Chapter 70
Chapter 70
The entire harem knew the newly admitted Lady Yu enjoyed extraordinary imperial favor. The emperor had spent two consecutive nights at Chengyi Hall.
No one knew that the candles at Chengyi Hall burned until midnight while the emperor and the newly admitted beauty talked deep into the night.
After midnight, when weariness entered the beauty’s eyes, the sovereign emperor obediently went to sleep in the side hall.
All the attendants serving Chengyi Hall had been replaced by people the emperor brought. No one knew what had happened.
The emperor was in an excellent mood at court the next morning.
Zhao Yixing watched the Son of Heaven’s expression and guessed His Majesty had reached some agreement with that person the previous night.
Unfortunately, not even the Black-Robed Guard had been allowed to hear their conversation. Zhao Yixing could only drive away the other attendants and personally guard the door, preventing outsiders from hearing a word.
“Zhao Yixing,” the emperor called. “Take my token and retrieve some things from the storehouse…”
After some thought, he said, “Choose novel objects. Remember, they must be rare. Take foreign tribute, pieces the late emperor kept in storage, and a few trophies seized when we broke the royal court of Dirong…”
“Choose some books as well…”
“Deliver them personally to Chengyi Hall.”
Zhao Yixing was about to withdraw when the emperor called from above, “Wait!”
Zhao Yixing bowed and waited. The emperor did not look at him. His gaze remained on the memorial in his hand as he asked casually, “I recall the third-ranked candidate in the imperial examination wrote me a rhapsody the year before last. Do you remember where it was placed?”
Zhao Yixing understood instantly.
The Rhapsody on Soaring Clouds used a divine dragon as its central metaphor and praised the emperor’s achievements since ascending the throne from beginning to end. In essence, it was a piece of flattery designed to please him. But the author’s talent was so brilliant and every phrase so exquisite that it did not feel vulgar or sycophantic.
In front of his ministers, His Majesty had modestly declared the rhapsody too exaggerated and said he still needed to strive harder.
In private, he treasured it beyond measure and took it out every few days to read again.
Now that the emperor had suddenly mentioned it, how could Zhao Yixing fail to understand?
He wanted to slip it among the rewards… No, the gifts, so that person could admire his achievements as emperor too.
With a lack of proper reverence, Zhao Yixing thought His Majesty resembled a young peacock desperate to prove himself before an elder.
The emperor did not know his trusted chief steward dared criticize him inwardly. As he reviewed memorials, he thought about the previous night’s words.
“This body may be young and tender, but I am already a wretched old woman.”
“Emperor, I have no interest in the current government of Great Yong. In the future, do not trouble me with such trivial matters.”
“As for a wish…”
“If I have the chance, I would like to see with my own eyes what has become of the realm Emperor Gaozu and I conquered two hundred years ago.”
A surge of heroic ambition inexplicably rose within the emperor.
Who else in the world could encounter such a miracle and awaken after two hundred years?
Had his ancestor awakened after his accession as a warning from Heaven?
He would become–he was certain to become–Great Yong’s finest enlightened ruler. He would show Empress Wu that her descendant would not disappoint her, and that a century later, her Great Yong would be an even richer and stronger empire!
Fired up by his own private speech, the emperor felt he could review another three hundred memorials!
Rewards flowed into Chengyi Hall like water once more.
They came not only from the emperor. Qingzheng Hall sent its share as well.
The high-ranking consorts had long since lost much of the emperor’s favor and could remain calm, but the more than twenty newly selected women nearly ground their teeth to pieces.
They had all entered the palace at the same time. Lady Yu had already taken first place among them, and now His Majesty had spent three consecutive nights at her palace.
What about them?
Three consecutive nights could still be explained as imperial fondness. Any more would be excessive.
Even Su Yiwan, who had lived a second life and considered herself steadier than the others, grew uneasy. Lady Yu had enjoyed “extraordinary favor” in her previous life, but not on anything like this scale!
Of course, the empress controlled the records of imperial bedchamber service. No outsider knew what had actually happened in Chengyi Hall.
The newcomers waited eagerly. On the fourth day, the imperial procession finally did not visit Chengyi Hall–but His Majesty went to Qingzheng Hall!
Ah. Never mind, then.
The next day, when the imperial consorts went to Qingzheng Hall to pay their respects, the empress issued a decree promoting Lady Yu to Radiant Consort.
The entire harem erupted in astonishment.
Lady Yu had been in the palace for less than half a month. After her first summons to the imperial bedchamber, she had leaped directly from fourth-rank Lady to Radiant Consort, one of the Nine Consorts.
Aside from the Pure Consort, who had borne the eldest prince, no one in the entire harem now outranked her.
Dignified Consort Jiang, mother of the second princess, held the same rank.
Lady Meng, who had served His Majesty since his princely residence and accompanied him for years, was still only a Noble Lady.
Today, aside from the chronically ill Pure Consort, every ranked imperial consort was present at Qingzheng Hall.
The decree shocked them all deeply.
It was not only the newcomers. Even Dignified Consort Jiang and Noble Lady Meng found it difficult to remain calm.
When facing the flock of young beauties who entered after them, part of them resented their own fading youth, while another part possessed the superiority of those who had come first.
They shared a bond with His Majesty from the years in his princely residence. No newcomer could ever rival that.
The newcomers’ low ranks proved it.
But neither woman imagined that sense of superiority would be shattered so quickly.
Radiant Consort…
Noble Lady Meng’s hand clenched involuntarily inside her sleeve. The taste of blood seemed to fill her throat.
She dreamed of rising one more rank and joining the Nine Consorts, so that people outside would address her respectfully as Her Ladyship.
The empress had once comforted her, telling her not to be anxious. If she waited patiently, what belonged to her would come.
She had believed it, assuming promotions among imperial consorts followed established rules.
Did those rules allow someone who had only just entered the palace to leap from Lady to one of the Nine Consorts?
“Your Majesty.” A gentle voice sounded. It was Dignified Consort Jiang.
She hesitated. “Lady Yu is indeed exceptional, but is such a promotion across the ranks not somewhat excessive?”
The empress smiled mildly. “Do not look to me for blame this time. I will not take responsibility. His Majesty gave the verbal order, and I merely issued the decree. If any of you object, you are welcome to remonstrate with His Majesty.”
The imperial consorts: “…”
How could they dare? His Majesty might be mild, but those familiar with him knew that once he made a decision, he allowed no one to question it.
Dignified Consort Jiang forced a smile. “His Majesty must truly adore Lady Yu…”
She paused and corrected herself. “Younger Sister Radiant Consort Yu.”
Amid gazes filled with envy or jealousy, Zhu Yin accurately picked out the female lead’s.
Su Yiwan was neither jealous nor bitter.
She was staring blankly.
Su Yiwan was beginning to wonder whether she had been reborn into the wrong place. Perhaps she had merely transmigrated into a world very similar to her previous one.
Lady Yu’s so-called “extraordinary favor” in her previous life was not even a light drizzle compared with this.
She looked over in confusion. Could it be that the one who truly possessed a spirit spring was not her, but Radiant Consort Yu, who was racing through the ranks?