Chapter 61 - 60: Attack and Eliminate

Zi Yue, fearing Xia Ruqing would suffer from excessive internal heat, boiled two peeled pears on the small charcoal stove, adding large chunks of rock sugar. Xia Ruqing drank a bowl, belching contentedly. After the meal, Zi Yue carefully massaged medicinal oil into her skin beside the brazier. It wasn’t until the Xu Hour (11 p.m.–1 a.m.) that she clutched her Hot-water Bottle and snuggled into the warm depths of her bedding. That night, she slept exceptionally soundly. However, in the Harem, some could not sleep—Noble Concubine Shih, for instance... The Empress attending the Emperor’s bed had caused Noble Concubine Shih’s heartache to flare up again. She lay in bed, her face etched with distress. Ying Yue, unsure how to console her, simply asked, "Your Grace, shall we... have an Imperial Physician take a look?" Noble Concubine Shih replied impatiently, "Look at what? Can the Imperial Physician bring the Emperor here?" Ying Yue dared not speak further. Touching her flat stomach, Noble Concubine Shih silently resolved. She must take good care of her body and successfully give birth to the Crown Prince. By then, not only would she secure her footing in the palace, but she could also overshadow the Empress. Wouldn’t her cousin (the Emperor) favor that as well? Even if new consorts arrived in the future and she no longer held the Emperor’s supreme favor in the Six Palaces, she would have her child. Her cousin’s child with her—the Crown Prince. Consort Ning and Consort Hui Pin had long since lost his favor, but for the sake of the Princess, the Emperor still visited them often. If it were her, her cousin would surely cherish her even more. That was for the long term. As for recent times... Whenever her cousin visited her lately, he always seemed distracted and indifferent. She had pondered this many times yet couldn’t understand the reason. Was it because she was too close to the Empress Dowager? But the Empress Dowager was the Emperor’s birth mother and her own aunt; what was wrong with showing her filial piety? Beyond that, she couldn’t think of any other reason. Although she couldn’t stand the Empress, she knew the Emperor valued decorum, so she naturally didn’t dare to openly clash with her. Whether paying respects or encountering her in daily life, she always behaved impeccably and never stirred up trouble! Therefore, after much consideration, Noble Concubine Shih still believed that all the difficulties she currently faced would be resolved with the birth of a child. With that in mind, she asked Ying Yue, "Is there any food left?" Ying Yue faltered, not understanding. "Your Grace... are you hungry?!" Noble Concubine Shih nodded. "I didn’t eat well at the evening meal. If there’s food, bring some." Coming to her senses, Ying Yue quickly nodded in energetic agreement. "Yes, yes, yes!" She then hurried off to fetch it herself. Noble Concubine Shih watched her retreating figure, her hand resting on her flat stomach, her expression one of sheer determination. To properly nourish her body, simply drinking medicine likely wouldn’t suffice; she needed to eat well first, didn’t she? In the past, she had always feared gaining weight and refused to eat much at night. Perhaps that had inadvertently harmed her body. Now, she was throwing caution to the wind! 「...」 Time passed swiftly. The first month soon ended, and as February arrived, the weather gradually warmed. The Imperial Garden showed signs of returning life. The concubines gradually transitioned into their vibrant spring attire, venturing out more frequently, unlike in the depths of winter when everyone had remained cloistered indoors to avoid the cold. Consort Yun and Honored Lady Hu—one had suffered a miscarriage and completed her confinement, while the other had been poisoned by tainted cheese—had both fully recovered by February. During these two months, although the Emperor remained as busy as ever, he did not neglect the Harem. Not only did he visit, but he also made his rounds to all his consorts, high and low. The Empress, of course, was among them. Below her, Noble Consort Shih, Consort Yun, Consort Ning, and Consort Hui Pin had all been visited. Further down, Honored Lady Hu and Lady Xia had also been summoned to the royal bedchamber. For a time, it was impossible to discern who was more favored and who had fallen from grace. Thus, peace temporarily reigned in the Harem. However, regarding Honored Lady Hu, Zhao Junyao, mindful that she had been poisoned and wrongfully implicated, had specially promoted her after the New Year to console her. She was now Liyi of the Fifth Rank. This was fitting, as her family also held Fifth Rank Official status, aligning with the regulations. Now, when Xia Ruqing encountered her, she had to curtsy respectfully as prescribed by protocol. As for Consort Yun, the mastermind behind that incident, Zhao Junyao found it difficult to openly punish a woman, especially one who had suffered a miscarriage bearing his child. However, he discreetly dealt with her father. Her father, a well-regarded Minister of Revenue, was demoted to Vice Minister of Revenue after Zhao Junyao found fault with his work. Ministers of the Six Ministries, barring unforeseen circumstances, were destined to enter the Cabinet. These were positions as Cabinet Ministers, promising boundless prospects and placing them at the zenith of officialdom. How could a mere Fifth Rank Minister compare? The Liang family, Consort Yun’s maternal family, though somewhat bewildered by this turn of events, had committed numerous unscrupulous deeds, relying on the powerful Shih Family for backing. Now that the Emperor’s displeasure had led to the demotion, they could only shrink back and keep their heads down, daring not to utter a word of protest. Grand Tutor Shih was infuriated, cursing them as incapable and unreliable, but even he was unable to salvage the situation. Ordinarily, news did not travel easily between the palace interior and the outside world, yet this particular piece of information flowed "exceptionally" smoothly and unobstructed into Consort Yun’s ears. After confirming the news repeatedly and finding it to be true, she was so terrified that she collapsed onto the couch. "Cai Die! The Emperor... he truly knows!" she cried. "Didn’t we... didn’t we do it cleanly, without leaving a single trace?" Cai Die, caught in a bind, could only say, "Your Highness, it must have been Xiao Zhaozi, the one attending Honored Lady Hu—no, Hu Liyi—who confessed!" That’s the Punishment Department, after all, Cai Die thought. Once you enter there, you have no choice but to speak. They can even pry open a dead man’s mouth. Consort Yun was utterly stunned. The Emperor... he’s warning me! Although the Emperor hadn’t punished Consort Yun, nor had he even broken through the thin veneer of plausible deniability, she was already terrified to this degree. Cai Die hurried to advise, "Your Highness, why don’t we go plead with the Noble Consort? Perhaps the Shih Family has a way." Consort Yun shook her head in despair. Having spent several years with the Emperor, she understood his temperament all too well. The Emperor never bothered with the trivial disputes of the Harem. But not bothering didn’t mean he wasn’t aware. Once one crossed his bottom line, the Emperor would retaliate decisively, striking comprehensively and leaving no room for maneuver! And the more one struggled, the faster and more miserably one would perish! If she dared to make another move now, she feared even she would be utterly destroyed. The situation as it stood was beyond salvation by gods or men... After all, a concubine’s rank could be demoted and then restored. But if an official was demoted, he had to climb back up, rank by painstaking rank. Whether in the Capital City or assigned elsewhere, officials were assessed yearly. Only after three consecutive years of excellent evaluations was there a chance for promotion. And if no suitable position was available, one had to wait even longer! In other words, for her father to be restored to his position as Minister of Revenue of the Third Rank, it would take at least six years, at the very earliest. If it hadn’t been for that small bowl of poisoned cheese, her father could have joined the Cabinet within those six years. From Minister to Elder Statesman, a journey that took others perhaps three to five years—would her father now need twelve? Consort Yun trembled with anger, smashing everything within her sight. And conveniently, she laid all the blame for this ordeal squarely on Xia Ruqing’s head! "If it weren’t for that wretch uncovering it, how could Xiao Zhaozi have been discovered!" The underlying meaning of her accusation was: Since you, Lady Xia, refused to be the scapegoat, this is your fault. You are the one who caused my father’s demotion!