The words of the Empress Dowager were like a lifeline thrown to someone in desperate straits.
Concubine Ru, feeling as if she had been granted a reprieve, repeatedly kowtowed to Xiao Jingheng and the Empress Dowager, expressing her gratitude for their mercy.
Throughout the entire process, Song Zhao kept his gaze on Concubine Ru, but his peripheral vision was constantly spying on Xiao Jingheng.
Seeing the disgust on his face, it seemed as though he genuinely wanted to vent his anger by killing Concubine Ru, seeking revenge for the child who had unjustly died on behalf of him and the Noble Consort.
But what was the reality?
That day, after returning to the palace, the wet nurse had already put Cheng Yu to sleep.
Song Zhao sat in front of the cradle, his eyes fixed on the peacefully sleeping little one.
He was already almost six months old, and four tiny pearl-like teeth had sprouted from his gums. During the day, when Song Zhao played with him, there were times when he would bite him, and it was starting to hurt.
At night, his mouth would noticeably produce more drool.
Song Zhao would occasionally use a silk handkerchief to gently wipe the corners of the child's mouth, and couldn't help but sigh. Being born into the imperial family and growing up safely was truly a blessing from heaven.
Outside the palace, whether a child could be born safely depended on the mother and the child's own fate.
But inside the palace, whether a child could be safely born depended on the combination of "heaven's timing, earth's blessings, and human harmony."
And this "human harmony" referred to Xiao Jingheng.
Based on everything that had happened today, Song Zhao could almost be certain that it was all orchestrated by Xiao Jingheng.
The son of the Noble Consort, who had died young, was probably smothered to death by someone.
With no male heirs under the Noble Consort, the possibility of the Ning family using the emperor's power to dominate the vassals was completely cut off.
Xiao Jingheng appeared heartbroken throughout the entire ordeal, and all the consorts could see it. Even if the Noble Consort were to learn of her son's death, she probably wouldn't suspect Xiao Jingheng.
Following that, Concubine Ru conveniently became the scapegoat for this matter.
And knowing that Concubine Ru cherished her life, and considering the gravity of the situation, she would definitely propose using her family's military power as a bargaining chip if she wanted to stay alive. After all, that was the only trump card she had.
But Xiao Jingheng insisted on not agreeing to this, and in the end, he let the Empress Dowager decide.
Recalling the scene when Concubine Ru was interrogated, Xiao Jingheng "unintentionally" made sure that all the consorts were present to witness it.
Perhaps he wanted everyone to see that it was the Empress Dowager's idea, and had nothing to do with him, the grieving emperor who had just lost his son.
Though he was in a high position, in reality, he was just a pitiful father who couldn't control anything...
When the Noble Consort hears about this matter from others,
she will probably be greatly moved by Xiao Jingheng's attitude of putting Concubine Ru to death regardless of the court's situation, all for the sake of their child.
In this way,
Xiao Jingheng only lost a son,
but he completely eliminated the possibility of the Ning family rebelling. Furthermore, he even managed to obtain fifty thousand troops from the Mongols willingly.
What did he lose?
There are so many women in the harem, and outside the palace, there are countless women eagerly hoping to enter.
Xiao Jingheng was destined not to have a shortage of heirs.
Looking at it this way, he didn't suffer any losses. Instead, he gained immense wealth and power.
Everyone could see through Xiao Jingheng's calculated intentions. In his eyes, these women who accompanied him day after day were not his wives and concubines; they were more like chips he used to consolidate his political power and develop the country.
What were these women in the palace really fighting for?
Were they competing and scrambling just to demonstrate their greater utility in front of Xiao Jingheng?
When a person's ultimate goal is to live as an accessory to others, they have truly lost themselves.
Although it seemed like Song Zhao's life was filled with glory and wealth, she had never lived a moment for herself.
In the end, she fell victim to her husband's cunning schemes.
Such days, Song Zhao found them utterly dull.
Lost in her thoughts, Song Zhao unintentionally let time slip away.
Seeing that it was already past midnight and she hadn't rested yet, Yun Shan went to the side chamber to find her.
"Empress, it's already late at night. You've had a tiring day. You should rest early," Yun Shan said.
Song Zhao looked up at her absentmindedly and asked inexplicably, "Yun Shan, do you think women are destined to be subordinate to men?"
Yun Shan didn't understand Song Zhao's meaning but answered earnestly, "Women are under their fathers at home, under their husbands after marriage, and under their sons after their husbands pass away. This has been the way of things throughout history."
Her response flowed naturally, as if she were reciting a profound maxim ingrained in her bones.
Everything appeared unquestionably certain.
Song Zhao lowered her gaze, looking at the scattered moonlight on the windowsill, and murmured, "If that's how it is, does it mean it's right?"
"What did you say, Empress?"
"It's nothing." Song Zhao shook her head lightly and then extended her hand, allowing Yun Shan to help her up.
"I'm tired. Please assist me with my ablutions."
The person finding it hard to sleep tonight wasn't just Song Zhao; the Empress Dowager was in the same predicament.
Since returning to the palace, she had been kneeling in front of the Buddhist shrine, burning incense and offering prayers.
She had recited the sutras over and over again, and her knees had become sore, but she didn't want to get up.
Qingzhu felt deep sympathy for her and advised, "Empress Dowager, it's getting late. You should rest."
The Empress Dowager placed a fresh stick of incense upright in the censer, then let out a weary sigh and asked, "Qingzhu, do you think I'm doing the wrong thing?"
Qingzhu understood and replied, "Empress Dowager, please forgive my blunt words. You are not the Emperor's biological mother. Whatever the Emperor asks you to do, as long as it is for the prosperity and peace of the nation, you must cooperate."
"But he is the Emperor's own flesh and blood." The Empress Dowager's tone couldn't help but become agitated, and she added mockingly, "The Emperor takes three steps for every one we take. This time, he has not only restrained the Ning family but also weakened the Mongols. The late Emperor chose him to ascend the throne, and he truly had keen insight into identifying heroes."
Qingzhu replied, "Throughout history, how many emperors haven't climbed to the throne on a mountain of corpses?"
"But how many have they stepped on that belonged to their own flesh and blood?"
Faced with the Empress Dowager's retort, Qingzhu fell silent for a moment.
Afterward, she no longer tried to persuade her. Instead, she let the Empress Dowager chant sutras and pray for that pitiable child throughout the night.
*
As usual, the urgent family letter was sent eight hundred miles to Mongolia and quickly received a reply from the Mongolian king.
According to the letter from the Mongolian king, it states that Mongolia voluntarily offers 50,000 troops to the imperial court without any conditions for exchange.
As a result, the stalemate was broken, and the ban was lifted.
She was a woman of strong character, appearing domineering like an imperial concubine, but in reality, she couldn't withstand a scare.
Since escaping from near death, she would have nightmares almost every night.
On this night, she woke up in a panic, screaming as she touched her own neck.
Saiji, the maidservant guarding outside, heard the commotion and immediately rushed into the chamber to check on the situation.
"Miss! What's happening?" Saiji held onto Concubine Ru's shoulders tightly and said firmly, "Miss, don't be afraid. It was just a nightmare. You're safe now. The Emperor has stopped pursuing the matter, and no one will harm you."
After a while, Concubine Ru finally distinguished between the dream and reality.
However, she was still sweating profusely, and her body trembled incessantly.
She clenched her fists tightly and pounded the bedding with force, saying bitterly, "It's all because of that arrogant concubine! It's her own fault that her child died. She couldn't even protect her own child. What's it got to do with me?"
"Miss, you mustn't say such things!" Saiji hurriedly made a gesture for silence to Concubine Ru. "The Emperor forbids the harem from mentioning this matter, and the noble consort is still unaware of it. If she were to find out, who knows how heartbroken she would be..."
Upon hearing this, a cunning gleam flashed in Concubine Ru's eyes, and she sneered.
"Tomorrow is her son's seventh day since passing. How can this so-called 'auspicious day' be missed by a mother like her?"
As she spoke, she motioned Saiji to come closer with a beckoning finger.
"Come here, I have something to tell you."
