Chapter 145 Three Paintings
No one in this dynasty has ever been a Noble Consort. Below the Noble Consort, there are two other consorts, one named Consort Zhuang and the other Consort Liang. However, compared to them, Lan Wu is the most eye-catching.
The leap from Zhaorong to Guifei is not just a matter of jumping a few ranks.
Everyone knew and had their own guesses. If it weren't for Lan Wu's background, the imperial edict today would probably not have mentioned a Noble Consort, but something else entirely.
Consort Li was in a daze for a moment and couldn't come back to her senses for a long time.
She only became aware of it when everyone around her was about to kneel down and pay their respects to the imperial concubine, listening to the sounds around her as if she were a statue.
Imperial Concubine?
Lan Wu became a Noble Consort?
In less than a year, Lan Wu had risen from a lowly dancer to the position of Imperial Concubine.
What makes her so special?
Even though she was unwilling to accept it, things had come to this point, and she could not question the Emperor's will. She had a premonition that this was not over yet.
With the imperial edict concerning Lan Wu now proclaimed, the New Year's Eve banquet has come to an end.
As night deepened, the concubines returned to their respective palaces, except for Lan Wu, who was taken by Chu Mingheng to Taichen Palace again.
Lan Wu wanted to struggle, but Chu Mingheng's strange behavior made her a little wary. After all, Taichen Palace was his territory, so it shouldn't cause too much trouble.
As for the imperial edict bestowing her title, it was obvious that Chu Mingheng had prepared it long ago. After all, Chu Mingheng had been with her all afternoon, so he wouldn't have hastily written an edict while she was asleep.
In addition to these, she was granted the imperial surname and the title of Zhenjia.
"So I'll be called Chu Lanwu from now on?" It sounded really strange, and Lanwu frowned, not used to it.
Chu Mingheng hugged her, his nose gently brushing against her cheek. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "There aren't many occasions where I'll call you by your full name, so just pretend you haven't changed."
"Historically, only those who have rendered meritorious service to the court and the nation can be granted the imperial surname. How come you granted me the imperial surname..." At this point, Lan Wu realized that the person who wrote the imperial edict was not the current Chu Mingheng.
Thinking of this, she raised her head and cupped Chu Mingheng's face in her hands: "How much do you actually remember? I feel like you remember quite a lot?"
If you can remember everything, then it must be the same person, right?
Chu Mingheng, his face cupped in his hands, did not refuse, but mumbled, "I don't remember much now."
My head is a little sore, but I can bear it. As long as I can be near Lan Wu, even this minor headache is nothing to worry about.
Moreover, he is the most patient.
"What's wrong with the imperial surname? Who says you have no merit? Your greatest merit is simply staying by my side. If anyone has any doubts, come before me and we can discuss the matter."
Lan Wu felt that he was being unreasonable. He said that if he issued this decree to bestow this title upon her today, he would definitely mention her name in court tomorrow.
The harem had no empress, but suddenly gained a concubine, which was not a good thing for any of the factions.
The only redeeming quality is that she has no illustrious background; to any family, she is the same.
Although she was not afraid of what the court said about her, after all, Chu Mingheng would not allow others to damage her reputation, it would still cause some trouble. And now Chu Mingheng's condition... was not stable.
Lan Wu withdrew her hand and sighed silently in her heart.
When the imperial carriage arrived at Taichen Palace, Lan Wu was already quite tired. There were too many things to do today. Although she had taken a nap in the afternoon, it was already late.
The Taichen Palace was brightly lit with candles.
After the palace maids helped the two masters wash up, they withdrew.
Lan Wu came out from the side room and saw Chu Mingheng sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at a series of paintings.
She stepped forward and saw what kind of painting it was.
In an instant, several memories flooded her mind, making her blush.
"You... why did you have these things brought here..."
Isn't it in that damn little temple?
Looking at the green leaves and red flowers in the painting, Chu Mingheng turned to Lan Wu and said, "You only painted three paintings for me in your past life."
His tone sounded somewhat displeased, even a little sour.
"Three paintings?" Lan Wu was shocked. She had wronged him. In her previous life, she had never painted a single painting for Chu Mingheng.
Chu Mingheng rolled up the painting and put it away gently to the other side, saying, "I found those three paintings under the bookshelves in Yilan Palace. The palace servants around you are all idiots; they don't even know where your things are."
"You mean hibiscus and forsythia?"
It's understandable that Lianqiao is a bit slow, but Mujin is not slow at all. Mujin was given to her by Chu Mingheng.
“Those two are long dead…” Chu Mingheng said, then stood up and walked towards Lan Wu, pulling her into his arms. His voice was filled with resentment, “If I had known this would happen, I should have locked you up in the Taichen Palace and placed dozens of secret guards around you. That way, you wouldn’t have gotten into trouble—”
Lan Wu was being held too tightly, so she reached out and pulled his arm down, looked into his eyes, and didn't know what to say for a moment.
The events of the previous life must eventually be clarified.
"Locking me up won't solve the problem once and for all," Lan Wu sighed softly, already having a guess in her mind. "You said you were going to offer sacrifices to the heavens, is it because someone is going to use that opportunity to rebel?"
"Is that the Prince of Wei?"
Having learned the truth this afternoon, she quickly realized the true purpose of the imperial edict. If it was only meant to kill her, it would be a waste of the edict.
The King of Wei intended to use that imperial edict to plot a rebellion, and her death was perhaps just a small part of it.
Chu Mingheng nuzzled his head against Lan Wu's neck. The man, who was so much taller than her, looked pitiful as he bent down like that.
“I knew all along that he had colluded with several families, raised a private army, and planned to assassinate me on my way to Changyong Mountain, so I played along... But I didn’t expect that he had an imperial edict and a palace maid named Zhuqing.”
"I thought the palace was safe. The harem is so big, and I even left people for you. Yunqing, who is by the side of Consort Shu, is my person. Mujin is a former secret guard and is quite skilled. Although Consort Rou is vicious, she is currently fighting with Consort Shu because her secret has been exposed. No one will pay attention to you."
“If Zhu Qing hadn’t entered the palace at that time, no one should have noticed you.”
It was this oversight that led to Lan Wu's quick death, without even a final farewell.
The more Chu Mingheng thought about these things, the more he realized how arrogant and foolish he had been. He had gone to great lengths to stage this drama, only to end up putting the cart before the horse and causing Lan Wu's death.
Lan Wu listened to these words and felt that they were similar to what she had guessed. In the end, there was nothing to blame. Those who wanted her dead would always find a chance, unless they died before her.
"His Majesty?"
The person holding them was trembling slightly, and something seemed to be dripping down their neck.
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