Chapter 91

Consort Dan didn’t ride in a palanquin; with only a few attendants trailing behind, she had clearly come to the imperial garden to unwind.

It was understandable. She was no longer as favored as before, didn’t hold any authority in the palace, and had no children to raise. Being in a high position, she was indeed one of the most idle persons in the palace.

If she hadn’t ventured out to clear her mind, the isolation in Green Mist Palace might have driven her to despair.

Imperial Consort Lan took out a handkerchief to dab away the tears at the corners of her eyes, then quickened her pace to gently call out, “Sister Dan.”

Hearing someone call her name with the added “Sister,” Consort Dan turned around as if seeing a ghost, frowning and asking, “Imperial Consort Lan?”

“Are you feeling alright?”

Imperial Consort Lan was stunned for a moment, her still-red eyes lowering as she performed a respectful greeting. “I lost control of my emotions; please don’t blame me.”

Used to people either paying her lip service or treating her with arrogance, Consort Dan felt somewhat unnatural when someone spoke to her gently while crying. “Why would I blame you for anything?”

“…What do you need from me?”

Imperial Consort Lan glanced at the crowd behind Consort Dan, hesitating and biting her lip.

Consort Dan wasn’t completely oblivious; she gestured for Hong Ying to take the others farther away. Imperial Consort Lan nodded, and her personal maids also retreated to a safe distance, leaving only the two of them.

They made their way to a secluded pavilion, ensuring no one could overhear their conversation. Only then did Imperial Consort Lan tearfully speak again, “Don’t you feel heartbroken seeing how His Majesty treated Imperial Attendant Tang yesterday?”

“Just now, as I watched Imperial Attendant Tang sitting on the sedan chair gradually moving away, I felt like we could never catch up to her, no matter how hard we tried.”

Imperial Consort Lan spoke emotionally, tears streaming down her face, her choked voice sounding extremely sorrowful. “You and I have been by His Majesty’s side for many years. No matter who came into His Majesty’s life, our positions have always been stable, and His Majesty has never neglected either of us.”

“But yesterday, it was Imperial Attendant Tang that Lin Wei went to invite, not either of us.”

Hearing this, Consort Dan’s hand clenched involuntarily in her sleeve, her expression darkening.

Everyone in the palace had noticed how His Majesty’s favor for Imperial Attendant Tang was growing each day. There was no need for anyone to tell her what happened last night after Consort Tang entered Qinzheng Hall and only left the next day; she had already received the news herself.

Having been by His Majesty’s side for over ten years, Consort Dan couldn’t even dare to imagine that he would do so much for Tang in just one short year.

That distant and proud man—she had never been able to reach his heart. Ever since his ascension to the throne, she had been carefully serving him at every moment. Even a mere pleasant expression from him could make her happy for a while; anything more was beyond her wildest dreams.

After entering the palace, Imperial Consort Lan’s favor was second only to hers. Their personalities were completely different, but one commonality allowed them to coexist peacefully: their lowly origins and the lack of children.

But even without those, His Majesty’s favor could bring all glory.

Yet now, even that advantage was gone.

Wasn’t Consort Dan just as heartbroken as Imperial Consort Lan?

The things that Imperial Consort Liu and Imperial Attendant Yu told her yesterday still hadn’t been fully processed; her mind was already a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts.

She had just wanted to take a walk to clear her mind, but now Imperial Consort Lan had come to her, crying and complaining, making her mind even more chaotic, unable to figure out what to do.

Her heart felt heavy and blocked, as if a large hand had suddenly grasped her heart, making it hard for her to breathe, let alone take deep breaths.

Consort Dan turned away, her hidden sorrows stirred by Imperial Consort Lan’s words, tears streaming down her face. “Imperial Attendant Tang comes from a noble family; she has been different from us from the start.”

Noble birth, what does that have to do with favor?

"Her words were vague, but Consort Lan sensed something was off. She looked up at Consort Dan and hurriedly asked in a delicate tone, 'What difference is there? We are both consorts serving His Majesty. Does it matter whether one is of noble birth or not? No matter how noble, that was our identity before entering the palace. After entering, our greatest status is that of His Majesty's consort. We both hold the rank of imperial consort, so where do we fall short?'

Consort Dan hadn’t expected Consort Lan to be so sharp, pressing her on this matter. But she couldn’t reveal the truth, so she choked back her emotions and brushed it off, 'How can someone of noble birth like her be the same as us, who are of lowly status? His Majesty favors those who are elegant and refined, as you well know.'

Matters concerning His Majesty’s private life were too painful for Consort Dan to share with anyone.

It wasn’t that she dwelled on her lowly origins; rather, as the only one who had been with His Majesty since his early days, she understood how deeply he despised those of low birth.

She had been by His Majesty’s side since he left the palace at fifteen to establish his own residence. Yet, the disgust and aversion His Majesty had shown her from the beginning seemed ingrained, perhaps related to experiences even earlier than that.

Those past experiences, which even Consort Dan didn’t fully understand, shaped His Majesty’s moody, suspicious, and unpredictable nature, causing him to detest those of low birth from the core of his being.

So, whether it was then or now, no matter what past or experiences she had shared with His Majesty, he could never fall for her.

Her birth had determined everything from the start. It was just that His Majesty had always hidden it well, never showing it to anyone.

But Consort Lan could never understand this, and she felt a deep sense of injustice.

Consort Lan had been by His Majesty’s side for quite some time as well. Before entering the palace, she had lived peacefully in the beautiful courtyard arranged for her by His Majesty, without having to deal with the concubines in the Crown Prince’s residence.

Whenever His Majesty came, it was always to see her. There were only the two of them in that courtyard, and she truly believed she was different from the others.

Because she had once been so special, she found it especially hard to accept the blatant favoritism His Majesty now showed to Imperial Attendant Tang, which felt like a needle constantly pricking her heart whenever she thought about it.

When Imperial Attendant Tang first gained favor, Consort Lan had merely observed, waiting to see if she would be just another fleeting favorite, a temporary interest of His Majesty. But after all this time, she could no longer delude herself and found she couldn’t sit still any longer.

Consort Lan sobbed, 'If His Majesty favors those who are elegant, where do I fall short? In the end, it’s His Majesty’s heart that has changed, no longer favoring us.'

She hadn’t forgotten the purpose of seeking out Consort Dan and shifted the topic, crying softly, 'In this palace, the only person who can understand and sympathize with me is you, sister.'

'Even so, I know I have never been as favored as you, Empress,' Consort Lan continued. 'When it comes to being the most favored in the six palaces, who doesn’t speak of Imperial Consort Dan? I still remember the glorious time when you were pregnant with His Majesty's child, but in just one year, everything has turned upside down.'

'I remember, in the past, whenever His Majesty was displeased, it was always you, sister, who accompanied him. But now, someone else has taken your place. Once she gives birth to a child and her position becomes more secure, it will likely always be her, not you. Consort Dan, have you thought about this?'

Her words hit home, weighing heavily on Consort Dan’s heart.

'Imperial Attendant Tang’s favor is actually taking your place, not anyone else’s.'

Consort Dan’s greatest advantage and role had been that she accompanied His Majesty during his difficult times. Only she knew of His Majesty’s dark past and scars. No one else could understand.

So, whenever His Majesty was in a bad mood, he always came to her, and only she could provide relief.

But if one day this role was taken by someone else, Consort Dan would be left with nothing but the affection and gratitude from the years she had spent with His Majesty, with no more favor.

As an imperial consort, without favor, without a child, and without a prominent family background, she could only rely on His Majesty remembering her past good deeds to survive. How tragic.

If His Majesty remembered, he might bestow some gold and jewels. But if he forgot, could she dare to ask for anything in return?

Once this fragile thread of affection was exhausted, all that awaited Consort Dan would be endless suffering.

No matter what Imperial Consort Liu, Consort Lan, or Consort Yu said, one thing was true—she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

She absolutely could not watch herself fall to such a state and had to find a way out.

After Consort Lan finished speaking, Consort Dan fell silent for a long moment.

At first, Consort Lan thought Consort Dan hadn’t heard or understood her. But on closer inspection, she noticed Consort Dan’s body trembling ever so slightly."

Imperial Consort Lan felt a slight relief in her heart and was about to push further when Consort Dan, her voice barely above a whisper, said, "Imperial Consort Lan, what should I do?"

"What should we do?"

Imperial Consort Lan's eyes brightened slightly, but she still had a delicate and pitiful sob in her voice as she held her handkerchief and said, "Our status is deteriorating day by day. For me, it's simply a matter of losing favor gradually, but for you, sister, it's a question of central position. If Consort Tang falls, I may not be as favored, but you can become the most important person in His Majesty's heart again."

"As for how to do it... sister, you may need to get rid of Consort Tang so that she can no longer charm His Majesty."

In early May, the weather was getting hotter, but Consort Dan broke out in a cold sweat. She stared at the nothingness in front of her, clutching her slightly trembling hands. "I've never hurt anyone, and I don't know how to do this..."

She lifted her red, tear-filled eyes and gritted her teeth. "Imperial Consort Lan, help me."

-

A month later.

In early June, the summer heat had arrived, and the weather was getting hotter with each passing day.

Every year at the end of June, the imperial family went to the summer resort to escape the sweltering heat in Chang'an. Because of this, the Empress had specially exempted the six palaces from daily morning greetings, requiring them only once every seven days.

Inside Luanming Palace, Consort He crouched beside the bed, carefully looking after the second prince with a heart full of distress.

The weather was so hot that without ice, people couldn't sleep due to the heat, but with ice, the cold and dampness could cause problems. Despite the careful attention from Consort He and the Luanming Palace staff, the second prince still fell ill.

He was a premature baby, and although he had been carefully nursed for several months, his physique had just started to improve. However, when he fell ill, it took a severe toll on him. The invasion of a cold made the tiny infant extremely uncomfortable, causing fever and severe coughing.

His Majesty had specially sent Dr. Li and Royal Physician Wang, who was skilled in maternal and infant pathology, to diagnose and treat the second prince. The medicine had already been prescribed and was being prepared. Fortunately, although the illness was severe, the royal physicians said it wasn't difficult to treat. With careful nursing, he would recover. This news eased some of the worries.

Consort He wiped the second prince's forehead and small hands with a warm handkerchief when Zhuyun walked in quietly from the door and whispered, "My lady, Concubine Diao has come again."

Already anxious about the second prince's illness, even the usually calm and gentle Consort He got angry, saying in a low voice, "Send her away! What's she doing coming here again?"

Zhuyun looked somewhat troubled. "I already told her we weren't seeing anyone, but Concubine Diao said she specifically brought the fine tonics that His Majesty had previously bestowed upon her to visit you and the second prince. I was worried about creating more conflict, so I came to inform you first."

Consort He took a deep breath and said coldly, "You take care of Liang'er; I'll go deal with her."