[1]The Consort is Both Charming and Scheming, Rising Through Palace Intrigue

The blazing May sun shone warmly, casting a golden hue over the lush green plants and trees, dazzling and sweltering.

Inside Fengqi Palace, several concubines had already started using round fans. The Empress sat at the top and said gently, "A few days ago, His Majesty discussed with me—soon, we will go to the Summer Palace to escape the heat."

Consort Zhuang, dressed in a blazing scarlet silk gown embroidered with heavenly scents, gracefully waved her fan. The wide, floral sleeves seemed like drifting clouds. "That sounds wonderful. I was just saying earlier that the heat has come unusually early this year."

The Empress smiled with poise. "Concubine Xue can also give birth at the Summer Palace. This way, both you and the child will suffer less."

Concubine Xue's due date was at the beginning of July—right in the height of summer. Pregnant women naturally fear heat, and postpartum confinement in such temperatures would be unbearable.

Hearing this, Concubine Xue smiled brightly, stroking her bulging belly. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your thoughtful consideration."

She was now plump and radiant, her cheeks round and glowing. This pregnancy had added quite a bit of weight to her, no longer the frail, willowy figure she once had.

Even so, she remained the center of attention—for this was the emperor's first child since ascending the throne. Even if it was a princess, giving birth to a royal offspring was an immense honor.

The Empress nodded slightly, her gaze then falling on Concubine Mi. "I also spoke to His Majesty. Since your health isn't well, you should come to the Summer Palace as well."

Since the incident, Concubine Mi had grown pale and weak.

She rose and gave a slight curtsey. "Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

The Empress lifted her hand and lightly rubbed her brow. "As the head of the six palaces, naturally I hope all of you are well."

Zhao Yi, a gentle concubine, said softly, "Your Majesty should take care of yourself too. You seem a bit tired—did you not rest well last night?"

The Empress furrowed her brows. "You'er is still adjusting to being separated from Lady Jiang. He's been sick and weak. I stayed up all night looking after him."

Consort Zhuang smirked slightly. "Your Majesty truly is a devoted mother."

The Empress's face turned solemn. "I am now You'er's only mother. Of course, I will devote myself wholeheartedly to him."

Consort Zhuang fiddled with the white jade handle of her fan, biting her lip. She truly hadn't expected the Empress to seize the opportunity. Now that she had a child in her care, her position as Empress was all but unshakable.

She cast a sidelong glance at Concubine Xue's belly, her heart aching. Why can't I conceive?

After the concubines had dispersed, the Empress stood in the sunlit hall and said slowly, "It's time for me to visit the Cold Palace."

With that, Du Ruo helped her to her feet, and they set off.

The so-called Cold Palace lay in the most remote corner of the imperial grounds, surrounded by no other palaces—desolate and bleak. The walls and ground, long damp, were covered in moss, with vines growing wildly in all directions.

Standing before the Cold Palace, the Empress wiped away the fine sweat on her brow from the sun. Yet here, the breeze was chilling and carried a foul stench.

The palace maids, seeing the Empress, knelt down in terror.

Du Ruo supported her as they entered. Inside, parts of the walls had collapsed, thick dust and cobwebs coated the eaves and walls. Withered spiders hung in their webs—everything was filthy and bleak.

The Empress carefully made her way to the room the maid had pointed out.

At the doorway, she saw the familiar yet frail figure seated in a daze on the bed.

Sensing a presence, the woman looked up with a faint gleam in her eyes. Upon seeing the Empress, she paused, then sneered, "Your Majesty, you've finally come."

The Empress stared at the woman in shock—it was Consort Rong.

Once the most beautiful woman in the harem, she was now filthy, her hair a mess, her once radiant skin pale and haggard. She had lost so much weight, she looked ten years older.

The Empress stepped forward, surveying the dilapidated room but remained standing. "I came to see you."

Lady Jiang looked at the Empress in her splendid attire, the brilliant ornaments in her hair shining brightly—so noble and untouchable. She chuckled bitterly. "Your Majesty truly is a master manipulator."

The Empress lifted her chin coldly. "I don't understand what you mean."

Lady Jiang laughed icily. "That day when I brought You'er to your palace, you knew I hated Lady Ning. You knew I had the intent to harm her, and yet you drank the pregnancy tonic right in front of me. You said to reach the top, one has to gamble. You implied that Lady Zhao would threaten my position in the future!"

Her eyes flashed with coldness. "You and that whore from Rong Kingdom both used me!"

From the moment she was thrown into the Cold Palace, Lady Jiang knew she had been a pawn—she had just realized it too late.

Du Ruo snapped, "Lady Jiang, mind your tongue! After all you've done, the Empress still came to visit you. Show some gratitude!"

Lady Jiang continued to glare, her teeth clenched. "Your Majesty must be pleased now. You never had a child, but now that You'er is under your care, it's as though you do. So... you're here to grant me death, aren't you?"

The Empress's eyes were sharp and unreadable. "Why would I bother? If I were you, I would die for the sake of my son. As long as you live, You'er will always have the stain of a disgraced mother."

Lady Jiang's body trembled—she was right. As long as she lived, You'er would carry shame, and the Empress would never truly treat him sincerely. How could she continue living?

Clutching the bed tightly, her eyes grew hot. "You've never been a mother, yet you truly understand a mother's heart."

The Empress said firmly, "You're wrong. I was a mother. If my child had been born safely, he would have been the crown prince—the only legitimate heir."

At this point, the only thing Jiang could not let go of was her son. No matter how much she hated the Empress, only she could protect him now.

She knelt with a thud. "Since Your Majesty has adopted You'er, please treat him well."

The Empress gently adjusted her ornate golden hairpin. A smile curved her lips. "He is my son now. Of course I will. With you as his mother, he'd never amount to anything. But with me, I will make him Crown Prince—he will become the next emperor."

Her resolute words finally eased Jiang's heart. Yes, the Empress would never allow another prince to take the throne, nor any other concubine to become Empress Dowager.

Jiang smiled bitterly. "Then I'm content. As long as Your Majesty treats him well, I have no regrets."

The Empress glanced at her coldly. "I don't need you to die just yet. Wait until I and the Emperor leave for Yichun Garden—then you may die."

Consort Rong looked at her, confused. After a pause, she understood. All these years, the Empress had tread cautiously, always mindful of the Emperor's suspicions. If she died too soon after the Empress left, others might suspect her.