A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 295: Chapter 294: Seventh-Rank Lady

Regarding the Empress Dowager’s exorbitant demand, the Empress was so furious she almost laughed.

Heavens above! A Consort rank?

Consort Hui Pin had served the Emperor for many years, borne him a princess, and yet hadn’t been promoted to the rank of Consort.

She was a girl of insignificant origins, moreover from a collateral branch of the Shih Family, so her background wasn’t particularly noble either. Just entered the palace and she wants to be made a Consort?

Not to mention the Emperor, even she wouldn’t agree! Such shamelessness! It had to be confronted.

The Empress sneered coldly.

”Mother, you’re truly putting me in a difficult position!”

”The Emperor never intended for Sister Shih to enter the palace, as you well know!”

”Such a demand... I cannot fulfill!”

She expected me to beg the Emperor? To put it nicely, it showed respect for my position as Empress. But frankly, wasn’t she just using me as a pawn? If I didn’t go, I’d be deemed unfilial. If I went, I’d have to face the Emperor’s wrath. The Empress Dowager’s scheming was truly slick!

Seeing that the Empress was not yielding, the Empress Dowager’s expression instantly changed. With a scowl, she said disdainfully, ”What? Does the Empress look down on my niece?”

In fact, this Shih Wanying was indeed from a collateral line, and her father was just a cousin of Empress Dowager Shih, not a real brother at all. So Shih Wanying couldn’t really be called the Empress Dowager’s niece; it was a rather distant relation, one that would invite ridicule if claimed.

The young lady herself was too modest to claim such a connection, but the Empress Dowager had already acknowledged it.

This was really...

The Empress sneered inwardly, but outwardly she responded, ”Mother, you misunderstand. How could I possibly look down on Sister Shih?”

The Empress Dowager sneered coldly. ”Look down? Then is granting her a Consort rank really so difficult? While Wanying may not boast as noble a birth as Wanxin, her father still holds a fourth-rank official position!”

”Besides, I’ve cherished this child since she was young. She possesses grace and beauty, a true vision of loveliness...”

The Empress hastily interrupted, ”Mother, if I may speak out of turn, which lady in this harem isn’t a vision of loveliness?”

The harem never lacks beauties! Even if Zhao Junyao isn’t captivated by female charms, he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to sleep with an uncomely woman!

The Empress Dowager was momentarily stunned, then changed her tune, saying, ”Wanying is a well-known talented lady in the Capital City, proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, well-read in poetry, with an otherworldly demeanor...”

The Empress countered again, ”Mother, in this harem, the most important thing for the sisters is to serve the Emperor well!”

”As the saying goes, ’A woman’s virtue lies in her lack of talent.’ Their duty is to serve the Emperor well and bear heirs for the Imperial family!”

These were the very words the Empress Dowager had repeatedly drilled into me! Afraid I wouldn’t select more concubines for the Emperor? Hah!

The Empress Dowager was rendered somewhat speechless, unable to maintain her composure. With a huff, she glared at the Empress, demanding, ”Are you deliberately opposing me?”

The Empress immediately knelt down, her gaze lowered. ”I wouldn’t dare!”

The Empress Dowager sneered scornfully. ”Wouldn’t dare? You claim you wouldn’t dare, yet you act this way. If you truly dared, wouldn’t you...”

Devour me whole?

The Empress kept her eyes downcast and did not respond.

As the Emperor’s wife, showing filial piety and currying favor with the Empress Dowager was expected. However, there was a line in her heart she would never cross. That line was the Emperor!

The Empress was known for her virtue. She did what the Emperor liked and refrained from what he did not. This time, even a fool could see that the Emperor was not fond of this so-called cousin. So...

The Empress remained kneeling, unmoved by the Empress Dowager’s mix of threats and inducements, her relentless pressure. In the end, the Empress Dowager was left with no option. She waved her hand, dismissing her as if shooing a fly.

...

Leaving Ningshou Palace, the Empress was sneering all the way.

All that past kindness, the flattery—it was all a sham! This was her true aim all along!

Yu Lan followed behind, quickening her steps, eager to leave this place of strife as soon as possible.

Upon arriving at Jiaofang Hall, the Empress took a sip of tea and finally let out a sigh of relief.

Sister Ji advised, ”Your Majesty, please calm down. Ultimately, this matter rests with the Emperor!”

As soon as the Empress thought of this, she felt a terrible headache!

”The Empress Dowager wants to grant a Consort rank, how could that be possible!”

From her perspective, even a Fifth Rank title was too much, let alone a Second Rank Consort position! ”If that truly happened, how would Consort Hui Pin manage? And what about Consort Ning?”

Sister Ji thought for a moment. ”Perhaps... you could detail these concerns in a memorandum and present it to the Emperor?”

The Empress thought for a while, then said, ”That’s the only option!”

...

After lunch, a memorandum from Jiaofang Hall was sent to Zhaochen Palace!

Upon seeing that it was from the Empress, Zhao Junyao let out a cold laugh inside.

This bunch, they never give up!

With that, he roughly opened it and glanced through it briefly.

The memorandum said that the Empress had selected ten beauties for him, apart from Lady Du, whom he chose himself. There was Shih Wanying, and the other eight were chosen by the Empress on her own initiative!

Reading this, Zhao Junyao didn’t get especially angry. After all, the selection process couldn’t become too tense. The Empress’s actions could be seen as smoothing things over for him. At least she has some sense!

Zhao Junyao continued to read. Then... he became furious! He tore the memorandum to pieces.

”Consort rank?”

He let out a cold laugh. The Empress Dowager was thinking too big. Consort Hui Pin had served him for many years and borne him a princess, yet she remained a mere Pin to this day! Consort Ning had served him from early on and given birth to the Eldest Princess; after so many years, even if she hadn’t made great contributions, she had certainly worked hard, yet she was still only a Consort. Ha!

”Li Shengan!”

”This servant is here.” Li Shengan, who was nearby, cautiously stepped forward.

Zhao Junyao instructed, ”Relay my verbal decree: Shih Wanying... is to be a Seventh-Rank Lady. The remaining nine are all to be conferred the title of Honored Lady!”

Li Shengan was stunned.

All to be conferred as Honored Ladies? All of them?

The Emperor is... this is a direct slap in the Empress Dowager’s face!

After thinking it through, Li Shengan still knelt down. ”Your Majesty! Please reconsider!”

To be granted the title of Honored Lady without even having attended the Emperor in bed—that’s against protocol! Previously, wasn’t Xia Jieyu only promoted to Honored Lady *after* attending the Emperor? Besides, appointing nine at once! Isn’t that a bit... excessive?

Until now, there had only ever been four Honored Ladies in the palace! Honored Lady Lan had passed away. Honored Lady Xi was demoted to Lady Xi (Cai Ren rank) and also subsequently died. Only Honored Lady Cheng and Noble Lady Song, who resided with Consort Ning in Yichun Palace, were left. Now... to ennoble nine people at once, it’s practically an army.

Zhao Junyao waved his hand fiercely and said angrily, ”Get out! I do not need to reconsider!”

Li Shengan felt a chill on his back and quickly scurried away.

...

The imperial edict spread throughout the harem before afternoon had even arrived.

The Empress Dowager was so enraged she fainted on the spot.

The harem was thrown into complete disarray. The Empress, Noble Concubine Shih, Consort Ning, and the other discarded concubines all had to attend to the ailing Empress Dowager.

Ningshou Palace, not particularly spacious to begin with, was suddenly teeming with a flock of anxious women. Unable to get a word in, they could only wait with bated breath for the Imperial Physician to take her pulse!

”The Emperor has arrived!”

Everyone paid their respects.

Zhao Junyao gestured with his hand. ”Rise.”

Just then, the Imperial Physician came out from inside and hurried to report, ”Reporting to Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager...”