Ch 62: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

A few days later, Li Defu uncovered the truth about the flower banquet, and the emperor, after silently listening to the full account, went to Anhe Palace.

When Shen Yunxuan greeted him at the entrance, she smiled warmly upon seeing him and began to curtsy. The emperor quickly stepped forward to support her, saying, “I’ve told you there’s no need for formalities in private. Why did you come out in this chilly weather? Be careful not to catch a cold.”

Holding her hand, he led her back inside. Shen Yunxuan laughed and said, “It’s been days since I last saw Your Majesty. Both the child and I missed you.”

The emperor’s face softened into a smile as he held her close, sitting with her on the soft couch. However, when his eyes caught sight of Li Defu, his expression turned serious. Gesturing for everyone else to leave, he held Shen Yunxuan’s hand and said, “The matter of the flower banquet has been resolved.”

Shen Yunxuan looked at him, and he signaled for Li Defu to report.

Powerful people often find it easy to act, especially when it comes to coercing scapegoats into taking the fall. The maid implicated was one of the empress’s people. Three years ago, when the empress first entered the palace, she cultivated a group of confidants and secretly placed them throughout the palace, including this maid, who was stationed by Consort Lan.

The empress controlled the maid by sending her younger brother to Jiangnan to study under a renowned teacher, promising him a bright future through the imperial examination. Outwardly, it was said that her brother had gone missing, which was why the maid stubbornly pinned the blame on Consort Lan and refused to confess.

However, the emperor had a frail, impoverished young man brought before her, coughing in the shadows of the cell. He claimed he had been sent away to be silenced but managed to escape and beg his way back, though he was gravely ill and nearing death. He recounted childhood memories, shaking the maid’s confidence in the empress. This crack was all it took for Li Defu to extract the truth within three days.

On the day of the flower banquet, the maid had hidden a tiny pill under her fingernail. Facing away from Shen Yunxuan and towards the empress, she waited for the empress to pause her fan-waving gesture. That was her cue to turn abruptly and “accidentally” bump into Shen Yunxuan, crushing the pill and smearing its powder onto Shen Yunxuan’s clothes. She would then apologize and retreat, leaving the dog to attack Shen Yunxuan as planned. Her position would make it seem she had no idea Shen Yunxuan was behind her, avoiding suspicion.

However, Shen Yunxuan had been pulled aside by Yuexi, disrupting the plan. Flustered, the maid tried to approach again under the pretense of apologizing but was blocked by Qingzhi. This delay allowed the dog to attack her instead, completely foiling the plot.

After confessing, the maid begged Li Defu to save her brother, only to realize the frail boy was not her sibling. Devastated, she revealed everything, including her role in causing Consort Lan’s miscarriage on the empress’s orders. She pleaded for mercy, hoping her cooperation would at least spare her brother.

The maid who spread rumors about Shen Yunxuan’s health came from a family that fabricated lies under duress. The emperor ordered their exile, during which they suffered greatly. On the brink of starvation and death, they began blaming one another, inadvertently revealing that they were also under the empress’s control. Their role had been as a backup plan to publicly claim they overheard Shen family servants gossiping about Shen Yunxuan’s supposed infertility, should the initial plan fail.

As for the maid who persuaded Consort Li to bring her dog, she was linked to Consort Shu. This maid was part of Consort Shu’s scheme to exploit the empress’s fear of Shen Yunxuan and escalate the situation. Though initially seeming uninvolved, her ties to Consort Shu were uncovered through meticulous investigation, revealing her connection to Consort Shu’s former nanny.

With the truth laid bare, the emperor explained to Shen Yunxuan, “Their families hold deeply entrenched power in court. While I’ve been working to consolidate authority, I can’t fully uproot them yet. For now, their titles cannot be stripped, especially with the border unrest demanding stability in the court.”

Hearing this, even the emperor himself felt somewhat stifled, as though he owed Shen Yunxuan an apology. Yet, to his surprise, Shen Yunxuan neither cried nor made a scene. Instead, she gently placed her hand over his and said softly, “I trust Your Majesty will one day give me justice. Until then, you’ll protect me and our child, won’t you?”

“Of course! I won’t allow anyone to harm you or our child again,” the emperor immediately promised. Thinking of the tainted items sent by the empress to Shen Yunxuan’s residence, he felt a surge of anger. “While I can’t strip their titles, I can certainly ensure they think twice before acting so recklessly again.”

Shen Yunxuan didn’t pry further. She understood that the emperor was aware of the situation, and asking too many questions might put him in a difficult position. She could see that the emperor, like herself when she first arrived at the Shao residence in her past life, was navigating a precarious path, taking calculated steps. She empathized with him. As long as he could truly protect her, that was enough. The more understanding and tolerant she was now, the greater the rewards he might give her in the future.

Besides, they were kindred spirits, both facing challenges together. Shen Yunxuan wanted to be the one who stood by the emperor, helping him clear the storm clouds, rather than adding to his burdens.

Taking his hand, she led him towards the rear garden with a mysterious smile. “I have something to share with Your Majesty. It’s wonderful news—can you guess what it is?”

The emperor looked at her profile, feeling a deep sense of relaxation and appreciation for her. With a smile, he said, “A happy event in the garden? Could it have something to do with the land you’ve been cultivating?”

“Exactly!” Shen Yunxuan said, her excitement bubbling over. “When I first entered the palace, I mentioned dreaming about golden rice fields filled with fish. Just a few days ago, I dreamt about it again, but this time I saw it clearly—those fish were leaping in the rice fields, plump and lively, and the rice was growing beautifully.

“So, I had the fish released into the rice fields. Look, it’s working!”

As they approached the rice paddies, Shen Yunxuan’s voice grew louder with enthusiasm. Her excitement was palpable, as this knowledge came from the “Book of Memories,” something she had to test through trial and error. Seeing the results made it all feel real, and she couldn’t contain her joy.

The emperor was visibly surprised. He had seen the field at the beginning, with its sparse seedlings barely visible, looking almost barren. Now, lush greenery reached waist-high. This growth seemed extraordinary, especially since the weather had turned colder, and the season was no longer favorable for farming. He had even prepared to console Shen Yunxuan when the crops failed in winter.

But to his astonishment, the field had flourished. Shen Yunxuan waved her hand, signaling the palace workers who tended the field to come forward and report.

The workers knelt before the emperor and explained, detailing how Shen Yunxuan had ordered a greenhouse built to protect the seedlings from the cold. When the weather grew cooler, she instructed them to keep the crops warm. Later, she proposed introducing fish into the fields.

At first, they were skeptical, convinced it would harm both the fish and the rice. To their surprise, the fish thrived in the fields, eating weeds and pests while growing plump. Their waste enriched the soil, and their movements aerated the water, promoting better growth for the rice.

“The fish and rice benefit each other—a perfect symbiosis!” one worker exclaimed, emboldened by excitement. “If we continue this method, the rice harvest will be bountiful, and we’ll also have a great yield of fish!”

The emperor, with a heart for his people, immediately thought of how this method could feed countless families. Gripping Shen Yunxuan’s hand tightly, he suppressed his excitement and said, “You’ve done something extraordinary, not just for me, but for the entire nation. I’ll borrow these workers to replicate this on the imperial estates. If the results hold, we can promote this method next year, and our people will no longer go hungry. Yunxuan, you truly are my lucky star!”

Shen Yunxuan placed his hand gently on her belly and laughed, “Perhaps it’s our child who’s the real lucky star. Your Majesty, make sure the workers take good care of the rice and fish. If any skilled farmers come up with improvements, encourage them to try. But leave someone here for me—my little field still needs tending.”

“Of course! Anything you say!” The emperor, beaming with joy, felt the frustrations caused by the empress and Consort Shu dissipate completely. At this moment, his heart was light, his spirit uplifted.

Shen Yunxuan had given him such a wonderful gift, and yet he couldn’t publicly grant her the justice she deserved. Feeling a pang of guilt, he asked as they walked back, “Do you have any wishes, my dear? If it’s within my power, I’ll make it happen.”

Shen Yunxuan thought carefully. Li Defu discreetly wiped his brow, muttering inwardly, Oh, gracious consort, don’t ask for too much! Even the emperor might feel uneasy if you do. Having witnessed human nature, he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious for her.

Soon, Shen Yunxuan’s eyes lit up with mischief. “I do have a wish, Your Majesty. I’d like Liu shi to pay her respects to my mother’s memorial tablet. When she entered the family, she feigned illness to avoid bowing before it. Later, when my father’s position advanced, he claimed Liu-shi’s rank was higher than my mother’s, excusing her from the ritual altogether…”

“She is a second wife who has harmed my brother and me multiple times and has never paid her respects to my mother. Your Majesty, can you fulfill this wish of mine?”

Shen Yunxuan looked at him expectantly. The emperor chuckled and replied, “I can. I will posthumously bestow your mother with a noble title. Li Defu, ensure that the formalities are carried out properly, and oversee Liu shi paying her respects.”

Li Defu promptly agreed. He understood exactly what “proper formalities” meant: making sure Liu shi bowed before Shen Yunxuan’s mother’s memorial tablet. Stealing a glance at Shen Yunxuan, his admiration grew. Having grown up accompanying the emperor, Li Defu deeply understood the precarious nature of serving a ruler. Yet Shen Yunxuan handled herself with such skill and precision, maintaining perfect balance. It was remarkable.

This clever maneuver didn’t irk the emperor; instead, it made him feel closer to Shen Yunxuan, as though he was helping her seek justice. In his heart, he felt relieved, even pleased, to grant her this small vindication.

What Li Defu perceived, the emperor was well aware of, too. Emotions like favor or disfavor were often instinctual and beyond even his control. Yet in Shen Yunxuan’s presence, he always felt at ease and content, which was why he viewed her differently from others. He cherished the rare moments he spent in the harem and wouldn’t waste a second on anyone else. If propriety allowed, he’d gladly have Shen Yunxuan reside permanently in his palace, so that every night after work, he could sleep beside the one he favored.

However, some traditions couldn’t be easily overturned, and for now, it was better to maintain this delicate balance—for both their sakes.

The emperor, now in a much better mood, didn’t forget the misdeeds of the empress and Consort Shu. He ordered the two of them to face their accusers, summoning the palace maids and presenting all the evidence.

Both the empress and Consort Shu turned pale as the mountain of evidence against them was laid bare. They didn’t dare cry “injustice.”

Consort Shu, having only instigated the idea of using the dog performance against Shen Yunxuan, was the first to regain her composure. She admitted her wrongdoing, saying, “This concubine was momentarily overcome by jealousy of Noble Consort Shen and committed a grave mistake. I beg Your Majesty for forgiveness.”

She realized that the emperor had not dismissed the servants or made the punishment public, indicating that he didn’t intend to strip her of her position. The more remorseful she appeared, the lighter her punishment would be. Her confidence stemmed from the Prime Minister’s support. As long as she lay low, bore a son, and relied on her family’s influence, she could regain her footing.

The empress quickly followed suit, tearfully pleading, “Your Majesty, I swear never to commit such acts again. I will strive to fulfill my duties as empress and conduct myself with decorum. Please, Your Majesty, punish me as you see fit.”

Just as they thought the emperor would go easy on them, he said coldly, “The empress is unwell and shall retire to her palace to recuperate. Palace affairs will be managed by Noble Consort Shen, assisted by Consort Li and Consort Chen. Consort Shu, for her jealous and spiteful nature, will be stripped of her title, confined to her quarters for three months, and required to copy Buddhist scriptures a hundred times.”

Both women were stunned. Power and status were everything to them. Stripping the empress of her authority over the palace was a devastating blow. By the time she returned, Shen Yunxuan would likely have replaced her trusted personnel with her own. Consort Shu, on the other hand, had always taken pride in her title. Now, not only was Shen Yunxuan her superior, but even Consort Li was her equal. Her humiliation was unbearable.

They pleaded bitterly, but the emperor, uninterested in further debate, rose and left, ordering Li Defu to take the witnesses with him.

It was only then that the two women realized the emperor didn’t plan to silence the witnesses. Instead, he intended to keep them under his control, ready to expose the truth should they step out of line again. If that happened, their reputations would be ruined, they would be deposed, and their families would be disgraced.

Both women were bewildered. Their schemes had been executed so secretly—how had the emperor uncovered the truth?

Regardless, the punishments were finalized. The imperial seal, account books, and other items were taken from the empress. Consort Shu was escorted back to her quarters and confined.

The emperor had struck at their weakest points, taking away the very things they valued most.

The empress collapsed onto her bed, sobbing uncontrollably. She understood that the emperor hadn’t publicly accused her because of the unstable political climate and the ongoing war at the borders. Still, her carefully laid plans over three years, and the many loyal aides she had cultivated, would now be purged. This struck at the very foundation of her power. How could she maintain her position as empress in the future?

She couldn’t suppress her jealousy of Shen Yunxuan. As empress, she was confined due to illness, while Shen Yunxuan was entrusted with managing palace affairs. This would only enhance Shen Yunxuan’s reputation, proving she truly lived up to her title of “Noble Consort.” Moreover, with control over the palace, Shen Yunxuan could ensure her safety and that of her child, delivering in the most secure environment. How well the emperor treated her!

The empress could only console herself with the fact that Shen Yunxuan had no strong backing from her maternal family. If Shen Yunxuan’s family, including her father, the Minister of Rites, were more influential, the empress might have been forced to abdicate.

Seething with resentment, the empress vowed to wait for Shen Yunxuan’s downfall. She refused to believe that the emperor’s favor would last forever. When Shen Yunxuan inevitably lost his affection, she would ensure she paid a hundredfold for today’s humiliation!

Consort Shu was even more devastated than the Empress. Stripped of her title, she was now merely (lower ranked) Consort. Her ultimate goal had always been the position of Empress, believing it was the only title befitting her status. Yet the Emperor had withstood all pressures and chosen someone else. Forced to accept being a consort, she could barely tolerate the Empress, often acting disrespectfully toward her.

Now, on top of the Empress, Shen Yunxuan had become Noble Consort Shen, and Consort Li was assisting with palace duties. Consort Shu suddenly found herself overshadowed by three others. With so few consorts in the palace, she was relegated to fourth place. And if Consort Li managed her responsibilities well, she might be promoted. Would that place yet another person above her? How could the Emperor treat her, the Prime Minister’s daughter, this way?

Consort Shu couldn’t even begin to imagine how people outside the palace would mock her—especially since the Emperor had labeled her as “jealous and spiteful toward other consorts.” She couldn’t deny she had been jealous and had made trouble for others, but to have such a label officially recorded was unbearable. Regardless of how she might recover her position in the future, this stigma would always remain, known to both the palace and the public.

Moreover, she had become the first consort in the dynasty to be formally stripped of her title and punished. It was a humiliation of the highest order, tarnishing not only her name but that of her entire family.

Back in her quarters, Consort Shu flew into a rage, smashing everything in sight. The palace attendants cowered in fear, the atmosphere heavy with gloom.

When word of her enemies’ downfall reached Shen Yunxuan in Anhe Palace, she had just finished eating roasted lamb. Upon hearing the news, she didn’t hide her joy. She ordered another bowl of rice and enjoyed her meal with a light heart.

She hadn’t expected the Emperor to go this far. Perhaps his actions weren’t solely for her sake but also influenced by political considerations. Still, Shen Yunxuan was overjoyed and satisfied. This was exactly the kind of husband she had hoped for. Heaven had been kind, granting her rebirth with the knowledge of the book of memories, allowing her to compensate her brother and granting her such a good husband. How could she not be happy?

After her meal, Shen Yunxuan ordered freshly roasted lamb sent to the Emperor and instructed her attendants, “Invite Consort Li and Consort Chen here to discuss palace matters.”

Qin Mama knew the Emperor’s intention wasn’t for Shen Yunxuan to handle palace affairs personally, especially given her pregnancy. Likely, he expected her and Zhuang Mama to manage things together. However, since Shen Yunxuan had given the order, Qin Mama had no objections.

To her surprise, Shen Yunxuan seemed quite familiar with palace affairs. Casting a glance at Zhuang Mama, she noticed her smiling knowingly. It dawned on her that Zhuang Mama must have taught Shen Yunxuan. In the past, when the late Empress Dowager Xiao An had been ill, it was Zhuang Mama who had managed palace matters. She was undoubtedly more skilled than even the current Empress, which explained why Shen Yunxuan was so adept.

Zhuang Mama felt a wave of admiration. She recalled Shen Yunxuan’s words about how opportunities favor the prepared. At the time, she hadn’t expected Shen Yunxuan to gain control of palace affairs so quickly. She couldn’t help but marvel at Shen Yunxuan’s foresight.

Since meeting Shen Yunxuan, she had witnessed her steady, error-free progress. Zhuang Mama thought, even if Shen Yunxuan hadn’t entered the palace, she would have thrived wherever she went. But given her talents, only the most prestigious position in the palace truly suited her.

Consort Li and Consort Chen arrived quickly. Although unsure of the circumstances, they understood the newfound authority to assist with palace matters was a significant opportunity. It elevated their status, made their lives more interesting, and allowed them to cultivate their own networks.

While they couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, they knew the Empress and Consort Shu had been punished and that the Emperor had compensated Shen Yunxuan. It was clear that the Empress and Consort Shu were behind the troubles during the flower banquet.

Consort Li, still holding resentment, tearfully thanked Shen Yunxuan upon arrival. She bowed deeply and said, “Sister, I must thank you for protecting Snowball…”

Shen Yunxuan had her helped to her feet and smiled warmly. “Come, sit down. There’s no need for such formality. This matter arose because of me, and you were caught in the crossfire. I’m just relieved you don’t blame me.”

Consort Li shook her head. “How could I blame you, Sister? I am deeply grateful you never doubted me.”

Consort Chen, suspecting her previous miscarriage was linked to the Empress or Consort Shu, was equally grateful. With newfound authority and seeing her enemies punished, she immediately expressed her thanks. “I also owe you my gratitude, Noble Consort Shen, for avenging me.”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “Good. If you wish to thank me, then help me manage the palace well. This harem must be reorganized—no more chaos or scheming. The Emperor is preoccupied with state affairs and the war at the border. As consorts, we cannot assist directly, but at the very least, we can ensure peace in the palace. Don’t you agree?”

The two were impressed by Shen Yunxuan’s thoughtfulness. They pledged to do their best.

As they discussed palace affairs, Qin Mama observed Shen Yunxuan’s demeanor. She balanced work and rest with ease, occasionally sending Consort Li and Consort Chen out for walks or serving tea and refreshments. Shen Yunxuan managed her well-being so meticulously that Qin Mama didn’t need to remind her to take care of herself.

The Emperor soon heard of this and chuckled, shaking his head. Then, he wrote an edict posthumously granting Shen Yunxuan’s mother a noble title, instructing Li Defu to oversee its execution.

“Noble Consort Shen doesn’t even hide her delight from Qin Mama. She’s completely transparent with me, even openly asking for favors. Right now, she has no one to rely on except me and her brother. It’s rare for someone to trust me this much. Fulfill her wish flawlessly, Li Defu.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Li Defu took the edict and left for the Shen family.

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