"Flooding?"
Xiao Jingheng was doubtful: "Although there have been more clouds and rain in Jiangnan this year, the dikes in Suzhou and Hangzhou have just been reinforced, and I have personally inspected the remaining dams - they are all firm and safe. Where does this talk of flooding come from?"
Tan Yuezhi said: "This servant has only deduced it based on the hexagrams, without any actual evidence."
Xiao Jingheng felt uneasy. "What does the Supervisor say?"
"This servant uses different divination methods than the Supervisor. The Supervisor did not deduce this matter and argued with me about it. I had no choice but to come report this matter personally to Your Majesty."
Xiao Jingheng took a moment to settle himself, and just said lightly 'I see', before dismissing Tan Yuezhi. He clearly did not take this matter to heart.
After the man left, Song Zhao asked: "Your Majesty has never believed in divination before. Why did you summon him to the palace this time?"
Xiao Jingheng sighed: "After the dangers I faced during my southern inspection tour, his uncannily accurate prediction left me with a somewhat different view of divination. After all, it is something passed down by our ancestors over thousands of years - it must have some truth to it.
I originally summoned him because I saw potential in his skills, but now it seems he just spouts nonsense and I don't know if what he told me before was just a lucky guess that happened to come true."
Song Zhao said: "If he had no real skills and just relied on blind luck to eat and drink in the palace, Your Majesty need not keep such an idler around."
Xiao Jingheng nodded. "The court has never supported freeloaders. Let's observe him for three months - if he's truly useless, I'll dismiss him."
*
A few more days passed, the autumn tiger retreated, and the weather in the capital officially turned to autumn.
The days grew pleasantly cooler by the day, putting people at ease.
During this time, because Xiao Jingheng favored Song Zhao alone, Consorts Yin, Yun and Yao gradually banded together, rarely interacting with Song Zhao.
Song Zhao was too lazy to bother with them either, she just had Xiaofuzi secretly spread rumors of her intimacy with Xiao Jingheng, until all six palaces knew.
Beyond that, Song Zhao didn't need to do anything, she just had to wait for someone's patience to run out and try to cause trouble for her. Then she would casually give them a little push to send them on their way.
Although the consorts shunned Song Zhao for their own interests, the lower ranked concubines who knew they had no hope of gaining the emperor's favor were very fawning towards Song Zhao.
On this day, Consort Hui came with Rongyue and Concubine Li to visit Song Zhao.
At the time, Song Zhao was accompanying Cheng Yu in the courtyard to teach him to walk.
A child nearing one year old has just learned to walk from crawling. It was the most worrisome time. One always worried about looking away for a moment and the child stumbling or bumping into something - as a mother, it was heartbreaking.
When Consort Hui entered and saw Cheng Yu surrounded by seven or eight eunuchs and palace maids protecting him as he toddled about happily, even able to clumsily call out "Mother Consort" to Song Zhao, she smiled and said:
"Oh my! The Crown Prince isn't even one yet but he can already run all over the place. He really is clever!"
She and Concubine Li congratulated Song Zhao. Concubine Li also laughed and said:
"Consort doesn't know, but earlier when we went to pay respects to Grand Empress Dowager, she is raising Princess Jinghe - now three months past her first birthday banquet, the Princess still stumbles when she walks and can't speak clearly. She's not as cute as the Crown Prince at all."
Consort Hui said: "I heard from Mother that girls are supposed to talk earlier than boys, but looking now, that's not the case."
But Rongyue sneered coldly then: "No matter how dull, she's the legitimate firstborn Princess - supremely honorable. How can a child of irregular birth compare?"
At this, the smile on Song Zhao's face clearly froze.
To curry favor with Song Zhao, Concubine Li quickly retorted Rongyue, "Legitimate or not, they are all the Emperor's children. Whoever the Emperor favors is naturally honorable. Have you seen the Emperor visit the Princess even once in the months you've been in the palace? Yet here in Sister Song's palace, the Emperor comes to dote on her every few days."
Rongyue said: "If the Emperor doesn't see the Princess, it's because he is grieving the Empress. Seeing the Princess would only pain him more. And even if the Emperor does come to Consort's palace, so what? The Princess was granted a title as soon as she was born, while the Crown Prince still has no honors to this day."
"You–" Concubine Li was even more irritated than Song Zhao. "We came to pay respects to Consort out of esteem for her. What empty prattle are you spouting here? Do you think I don't know what you're scheming? You've been quite close with Consort Yin - have you already pledged loyalty to her? What is it? Did Consort Yin send you here today to provoke Consort with this nonsense?"
Rongyue refused to back down either. "Don't smear me like this. His Majesty detests factions and conspiracies in the harem the most. You–"
"Enough."
Song Zhao sternly stopped the two from arguing further. Her piercing gaze settled on Rongyue as she coolly said:
"Since you know His Majesty hates factions and conspiracies, you shouldn't be so intimate with Consort Yin. That bracelet on your wrist is from the Huns, isn't it? Consort Yin is quite generous to bestow such a fine item to you!"
Rongyue hurriedly hid her hands behind her back, stammering awkwardly, "Consort, please see clearly, this servant has not..."
"You know best whether you have or not." Song Zhao scoffed coldly, then ordered Yun Shan: "Concubine Li spoke rudely, watch her and make her kneel in the courtyard of Chang Le Palace for two hours before allowing her to return to her own palace."
Rongyue begged for mercy repeatedly. Concubine Li looked smug, while Consort Hui pleaded weakly:
"Sister Song, Sister Tong didn't mean it. Why not just..."
"Sister, don't worry about this." Song Zhao took Consort Hui's hand affectionately. "She's your palace's servant. Your kind heart doesn't want to punish her, but as Overseer of the Six Palaces, I cannot tolerate such a disruptive person in the harem."
Thus, Consort Hui could not persuade her further either.
Later, they left Rongyue kneeling alone in the courtyard and withdrew to chat idly for a while. When they were leaving, they saw Rongyue still kneeling in the courtyard. Concubine Li taunted: "Kneel well, you're in Consort's palace - no one will be kindhearted enough to save you like Consort Hui!"
Consort Hui looked at Rongyue worriedly and whispered to Yun Shan:
"Sister Tong is weak, don't be too harsh on her..."
How could they know, as soon as the two had just left Chang Le Palace, Song Zhao hurriedly helped Rongyue up from the ground,
Gripping Rongyue's hand tightly, her face full of regret,
"I'm sorry to put you through this, Sister."
Rongyue smiled and shook her head. "I'm not suffering. This was the only way - now word of my offense against you today will spread from Concubine Li's mouth until the whole palace knows. Everyone will know I've severed ties with you, and Consort Yin will believe even more that I have no way out but to truly pledge loyalty to her."
Song Zhao led Rongyue into the hall, and thinking how she doted on Cheng Yu the most, told Yun Shan to bring Cheng Yu over.
But Rongyue stopped Yun Shan, saying: "Don't go. The child is older now, he knows who is kind to him and stays close to them. You and I are supposed to be at odds - if your child is close to me, won't that reveal something amiss?"
She looked at Cheng Yu's side residence longingly, then tightly gripped Song Zhao's hand and entered the inner chambers without looking back.
