Three days later,
On the day of Chenghuan's funeral, the consorts and imperial heirs all cried bitterly, grief-stricken.
Only Ning Wanshuang, Chenghuan's birth mother, stood before the child's coffin, not shedding a single tear.
Her expression was blank as she gazed at the small figure lying on the coffin, like a piece of ice.
Zhao Hua tried to comfort her, but Xiao Jingheng stood between them, making it difficult to say anything too intimate.
"Consort, the deceased is gone, don't grieve too much," Zhao Hua said.
Xiao Jingheng also embraced Ning Wanshuang's shoulders, saying, "I know you loved Chenghuan, and I know you're hurting. If you want to cry, cry. I'm here with you, and everything will be okay."
He applied pressure to her hand, pulling Ning Wanshuang into his embrace, sighing softly, "Wan'er, Chenghuan suffered from that illness for so long. Now that he's gone, it's a kind of release."
Ning Wanshuang stared blankly at the incense burning in front of the spirit tablet, silent, but in her heart, she silently said:
'Son, your mother comes from a family of warriors, didn't read many books, doesn't understand much about the grand principles. But your mother's father and brothers taught her from a young age, debts must be repaid, a life for a life, this is the most righteous thing.
You are your mother's son, and also a descendant of the Ning family. Your mother has ended your life with her own hands, it's to give this life back to Jinghe, and to Chengjing, to let you go in innocence.
Don't blame your mother for being ruthless. Today, your mother treats you like this, personally making you pay off the blood debt you owe, and in the future...'
She lifted her gaze, tears in her eyes, but full of tenderness as they met Xiao Jingheng's gaze, still silently cursing:
'In the future, your mother will also personally make your father, the emperor, repay the debt he owes.'
Finally, she buried her head in Xiao Jingheng's chest,
Still unwilling to let anyone see her tears, silently weeping.
*
When Ning Wanshuang had eased from her grief, it was over a month later.
During this time, the harem was relatively calm,
Only the matter of Dong's father ruling like a king in Jizhou became the focus of everyone's attention.
Xiao Jingheng had already ordered his secret agents to thoroughly investigate this matter in Jizhou,
This matter was first discovered by Ning Bochuan when he passed through Jizhou with his troops,
Because he was distracted and unable to report this matter to the court immediately,
But he also forced Dong's father to hand over the government to the magistrate and ensure that he would not arbitrarily oppress the people in the future,
Seeing him make a solemn vow, Ning Bochuan finally felt compassion and let him go.
When Xiao Jingheng interrogated Noble Consort Dong, he learned from her that Ning Wanshuang had also known about this matter early on, and had even used it as leverage, using incense to lure Noble Consort Dong into harming Empress Jia Rui.
However, Empress Jia Rui had committed many evils during her lifetime, and seeing Ning Wanshuang mourning her son's recent death, Xiao Jingheng could not bear to blame her, so he did not pursue the matter further.
On this day, when Xiao Jingheng came to Fengluan Palace for lunch, he mentioned the matter of appointing a crown prince to Zhao Hua,
"Chenghuan's funeral has been over for more than a month, and there have been successive incidents with the imperial heirs in the palace. I won't hide it from you, I'm starting to feel a little anxious."
Yesterday, I consulted the Royal Observatory, and they said that the Purple Star is surrounded by ominous energy. It's said that when there's a royal pulse auspicious event, it can alleviate the ominous signs. So, I plan to reinstate Cheng Yu as the crown prince soon. Zhao Hua, what do you think?"
At this moment, Zhao Hua was chewing on a small piece of fresh mushroom heart.
Upon hearing Xiao Jingheng's question, she suddenly felt as though the mushroom heart in her mouth had turned into lime, making it hard to swallow.
The first time Xiao Jingheng made Cheng Yu crown prince again,
it was to secure his own blessings;
the second time he made Cheng Yu crown prince again,
it was to ward off disasters and dispel ominous energy for himself.
Such nauseating words, yet he could say them with such dignity,
and even looked at Zhao Hua with a pleased expression, as if making Cheng Yu crown prince was bestowing the ultimate blessing upon them mother and son...
Zhao Hua's heart surged, but her face quickly composed itself, with a shallow smile, as she gazed back at Xiao Jingheng.
She hadn't seriously looked at Xiao Jingheng for a long time,
even during their intimate moments, it was all just routine.
Now, upon closer inspection,
Zhao Hua felt like she could hardly recognize him anymore.
Thinking back to when she first entered the palace, Xiao Jingheng was handsome, with a fit physique, broad shoulders, and faintly visible toned muscles, undeniably charming and handsome.
But now?
In Zhao Hua's eyes, all she saw were the round cheeks and the slightly bulging belly,
even when wearing a wide dragon robe, his protruding abdomen was still clearly visible.
Weight gain in middle age is common, but there's also Zhang Taiyi's 'thoughts' involved in this.
Not long ago, because of Shang Yang's betrayal and Jinghe's death, Xiao Jingheng suffered a considerable blow,
coupled with the heavy state affairs and the increasingly hot weather, he had lost his appetite.
It was Zhao Hua who thoughtfully suggested that Zhang Taiyi prescribe some appetizing and spleen-strengthening soups and medicines for Xiao Jingheng, and often served oily and meaty dishes to stimulate his appetite when he came to her palace to dine.
Eating too much of these things may appear full of vitality on the outside, but the internal deficiencies are gnawing away day by day, accumulating into hidden dangers.
Zhao Hua gazed affectionately at Xiao Jingheng for a moment,
while placing a stewed and tender braised elbow into Xiao Jingheng's bowl,
and replied with a smile, "Cheng Yu is still young and lacks experience. Your Majesty, I think it's not yet time to reinstate him as crown prince."
Xiao Jingheng took a bite of the elbow and smiled, saying,
"It's alright. Becoming crown prince sooner means knowing sooner how heavy the responsibilities on one's shoulders are, and one will work even harder."
Zhao Hua could tell that Xiao Jingheng didn't actually come to seek her opinion,
in Xiao Jingheng's view, such a great thing, no one in the world would refuse,
so he simply informed Zhao Hua as a matter of course, and said,
"This matter is settled. There's another matter..."
"Consort Yun has served me faithfully for a long time. Although I initially punished her, she has acknowledged her tendency to speak too much. She cried and assured me that she will be more cautious in the future. Therefore, I've decided to reinstate her title and position, with only a half-year reduction in salary as a mild punishment."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hua was initially surprised.
The issue with Dong was not about her talkativeness but rather her family's dominance in political affairs in Jizhou.
Normally, Xiao Jingheng detests such matters.
Why is he acting so unusually this time? Instead of severe consequences, he has even reinstated Consort Yun's position?
Though puzzled, Zhao Hua knew she couldn't voice these questions. She understood that Xiao Jingheng needed a compliant and sensible empress—a presentable and obedient figurehead.
So, she pretended not to take his earlier words seriously and smiled gently, saying, "I punished Consort Yun in a fit of anger. With Chenghuan's illness being so severe, as a mother, I couldn't tolerate someone making inappropriate remarks at such a time. Reflecting later, I felt the punishment was too harsh."
Xiao Jingheng shook his head, "Zhao'er, you manage the harem with clear rewards and punishments, handling it quite well."
As he spoke, he casually took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Next month, new talents will enter the palace, and Zhao'er will have to put in extra effort."
Zhao Hua chuckled, "It's my duty, Your Majesty."
