Transmigrating into a book, seducing him to rise to power

Su Jingyao lay languidly on the couch, one hand gently supporting her head, the other casually holding the list of candidates for the imperial concubines.

With a soft sigh, I thought, "Being an emperor is wonderful."

Beauty will eventually fade, but the emperor's women will always be as beautiful as flowers.

Miaoyun stood obediently to the side.

"My lady, I've heard that there are several outstanding candidates among this year's imperial concubines."

Su Jingyao's gaze slowly fell on the list in her hand. There are no good women to deal with; what really needs to be addressed are men.

But these women were all her rivals for the throne of empress; only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle.

"Ye Yaqin, daughter of the Grand Commander, the highest-ranking candidate in this selection, what is her appearance like, and what is her temperament like?"

Su Jingyao pointed to Ye Yaqin's name and asked.

The Grand Commander-in-Chief is equivalent to the head of the military in the kingdom, wielding immense power.

After all, family background is indeed very important in the harem. Those from low-ranking families can only be promoted if they are favored by the emperor or give birth to a prince.

Those from prominent families are usually promoted during festivals or when the six palaces are honored, because of their status.

Miaoyun thought for a moment after hearing her master's question.

"Among the young ladies selected this time, there are quite a few with flamboyant personalities, but although Miss Ye is the daughter of the Grand Commander and has a noble status, she is very gentle and calm."

"He performed well in this talent show and is skilled at playing the guqin."

"As for her appearance, I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but I've heard that she's among the top-ranked candidates in the imperial harem."

"I heard that the most beautiful among the young ladies selected this time is Chu Yinxue, the daughter of the Minister of Personnel. She is seventeen years old, very beautiful and tall, and has an outgoing personality," Miaoyun continued.

Su Jingyao nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

"The Minister of Personnel is Father's subordinate, right? If Chu Yinxue enters the palace, I will have to write a letter home to ask about the relationship between the Minister of Personnel and Father."

As she spoke, her fingers lightly tapped the edge of the couch, her eyes revealing a hint of caution.

The name Ye Yaqin sounds familiar. Could she be a supporting female character in the original book?

Su Jingyao couldn't quite remember.

That's enough. Those who come will not be afraid, and those who are afraid will not come.

Tomorrow is the palace selection, and Jun Zechen, the Empress Dowager, the Imperial Concubine, and she will all participate.

However, she and the Imperial Concubine were merely observing from the sidelines; the real power of choice lay with Jun Zechen and the Empress Dowager.

Thinking of this, Su Jingyao's eyes narrowed slightly. After the selection of concubines, the number of women in the harem increased, and her chances of becoming empress actually became greater.

After all, when there are many women, without an empress to manage them, mistakes and chaos are bound to occur.

The Empress Dowager would certainly not allow Jun Zechen's position as Empress to remain vacant for long.

For her to become empress, the support of the empress dowager was paramount; however, a suitable opportunity was still needed.

Giving birth at this moment is obviously unreliable, not to mention that the young lady has just entered the palace, even if she has full confidence in herself.

She wouldn't naively believe that Jun Zechen could remain completely unmoved by so many beauties entering the palace.

Moreover, for the Empress Dowager and Jun Zechen, anyone can have a child, but the position of Empress cannot be secured simply by having children.

Otherwise, Jun Zechen wouldn't have had the idea of ​​having Ling Yue adopt a child.

The Empress Dowager valued whether someone had the ability to become Empress.

After the palace selection tomorrow, the young ladies will "return to their parents' homes" and will re-enter the palace five days later.

Half a month later, it was the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. All the banquets in the palace were handled by the Shangyi Bureau, which was managed by the Consort.

Since that's the case, she wouldn't let the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet pass by so peacefully.

According to her prediction, Jun Zechen's position as empress would remain vacant for at most a year, or even less than a year, before the Empress Dowager and the ministers would begin urging Jun Zechen to establish an empress.

During this period, she had to make the Consort make as many mistakes as possible until the Consort completely lost the power to manage the six palaces and was no longer eligible for the Empress's position.

Thinking of this, a fierce glint flashed in Su Jingyao's eyes. These younger sisters who were about to enter the palace should not be so well-behaved; it would be best if they could make a ruckus.

When Jun Zechen stepped into Zhaochun Palace, he immediately saw her sitting there blankly.

He had already walked up to her, but still didn't react.

Jun Zechen's lips curled slightly upwards as he reached out and gently pinched her fair, smooth cheek, asking with a hint of teasing, "What are you thinking about?"

Su Jingyao couldn't help but frown, her expression slightly reproachful.

"Your Majesty, please don't pinch my cheeks."

After speaking, she did not forget the rules, rose from the couch, and gracefully bowed.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Jun Zechen smiled and helped her up, then casually lay half-reclined on the couch, and Su Jingyao prepared to sit down next to him.

Jun Zechen glanced at her. "Go stand over there."

"Yaoyao seems a little different today. Let me take a good look."

Su Jingyao looked surprised. She raised her eyebrows slightly and then obediently took a few steps back so that Jun Zechen could see her clearly.

I never expected that this straight man could actually see what was different about her.

Then, Su Jingyao deliberately twirled around and asked in a sweet voice, "Your Majesty, what's different about me today?"

"The style of this dress is quite unique, and your hairstyle today is also very beautiful."

The dress Su Jingyao is wearing today was designed by the Imperial Clothing Bureau, which she took to them for special production.

The reason I'm wearing this today is naturally to remind Jun Zechen of some things.

The collar of the palace dress is embroidered with exquisite auspicious cloud patterns and inlaid with round pearls.

The sleeves are wide and flowing, with intricate patterns embroidered at the cuffs and decorated with long, golden tassels that sway gracefully with movement.

The palace dress has layers upon layers of skirts, with delicate lines outlined in silver thread along the edges.

A gold belt inlaid with gemstone tassels was tied around her waist, which further accentuated her slender waist and graceful figure.

Her jet-black hair was piled high, adorned with a dazzling, openwork gold hairpin, and a few delicate pearl flowers on one side of the bun, adding to her femininity.

She wore a tasseled crown in the middle, and the beautiful tassels on her forehead added to her beauty.

She had carefully applied makeup today, especially her eyes, which Jun Zechen stared at for a long time.

"Come here," Jun Zechen said softly.

Su Jingyao obediently walked up to him, and even leaned closer, giving him a playful wink.

To complement the dress, she made sure to make her eyes look more expressive, covering them entirely with eyeliner and extending the eyeliner slightly beyond the outer corners, making her look exceptionally unique.

Her smile has a captivating charm, while when she doesn't smile, she exudes a cold and noble aura.

"Why are you dressed like this today?" Jun Zechen asked curiously.

"Your Majesty is holding the palace selection tomorrow. He will be meeting so many young ladies, shouldn't I dress up nicely? Today is just a trial; do I look good?"

Su Jingyao pouted slightly and said coquettishly, with a touch of playfulness.

"Who in the world can compare to Yao Yao?"

Jun Zechen smiled, gently put his arm around her waist, and then pulled her into his embrace with a slight pull.

"Your Majesty only knows how to say sweet words to coax me."

After making a joke, Su Jingyao said, "The palace dress I am wearing was specially made by the Imperial Clothing Bureau. Under the care of the Noble Consort, it is very well made. I like it very much."

"The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet is coming soon, and I will ask the Imperial Stud to make another one for me."

Su Jingyao leaned against him obediently, slowly playing with the jade pendant at his waist with one small hand.

When Jun Zechen heard her mention the Bureau of Imperial Clothing, his thoughts seemed to be stirred as well.

"In twenty days it will be the Empress Dowager's birthday. The Empress Dowager's palace dress for that day will also be made by the Imperial Clothing Bureau. The Noble Consort should also choose a style for the Empress Dowager in advance and start making it."

Jun Zechen frowned slightly, feeling somewhat worried.

Ling Yue had never dealt with these kinds of things before, and she was really afraid that something might go wrong.

Although the female officials of the Shangfu Bureau would arrange everything properly, they all acted in accordance with palace rules and ancestral regulations.

If Ling Yue didn't consult her mother beforehand and instead let the female officials follow the rules, Jun Zechen was genuinely worried that his mother would be dissatisfied.

Thinking of this, Jun Zechen sighed inwardly, realizing he still needed to send someone to inform the Imperial Concubine.

When Su Jingyao heard Jun Zechen mention the palace attire for the Empress Dowager's birthday, a deep meaning flashed in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, both the Bureau of Clothing and the Bureau of Ceremonies are managed by my elder sister. The Bureau of Ceremonies is responsible for planning and organizing court banquets."

"If you can not only present the Empress Dowager with a palace dress that she likes, but also hold a successful birthday banquet for her, you will surely please the Empress Dowager and change her opinion of you."

Jun Zechen held her in his arms, his large hands caressing her waist.

Hearing her words, which were spoken with all her heart for Ling Yue, a feeling of unreality suddenly welled up in my heart.

"On Yao Yao's birthday last time, I was angry with her because the Imperial Concubine wasn't with her?"

Su Jingyao leaned against him, unable to see his expression clearly, but Jun Zechen's voice was faint, with a hint of probing.

Su Jingyao lowered her eyelashes, a hint of coldness flashing across her face.

She then playfully raised her small hand and gently tapped Jun Zechen's chest.

"Why should I be angry with the Imperial Concubine? If I'm angry, it's because of Your Majesty!"

She shifted her body slightly as she spoke.

"Your Majesty broke your promise that day, and I was heartbroken. So I also feel sorry for my sister. I am selfish and want to share the love that belongs to my sister with His Majesty, so I want to make it up to her in other ways."

"Although I am not very clever, I am aware that the Empress Dowager is dissatisfied with my elder sister. If my elder sister performs well at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, the Empress Dowager will definitely change her opinion of her."

Jun Zechen's eyes grew increasingly deep, always seeming to hold profound meanings that were difficult for others to understand.

He didn't tell Yao Yao that Ping'er was a spy planted in her palace by the Imperial Concubine, nor did he tell her that the Imperial Concubine had deliberately poisoned him to prevent him from leaving the palace with her.

If she knew all this, would she still be so devoted to Ling Yue?

He wanted to protect her innocent heart and didn't want her to see the fickleness and ugliness of human nature.

"Does Yao Yao know that if the Empress Dowager changes her opinion of the Consort, the Consort might be made Empress?" Jun Zechen said expressionlessly, his voice flat.

"I know, Your Majesty has always reserved the Empress's position for my sister, hasn't he?"

"Your Majesty also told me that my sister was your first wife, so the position of Empress should have been hers."

Su Jingyao turned her head and looked at him with a puzzled expression. Because of her makeup, her dark and bright eyes were particularly eye-catching, like a clear spring.

Jun Zechen remained outwardly calm, but a hint of hesitation lingered in his heart.

Yes, when he ascended the throne, he always thought of reserving the position of empress for Ling Yue.

But now, he doesn't seem so certain anymore...

Jun Zechen met her gaze, and in his heart he even wanted to ask her, "Don't you want to be my empress?"

Seeing that he didn't speak, Su Jingyao continued, "Therefore, Your Majesty, I humbly request that you send someone with extensive experience to assist Consort Gui."

Her expression revealed worry.

"After the palace selection tomorrow, the young ladies will enter the palace in five days. With more people in the palace, it's easier for trouble to happen."

"Moreover, the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet is the first large-scale banquet held in the palace since His Majesty ascended the throne, so it must be done exceptionally well."

"My sister doesn't have much experience. What if something goes wrong?"

Jun Zechen looked at her earnest expression as she considered Ling Yue's situation, his thoughts a jumble of emotions.

Should he tell her that the imperial concubine she had always regarded as her elder sister has changed?

"Very well, I will send people to help the Imperial Concubine."

After hearing the satisfactory answer, Su Jingyao continued to lean against him.

Where Jun Zechen couldn't see, a slow smile crept onto her lips.

She will make the people Jun Zechen sent witness Ling Yue's incompetence firsthand.