Chapter 61 – Demoted to “Liangren” (Good Lady)

If one were to say who in the harem currently hoped most for imperial favor, then truly, there was no one in the harem who didn’t yearn for it. But if you had to pick the ones who longed for it the most, it would undoubtedly be Lady Lin and Lady Shen.

Ever since Lady Shen’s scheme against Consort Yu was exposed in public, all the other consorts and concubines in the harem looked at her as though she were dirty. Even though Consort Yu had been scolded by Emperor Xuanyuan Ling and had withdrawn a bit, and even though she was not as favored as before, she had a child.

As long as one had a child, one held a position of honor. Naturally, the people beneath her were eager to serve her, even if she hadn’t personally issued an order. Those trying to earn favor in her presence would inevitably torment Lady Shen.

Lady Shen’s days weren’t necessarily worse than when she was being targeted by Consort Yu, but they definitely weren’t much better.

She wanted to be favored, but she knew that this stalemate wouldn’t be broken anytime soon.

She wanted to have a child to secure her position, but who knew when the Emperor would forget about her past scheme against Consort Yu? If things continued like this, she would have to consider other plans.

For example—the Empress. Didn’t Her Majesty lack a child?

But would she really not be discarded after giving birth? Lady Shen wanted to live—she wanted to survive in this harem.

As for Lady Lin, after being repeatedly ridiculed by Shen Qing, she had long been harboring frustration. Her entire mind was filled with one thought: gain favor. Without favor, there was no future.

So, if one were to ask who was making the most noise, it had to be Lady Lin.

Her method of seeking favor was simple and crude—create “coincidences.”

She’d waited and waited for the Emperor to choose her name, but he never did. She feared that in this large harem, the Emperor might have forgotten she even existed. So she could only hope to run into him and remind him of her.

Thus, Lady Lin began taking walks around the palace at fixed times every day. Wherever the Emperor might be, she would head in that direction. She had been doing this for several days, but had yet to actually meet him properly. After all, it wasn’t so easy. At best, she’d catch a distant glimpse when His Majesty passed by with his guards. She had, in fact, seen Xuanyuan Ling—but he hadn’t even noticed her.

Lady Lin made no effort to hide her actions—it wasn’t as if she could. Everyone in the harem could see what she was up to.

After a few days of this, suddenly, news spread: the Emperor had chosen Lady Lin’s name from the selection cards.

That shocked all those who had been watching and laughing at her.

Some even regretted that they hadn’t been willing to lower their pride.

Even the Empress hadn’t seen it coming. Who in the harem would’ve guessed? With such a clumsy attempt at seduction, the Emperor had actually noticed her?

And even went so far as to select her?

To be honest, even Zhao Hai and Wang De, the attendants managing the Emperor’s daily affairs, were a little surprised when the card was flipped.

Zhao Hai remembered Lady Lin’s lack of tact quite clearly.

He wouldn’t say he fully understood Emperor Xuanyuan Ling’s preferences, but with someone like Lady Lin, surely His Majesty wouldn’t favor her again?

Still, the Palace Affairs Office, seeing that the Emperor had flipped her card, proceeded with their duties accordingly.

They immediately sent someone to inform Lady Lin. After so many days of trying to get noticed, she was overwhelmed with emotion when it finally happened.

And so, Lady Lin was sent to Qianyuan Palace, waiting there shyly and eagerly for Xuanyuan Ling to arrive.

But the Emperor never returned—he was still reviewing memorials.

After a while, he casually gave an order, “Demote Lady Lin to ‘Liangren’ and confine her for six months.”

When Zhao Hai heard this, he was shocked. Was she summoned just to be punished? While Lady Lin had certainly lacked awareness the last time, wasn’t this punishment a bit harsh?

He only knew about Lady Lin’s lack of tact. He didn’t know that Shen Qing had shown up before the Emperor with a slap mark on her face, stirring things up.

Although surprised by how harsh the Emperor’s decision was, Zhao Hai didn’t dare delay. “This servant will deliver the order immediately.”

Meanwhile, Lady Lin had been waiting eagerly, only to be told to leave. Zhao Hai delivered the message: “By Imperial edict, Lady Lin is demoted to Liangren and confined for six months. Send her back.”

Lady Lin’s face froze in disbelief. Her mouth fell open in shock. Demoted to Liangren? She hadn’t even served the Emperor yet—how could it be because she served him poorly? What’s more, she had always looked down on the title Liangren, the lowest rank in the harem. And now she was one herself?

Seeing her dumbfounded expression, Zhao Hai signaled the attendants with his eyes to take her away quickly. He didn’t want her to start causing a scene—someone with that little awareness might just cry out for mercy. If the Emperor overheard, Zhao Hai might get blamed for handling things poorly.

So, with a look of disdain, he had Lady Lin escorted out.

This incident caused quite a stir. The Empress was the first to hear the news. Rarely did she smile so sincerely—this time, she genuinely found it amusing. Truly laughable. As expected, how could the Emperor tolerate someone like that?

Even if he’d chosen her name, it was likely just to find a reason to punish her after being irritated by all her recent antics.

Consort Yu, too, had been sickened by Lady Lin’s desperate attempts to “accidentally” run into the Emperor for days. Though she disliked Shen Qing, someone who shamelessly threw herself at the Emperor was even more revolting.

Consort Yu figured it out: the Emperor probably still hadn’t gotten over the slap Shen Qing had taken in front of him. He didn’t want to see any of the concubines jumping around in front of him right now. Curling her lips into a smile, she found herself in a better mood.

So in the end, Lady Lin’s little stunt ended up amusing both the Empress and Consort Yu—truly a blessing to all.