noffsinger Chapter 116 Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Su Luyun 43
Chapter 116 Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace Su Luyun 43
The Empress died on her way back to the palace, so the Emperor quickened his pace.
Su Lian got into trouble. Su Luyun found out that Jin Yuyan pushed Su Lian into the water to kill her and cover it up, and then faked it as if she had died for her master.
While Jin Yuyan was still returning to the palace, she visited Su Luyun several times.
"Consort Mu seems quite leisurely, while the concubines in the harem are fighting like crazy," Jin Yuyan said with a double meaning.
Su Luyun slowly took a sip of tea, glanced at Jin Yuyan, and said, "What are you saying, Consort Jia? I am grieving for the passing of Her Majesty the Empress."
Jin Yuyan said, "Which woman in this harem doesn't want to climb the social ladder? Sister has two princes, we can't let Consort Zhe and Consort Xian surpass us."
Su Luyun's expression immediately turned cold, and she said calmly, "Consort Jia, there's no need to say anything more. These words cannot be spoken lightly. His Majesty has not yet made a decision. How could Consort Jia want to make decisions for His Majesty?"
Jin Yuyan gave a forced smile and quickly said, "It was my sister who spoke too much."
Su Luyun didn't say anything more, picked up her teacup without speaking, and Jin Yuyan tactfully took her leave.
As Jin Yuyan left, she angrily punched a pillar. She had intended to provoke Su Luyun's ambition, but Su Luyun was cunning and didn't react at all.
But then Kim Ok-yeon remembered something and turned to go to Consort Cheol's palace.
After Empress Fucha Langhua's death, Consort Zhe was extremely pleased with herself, since the Fucha clan had sent word that they would do everything in their power to make her Empress, and then her eldest son would be the legitimate heir.
Kim Ok-yeon's actions further fueled Consort Cheol's ambitions to the extreme.
During her return to the palace, a rather significant incident occurred. Consort Yu discovered she was nearly two months pregnant on her journey back. The timing of her pregnancy coincided with the Empress's death, and no one paid any attention to it.
That's right, this was also Su Luyun's arrangement. After all, since she became pregnant and gave birth, no one had gotten pregnant for a long time. The emperor himself suspected that he had been poisoned, so he summoned Imperial Physician Qi, who said that there was nothing wrong with his body.
The emperor felt that the problem wasn't his, but rather the health of the concubines in the harem, so he ordered Physician Qi to examine them.
Several years passed, and still no good news came from the harem.
The Emperor was very excited to receive the news that Consort Yu was pregnant, but when he thought that Consort Yu was the Empress Dowager's person, his heart became complicated, coupled with the Empress's death.
The Emperor couldn't attend to Consort Yu for the time being, so he simply instructed Wang Qin to arrange for someone to take care of her.
Wang Qin was never brought down in his lifetime, and there was no news of Li Yu and Jin Zhong rising to power. However, Li Yu still allied with Consort Xian, and because of Su Xin, Jin Zhong allied with Consort Wei.
After returning to the palace, the Emperor arranged for Consort Hui, Consort Mu, Consort Xian, and Consort Zhe to handle the Empress's funeral arrangements.
Consort Zhe was always trying to steal the spotlight, and Su Luyun realized that Consort Zhe had been brainwashed by Consort Jia. However, Consort Zhe herself had this intention, which is why she was being used. Su Luyun thought that if things were arranged well, the First Prince should be able to get out of the picture after this incident.
Consort Jia was assisting Consort Zhe with her affairs, which made Consort Zhe stand out. Everyone else had no followers, but Consort Zhe did. The Emperor had always suspected that Consort Zhe wanted to become the Empress.
Before the Empress passed away, she asked her to make Consort Zhe the successor. Now, how can Consort Zhe still act so recklessly? How can she not arouse the Emperor's suspicion?
The Empress's funeral was held in a grand manner, while Su Luyun's performance was mediocre, neither drawing criticism nor attracting attention.
Gao Xiyue, on the other hand, was very devoted to the Empress and handled the funeral beautifully.
Consort Xian wanted to stand out, but with Consort Gao Xiyue being supported by Consort Gui and Consort Zhe supporting her from behind, it seemed that Qingying had no chance to rise to prominence.
Seeing the situation in the harem, Wei Yanwan went to curry favor with Consort Zhe, hoping that Consort Zhe would become the Empress and thus help her rise in rank.
Hailan also hopes that Qingying will become the Empress, so that she can be promoted. She is currently just a lowly Consort. Because of the imperial concubine selection, the emperor promoted a few Consorts to the rank of Lady-in-Waiting. She also wants to take this opportunity to become a Consort.
If Qingying becomes the Empress, she will be Qingying's only ally, and she might be able to become a concubine.
Hailan knew Consort Zhe's thoughts and understood that the Empress's position would definitely belong to the Manchu Banner Army. Consort Zhe was Qingying's biggest rival.
Hailan first spread the news that the prince should not be too saddened by the moving of the late empress's coffin.
Hailan's goal is Su Luyun's two sons. Even if Su Luyun cannot become the empress, having two sons by her side will ensure her stable position.
Consort Jia did not receive the message from Hailan. Instead, she brought the Fourth Prince Yongcheng to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to see the Emperor.
At this moment, the Emperor was writing a mournful poem to commemorate the late Empress. Consort Jia understood that whether the Emperor was putting on a show or something else, on the surface, he was only grieving for the late Empress's death.
When Yongcheng received a look from Consort Jia, he expressed his longing for his mother, the Empress Dowager, and said that she had been very good to them, the princes, when she was alive. He also mentioned that his elder brother had talked about Zhu Changxun, and Yongcheng said that he did not know what it meant. He asked if his father could explain it to him.
When the Emperor heard Yongcheng's words, he realized that Yongcheng was still young and that Consort Jia was a woman from the Yu clan who would not have studied history. Therefore, these words must have come from the eldest prince.
Upon seeing this, the Emperor realized that the eldest prince had developed the idea of becoming the crown prince, while Consort Zhe had stolen the limelight at the late Empress's funeral.
Empress Fucha submitted a memorial proposing to establish Consort Zhe as the empress, adding that a country cannot be without an empress for even a day.
How could the Emperor possibly appoint another Empress from the Fuca clan? Wouldn't that mean there are two Empresses from the Fuca clan, and the harem would become the Fuca clan's harem?
After achieving her goal, Consort Jia left with Yongcheng. Before leaving, she slightly curled her lips, indicating that the Emperor had already become suspicious of Consort Zhe and the First Prince.
Before the Empress's funeral was over, Lady Yu sent word that the old Prince had passed away and that the Prince would be succeeding to the throne. Consort Jia was overjoyed, as her plan had basically succeeded and she was certain to become the Empress.
Su Luyun instructed the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince that no matter what, they should act very sad and upset.
When the late Empress's coffin was moved, the Second Prince led several other princes to pay their respects to the late Empress. The Second Prince cried so hard that he could hardly breathe.
Jingse, accompanied by several princesses, knelt beside the Second Prince.
Consort Hui and Consort Mu, along with the concubines of the harem and the primary wives of the ministers, knelt on the other side.
When the eunuch said to cry, everyone started to cry; when the eunuch said to stop, everyone stopped.
The eldest prince didn't fall for Hailan's scheme, and Hailan secretly thought she had miscalculated.
The Emperor already suspected the First Prince and Consort Zhe. Now that the First Prince is crying so sadly, doesn't that mean the First Prince has a lot on his mind?
Therefore, the Emperor directly expressed his anger at the late Empress's funeral, stating that the First Prince and Consort Zhe were treacherous and ambitious. The First Prince had always considered himself the eldest son, Consort Zhe was plotting to succeed him as Empress, and Lady Fucha had ulterior motives, attempting to interfere in the affairs of the harem and the selection of the heir.
The Emperor rebuked him: "The eldest prince's words and deeds are disorderly, he flatters the relatives and nobles, he has no filial piety, and he is absolutely not fit to inherit the throne."
Consort Zhe froze, realizing that the eldest prince had no chance.
Consort Jia smiled and quickly picked up a handkerchief to cover herself.
Consort Xian kept her head down, and no one could see her expression.
Su Luyun coldly observed that the Emperor's words, though grand and magnificent, were merely a sign that he was beginning to fear the First Prince. After all, the First Prince was in good health and had a son, while the Emperor was getting old, which inevitably led to conflict between him and the young prince.