Both Jian Hong and the emperor were astonished.
After the Empress Dowager took her seat, she smiled faintly and said, "I won't beat around the bush with you anymore. The Prince of Dingbian has been making trouble for a long time just to put Consort Yu on the throne. Since they want that position so much, let the Empress give it to her."
"Your Majesty, you must not! I absolutely will not agree to this!"
Jian Hong also frowned slightly.
The Empress Dowager said calmly, "Your Majesty, why are you in such a hurry? This is only a temporary measure. If we don't do this, you may not be able to save a single member of the Jian family."
The emperor immediately fell silent.
Then the Empress Dowager looked at Jian Hong with a serious expression.
"General Jian, I assure you, as long as you can be patient for a while, the position of Empress will surely belong to your sister."
"Your Majesty, I will follow all the arrangements of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor."
After persuading the two women, the Empress Dowager then proceeded to Weiyang Palace.
Jian Yang quickly hid the storybook in her hand and obediently got up to greet her.
"Why did Your Majesty decide to come and sit with me today?" She personally served tea to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager accepted the tea, but set it aside, took Jian Yang's hand, and smiled kindly.
"Your Majesty, I have important matters to discuss with you."
It took her a while to finally learn the Empress Dowager's purpose.
It turns out that she was asked to give up her position to Consort Yu.
She suddenly felt a sense of unreality.
The thing I've been looking forward to for so long has actually come true so easily?
“Only by doing this can you protect your brother. Otherwise, if a fabricated charge is leveled against him, even the Emperor won’t be able to protect him.”
"Okay, I agree."
Jian Yang agreed quickly, as if afraid that if she was slow to agree, the Empress Dowager would regret it.
Now it was the Empress Dowager's turn to be taken aback.
She had prepared a whole host of persuasive words, but she didn't expect it to be resolved so quickly.
"Don't worry, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor will naturally protect you."
Jian Yang smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, Mother."
The Empress Dowager took it as a forced smile, patted her hand tenderly, and said softly, "Empress, no one can take your position away from you."
Jian Yang was shocked to hear this.
No!
Now that this hot potato has been thrown out, there's no reason to pick it up again; she's not stupid.
When the Prince of Dingbian learned that the emperor intended to depose the empress and make Consort Yu the empress, he was overjoyed.
"Since Your Majesty is so sincere, I will no longer hold a grudge against General Jian."
The emperor naturally expressed his deep gratitude for the Prince of Dingbian's leniency.
"However, the national treasury is empty and the people are suffering. I intend to keep the coronation ceremony simple. What are your thoughts, my dear minister?"
Upon hearing this, the King of Dingbian immediately waved his hand.
"Everything is being done according to His Majesty's wishes, and I have no objections."
The hypocritical conversation, in which the ruler and his ministers enjoyed themselves immensely, came to an end.
Seven days later, the emperor officially announced the abolition of the empress and at the same time announced the appointment of Consort Yu as the new empress!
That same day, Jian Yang moved out of Weiyang Palace and into the secluded Jiaolan Palace.
It is no exaggeration to say that Jiaolan Palace is remote.
Not only is it located in the most remote corner of the harem, but it is also far from the residences of other concubines; even the Cold Palace is not as remote as it.
When the concubines, who had initially been watching with amusement, learned of the miserable treatment Jian Yang received after being deposed, they were all filled with sighs of pity.
I thought the emperor was a devoted lover, but I never expected that when he stopped loving me, he was more heartless than anyone else.
In addition to moving into Jiaolan Palace, the emperor also placed Jian Yang under house arrest, seemingly worried that she would escape and cause trouble, and even sent a large number of soldiers to guard her.
Those inside can't get out, and those outside can't get in.
To outsiders, this is tantamount to being imprisoned.
Meanwhile, Jian Yang, who was "in prison," was grilling barbecue with golden charcoal while observing the six newly appeared palace maids.
"Relax your posture and don't look like you're about to start a fight, otherwise outsiders will know at a glance that you're not from this palace."
Upon hearing this, the six palace maids readjusted their posture, just like Lianxia and Xiqiu.
Jian Yang took a bite of the juicy, grilled lamb skewer and exclaimed, "Right, relax a bit. This isn't a military camp, so you don't have to be on edge all the time. Hmm, we need to add some more cumin."
These six newly arrived palace maids were indeed not from the palace.
Jian Hong was worried that Jian Yang would be bullied during this time, so he transferred six female soldiers with high martial arts skills from the military camp to disguise themselves as palace maids to protect her.
Jian Yang was very touched and decided to treat everyone to lamb skewers.
"Everything's ready! Come and eat!"
At Jian Yang's command, the palace maids and eunuchs scattered throughout the area immediately rushed to the barbecue grill, and everyone, without any hesitation, picked up the lamb skewers and happily began to eat.
Their movements were so practiced, it was as if they had done them hundreds or thousands of times.
The six newcomers' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Jian Yang picked up the lamb skewers and handed them to them, smiling, "Don't be surprised, this is just our atmosphere. You'll get used to it."
While Jiaolan Palace was hosting a barbecue party, Dingbian Prince's Mansion was also holding a grand banquet.
Although the Prince of Dingbian thoughtfully told the emperor that there was no need for an extravagant and wasteful ceremony to crown the empress, he himself did not hold back at all.
This extravagant banquet was not only to announce to the world that the Chen family had produced an empress, but also to cultivate relationships with a group of newly appointed ministers in the court.
His previous power had been largely destroyed by the emperor, and now he had to rebuild it.
In the imperial harem, a new official always makes a strong first impression.
After Consort Yu ascended to the throne, her first act was to thoroughly reorganize the harem.
The concubines who once tried to curry favor with Jian Yang are now all included in her purview.
Of course, the concubines in the same camp as Consort Yu weren't much better off.
Consort Yu was extremely power-hungry. In addition to requiring the concubines to pay their respects to each other every morning and evening, she also gave them extra lectures.
They wouldn't stop until they'd been training for at least two hours each time.
The concubines who had offended Consort Yu suffered the worst punishment this time, with several being poisoned into becoming mute.
For a time, the concubines complained bitterly.
It's true that you don't know the harm without comparison.
Only then did everyone belatedly recall how good Jian Yang was when she was empress.
Back then, they didn't have to pay their respects every day, nor did they have to live in constant fear; it was truly a life of bliss.
Jian Yang, who was in Jiaolan Palace, naturally heard about the tragic situation outside and couldn't help but sigh.
Fortunately, the emperor had "imprisoned" her here; otherwise, given Consort Yu's torturous methods, she probably wouldn't have survived past the next day.
Although she was safe for the time being, she checked every single item that was brought in from outside before she was to eat it.
Consort Yu hated her so much, who knows if she might secretly poison her food.
Better safe than sorry.
After Yufei had thoroughly dealt with all the concubines, she found herself still not satisfied.
Now that Jian Yang can't see all her glory, what's the point?
As she thought about it, she became increasingly angry, and finally one afternoon, Consort Yu decided to leave for Jiaolan Palace!
Upon hearing this, Jingyue quickly tried to dissuade her.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has decreed that the abandoned concubine is now under house arrest, and no outsiders are allowed to visit her."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com