Chapter 1: Initiation

Unbeknownst to me, I have already broken out in a cold sweat. It is often said that the downfall of a discarded consort is tragic, but who knows that the plight of a deposed empress is a thousand times more miserable than that of a discarded consort

A small child is wrapped in an old yellow silk quilt on the bed, and he is none other than Zhu Changluo, the eldest son of Emperor Wanli.

Hui Chun, tomorrow accompany this palace to Yonghe Palace!

Even so, Consort Zheng would still occasionally summon Consort Gong to the Shuxiu Palace under the pretext of listening to her instructions, either to scold or to hit her, in order to vent the resentment she harbored in her heart

A dim yellow oil lamp, emitting pungent smoke, is placed beside the large bed in the southern corner of the hall. Concubine Gong is holding her son Zhu Changluo's hand, tears falling incessantly like pearls that have come loose from their string

At this moment, Queen Wang has awakened from her previous inexplicable anger, regaining her usual calmness and wisdom

However, this statement became a curse in Yonghe Palace. Apart from not having visited Yonghe Palace for several consecutive years, Wanli showed no concern for his first son, Zhu Changluo, the eldest son of the Ming Dynasty.

In a rush, she attempted to pry open the Queen's hand, but to her astonishment, the usually delicate Queen exhibited an unexpected strength. No matter how hard she tried, that hand remained tightly gripped, as if forged from iron. The long nails dug fiercely into her palm, causing blood to drip down in drops, yet she seemed oblivious to the pain.

Zheng Guifei, Zheng Guifei... The image of Zheng Guifei, who had come from the palace today with a look of arrogance and pride, suddenly appeared before her eyes. A fierce anger surged within Wang Huanghou, and her nails, painted with bright red cinnabar, dug deeply into her palm.

The queen's unusual behavior frightened Hui Chun to death, and she hurriedly knelt on the ground, knocking her head and saying: "Your Highness, please do not be angry. It is important to take care of your health. Even if Consort Zheng is promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, she cannot become the queen! There can only be one mother of the nation in this palace, and that is you... Please listen to this servant's advice. You have endured for so many years, so why make things difficult for yourself now?"

This year is the 14th year of the Wanli era, and Zhu and Tushu Changluo has just turned five years old, with a flushed face and barely hanging on to life

The current scene of bustling excitement is not surprising, as His Majesty has personally come to the Shuxiu Palace to celebrate the promotion and confer honors upon his beloved consort. Consequently, the palace maids and eunuchs of Shuxiu Palace are all in high spirits, presenting a continuous stream of exquisite delicacies in a flowing manner.

Although the outside world is chaotic, it does not hinder the unique atmosphere within this imperial city. Today, the inner courtyard of the palace is adorned with lanterns and decorations, and the sound of drums and music fills the air

Without the time to speak, I first wrapped my own handkerchief around Queen Wang's hand, watching as the fresh blood soaked the white silk handkerchief, and tears streamed down my face like spring rain

Your Majesty, regardless of how favored that lady from the Shuxiu Palace may be, she cannot surpass your status. Ultimately, this noble consort is still just a consort, while the Empress is, after all, the Empress

In the tenth year of the Wanli era, a loud cry of a newborn echoed from the makeshift delivery room set up in the Cining Palace. The midwife, smiling, carried out a swaddled infant and bowed to the waiting Aunt Zhu Xi outside the door, saying, "It is a little prince"

This is the first son of the Emperor since his ascension to the throne, which means he is the Crown Prince. After the incident, the Emperor's reaction was extremely unexpected; he resolutely refused to acknowledge it. However, under the auspices of the Empress Dowager, he had no choice but to confer the title of Concubine Gong upon the palace maid who had boarded the carriage first and purchased her ticket later, incorporating her into the Eastern Six Palaces at Yonghe Palace

Consort Zheng harbored deep resentment towards Consort Gong for daring to climb onto the dragon bed behind her back as one of her own palace attendants. Most infuriating was that she had given birth to the crown prince before Consort Zheng herself. Relying on her authority to manage the six palaces, Consort Zheng imposed harsh treatment on Consort Gong, resulting in the living expenses at Yonghe Palace being even less than those of palace maids with a bit of status in the court.

The young lady is in great pain! The attendant, Hui Chun, who was serving her cautiously by the side, was taken aback.

In the Yonghe Palace, a thick cloud of sorrow hangs in the air, and as a gust of wind blows, it stirs the tattered curtains in the empty hall, amplifying the desolation

Rest assured, Your Highness, I am awake

Zhu Xi extended his hand to take it, carefully examining the wrinkled face of the infant, his expression revealing an inexplicable and peculiar look.

It is indeed time to bring this to a conclusion; we can no longer delay, lest unforeseen changes occur. A fierce expression briefly flashed across Empress Dowager Li's face. These matters must not be leaked. Inform Liu Shouyou of the Jinyiwei to deal with those individuals accordingly.

At present, I have the Empress Dowager's protection. Although the Emperor is particularly fond of the Zheng family, he still harbors some feelings of affection for me. Furthermore, I am extremely cautious every day, not daring to make the slightest mistake. It is through such carefulness and prudence that I have managed to preserve my safety until now

Yonghe Palace is located at the end of the Eastern Six Palaces and is the residence of the respectful Consort Wang.

The incident occurred a few days ago, when the usually rule-abiding wet nurse inexplicably lost her senses and took the Crown Prince to the Qianli Pond in the Imperial Garden to watch the fish. While observing the fish was not a problem, the critical issue was that both individuals, one large and one small, bizarrely fell into the water. The wet nurse lost her life, and although the young prince was rescued, he was left in a state of shock and fear, having inhaled water, and subsequently developed a high fever, falling into a deep unconsciousness

Seeing Queen Wang's fatigued expression, Hui Chun gently lowered the curtain and carefully withdrew

Zhu Xi stood to the side, while Empress Dowager Li quietly gazed at the two almost identical infants on the couch. After a long while, she finally spoke: "Is she well? Is His Majesty well?"

Watching Hui Chun frantically rummaging through the box for medicine, she hurriedly stepped forward to tend to her own wounds, and couldn't help but frown and smile wryly as she sighed: "Silly girl, you are doing the right thing; there is no need to panic... Compared to the long, lonely, and desolate nights in this palace, this little pain is nothing."

Over time, the Yonghe Palace has become a joke within the inner court of the imperial palace. Some disheartened concubines in the inner palace often use the Yonghe Palace as a source of inspiration, comparing their hardships and misfortunes; as long as they look at the Yonghe Palace, they understand that they are not the most unfortunate ones.

It is quite interesting to note that the Concubine Gong was originally a low-ranking palace maid in the Shuxiu Palace. It is uncertain whether it was her fortune or misfortune, but one day she caught the eye of Emperor Wanli. After exchanging a few casual remarks, in a moment of impulse, she became favored.

During the process of conferring the title of consort upon Consort Gong, it is likely that the Emperor, having endured too much pressure, found himself besieged by Empress Dowager Li from above, and by Consort Zheng's uproar from below, while the officials also stirred up trouble. This left the newly enthroned Emperor in a state of utter disarray. Unable to confront the Empress Dowager and Consort Zheng, he redirected his frustrations towards Consort Gong and the Crown Prince Zhu Changluo.

The palace maids who are aware of the situation all sigh secretly; a doomed person is indeed a doomed person. Since one lacks the fortune to be born into royalty, leaving early can be considered a form of liberation

Queen Wang, with her eyes closed, let out a long sigh, resting her head on the embroidered pillow yet feeling no trace of sleepiness

The current ruler of the realm is Emperor Wanli, the thirteenth monarch of the Ming Dynasty. After the turmoil of the previous twelve dynasties, Wanli inherited what can be described as a mess. Today, the Ming Dynasty faces incessant internal strife and external threats. Within the realm, there are rebel peasants causing chaos, while outside, various tribes are lurking menacingly. The once splendid empire now appears to be on the brink of collapse.

Hui Chun whispered: "Your Highness, please bear with it for a while; we still have medicinal ointment in the palace, so we can only trouble you for now"

Zhu Xi respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, she... is in good health. The Emperor has been with Chancellor Zhang these past few days and has not had the time to visit her."

Zhu Xi's body trembled involuntarily, her complexion turned pale, and she replied in a low voice: "Yes"

The master of Chuxiu Palace, Consort Zheng, is not an ordinary consort. She entered the palace in the early years of the Wanli era, initially granted the title of Shupin, and later promoted to the title of Defei.

The fruits of victory are hard-won, and thus it is only natural to celebrate grandly. This is why today, the Palace of Eternal Youth is ablaze with lights, filled with the sounds of music and the dance of swans.

Having been ill for several days, not a single imperial physician came to examine me. Zhu Changluo, being of the royal bloodline, finally had some physicians come to check on him under the intervention of the Empress. However, the prolonged delay has led to a situation where the illness has progressed to a critical stage, rendering all remedies and treatments ineffective.

A few years later, she gave birth to a daughter and was subsequently promoted to the rank of noble consort

The crescent moon shines over the nine provinces, bringing joy to some and sorrow to others. Though we are all within the deep palace courtyards, our hearts and circumstances are vastly different.

What Hui Chun did not know was that at this moment, Queen Wang could only rely on the excruciating pain of her nails digging into her palm to barely keep her crumbling sanity awake, and finally... the hand that had been tightly clenched was released

The traditionally assertive Empress Dowager remained indifferent to the nearly regressive actions of the Wanli Emperor, which inevitably led to various differing opinions within the former court and the inner palace

Hui Chun let out a long sigh, took a few steps forward, and opened Queen Wang's hand. Blood was seen winding and flowing across the white palm, appearing particularly enchanting and terrifying under the dim yellow light

The attendant Hui Chun, who was outside the chamber, was somewhat bewildered by the sudden command from the Empress, and instinctively let out a sigh.

Queen Wang's face flushed red, and her body trembled incessantly like a sieve.

The queen in the darkness could not lie still, turning over and sitting up

The arrival of this imperial concubine was indeed not easy, provoking unanimous opposition from the officials of the previous dynasty. However, Emperor Wanli persisted in his own way, dismissing and exiling numerous officials. After causing a complete upheaval, the emperor finally achieved his wish

Gently setting down the book in her hands, the Empress Wang in Kun Ning Palace slightly furrowed her brows as she listened intently to the sounds of silk and bamboo coming from the west. The personal maid, Hui Chun, who was attending to her, observed her mood and, sensing her displeasure, quickly stepped forward and whispered, "The sounds are coming from the Shu Xiu Palace; today is the auspicious day for that newly promoted individual, so it is inevitable that... it is a bit lively."

After all, a queen is still a queen

It is often said that a queen is indeed a queen, yet she has no offspring of her own. In contrast, the Zheng family has already borne a son and a daughter. How unfairly the heavens have treated me in comparison!

Queen Wang let out a laugh, saying, "You silly girl, matters in this world are never that simple! In just a few years, she has risen from a concubine to a noble consort, and now she is the imperial noble consort. If this continues, it wouldn't be surprising if the Kun Ning Palace and the Library Palace change hands. Today's events should not be made public; if even a whisper reaches her ears, it will surely lead to another round of gossip."

Only the consort of the palace master in the six palaces is qualified to reside there

Within the inner courtyard of the palace, there are countless halls and pavilions, yet only a few truly exemplify refinement. Aside from the Qianqing Palace where the Emperor resides and the Kunming Palace where the Empress resides, there are also the six palaces.

The Imperial Noble Consort holds an extremely esteemed position within the palace, equivalent to that of a vice empress, with only a slight distinction in honor compared to the primary empress. Only those with great merit and virtue may be granted this title. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, spanning thirteen reigns, only one or two individuals have been bestowed the distinguished honor of Imperial Noble Consort.

However, in the imperial harem, without the Emperor's favor and without children to rely on, even if she is the Empress, it does not guarantee her longevity. Thinking about the days to come, Empress Wang shuddered in fear

The queen's dignity reigns supreme. If the matter of her self-harm were to spread, it would be one thing for others, but if it were to reach the ears of Consort Zheng, it would surely cause a stir. Moreover, it is already past the third watch, and the palace gates are closed. Even if one were to seek a physician for treatment, it would inevitably leave a record, causing future troubles.

However, an unfortunate event occurred; a palace maid became pregnant... Even more unfortunately, ten months later, she gave birth to a chubby white son.

It is often said that a wife is better when she belongs to someone else, while children are stronger when they are one's own

In the Ming Dynasty, the number of consorts in the imperial palace was strictly limited, and even the emperor could not arbitrarily break the system to grant additional titles. Aside from the empress, there was only one imperial noble consort, two noble consorts, and four consorts designated as virtuous, good, gentle, and moral.

The imperial physician was at a loss and could only casually prepare a few doses of medicine for the young prince to take, merely doing what was within human capability.

Today, the joyous event is being held at the Palace of Eternal Harmony, the foremost of the Six Western Palaces

Now it is truly remarkable, having given birth to the third prince a month ago, which greatly pleased the Emperor. Today, the title of "Imperial Noble Consort" has been added atop her existing title, making her the invaluable "Imperial Noble Consort"!

In the Cining Palace, dim light filtered through the window frames, creating a somber and eerie atmosphere