Chapter 27 Reinstating the Noble Consort's Position
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Reclaiming the Position of Imperial Concubine
The commotion and upheaval in the plum garden receded like the tide, leaving only a mess and conflicted feelings. Su Su remained kneeling in place, the cold stone slab seeping into her skin through her thin palace dress, but it was nothing compared to the chill in her heart.
Consort Zhuang... she fell from grace just like that? So quickly, so completely? She was not unsurprised. What alarmed her even more was that Li Qianche had clearly already obtained evidence of Consort Zhuang's crimes, and even knew the characteristics and origin of the "Dream Order" like the back of his hand.
Today, he's not only here to settle scores with Consort Zhuang, but also... to test me?!
Thinking back to her earlier despair and resigned acceptance of the order, Su Su felt a bitter, self-deprecating smile. She thought she had figured out the emperor's mind, but she had underestimated his depth and... ruthlessness.
He coldly watched her being framed, watched her isolated and helpless. Was he trying to see if she would panic, or if she would, as before, desperately cling to him and beg him? This test chilled her heart.
To Consort Zhuang, her final, desperate cry of "The Emperor is biased!" sounded utterly absurd. How could someone who coldly watched, even fueling the flames to see her confess, possibly care about her? If this was favoritism, then the Emperor's heart was utterly laughable. Consort Zhuang must have been insane to think that way.
As she was lost in thought, she felt a deep gaze fall upon her; it was Li Qianche. He seemed to open his mouth as if to say something.
"Hurry up and help Consort Su up!" The Empress Dowager's tone carried an undeniable air of authority, yet also a hint of pity for her niece who had just been wronged. Granny Duan immediately stepped forward and personally helped Su Su to her feet.
Su Su stood up with the help of Granny Duan. Her legs were a little numb from kneeling for a long time, and she swayed slightly, but she quickly steadied herself, lowered her eyes and curtsied: "Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
From beginning to end, she did not look at Li Qianche once more.
Just then, the imperial physician in charge of treating Mu Hanyan rushed over, his face filled with relief. He knelt down and reported, "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, Consort Wan is blessed with good fortune! Her unborn child... is safe! Although the pregnancy is still unstable and she needs to rest carefully for a period of time, her life is not in danger, and the fetus is also fine. It is truly a great blessing!"
He paused, his tone tinged with genuine relief, and added, "We were able to escape danger this time thanks to Consort Su's timely discovery and her prompt summons of us. The diagnosis and treatment were carried out without a moment's delay. If it had been even a moment later, the consequences... would have been unimaginable."
These words elicited various reactions from the crowd. The Empress Dowager's gaze softened further as she looked at Su Su, tinged with approval. The other concubines, especially those who had been gloating moments before, now wore complex and conflicting expressions—jealousy, regret—yet dared not utter another word.
Upon hearing this, Li Qianche's tense jawline seemed to soften slightly. He glanced at Su Su with a deep look, then turned to the crowd, his voice regaining its imperial majesty and decisiveness: "Now that the truth has come to light, and Consort Wan and the imperial heir are safe and sound, Consort Zhuang deserves her punishment, and Consort Su has been wronged."
He paused, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, clearly announced: "Effective immediately, Consort Su's rank of Imperial Noble Consort is restored, and she shall assist in the management of the six palaces. Further discussion will follow later."
"The Imperial Concubine?!"
The imperial decree caused a stir among the crowd once again. Even the Empress Dowager's eyes widened slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across her face before turning into a thoughtful expression. She glanced at the Emperor, whose expression remained calm and composed, and then at her niece, who stood with her head bowed in silence.
The other concubines, whose jealousy had just been suppressed, instantly unleashed a wildfire that nearly consumed their reason! Su Su! She actually overtook the title of Noble Consort so easily?! From a lowly concubine to a Consort, and then to Noble Consort, how long has it been?! The Emperor…!
Su Su herself was stunned, and suddenly raised her head to look at Li Qianche.
Imperial Concubine? He actually restored her to the rank of Imperial Concubine? She thought that it was already difficult enough to keep her rank as a concubine, and at most she would be demoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine... This was completely unexpected. In his deep and unfathomable gaze, she could not see the slightest hint of a joke or reluctance.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace." She suppressed the turmoil in her heart, knelt down again to express her gratitude, her voice still steady, revealing little joy.
Seeing that the Imperial Concubine looked unhappy, everyone knew that she must have been wronged and demoted because of Consort Zhuang's scheme, so she was not happy even now that she had been reinstated.
Upon returning to Changxin Palace, Su Su dismissed everyone except Chunlan and Qiuju, and immediately began interrogating Xiao Luzi, who had been detained.
As she expected, Xiao Luzi was terrified at the mere mention of Consort Zhuang's downfall. Before any torture could be administered, he spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube.
It was indeed Consort Zhuang who instructed him to sneak into the bedchamber while Su Su was at the plum blossom viewing banquet. He planned to sprinkle a small packet of "Ru Meng Ling" perfume powder on the cuffs and linings of several of Su Su's frequently worn dresses in places that would be difficult to detect. Then, when the time was right, he would frame her and confirm her crime of plotting to harm the imperial heir.
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! This servant was forced into this! Consort Zhuang threatened the lives of my family..." Xiao Luzi kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.
Su Su's face turned icy cold upon hearing this. Consort Zhuang was indeed vicious, her schemes meticulously planned and executed. Had it not been for Qiu Ju's quick thinking, she would likely have been doomed. She ordered that Xiao Luzi's confession be recorded in detail and sent both the man and his statement to the Imperial Study for Li Qianche to handle. This was both a statement of her position and a way of relinquishing the final decision-making power to him.
The imperial edict was issued the following day.
Consort Zhuang was stripped of her title, demoted to a commoner, and imprisoned in the Cold Palace, where she was not to be released until death.
Although his mother's tutor, Zhuang Shijie, claimed to be "completely unaware" of his wife and daughter's misdeeds, his lax household management and indulgence were undeniable, and he was fined a year's salary, dismissed from his position as tutor, but retained his title of Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, and ordered to reflect on his mistakes in seclusion. His wife, Lady Zhuang, was one of the masterminds and her crime was unforgivable; she was given a white silk ribbon to hang herself.
The remaining members of the Zhuang family involved in the case will be severely punished according to the law as a warning to others.
Princess Consort Zhuang Shuran of Ning was punished for her indiscretion before the Emperor and is confined to her residence to reflect on her actions. She is not allowed to enter the palace without being summoned.
At the same time, the imperial edict promoting Su Su to the rank of Imperial Concubine was also issued to the six palaces, and she was granted a golden book and a precious seal.
Shen Gaoyi once again arrived at Changxin Palace with a beaming smile, this time adopting an even lower posture, almost fawning: "Greetings, Your Highness! This servant congratulates Your Highness! Changxin Palace is rather remote. Now that Your Highness has been promoted to the rank of Noble Consort, according to regulations, you should move to a better palace. What do you think...?"
In the past, Su Su would have refused without hesitation, seeking only a peaceful corner of the world. But after yesterday's events, she clearly realized that in this deep palace, rank and favor were not merely honors, but also protective shields. She could not love Li Qianche, but she needed the status and power of a Noble Consort to protect herself, to protect Chunlan and Qiuju, and to protect everything she wanted to protect. Retreat and avoidance would only make the wolves think she was easy to bully.
She raised her eyes, her gaze calm yet firm, no longer the deliberately composed indifference of before, but carrying a settled strength: "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Shen. I will follow the arrangements of His Majesty and the Imperial Household Department."
Upon hearing this, Shen Gaoyi was overjoyed. His master had finally stopped refusing! "Oh my, Your Majesty, you are so considerate of your servant! His Majesty has specially ordered that Your Majesty move to Yongshou Palace! That is the closest palace to Qianqing Palace, and the scenery and layout are absolutely superb! His Majesty truly thinks of Your Majesty all the time!"
Yongshou Palace?!
Su Su was stunned again, the waves of emotion surging within her even more than when she heard about the restoration of the title of Imperial Concubine.
Yongshou Palace... that was the palace she most wanted to live in when she first entered the palace and was made a Noble Consort, because it was closest to his Qianqing Palace. At that time, she pestered him countless times to have it, but he always refused with various reasons, and finally settled her in Yikun Palace, which was not close to Qianqing Palace, but not far either.
Why... why is it that now, after she has lost all hope and stopped trying to get close to him, he has given her the Yongshou Palace, a symbol of boundless favor and intimacy? It all happened too fast, too smoothly, and the trajectory was completely different from her previous life, filling her heart with uncertainty.
The road ahead didn't seem to become clearer with the removal of one obstacle; instead, it became even more shrouded in mist. However, the downfall of Consort Zhuang and the decline of the Zhuang family were completely different from the trajectory of her previous life. Did this mean that many things had quietly changed? Then… would the “treason” incident that led to her father and brother's wrongful imprisonment in her previous life… never happen again?
This thought was like a glimmer of light suddenly appearing in the darkness. Though faint, it carried an indescribable warmth and power, quietly dispelling some of the chill and heaviness that had been lingering in her heart.
Perhaps, through her efforts in this life, she could truly earn a different ending for the Su family? A faint glimmer of hope quietly sprouted in the long-dormant lake of her heart.
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