During the Empress Dowager's funeral, Song Zhao did not participate at all.
She had been in the Cold Palace the entire time, silently praying for the Empress Dowager.
Those with heart care not for empty formalities.
Today was the seventh day after the Empress Dowager's passing. Song Zhao in the Cold Palace also received some paper money, which could be burned to express grief.
At that time, she and Yun Shan had just started a fire in a bronze basin, and she was holding a few sheets of paper money in her hand that had just been lit,
when the door to the Cold Palace opened.
Song Zhao raised an eyebrow to glance over, and saw that the visitor turned out to be Qingzhu, who had been by the Empress Dowager's side. She quickly asked Yun Shan to greet her.
Qingzhu walked over to Song Zhao and bowed, saying, "My condolences, Lady Song."
Song Zhao slowly nodded her head and said, "The maid had served the Empress Dowager for many years, and they had a deep bond between mistress and servant. My condolences as well. As I'm in the Cold Palace and my status is unclear, it would be inappropriate for me to attend the Empress Dowager's funeral, risking offense. But in my heart, I have been thinking of the Empress Dowager the whole time."
As she spoke, Yun Shan had already returned from their shabby room, presenting a scroll of Buddhist scriptures to Qingzhu.
Song Zhao said, "I personally copied this Buddhist sutra, originally planning to burn it along with the paper money. Now that you are here, please help me take it to the Empress Dowager's spirit tablet and burn it on my behalf."
Qingzhu solemnly accepted the scripture, saying, "Lady Song cares for the Empress Dowager in her heart. Before her last breath, the Empress Dowager entrusted me to personally deliver something into Lady Song's hands."
She took out an exquisite small box from her sleeve and handed it to Yun Shan. After Yun Shan received it, she deeply bowed to Song Zhao again:
"This servant is going to the imperial mausoleum now and will keep vigil over the Empress Dowager's spirit for the rest of my life. I also hope that Lady Song can leave the Cold Palace soon."
Song Zhao saw Qingzhu off. After she returned, she finally opened the small box. Inside, she saw the secret order of Tianji that she had desperately stolen from the Empress Dowager’s palace back then!
Song Zhao clutched the secret order tightly in her hand. Though it was just a small token, when held in her palm now, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Tianji always only recognized the token, not the person.
With this object, Song Zhao now had the power to secretly mobilize forces outside the palace.
Her road ahead seemed much smoother.
"Empress Dowager..."
Song Zhao shed tears as she sent paper money into the fire, sheet by sheet.
Yun Shan comforted her with a few words from the side, and then said:
“Miss, Consort Hui sent a message with Qin Tai saying that it will be done in these two days. But...are you sure you want to do this?"
Song Zhao said indifferently, "I’ve already come this far. There's no way for me to turn back now."
She wiped away her tears and let out a heavy sigh.
“If I pretended to be ignorant about what happened to Cheng Yu, not mentioning a word of it, I would be giving Consort Hui a handle over me instead. If so, I would have no choice but to completely turn my face against His Majesty. Firstly, this would make him suspicious of Consort Hui’s private motives. Secondly, how could a mother who lost her child accept the love of someone who killed her own flesh and blood? If I easily forgave him, with how suspicious he is, my days outside the Cold Palace wouldn’t be much better than now even if I left."
Yun Shan nodded. “This servant understands. These matters lying between you and His Majesty will inevitably lead to more estrangement sooner or later, unless My Lady can completely forget about past events. Only then would His Majesty be able to fully let go of his doubts towards you. It’s just that Consort Hui has quite a bit of His Majesty’s trust. For My Lady to overthrow her after leaving the Cold Palace this time would surely not be an easy task.”
"Didn't Consort Hui say that she was cultivated by His Majesty for many years and is a perfectly trained chess piece?"
Song Zhao stroked her own cheek. She knew she was beautiful.
"But if His Majesty obtained a chess piece like me, beautiful, obedient, and innocent as a blank sheet of paper, do you think he would still keep that old woman Consort Hui by his side? By then the chess piece would become an abandoned piece, merely a laughing stock."
After speaking, she slightly arched an eyebrow at Yun Shan. “Do you know the fate of an abandoned piece?”
Yun Shan vigorously nodded her head and said bitterly, “Useless people should be flayed and dismantled, and their blood offered to heaven. That would not be going overboard!"
Song Zhao calmly nodded her head. Suddenly she threw the rest of the paper money into the fire, letting the flames burn more and more intensely.
She gazed steadily at the raging fire. In her eyes reflecting the leaping flames, she smiled coldly.
"Then let's wait and see."
【Brief update for the third time today. Leaving the Cold Palace tomorrow!】
