Li Xiao, a typical smiling tiger, interrupted Chu Nian with a grin, saying, "Consort Lian actually managed to sneak out of Xukun Palace during her confinement..."
Chu Nian said, "Tsk, I was just thinking of apologizing to the Emperor as soon as possible, so that the Emperor wouldn't become estranged from our 'Lian family'!"
Li Xiao's lips twitched as he listened: What do you mean by this? Are you trying to threaten the Emperor or me by bringing up the Lian family?
Chu Nian continued, "...On the way, I passed by Mingjing Lake in the Imperial Garden and suddenly remembered that when I jumped into the lake before, I saw several huge red carp in the lake."
The carp were all wagging their tails and playing in the water, stirring up waves. I've even heard that they sometimes leap out of the water, as if they're about to leap over the Dragon Gate…”
"A fish leaping over the dragon gate?" Upon hearing this, the emperor was immediately filled with anger and blurted out the question, but he quickly remembered his "illness" and coughed several times.
Chu Nian was speechless for a moment: Why don't you cough yourself to death? It's so annoying.
She could only suppress the urge to curse the emperor and said, "That's right! It's said that once a fish leaps over the Dragon Gate, it can transform into a dragon."
But what is a dragon? It is the true dragon emperor, Your Majesty! I think that the true dragon emperor can only be Your Majesty, and there can only be one dragon. How can we let these fish leap over the Dragon Gate and transform into dragons?
For the sake of Your Majesty's empire, I simply killed a few fish to prevent them from causing further trouble. When I left Mingjing Lake last night, there were still two large enough ones left, and I originally planned to catch them tonight…”
"You're quite the smooth talker!" Li Xiao originally wanted to see the emperor and Consort Lian turn against each other completely so he could take the opportunity to regain some of the military power controlled by the Lian family. Who would have thought that Consort Lian's words would please the emperor so much? And who are you implying with those phrases like "fish leaping over the dragon gate" and "we can't let the fish leap over the dragon gate and become a dragon"?
Li Xiao clenched his fists so tightly his fingers almost broke. Before the emperor, who was about to burst out laughing and clap his hands in approval, could speak, Li Xiao interrupted Chu Nian.
The Emperor, however, remained calm and composed, saying, "Minister Li, I do find Consort Lian's words to be quite reasonable." His previous anger had completely dissipated. For him now, no metaphor like Consort Lian could bring him joy. Thinking about it this way, Consort Lian truly was his confidante!
His gaze towards Chu Nian softened considerably.
Li Xiao, unable to hide his anger, said, "Your Majesty, she clearly just wants to eat fish, and she hasn't had enough yet."
The Emperor said, "I believe she is truly looking out for me. Besides, it's just a few fish. Does she expect Minister Li to criticize my concubine for wanting to eat fish?" He then glanced at the eunuch beside him. "Issue my decree: Consort Lian is intelligent and virtuous, and has won my favor. Effective immediately, she is released from confinement, promoted to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort, and bestowed with one hundred taels of silver—no, one thousand taels..."
A whole host of rewards were bestowed upon them.
Not only did Lian Xi feel dizzy and wonder if she was dreaming, but Lian Huan, who had previously thought he was about to achieve great success and had all sorts of wild fantasies, also thought he was hallucinating.
Although Li Xiao was the regent and disliked the Lian family, a pro-royalist faction, he couldn't easily stop the emperor from bestowing rewards because of their military power. She was just a woman; if he were to directly break ties with the Lian family because of her, it would only make them more loyal to the emperor, offering Li Xiao no benefit whatsoever.
After Chu Nian left the Qianqing Palace, Lian Huan still couldn't believe what she had just heard. She asked in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, did I hear correctly? The Emperor not only didn't punish you for stealing the fish, but...he even rewarded you?"
Lian Xi was overjoyed and said, "Not only was she rewarded, but she was also promoted! Now our Empress is a Noble Consort!" That's one rank higher than her previous Consort rank!
Good heavens! When they went to the Qianqing Palace, all the servants who followed them looked dejected and ready to die at any moment; but in less than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, when they came out of the Qianqing Palace, all of these servants became smug and arrogant.
When she went in, she was still a convict awaiting punishment; she had just been demoted and confined to her quarters the day before. But when she came out, she had been promoted two ranks to become a Noble Consort, and even her palanquin had been changed!
Empress Chu Susu was trying to calm herself down and do needlework in her Kunning Palace when she heard someone from the palace report this unprecedented and strange event.
Not only that, but before the palace maid had even finished reporting, another palace maid with a slightly unfamiliar voice came from outside and reported (or rather, howled): "Your Majesty the Empress, Consort Lian has come to pay her respects."
Judging from that voice, if it's not someone from Kunning Palace, then it must be someone from Xukun Palace! Damn it, this Consort Lian isn't here to pay her respects; she's clearly here to flaunt her victory!
Everyone in Kunning Palace was so angry that their faces turned green.
The palace attendant, Suhe, angrily said, "What's wrong with His Majesty? He's always been so wise and just. How come this time he only confined Consort Lian to her quarters for one day and demoted her for one day, yet he directly promoted her to Imperial Noble Consort? Isn't this a slap in the face to our Empress?"
Chu Susu slammed the needlework in her hand onto the table: What a piece of junk! The hand that used to hold a sword is now holding a needle and thread—my hands are covered in needle marks!
As a spy specially planted by the regent to be by the emperor's side, Chu Shu was naturally a martial arts master. Unfortunately, even so, he was still killed by the emperor, which shows that the sickly emperor was superior to him in martial arts.
Unfortunately, she is currently a woman and wants to use her identity as Chu Susu to gain the Regent's favor. Therefore, she cannot let the Regent know that she is Chu Shu, and thus cannot tell the Regent the truth that Chu Shu discovered. However, she has already subtly hinted at it to the Prince twice, hoping that he will realize it!
Since no one heard the Empress speak, no one dared to let Consort Lian into the palace. Everyone guessed that the Empress must be very angry. Didn't she see that she threw all the needlework? So she probably wanted to leave Consort Lian to stand outside for a while!
Then, that loud voice from Yikun Palace shouted again from outside: "Your Majesty, Consort Lian has come to pay her respects!"
The palace maids and servants guarding the gate didn't actually want to let them in, so they closed the gate as soon as they saw them arrive. To be honest, if they hadn't seen that the mistress's palanquin had changed and that all the servants around her were looking down on them, they would have wanted to get on a broom right away.
But now, her rank has been promoted after only one day of being demoted, and even higher than her previous rank as a concubine. So the servants of Kunning Palace dare not act recklessly and simply closed the palace gates.
Who would have thought that the people from Xukun Palace were so arrogant? They shouted loudly even when the door wasn't open, and the Empress could hear them clearly.
This time, Chu Susu finally looked up, shifting her attention from her needlework to the matter at hand, and calmly and dignifiedly said, "Please invite Consort Lian into the palace!"
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