Tonight, Xiao Jingheng originally intended to accompany Song Zhao at Changle Palace.
But at this moment, several princes were drinking and enjoying themselves. Xiao Jingheng's words were somewhat blurred by the effects of alcohol. Song Zhao suggested, "It's cold outside, and the dew is heavy. It's not suitable for the Emperor to travel after drinking tonight. Why not stay at Chaoyang Palace and avoid unnecessary trouble?"
Xiao Jingheng held her slender shoulders and gently caressed them with his fingertips.
"In that case, you should stay tonight."
Song Zhao smiled playfully and said, "Does the Emperor think that I don't want to stay? But Cheng Yu is in a clingy phase now. If he doesn't have me to comfort him at night, he will cry and even the nursemaids won't be able to calm him down."
Only then did Xiao Jingheng say somewhat disappointedly, "Alright. I will come to see you tomorrow."
After returning to the palace, Song Zhao asked Yun Shan, "Where is Tong Changzai?"
Yun Shan replied, "She is kneeling in the side hall, reciting the virtues of women. I had prepared a cushion for her to kneel on, but she refused to use it..."
"I will go and see her. You go and comfort Cheng Yu with the nursemaids."
Song Zhao entered the side hall alone and gently closed the palace door.
Rongyue knelt facing away from the door, immersed in the recitation of female virtues, and she didn't turn her head when she heard movement.
Song Zhao walked to her side, lowered her gaze, and said lightly, "Sister, please rise."
Only then did Rongyue close the book and shook her head, saying, "Kneeling and reciting all night, if my knees weren't hurt, if the Emperor saw it again, he would inevitably suspect favoritism towards you."
Her eyes, filled with a touch of melancholy, met Song Zhao's gaze, and she earnestly said, "You are about to be crowned as the imperial concubine, responsible for the affairs of the six palaces. Don't let yourself be burdened because of me at this time."
Song Zhao sighed and said, "If my sister can say these words, it shows that you are not unaware of the survival rules in this palace. But since you know, why did you repeatedly engage in such foolish acts with Prince An?"
Rongyue's gaze trembled for a moment, "Did you know long ago?"
Song Zhao did not answer that question.
She turned and sat down on the side, choosing her words carefully, "Sister should know that once you enter the palace, even if you are unwilling, you have become the Emperor's woman. Even if you had a deep connection with Prince An in the past, you have to let it go."
"He treated me sincerely, but I..."
"Sister, you are confused!"
Song Zhao couldn't bear to hear Rongyue speak well of Xiao Jingyan, so she interrupted her with a stern tone.
"If that scoundrel truly cared for you, would he willingly let you be in a dangerous situation? Today, I can save you once, but what about next time? If the Empress or the Queen Consort catches you, will you still have your life intact?"
"There won't be a next time..."
Rongyue shook her head in a daze and said with a bitter smile, "It was I who wrote a letter to him today, insisting on seeing him face to face. It's just to clarify things between us and have no further involvement in the future."
There was no trace of sadness on her face.
She just stared blankly at the purple smoke rising from the incense burner in front of her.
She watched as they entangled and climbed higher, but even a slight breeze couldn't withstand their separation, and they scattered just like that.
Tears fell numbly.
Rongyue turned her face away, not wanting Song Zhao to see her disheveled appearance.
She suppressed the choking in her voice and murmured,
"I will be trapped here for the rest of my life. But he, he should have had a great life."
Song Zhao and Rongyue had a deep bond since childhood. She knew well that Rongyue was not a foolish person when it came to handling matters. But when it came to matters of the heart, even the most rational person could do crazy things.
Song Zhao couldn't bear to see her like this.
But what could she do when she couldn't bear it in her heart?
In this deep palace, matters of love were insignificant compared to the lives of the entire family.
Song Zhao had initially wanted to persuade Rongyue or embrace her and let her cry out all the grievances in her heart.
But in the end, she only said lightly,
"Sister, you need to figure it out for yourself."
After saying that, she got up and left, closing the door to the side hall behind her, giving Rongyue a space to vent her negative emotions.
Song Zhao couldn't help Rongyue in any way. She had no power to make Xiao Jingheng release Rongyue from the palace.
At the same time, Song Zhao knew Rongyue's temperament. For someone with such pride, serving someone she didn't truly love was tormenting for her every day.
So the only thing Song Zhao could do was to make Xiao Jingheng have a slightly worse impression of Rongyue.
Only in this way could Rongyue receive less favor in the future.
Today, in front of the Emperor, Song Zhao skillfully brushed aside the matter between Rongyue and Prince An, and also distanced Xiao Jingheng from Rongyue. Seeing Rongyue's remarkable ability in handling affairs, Xiao Jingheng was reassured to entrust her with the power of managing the six palaces.
This turn of events can be considered a blessing in disguise.
After leaving the side hall, Song Zhao first visited Cheng Yu, who was already fast asleep, before returning to her chambers.
While Yun Shan was helping her freshen up, she said,
"The day after tomorrow will be the grand day of your enfeoffment as a concubine. You should rest early these two days and recharge your energy."
Song Zhao nodded faintly and suddenly thought of something. She then instructed Yun Shan,
"It's getting colder, and even with good precautions, it's hard to avoid catching a cold. I'm feeling a bit unwell at the moment. Go to the Imperial Physician's clinic and ask for the physician to come and check on me."
Yun Shan said, "The palace gates have already been locked at this hour. If we summon the physician now, it might cause a commotion known throughout the six palaces. If there's any discomfort, why not let Xiao Fuzi take a look for you first?"
As she said that, Yun Shan was visibly taken aback. She knew that her mistress was always averse to trouble and very cautious. She understood that calling for the physician at this time would definitely cause a disturbance. So there must be some deep meaning behind her mistress's insistence.
Hence, Yun Shan stopped asking further and followed Song Zhao's instructions to go to the Imperial Physician's clinic.
The attending Imperial Physician arrived promptly. After examining Song Zhao's pulse, he didn't find anything abnormal.
But he did notice that she had a slight cough. He said,
"From the pulse, there doesn't seem to be any problem, but it could be due to catching a cold, exhibiting mild symptoms of a cold."
Song Zhao expressed her concerns, "The day after tomorrow is the day of my enfeoffment as a concubine. I'm worried that if I catch a cold and feel weak, it will be troublesome. Could the physician please prescribe a few remedies to prevent a cold in advance?"
Imperial Physician: "This matter is not difficult. Ma Huang Bifeng Powder can eliminate the evil energy within the body and is the best medicine for suppressing wind and cold ailments."
Song Zhao smiled, "In that case, I will trouble the Imperial Physician."
