That day after Zhao Hua returned to the palace, her mood was depressed all along.
She looked up at the courtyard and saw Cheng Yu playing happily with Ruo Xing. Even such a warm moment made Zhao Hua suddenly able to understand Ning Wanshuang's motherhood.
If she put herself in Ning Wanshuang's shoes, Zhao Hua thought, if one day Ning Wanshuang told her that Chenghuan had done something horrifying, her first reaction would definitely be complete disbelief.
As a mother, no matter what the situation, her nature would still make her try her best to protect her own child, not allowing others to slander.
However, although this was the case, if Chenghuan was really such a sinister and vicious person, leaving him by Ning Wanshuang's side would make him the second Xiao Jingheng in the future.
Zhao Hua could not allow such a thing to happen, nor could she allow the tragedy of the previous Empress Dowager to be repeated in Ning Wanshuang.
Therefore, even if Ning Wanshuang was going to oppose her because of this, she still had to pull Ning Wanshuang out of the fiery pit.
Just like when she was trapped in the cold palace and could not save herself, Rong Yue and Wan Shan helped her regardless of the consequences and spared no effort, in the same way.
Zhao Hua knew very well that now, only by presenting the damning ironclad evidence of Chenghuan's evil deeds in front of Ning Wanshuang, forcing her to believe and face it, could she wake up after a short period of pain.
So Zhao Hua ordered Yun Shan:
"You go and call all the grannies who were protecting the imperial sons in the Imperial Garden that day. This palace wants to question them one by one."
Yun Shan respectfully promised, and was about to go to do this when he happened to run into Xiao Fuzi who had just returned.
Zhao Hua asked him, "How about it? Did Guo Imperial Physician conceal anything?"
Xiao Fuzi said, "What Your Highness guessed is correct. Today Guo Imperial Physician went to Yonghe Palace to explain the condition of the Eldest Imperial Son to Imperial Concubine Ning. Over the years, the symptoms of the Eldest Imperial Son's eczema have not diminished, and his body has repeatedly festered and drained him. He has been barely clinging to life relying on medicines and soups.
Guo Imperial Physician said that when the weather turns dry this coming autumn and winter, it will inevitably exacerbate the Eldest Imperial Son’s condition. At that time...the skin all over the Eldest Imperial Son’s body will crack, fester, and rot, and he will eventually die in unimaginable pain and torment after becoming completely disfigured..."
A flayed man...
That is, without a single piece of good skin or flesh left on the body.
Zhao Hua dared not think too much about such an image. Just hearing this description made her heart ache.
No wonder when she went to find Ning Wanshuang today, she saw that her eyes were red, as if she had just cried.
It was also laughable,
A moment ago, Zhao Hua was still thinking about how to "punish by law" Chenghuan,
and the next moment, someone came to tell her that there was no need for her to act, Chenghuan was going to die soon anyway.
As the saying goes, heaven's retribution for evil is ruthless,
But such words should not be used on a child...
Seeing Zhao Hua silent, Yun Shan was also at a loss.
After struggling for a long time, he finally asked Zhao Hua in a low voice,
"Miss, should we continue to investigate the Princess' death..."
Zhao Hua waved her hand dejectedly and sighed,
"Forget it. The matter ends here. Anyway, the child is going to die soon, and since Sister Ning doesn't want to believe this, let's not bother to bring the truth to light."
In the days that followed, Ning Wanshuang asked for leave from the Secretary of State on behalf of Chenghuan, allowing the child to live, eat and sleep in Yonghe Palace for her convenience in taking care of him.
With Chenghuan never setting foot outside of Yonghe Palace again, it also meant that no one could threaten Cheng Yu anymore.
Zhao Hua was also at ease to continue letting Cheng Yu go to the Secretary of State, only he had to be personally picked up and dropped off by Xiao Fuzi every day.
After another uneventful month passed in this way,
In early June, the Palace Eunuch Office and the Palace Affairs Department submitted this year’s list of beauties.
Looking at the list of beauties who had just turned fourteen or fifteen years old, Zhao Hua couldn't help but feel emotional and said,
"It's been several years since we last selected beauties. It's time for some new faces in the palace to extend its branches and leaves for the imperial family."
The names on the list were endless, making people dizzy from looking at them.
Zhao Hua simply closed the list and asked Chen Minzhong, the head eunuch of the Palace Affairs Department directly,
"Who do you see His Majesty is interested in among the beauties?"
Chen Minzhong said, "This slave does not dare to guess the holy will, but His Majesty did take two more glances at the legitimate daughter of the Nalan family when he was looking through the list of beauties."
"Oh?" Zhao Hua tapped lightly on the list and asked, "Which one is it?"
Chen Minzhong immediately took out Nalan's portrait from the pile of beauty paintings beside him and respectfully presented it to Zhao Hua,
"Reporting to Your Majesty the Empress, this is the legitimate daughter of the Nalan family, Nalan Ruge."
Zhao Hua looked closely at the woman in the painting.
She had a glamorous and dazzling beauty,
and more importantly, there was a resemblance between her brows and eyes and Zhao Hua's.
Chen Minzhong flattered and fawned, "It's no wonder His Majesty would look twice at her. This Nalan Ruge does bear quite a resemblance to Your Majesty the Empress. In this world, if a woman could attain even one-tenth of Your Majesty’s beauty, she would already be a peerless beauty among millions."
Zhao Hua smiled gently as she stroked her hair and joked,
"Chen respects too much. Miss Nalan is only fifteen years old, while I just turned twenty-one after my birthday last month. After all, she can’t compare with her unsullied grace."
Hearing Zhao Hua’s self-deprecating words, Chen Minzhong finally realized that his words were improper. He quickly said a lot more bootlicking words trying to remedy his mistake, but Zhao Hua had no interest in whatever he said, letting his words go in one ear and out the other. She simply said,
"Since His Majesty likes her, give her a good position at the July selection so that this flower can bloom where it should."
"Your Majesty is virtuous and wise! This slave understands."
As they were talking, Xiao Fuzi happened to bring in Zhang Imperial Physician to take Zhao Hua’s pulse and check her health. Chen Minzhong then had his men carry away the piles of lists and paintings and withdrew respectfully.
As Zhang Imperial Physician was taking her pulse, Zhao Hua noticed his expression was slightly solemn, so she asked him, "What's the matter with you today? You look like you have something on your mind."
Zhang Imperial Physician sighed, "Replying to Your Majesty the Empress, the Eldest Imperial Son’s condition has deteriorated, I'm afraid... he won't make it past these few days."
"What did you say?" Zhao Hua looked shocked and kept asking, "Didn't you say to nurse him carefully and he could surely make it past New Year’s Eve no matter what?"
Zhang Imperial Physician said, "That was supposed to be the case, but when Guo Imperial Physician went to take the Eldest Imperial Son's pulse the day before yesterday, he discovered that his condition had taken a drastic turn for the worse. For it to deteriorate so quickly in such a short period of time, I'm afraid... someone has tampered with or stopped his medicines."
Xiao Fuzi said, "Does brother mean the Eldest Imperial Son’s medicines were tampered with?"
Zhao Hua quickly denied it, "Impossible. Sister Ning loves her son dearly, and Chenghuan’s medicines have always been personally decocted by Sister Ning in Yonghe Palace. How could she have..."
When she spoke halfway, the reason for Chenghuan’s deterioration was already obvious.
Zhao Hua looked at Zhang Imperial Physician dumbfoundedly, the subtle changes in his expression.
After a while, she murmured softly,
"It's... Sister Ning?"
