Chapter 0059: Mutual Benefit

Chapter 0059: Mutual Benefit

For him, this was undoubtedly a fortunate match.

With this, his future in the court was secured.

Being a prince with official duties and one without are entirely different!

His mother was from Yuan Zheng, and he had no strong foundation, but now things have changed for the better.

How could he not be overjoyed with such a marriage?

As for the qualities of the second Miss Xie, considering she is the Empress's sister, she couldn't be too far off in terms of merit, right?

Yun Li, suppressing her amusement, popped a piece of ginkgo cake into her mouth.

This was truly amusing.

Qi Qingluan always felt that the Empress's background was inadequate, eagerly aspiring to replace her, but now...

It’s hard to say whether Xu Baolin's drama indirectly provoked the Emperor. However, it’s evident that the Emperor is actively elevating the Empress's family status. This certainly wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.

The fifteenth prince, lacking a strong foundation, is the perfect loyalist. The Emperor would never let the sons of the former emperor fall into obscurity.

This brother becomes the ideal candidate for promotion.

And the Empress's sister marrying the Emperor’s favored brother results in a win-win situation.

Thus, the Empress's position becomes unshakeable. How can a favored consort with no real influence challenge her? Everyone in the harem must also remain in line.

The Emperor's intent in doing this isn’t about harem rivalries. From the perspective of the previous dynasty, the Xie family, despite being newly noble, are loyal supporters of the Emperor.

The Qi family, on the other hand, has a more complicated and less manageable history, likely not as easy to control as the Xie family.

So, this move, whether direct or indirect, steps on the Noble Consort.

Yun Li thinks her elevation from the Xu Baolin incident was perfect timing. The Noble Consort is the real target. Indeed, worldly affairs must not be rushed.

In haste, one errs. But with patience, the prey eventually becomes the spectator. Those who wish to be the hunter often end up the hunted.

Previously, with the Noble Consort, a daughter of the Qi family, present, she, another daughter of the Qi family, was dispensable. To appease the Qi family, one Noble Consort was sufficient.

But now, with the Noble Consort refusing to stay content and the Qi family desiring more, He Jingli will make it clear that he does not solely depend on the Noble Consort. Isn’t there another daughter of the Qi family?

Indeed, Yun Li's rise from her position in Xu Baolin's case wasn’t easy, but so what? Starting from a low point and rising high only brings her benefits without harm to others.

In fact, it even works to her advantage. As long as the Emperor suppresses the Noble Consort, he has to spare her, Xiao Yi.

Whether it’s true or not, she must be the protagonist in her own world, not a supporting character in Qi Qingluan’s story.

Let Qi Qingluan and the Qi family’s plans go to the dogs.

One shouldn’t be overly arrogant; fortunes change.

The grand banquet concluded successfully.

The biggest winner, of course, was the Xie family.

The Empress was all smiles, basking in triumph.

Previously worried about not having a prince, she now felt relieved. With the Emperor’s support, there was nothing to fear.

A prince would eventually come; with the Emperor's backing, there was nothing to fear.

That night, the Emperor, having drunk a bit too much, didn't visit the Empress's palace but spent the night in Zhengyang Palace.

The next day, before the usual morning greetings, the Empress in Fengyi Palace already sent word, ordering the Noble Consort to begin her period of reflection and to copy the palace rules a hundred times.

Normally, the Empress didn’t have the opportunity to deal with her, but now, as per the Emperor's request, adding the task of copying palace rules a hundred times was not excessive.

Copying the palace rules a hundred times isn’t about the workload; it’s mainly about the humiliation.

The Noble Consort always prided herself on her adherence to rules, but the Empress ordering her to copy the palace regulations was a clear statement that she lacked understanding of them.

Such a blow to her pride was indeed harsh.

Moreover, in the morning, the Emperor sent someone to take away seven or eight palace servants from Yuzhi Palace.

Without a word, they were sent directly to the Internal Punishment Department. Those who enter there rarely come out unscathed.

Even if they did come out, the shame would be overwhelming.

In this episode, the Noble Consort lost both her dignity and reputation. The facade she had carefully maintained over the years collapsed in an instant.

Her position remains, but with her reputation destroyed, can she still hold the same status as before?

Madame Xu, thrown into An Yi Hall, was in an even more pitiable state.

For the past two days, she hadn't had a sip of water or a bite to eat and couldn't cry out for help.

The mute drug had completely ruined her vocal cords, rendering her mute. Even if she were to be released one day, her condition could not be cured.

In the midst of winter, An Yi Hall was without fire, its doors shut, with no one sparing her a glance.

She desperately banged on the door, but although the room was dilapidated, the door was sturdy and failed to alert anyone.

And no one would come.

There was an old, torn canopy in the room which she pulled down to cover herself, barely keeping warm.

Ultimately, it was futile. In this weather, she might survive without fire, but without food, she would soon perish.

She didn’t die of hunger, but rather of hypothermia.

After two days in the cold, she was in a stupor, nearing her limit.

Finally, on the night of the second day of the month, she died.

She died at the door, seemingly having been banging on it continuously, but unfortunately, there were no guards on this side.

It wasn't until the next morning that someone came to check if she was dead, and finding her deceased, they felt relieved.

Locking her up without food or water was essentially hastening her death.

Her death brought them peace of mind.

The eunuchs quickly found some old quilts and bamboo mats to wrap her body, and then carried her out on a stretcher.

It wasn’t that a coffin couldn’t be used, but as a commoner, she didn’t merit the dignity of a coffin.

It was considered too ominous; she could only be removed in this manner.

How pitiful that she dreamt of rising to great heights, only to meet such a desolate end after her death.

Even after being taken out, she couldn’t expect a decent burial. A coffin might be provided, but her rigid body wouldn’t even be dressed in proper clothes.

The idea of dressing and grooming her for the burial was out of the question. For the ancients, this was a great indignity and a terrible fate.

But who cared?

During the morning greeting the next day, the Empress announced, “Madame Xu in An Yi Hall took her own life by refusing to eat.”

There were murmurs of sympathy among the crowd, and some genuinely believed it.

"She was a criminal, and yet she dared to commit suicide," Lan Consort said with disgust.

"Indeed, I heard her father was a good official," Wu Zhao Rong commented.

"We don't understand the affairs outside. Now that she's gone, it's over. It was her own doing; she can't blame anyone else," Jin De Consort added.

The others echoed in agreement.

The Empress said, "His Majesty's intention is for me to handle it. She's no longer a consort, so she cannot be buried in the imperial mausoleum. We should ask the Ministry of Rites to find a suitable place."

No one had much else to say; if not for the Emperor's mercy, she wouldn't even have a place to be buried.

Wouldn't it be better to have her body cremated?

Although no one sympathized with her, they couldn't help but sigh. Just a few days ago, she was alive, and now she's perished in the palace intrigues.

She was in the prime of her life.

Madame Xu's death barely caused a ripple, and even her father petitioned to accept the blame.

In the end, He Jingli only deducted half a year of his salary and did not ask him to resign or demote him.

Lord Xu was a good and wise official.

Madame Xu's death was reported in her family as a case of suicide due to fear of punishment, but the specific crime was not mentioned.