In the following days, Xiao Jingheng would accompany Song Zhao by her side for a long time. He claimed to be keeping her company, but he also couldn't resist teasing their precious and cherished child.
Since they had passed three days of rest, he made it a point to come whenever he had free time.
He would remind Song Zhao to rest well and not even get out of bed for the first ten days or so after giving birth.
On the eighth day after Song Zhao's delivery, she heard that Li Mama's residence outside the palace had caught fire for no apparent reason. After the fire was extinguished, four charred bodies were discovered.
One pair consisted of an adult man and woman, while the other pair were two children, not even ten years old.
People speculated that these children might have come to Li Mama's residence to play and unfortunately perished in the fire. But who could truly know the truth?
When Xiao Fuzi reported this to Song Zhao, she was busy soothing the crying Cheng Yu. Upon hearing the news, she merely responded with a faint "Hmm" and didn't seem concerned.
However, Yun Shan felt a bit uneasy after hearing it. When she left the inner chambers, Xiao Fuzi noticed the perplexed expression on her face and asked, "What's bothering you?"
Yun Shan sighed softly, "I can't help but feel that those two children were innocent. They had no knowledge of Li Mama's actions..."
"Innocent? What do you mean?" Xiao Fuzi, who rarely showed a stern expression, rebuked Yun Shan. "If you hadn't been vigilant that day, it would have been the Empress and Prince Yu who suffered under Li Mama's knife. What wrong had the Empress done? What wrong had Prince Yu done? Those children died because their mother took the wrong path, not because of any fault of their own. If the Empress were to hear such words, don't think that she would only praise you for a couple of days before you fall back into confusion."
"I get it, I get it!" Yun Shan stuck her tongue out at Xiao Fuzi. "You're nagging me! Instead of lecturing me, you might as well go to the Imperial Medical Academy. The Empress's divine beauty powder is running low, so bring some back."
While Xiao Fuzi went on this errand, she not only brought back the beauty powder but also some seemingly unimportant news for Song Zhao.
As she replenished the cosmetics drawer with new supplies, she chatted casually with Song Zhao, saying, "Empress, when I went to the Imperial Medical Academy earlier, I saw people from the Empress Dowager's palace going to fetch the imperial physician."
"The Empress Dowager?" Song Zhao paused her needlework and raised an eyebrow at Xiao Fuzi. "Didn't she come to visit Cheng Yu the other day? She seemed to be in good health. What happened to her?"
Xiao Fuzi replied, "It's nothing serious. These past few days have been cool, and the Empress Dowager caught a slight chill, so she had the imperial physician come and check on her."
Song Zhao fell silent for a moment, then set aside the embroidery she was working on and stood up. She said, "The Empress Dowager has always cared for me the most. If she's unwell, as her daughter-in-law, I should go and see her."
Xiao Fuzi hurriedly advised, "Empress, you're still in your confinement period, and the Emperor has instructed you to minimize your movements. Maybe it's better if you..."
"I understand my own body, and besides, the Emperor is in court right now. I'll visit the Empress Dowager and return quickly without letting him know," Song Zhao insisted.
Yun Shan and Xiao Fuzi had no choice but to acquiesce.
Later, while Yun Shan was helping Song Zhao change clothes, she selected a deep purple cloak with a motif of a hundred sparrows embroidered on it.
Song Zhao glanced at the clothing and remarked, "The color is too vibrant. The Empress Dowager is devoted to Buddhism, so it's inappropriate for me to wear such attire when visiting her. Please choose something with a more subdued color."
She casually pointed to the right side of the wardrobe and said, "That lake blue flowing cloud brocade Su Changyi robe was previously bestowed by the Emperor. I have only worn it a couple of times. Let's go with that."
Yun Shan obeyed and brought the clothing to replace Song Zhao's attire.
Although the flowing cloud brocade robe appeared simple, it was actually quite expensive.
Particularly, the tassels embellishing the garment were meticulously crafted.
They were made by intertwining gold thread with silk from the silkworms of heaven, adorning the hem of the robe. When illuminated by sunlight, they radiated a dazzling glow, truly beautiful to behold.
Moreover, these tassels were extremely precious and had only been bestowed upon Song Zhao by Xiao Jingheng.
Because of this, Consort Chen had become quite jealous.
By the time Song Zhao arrived at Xian Shou Palace, the imperial physician had just finished treating the Empress Dowager.
At that moment, Qingzhu was attending to the Empress Dowager, helping her take her medicine.
When the Empress Dowager saw her, she hurriedly said, "Why have you come on such a cold day? You should stay in confinement and avoid unnecessary movement."
Qingzhu nodded her eyes and immediately went forward to welcome Song Zhao, taking a seat opposite the Empress Dowager on a warm cushion.
"I heard that the Empress Dowager's health has been a concern, and I wanted to come and pay my respects," Song Zhao said, displaying a well-behaved and gentle manner that would surely touch the Empress Dowager's heart.
"You, this child, how can I find fault with you?" the Empress Dowager said affectionately.
Song Zhao then moved a bowl of medicine and personally served it to the Empress Dowager.
Afterward, she accompanied the Empress Dowager in casual conversation.
However, most of the topics revolved around the little one in Song Zhao's lap.
The Empress Dowager had seen Cheng Yu twice, and the child was indeed well-behaved.
Whenever he saw the Empress Dowager, even if he had been crying vigorously, he would immediately quiet down.
"Our paths are destined to cross. Just as I had a connection with your mother, so do I with you," the Empress Dowager said with a gentle smile. "I believe your mother is looking down from heaven, pleased to see that everything is going well for you. You have the Emperor's favor, my care, and a prince to raise. Your mother would surely be delighted on your behalf."
Mentioning Bai Shi, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but feel a little sad.
She held Song Zhao's hand and kindly said, "With your contribution to giving birth to the imperial heir, it's about time the Emperor elevated you to the position of imperial consort. You have borne the Emperor's precious child, and you are certainly deserving of this position."
However, Song Zhao shook her head and smiled tranquilly, saying, "Whether or not I hold the title of consort, I do not attach great importance to it. I have only been in the palace for just over a year, and when I think about how I went from being a concubine to becoming the main consort, it has already violated the rules. Now, I only wish to properly serve the Emperor, raise Cheng Yu, show filial piety to the Empress Dowager, and fulfill my duties as a wife. That alone is enough for my contentment."
Her words were spoken with propriety, and the Empress Dowager felt at ease listening to them. She cherished this sensible child even more.
"You may not care about your position, but as the birth mother of a noble son, it is not appropriate for you to remain in a low-ranking position. Since you entered the palace, I have been observing you. You have served the Emperor diligently and without scheming against others. You do not involve yourself in the intrigues of the harem and only focus on living your own life. Your composed nature is truly rare, and I greatly admire it."
As the mother and daughter-in-law were speaking,
Qingzhu, who had been serving outside, suddenly returned and respectfully reported:
"Empress Dowager, the Emperor is on his way to Xian Shou Palace. He has already reached Shunchang Gate and will be here shortly."
[One more chapter remaining]
