I See the Noble Consort's Charm - Chapter 31:
Chapter 31:
Bo Empress Dowager entered the palace at fifteen and was directly enfeoffed as Crown Princess Consort. Thirty years had passed since then.
Over these three decades, she had witnessed three generations of emperors, her eyes taking in the full splendor of the palace. She was an extraordinary woman who had weathered great storms. When she calmly observed Su Qingyao, her commanding presence was fully displayed.
Su Qingyao’s heart sank, her mind swirling with thoughts, yet she didn’t falter. She quickly organized her reasoning.
Your Highness honors me too much. Matters concerning the senior consorts in the palace are not for a mere Junior Mistress like myself to comment on, Su Qingyao said, performing a curtsy to the Empress Dowager while initially declining to speak.
The Empress Dowager chuckled softly and glanced up at herYou’re quite the clever one. No matter, speak your mind. These words will remain with me alone, others will have no way of knowing.
With this assurance from the Empress Dowager, Su Qingyao then said softly, Thank you, Your Highness.
Since Your Highness asks, this humble servant will speak a few more words. Whether Consort Yi acted intentionally, I truly cannot discern clearly. But in my humble opinion, Consort Yi shouldn’t be such a foolish person.
The implication was clear: if Consort Yi were truly foolish, she might have done it deliberately; if she were clever, it might have been an accident. Su Qingyao didn’t know whether Consort Yi was clever or not – this matter was for the Empress Dowager to decide.
The Empress Dowager laughed againThen in your view, should she be punished?
This matter could be considered serious or minor, Su Qingyao said with a slight smile, continuing, At its most serious, Consort Yi could be charged with attempting to harm a palace consort. At its most minor, it was merely an accidental occurrence. If Consort He hadn’t injured her hand, it wouldn’t have reached Your Highness.
Su Qingyao spoke with great skill – her tone gentle, her words clear, her pace neither fast nor slow, making it very pleasant to listen to.
Unless specifically trained, one absolutely couldn’t speak so fluently.
The Empress Dowager withdrew her gaze and began grinding another type of incense.
Su Qingyao continued, If punishment is warranted, there are ways to punish. If not, then it depends on the victim’s wishes. Consort He is most amiable – she would likely plead for Consort Yi. But…
But not punishing was not an option.
The state has its laws, the family its rules. The palace particularly emphasizes propriety and regulations. Since Consort Yi had caused such an incident, if the Empress Dowager didn’t punish her, everyone could use this as precedent later, and the palace would become unmanageable.
Her but carried profound meaning. The Empress Dowager paused in her movements but didn’t speak, waiting to see what she would say.
Su Qingyao understood perfectly well and didn’t continue being cryptic, speaking directly: But if Your Highness doesn’t intervene when such bloody incidents occur in the palace, then palace regulations become a joke. This is no longer merely a private matter between Consort Yi and Consort He, but a palace affair concerning propriety and rules. No matter what, Your Highness must intervene.
Her words were too straightforward, showing no consideration for Consort Yi’s face. Given her status and position, she shouldn’t be saying such things. Yet to the Empress Dowager, they represented thorough consideration for her position and for the Emperor’s as well.
State laws are major matters, family rules minor ones. Yet here in Eternal Trust Palace, there’s no distinction between state laws and family rules.
If even Eternal Trust Palace lost its regulations and propriety, word would spread and they would become the laughingstock of the entire realm.
The Empress Dowager sighed deeply and said, You’re a clever child, and you speak quite reasonably.
Su Qingyao stood quietly there, smiling as she lowered her head, offering no response.
However, the Empress Dowager suddenly shifted her tone and asked, Since you claim to have an opinion, how do you think I should handle this?
During recent greeting ceremonies and palace banquets, the Empress Dowager had always been amiable, rarely referring to herself as I, the Empress Dowager. But at this critical moment, she deliberately changed her form of address, clearly signaling to Su Qingyao that as the Empress Dowager of Eternal Trust Palace and the emperor’s birth mother, she could deal with errant consorts as she saw fit—no one dared criticize or resent her, not even the emperor.
She wanted Su Qingyao to spell it out clearly.
Su Qingyao didn’t understand why the Empress Dowager had specifically summoned her to answer this question, but with matters having reached this point, she had no room to retreat.
Your Highness, she replied, since the matter concerning Consort Yi can be treated as major or minor, the punishment can likewise vary. I presume Consort He must have pleaded for leniency on Consort Yi’s behalf. Thus, the edict could state that, owing to Consort He’s intercession, Consort Yi is spared severe punishment and will only be confined to her quarters for one month of reflection.
In her previous life, this was exactly how the Empress Dowager had handled Consort Yi’s case. Su Qingyao was simply borrowing a ready-made solution, yet her words struck a chord with the Empress Dowager, aligning perfectly with her thoughts.
A flicker of surprise crossed the Empress Dowager’s face—she hadn’t expected this young Talented Lady to be so in tune with her own mind.
Su Qingyao had been in the palace for several months. When she first entered at the beginning of the year, she appeared to be nothing more than a gentle, modest young woman. Out of respect for her grandfather, the Empress Dowager had specially appointed her as an Imperial Attendant, which Su Qingyao accepted quietly and without fuss.
For the first two months, the new palace consorts were still adjusting to palace life. Most remained reserved and silent. Apart from Wu Jieyu, who was promoted due to her father and brother’s status, and Xie Cai Ren, whose grandfather was a Grand Secretary, the others remained obscure, showing little of their true personalities.
It was only in the past two months that Su Qingyao had caught her eye, becoming someone worth considering.
This had nothing to do with the two masters’ divinations for His Majesty, but rather because her performance in Pomegranate Hall had been so remarkable that the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but take notice.
Initially, the Empress Dowager had merely been observing her. Never did she imagine that here in Tingxiang Pavilion, Su Qingyao’s every word would mirror her own thoughts so precisely.
It was… indescribable. The Empress Dowager even felt a resemblance to her younger self.
Steady, dignified, neither ostentatious nor submissive. She spoke frankly, acted decisively, yet knew how to manage the aftermath—a rare quality indeed.
The Empress Dowager felt both pleased and disconcerted. Perhaps Su Qingyao’s performance was too flawless, making it hard for her to fully trust the girl in that moment.
Seeing the Empress Dowager’s stern expression and prolonged silence, Su Qingyao grew uneasy, her confidence wavering.
She lowered her gaze, replaying every word she had spoken since entering, convinced she had said nothing amiss. Why, then, did the Empress Dowager still seem displeased?
Suddenly, Su Qingyao’s heart trembled as she repeated to herself: perfectly aligned.
That was it. In a flash, she realized it was precisely because she had performed too well, leaving no room for error, that the Empress Dowager couldn’t relax. A person who was flawless and beyond reproach simply didn’t exist. After all, she was only sixteen now, turning seventeen after her birthday—it was impossible for her to handle matters so impeccably. No matter how clever, everyone had weaknesses.
The moment this dawned on her, Su Qingyao dropped to her knees with a thud, her voice tremblingYour Highness, please calm your anger. I was merely guessing wildly—I beg Your Highness not to take offense.
She would not say that she was young and ignorant, with a narrow perspective that led to incorrect remarks—that would not be slapping her own face, but slapping the Empress Dowager’s face.
The Empress Dowager was slightly taken aback, only then turning her head to look down and examine her.
She saw the young girl kneeling on the floor, her face pale, her eyes filled with fear—she truly looked terrified.
Even the sharp-eyed Empress Dowager could not immediately discern whether it was genuine or feigned, but what did it matter?
The Empress Dowager said, Set your mind at ease, I am not angry. Good child, rise quickly.
Hearing that she was still a good child, Su Qingyao finally breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up, murmuring softly, What I said just now was something I thought over carefully after returning to the palace yesterday. To be honest with Your Majesty, I also hold some resentment toward Consort Yi in my heart.
With this explanation, everything fell into place.
She had been frightened yesterday—was she not allowed to privately ponder what punishment Consort Yi should face? Moreover, she had started thinking about it the night before, so her straightforward and decisive words now seemed entirely reasonable.
Somehow, hearing this, the Empress Dowager felt slightly reassured and said, Good child, I understand your meaning. You may return.
As soon as she finished speaking to dismiss her guest, she thought for a moment and added, Le Shui, see her out.
Having her chief palace maid personally escort Su Qingyao out was an honor even Consort Yi and Consort Xian did not usually receive. The Empress Dowager’s gesture was merely to reassure Su Qingyao, indicating that she truly was not angry.
Su Qingyao curtsied, her face full of gratitude, and withdrew.
Le Shui personally escorted her to the door. Only after Su Qingyao had left did she turn back and return to the Tingxiang Pavilion.
The Empress Dowager was still seated there, leisurely making incense.
Le Shui walked to her side and refilled her hot tea: Your Majesty seems to favor Junior Mistress Su.
Among so many consorts in the palace, only this unremarkable Junior Mistress Su had been summoned by the Empress Dowager to the Tingxiang Pavilion.
The Empress Dowager smiled, set down the pestle in her hand, took a handkerchief to wipe her hands, and stood up, walking to the window. Gazing at the peonies outside, she said with a laugh, It’s not that I favor her—it’s that she is fortunate.
It just so happened that she had served in the Imperial bedchamber on the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month, coinciding with the opportunity mentioned by Daoist Master Qingxin. Combined with the fate interpreted by Jingchen Fashi, it pointed uniquely to her. If not for this, there would have been no subsequent series of Imperial bedchamber services, nor any opportunity for her to demonstrate herself.
Some people only need a tiny spark to shine—they ignite at the slightest touch.
The Empress Dowager sighed.
Le Shui pushed open the lattice window so the Empress Dowager could see more clearly.
In Your Majesty’s opinion, were Junior Mistress Su’s words just now true or false?
The Empress Dowager laughed. Whether true or false doesn’t really matter. I suddenly realized—whether she is exceptionally clever, innately wise, or an outstanding actress who can see through people’s hearts, she is, in any case, an astute person.
She has copied Buddhist scriptures for my son and made him a forehead warmer. With such devotion to him, that is enough.
Where in this world are there such perfect things? If Su Qingyao were to encounter greater opportunities in the future, her current performance would already make her worthy. The Empress Dowager did not expect all the women around her son to be madly infatuated with him. As long as they genuinely cared for him and could ease his burdens in the harem, she would be content.
Thinking of Chu Shaoyuan’s ill-fated life, the Empress Dowager’s eyes held deep sorrow.
I ask for nothing else—only that he may live a long life, healthier than his father’s. That would be enough to satisfy me.
Le Shui was choked up by her words, lowering her head to wipe her moistened eyesYour Majesty, His Majesty will surely be well.
The Empress Dowager smiled faintly, her gaze drifting toward the lush peonies blooming in the courtyard.
She had loved peonies since childhood. After her marriage, the late emperor cherished her like a precious jewel. Not long before his passing, he specifically ordered the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility to be planted full of peonies, hoping they would bring her comfort when she moved in.
Knowing his health was failing, the late emperor had refrained from expanding the imperial harem, remaining devoted solely to her throughout his life.
The two had been childhood sweethearts, sharing over a decade of loving marriage. Yet fate proved inexorable—the emperor departed early, leaving her and their young son to navigate life’s hardships alone.
Did she have regrets? Her heart was filled with them.
Still, she understood that nothing in this world could be perfect. The fact that they had shared a blissful, almost celestial bond within the Eternal Trust Palace could compensate for other regrets.
The Empress Dowager let out a long sighI just… wish for my son to find a kindred spirit too.
Author’s Note: The Empress Dowager: My son has no wife, so his mother has to step in. Not easy, not easy at all.