Consort Shu seemed to be chatting idly with Song Zhao, but every sentence was crucial.
With Xiao Jingheng's family fortunes lost, for him to receive another promotion would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Therefore, giving birth to a noble son now was her only chance.
But her child was a full three months behind the children of the Empress and Noble Consort Xiao. No matter what, Song Zhao could not possibly give birth before them.
Consort Shu was a clever woman who understood human nature very well.
Although Song Zhao used to be the type who did not compete or grab, every child is their mother's weakness.
So Consort Shu thought that even if Song Zhao did not plan for her own future prospects, for the sake of her child, it would be easier for her to have improper thoughts.
If she took Consort Shu's words to heart today,
No matter if Song Zhao hurt Noble Consort Xiao herself or daringly plotted against the Empress,
Consort Shu could hide behind the scenes and watch the tigers fight, reaping the fisherman's profits.
Later, Yun Shan came in to pour tea for them, and Consort Shu stopped talking.
To show her intimacy with Song Zhao, she chatted with her for a good while before saying,
"Then the younger sister should rest well. This palace will take its leave first."
Just now when Yun Shan was serving tea outside the door, she overheard a couple sentences of what Consort Shu said unintentionally.
After Consort Shu left, she said, "My Lady... the provocative meaning in Consort Shu's overt and covert words was really too obvious."
Song Zhao laughed. "She's a clever woman. She could make her words so obvious just to let me hear the melody. As for what I choose to do after listening to her, those are my decisions and have nothing to do with her."
Yun Shan said, "With her provocative words sentence after sentence, my Lady certainly won't believe them. But she was right about one thing she said. Now the positions in the rear palace are firmly occupied. Even if my Lady gives birth to an imperial heir in the future, due to the misfortunes suffered by your maternal family, it will be very difficult to receive a higher position."
Song Zhao took a sip of fresh milk from her teacup, then smiled calmly,
"Since the positions in the rear palace are firmly occupied, then I’ll make one corner vacant and neatly give up the spot for myself."
At this time, Xiao Fuzi also rushed back.
As soon as Yun Shan saw him, she asked in surprise, "It's closest from Changle Palace to Xianshou Palace. You went to deliver scriptures to the Empress Dowager, so why were you gone for so long?"
Xiao Fuzi grinned evilly, waving his empty sleeves in front of the master and servant.
Then he suddenly stretched out his hand next to Yun Shan's ear, scaring her to unconsciously take two steps back.
"You monkey! What are you doing?"
"Hehe~"
Xiao Fuzi waved his hand at Yun Shan. Only then did she see that a sachet had inexplicably appeared in his originally empty hand.
Xiao Fuzi knew magic tricks. When there was nothing to do in the palace in the past, he would always do magic tricks to entertain Song Zhao and Yun Shan.
Seeing his lack of integrity, Yun Shan glared at him. "How can you be so shameless! I... Huh?"
She had just mocked him for a few words when she recognized the pattern of a qilin hugging the sun on the sachet in his hand.
She widened her eyes in surprise. "Isn't this Consort Shu's sachet? How did you get it?"
Xiao Fuzi exchanged glances and smiles with Song Zhao, then presented the sachet to Song Zhao respectfully.
Song Zhao took the sachet and weighed it in her palm. "Did you take it cleanly?"
Xiao Fuzi patted his chest and looked very confident. "Has my Lady forgotten how fast these hands were when I did magic tricks for you in the past? I just bumped into Consort Shu at the door and got this item in an instant. She naturally didn't notice."
Yun Shan was even more confused when she heard this. "Ah! My Lady and Xiao Fuzi are playing guessing games with this servant again!"
Song Zhao laughed. "The Empress Dowager didn't ask me to copy scriptures at all. Do you understand now?"
Yun Shan thought for a moment. Suddenly there was a sparkle in her eyes and she clapped her hands loudly. "So the scriptures you gave to Xiao Fuzi just now actually had instructions for him to steal Consort Shu's sachet?"
Song Zhao nodded gently with a smile.
As for what purpose this sachet would serve...
Song Zhao naturally had her arrangements.
*
The next afternoon, the weather was exceptionally sunny.
Xiao Jingheng said he wanted to take Song Zhao to the Imperial Garden to appreciate flowers.
The messenger was Xiao Yinzi. Upon hearing this, Song Zhao said, "Then please wait a moment, this palace is going to change into clothes."
After being conferred the title of Noble Lady, Song Zhao could now ride in a sedan chair when going out.
The sedan chair in her palace was bestowed by Xiao Jingheng personally. The interior walls were even pasted with a special fragrance.
Xiao Jingheng said since he could not openly give Song Zhao favor in the Pepper Room, this would serve as a substitute to show their affection for each other.
Xiao Fuzi had the palace maid put down the sedan chair outside the main hall to wait while he took Xiao Yinzi to the side hall for tea.
He was lively by nature and served Xiao Jingheng’s beloved. Naturally it was easy for him to get along well with people in the palace.
For example, in private, he and Xiao Yinzi got along very well.
While chatting casually over tea, Xiao Yinzi asked him, "I’m going out of the palace to purchase supplies next month. Let me know in advance if you need me to bring back anything."
Xiao Fuzi said, "That works out great then. Please help me buy a jeweled hairpin with orchid flowers from Butterfly Pavilion."
Xiao Yinzi joked, "What, you still haven't confessed your feelings to Lady Yun Shan?"
"Don't talk nonsense..." Xiao Fuzi lightly punched his shoulder and smiled self-deprecatingly. "I’m a eunuch. What more could I hope for? She’s twenty-five this year so she can leave the palace. I just hope things go well for her. For the days she’s still in the palace, I only want to protect that silly girl."
After a casual chat for less than two sentences, Zhihua came to report:
"My Lady is already in the sedan chair, you may proceed."
Then Xiao Fuzi accompanied Song Zhao's sedan chair with Xiao Yinzi towards Chaoyang Palace.
But they hadn’t even walked a few steps when the sedan bearers in front suddenly slipped on the passageway corner,
and the sedan chair fell straight to the ground with a loud bang.
"Ah!"
A cry of pain came from inside the sedan chair, and everyone panicked instantly.
"My Lady! My Lady, are you alright?"
Xiao Fuzi asked about Song Zhao’s condition while the sedan bearer at the front knelt on the ground knocking his head ceaselessly, scared silly. "This slave deserves death! This slave deserves death! I don't know why there seemed to be oil spilled here. That's why I......"
Xiao Yinzi was also anxious. Only then did he notice the shiny floor hidden in the red wall’s shadow.
"How... How could there be oil here all of a sudden! Noble Lady, are you alright?"
"It hurts... My stomach really hurts!"
Xiao Yinzi witnessed exactly how heavily the sedan chair fell. With such a loud noise, even a perfectly healthy person would at least suffer a little if they fell that hard, let alone Song Zhao, who was pregnant.
Hearing Song Zhao's weak voice coming faintly from the sedan chair, sounding so pained that her voice had changed, Xiao Yinzi instantly turned pale with fright. "What... What should we do now?"
Xiao Fuzi immediately pushed him and said, "We must first carry my Lady back to the palace and summon the imperial physician for diagnosis and treatment. Go inform His Majesty!"
"Oh, oh!"
Xiao Yinzi hurriedly responded and crawled towards Chaoyang Palace.
Meanwhile, Xiao Fuzi had the palace maid lift the sedan chair again and shouted loudly, "My Lady is blessed with great fortune and divine protection. Nothing will happen to you! Hold on!"
