In the following month after that, no one in the harem saw Noble Consort Chen.
The doors of Yonghe Palace remained tightly shut every day. During this time, Song Zhao went to see her three times, but was turned away at the door each time.
In early March, all the apricot blossoms near Guangyang Gate had bloomed. Branches full of brightly clustered petals formed a sea of flowers. The light breeze stirred up a mist of pale purple petals, and the delicate fragrance made the scene even more dreamlike and illusory.
On several occasions when Song Zhao passed by Guangyang Gate, she saw many consorts laughing and playing under the apricot trees, chanting poems, dancing... But she didn’t see Noble Consort Chen’s figure there anymore.
On the 19th of the third month, two major events happened in the palace.
One was that Xiao Jingheng decided the date of his southern tour to be at the end of March. Other than Consort Hui and the Empress who had already been confirmed to go, he didn’t specify if he would bring anyone else.
The second was that the eunuchs in front of the emperor uprooted and cut down the most vibrant apricot trees near Guangyang Gate.
Song Zhao entered the palace late and was unaware of this.
The apricot trees that Xiao Jingheng ordered to cut down were exactly the ones she and Noble Consort Chen had planted together with their own hands, representing their friendship.
Now the people were still there, but the trees were cut down. It was inevitable that it would make people think otherwise.
Sure enough, when the consorts came to greet Song Zhao the next day, they started gossiping about this matter.
Consort Yin speculated: “We all know Noble Consort’s temperament. His Majesty goes to comfort her every day, but she is always grieving about not having a child, most likely complaining to His Majesty. She probably forgot that the child she lost prematurely was also His Majesty’s son. Noble Consort only cares about her own feelings, no wonder His Majesty got annoyed.”
Consort Yun also said: “That’s right. Do you still remember? In the past, when the Bureau of Flowers and Birds was weeding around those apricot trees but didn’t clean up properly, Noble Consort saw it and nearly sent people to the Judicial Department. It shows how much those apricot trees meant to Noble Consort...”
Consort Yao sneered coldly: “What she cared about was her relationship with His Majesty. But in the end, it was still because of the word ‘relationship’ that she pushed His Majesty further and further away. Who can she blame?”
Noble Consort Chen had great power in the palace, swaggering and showing off her might for many years, always looking down on everyone.
In this whole palace, from the Empress at the top to the most unknown answering maid and lady-in-waiting at the bottom, who hadn’t suffered her overt ridicule and covert sarcasm?
When her power was strong, she offended many people. Now that her power was weak, she was destined to have everyone come up and trample her.
At this time, even the lowly Concubine Ru dared to mock:
“It looks like His Majesty is really angry with Noble Consort this time. But she brought it onto herself with her affectations. It wasn’t His Majesty who caused her to lose her child. Who is she putting on an act for?”
When Consort Yin heard this, she glanced back at Concubine Ru and said with an embarrassed smile:
“That’s right. If we’re talking about who contributed the most to Noble Consort losing her child, it should be you. She should be sulking at you.”
“...”
Concubine Ru didn’t know how to respond and didn’t dare to respond either.
Feeling awkward, she could only turn to look at Song Zhao, who was sitting steadily in the chief position, and flattered with an insincere smile:
“If it was up to this concubine, Consort Song is being too modest. You just entered the palace a year ago and went from being an answering maid to the chief consort. Who in this palace is more favoured by His Majesty than you? Earlier His Highness visited no one except Noble Consort. It seems... If Noble Consort really offended His Majesty this time, then Consort Song may soon be able to replace her!”
When Song Zhao heard her flattery, she smiled lightly and shook her head:
“Noble Consort has been serving His Majesty for a long time and their feelings run deep. Not to mention me, who in this palace can replace Noble Consort?”
Concubine Ru went on: “Consort Song, don’t be so modest. Who in this palace can be more favoured by His Majesty than you?”
She was stupid and kept flattering Song Zhao repeatedly, wanting to show her allegiance to Song Zhao so that she could have some backing in this deep palace.
But with just a few words, she changed the expression of all the consorts.
Especially Consort Yin. The authority to manage the six palaces had shifted to Song Zhao, which already displeased her. Now her face was even harder to look at.
Song Zhao briefly glanced at everyone's expressions below. Still smiling, she said:
“What Concubine Ru said is quite clever - disparaging Noble Consort while causing others to be jealous of me for no reason. No wonder Consort Yin let someone slap your mouth in the street that day. If you were my palace maid, with that slick tongue of yours, I'm afraid I would have beaten you to a pulp."
Song Zhao used the gentlest tone to say the most sarcastic words, making all the consorts laugh embarrassedly.
Only Concubine Ru was so ashamed that her face and ears turned red, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Just then, the little fortune boy guarding outside respectfully reported:
"Noble Consort has arrived!"
All eyes instinctively looked towards the door.
I saw a flash of red figure, swaying against the light.
Noble Consort Chen was still the same as before. No matter where she went, it was always with great fanfare.
More than ten palace maids crowded around her. As they stepped closer and closer to the front hall, it gave people an intense sense of oppression.
Today, she wore a vermilion cloak embroidered with phoenixes and peonies. Her hair was styled into a cloud bun, adorned with inlaid kingfisher hairpins. She was full of gold, silver and jade ornaments, dressed extravagantly.
With exquisite makeup, her eyebrows were painted as distant mountains and her lips were dotted red.
She had the appearance of a goddess, gorgeous and dazzling, completely different from the haggard image that everyone imagined she would have.
Seeing her come, Song Zhao immediately got up and led all the consorts to greet her:
“Your servants (concubines) greet Noble Consort, may Noble Consort have boundless blessings and peace!"
This time, Noble Consort Chen didn’t even glance at them, let alone make them rise or acknowledge their greeting. She went straight toward the chief seat.
When passing by Concubine Ru, she casually said:
“Kang Yubin, smash her mouth.”
“Yes, Your Ladyship!”
Before Concubine Ru could react, Kang Yubin had viciously slapped her face.
He hit hard, smashing her mouth in just a few slaps, drawing traces of blood.
Accompanied by the crisp sound of slapping and Concubine Ru's vague cries for mercy,
Noble Consort Chen sat steadily in the chief seat and glanced coldly at Song Zhao:
“You stand up. Sit there.”
She pointed to the seat beside, indicating for Song Zhao alone to sit down.
After Song Zhao thanked her and took her seat, Noble Consort Chen looked sharply at the consorts kneeling below and said loudly:
“What’s the matter? Why don’t you dare look up at me? All of you, aren’t you hoping that I would completely collapse, be heartbroken and die miserably?”
The consorts were terrified and quickly said in unison: “We don’t dare!”
“Humph.” Noble Consort Chen snorted coldly. Her tone was still arrogantly aggressive as always:
“Let me tell all of you, I’m not made of paper, I won't go down so easily. I definitely won't let you cheap slaves see me make a fool of myself!”
