Quick Transmigration: Irresistible Beauty
Chapter 151 - 151: Loyal Maid Who Died Because of Beauty (21)

Because Lu Heng was very worried about Yue Ran after entering the filial piety period, it was reported to the public that Yue Ran was in poor health and needed to recuperate. Well, even though everyone knew about this "hidden" matter, what else could be done? Besides, not many people could control the emperor.

Even if someone wanted to find fault, they could not because Yue Ran had been living in the front yard of Lu Heng's previous living space without taking the intention to step out at all.

When Wang Li came to deliver the news, Yue Ran was sitting beside Lu Heng.

This time the news was about the former empress drinking a poisonous cup of wine that led to her own death. Before Lu Heng's adoptive mother, Xiu Ying, could make a single move, Yi Yan had solved the trouble. Therefore, when Xiu Ying heard that her nemesis, the former empress, had taken poison and died, she only felt joy.

The first thing Lu Heng thought when he heard of the news, though, was that Yi Yan had inherited the terrifying ruthlessness of the women from the Yi family clan who married into the imperial family.

Yue Ran, who was reading a book next to Lu Heng, heard from her system, Ruan Ruan, that the female protagonist was still going to work together with Xiu Ying in this world as she did in the plot, which made Yue Ran sneer in her heart.

The female protagonist can try to find as many allies as she wants, but she can never escape the palm of her (Yue Ran's) hand. She (Yi Yan) was doomed to despair.

Lu Heng looked at the silently stunned silly Yue Ran and thought that she was frightened by the news of the former empress' death, so he waved all the palace servants in the room away and embraced Yue Ran into his arms.

"Yue Ran, do not worry," Lu Heng said in a soft tone. "I will always be by your side." After a short silence, he said a word of promise: "Lu Heng will protect Yue Ran for the rest of his life."

Seeing that there was still no response from Yue Ran, Lu Heng did not mind it.

In the past year, Lu Heng had gotten used to Yue Ran's silence and coldness, so this was already expected. But he still did not give up and was persistently and blatantly favoring her alone. Anyway, Yue Ran would most definitely warm up to him after seeing his efforts one day.

…

When Xiu Ying heard about her nemesis's death, she had planned to ask Yi Yan to come over for questioning. However, Yi Yan herself had chosen to come over before Xiu Ying could summon her presence.

"I, your servant, pay my respects to the Empress Dowager," Yi Yan said.

"Get up," Xiu Ying said.

"Thank you, Your Grace," Yi Yan said. "I, your servant, have come here today to ask Your Grace for one thing."

"Why should Ai Jia help you?" Xiu Ying asked as she raised a brow and looked at Yi Yan with an indescribable smile on her face.

(*Ai Jia: This is usually used by empress dowagers to refer to themselves, implying that they are the house of sorrow because the late emperor had died.)

"Because I, your servant, know that Your Grace and His Majesty do not have a harmonious relationship as they have appeared on the outside," Yi Yan replied. "And now that the emperor has just succeeded the dragon throne, Your Grace urgently needs someone of your own people in His Majesty's harem. And I, your servant, am the best candidate for that. This was because I, your servant, am not liked by the emperor now and have no strong natal family; only Your Grace, the empress dowager, can help me. And naturally, I, your servant, will repay Your Grace's grace in the future without fault."

Yi Yan knew that she was now alone and helpless, so she could only survive in this harem with the help of the empress dowager. Moreover, she also knew that the empress dowager would also need her help. She was quite confident in herself that the empress dowager would accept her deal and would cooperate with her very soon.

Looking at Yi Yan, who was kneeling below, Xiu Ying felt that the young woman looked very much like her aunt, the former empress, at this moment. And what Xiu Ying hated the most in life was also the former empress.

How could Xiu Ying really trust what Yi Yan had said when that young girl could even poison her own aunt with her own two hands? Yi Yan's words must be the most unbelievable ones.

However, even so, Xiu Ying did not intend to refuse Yi Yan's request at this moment.

"Thank you, Your Grace," Yi Yan said with obvious joy in her eyes. "But I, your servant, still have one more request."

"What else is there?" Xiu Ying asked.

"I, your servant, wanted to ask Your Grace to give me a new name," Yi Yan said.

Yi Yan had not said this for a reason. The reason she wanted to ask for a new name from the empress dowager was to show others that the empress dowager was her backing and that she had a good relationship with her (the empress dowager), so others should think twice before fighting or going against her (Yi Yan).

A smirk came onto Xiu Ying's lips, and she said, "Then, from now on, you will be named Yi Lin."

From now on, Yi Yan's name will forever be changed to Yi Lin.

This time, Xiu Ying was not afraid of Lu Heng and thus directly lived in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility with no care for the young man's face.

And as soon as the empress dowager in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility waited until the concubines came to pay their respects to her, these concubines began to make trouble.

The women in the third prince's backyard kept arguing and satirizing one another in Xiu Ying's ears. But Xiu Ying did not feel bored; instead, she felt a little fun to see them compete for favor, just as she had in the past. Look at how her hard work (the blood and sacrifice of others that she had to shed) had paid off. She had finally become the empress dowager of the Jin Dynasty, the most honorable woman in the world.

Since Xiu Ying herself had said before that she could not stain her eyes with dirt, she had to show things practically by doing things herself.

Xiu Ying knew just how much Lu Heng loved Yue Ran, so she deliberately said, "Empress, as the role model of all the women in the world, you should advise the emperor that the rain and dew should be shared. The hundred flowers in the harem should bloom together; there is no reason for one flower to bloom alone."

When Xiu Ying said this, everyone instantly understood who she was talking about. But Yue Ran, who was sitting down and listening to other people's "civil" conversation with the rest in boredom, pretended not to understand a thing.

Xiu Ying had actually never expected that Yi Yan, now called Yi Lin, would be squeezed out so quickly. When Xiu Ying saw Yue Ran's face, she knew that no man could actually resist such beauty. Even she, a woman, had to suck in a breath when she saw her (Yue Ran); what more a man who only thinks with his lower body?

"The emperor's status now is different from before," Xiu Ying said. "Having three sons and one daughter was nothing for a prince. But now that he is an emperor, the Son of Heaven, if the rain and dew cannot be evenly spread, how can he prosper? How can he have a legitimate imperial heir?"

After Xiu Ying said her words, everyone looked at Yue Ran in unison, with jealousy and hatred undisguised in their eyes. No one looked at Yue Ran with a friendly gaze.

Xiu Ying looked at this scene with malicious satisfaction in her heart.

"Yes, I, your servant, knew that I was wrong," Chu Ning answered.

Now, Yi Lin could barely be regarded as Xiu Ying's person, so there would be no need for Xiu Ying to embarrass the young girl in front of everyone.

…

Soon, the women from the backyard were sorted into different classes. This news was announced by a eunuch that ran around the six palaces.

There were eight classes in total, and ranking from the highest position to the lowest one were as follows: The empress, the imperial noble consort, the noble consort, the consort, the concubine, the noble lady, the first class attendant, and lastly, the second class attendant.

Chu Ning was obviously the empress, without a doubt.

And just right below her was Yue Ran, the noble consort, titled Yue. The word "Yue" was chosen carefully by Lu Heng. The word "Yue" here was different from Yue Ran's surname and meant the bright moon that shone silver like frost upon the ground. Only when one lifts their head can they see the moon, so distant, so aloof, yet so gentle. However, no one can catch and hug the round silver moon in their arms. The reflection (affection) that shone on the lake was just an illusory image after all.

No matter who was to see Yue Ran, everyone except the emperor, the empress, and the empress dowager had to salute her as Noble Consort Yue.