Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. That was not what I meant."

Your subject knows that Jia Lian has rendered meritorious service in saving the emperor and truly deserves a reward.

Your subject's meaning is that Jia Lian has risen to a high position at a young age, and his character has not been tempered. If he is further promoted and ennobled, firstly, the officials below will not understand why he is being rewarded, and they will easily become jealous and resentful, and ostracize him from all sides.

Secondly, for Jia Lian himself, losing the motivation to climb the social ladder might not necessarily be a good thing.

While observing the Empress Dowager's expression, Emperor Ningkang earnestly advised, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, Jia Lian is no ordinary son of a noble family. I value him highly and intend to cultivate him as my trusted advisor."

However, haste makes waste. In my opinion, we should record his merit in saving the Emperor for now, and reward him handsomely when he achieves other merits in the future. This way, we can silence any gossip and prevent the loss of his youthful ambition. What does Your Majesty think?

Saving the Empress Dowager was naturally an immense achievement.

However, the Empress Dowager's secret departure from the palace could not be publicized. Therefore, the imperial family could not use this as a reason to reward Jia Lian.

The Empress Dowager naturally understood this principle. She seemed to think for a moment and said, "I do not necessarily want to interfere with your bestowal of titles and rewards upon your subjects. It is just that I have just asked Consort Jia and learned that her younger brother is of good character and has a steady mind, so I recommended him to you."

Since you have your own plans for him, I will not say anything more.

However, although not many people know what happened that day, the princes and the Prince of Beijing probably guessed it. If we let it go, those people would think that our royal family's rewards and punishments are unfair.

"Fine, I'll think about something else..."

The Empress Dowager seemed to be in a bad mood and wanted Emperor Ningkang to step down.

Emperor Ningkang's original intention was to please the Empress Dowager. If he could make the Empress Dowager happy, let alone disrupt his plans to cultivate his ministers, even granting a useless person a title would be worth considering.

His refusal was premeditated.

"It is our lack of consideration that has troubled the Empress Dowager with this matter."

However, after hearing what the Empress Dowager said, I have an idea that might satisfy both sides.

"Oh, tell me about it."

"Your Majesty, my Empress, is getting old and her health is not very good. Moreover, there are many trivial matters in the six palaces, and I cannot bear to make her too tired."

Recently, I have been considering selecting one of the four consorts to be promoted to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort, to assist the Empress in managing all affairs of the six palaces.

Emperor Ningkang paused deliberately at this point.

However, everyone present was intelligent. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor were going to bestow honors upon the Jia family and select one of the four concubines to be promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine. It was obvious that this favor from heaven could only fall upon Concubine Jia, who was right in front of them!

Caught in the gazes of the old nannies and female officials in the Empress Dowager's palace, Yuan Chun kept her expression unchanged, but her heart couldn't help but pound.

The Empress Dowager glanced at her, then said noncommittally, "Oh, then who in the harem do you think is qualified for this position?"

Emperor Ningkang cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Xiande comes from a prestigious family and has served the Empress Dowager in the palace for many years. She has worked hard and made great contributions, and is both virtuous and talented. Your Majesty likes her very much."

Seeing that she is favored by the Empress Dowager again, I believe that only she is capable of undertaking this important task.

It just so happens that the Jia family is currently making preparations to welcome the Virtuous Consort home for a visit. My son has promoted the Virtuous Consort to a higher rank, which will allow her to return home with the honors due to a Noble Consort, bringing glory to the Jia family.

"I wonder if the Empress Dowager thinks this is acceptable?"

For Emperor Ningkang, Yuan Chun was a close attendant of his birth mother, the Dowager Consort, so he naturally trusted her to some extent.

Officially, Yuan Chun was Prince Teng's niece. Emperor Ningkang had long intended to elevate Yuan Chun to offset Prince Teng's achievements, which was one of the purposes of the imperial concubines.

Now that it seems the Empress Dowager also likes Yuan-chun, and the Empress Dowager even wants to reward the Jia family, he brought it up in front of the Empress Dowager. This way, he could please the Empress Dowager and achieve his own goal, killing two birds with one stone.

Moreover, promoting a concubine would be a very simple and low-cost thing for him, yet it would perfectly solve the problem, so why not?

The Empress Dowager glanced at Emperor Ningkang, seemed to think for a moment, and then said, "Since you have this idea, then let's do it your way."

At this moment, Yuan Chun stood up and said humbly, "Your Majesty, I am of dull talent and shallow experience. I am already trembling with fear at receiving Your Majesty's favor and being promoted to the rank of Consort. I dare not covet the rank of Noble Consort. I beg Your Majesty to reconsider and choose another virtuous and capable person..."

Emperor Ningkang naturally wouldn't believe such hypocritical pleasantries. Besides, she was one of his concubines, so there was no need to be polite with her. He said directly, "This matter was decided by the Empress Dowager and me. How could you refuse?"

谷傿

You just need to wait patiently for your reward; there's no need to say anything more.

"Yes... Your Majesty, I obey."

After recounting this matter, Emperor Ningkang, seeing that the Empress Dowager had no further instructions, took his leave.

Yuan Chun stepped forward again to express her gratitude to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager said, "This matter is due to your good fortune and has little to do with me."

You just need to serve His Majesty more diligently from now on.

Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Yesterday, after listening to you play "Listening to the Qin," I had some different feelings. Please tell me about them again.

"Yes."

……

Outside Weiyang Palace, Emperor Ningkang, who was riding in the imperial carriage for the first time, had some doubts and couldn't help but look back at the main hall behind him.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" the attendant asked with concern.

Emperor Ningkang, reflecting on the events of the past, felt that something was amiss.

The strange thing is the Empress Dowager's attitude. It seems that the purpose of her summoning me here today is to bestow the title of Virtuous Consort.

But that shouldn't be the case. He was quite certain that Jia Yuanchun and the Empress Dowager didn't have much of a relationship in the past, because Jia Yuanchun had always stayed by his mother's side.

Although he had no intention of speaking ill of his mother, he still knew that his mother did not seem to be very friendly to the Empress Dowager.

Perhaps he was overthinking things, Emperor Ningkang shook his head.

For many years, the Empress Dowager lived deep within the palace, rarely interacting with outsiders except for raising Zhaoyang. It was clear that she had no desire for power or ambition.

Legend has it that the Empress Dowager was beautiful and talented, and was a skilled dancer, which is why she was deeply loved by the Retired Emperor.

Yuan Chun's presence today might just be a coincidence, after all, he had heard his birth mother, the Dowager Consort, say that Yuan Chun was indeed skilled in playing the zither.

One is skilled at playing the zither, and the other at dancing. Their harmonious relationship and ability to connect is not surprising.

……

That evening, in another dark and secluded palace within the Eastern Palace.

"Consort Jia, I've heard that you've gained the Empress Dowager's favor, and that she even persuaded His Majesty to promote you to a higher rank because of you?"

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager simply wanted to find someone to practice zither music with. She happened to know that I had some skill in this area, so she summoned me to Weiyang Palace to exchange zither skills."

As for my rank, it was Your Majesty who brought it up. I have said that I am not virtuous enough and begged Your Majesty to rescind your decision, but Your Majesty seems to have other plans and reprimanded me..."

"That's enough!"

An aged voice interrupted Yuan Chun's explanation, and said with increasing hostility, "Now that you've grown strong, you're increasingly ambitious and only want to fly to the highest branches. Little do you know that no matter what, I am His Majesty's mother."

You're just a servant girl. If I hadn't promoted you, do you think you would be where you are today?

Since I can bestow all these things upon you, I can also take them back.

You should think clearly about your own identity and whose person you truly belong to. If you can't figure it out, from now on, you don't need to come here anymore.

"Yes, Your Highness... I understand. Everything I have is a gift from the Dowager Consort. I will be loyal to her and would never dare to have any disloyalty. Please forgive me, Dowager Consort. From now on, I will never go to Weiyang Palace again."

"Hmph, fine, she is the Empress Dowager after all. If she summons you, would you dare not go?"

However, I have something else to ask you. Would you be willing to help me?

"Please give your instructions, Your Highness..."

……