novelraw Chapter 188
Chapter 188
"Who is that person?"
After receiving the message that Consort Lu wanted to see her, Yun Wan found some time to visit Changchun Palace.
Sweeping a glance around, Yun Wan lowered her eyes. Consort Lu had lost her power and had been stripped of her right to raise the Third Prince; it was obvious that everyone in Changchun Palace was in a state of panic.
Compared to her first visit, it was much more desolate. Even the withered winter grass under the eaves and in the corners of the walls was left uncleaned.
Following her gaze, a flash of humiliation crossed Consort Lu's face.
Times had changed. Who would have thought that the widow she had once looked down upon and pitied would one day climb over her head.
But she had serious business today, so she could only suppress the resentment and indignation in her heart.
"If I tell you who the master of Lingxiang and her paramour is, what will you do?" She stared intently at Yun Wan, probing.
Hearing the testing in her words, Yun Wan remained calm and collected. "What I do is my own business. You just need to tell me who it is."
Consort Lu's expression paused slightly.
"It's fine if you don't say it. Later, I will report this matter to His Majesty and say it has something to do with you. Do you think you will still be Consort Lu then?"
Yun Wan slowly turned the jade bracelet on her wrist, her tone leisurely and not anxious at all.
The jade bracelet was of excellent imperial green quality. Looped around her wrist bone, it accentuated her delicate skin, making her look radiant and not at all old-fashioned.
Yun Wan didn't often wear such precious jewelry, but she couldn't stop Emperor Jingxuan from piling all kinds of jewelry on her, completely ignoring whether it was suitable or not, only saying that the best was worthy of her.
Consort Lu's face stiffened. She moved her lips and drily spat out a few words, "It's Li Qingmeng."
Li Qingmeng was the maiden name of Imperial Concubine Li. The two had been at odds since they were unmarried girls in their boudoirs. Both were noble daughters of high-ranking families; neither submitted to the other, and both wanted to be the number one noble lady in the capital.
Their auras clashed, and it was the same after they entered the palace. They had fought many times both openly and in secret.
Yun Wan's eyes flickered. She raised her eyes and looked at her lightly. "Is it really her? Are you not deceiving me?"
Consort Lu's face darkened. "What good would it do me to deceive you? Naturally, I have evidence."
Yun Wan remained silent, waiting for the evidence she spoke of.
Consort Lu was silent for a moment, then said with a look of disgust, "Lingxiang and her little guard paramour were just playing around; they had no marriage contract. The man's mother used to be a servant guarding the gate of the Li family, but later fell ill and returned to her hometown."
"As the son of a lowly gatekeeper, no matter how capable he is, it is impossible for him to become a guard of the imperial city. Therefore, the Li family must have exerted effort in this." Her eyes revealed contempt.
"Not only that, after Lingxiang was driven out of Changchun Palace, she was still able to enter your Qiyun Palace. Who else but Li Qingmeng has the ability to do this?"
Yun Wan: "What about the musk bead bracelet? How do you explain that?"
Hearing this, Consort Lu sneered. "Naturally, she doesn't want you to get pregnant. Otherwise, with His Majesty's favor towards you, it's hard to guarantee that it won't threaten her son's position."
Speaking of this, she looked at Yun Wan. "It's just that I didn't expect you to have already given birth to a dragon seed."
Poor her brother became a shield, and fortunately he died early, otherwise he would have died with remaining grievances.
It sounded very reasonable indeed.
Yun Wan did not express her stance on this, but questioned, "Since you found out, why are you only saying it now? What are you scheming in your heart?"
Consort Lu froze.
Without waiting for her to speak, Yun Wan smiled. "Let me guess."
Her gaze rested on the other's face, leisurely observing Consort Lu's expression inch by inch, her tone calm and cold:
"The Third Prince has moved to another palace, and His Majesty only allows you to visit him once a month. You are afraid that without your reliance, your position as a consort will not be secure, so you want to drag others down into the water."
With a flash of her eyes, she kept it concise: "You hope that I will target the Li family, right?"
Her thoughts mercilessly exposed, Consort Lu's face looked ugly for a moment, but then she generously admitted, "I have no chance at the Empress's throne. Now, the only one who has the ability to compete with you is Li Qingmeng. Why don't we put aside our past grievances and join forces to take her down?"
Yun Wan only found it funny. She stood up and left a sentence: "Your mother once tried to kill me, and you have schemed against me time and time again. Why should I trust you?"
Yun Wan had doubts in her heart about Lingxiang sending the musk beads as a result of Imperial Concubine Li's instructions.
Not to mention that doing so would sooner or later be exposed, and even if she gave birth to another child, by the time the child grew up and remembered things a few years later, the Crown Prince would have already come of age.
It didn't make sense.
But in this inner palace, who else could go to such lengths?
After Yun Wan left, Consort Lu's face turned green and pale. After thinking for a long time, she called a palace servant and said coldly, "Go tell her that Yun Wan is no fool."
.........
One month after the results of the metropolitan examination were posted was the palace examination, which was taken by the successful candidates of the metropolitan examination, known as tribute scholars.
Mid-April, Wende Hall.
Led by Cen Yuanzhou, a group of tribute scholars waited in the hall under the guidance of palace servants.
The palace symbolizing imperial power was magnificent and grand, and the palace servants and historians on both sides had solemn expressions.
Before the Son of Heaven even made an appearance, the layers of majesty and imposing aura pressed down so hard that it was difficult to breathe. With trembling hearts, the tribute scholars dressed in the same clothes felt varying degrees of tension rising within them.
Only the man leading them stood with a straight back, looking straight ahead.
Seeing this, an adjacent tribute scholar couldn't help but ask, "Brother Cen, why do you look not nervous at all?"
Hearing this, Cen Yuanzhou replied with a slight smile.
To the others, it seemed that he already had a well-thought-out plan and was unfathomable. Their hearts suddenly became even more nervous, and the pressure was immense.
This was the palace examination, a chance to meet His Majesty!
An opportunity that many people could not ask for in their entire lives. If they performed well, even if they ranked last, there was still a possibility of entering the top three.
The waiting time was exceptionally long, and everyone gradually became restless.
"Silence, no whispering," an attendant on the side reminded sternly.
Only Cen Yuanzhou himself knew that his heart was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.
Winning first place in the metropolitan examination did not necessarily mean he could enter the top three; there were too many uncontrollable factors.
For this reason, he had not dared to slack off for over a month. He slept early and woke up early, ate a light diet, and practiced two sets of martial arts every day. Before coming today, he even bathed and burned incense three times, afraid of losing his manners in front of the hall and leaving a terrible impression on the Son of Heaven.
Now he not only represented his own face, but also the face of his cousin and nephew Sui. If there was an accident, others might take the opportunity to mock the mother and son.
His cousin already had a difficult time in the palace, so he should strive to do better.
Thinking this way, Cen Yuanzhou rallied his spirits, looking energetic.
First impressions were particularly important. He was bound to leave a good impression on His Majesty and not hold his cousin back!
He was full of confidence.
Two quarters of an hour later, the Son of Heaven arrived, and everyone knelt to pay their respects.
Emperor Jingxuan waved his hand. "Everyone, rise."
Below, Cen Yuanzhou followed the crowd and stood up, his eyes lowered, not allowed to casually look directly at the Emperor's face.
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he actually felt that the Emperor's majestic voice carried a hint of familiarity.
"Today's first question: The Way of the Sovereign."
The candidates had the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to think, and Cen Yuanzhou quickly organized his words in his mind.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Emperor Jingxuan asked in a deep voice from above, "Who will answer first?"
Everyone looked at each other in dismay, none wanting to be the first to answer.
"Your Majesty, this commoner Cen Yuanzhou is willing to try."
Emperor Jingxuan: "You are the top scorer of this year's metropolitan examination, so let's start with you. Step forward and raise your head."
Cen Yuanzhou took a composed step forward. With a slight upward curve of his lips, he arranged his features into the perfect expression and raised his head, fully prepared to speak with effortless eloquence: "This subject believes—"
"!!!"