The sudden sound caught Xiao Jingheng off guard, sending a shiver down his spine.
He looked up and saw that Song Zhao was standing at the doorway, though he didn't know when she had arrived.
In front of her was a mess of spilled soup and broken porcelain shards scattered on the floor.
Hot soup splashed onto her delicate jade shoes, surely scalding her feet.
But Song Zhao seemed oblivious to the pain.
Her eyes widened with shock and disbelief, and tears welled up instantly, spilling over her cheeks.
"Father..."
Her voice was barely a whisper,
almost gasping out the words before fainting.
"Zhao'er!"
Xiao Jingheng swiftly stepped forward, catching Song Zhao's arm in his quick and agile hands, pulling her into his embrace to prevent her from falling and getting cut by the broken shards.
"Zhao'er? Zhao'er!"
He called her name repeatedly, but the young girl in his arms showed no response.
Furious, he raised his gaze and glared at Jiang Deshun, who was already petrified, and shouted:
"Why are you still standing there? Go fetch the imperial physician!"
Song Zhao, in her 'unconscious' state, could clearly hear all the commotion around her.
Xiao Jingheng carried her onto the bed, holding her hand tightly while speaking words of concern.
Later, the imperial physician arrived and, after examining her pulse, joyfully reported to Xiao Jingheng:
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Song Guiren is already two months pregnant!"
Xiao Jingheng was overjoyed, but he didn't forget to inquire about Song Zhao's current condition.
One by one, the other consorts learned about the news and hurried to visit Song Zhao.
Throughout it all, Song Zhao lay quietly on the bed, even controlling her breathing rhythm perfectly,
looking as if she were merely asleep.
After nearly an hour of being unconscious, she finally stirred her fingers slightly, and her closed eyelids began to flutter.
"Your Majesty, Song Guiren is showing signs of waking up!"
"Zhao'er, can you hear me?"
Xiao Jingheng held Song Zhao's hand tightly. She could even feel the thin layer of sweat on his palm.
She lifted her heavy eyelids and the first thing she saw was Xiao Jingheng standing by her bedside.
That day, it could be said that it was the liveliest day in the Western Pavilion of the Yao Hua Palace since Song Zhao entered the palace.
All the consorts were present, without exception.
However, their expressions varied greatly, each harboring their own thoughts.
Seeing Song Zhao awake, Xiao Jingheng exclaimed with joy, "Zhao'er, you've finally awakened! You had me so worried!"
At first, Song Zhao was a little puzzled by the situation in the palace, but she quickly regained her senses.
Suddenly, she sat up straight from the bed, grabbed Xiao Jingheng's hand, and asked eagerly, her emotions running high:
"Your Majesty! Did Grand Tutor Jiang really say those words to you? Father...?"
Xiao Jingheng looked into Song Zhao's teary eyes, which still held a glimmer of hope,
but at this point, the truth couldn't be concealed any longer. Once a person dies, they cannot be brought back to life.
He took a deep breath and spoke with a hint of helplessness, "I will give your father a proper burial and maintain his title as Duke Huguo."
"Father... Father... No!!!"
Upon hearing these words, Song Zhao felt as if the last straw she had been clutching onto had been mercilessly broken.
Her emotions completely collapsed, and her crying became hysterical, her voice hoarse from the strain.
Witnessing this scene, even the most cold-hearted individuals would be infected by her emotions, feeling a sense of compassion.
Xiao Jingheng's eyes turned red, as he tried his best to hold back his tears in front of the concubines.
"Emperor... I no longer have a father, and I no longer have any family, Emperor!"
Song Zhao buried her head in Xiao Jingheng's embrace, trembling as she cried, her emotions unusually intense.
When a person is in a state of extreme sadness, it is very easy for those around them to be affected.
Xiao Jingheng originally wanted to console Song Zhao, but when he spoke, his voice choked up, leaving him speechless.
Later on, it was the Empress who, with red eyes, advised,
"Song Noble Lady, you have been pregnant for two months now. Considering the well-being of the imperial heir, you should not let your emotions be so agitated."
"Pregnant?" Song Zhao choked up, lifting her head from Xiao Jingheng's embrace, tears falling as she stared blankly at her flat belly.
Clearly, the news of her pregnancy did not heal the wounds in Song Zhao's heart.
She completely avoided mentioning this matter, as if she was trying hard to suppress her emotions, but she couldn't help but sob, causing people's hearts to ache as they watched.
What more could Xiao Jingheng do at this moment?
All words of comfort seemed feeble and powerless; all he could do was silently wipe away Song Zhao's tears, holding her tighter, and even tighter.
The imperial physician, seeing that Song Zhao's agitated emotions were not calming down, anxiously spoke:
"Noble Lady, you must not let your emotions become too agitated. I just examined your pulse, and although it is a joyful pulse, there are signs of weakness and slipperiness. Perhaps it is because since becoming pregnant, you have been consistently low-spirited and sorrowful. If you continue to grieve like this, it may harm the well-being of the imperial heir..."
The imperial physician's words indicated that Song Zhao had been low-spirited and sorrowful since becoming pregnant.
Isn't that the truth?
Calculating the days of her pregnancy, she had experienced the death of her stepmother, and even killed her own elder sister with her own hands.
And now, the only living father she had in this world couldn't bear the blows and took his own life.
In just two months, the Song family experienced a catastrophic loss, a blow that no one could withstand.
Xiao Jingheng truly felt heartache for Song Zhao.
He looked at the beauty in his arms, who wept so pitifully, took a deep breath to adjust his own sorrowful emotions, and then spoke solemnly:
"Spread my decree! From this moment on, Song Noble Lady shall be promoted to the rank of Imperial Consort!"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the concubines present were dumbfounded, even more shocked than when they heard the news of Song Zhao's pregnancy!
In the history of the Qichao Dynasty, there had never been a rule that a concubine should be promoted immediately upon becoming pregnant.
Moreover, this rank of Imperial Consort was not a small position like a consort, a common presence in the palace.
This was a position of a primary consort.
To bestow the position of a primary consort, it was necessary to draft the imperial decree in advance, set an auspicious date for the investiture, and perform the rituals of the investiture.
After a series of procedures, the promotion of a consort should take at least three months of preparation.
But now, with just one sentence from Xiao Jingheng, Song Zhao was to be immediately promoted to the rank of Imperial Consort.
It was truly too rushed.
As the Empress, the head of the harem, even though she was usually composed, she could not help but speak out in frustration:
"Your Majesty, bestowing a consort's position is no trivial matter. Moreover, there has never been a precedent where a concubine is promoted upon becoming pregnant. Your..."
"And so what?"
Before the Empress could finish her words of advice, Xiao Jingheng sternly interrupted her, his words resounding with authority:
"Since it has never been done before, then I shall establish this precedent today!"
——
Aside: Here I come again, babbling!
My lovely readers, please don't complain about the slow progress. This is a tale of palace intrigue, not a sweet romance! Do any of the characters here strike you as naïve? Therefore, even if Sister Song is pregnant, without her meticulous calculations and cunning schemes, the Emperor would never simply grant her the position of a primary consort.
Moreover, consider this: she has only been in the palace for half a year, and she has already soared from one promotion to another. Isn't that like riding a rocket?
Don't fret, my dear readers. Once Sister Song, the formidable demon queen, ascends to the position of a primary consort, chaos will ensue in the imperial harem~
