All Chapters of The Emperor’s Only Consort: Chapter 31 - Chapter 39

By midday, news of Qingyuan’s promotion had already spread throughout the all Palaces.The officials from the Imperial Household Department had not even left Chengqian Palace when the first congratulations began arriving at the gates.Bolts of silk and brocade, pearls and jade…—gifts poured into Chengqian Palace in an almost unbroken stream.Some came from the other consorts of the harem. Others came from members of the imperial clan and noble households outside the palace—the news having already begun to spread the night before when the palace received orders to prepare for the promotion.Before long, the commotion outside Chengqian Palace had grown impossible to ignore.The attendants had already taken care to tread lightly, but with so many people moving back and forth, even the quietest footsteps gathered into a steady murmur beyond the doors.Qingyuan had meant to hide indoors for a little peace and quiet, but with so many people coming and going outside, there was no peace to be

When Qingyuan finally spoke, one hand was still resting beneath Mingshu’s.“Yes,” she said softly. “You all knew.”Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup: “But we only thought it was the most natural thing in the world to stay by each other’s side, year after year, for the rest of our lives.”Mingshu caught the faraway look in her eyes and knew she was thinking of those years again.Qingyuan stayed lost in thought for a moment longer before turning her attention back to Mingshu.“And then, without warning, His late Majesty decreed your marriage to him.”Her fingers worried at the edge of her handkerchief, “Everyone said it was a perfect match. I thought I should have been happy.”A faint, almost self-conscious smile touched her lips: “You were my sister. He was the person I trusted most.”Her fingers tightened slightly, “But I wasn’t. I felt unbearably sad, without even understanding why.” Mingshu did not interrupt.Qingyuan knew there was little here that her sister had not

The last of the evening light lay warm across the courtyard, while dusk had already begun to gather beyond the palace walls.By the time Xiao Heng stepped into Chengqian Palace, Qingyuan had already composed herself.She sat half-reclined against a brocade cushion by the window, the book open once more in her hands, her expression calm and faintly cool.She did not look toward the door. Not even when he entered.Xiao Heng stepped into the hall, his gaze going straight to her.Qingdai hurried forward and curtsied: “This servant pays respects to Your Majesty.”Xiao Heng gave a faint nod in acknowledgment, but his attention never left Qingyuan.His gaze dropped briefly to the book in her hands. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He knew perfectly well she had only just picked it up.Qingyuan was unusually quiet. That alone made Xiao Heng slow to a stop in the middle of the hall.He knew this look far too well—they had grown up together; there were very few of her moods he c

Dawn was just breaking. A veil of mist still clung to the eaves of Chengqian Palace, while the last of the night candles flickered, nearly spent.Xiao Heng rose and donned his court robes. Once everything was in order, he glanced back at Qingyuan, still fast asleep upon the bed. A trace of warmth softened his expression, only to disappear a moment later. He stepped quietly from the room and headed to morning court.An unusual hush settled over the hall the moment he took his seat upon the throne.Only two days earlier, the same hall had rung with heated argument. Officials had fiercely debated the closeness between Prince An’s heir, Xiao Yan, and Su Qingyuan—then only a Noble Lady—citing ancient precedent and court ritual as they questioned whether such intimacy might undermine the Empress’s dignity or set an improper example in the upbringing of an imperial child.Then, yesterday, the imperial edict had come down.Su Qingyuan had been elevated to Noble Consort—the first woman to hold