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

Qi Ronghua wasn't the only palace concubine who was surprised.

Most concubines of lower rank had no ability to find out news from the emperor.

They had no idea that Consort Shen, who had served the emperor the previous night, had actually stayed overnight in Xuanzheng Palace.

After their initial surprise, all the concubines held their breath and waited for Consort Li's reply.

Consort Li glanced at Qi Ronghua with a hint of sarcasm, her red lips curving slightly. "If Qi Ronghua doesn't believe me, she might as well go and inquire before the Emperor after the morning greetings."

Qi Ronghua's expression changed repeatedly.

Should we inquire at the Emperor's presence again?

Why bother with all this? As one of the three consorts, Consort Li holds a high position and great power, so she naturally trusts Consort Li's sources.

The news was so shocking that she kept asking, wanting a definite answer.

We'll stay overnight at Xuanzheng Hall.

Such favor was something she never dared to dream of, even when she was at the height of her favor.

Consort Shen had only served the emperor for one night, yet she had already won his deep favor.

Qi Ronghua's eyes were filled with a mixture of envy and jealousy, and a myriad of emotions welled up in her heart.

The other concubines also remained silent after hearing this.

If the favor and privileges that Consort Shen once enjoyed were astonishing...

Now, they know clearly in their hearts that this is a gap they can never bridge, no matter how hard they try.

The character "沈" (Shen) is like a high mountain, standing in their way, seemingly insurmountable.

Blood ties!

Blood ties!

If one doesn't have such a background from the beginning, then there's no need to covet such imperial favor.

Consort Li calmed herself down a bit, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and sighed, "This Lady Shen, she was given a high position as soon as she entered the palace. A few days ago, she was promoted to Zhaoyi. His Majesty also ordered the Six Bureaus to renovate Yihua Palace for her. Now she is serving the Emperor and even has the favor of staying overnight in Xuanzheng Hall. She is truly living a glorious life."

After Consort Li finished her plan, the other consorts fell even more silent.

Consort Lan, who had been keeping a low profile, finally spoke up, saying, "After all, she is His Majesty's cousin, so her treatment is naturally different."

Consort Li sneered, "Yes, just wait and see. Consort Shen has just finished serving the emperor, and there will probably be a stream of rewards to come."

Consort Lan glanced at her face, then looked at the other consorts. Sensing that the atmosphere in the hall was not right, she timidly shut her mouth and fell silent.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

On her throne, Empress Luo surveyed the myriad expressions of her concubines, a barely perceptible smile flickering in her eyes.

Even though Consort Shen is still favored, she only holds the rank of second grade, and she has no children.

The threat she poses is not that great yet.

She was naturally happy to watch the other concubines fight against Consort Shen, as it would benefit her regardless of who won or lost.

She also took this opportunity to plan her own affairs.

*

Yihua Palace.

Upon returning to the palace, Shen Jiayu instructed Zhao Bingzhong to guard the main hall entrance, while she took only Hongling and Lü'e inside.

Upon entering the inner chamber, Shen Jiayu sat in front of the dressing table, waiting for Hongling and the others to search for things.

Should we go back to the palace to check on the progress of the repairs?

Returning to the palace to await a surprise?

It was all a lie she told.

She returned to the palace because she had important things to do.

Hongling moved nimbly, took a key, opened the drawer, and took out a box containing a pair of red gold hairpins inlaid with gemstone beads.

These were brought from the manor.

Hongling lowered her head, her fingertips fiddling with the hidden clasp on the hairpin. With a "click," a pill slid out from it.

After receiving the vermilion pill, Shen Jiayu examined it for a moment, then frowned and swallowed it.

These are birth control pills.

If a woman takes this after each sexual encounter, she will become infertile.

Shen Jiayu had already made up her mind.

She should not become pregnant before her relationship with the emperor is stable.

Moreover, she is still very young and her body has not yet fully developed, so the risks of pregnancy and childbirth are extremely high.

The matter of the imperial heir needs to be carefully planned and discussed in the future.

After taking the medicine, Shen Jiayu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She rested in the hall for a while before getting up to check out the side halls and the rear hall.

The renovation of the palace has indeed been very satisfactory.

It's obvious at a glance that they put thought and money into it.

The small kitchen, converted from the east side hall, is spacious and bright. It is not only used for cooking meals, but also has all the necessary steamers and molds for making ordinary snacks.

The allowance allocated by the Imperial Kitchen Bureau far exceeded that of a Consort, and Shen Jiayu estimated that it was not much less than that of a Consort.

The west wing hall was simple, serving as a storeroom. It was filled with large boxes, two of which Shen Jiayu had brought from his residence, and the rest were what he had acquired in the palace during this period.

There were congratulatory gifts from the concubines of the various palaces congratulating her on entering the palace, gifts from Empress Dowager Shen, and even imperial gifts from the Emperor. Especially after she saved the Emperor's life, generous rewards were sent to the Emperor every few days. The rest were miscellaneous monthly allowances that she was entitled to.

Shen Jiayu looked at the storeroom registers for a while, got a general idea of ​​what was going on, and then went to the back hall.

The hot spring water was drawn from outside the palace. Previously, only Xuanzheng Hall in the palace had it, but now it has been renovated for her as well.

The rear hall space was divided in two.

The middle section is separated by a twelve-panel sandalwood screen with gilded floral and bird patterns.

The outside was a dressing and grooming area, while the inside was a hot spring bath.

What's amazing is that the walls of the hot spring pool are made of the finest white jade.

Shen Jiayu silently did the math in her mind: drawing hot spring water into the palace and using this white jade to build the walls would cost a considerable amount, easily tens of thousands.

Her cousin also managed to recover his losses.

Now that you've received the benefits, behave yourself for the next couple of days and don't cause too much trouble.

After exploring the area, Shen Jiayu returned to the main hall.

Last night was truly absurd; she was too exhausted and couldn't get any rest during that short nap.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Jiayu went to her inner chamber to catch up on her sleep.

As she was resting peacefully, someone suddenly called her softly, "Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"

Shen Jiayu slowly opened her eyes.

Hongling stood before the couch and reported, "His Majesty's decree has arrived. Chief Eunuch Qing is waiting outside."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jiayu got up, wiped her face, and tidied her appearance.

Upon reaching the outer hall, she saw Chief Eunuch Qing waiting under the corridor and scolded the palace servant beside her, "Why didn't you let the Chief Eunuch come in and sit down? It's too hot outside."

Qing'an quickly replied, "They invited me, but I have other matters to attend to and cannot stay any longer."

Shen Jiayu said gently, "It's good that you haven't neglected the steward."

She bowed gracefully and listened respectfully to the imperial decree.

The palace servants inside and outside Yihua Palace also knelt on the ground.

A solemn atmosphere prevailed.

Qing'an slowly unrolled the yellow silk scroll, his tone solemn and steady.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Consort Shen, born into a distinguished family, renowned for her virtuous character, virtuous conduct, and exemplary conduct, has long been observed. She has received blessings and is adept at domestic duties, worthy to continue the family's splendid traditions. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon you the title 'Chen' as a sign of my commendation. Respectfully yours."

Even Shen Jiayu was stunned for a moment upon hearing the imperial edict.

宸？

Her title was Chen?

Before leaving Xuanzheng Hall, she said she wanted something with a good meaning, but she didn't expect it to be so prestigious.

"Chen" refers to the North Star, and is used as a metaphor for the emperor.

Throughout history, those who received this title were all bestowed with the utmost favor; it was an unparalleled honor.