"Your Majesty, please rise first. The floor is cold."
Yingxiang wanted to step forward to support Consort Chen, but she was pushed aside.
Consort Chen stood up on her own, her expression still displaying her usual arrogance.
"That wretched Song Zhao! I must teach her a lesson and make her realize my power!"
She angrily uttered these words, leaving Noble Consort Xiao breathless with fear.
After Consort Chen left, Consort Shu noticed that Noble Consort Xiao's face had turned pale, so she held her hand and asked, "Why are your hands so cold? Are you feeling unwell?"
Noble Consort Xiao shook her head nervously.
It was evident that she had been terrified of Consort Chen ever since the incident with the snake in the Plum Garden.
Consort Shu advised her, "I can see that you're frightened. But don't worry, the person who offended the Emperor is Consort Chen, and the person who offended Consort Chen is Song Zhao... I mean, Song, the Noble Consort. This matter has nothing to do with you, so don't overthink it."
She naturally placed her hand on Noble Consort Xiao's abdomen and said, "You're pregnant, and nothing is more important than the stability of the imperial heir in your womb. Understand?"
Noble Consort Xiao timidly nodded and said, "Thank you, Consort Shu."
Consort Shu linked her arm with Noble Consort Xiao's and said she would escort her back to her residence.
On the way, she suddenly sighed and said, "Ah, judging by Consort Chen's behavior, it seems that she won't tolerate Song, the Noble Consort. Song, the Noble Consort, has suddenly gained the Emperor's favor, but whether it's a blessing or a curse, we don't know."
Noble Consort Xiao said, "Consort Chen is fiercely jealous, but this is all happening under the Emperor's watchful eyes. I don't think she would dare to do anything too extreme."
Consort Shu replied, "You entered the palace late, so there are many things you don't know. In the past, there was another Noble Consort named Yang. She was as knowledgeable, gentle, and quiet as Song, the Noble Consort, and the Emperor liked her as well. But because she offended Consort Chen, she suddenly went mad without any warning. She wandered the streets with disheveled hair, wearing only a bellyband. Even the imperial physicians couldn't find any clues. Eventually, she drank cinnabar in the palace and took her own life..."
As Consort Shu spoke, she noticed that Noble Consort Xiao's expression had turned unpleasant, so she quickly changed the subject.
"Let's not talk about these things. Consort Chen's maternal family is influential, and even the Emperor has to give her face to some extent. How can we dare to meddle in her affairs? Let's just focus on living our own lives."
On the other side, Xiao Jingheng also accompanied Song Zhao back to her residence.
Along the way, Xiao Jingheng shielded Song Zhao from the wind, and his affection for her was evident to everyone.
After returning to her room, Song Zhao took the initiative to hold Xiao Jingheng's hand, warming his white and delicate palm.
"The Emperor protected me all the way, and you ended up feeling the cold wind. Yunsong, go and prepare some hot ginger tea with brown sugar to warm the Emperor."
"Don't bother, I'm not made of paper." Xiao Jingheng held Song Zhao's hand in his own, his words gentle. "I can protect you for a while, but I can't be by your side all the time. Most of the time, you have to learn to protect yourself. Understand?"
Song Zhao nodded slowly and said, "I understand, my lord."
"What do you understand?" Xiao Jingheng laughed as he pulled her into his embrace. "The most clueless one is you. I felt sorry even watching Consort Chen treat you that way. She may hold the position of a consort, and you should respect her, but you shouldn't allow anyone to mistreat you."
Song Zhao replied softly, "I know, Your Highness."
She leaned against Xiao Jingheng's chest, her hands tightly encircling his slender and firm waist. She resembled a dependent little bird.
"As long as the Emperor is by my side, I'm not afraid of anything. Actually, today's incident shouldn't be entirely blamed on Consort Chen. My mother brought trouble upon herself and caused you unnecessary worries. Consort Chen cares about you, and naturally, she can't stand to see you troubled. Love begets trouble, and concern leads to chaos. That's why she became angry with me."
Xiao Jingheng said, "She has a petulant temperament, but her true nature isn't bad. However, she went too far this time. I will have to ignore her for a couple of days and let her reflect on her actions."
Song Zhao understood that Xiao Jingheng didn't want to discuss Consort Chen's matters at the moment, so she remained silent.
"Would Your Majesty like to taste the dishes I prepared for dinner?" she suddenly asked.
She raised her eyes, and her watery orbs sparkled with a captivating light. "I promised the Empress Dowager that I would prepare a vegetarian feast in the Bamboo Hall tonight. Would you like to join me, Your Majesty?"
Xiao Jingheng leaned closer, his straight nose rubbing against her forehead. "Your cooking is always excellent. I also want to taste the vegetarian dishes you made."
He deliberately lowered his voice and spoke mischievously, "We'll have a vegetarian dinner, but should we indulge in some carnal pleasure at night?"
Song Zhao couldn't bear to hear such suggestive words, and her face turned red instantly.
She lightly patted his chest and complained, "Your Majesty always wants to tease me like this, knowing well that I'm very shy..."
"Shy? Hahaha~" Xiao Jingheng laughed heartily, his broad hand holding onto Song Zhao's waist, causing her to lean back in his embrace. "You are the one who won't let the lights be extinguished, and you are the one who won't let me leave. And now, you say you're shy?"
He tickled the ticklish flesh on the side of the young girl's waist, making her laugh uncontrollably. "Let me see, how does your shyness manifest?"
The curtains fell, and the palace attendants retreated.
The fragrant aroma and the tender jade-like figure were within arm's reach. It would be a waste not to cherish them.
It was time for Song Zhao to give Xiao Jingheng some satisfaction as well.
After all, she had obtained what she wanted.
Although she knew early on that when she returned to the Bamboo Hall, she would undoubtedly be promoted by Xiao Jingheng.
Once she returned to the Bamboo Hall, she began to earnestly set up her next move:
The more Consort Chen tried to win over Consort Shu and Noble Consort Xiao to suppress her, the more she would visit them every day and face rejection.
Because she knew that these things would always reach Xiao Jingheng in an unexpected way, making him see her as both sincere and pitiable.
And sending Xiaoyinzi to the Lotus Heart Pavilion to witness Consort Chen's harassment towards her was intended to make Xiaoyinzi aware of it.
Every day, Xiao Yinzi would send Song Zhao a cup of ginger tea with brown sugar. Naturally, he knew how important Song Zhao was in Xiao Jingheng's heart.
Seeing Song Zhao being humiliated, he would definitely rush to inform Xiao Jingheng about it.
If Xiao Jingheng went to Lianxin Terrace, he would surely put a stop to Consort Chen's mistreatment of Song Zhao.
The root cause of all these troubles was Jiang's offense against the court, which led to the mistreatment of Song Zhao by the other consorts.
Xiao Jingheng wanted to clear Song Zhao's name and the simplest and most direct way to do so was to elevate her status.
Besides, he had already had such thoughts before, and now, with the current relationship between the Empress Dowager and Song Zhao, it was impossible to stop it.
Therefore, everything fell perfectly into place.
Hence, this elevated status was never something that Xiao Jingheng actively bestowed upon Song Zhao.
Instead, she fought for it herself.
Of course, her ambition went far beyond being just a minor noblewoman.
Song Zhao was determined to dominate the entire imperial harem,
to make everyone kneel before her,
to receive their utmost respect and submission,
that would be truly satisfying for her!
