Entering the palace means entering a high position; I'm His Majesty's cousin, who am I afr

Upon hearing this, Shen Jiayu smiled sweetly.

Among the second-rank officials, there are Zhaoyi, Zhaorong, and Zhaoyuan. Although they belong to the same rank, according to historical practice, Zhaoyi is the most senior among the three.

Therefore, this not only meant a promotion in rank, but also making him the head of the Three Zhao.

In the imperial harem, besides the Empress and the three imperial concubines, her rank as Zhaoyi was the highest.

This news is certainly welcome.

It was not in vain that she swallowed such bitter medicine.

Shen Jiayu was now a completely different person. She smiled sweetly and said obediently, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Pei Yan raised an eyelid and asked coldly, "Do you know what to do next time?"

Shen Jiayu feigned madness: "Adhere to palace rules? Cultivate virtue and establish oneself?"

Pei Yan's tone turned hostile, and he warned, "Shen Jiayu."

Shen Jiayu lowered her head and said in a lifeless tone, "Drink your medicine properly."

After a brief moment of dejection, she quickly rallied and asked, "Your Majesty, what are your plans regarding last night's events?"

Last night, the emperor executed Ruan Shi, but Shen Jiayu knew that the aftermath would be far more complicated than that.

The Nguyen family dared to assassinate the emperor, which was an unforgivable crime and would inevitably implicate the entire family.

Sure enough, Pei Yan said succinctly, "The entire family will be punished; the men will be sent to the army, and the women will be convicted and forced into prostitution, with no chance of ever being pardoned."

This was actually showing leniency to the Ruan family; otherwise, executing the entire family wouldn't have been unreasonable.

Shen Jiayu understood this principle, but after a brief silence, she said, "Ruan deserved to die, but since she has been executed, shouldn't we stop punishing the Ruan family?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Pei Yan's dark eyes. He asked, "Weren't you at odds with the Ruan family? You were even injured because of it last night. Why are you pleading for the Ruan family?"

Shen Jiayu lowered her eyes and said softly, "Ruan's crime is indeed punishable and unforgivable. However, a mother who cannot bear the pain of losing her child and has gone mad can still be forgiven. What does Your Majesty think?"

Pei Yan looked at her for a while, then said calmly, "I didn't expect you to have such feelings."

He thought she was spoiled and didn't understand the complexities of human nature and the ways of the world.

It now appears that this is not the case.

Shen Jiayu looked up and smiled at him.

I'm speaking up for someone this time simply because I've felt the same way before.

The love and affection parents have for their children is unparalleled in the world.

For example, when she was three years old, her biological father's former subordinates discussed and worried that she would be neglected after the Duke and Duchess had a biological child.

Upon hearing this, she was so frightened that she developed a high fever and nearly lost her life.

After learning the reason, the Duchess took her to find the Duke of Zhenguo.

The Duke of Zhenguo had a military doctor brew a bowl of medicine and drank it in front of her.

That remains Shen Jiayu's biggest regret—regret for not stopping it.

But as a young girl, she was insecure, timid, and afraid of being abandoned again. Under such fear, she watched as the Duke of Zhenguo drank it down.

Rumors in Kyoto say that the Duke of Zhenguo and his wife were deeply in love, but had been childless for many years because of incompatibility in their bloodline. Some even said that it was because the Duke of Zhenguo was a military general who had committed too many killings and was therefore unlucky and without blessings.

Only Shen Jiayu knew best that all the talk about bloodline discord and excessive killing was a lie.

The Duke and his wife had been childless for many years because many years ago, her father drank a fertility-inducing drug for her sake.

After drinking that bowl of medicine, the direct line of the Duke's mansion would be extinguished, and there would be no legitimate heir.

So on that day, when she heard the news of entering the palace for the imperial concubine selection, Shen Jiayu did not refuse. Instead, she nodded in agreement amidst the surprised gazes of the Duke and Duchess.

When she first entered the palace, she said something to Empress Dowager Shen: she wanted to uphold the reputation of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and bring glory to the Shen family. This was not said to flatter Empress Dowager Shen; it was what she truly thought.

Therefore, in this incident, Shen Jiayu could feel Ruan's determination to avenge her son.

Pei Yan remained silent for a moment, then said, "Considering that Lady Ruan was once pregnant with the imperial heir, I will be lenient and only demote those members of the Ruan family who are officials in the court to commoners."

Shen Jiayu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

This can be considered as giving the Ruan family a way out; from now on, it's up to fate.

*

When the news of Shen Jiayu's promotion was announced, all the concubines paid their respects at Fengyi Palace, and the entire hall was stunned.

Empress Luo was the first to react, and smiled gently at Qing An, "I am truly happy for Sister Shen. Also, Chief Eunuch Qing, please send some tonics over for me. I will visit Sister Shen when I have some free time."

Qing'an bowed and said, "As you command."

As Qing'an's figure left the hall, a palace concubine exclaimed in shock, "A selected lady-in-waiting has been granted a principal position before even serving the emperor. This is against etiquette. In the six reigns of the Jing Dynasty, there has never been such an honor."

Someone replied, "Why are you so surprised? There was no precedent for this when she was first conferred the title of Noble Consort. Moreover, it was a foregone conclusion that Lady Shen would be promoted to the rank of Princess. It was just a matter of time."

The concubine who spoke first objected, "How can these be the same..."

Hearing the chaotic murmurs below, Empress Luo raised her voice: "Enough! This is a meritorious act of saving the Emperor, unparalleled throughout history. Not only should Consort Shen be promoted to the rank of Zhaoyi, but even more would be fitting. If anyone is dissatisfied, they should recall last night. In that situation, who dared to step forward and shield His Majesty from a knife?"

These words made the concubines feel guilty, and they fell silent.

After witnessing bloodshed last night, they were all terrified and their legs went weak. Even if they saw Ruan Shi attempting an assassination, they might not have the courage to stop her.

Seeing that the concubines had fallen silent, Empress Luo turned her gaze to Consort Hui. "Consort Hui, I heard that Qi Rui has a fever?"

This word of concern caused Consort Hui's expression to change drastically.

Looking at the gentle and dignified Empress Luo sitting on the throne, Consort Hui stood up, her eyes sharp like a mother wolf protecting her cubs. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Qi Rui is fine."

After saying this, Consort Hui took her leave.

Her audacity almost caused Empress Luo to lose her smile.