Consort Shu

Chap 2: Conffering the Title of Consort

2. Conferring the title of consort

　　During the half month of waiting for the imperial decree, Shen Moyun's days were no different from usual. If there was any difference, it was that the servants were even more careful in attending to her, and her mother, Cheng Shi, held her hand daily, describing the things she should pay attention to after entering the palace, and preparing the items she should bring with her.

Cheng Shi had a gentle personality, with a dignified and beautiful appearance, bearing some resemblance to Shen Moyun. Her speech and actions were always gentle and reasonable. She had two sons and a daughter. The eldest son, Shen Zhongyun, served as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, while the second son, Shen Cangyun, was an official assigned to a post outside the capital. Both of them were already married and she even had a grandson, so Cheng Shi's sole focus now was on her daughter.

Originally, she had planned to find a good marriage in the capital for her daughter, so they could meet in the future. Unexpectedly, there were rumors from the palace, stating that her precious daughter was to enter the palace as a concubine. Cheng Shi truly couldn't bear it, but she was powerless to resist. She could only take advantage of the time her daughter was still at home to talk with her seriously.

Coming from a noble family, if one truly believed that Cheng Shi was as gentle and accommodating as she appeared on the surface, and that she could be easily deceived, that would be a grave mistake. Having been married to Shen Shiyu for many years, there was only one chambermaid in the family, and they had no illegitimate children, which showed her resourcefulness. She lifted the teacup, took a sip of tea, and gently put it down, making a subtle dull sound as the porcelain met the wooden surface. She said, "Moyun, you've been clever since you were young. You used to have a bit of a free-spirited nature, but after the severe illness two years ago, you've become much more composed. I used to worry that you spent too much time reading books indoors and didn't go out enough, but now, looking at this change, it's not a bad thing."

　　Shen Maoyun lowered her head slightly, appearing as if she were listening attentively. Cheng Shi truly loved her only daughter, and over the past two years, she had also grown closer to Cheng Shi.

Cheng Shi affectionately stroked her daughter's delicate cheek and then adopted a more serious expression, saying, "Listen carefully to what mother is about to say. In the current harem, Empress Xiao is the first consort, the legitimate wife chosen by the late Emperor, and she has given birth to the Crown Prince, securing her position. Moreover, the Empress Dowager is her aunt. So, after you enter the palace, be careful not to incur the Empress's resentment. I've met Empress Xiao a few times in the past, and she isn't someone who can't tolerate other concubines. As long as you follow the rules, I believe Empress Xiao won't make things difficult for you."

Shen Maoyun nodded gently and replied, "I will be careful."

"Furthermore, there are the three consorts. Noble Consort Liu came from a General's family and she enjoys the Emperor's favor the most. While all three Consorts hold the same rank, Noble Consort Liu is considered the most esteemed. She was personally chosen by the late Emperor, and her status is naturally higher than the other two. As for Moral Consort Zhang and Virtuous Consort Gao, they have respectable backgrounds, but when they were in the Eastern Palace, they were just ordinary concubines. Later, Moral Consort Zhang gave birth to the Second Prince, which led the Emperor to grant her the title of Side Concubine, and Virtuous Consort Gao followed the same path, even though she has not borne a child." Cheng Shi continued to speak, providing a lengthy explanation that left her feeling a bit breathless, so she paused.

　　Shen Maoyun continued to absorb what Cheng Shi was saying. Shen ShiYu had mentioned similar things to her, but men and women always had different perspectives, especially when it came to matters in the backyard. So, listening to Cheng Shi would likely do her no harm.