money had taken in over two thousand wandering youths. This was the situation Scholar Zhou had reported in the past few days. The popular election for Empress required votes from males over ten years old without official status. At least half of those in the academies could help.

However, Scholar Zhou sent all the students out onto the streets, saying they had a few days off. If anyone wanted to bribe them for votes, they should not refuse at all and accept everything.

The unified voting would be a month later. The High Priestess specifically instructed that voting would be anonymous to ensure fairness, justice, and openness.

The slogan was shouted like that, but people buying and bribing votes on the streets was still blatant. There were even special money distribution points set up—bring your household registration to collect money, and a month later vote for so-and-so.

Someone memorialized the court about this, but the Emperor turned a blind eye and completely ignored it.

So the various families became even more rampant, even hanging banners in the capital to advertise, parading through the streets shouting that so-and-so should be Empress, ordained by heaven! So-and-so had a beautiful face that could increase national prestige. There were even people beating gongs and shouting:

“Five coins of silver per vote! Sell one vote to support your old age!”

The poverty problem of some common people in the capital was well resolved. Several official families spared no expense, spending thousands. Compared to when disaster relief was needed and everyone cried poverty, now everyone was like a wealthy landlord.

“Speaking of heaven’s mandate, shouldn’t it be His Majesty’s original wife, Lady Shen?” Some commoners muttered quietly. “She’s both the original wife and has the fate of an Empress. If not her, then who?”

Once these words came out, they received everyone’s agreement. Families in the capital who had received Shen Guiyan’s kindness all wanted to vote for her. For a time, the cry of “Lady Shen as Empress” was extremely high. Even when people offered silver, they couldn’t suppress it.

However, the voices supporting Shen Guiyan hadn’t lasted more than a few days when someone produced construction plans for Minister Gu’s residence.

“Lady Shen was originally supposed to marry the Gu family’s eldest young master. She married His Majesty by mistake—she may not be faithful. Everyone come look at these construction plans for Minister Gu’s residence. They’re truly beautiful and elegant!”

People crowded around. A scholar held up those construction plans. “This student obtained these by chance. If not for seeing these, this student would also think the Empress position should go to Lady Shen. But look at these words—Lady Shen is unfaithful!”

An uproar arose all around. Literate people came closer and loudly read aloud the inscription on the construction plans: “This is the most elegant place in the mortal world, may a beautiful woman dwell here. The beam will eventually return to the swallow, year after year we’ll always meet.”

“Guiyan! Lady Shen Guiyan!”

The common people exploded. Those construction plans were drawn by Gu Chaodong’s own hand, the words also written by his own hand, with his own seal at the end. Such affectionate inscription—it was clear that residence was built for Shen Guiyan. And saying “year after year we’ll always meet”—wasn’t this directly putting a green hat on the Emperor’s head?

Gossip always spread farther than good deeds. Within two days, those construction plans were brought before Shen Guiyan by a black-faced Gu Chaobei.

“What is this?” Shen Guiyan frowned. She glanced at the plans, saw the seal, then saw the inscription, and her face paled slightly.

Gu Chaodong resented her, didn’t he? Had a grudge against her? Even though they hadn’t seen each other for a long time now, he still stabbed her in the back from the shadows?

Gu Chaobei’s expression was even worse than hers. He opened his mouth and raised his hand, just about to speak, when someone directly grabbed his arm from behind.

Turning his head, it was actually Shen Guiwu.

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This matter has nothing to do with Yan’er.” Shen Guiwu frowned. “Previously Yan’er did have a marriage arrangement with Minister Gu, so there was some attachment. But with her temperament, once married to Your Majesty, she couldn’t possibly have other thoughts, so this matter…”

Gu Chaobei irritably shook off his hand and glared. “How do you know I was going to blame Yan’er?”

Looking at this charging-in posture, wasn’t it so? Shen Guiwu looked at him seriously.

Shen Guiyan put down the construction plans and stood up. “Second Brother, don’t wrongly blame His Majesty. His Majesty’s appearance isn’t because he’s angry at Yan’er.”

Probably angry at Gu Chaodong.

Shen Guiwu raised an eyebrow. Zhuiyun went to close the palace door. Gu Chaobei sat down, his anger not yet dissipated. “Truly won’t let anyone have peace. You say he has talent and I can make good use of him. Talent without brains—how can he stand firm in this court? Ah! Such a foolish thing—fine that he built it, but he also inscribed it. Fine that he inscribed it, but he also used his own seal. All this aside, why did he let this thing circulate among the common people? Now outside it’s all gossip and rumors—I can’t even suppress it!”

Hearing this left him somewhat dazed. Shen Guiwu asked softly, “Isn’t Your Majesty not participating in the Empress selection?”

“That’s what’s said.” Gu Chaobei said huffily. “But since those bastards are all using money to buy votes, I also set up a collection point for Yan’er to gather votes!”

Shen Guiwu: “…”

Shen Guiyan: “…”

The room was quiet for a good while. Shen Guiyan took a gentle breath. “Your Majesty… wants to make this subject Empress?”

“Of course.” Gu Chaobei snorted lightly. “Besides you, who is qualified to stand by my side?”

His matter-of-fact tone unexpectedly pleased the older brother beside them. Shen Guiwu looked at his sister with satisfaction and squeezed the military tally in his sleeve.

Shen Guiyan smiled gently, took the construction plans, and put them back in the Emperor’s hands. “With Your Majesty’s words, this subject is content. The innocent are naturally innocent. This subject cannot prevent how the common people will gossip. If Your Majesty trusts this subject, this subject’s heart is at peace.”

Gu Chaobei pulled her into his arms and snorted lightly. “Of course I trust you. Your eyes aren’t blind. With such a husband as graceful as jade and ruling over all under heaven, how could you still be interested in that fellow who looks like a big date?”