Transmigrating into a book, seducing him to rise to power

Cining Palace.

Jun Zechen sat upright on one side of the couch, his expression calm and dignified, his eyes deep and reserved.

The Empress Dowager leaned against the other side of the couch, her posture relaxed. She turned her head slightly and looked calmly at Jun Zechen.

"Why has the Emperor come to Cining Palace today?"

The Empress Dowager's face held a hint of curiosity.

"I have come here today to discuss something with the Empress Dowager."

Jun Zechen's voice was unhurried, with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, carrying a faint smile, and his eyes revealing a hint of seriousness.

"Currently, Consort Chunshu is basically in charge of the affairs of the inner palace. Originally, Consort Chunshu gave birth to the eldest prince, and she should have been granted the rank of Noble Consort when I ascended the throne. Therefore, I would like to promote Consort Chunshu to a higher rank during this Flower Festival."

Jun Zechen looked at the Empress Dowager, his hand unconsciously turning the thumb ring.

"Does the Emperor want to promote Consort Chunshu to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort?"

A strange light flashed quickly in the Empress Dowager's eyes, her brows furrowed slightly, and her expression became somewhat complicated.

Consort Chunshu is undoubtedly the most powerful woman in the harem now. She has never made a mistake in managing the affairs of the six palaces. She comes from a noble family, has a prince by her side, and now it seems that she also enjoys the emperor's favor.

Is the emperor not afraid that Consort Chunshu will become the target of public criticism simply because she has been promoted to Imperial Noble Consort?

The position of empress held immense allure for the women of the imperial harem.

Jun Zechen shook his head gently, his movements resolute.

"No, I want to elevate Consort Chunshu to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort." As he said this, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

The Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows slightly, her slender eyebrows lifting gently, with a hint of surprise.

"The Emperor bestows the title of Imperial Noble Consort upon Consort Chunshu. Is he preparing to make her Empress in the future?"

"Yes, now that there are so many people in the harem, we need an empress to lead it. Consort Chunshu is the right person for the job." Jun Zechen said with certainty, his eyes revealing his determination.

The Empress Dowager lowered her head slightly, stretched out her fingers, gently pinched the teacup, brought it to her lips, took a small sip of tea, and her thoughts wandered.

Originally, the emperor had already begun to favor the new concubine after she entered the palace, but the empress dowager wanted to test Consort Chunshu's magnanimity further.

Currently, only Consort Chunshu has a child in the harem. If she becomes Empress and reveals her ruthless side, preventing the birth of the Emperor's other princes, then...

Since the Emperor came to her today and said he wanted to make Consort Chunshu Empress, it seems that Consort Chunshu has completely removed Consort Ling from the Emperor's heart.

"Truly impressive," the Empress Dowager asked, raising her head.

Why didn't the Emperor simply promote Consort Chunshu to Empress?

Her gaze held a hint of inquiry, but her expression remained calm.

"Mother Empress Dowager." Jun Zechen turned slightly to face the Empress Dowager, his face serious.

"The Imperial Noble Consort was originally of the same rank as the Empress. After Consort Chunshu was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, the position of Empress was reserved for her."

"After Consort Chunshu is promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, she will officially enter the Empress Dowager's probation period. If she can gain the Empress Dowager's support, Consort Chunshu will naturally be the rightful Empress."

The important matter of appointing an empress required the consent of the empress dowager and the support of the court officials.

When Jun Zechen first ascended the throne, he did not want to appoint an empress too quickly. One reason was that Ling Yue was not capable enough. He wanted Ling Yue to assist in managing the six palaces and gain the approval of his mother, after all, she was his first wife.

only......

What happened during this period of time has made Jun Zechen completely disappointed in her; she is unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the empress.

Moreover, in Jun Zechen's eyes now, Yao Yao is the only candidate for Empress.

However, since the Empress Dowager is in charge of the Empress's seal and edict, Yao Yao would need to gain her mother's approval to become Empress.

Jun Zechen also believed in her ability to manage the household affairs. He was very satisfied with some of the plans she came up with when she managed the six palaces, and she was also fair and impartial in handling disputes among the concubines.

Her family background was high enough to suppress all the women in the harem.

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly, lost in thought. The Emperor really had a lot to consider for Consort Chunshu.

"I have always been satisfied with Consort Chunshu. If you hadn't married Consort Ling back then, Consort Chunshu would have been your Crown Princess."

The Empress Dowager spoke softly, a faint trace of reminiscence on her face, and a hint of emotion in her eyes.

She then continued, "The Emperor's decision to promote Consort Chunshu to Imperial Noble Consort is excellent. Not only will I test her during this period, but the ministers of the court will as well. The Empress is not only your wife, but also the mother of the nation."

"An empress cannot simply please the emperor like a concubine; instead, she has the duty to advise the emperor. Therefore, magnanimity and fairness are important criteria for evaluating an empress."

When the Empress Dowager spoke these words, her expression was serious, and her eyes were full of majesty.

The Empress Dowager's real concern was whether the Emperor's sons could be born from other concubines. If the Empress were jealous and vicious, it would affect not only the harem but the entire country, and she would never allow such a thing to happen.

"Your Majesty is right, I understand."

Jun Zechen quickly responded, his head slightly lowered, but a hint of worry was visible in his eyes.

He knew that Yao Yao cared about him and was already jealous, so he would never advise him to treat her equally.

However, it doesn't matter. Promoting her to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort is also a way of telling everyone in the harem not to dream of becoming Empress.

Now that he has promoted another favored concubine, the short-term goal of the other concubines in the harem is no longer the high-ranking Imperial Noble Consort, but rather the "favored concubine" who seems to be easily brought down.

With a "favored concubine" in hand, the court officials would not have any complaints about Yao Yao. In addition, given Minister Su's position in the court, it would not be difficult for Yao Yao to secure the position of empress.

"These past few days, Consort Chunshu has been preparing for the family banquet for the Flower Festival. At that time, I will issue an imperial edict to confer upon Consort Chunshu the title of Imperial Noble Consort, officially placing her in charge of the harem," Jun Zechen continued.

"Now that the Emperor has bestowed the title of Imperial Noble Consort, I will hand over the Imperial Household Department to her, and I will then enjoy the company of my grandchildren."

As the Empress Dowager spoke, a gratified smile appeared on her face.

"I know that Consort Chunshu has been busy these past few days. She sends people to bring Xingxing to me every day. She's quite good at shirking her responsibilities."

The Empress Dowager smiled and joked, her smile growing even more loving.

"Consort Chunshu knew that you loved stars, so she had them brought here." Jun Zechen smiled when his mother mentioned stars.

"As your eldest prince, Xingxing will be the legitimate son in the future, so I will naturally cherish him. However, the emperor has been on the throne for almost five months, and only Consort Chu is pregnant now."

"After Consort Chu gives birth to the imperial heir, according to her rank, she is not allowed to raise the imperial child. What does the Emperor intend to do?"

The Empress Dowager's expression turned serious, and she stared intently at Jun Zechen, asking earnestly.

"Mother." Jun Zechen frowned slightly, a hint of disgust flashing across his face.

"Consort Chu framed Consort Chunshu. She is vicious and cruel. She is the mother of the imperial heir, and I despise her to the extreme. If she hadn't been pregnant, I would have already banished her to the Cold Palace. If her child is born, it will be given to Consort Ling. This is something I promised Consort Ling before."

As Jun Zechen spoke, he sighed inwardly, his heart filled with complex emotions as he thought of Consort Ling.

The child of Consort Chu is the only compensation he can give her, if she still cannot reflect on her actions in the future.

Then he...wouldn't hold back.

The Empress Dowager nodded, sighing inwardly. Life is unpredictable. The Emperor had vowed to leave the Empress position to Consort Ling, but what about now?

"And what about Consort Chu?" the Empress Dowager then asked.

"After Consort Chu gives birth to the imperial heir, she will be handed over to Consort Chunshu for disposal," Jun Zechen said calmly, his face expressionless.

"Your Majesty, if Consort Chu has rendered meritorious service by giving birth to the imperial heir, and her father is still the Minister of Personnel, she cannot be dealt with so arbitrarily," the Empress Dowager said with some dissatisfaction.

Jun Zechen frowned. The reason he handed Chu Meiren over to Yao Yao was also due to his own selfish reasons.

No matter what, Chu Meiren was the culprit who harmed him and Yao Yao's child. If he dealt with her leniently, he worried that Yao Yao would be dissatisfied and hold a grudge against him.

If the matter were handed over to Yao Yao directly, Yao Yao wouldn't be too harsh on Chu Meiren, after all...

If the Minister of Personnel wants to protect Lady Chu, he will definitely ask Minister Su for help, and Yao Yao knows what to do.

Thinking of this, a complex look appeared in Jun Zechen's eyes. He actually wanted Yao Yao to be his favorite concubine, but he didn't want anyone to be above Yao Yao. If Yao Yao became empress, she would inevitably see many secrets in the harem like her mother, and would also be connected to the court.

Jun Zechen didn't know if she would change, but he was afraid that his feelings for her would change.

"Mother, I trust Consort Chunshu. She never disappoints me."

Jun Zechen felt a pang of guilt. He was taking advantage of Yao Yao's concern for him because Yao Yao cared about his thoughts and always considered everything from his perspective.

Therefore, Jun Zechen believed that Yao Yao's handling of Consort Chu would yield a result that satisfied both him and the Empress Dowager.

Jun Zechen stopped discussing the matter with the Empress Dowager and then said, "Mother, the rank of the concubines in the harem is indeed too low. I plan to not only confer the title of Imperial Noble Consort during the family banquet on the Flower Festival, but also to bestow titles upon the six palaces."

The Empress Dowager nodded in agreement.

Consort Ling did indeed give the newcomer a very low rank, but since the emperor had agreed to it, the empress dowager naturally couldn't say anything.

"The Emperor's decision is fine," the Empress Dowager said softly, closing her eyes slightly.

Jun Zechen remained calm as he walked steadily towards Zhaochun Palace after leaving Cining Palace.

After he stepped into the palace, he quickly scanned the room and only saw Miaoyun, the personal maid of Consort Chunshu.

Jun Zechen frowned slightly. "Where is your master?"

Miaoyun quickly bowed and then said, "My master is in the study preparing for the family banquet during the Flower Festival. The two ladies-in-waiting in charge of this matter are also in the study reporting to my master."

Jun Zechen nodded slightly after hearing this, and then walked towards the study.

Just then, they happened to run into two ladies-in-waiting coming out of the study.

The two ladies-in-waiting were startled at first, then quickly knelt down and said in unison, "Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty."

Get up.

Jun Zechen said expressionlessly, and before he finished speaking, he stepped into the study.

Upon hearing his voice, Su Jingyao put down her pen and walked to the study door.

A slight smile played on her lips, her eyes gleaming with delight, as she softly said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Jun Zechen stepped forward to help her up, asking with a hint of confusion, "Why did you come out?"

Su Jingyao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I heard your voice. I was in the study arranging the family banquet for the Flower Festival. I just gave the two ladies-in-waiting some instructions. Now that Your Majesty has arrived, I will naturally accompany you."

As she spoke, Su Jingyao affectionately linked arms with Jun Zechen, leading him towards the bedroom with light, graceful steps.

Just now in the study, besides carefully arranging the family banquet, she was also meticulously reviewing the messages relayed by the spies she had placed among the concubines, including Consort Lin and Consort Ye.

She was in charge of the entire family dinner, so naturally she wanted to nip any uncertainties in the bud.

Of course, Jun Zechen couldn't see these things, which is why she quickly led him away from the study.