During the time Yun Shan was in a coma, Zhao was secretly executed.
Xiao Jingheng originally ordered her to commit suicide,
but upon hearing that she was unwilling to go to her death, smashing the poisoned wine, throwing away the dagger, and tearing the white silk, making a big fuss.
Later, it was too late, and the eunuch performing the execution ran out of patience.
He grabbed her head and smashed it against the palace wall, directly bashing her to death.
When this matter was reported to the emperor, Xiao Jingheng did not investigate further.
He only had Zhao's corpse cremated, leaving a handful of ashes placed in an urn, which was sent to Wanfu Temple on the outskirts of the capital for enshrinement.
It was said to be for crossing over Zhao's soul, but it was actually to suppress her resentful spirit, to give the living peace of mind.
The day after Zhao's death, Yun Shan, who had been in a coma for days, finally woke up.
Her body was still very weak, but she had regained consciousness.
The imperial doctor said she had safely passed the critical period and was extremely fortunate.
At that time, Xiao Fuzi was crying with tears and snot flowing down his face, while Song Zhao was also tightly holding Yun Shan's hand, her eyes reddened.
Yun Shan weakly smiled, "This slave thanks Mistress..."
Song Zhao did not understand, and clutched her hand even tighter, "Silly girl, what are you thanking me for? You protected me with your life, I should be the one thanking you."
"I saved Mistress, but Mistress also saved me." Yun Shan coughed lightly twice, caught her breath and continued,
"Although I could not speak or move while I was sleeping these past few days, I was conscious and aware. At that time, I felt like I was shrouded in a black fog, and I could only see a tiny bit of light in the distance.
I felt so tired, and I wanted to fall asleep in the black fog several times. But whenever I wanted to give up, I could hear two voices constantly talking to me, calling me back."
With great effort, she raised her hand and wiped away the tears on Song Zhao's cheeks, "I could tell one of the voices was Miss's. I couldn't bear to leave Miss, so I desperately ran towards the light."
Song Zhao gently stroked Yun Shan's bangs.
There were still tears in her eyes, but she smiled indulgently, "What about the other voice?"
Yun Shan glanced at Xiao Fuzi who was crying his eyes out, and pouted, "That voice was sobbing and mumbling unclearly, I couldn't make out what he was saying. I just felt he was useless."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fuzi immediately wiped away his tears and raised his chin at Yun Shan, and started to retort,
"Who was sobbing? You and I serve Mistress together. If you were to have any mishaps, wouldn't all the big and small matters in Chang Le Palace fall on me afterwards? Don't think about slacking off! So I kept calling out loudly for you, telling you to hurry up and wake up, hurry up and serve Mistress, don't think you can hide away like that!"
Yun Shan scolded him, "I'm more than happy to serve Mistress. If you're not willing, you might as well give me your monthly wages, I'll do your work and send you back to the Xinze Prison!"
Song Zhao laughed as she watched them bickering.
From the corner of her eye, she also glimpsed the scenery outside the window.
The weather today was exceptionally sunny. The sun was at its peak, bathing the lush courtyard in a layer of golden light, very beautiful.
Just like Song Zhao's mood.
*
May 23rd was the Empress's birthday.
It should have been a grand celebration,
but because the Empress was about to give birth soon, everything was kept simple. There was no birthday banquet held, only inviting the consorts to visit her palace, give blessings and gifts, and chat casually.
On this day, Consort Chen, who was usually arrogant, arrived unusually early for once.
After the consorts had presented the Empress with the gifts they had carefully prepared,
she also took out her own present.
What she gave to the Empress was a lantern made of leather,
the leather was thin and translucent, looking very rare.
Consort Yun curiously asked, "What kind of leather is this made of? It doesn't look like sheepskin, it seems even thinner and more transparent."
Consort Chen glanced at her and awkwardly laughed, "As expected, a girl from a humble family has not seen much of the world. Naturally, what I gifted the Empress would be the best, how could I give her something ordinary?"
As she spoke, she held up the lantern and started introducing it,
"This is made from the skin of a black mountain antelope lamb, it is tough and translucent. It is the best thing to use for lighting when walking at night."
"I gift this to Her Majesty the Empress, wishing that the road ahead will be filled with radiant light for Her Majesty."
The Empress smiled gracefully, "You are thoughtful. I really like it."
"That's good if Your Majesty likes it. Liu Yue, quickly present the gift."
Consort Chen ordered the maidservant beside her. As Song Zhao watched, Consort Chen's personal maid had already been replaced with another in the past few days, and Qiu Lan was nowhere to be seen.
That maid named Liu Yue had just taken the lantern when Consort Chen introduced her to everyone,
"I forgot to inform Her Majesty. This is Liu Yue. She used to serve me back when I was in my parental home, along with Ying Xiang. A few days ago, my brother sent her into the palace, saying he was afraid the maids from the imperial household department would not understand my temperament well and would not serve me properly. So His Majesty allowed her to come and attend to me. Your Majesty will not object, right?"
The Empress said, "Of course, someone who has long served by your side would naturally know your thoughts better. Your family cares about you, and His Majesty has permitted it, what objections could I have?"
Consort Chen smiled silently and signaled Liu Yue with her eyes to present the lantern.
Shuang Ruo had just taken the lantern, and was about to pass it to the Empress for her to appreciate,
when she suddenly caught sight of a purple orchid-shaped pattern on the side of the lantern,
"Ah!"
She let out an inappropriate scream, and reflexively dropped the lantern onto the ground.
Consort Chen looked displeased, "What is the meaning of this? How could you ruin the gift I carefully prepared for Her Majesty in this way?"
Shuang Ruo immediately knelt down, her voice trembling,
"This slave recognizes her mistake, may the Empress forgive me, may Consort Chen forgive me!"
The Empress also scolded, "Why are you so reckless?"
Although she rebuked Shuang Ruo, Shuang Ruo had served the Empress for over ten years, so the Empress knew of Shuang Ruo's composure, that she would never make such a low-level mistake.
Thus, she lowered her eyes to look at the fallen lantern,
and was also shocked when she saw the orchid pattern.
This pattern closely resembled the birthmark on Qiu Lan's back, and it was because of this birthmark that she was given the name Qiu Lan.
So...
What Consort Chen had brought was not a leather lantern at all,
but a human skin lantern made from flaying Qiu Lan's skin!
Thinking of such a bloody scene, the Empress only felt revulsion, and her stomach immediately churned, clutching her chest and retching repeatedly.
Consort Chen, however, sneered,
"Your Majesty's pregnancy reactions are quite severe. Coincidentally, the lamp oil in this lantern, I deliberately added some tranquilizing incense, which works best to calm the nerves and stop vomiting."
As she spoke, her eyes turned fierce as she scolded Shuang Ruo,
"What are you still dawdling for? Hurry up and pick up the lantern and light it for the Empress?"
