The Beloved Imperial Consort Chapter 1

When Zhou Tong woke up, she was lying on a silky bed. The gentle light of candles that passed through the bed curtain was warm and tranquil. As far as her eyes could reach, everything seemed unfamiliar. The furniture and its arrangement were all in the ancient style. Gradually, a ridiculous idea crossed her mind. As she tried to get up, the surroundings started to spin, and she was hit by an intense urge to throw up. Zhou Tong felt a splitting headache and had to grip the silky bedding tightly, stiffening her body and enduring the discomfort.

After the discomfort subsided, Zhou Tong opened her eyes once again. She could hear a girl’s voice outside the room. She appeared to be giving instructions to someone. The sound of footsteps grew closer. There was more than one person approaching. Zhou Tong instinctively closed her eyes. She relaxed her body and steadied her breath, as she lay there quietly.

After a while, Zhou Tong felt a soft touch on her forehead. The girl exclaimed with joy, “Great, the fever is gone. According to the physician, Miss should be all right. We just have to wait until tomorrow and then report it to the Master and Madam. They’ll surely be happy.” The girl tucked her up and stayed for a while. Then, she instructed others to check the doors and windows. Leaving only one candle lit, she and the others exited the room.

Zhou Tong finally felt at ease. After sorting out all the miscellaneous thoughts, anger took over: “Damn the bad luck! I’m thousands of miles away from home, with only a small possibility of return!”

This transmigration was bizarre. Not only was her soul forcibly taken away, but she had also gained an unexpected boon.

The original owner of this body was an eleven-year-old girl named Mu Xi Yao. Just a cup of tea’s time¹ ago, she was suffering from a fever, but unfortunately for her, her body was accidentally taken over by the transmigrating demoness Zhou Tong.

Mu Xi Yao was supposed to pass away in twenty-three years, suffering a tragic end. On her deathbed, while being grievously ill and vomiting blood, a deep bud of hatred sprouted within her. Coincidentally, it triggered the precious jade she had always carried with herself to awaken. This jade pendant had the spiritual power to save its owner from misfortune. To fulfill Mu Xi Yao’s wish and pacify her malevolent spirit, the jade pendant decided to protect its owner and allow her to be reborn. Thus, it forcibly tore through time and space. Zhou Tong’s body couldn’t withstand transmigration, so it was crushed in the process and dissipated. Subsequently, Mu Xi Yao’s body also suffered damage, leaving only a broken soul behind.

The spiritual jade pendant decided to merge the soul of its owner at the juncture when it still had time to accomplish her wish. It picked the seriously ill eleven-year-old little Xi Yao to fulfill the task. However, an unforeseen event happened. The visitor from another world, Zhou Tong, was one step ahead of them and had seized the decisive moment. She successfully KO-ed little Xi Yao. With little spiritual power left, the jade had no other option but to acknowledge Zhou Tong as its owner. Only by doing so could it save its original owner.

So far, Zhou Tong had gained all the advantages of being on home ground. She had inherited Mu Xi Yao’s memories and some aspects of her personality. Thanks to this stroke of luck, she was able to accept her fate.

Alright, Zhou Tong absolutely wasn’t aware that she was the most powerful female transmigrator ever to exist, as she was able to drive out the original owner, who was under the protection of a deity. A truly ferocious and capable girl. Who knew what other surprises were laying ahead?

Zhou Tong was fuming with rage upon discovering that the cause of her previous discomfort and splitting headache was the spiritual jade pendant. She was even more displeased with the problems it brought with it. She felt deeply wronged and was disappointed by the jade as it couldn’t protect its owner or kick her out of the owner’s body so that she could take a return flight to her world! She was left with nothing but a heap of trouble. It was obvious that Zhou Tong’s mood was not wonderful at all.

Of course, this woman would never admit that she was only pretending to be mistreated after receiving such a great favor.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to Zhou Tong: if the thirty-year-old Mu Xi Yao possessed the spiritual jade pendant, then the eleven-year-old Mu Xi Yao must also have it. While searching the younger Mu Xi Yao’s body, she didn’t find any accessories resembling the jade. She then checked inside the jewelry box on the dressing table. As expected. One glance was enough for her to recognize it. Among the pile of jewelry, only the jade emitted a faint light. It was small, beautifully carved, smooth, and warm in the hands. It was clear that it had been activated by spiritual power. She tried to call it, but it didn’t respond. Even the light it was emitting earlier has vanished. Zhou Tong contemplated: “Did this treasure self-destruct?” Currently, she could only take good care of this pendant, as it could be her ticket back.

Zhou Tong had a successful life in her world. She fared well in her career and even better in relationships. Naturally, she had her own virtues. Despite her little ego, aojiao² nature, and her tendency to be lazy, she never made a mistake in important matters. Since she wasn’t sure if she could return, she decided to behave and accept Mu Xi Yao’s identity. The most important thing right now was to study the memories of twenty-something years from now on. It would be wonderful if she could understand the overall context. As she browsed through the memories, her face turned darker and darker until it was completely black. Her mood sank into the abyss, even the sky appeared gloomy. It was like dense vines were wrapped around her, making it difficult to breathe.

It was currently the ninth spring of Great Wei’s Zhang He³, Yuanchen Emperor’s thirty-first year of reign.

The current Emperor was the son of the Gaozu Emperor and Empress Su. He was greatly favored by Gaozu Emperor, who oversaw his upbringing personally. He was said to be bright and courageous, particularly filial to elders.

When the Emperor was three years old, Empress Su passed away. The Emperor was heartbroken, longing for his birth mother. Since then, he became even more filial to his elders. He was later entrusted to the care of the newly instated Empress Jing, who was childless for her whole life but devoted herself to raising and nurturing Emperor Yuanchen with great love and generosity.

Accomplished at an early age and with great ambitions, he ascended to the throne at the age of 12 after Gaozu Emperor’s death. With the full support of Empress Dowager Jing, he secured the imperial court from within and defended against barbarians from the outside. In comparison to Gaozu’s era, he was even more remarkable. He first reclaimed three provinces in Jibei, then quelled the chaos caused by vassal kings. He also established mathematical schools, implemented new laws, and supported agricultural businesses. This content belongs to thehlifestyle.com, if you see this translation elsewhere, it’s been stolen!

All of a sudden, Great Wei appeared to be prospering.

Lady Xi Yao of Mu Clan was the youngest di⁴ daughter of the fifth-rank prefect, Mu Jing Zhen. She was deeply favored from birth. Firstly, she had an elder brother, Mu Jing Zhi, and an elder di sister, Mu Xi Cheng, who both treasured her. Additionally, there was a little shu⁵ sister born to a concubine who fawned over her, as well as particularly doting parents and elders. She was practically pampered and spoiled rotten by them all.

Sir Mu cherished his wife, Lady Yu. Over the past years, he rarely stepped into his concubine’s chambers. Till now, there was only little shu sister’s birth mother, Concubine Wu left, who was previously Lady Yu’s dowry maidservant⁶. All other childless bedchamber maidservants ⁷ and concubines were sent away.

Mu Xi Yao, who grew up in such a harmonious environment, lived like a princess. Though she had a little temper, she was simple-minded and good-natured. Xi Yao was lively but lacked the patience to take lessons from her tutor, who was invited into the residence to teach her. Thus, whether it was poetry, music, needlework, or culinary skills, they were all barely presentable. The Mu Household was harmonious and had upright family conduct, which provided Mu Xi Yao with a pure and warm youth. However, it indirectly caused her to be unable to adapt to the dark and blood-reeking inner yard⁸, where she was unable to defend herself, let alone take revenge.

The House of Mu wasn’t a prominent or noble family, so they never thought of clambering over the dragon and following the phoenix⁹.

Their eldest daughter was already engaged and waiting to get married.

The younger daughter was very charming but mischievous and lacked any notable talents. Her appearance was just barely considered delicate. Initially, they intended to pick for her a person from a well-off family after her card was turned down during the Selection¹⁰. They wanted to find her a husband who would be considerate and cherish her,. They didn’t need him to have a remarkable career. Instead, they sought steadiness and smoothness, peaceful life, children running around her knees, and being able to enjoy family life.

It was all futile. The Heaven Family¹¹ held one year ahead the quadrennial Selection to choose concubines and secondary spouses for members of the imperial family. Thirteen-year-old maidens from the sixth rank and higher officials’ households who were not yet engaged were ordered by the Yuancheng Emperor to participate. Mu Xi Yao could not escape it and had to hurry to Shengjing as a lady-in-waiting to attend the Selection. Due to her plump face and voluptuous figure, she was chosen by Consort Shu to be the Sixth Prince’s concubine.

Mu Xi Yao’s tragedy, hereby, began.

Because of her ordinary appearance, Xi Yao was not favored much at first. The Sixth Prince, Zong Zheng Lin, paid little attention to women. He was upright, serious, indifferent, and silent. Xi Yao attended to him only two or three times a month. Zong Zheng Lin had not yet performed the rite of passage¹², and as a result, he did not have a Principal Wife yet. He still lived in the palace and had only a few concubines in the inner yard. Mu Xi Yao was quick-witted and had no conflicts with others. After half a year, she gradually gained the Sixth Prince’s favor.

After receiving favor for three consecutive months, Mu Xi Yao was diagnosed with pregnancy. Later, she gave birth to Zong Zheng Lin’s eldest daughter. However, the inner yard was a dark place, and the child died prematurely before even reaching one month. Devastated by grief, Xi Yao fell ill during the postnatal period, severely weakening her body. She had no choice but to nurse herself back to health and was unable to serve during this time. Zong Zheng Lin was occupied with matters not only in the Ministry of Justice but also had to assist the Crown Prince in handling affairs in the Ministry of Appointments. He had many affairs to attend to, so he rarely visited the inner yard.

Soon after, the Principal Wife entered the household, and various beauties were brought in one after another. The relationship between Xi Yao and Zong Zheng Lin was still shallow, and before she could solidify her favor, it was already divided. Slowly, she was reduced to being an ordinary and dispensable concubine.

After this blow, the former Mu Xi Yao, who was once lively and liked to smile, underwent a drastic change. She seemed to be heavily soaked in the evening mist, her liveliness now absent.

Subsequently, Zong Zheng Lin established his official residence outside the palace, and Mu Xi Yao, along with other women, entered the Sixth Prince’s residence. Four years later, she finally gave birth to another daughter. Even though this time she was extremely careful, without any trusted people to assist her, after suffering a cold, her second daughter also died. Two years later, while in her seventh month of pregnancy, under the vicious tricks of Jiang Cefei¹³, she miscarried an already-formed male fetus. Following this miscarriage, Xi Yao was never again pregnant.

As the struggle over the throne intensified, Zong Zheng Lin, who has been hiding his great ambitions, became engrossed in the work and disregarded his inner yard. Those concubines who were with no favor, all alone and childless, thoroughly fell into the mud, with no one paying an attention to them.

Even though the Sixth Prince eventually ascended to the throne, it wasn’t to be for Mu Xi Yao to receive a high rank in the Imperial Harem. She has been bestowed the title of fourth rank Chonghua and her palace dwelled in some secluded corner. Bed-ridden all year round and living in a remote palace, it was no different than living in a Cold Palace¹⁴. She died attended by only a single maidservant.

It had been twenty years since Mu Xi Yao had entered the palace, and she had not been able to see her family even once. If it wasn’t for the blessing of the jade, her vengeful spirit and growing resentment would have made it impossible for her to reincarnate.

In this lifetime, the little Xi Yao was possessed by Zhou Tong early on. She did not feel any pain and was unaware of her miserable and desperate previous life. This could also be considered a kind of relief.

The current ‘Mu Xi Yao’ was fuming with rage between her gritted teeth. The fire inside her heart was hard to quench. Her eyes were piercing cold: “Very well. I was mysteriously brought here only to end up lonely and bitter?” Having undergone special training in overwhelming palace struggle novels and TV dramas, she has long been a theoretical expert in the fields of fighting for favor and raising children. So how could she tolerate herself walking this path until the end?

In her mind, there was no such thing as a tragedy. As a ruthless person who went by ‘if someone stabs me once, I will pay them back with a hundred thousand stabs’, Mu Xi Yao fiercely gritted her teeth and thought of several names. She closed her eyes and contemplated how to reverse her position as the second female lead…..

Translator’s notes: 

[1] A cup of tea’s time means 5 min.

[2] 傲娇 (ao jiao) – there’s no convenient equivalent of this word in English. It was originally adopted by Chinese netizens, after the boom of mangas and anime. Its interpretation is “seemingly arrogant and standoffish but kind and tender inside.”

[3] Great Wei’s Zhang He means era name.

[4] Di refers to children born to principal wives.

[5] Shu refers to children born to concubines.

[6] Dowry maidservant is a maidservant, that comes along with bride (as a form of dowry) to her husband’s household. She can later become the husband’s concubine, either on husbands request or if wife wants to.

[7] Bedchamber maidservants refer to concubines with low status (lower than actual concubines) as their role was only to satisfy physical needs of their master.

[8] Inner yard is a place where womenfolk resided.

[9] Clamber over the dragon and follow the phoenix is a Chinese idiom meaning to seek connections with the highers – ups and rise to power.

[10] The selection is held every three-four years, it’s an event during which the young women were chosen as spouses or concubines to members of imperial family.

[11] Heaven Family refers to the imperial family.

[12] Rite of passage or coming of age ceremony is held when man reach age of maturity. It means that he is matured, ready to marry, and can participate in certain activities.

[13] Cefei is a title held by secondary wife of imperial princes (one rank below the official wife). Even though cefei’s position is higher than those of ordinary concubines (as her name is recognized by imperial lineage) she is still considered as concubine.

[14] Cold palace is a place where imperial concubines, that have fallen out of favor or committed a serious offense were confined and kept under a watch.

List of TBIC Character

Relationship Diagram  (by Sith Kazar)