Facing The Reality Of Her Love
Ranking Of The Emperor's Imperial Concubine
"For readers interested in understanding the imperial ranking system, this explanation will help clarify the hierarchy, avoiding confusion while reading the novel." if not interested scroll to the down and read chapter 1
Highest Ranks
1. *Huanghou* (: Empress) - the highest-ranking consort, usually the emperor's wife
2. *Huangguifei* (: Imperial Noble Consort) - a high-ranking consort, often the mother of a prince
3. *Guifei* (: Noble Consort) - a high-ranking consort, often favored by the emperor
4. *Zhaoyi* (: Imperial Consort of Bright Righteousness) - a high-ranking consort
.5 *Fei* (: Consort) - a mid-to-high-ranking consort
6. *Xianfei* (: first rank lady) - a high-ranking consort
7. *Pin* (: imperial concubine ) - a mid-ranking consort
8. *Cairen* (: Talented Person) - a lower-to-middle-ranking consort
9 *Wenyuan* (: Literary Origin) - a middle-ranking consort
10. *Yiren* (: Noble Lady) - a middle-ranking consort
11 *Zhaoyuan* (: Imperial Consort of Bright and Beautiful) - a mid-ranking consort
Chapter 1
Mei Liang barely had time to cry out before rough hands seized her arms. The cold night air bit at her skin as she was dragged from Chunqi Residence, her silk robes tangling beneath her feet. The palace guards moved swiftly, their grip unrelenting, offering no explanation.
Her mind reeled. What had she done?
As a concubine of the emperor, she had never been treated this way before. Born into privilege, she was the treasured daughter of General Mei, the famed protector of the Ming Dynasty's northern borders. Her father and brother had shielded her from all hardship, cherishing her like a delicate jewel.
At the royal banquet, she had fallen for the emperor at first sight, dazzled by his presence. Enchanted by her beauty, he took her into the palace as a Wenyuan Concubine of the ninth rank. With his favor, she quickly rose to Imperial Concubine, basking in wealth and prestige. But power was a fickle thing.
Drunk on privilege, she grew arrogant, blind to the shifting tides of the harem. She made enemies—too many. One by one, she alienated the consorts, even the empress herself. When Imperial Concubine Jun presented damning evidence that linked her to the death of Consort Zhao's child, a crime punishable by death, Mei Liang lost everything.
Stripped of her title, she was demoted back to Wenyuan of the ninth rank.
Now, humiliated and shamed, she was hauled through the grand gates of Yunqi Palace, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. The heavy doors groaned open, revealing a dimly lit hall filled with judgmental gazes.
At the center sat the emperor, his golden robes flowing like molten sun, expression unreadable. To his left, the empress, poised and regal, eyes filled with quiet disdain. Consort De watched impassively, while Imperial Concubine Jun smirked triumphantly. The other concubines stood in silent anticipation, like vultures awaiting a feast.
Mei Liang, once adorned in jewels and silk, now stood before them disheveled, her ornaments stripped away, her hair in disarray. Yet, even in disgrace, she did not forget her place.
Biting back her trembling, she lowered herself into a deep bow. Her voice, though quiet, remained steady.
"Long live the Emperor, ten thousand years, ten thousand thousand. Long live the Empress, ten thousand years of peace. Long live the Consorts and Imperial Concubines. I wish you all peace and good health."
A beat of silence. Then, the emperor's voice, calm yet distant: "You may rise."
Slowly, she stood, smoothing the wrinkles from her torn sleeves.
"May this concubine ask the emperor why I was dragged here by the guards?" Her voice held neither defiance nor fear, only a quiet determination.
Before the emperor could speak, a sharp voice cut through the chamber. "Impudent!"
Imperial Concubine Jun's lips curled in disdain as she stepped forward. "How dare you question His Majesty?"
Mei Liang turned toward her, meeting her gaze without flinching.
"Imperial Concubine Jun, I ask again—what crime have I committed?"
Gasps rippled through the gathered women. The tension thickened.
Imperial Concubine Jun let out a mocking laugh. "You still dare to deny it?"
The room fell silent, all eyes locked on Mei Liang. Even the emperor and empress remained still, watching, waiting.
Then, Imperial Concubine Jun's voice dropped, her tone as cold as the frost creeping into the palace walls.
"Did you know, Mei Liang, that your father has betrayed the country? That he sold the Ming Dynasty's secrets to our enemies?"
Mei Liang's breath caught. The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet.
"Your brother," Imperial Concubine Jun continued mercilessly, "was slaughtered on the battlefield pierced by a thousand arrows to the heart. Your father is being escorted to the capital as we speak… to be publicly executed for treason."
A stunned silence filled the hall.
Mei Liang's vision blurred, her pulse roaring in her ears. Her father… a traitor? Her brother… gone?
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came.
Everything she had ever known, ever trusted shattered in an instant.
And in that moment, as she stood under the weight of their condemning stares, Mei Liang realized one chilling truth.
This was not just punishment. This was a death sentence.
"You're lying!" Mei Liang's voice trembled with fury, her heart pounding against her ribs. "My father is loyal to His Majesty and our country! He would never betray the empire!"
Desperation gripped her as she crawled forward, grasping the emperor's royal robe with trembling hands. Her vision blurred with tears.
"Your Majesty, you know my father and brother's loyalty! They have shed blood for this empire. Someone is framing them I beg you to investigate! Please… prove my father's innocence!"
Her words hung in the air, thick with anguish. But the moment her tear-streaked face lifted, she met the emperor's cold, unreadable gaze. His expression didn't waver only a flicker of something darker passed through his eyes.
Then, disgust. A sharp laugh rang out. "How dare you lie?"
Imperial Concubine Jun's voice sliced through the silence like a dagger. She took a deliberate step forward, her lips curling in cruel amusement.
"You dare plead innocence when you were caught practicing witchcraft?" Her gaze burned with satisfaction. "You tied His Majesty's beloved Consort Wei's name, birthdate, and zodiac sign to a voodoo doll—pierced with needles. Do you still dare deny your crime?"
A murmur rippled through the hall. Eyes turned to Mei Liang, filled with judgment, with scorn.
Mei Liang's breath caught in her throat. "Your Majesty, please investigate! I swear, I had nothing to do with this!"
But her plea was met with silence. Emperor Xiang barely moved, his face carved from ice. Then, with a flick of his fingers, a eunuch stepped forward, cradling something in his hands.
A small, crude figure. The voodoo doll.
Without a word, the emperor took it and threw it at Mei Liang's face. It struck her cheek, falling limply at her feet.
"Do you still dare to lie?" His voice was low, seething. "This was found in your chambers. Your own palace maid, Mei Meng, testified against you."
A sharp, stinging pain blossomed across Mei Liang's chest, but it wasn't from the impact.
Mei Meng? The same Mei Meng who had stood by her side through storms and struggles, who had vowed unwavering loyalty?
Mei Liang's stomach twisted. Her fingers curled into the silk of her ruined robes. How… how could she?
A movement at the corner of her eyes Mei Meng stepping into the hall, head bowed, her shoulders trembling.
The betrayal hit harder than any blow.
Mei Liang's body moved before she could think. She strode toward Mei Meng, her voice raw with anguish.
"How could you do this to me?"
Before anyone could react, her hand struck across Mei Meng's cheek. The sharp sound echoed through the chamber. Gasps filled the air.
Even the concubines, who had long abandoned sympathy for her, were momentarily stunned. After all, they knew how much Mei Liang had doted on Mei Meng, treating her not as a servant, but as a sister.
Mei Meng's head snapped to the side. For a moment, she didn't speak. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said:
"I'm sorry, Mistress… They told me I had to do it… to save the young master and the general."
The words sent a chilling stillness through the hall.
Mei Liang's breath came in sharp gasps. Her fingers trembled at her sides.
"Once I finish this request," Mei Meng continued, "they promised to let them go."
A bitter laugh broke through the silence.
"Who are you deceiving?" Imperial Concubine Jun sneered, stepping forward with leisurely confidence. "Who in this palace could threaten you so gravely, yet you wouldn't report it to your mistress?"
Her voice dripped with malice, her gaze shining with victory.
Turning to the emperor, she inclined her head slightly. "Your Majesty, what shall be done with Wenyuan Mei now?"
A heavy pause. Then, Emperor Xiang's cold voice rang through the hall.
"Because of your father's past achievements, you will be spared the punishment of an ordinary traitor."
Mei Liang barely had a moment to hope before his next words struck like a blade.
"Instead, you will be sentenced to death by a thousand cuts."
The pronouncement sent a ripple of cruel delight through the concubines. A slow, mocking smile spread across Imperial Concubine Jun's lips.
"Wenyuan Mei, aren't you grateful?" she taunted. "Why don't you thank His Majesty for his mercy?"
A long silence filled the hall. Mei Liang lifted her gaze, no longer pleading, no longer broken. Her lips curled in cold, bitter defiance.
"Thank him?" she whispered.
Her eyes darkened with unshed tears, but there was no weakness in them anymore. Only a quiet, seething rage.
"I spent four years in this palace, devoted to him. I loved him. And this—" she gestured around the hall, at the faces filled with amusement and disdain "—this is my reward?"
She let out a breathless, bitter laugh.
"Then, tell me, Your Majesty…" Her voice was barely a whisper, but it carried through the chamber. "Was it worth all my effort?"
"Now I see why they say the imperial family is the most heartless of all."
The words fell like a stone in the silent hall. Gasps rippled through the gathered concubines, their eyes darting toward the emperor, waiting for his reaction.
A sudden bang echoed as Consort Wei slammed her hand against the armrest of her seat. The delicate mask of her usual gentleness shattered, her face flushing red with fury.
"How dare you curse His Majesty?" she snapped, her voice ringing with outrage.
But Mei Liang only laughed—a sound cold and hollow. She turned to Consort Wei, her lips curling in bitter amusement.
"Can you shut up, Consort Wei? Or should I call you by your real name—Wei Ting?"
Consort Wei stiffened. Mei Liang's voice dropped, her eyes burning with unshed rage.
"You don't understand my pain. You don't know what it's like to watch your entire family die because of you."
Silence fell over the hall. Even the emperor, who had remained impassive, shifted slightly in his seat.
Mei Liang took a shaky breath, her voice laced with bitter irony. "Because of the emperor's careless words, I learned about the Western army's struggles. I thought I could help. I thought if I told my father, the great General Mei, he would lead them to victory."
A sharp, broken laugh escaped her lips.
"But I was a fool. My father commanded the Northern Army. The Western Army was not his battle to fight. And yet, because of me, he went."****"I sent my brother and father to their deaths."
A choked breath caught in her throat, but she forced herself to continue, her voice shaking.
"Can you even begin to understand that kind of pain?" Mei Liang's eyes locked onto Consort Wei's, burning with grief and fury. "Your father is nothing but a civil official. He sits in a grand hall and plays with ink and paper while my father—while my brother—bled and died on the battlefield. What do you know of loss?"
She stepped forward, her voice dropping to a whisper, sharp as a blade.
"Don't you dare pretend to be sympathetic in front of me. You know damn well I had nothing to do with this ridiculous voodoo doll. You and the emperor—now that my family's influence is gone—you want me eliminated."
Consort Wei's face burned crimson with rage. "Wenyuan Mei!" she snapped. "How dare you accuse me? You know what you've done—don't hide behind a pitiful act!"
The tension in the hall grew thick, suffocating. Every pair of eyes flickered between Mei Liang and Consort Wei, waiting for the next explosion.
Then, a voice, smooth and taunting, broke through the heavy silence. "Your Majesty."
Imperial Concubine Jun stepped forward, her movements slow and deliberate, her lips curling into a smile as she turned to the emperor. "Allow me to reason with Sister Mei first."
She tilted her head, her tone dripping with feigned concern, but the glint in her eyes was anything but kind.
From his golden throne, Emperor Xiang leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable—except for the faint, devilish smirk that played at the corner of his lips.
"Zen gives you permission proceed, Imperial Concubine Jun."