Chapter 19: Why Spare One Woman

Chapter 19: Why Spare One Woman

The fifth day of the first lunar month.

At the Yen Lai Hall banquet, Lady of Yan State was all smiles, skillfully avoiding any mention of Xu Zhao Yuan. Having received the Emperor's favor, a guaranteed position as the future Crown Princess and mother of the nation, she was far superior to Xu Zhao Yuan and the plan to bring Xu Liu Niang into the palace.

Empress Liu also breathed a sigh of relief, quickly deducing that the Emperor had intervened. As long as the Xu family did not interfere or influence the situation, the Empress could foresee Xu Zhao Yuan's fate.

The seventh day of the first lunar month, a day more auspicious than the day itself.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the night of the Lantern Festival.

The crackling of firecrackers heralds the passing of the New Year, and the bright lanterns celebrate the Lantern Festival.

The Lantern Festival in the palace was exceedingly lively. Zhu Yan loved the lights; on the fifteenth night, Fuhua Palace was adorned with countless lanterns in a myriad of shapes and exquisite designs, illuminating the entire palace as bright as day until the lights were extinguished the following morning.

In the blink of an eye, it was the sixteenth.

The snow had cleared, and the sky was finally bright.

It was a beautiful day at last.

However, what followed could hardly be described as good. It was as if dark clouds covered the sun, with no sign of dispersing.

Zhuyan received the news during her morning meal.

Last night, after midnight, Lady He committed suicide by hanging herself in the punishment cell.

The silver spoon she was holding dropped, splashing a few drops of the green rice porridge on her hand. Ignoring Qiuye who came to wipe her hand, Zhuyan turned her head and stared intently at Qu Gu, "Did she hang herself?"

"Yes."

Qu Gu replied, "According to the head of the Internal Affairs Department, Chen, and the palace attendants who were guarding her, they checked on her before midnight and she was fine. But when the guards entered at the beginning of the next watch, they found her hanging from the beam. Her body was still warm but she had stopped breathing."

"What is being said in the palace?"

"It's concluded as suicide due to fear of punishment. She was accused of harming the prince, a crime of extreme evil. She was demoted to a slave, and all male members of her family over ten years old within three generations are to be executed. The women and children are to be relegated to servitude and sent to Lingnan."

Suicide due to fear of punishment?

Zhuyan didn't believe it,

That day, outside Yanlai Hall, Zhuyan could see that Lady He herself was somewhat confused. How did this sudden disaster befall her?

The sentence was so severe and so brutal.

This made it even harder for Zhuyan to believe.

In the Dayu imperial harem, all women who entered through the selection process were from respectable official families, daughters of officials from fifth rank and above, but below third rank, were eligible to register for the selection.

This rule was established by the founding Empress Dowager.

It was said to ensure the background of the consorts in the harem; they came from official families capable of educating princes and princesses, without having the power to interfere in politics or influence the Emperor due to their family's influence.

The consorts of the harem.

Only Jieyu of third rank and above could have their parents granted honorary titles.

These honors were mostly nominal titles like Duke or Marquis, without any real territory,

The glory of being related to the Emperor was more symbolic than powerful. However, there were always those who didn’t follow the rules, granting not just nominal but also substantial titles and important positions when conferring honors on their maternal families.

This opened up a path to the ambitious and opportunistic: sending daughters to the palace to enhance their family's prospects.

Zhuyan's father was among those who excelled in this practice.

"Her father, Zhu Qingyun, was of average talent. Reaching the position of Chief Historian of Yingzhou Prefecture at the fifth rank was already the pinnacle for the Zhu family. Therefore, after exhausting all means and ascending to a fifth-rank official position, he unhesitatingly sent his daughter into the palace."

"It was a gamble for the glory of the family."

"Earning titles of nobility, a lifetime of splendor and honor."

"And if unsuccessful, what’s the loss of one daughter?"

"But these people never considered the risk of sacrificing their entire family."

"Zhu Yan remained silent for a long time before speaking with difficulty, 'What I told you last time, you didn’t mention it to the Emperor, did you?' She had hoped to use Qu Gu to relay her suspicions to the Emperor."

"'I did tell him, and His Majesty sent people to investigate, but nothing was found.'"

"'I don’t believe it,' Zhu Yan shook her head, finding Lady He's fate too brutal."

"Qu Gu hesitated, looking worriedly at Zhu Yan, 'My lady, you should stay out of this. Whether or not it was Lady He’s doing, anyone involved in harming a prince meets this fate. His Majesty did this as a warning.'"

"She advised further, 'All of your concerns are for the Fourth Prince, but rest assured, nothing will happen to him. Please let go of this matter. Moreover, the Emperor has already issued a decree regarding the He family’s punishment, and it’s irreversible now.'"

"Hearing this, Zhu Yan was momentarily stunned, 'Has it already been found out?' Though she asked, her tone was certain."

"'My lady, during the investigation, the personal maid of Lady He testified that Lady He, out of jealousy towards you and resentment, intended to harm the Fourth Prince, but accidentally harmed the Third Prince instead…'"

"'Impossible.'"

"With a loud thud, Zhu Yan set down her porridge bowl. Lady He's bewildered look that day couldn’t have been faked. Someone was trying to frame Lady He for the incident with the Third Prince, hastily implicating Ah Ji. Everyone in the palace knew that Ah Ji was the Emperor’s favorite, untouchable."

"Lady He’s horrific end was likely related to this."

"Zhu Yan felt increasingly alarmed, realizing the person behind this was ruthlessly cunning."

"'Whether true or not, His Majesty won’t allow it. What’s most important for you, my lady, is that the Fourth Prince remains safe and grows up well.'"

"'I’ll remember your words.'"

Zhu Yan glanced at Qu Gu, "I hope so too."

"Lady He was likely a scapegoat."

"It seems to calm the situation, but this storm is far from over."

"I thought it would take some time for things to settle, but the next afternoon brought surprising news."

"Due to neglecting her son's care, Lady Wei was demoted to a gatherer, and the Third Prince was prematurely conferred as the King of Nanyang. He was to leave for his fief as soon as he recovered from his injuries. His sister, born to Lady Wei, was entrusted to Empress Liu for upbringing."

"On the third day, a decree stated that Lady Wei, now a gatherer, had gone mad and was reduced to a commoner, relocated to the North Palace."

"On the same day, she and Lady Deng, both declared insane, were transferred to Yunlin Pavilion in the southern outskirts of the capital."

"Zhu Yan speculated about many in the palace, including the Empress, but never expected Lady Wei herself to be involved. The news left her in disbelief, followed by one question flooding her mind: Why?"

"The Third Prince was her own son."

"The idea of a mother harming her own child was preposterous."

"That same day, Lady Xu was demoted to a noblewoman."

"Demoted from a second-rank Lady to a sixth-rank noblewoman, her house arrest was extended by a year."

"These successive incidents left everyone, from the consorts to the palace maids, in a state of panic, fearing for their own safety. The palace was enveloped in a chilling silence."