Song Zhao and Ning Wanshuang exchanged words. Ruo Xin was too young to understand what the adults were talking about.
She only vaguely felt that Ning Wanshuang seemed to want to send her away, so she became a little depressed.
She blinked her bright eyes and pouted, asking Ning Wanshuang aggrievedly, "Mother, do you not want me anymore?"
"Silly child, how could Mother not want you?" Ning Wanshuang gently pinched Ruo Xin's cheeks, "Your mother's Chang Le Palace is close to Mother's Yonghe Palace. You can come to see Mother anytime and play with Chenghuan and Jin Yue. Haven't you often told Mother that you think your mother is beautiful and that you like her very much?"
However, such words were naturally useless for a child.
Ruo Xin pouted silently, and her head drooped dispiritedly.
At this moment, Yun Shan somehow took out an exquisitely made cloth doll.
She waved the doll in front of Ruo Xin's eyes, "Does the princess like it?"
Ruo Xin's eyes lit up as she nodded repeatedly, "Yes! I like it!"
She took the cloth doll and held it, reluctant to let go.
Yun Shan said, "Your mother's palace also has many pretty cloth dolls like this. Going to the palace with your mother, you can play with different ones every day. How about that?"
Children were indeed easy to coax.
Hearing this, Ruo Xin's thoughts visibly swayed.
Moreover, Ning Wanshuang had long intended to return Ruo Xin to Song Zhao in the future. So ever since Ruo Xin was a child, even if she cried and made a fuss at night, Ning Wanshuang would let her sleep alone in a different bed.
Therefore, although the child liked her, she was not particularly clingy.
At this time, Ruo Xin clutched the cloth doll tightly and looked at Ning Wanshuang, asking in a low voice,
"Then can I still come to see Mother later?"
Ning Wanshuang smiled at her silliness. Song Zhao said gently,
"Of course you can. Ruo Xin, whenever you want to see Mother, your mother can bring you to visit her."
Ning Wanshuang also said, "Aren't you always afraid to sleep alone at night? After going back with your mother, she can accompany you to sleep every night and tell you many interesting stories."
Hearing this, Ruo Xin didn't hesitate at all. She nodded vigorously and said,
"Okay! I'm willing to go back with Mother."
Song Zhao smiled at Ning Wanshuang. Explicit gratitude would be too sentimental at this time. Just an exchange of glances conveyed everything.
Later, Yun Shan took Ruo Xin to play nearby, while Song Zhao chatted with Ning Wanshuang.
When Rongyue was mentioned, Ning Wanshuang rarely sighed,
"It must be said that Imperial Concubine Shun has an extraordinary friendship with you. To get you out of the Cold Palace, she made the greatest sacrifice, ruthlessly cutting off her own future and completely dashing her hopes of having children."
Song Zhao knew Rongyue's sincere feelings for her. She also understood that Rongyue's actions were to fulfill her while also fulfilling herself.
She said gratefully, "In this palace where human feelings are cold, I had no hope. Fortunately, I have Sister Wan and Sister Rong's true feelings for me. Only then could I have my rebirth today. I, Song Zhao, will cherish this timely help in my direst need. I will engrave it on my heart and remember it forever."
"It's just putting oneself in another's place," Ning Wanshuang said plainly. "How you treat others is how they will treat you."
Then she smiled self-deprecatingly and shook her head bitterly, "It's a pity that the Emperor cannot understand this simple truth."
Her pained words made Song Zhao want to comfort her, but just then, Ruo Xin pointed out the window and shouted, "Brother Chenghuan is back!"
The two looked out the window and saw Chenghuan walking into the palace with his head drooping, going straight to his own room.
Ning Wanshuang felt strange. "What's wrong with the child today? Usually when he comes back from the tutor's he is happy and first comes to greet me. Why is he gloomy today, returning to his own room?"
Sensing something wrong with the child, Song Zhao went with her to Chenghuan's room to get to the bottom of it.
Chenghuan was very sensible. Seeing them come, he first greeted Ning Wanshuang, then bowed respectfully to Song Zhao,
"Greetings, Imperial Mother."
Song Zhao smiled, "Chenghuan is very sensible. But Imperial Mother notices you don't seem very happy today?"
Chenghuan quickly shook his head, but his eyes and brows were full of worries.
Ning Wanshuang had watched him grow up and had never seen him like this before. Anxiously, she kept asking what had happened.
Chenghuan still didn't answer. Only abruptly hid his arm behind his back.
Ning Wanshuang sensed something amiss and quickly grabbed his arm, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a deep bruise on his forearm.
She was extremely distressed. While gently blowing on Chenghuan's wound, she asked, "What happened?"
But Chenghuan said, "Noth...nothing. Your son accidentally bumped into something."
"How could you just bump into something?"
"Sister," Song Zhao pulled Ning Wanshuang and shook her head at her, signaling her not to ask further.
Later, after the two had soothed Chenghuan's emotions, they called in the wet nurse who took care of Chenghuan during his meal break.
"What happened to Chenghuan today?" Song Zhao asked.
The wet nurse said helplessly, "It's all because I didn't protect the young master well. Today was the Third Prince's first day going to the tutor's. Who knew when he saw the young master, he immediately called him a freak and threw rocks at him..."
"How can this be allowed!" Ning Wanshuang angrily slapped the table, unable to listen further.
"Chenghuan is the Emperor's eldest son and my child. How can she allow her son with a concubine's rank to humiliate him like this?"
She got up furiously, about to go reason with Consort Hui.
But Song Zhao stopped her, "Sister, don't go."
She dismissed the wet nurse first, then said quietly to Ning Wanshuang,
"Sister, if you go to Consort Hui, she will definitely apologize. But then what? You can't hit her Chengjing. Children don't know any better. In the future, he may still bully Chenghuan. Going to her will be useless."
"What should we do then? Can we just let her son bully my son?"
Song Zhao smiled and shook her head, seeming to imply something as she said,
"Of course not. What I mean is, we need to find a way to make it so Chengjing can never bully Chenghuan again."
That day, after Song Zhao brought Ruo Xin back to Chang Le Palace, she saw many butterflies gathered in the courtyard.
Their fluttering wings were brightly colored, a rare beautiful sight in the summer.
Ruo Xin was delighted to see them and went chasing butterflies with Yun Shan.
Song Zhao glanced around the palace and didn't see the two palace maids, Chun Hua and Qiu Yue. So she asked Xiaofuzi,
"Where are Chun Hua and Qiu Yue?"
Xiaofuzi replied in a low voice, "Where else could they be? If they're not in Chang Le Palace, they must have gone to Chaoyang Palace to report your circumstances to the Emperor. I really don't understand, when you are already like this, what else does the Emperor suspect you of?"
"He doesn't suspect me." Song Zhao sneered coldly, "That's just him feeling guilty."
Xiaofuzi said, "But with these two spies always lurking, you have to be careful in everything you say and do. It's really tiring. Why don't... I find a way to get rid of them?"
Just then, a pale blue butterfly landed on Song Zhao's clothes.
She gently stroked the butterfly's wings and said coldly with a sneer,
"Do those about to die still need you to personally dispose of them?"
