The words of "admonition" that Song Zhao had just spoken were intentionally said for Noble Consort Chen to hear.
She knew that, although originally even for the sake of showing off power in front of Consort Yin, Noble Consort Chen would have gone over to take a look, after hearing her praise how good-looking Noble Consort Ru was, and that she might take away some of Xiao Jingheng's favor in the future, Noble Consort Chen's heart immediately turned vinegar, and of course she couldn't let Consort Yin directly disfigure Noble Consort Ru, so naturally she also wouldn't get involved in this matter.
The reason why Song Zhao didn't want Noble Consort Chen to get involved in this matter
was because she already had new schemes in mind.
Song Zhao's coronation as a consort was on the fifteenth day of the eleventh month, still a month away,
during this month, she definitely could not stay idle.
Since she was about to become one of the four consorts, it was also time for her to gain some real power for herself.
For example, the power to assist in managing the six palaces that was currently in Consort Yin's hands,
in Song Zhao's eyes, looked very good.
Right now the Empress was stripped of power, and the affairs of the six palaces were managed by Noble Consort Chen, assisted by Consort Yin,
but if Consort Yin made some mistake and lost the power to assist in managing the six palaces, who could this power fall into the hands of?
Yesterday, Noble Consort Chen was formally honored as Imperial Noble Consort, and now among the consorts besides the upcoming Song Zhao, there was only Consort Yin and Consort Yun left,
Consort Yun naturally was impossible,
because of her involvement in the matter of the Empress, Xiao Jingheng had come to detest her as well.
So once Consort Yin lost the power to assist in managing the six palaces,
then this power would naturally fall into Song Zhao's hands.
After leaving Yonghe Palace, as soon as Song Zhao got into her palanquin, she saw an extra waterskin and a clean handkerchief on the seat.
Yun Shan whispered at the window of the palanquin:
"Esteemed Concubine, quickly wipe away the honey and umber with this, that stuff feels nasty when stuck on the body."
Song Zhao sat in the palanquin, poured the warm water from the waterskin onto the handkerchief, then lifted her clothes to reveal her lower abdomen, and gently wiped it.
Before long, the dense brown wavy lines that were originally on her lower abdomen disappeared without a trace, even the wrinkles in her skin faded away, looking as fair and smooth as before.
During her pregnancy, Song Zhao was very careful,
only starting to show after three months, by then she had already begun applying moisturizing cream to her belly,
in the later stages of pregnancy, she was even more attentive, eating only a little of anything, for fear that stretching the skin too much would leave stretch marks later.
She didn't have any stretch marks at all,
and those so-called stretch marks were merely created by her using honey to stick to the skin, and evenly applying umber in the wrinkles.
She did this stunt specifically for Noble Consort Chen to see, to make Noble Consort Chen temporarily lower her guard against her.
After dealing with the filth on her lower abdomen, Song Zhao got dressed again, lifted the curtain of the palanquin, and said to Xiao Fuzi:
"You walk fast, go back to the palace and get two boiled eggs for me."
Xiao Fuzi quickly said: "Esteemed Concubine is going to visit Noble Consort Ru?"
Song Zhao lightly nodded her head, Xiao Fuzi immediately instructed the palace maids to carry the palanquin to the corridor near the quarters of Noble Consort Ru in Chengqian Palace, then hurried back to the palace to prepare boiled eggs for Song Zhao.
When the palanquin was carried near the corridor of Chengqian Palace,
Song Zhao saw from afar that many palace maids were gathered there, whispering about something.
She told them to stop the palanquin, supported by Yun Shan she slowly walked to behind the palace maids,
"Ahem."
Yun Shan cleared her throat to get the palace maids' attention,
they all turned back, saw Song Zhao standing behind them, and were immediately frightened pale, kneeling on the ground to greet her.
Song Zhao didn't even glance at them, only said in a solemn voice:
"Are all of your errands done? Loitering here doing nothing when you're free? If anyone is really free, I see there's too much work to finish in Xinze Prison, just right for you."
The palace maids immediately kowtowed to admit their mistake, after Yun Shan reprimanded them a few words, they scattered away.
After the people cleared out, Song Zhao then saw, not far away, Noble Consort Ru was kneeling on the ground, being continuously slapped by Anna at Consort Yin's side.
When she walked past the two, she pretended to inadvertently say to Anna,
"You should also know limits when hitting."
But Anna arrogantly said: "Consort Yin ordered this slave to slap Noble Consort Ru one hundred times."
Song Zhao said: "She said to hit one hundred times, but didn't say lightly or heavily. I see you've already slapped her face red and swollen, if you really beat her disfigured, when His Majesty investigates later, wouldn't it be you harming Consort Yin?"
Hearing this, Anna was very conflicted, after a while she bowed to Song Zhao,
"Thank you Esteemed Concubine for the reminder, this slave understands now."
After that, Anna's strikes were not as heavy.
When she had hit the number of times, on the crying Noble Consort Ru's way back to her palace, she encountered Song Zhao again.
She wiped her tears and bowed to Song Zhao,
"This concubine is most grateful to Esteemed Concubine for saving me."
"Get up quickly." Song Zhao helped her stand, looking at her with full sympathy, "We are all sisters, how could I bear to see you suffer?"
Yun Shan handed Song Zhao peeled eggs that had been iced, Song Zhao took them and very gently rolled them on Noble Consort Ru's cheeks,
"I know your disposition, your heart is not bad, but you always say some reckless words that get you into trouble. Don't take today's matter to heart, Consort Yin also has a similar temperament as you, but she means well for you too. Now that you have entered the palace, you should restrain many of your dispositions. "
Noble Consort Ru cried and said: "Esteemed Concubine does not know, ever since I have lived together with Consort Yin, she looks at me unpleasantly every day, on any pretense she would hit me with slaps. My days are truly miserable. If I had known earlier, I should not have entered the palace back then..."
"Shhh." Song Zhao placed her forefinger on Noble Consort Ru's lips, stopping her from continuing to speak,
"You see, you are speaking recklessly again, aren't you?"
Noble Consort Ru said no more, only cried more grievously.
Song Zhao comforted her, patting her shoulder, and sighed helplessly:
"I also slowly worked my way up from being a low-ranked concubine, which new low-ranked palace concubine hasn't seen displeasure from the head concubine of her palace? Let alone, Consort Yin also holds the power to assist in managing the six palaces, if she wants to punish you, no matter what you have to endure it."
Noble Consort Ru clenched her fists, angrily said: "So I can only let her mistreat me?"
Song Zhao murmured: "If Consort Yin commits some big mistake that angers His Majesty, then naturally she would lose her current prestige, and also wouldn't dare mistreat you anymore.
But Consort Yin has been serving His Majesty diligently and cautiously for many years without ever making mistakes, that's why His Majesty granted her the power to assist in managing the six palaces. As such, how could she easily make mistakes? You should endure her more, and come the day you gain favor, I suppose she wouldn't dare mistreat you anymore."
Favor?
Right now Noble Consort Ru was being suppressed to death by Consort Yin, not even taking turns to serve the emperor, let alone gaining favor?
Taking a step back, even if Xiao Jingheng flipped her tablet now and saw her swollen face, how could he have any good impression of her?
Unable to take the proper path, Noble Consort Ru was also furious,
she was angry at Consort Yin, always thinking Song Zhao's words also made sense,
rather than wait for Consort Yin to make mistakes herself, why don't she take the initiative to create some faults for Consort Yin?
Song Zhao secretly observed her,
seeing the sinister look revealed between her eyebrows and eyes,
she didn't say anything, only gently advised:
"Alright, I've said everything I should, go back and apologize to Consort Yin, and let this matter pass. Don't overthink, after all you are sisters, how could there be overnight hatred?"
Later on the way back to the palace, Yun Shan quietly asked Song Zhao, "Does Esteemed Concubine think Noble Consort Ru will move against Consort Yin this time?"
Song Zhao indifferently laughed: "Let her do whatever she wants, whatever she does is her own idea, it has nothing to do with us.
Even if she does nothing it doesn't matter. After all, my only loss is two eggs."
