Transmigrating into a book, seducing him to rise to power

On the day of the Emperor's birthday, Jun Zechen's imperial edict quickly spread throughout the palace.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees."

I, having been ordained by Heaven and reigning over the world, consider the safety of my harem a matter of utmost importance to the nation.

Now there is Imperial Noble Consort Jiayi, who is virtuous and kind, gentle and compassionate.

Since he took control of the palace, the harem has been peaceful, harmonious, and orderly, with clear distinctions between superiors and inferiors.

She was benevolent and virtuous, kind and generous, fair in her dealings, and displayed her wisdom and competence. She was truly a model for all the concubines in the harem.

She is of noble character, dignified manners, gentle and virtuous, beautiful inside and out, truly a wise and capable assistant to me and a blessing to the royal family.

I hereby issue this decree to confer upon Consort Jiayi the title of Empress, granting her residence in Kunning Palace, placing her in the central position, and making her the mother of the nation.

I hope that she will continue to uphold her virtuous example, lead the harem, extend blessings, and write a glorious chapter in our prosperous era together with me.

So be it!

After the imperial edict was read, Anshun respectfully and carefully held the Empress's seal and came to Su Jingyao, solemnly handing it to her.

With a polite smile on her face and joy and solemnity in her eyes, Su Jingyao accepted the book with both hands.

Although she had known for a long time that Jun Zechen would confer upon her the title of Empress today, she was still overjoyed when the imperial edict and the Empress's seal actually arrived.

On that day, Su Jingyao also issued her first imperial edict after becoming empress.

This was something she and Jun Zechen had discussed. There were too few high-ranking concubines in the harem, and today's birthday celebration would bring ministers from various cities of the Jun Kingdom, as well as envoys from neighboring small countries.

Only concubines of the second rank or above could participate in the banquet. Now, only Consort Ling and Consort Shen are present, which seems rather petty.

Therefore, Su Jingyao planned to bestow titles upon the six palaces again today, and confer the title of Consort Ling on Consort De.

Consort Shen was renamed Consort Xian, but no title was retained. Consort Lin was renamed Consort Lin, and Consort Bai was renamed Consort Bai.

She also selected some of the other concubines, promoting them all by one rank.

Su Jingyao sat gracefully on the brand-new phoenix chair in Kunning Palace. The chair was exquisitely carved and shone with golden light.

She wore a magnificent phoenix robe and a dazzling phoenix crown, making her appear elegant and noble.

Kunning Palace had already been carefully tidied up by the palace maids and eunuchs, and had been renovated according to Su Jingyao's instructions.

Su Jingyao knew that it was only a matter of time before she moved into Kunning Palace, so she didn't spend too much time or effort renovating Zhaochun Palace.

However, the layout and furnishings of Kunning Palace were meticulously designed by her personally, and she specifically instructed the Imperial Household Department to decorate it carefully.

The Qianqing Palace is located in the heart of the inner court, and its imposing and magnificent presence resembles a towering mountain.

Kunning Palace is located behind Qianqing Palace, echoing it from afar. The two palaces are like two bright pearls, firmly set on the central axis of the inner court.

One in front and one behind, perfectly embodying the supreme and unparalleled status and special identity of the emperor and empress.

At this moment, Su Jingyao, sitting upright on the phoenix chair, had eyes as clear as autumn water filled with joy.

He tilted his head slightly, examining every corner of Kunning Palace, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Not long after, they heard Jun Zechen's voice announcing his arrival from outside.

Upon hearing this, Su Jingyao smiled faintly, then gracefully rose and slowly walked to the front of the hall.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

She bowed slightly, her voice melodious like a nightingale's song, her face beaming with a smile, her dignified and elegant demeanor perfectly displaying the bearing befitting an empress.

Today, she wore a gorgeous and dazzling bright red empress's palace dress, with a bright yellow sash that represented the royal family's illustrious status and was only used by the emperor and empress. The sash perfectly outlined her slender waist, making her look even more graceful.

The palace attire of the king was characterized by its narrow upper sleeves and wide lower sleeves, while the empress's palace attire was made of Shu brocade, a material with an excellent drape.

The floor-length dress draped naturally like flowing clouds and water, making her look ethereal and graceful as she moved, exuding an air of nobility and breathtaking beauty.

Her long, black, lustrous hair was pulled up, revealing her graceful swan-like neck. She wore a phoenix crown, surrounded by gold and jeweled phoenix hairpins, openwork silver hairpins with phoenix and auspicious bird patterns, and jade hairpins with phoenix and begonia patterns.

Miaoxia's hairstyling skills were superb. She adorned her head with a dazzling array of decorations, yet arranged them in a well-organized manner, perfectly showcasing the empress's noble temperament.

Jun Zechen stepped forward and looked at her with eyes full of love and admiration.

He helped her up and said with a smile, "Yaoyao looks so elegant and graceful today. She is a perfect match for me standing next to you."

Today he was also wearing a dragon robe of the same color, with lifelike golden dragon embroidery on it, exuding majesty and domineering presence.

Su Jingyao slowly raised her eyes, gazing at him with deep affection through her watery gaze.

"Your Majesty, today is your birthday. I wish you a joyous birthday."

"Very well, the happiest thing for me today is that Yao Yao has become my empress."

Jun Zechen held her hand, his face full of happiness and satisfaction. He ruled the world, with his beautiful wife by his side. Could there be anything more satisfying in life?

Jun Zechen led her out of Kunning Palace, his eyes full of tenderness. As they walked, he would occasionally turn his head to look at Su Jingyao beside him.

Su Jingyao also smiled, tilting her head slightly as she exchanged a smile with Jun Zechen.

The two boarded the magnificent imperial carriage together and headed to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Consort Xian, Consort De, Consort Lin, and Consort Bai were waiting respectfully outside early on.

After the Emperor and Empress boarded the imperial carriage, the four concubines bowed and paid their respects. Then, they also boarded their own sedan chairs and followed the imperial carriage toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The imperial palanquin was extremely large, and with the eunuchs carrying it, it almost filled the entire palace road.

Behind the imperial carriage followed a dozen or so palace maids in neat rows, making for a grand and impressive procession.

When they arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, all the officials were already there. At that moment, the sound of drums and music suddenly rang out, each note stirring and exciting. When the officials saw His Majesty enter hand in hand with the Empress, they all bowed in respect.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Empress!" The ministers' voices were unified and loud.

Su Jingyao and Jun Zechen walked side by side, gracefully ascending to the highest position in the main hall.

Today, the highest seat is a dragon and phoenix chair, which is just the right width for two people.

This was specially arranged by Jun Zechen; there was no separate dragon throne or phoenix throne set up.

Afterwards, the four consorts sat on either side of Su Jingyao and Jun Zechen according to their rank.

After the emperor arrived, the banquet officially began.

Consort De sat to the left of Su Jingyao, her gaze somewhat complicated, glancing at Su Jingyao and then at Jun Zechen.

Consort Xian, with a smug look on her face, sat to the left of His Majesty, clearly still considering herself the most important of the concubines.

Consort De glanced subtly at the Emperor and Empress. They sat side by side, their demeanor and bearing exceptionally outstanding, making them appear perfectly matched.

But her heart was filled with bitterness. She should have been the Empress, revered by His Majesty.

But now even the position of one of the four imperial concubines was issued by imperial decree.

Recalling the past, before His Majesty's heart was completely taken over by the Empress, Consort De was filled with fear.

Because the Empress was kind and pure, of noble birth, stunningly beautiful, intelligent and dignified, Consort De didn't know what kind of man wouldn't be attracted to such a near-perfect woman.

So even though she believed Jun Zechen wouldn't fall in love with anyone else, she was still filled with anxiety because of the Empress.

Every time she was saddened by His Majesty's special treatment of the Empress, she would ask His Majesty for a promise.

However, in the end, these promises were like a mirage, easily shattered with the slightest touch.

The most ridiculous thing is that she always thought she knew the Empress very well, but she didn't know that the Empress was not as unassuming and unambitious as she appeared.

Her kindness was all a facade, and even His Majesty was kept in the dark!

Thinking of these things, Consort De unconsciously clenched her hands tightly.

Over the past few months, Consort De has privately put in a lot of effort and carefully cultivated many people.

She desperately needed a prince to solidify her position, so she placed her people in both Consort Chu's and Consort Ye's entourages.

Because she couldn't be sure whether Consort Chu would give birth to the prince smoothly, she could only do her best to seize every possible opportunity, and thus she also planted spies among Consort Ye.

It was because of this that she learned that she had always thought that Consort Ye was disliked by His Majesty because she had schemed against the Empress.

It turned out that the Empress had meticulously set a trap, leading Consort Ye to foolishly walk right into it.

Consort De recalled every action of the Empress when she was still the Crown Prince's concubine, and now it seemed that they all had a deeper meaning and were intentionally trying to drive a wedge between her and His Majesty.

Ultimately, this convinced both her and His Majesty of the Empress's kindness and forbearance.

Just like the Ye Guifei incident, in His Majesty's heart, the Empress will always be the pitiful person who was schemed against, the most innocent existence.

Consort De lowered her head slightly, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes. She bit her lip tightly, and her hand gripped the wine glass so tightly that her fingers turned white from the force.

It's all her fault for being so foolish back then, easily trusting the Empress!

She will eventually tear off the Empress's hypocritical mask and expose the real Empress to His Majesty. At that time, will His Majesty still be able to love the Empress as unconditionally as he does now?

A hint of ruthlessness and determination flashed in Consort De's eyes.

After the banquet began, the court officials presented their gifts, followed by the concubines, and finally the empress.

After the presentation of gifts was completed, it was time for the envoys to make their appearance. These were all part of the process that the Court of State Ceremonial had arranged well in advance, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

Then the eunuch's high-pitched, shrill voice echoed throughout the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"The envoy from the Moonlit Kingdom, accompanied by Princess Bright Moon of the Moonlit Kingdom, has come to pay homage—"

"The Crown Prince of Canglang Kingdom, accompanied by his Second Princess, has come to pay homage—"

"The envoy from Lingyu Kingdom, accompanied by Princess Yixuan, has come to pay their respects—"

"The envoy from the Seabuckthorn Kingdom has come to pay homage with three princesses—"

"The Crown Prince of Yuelin Kingdom, accompanied by Princess Ya Fu, has come to pay homage—"

Later, envoys from some vassal states arrived, but the eunuch who was in charge of reporting them did not announce them to each one individually.

Jun Zechen's majestic and imposing voice resounded in the hall, like a booming bell, "Summon."

Subsequently, palace attendants led in the envoys from various countries in turn.

The envoys walked solemnly and steadily to the center of the hall, their eyes filled with awe and respect.

However, the real focus of the courtiers' attention was on the beautiful princess and noblewoman following behind the envoy.

Some of them are stunningly beautiful, some are gentle and charming, and some possess a unique allure.

Minister Su frowned slightly, looking at the princesses and noblewomen with a serious expression, before turning his gaze to his daughter, who sat at the head of the table.

The daughter remained calm and composed, her face expressionless, as if none of this concerned her.

A feeling of satisfaction welled up in his heart; his daughter's composure was something that most women could not match.

Su Jingyao didn't feel anything special, so her expression remained calm.

Moreover, she and the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial were responsible for planning and arranging the entire banquet, so she was naturally very clear about who the envoy had brought.

The four concubines sitting next to her, Consort De initially showed surprise, but quickly regained her composure, as if it had nothing to do with how many women came to the harem now.

Consort Lin, who was quite pleased with her promotion to Imperial Concubine today, suddenly became depressed and her face darkened when she saw the princesses and noble ladies.