Su Yushan subconsciously looked at Hongli, but saw that Hongli's brows were furrowed and he did not respond.

Apart from Su Yushan and the Empress Dowager, no one else knew that Lan Rong had a heart ailment. Gao Xiuwen was still wondering why Consort Xian, who was so young, could have some kind of chronic illness and suddenly faint.

Knowing the inside story, the Empress Dowager quickly seized the opportunity to advise, "Consort Xian has already fainted. Let's discuss this another day. First, send Consort Xian back to Xianfu Palace, and then ask the imperial physician to treat her."

With the person fainting, the punishment was put on hold, and the matter would likely be dropped. However, given the current situation, if Su Yushan were to pursue the matter further, the Empress Dowager would probably accuse her of being too cold-blooded. With a muffled sigh, Su Yushan felt a lump in her throat and ultimately remained silent.

A palace maid was about to help her up when the emperor rebuked her, "Fainting is not an excuse to escape punishment. My mind is made up. I demote Consort Xian to Concubine Xian, and that will take effect immediately. There is no need for further discussion!"

Hongli's insistence today was truly unexpected for Su Yushan. She looked at Hongli in shock, and Hongli met her gaze, giving her a slight nod to reassure her.

Lan Rong had already heard everything, but she was currently pretending to be unconscious. If she suddenly woke up and said anything, she would inevitably be suspected. Helpless, she had no choice but to continue pretending, keeping her eyes tightly closed, and letting the palace servants help her up, take her out of Cining Palace, and onto the palanquin.

The play had ended, and Kao Hsiu-wen felt there was no need for her to stay any longer, so she took her leave.

After she left, the Empress Dowager no longer held back and said frankly, "Emperor, Consort Xian has been kind to you, you really shouldn't be so heartless to her."

Hongli, expressionless, reminded her, "Your Majesty, you must be more precise. You should address her as Consort Xian now."

The Empress Dowager truly couldn't understand why Lan Rong had made such a fuss over nothing. "Your Majesty, one should have a grateful heart."

Hongli always felt grateful to Lan Rong, but what about Lan Rong? "She took advantage of this favor to do evil, and I have tolerated her for a long time! I have been more than kind to her and owe her nothing more."

The Empress Dowager wanted to persuade him further, but Hongli had already taken his leave. Su Yushan also curtsied and took her leave, following behind Hongli.

After leaving Cining Palace, Hongli slowed down and said to Su Yushan with a guilty expression, "I'm late today, and I'm sorry you had to suffer."

Su Yushan smiled gently and shook her head. "It's alright. Consort Rong has already helped me out of this predicament. In fact, I should thank her for her help."

Gao Xiuwen didn't like to show off, but Hongli was certain that she was a smart woman. "That's because she knows how to be pragmatic. If she dared to frame you, then Lan Rong wouldn't be the only one who would be demoted today."

Regardless of Gao Xiuwen's motives, as long as she is still willing to stand on Su Yushan's side, then Yushan will not clash with her.

In the imperial harem, relationships between people are always fickle. There are no permanent friends or permanent enemies; most relationships are tied to interests. Su Yushan understands this, which is why she takes it all in stride.

They remained silent the whole way back to Jingren Palace. After drinking a cup of tea to calm her nerves, Su Yushan sat there, her eyes darting around, and remained silent for a long time, her thoughts unknown.

Looking her over, Hongli asked curiously, "You don't seem to be in a good mood. Do you think my punishment was too lenient?"

Looking up at him, Su Yushan said softly, "Your punishment of her has exceeded my expectations."

Judging from her tone, Hongli already guessed, "You think I would be soft-hearted?"

Su Yushan made this conjecture because Hongli would always go to check on Lan Rong whenever he heard that her heart condition had relapsed.

"After all, she is your savior, so it seems reasonable for you to be soft-hearted towards her."

After a moment of contemplation, Hongli said, "That is indeed the case in terms of reason, but she framed you. If I let her off lightly just because she fainted, she will become even more ruthless in the future. So this time we must punish her severely and not let her have any illusions."

Su Yushan was pleased that he thought this way, but a hint of worry remained, "What about the Empress Dowager..."

"The Empress Dowager is already in the wrong, and this whole thing started because of Lan Rong. Her pleading for her is just for show; she won't take it seriously. I have my own way of handling this, so don't worry."

Hongli seemed confident, so Su Yushan didn't ask any more questions. "Alright, you handle it!"

As Hongli had expected, the Empress Dowager knew her son's mind was made up, so she didn't say anything more. She had never thought highly of Lan Rong, and every time Lan Rong made a move, it would implicate her. Over time, the Empress Dowager became more and more convinced that Lan Rong was not trustworthy, and she was even less willing to clash with her son for her sake.

Lan Rong had already used her trump card, but Hongli still did not soften his heart. He did not come to visit her, nor did he reduce her punishment. He insisted on demoting her to the rank of concubine.

She had initially thought there was still a chance to turn things around, but to her surprise, Hongli sent Wang Jinbao to take away all the imperial seals and documents that conferred upon her the title of concubine, as well as her official robes. This showed that Hongli had made up his mind and there was no turning back.

Unwilling to give up, Lan Rong sent Qiu Cha to Cining Palace to request an audience with the Empress Dowager, but to her surprise, the Empress Dowager claimed to be ill and refused to see her.

At this moment, Lan Rong was isolated and helpless, and had no choice but to accept her fate.

In addition to being demoted, Lan Rong was also confined to his quarters for six months, meaning that Su Yushan would not have to see Lan Rong again for at least six months.

Without Lan Rong's meddling, the concubines were much more at ease. Su Yushan was able to handle any minor issues that arose, and they no longer had any headaches.

Spring has passed and summer is approaching, and the weather is getting hotter. In the past two years, when Hongli was in mourning, everything was kept simple, and he did not go to the Yuanmingyuan or the Chengde Mountain Resort. This year, the mourning period has ended, and Hongli plans to go to the Chengde Mountain Resort in Rehe for the summer. According to the rules, the princes should stay in the Imperial Study to study and should not accompany him.

Su Yushan was reluctant to part with Yonghuang, and Hongli was also reluctant to leave her in the palace. So he discussed with her that since their youngest son, Yongzhang, had not yet started school, he would take Yongzhang and Rongyu to the Summer Palace to keep her company.

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