Chapter 35 Su Su's Alienation and Resistance
Chapter Thirty-Five: Su Su's Alienation and Resistance
The following morning, inside Yongshou Palace.
According to palace custom, all concubines were required to pay their respects to the Noble Consort.
Inside the Yongshou Palace, amidst the jewels and jade ornaments, the air was filled with the fragrance of clothes and the sway of hair. A group of concubines lined up on both sides to pay their respects to the Imperial Concubine, their gazes filled with either envy or awe as they looked at the Imperial Concubine at the head of the table, a woman whose bearing had been more dignified than ever before, having weathered many storms.
Many people secretly felt fortunate, thankful that when Consort Su was demoted to Changxin Palace, they only watched coldly and did not step forward to kick her while she was down like Consort Zhuang did. Otherwise, standing in Yongshou Palace today, they would probably be sweating profusely, and they would not be able to have the peace they have now.
Standing slightly ahead of the crowd, Consort Liu lowered her eyelashes, unconsciously twisting her handkerchief with her fingertips, secretly filled with lingering fear.
She recalled that when Su Su was first demoted to a low-ranking concubine, although she also had the intention of watching the joke, she was ultimately restrained by the Empress Dowager and did not dare to humiliate her as openly as Consort Zhuang. She only watched silently when Consort Zhuang made trouble.
Looking back now, if she had acted rashly and attacked her back then... She secretly raised her eyes and glanced at Consort Su, who sat upright at the head of the table with a calm expression. She felt that Consort Su's majesty was even greater than usual. Her heart tightened, and she hurriedly lowered her head again, feeling extremely grateful for her "cowardice" and "hesitation" back then.
Dressed in the everyday attire of a noble consort, Su Su sat serenely in the main seat, her expression calm as her gaze slowly swept over the crowd below. She clearly remembered how, in her past life, she had monopolized the emperor's favor, how she had made things difficult for the other concubines, and how she had ultimately met such a tragic end. Reborn, she had long since seen through it all. In this deep palace, the emperor's favor was like a mirage; securing her own position and living a peaceful life was the only long-term solution.
"Please rise, my sisters." Her voice was clear and melodious, with just the right amount of gentleness and aloofness. "I have been granted the title of Noble Consort by the grace of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and I am here to assist in the management of the six palaces. From now on, I hope that my sisters will abide by the palace rules, get along harmoniously, and work together to serve the Emperor and the Empress Dowager well."
The concubines responded in unison, each harboring their own thoughts. This Consort Su seemed like a completely different person, seemingly unlike her former arrogant and domineering self who couldn't tolerate any dissent.
Su Su took in everyone's expressions and continued, "Your Majesty is the ruler of the country, and your offspring are crucial to the foundation of the nation. In the past... I was young and impetuous, and I did not think things through."
She paused, then continued clearly, "From now on, the matter of serving the Emperor will be discussed jointly by the Imperial Household Department and the Empress Dowager. According to the old palace rules, the younger sisters will be arranged to serve His Majesty in turn, striving for fairness, in order to produce offspring for the royal family as soon as possible."
These words shocked the entire hall!
The concubines could hardly believe their ears. In the past, if the Emperor ever glanced at any of the concubines, Consort Su would become extremely jealous, and it was common for her to punish them by making them kneel and verbally abusing them.
Now, she's actually offering to fairly arrange for the concubines to take turns serving the emperor? This... has the sun risen in the west?
After the initial shock came overwhelming joy. This meant they finally had the opportunity to receive the Emperor's grace and bear imperial offspring!
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall became subtly warm. Many of the concubines looked at Su Su with less fear and more genuine hope. With Consort Zhuang fallen, if this powerful Noble Consort could truly be so "magnanimous," then their good days might really be coming.
Su Su looked calmly at the faces below, some surprised and some expectant, her heart unmoved.
This move would not only demonstrate her "fairness" in managing the six palaces and win the Empress Dowager's approval, but also prevent her from becoming the target of public criticism, and... reduce the number of times Li Qianchewanyi would harass her, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.
………………
On a leisurely afternoon, sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting warm dappled patterns on the soft carpeted floor.
Yongshou Palace was quiet. Su Su dismissed the palace servants and nestled alone on the chaise lounge by the window, engrossed in reading a book called "Anecdotes from All Over the World".
The overseas fairy mountains, exotic customs, and rare animals depicted in the book represent another world that is both distant and unattainable for her, yet one that she yearns for.
As she read, her eyelids grew heavy, the book slipped from her hands and fell to the ground. She leaned against the pillow and fell into a deep sleep.
Sunlight outlined her serene sleeping face, her long eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath her eyes like butterfly wings. Her breathing was even, and a faint smile, seemingly tinged with longing for the world in the book, lingered on her lips.
When Li Qianche stepped into the hall, what he saw was this picture of a beautiful woman sleeping in spring.
He gestured for his attendants to be quiet, then approached discreetly, his gaze first drawn to the open travelogue on the ground. He bent down to pick it up; the page was currently describing the Penglai Immortal Island beyond the East Sea, with her delicate annotation beside it: "Vast and boundless, its destination unknown."
“Overseas…?” he murmured to himself, his fingertips tracing the pages of the book, his eyes fixed on the sleeping figure on the bed.
Did she really yearn for the world beyond the palace walls? This realization inexplicably tightened his heart, stirring a strong sense of displeasure and possessiveness. She was his imperial concubine, destined to remain in this palace for the rest of her life, with no hope of leaving!
He leaned down, involuntarily getting closer to that unguarded sleeping face, the faint fragrance lingering around his nose.
As if possessed, he lowered his head and gently took those two slightly parted, naturally rosy lips into his mouth.
While sleeping, Su Su felt a warm, moist touch on her lips, which tickled her. She subconsciously frowned and slowly woke up.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Li Qianche's handsome face magnified before him. What... what was he doing?!
"Your Majesty!" she exclaimed, forcefully pushing him away. She almost sat up abruptly, hurriedly straightening her slightly disheveled clothes. Barefoot, she stepped onto the carpet and quickly curtsied, her cheeks flushed. "Your Majesty, I was unaware of Your Majesty's arrival. I have been impolite. Please forgive me!"
He was both shocked and annoyed. What was he doing? In broad daylight, why did he always act so frivolously? Shouldn't he be with his Mu Hanyan?
Li Qianche was caught red-handed stealing a kiss, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face. He coughed lightly to cover it up and said, "It's alright. I just came to see you. Have you had dinner yet?"
Su Su lowered her eyes, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and replied politely, "Your Majesty, not yet."
“Perfect timing, I haven’t had any yet either, so I’ll have some with you.” Li Qianche sat down on the edge of the couch and ordered the palace servants to serve the meal.
Soon, a dazzling array of imperial dishes filled the table. The Su Su of today was no longer the foolish girl who had tormented herself to maintain a semblance of elegance.
Since she couldn't leave this deep palace for the time being, why not enjoy herself? She picked up her silver chopsticks and began to eat with a calm and composed demeanor. Perhaps because she had no desires or wants, she found the food particularly delicious.
Li Qianche watched her eat in small bites, her cheeks bulging with food, like a hamster stealing food, and a gentleness unconsciously appeared in her eyes that she herself did not realize.
This vibrant appearance makes her seem more real and adorable than her previous affected modesty or spoiled, attention-seeking manner.
After the meal, the palace servants cleared away the leftovers and served tea. Li Qianche still showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he ordered someone to bring several memorials and began to review them on the soft couch where Su Su usually rested.
Su Su stood to the side, feeling helpless. With him here, she couldn't even read in peace. Glancing at the bright yellow memorial in his hand, she immediately looked away, well aware of the rule that the inner palace was forbidden from interfering in politics.
Left with no other option, she went to the bookshelf, took out another travelogue, and sat down on a chair by the window a little distance away from him, silently flipping through it.
The hall fell silent for a moment, broken only by the rustling of pages turning and the soft rustling of red ink being used for annotations. Bathed in the warm afterglow and in the tranquil atmosphere, Su Su's eyelids began to droop again as she read. Finally, unable to resist the drowsiness, she leaned against the small table on the chair and fell into a deep sleep once more.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Qian finished reviewing a memorial and looked up to see her asleep again. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed her in a soft golden glow, her sleeping face as pure as a baby's.
He put down his vermilion brush, got up and walked to her side, carefully trying to pick her up and take her to her bed in the inner palace to sleep peacefully.
However, the moment he touched her, Su Su woke up with a start. Feeling herself being lifted up in his arms, she immediately struggled, crying out, "Your Majesty! Put me down!"
Li Qianche tightened his arms, not letting go, but instead holding her as they sat back on the soft couch, encircling her in his arms. He looked down into her panicked eyes, his voice low and deep: "Su Su, tell me, how long are you going to stay angry with me?"
Su Su turned her head away, avoiding his burning gaze, and said in a distant tone, "Your Majesty, I dare not hold a grudge against you."
"Dare not?" Li Qianche grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I have restored your title to that of Imperial Concubine, bestowed upon you the Yongshou Palace, and provided you with the finest of all. Haven't I been good enough to you? Why do you always... keep me at arm's length?"
He couldn't understand why she was still so cold after he had already made concessions.
Upon hearing this, Su Su felt a sense of absurdity. His so-called "goodness" meant bestowing favors when Su Su needed them, and then ruthlessly belittling her when she had doubts?
The taste of poison in the cold palace in her past life was etched into her memory. She lowered her eyes, concealing the bitterness in them, and replied in a distant tone, "Your Majesty's grace is beyond my gratitude."
So much formality and politeness! Li Qianche felt a surge of anger; he loathed her mask-like demeanor. He abruptly lowered his head and captured her lips with a punishing force, brooking no refusal.
"Ugh...no...let go!" Su Su felt a surge of humiliation. She struggled with all her might, pushed him away with both hands against his chest, and stood up a few steps away. She staggered back a few steps, her breath unsteady as she straightened her disheveled clothes, her eyes filled with obvious resistance and wariness.
Li Qianche's arms were suddenly empty. Seeing her avoiding him like the plague, his face instantly darkened. He slowly stood up, his bright yellow dragon robe carrying an oppressive aura in the twilight. His voice was as cold as ice: "Su Su, I think you've become too arrogant because of my favor! Don't forget your place!"
Having said that, he stopped looking at her, turned around, and strode away, filled with anger.
The palace doors closed behind him with a dull thud. Su Su stood there alone, her tense body finally relaxing slightly. A wave of weariness and grievance washed over her, and her eyes involuntarily reddened.
She raised her hand and forcefully wiped away the tears that were about to fall from the corners of her eyes, thinking to herself with a self-deprecating smile: So what if I made love to him? It's not like we've never done it before. Now that I've finally regained my position as a Noble Consort, why should I anger him and bring trouble upon myself?
But... but she just couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to willingly submit to him like before, especially after knowing that he loved someone else.
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