“My mind is clear now, and I’m feeling much better. You don’t need to stay here with me. But someone needs to keep an eye on the medicine being prepared by the Imperial Medical Bureau. If anyone tampers with it now…”
There were too many people in the Imperial Medical Bureau. There was no guarantee someone wouldn’t seize this opportunity to make another move against her.
Especially Consort Lin, who had already plotted against her once.
Startled, Erya immediately nodded.
“Yes, Mistress. I’ll personally watch over it.”
“Good girl.”
Once everyone had left, the smile on Jiang Yunshu’s face slowly faded.
She raised her wrist and checked her own pulse.
After the imperial physician’s acupuncture treatment, she truly felt much better. The suffocating tightness in her chest had eased considerably.
That feeling of being unable to breathe had been unbearable.
She wondered just how much Dingxiang would confess.
If she exposed Noble Lady An, it probably wouldn’t accomplish much.
But what if she implicated Consort Lin instead?
Lost in thought, she heard footsteps.
Ziyan returned carrying a bowl of porridge.
She carefully fed Jiang Yunshu spoonful by spoonful with utmost patience.
After finishing a small bowl, Jiang Yunshu was about to ask Ziyan what had happened in the hall while she was unconscious.
Instead, Ziyan quietly set down the bowl, closed the door, and lowered her voice.
“Mistress, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Go ahead.”
“When you fainted, Consort Lin came to visit you. She deliberately spoke in front of His Majesty, drawing his attention. The Emperor even asked which palace she belonged to.
“I suspect Dingxiang is connected to her. She may be the real winner behind all of this.”
Jiang Yunshu looked at Ziyan with admiration.
As expected of the senior maid who had once served the Dowager Consort—her mind was sharp, and she hadn’t overlooked a single detail.
Pressing her lips together, Jiang Yunshu nodded.
“You and I came to the same conclusion. Consort Lin was the mantis stalking the cicada, while she herself was the oriole waiting behind.”
Ziyan looked hesitant, as though she wanted to say something more.
“Speak freely.”
After a brief pause, Ziyan knelt before her.
“Mistress, in the imperial harem, you must never harbor the intention to harm others—but you must always guard against being harmed.
“Noble Lady An’s father is currently one of the Emperor’s most trusted officials. Even if Dingxiang names her, it likely won’t change anything. His Majesty may simply smooth the matter over.
“But if it were someone else…”
Jiang Yunshu had just arrived at the same thought herself.
Ziyan had reached the exact same conclusion.
This girl was truly intelligent.
Fortunately, the matter of Jiang Yunshu secretly performing acupuncture on herself had never been revealed to anyone else.
“I’ll leave this matter to you. If you handle it well, you’ll be rewarded.”
She had been wondering whom she could entrust with this task.
No matter who she considered, none seemed capable enough. She had even contemplated taking matters into her own hands.
Yet Ziyan had offered precisely the solution she needed.
She was undoubtedly the best choice.
Still kneeling, Ziyan respectfully kowtowed.
“She plotted against you and made you suffer so terribly.
“I will make sure this is handled properly and that she reaps what she has sown. Besides, protecting you is already my duty. Please rest assured—I won’t fail.”
Jiang Yunshu could feel Ziyan’s sincerity and loyalty.
Even so, she didn’t dare trust anyone completely.
She personally helped Ziyan to her feet.
“Be careful. Don’t leave anyone any evidence they can use against you. Understood?”
“Yes, Mistress!”
Jiang Yunshu gave a soft hum before lying back on the couch, exhausted.
News of Jiang Yunshu’s poisoning quickly spread throughout the imperial harem.
Some rejoiced.
Some mocked her.
Others watched coldly from the sidelines.
Everyone knew that earning the Emperor’s favor also meant inviting this kind of persecution.
But what none of them expected was—
Chu Yi had actually promoted Jiang Yunshu.
Was she truly about to rise in the palace?
She had spent three years in the palace without even catching a glimpse of the Emperor.
Now, after only a few nights of favor and a single grievance, she had been promoted.
What did that mean?
It meant the Emperor had truly taken her to heart.
The imperial decree was personally delivered by Wang An.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:
‘Noble Lady Jiang has displayed exemplary virtue, diligence, gentleness, harmony, purity, and impeccable conduct. Her moral character is beyond reproach.
She is hereby promoted to the rank of Pin, Fifth Rank Imperial Consort.
Respect this decree.'”
A Pin!
She could now serve as the mistress of an entire palace.
She was also entitled to refer to herself as This Palace.
Ordinarily, a newly promoted Pin would also receive an honorary title.
However, Chu Yi had refrained from granting her one.
Perhaps because promoting her two ranks at once had already attracted enough attention, and he didn’t wish to make her an even bigger target.
He truly did care about her.
Otherwise, he would never have promoted her by two ranks in a single step.
That was completely beyond Jiang Yunshu’s expectations.
Smiling broadly, Wang An rolled up the imperial edict.
“Congratulations, Lady Jiang. Once you’ve recovered, report to the Imperial Household Department as soon as possible, so His Majesty can resume selecting your name for the nightly attendance roster.”
Jiang Yunshu accepted the decree with both hands and inclined her head.
“Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Wang.”
At once, Erya stepped forward with a heavy embroidered pouch and respectfully presented it to him.
“Please accept this small token of appreciation, Eunuch Wang. Have some tea when you have the time. I also thank you for your care and advice.”
Feeling the satisfying weight of the pouch, Wang An beamed.
“As long as Your Ladyship keeps His Majesty happy, serving him becomes much easier for the rest of us.
“His Majesty truly cares for you. Your good days are only just beginning.”
Jiang Yunshu merely smiled faintly, remaining composed.
Secretly, Wang An admired her.
She was remarkably calm and steady—not arrogant despite her sudden rise.
A woman like this would surely achieve great things in the future.
After ensuring all the imperial rewards had been delivered, Wang An took his leave with the attendants.
Now promoted to the rank of Pin, Jiang Yunshu was entitled to occupy a palace of her own.
The Imperial Household Department quickly assigned her a full staff of servants and delivered a great number of new furnishings and valuables.
Chief Steward Liang of the Imperial Household personally came to apologize.
He explained that the main hall of the Palace of Tranquility had stood vacant for many years and had become rather worn down. It would first be renovated before she officially moved in.
To Jiang Yunshu, it made little difference where she lived.
Seeing how reasonable and easygoing she was, Steward Liang was delighted and personally oversaw every arrangement in her residence.
What surprised her most was that he even sent over a newly cultivated lotus that had only been bred this year.
Looking at the potted lotus, Jiang Yunshu saw that although it was still only a tightly closed bud, she could already tell from its layered coloring and delicate petals how extraordinary it would be once it bloomed.
Ziyan quietly explained,
“Your Ladyship, this is a water lily. They say it was offered as tribute by a western kingdom and is extremely rare. It blooms pink at first, then deepens into brilliant crimson, and finally fades into a dark ruby red…”
A single flower could change through so many beautiful shades.
It was Jiang Yunshu’s first time hearing of such a remarkable plant.
She had always loved flowers and plants, so she naturally cherished it.
She instructed Lanyi to take especially good care of it.
Just as she was about to admire the rest of the flowers, Lanyi, who tended the plants, suddenly cried out,
“Your Ladyship! Look! There are actually a pair of koi in the water lily basin!”
Everyone had been admiring the flowers and hadn’t noticed the pair of fish swimming in the large ceramic pot.
Jiang Yunshu leaned closer.
The tiny fish seemed to recognize her.
They happily circled twice before poking their little mouths above the water, clearly begging for food.
Chuckling, Jiang Yunshu gently tapped one of their tiny mouths with her fingertip.
Not only did the koi fail to shy away, they wagged their tails even more enthusiastically.
The pair was especially beautiful.
Their scales shimmered in a rich orange-red hue, somewhere between brilliant orange and scarlet.
Truly exquisite.
The people in the Imperial Household Department certainly knew how to do their jobs.
Jiang Yunshu couldn’t help sighing.
Just one month ago, she had been barely surviving, eating coarse food and struggling simply to stay alive.
One month later…
By clinging to the Emperor’s favor, she had become the mistress of an entire palace, earned his affection, and received treasures that others could only dream of.
But she knew all too well—
In the imperial harem, fortunes could rise and fall overnight.
She could never let her guard down.
The higher she climbed, the more dangerous her situation would become.
She had to be even more cautious than before.
Outside, the midday sun blazed even more fiercely.