That night, Xiao Jingheng entered the forbidden area as expected.
However, this time when they were intimate, the two fully embodied the phrase "the joy of fish and water."
Because everything happened in the water, even though Xiao Jingheng thought Song Zhao was having her period, it didn't dampen his enthusiasm at all.
At first, Song Zhao tried to dissuade him, saying there was a saying in the palace that "seeing red is unlucky." She was hesitant.
When Xiao Jingheng heard this, he jokingly teased instead, "There are no taboos. If seeing red is unlucky, why are there red decorations everywhere during the festivals?"
As the emperor, he could do whatever he wanted without following rules.
So if one could truly become the apple of his eye, then all shackles and rules would become meaningless.
Of course, Song Zhao also wanted to be "unrestrained." So she knew how to capture Xiao Jingheng's heart.
After enjoying themselves thoroughly in the bedroom, Xiao Fuzi sent Xiao Jingheng back to his palace, then returned and softly said to Song Zhao, "Mistress, Imperial Physician Zhao has been dismissed and banished from the palace."
Song Zhao was sitting at the dressing table, using Fairy Powder to apply makeup to her face. She casually asked, "What happened?"
Xiao Fuzi said, "I heard he made mistakes when gathering medicine for Consort Yun. He was dismissed for his lack of medical skills."
Song Zhao sneered. "Imperial Physician Zhao even dared to make mistakes when treating Consort Yun. It shows how incompetent he is. So it's 'understandable' that he mistook my pulse for that of a pregnant woman."
Song Zhao knew that dismissing Imperial Physician Zhao from the palace was just a pretext to frame him.
After being provoked by the Noble Consort, Consort Yun was definitely afraid that the truth would come out. So she hastily withdrew her hand.
But it didn't matter. Song Zhao wouldn't be stupid enough to actually announce her "pregnancy" at Xiao Jingheng's birthday banquet.
This matter was originally Consort Yun's scheme to frame Song Zhao.
In the end, the scheme failed. Instead, Consort Yun revealed her tricks in front of the Empress Dowager.
After going around such a big circle, besides proving that she was a complete fool, Consort Yun gained nothing.
When Xiao Fuzi was helping Song Zhao rinse her mouth, he smiled and said, "Mistress guessed right that His Majesty would come to our palace tonight, and he really did come."
Song Zhao smiled without replying.
Whether Xiao Jingheng would come tonight, Song Zhao was just guessing at first.
She thought that the Empress would definitely complain about the Noble Consort to Xiao Jingheng.
Song Zhao thought that if Xiao Jingheng believed she was really pregnant, then she had to properly "indulge" him.
After all, the key to playing hard to get was to eventually "get." Refusing was not the point.
To control a man's heart, one must first be moderately relaxed and able to handle things smoothly.
This was similar to fishing.
If the fishing line was too tight, it would break easily. If it was too loose, the fish could escape. To catch a big fish, one had to master all the tricks.
Song Zhao asked Xiao Fuzi to stand guard earlier. If Xiao Jingheng came to Yao Hua Palace, he had to chirp like a Eurasian tree sparrow to signal them.
When Song Zhao heard the bird calls, she immediately asked Yun Shan to go out and boil hot water. She calculated that Yun Shan would surely run into Xiao Jingheng when she went out.
From Song Zhao’s understanding of Xiao Jingheng, he was not a rigid and boring person without a sense of romance.
So as long as Xiao Jingheng came in, it would be a carefully planned “bathhouse warmth and fragrance” tonight.
Men always needed to be given a different experience to distinguish a woman from other women,
so that they would remember her more deeply and lastingly, and keep relishing the memory.
*
Two days later, on September 16th,
after so much preparation, Xiao Jingheng’s birthday banquet finally arrived.
The palace was very festively decorated today, even more lively than during the New Year.
Today was Xiao Jingheng’s day of rest and bathing.
In the morning, he went with the Empress to pay respects to their ancestors at the imperial mausoleum outside the capital. After returning to the palace, he went to greet the Empress Dowager.
Speaking of the Empress Dowager, Song Zhao still hadn’t met her face-to-face since entering the palace.
The Empress Dowager had always been in poor health. She stayed in Xian Shou Palace without going out,
so as not to tire herself. Normally, the consorts were also exempted from paying respects to her.
However, according to the elders in the palace, the Empress Dowager was easy-going and tolerant, a very nice master.
In the afternoon, the consorts all dressed up beautifully and went to Tong Hua Terrace where the banquet would be held.
Song Zhao went there with Consort Yao. Consort Yao was very cautious in everything she did. Today, she brought Song Zhao to their seats half an hour early, for fear of any delays.
Later, the other consorts arrived successively.
Unexpectedly, Consort Shu, who had been heartbroken over her miscarriage for a long time, also came today.
She looked much better and was no longer always feeling sad and sorry for herself. A smile had reappeared on her face.
As soon as she arrived, she immediately became the center of attention. Everyone surrounded her, asking about her health - some sincerely, some perfunctorily.
The Noble Consort had also lost a child. Although she looked down on Consort Shu, the two had suffered the same misfortune. So she also made a few polite enquiries about Consort Shu’s well-being.
After the crowd around Consort Shu dispersed, Song Zhao went over to greet her.
"Greetings Consort Shu. Seeing you glowing today, I'm truly happy for you from the bottom of my heart. The past cannot be undone, but Consort Shu, you have great good fortune. There are still good days ahead."
Consort Shu smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your kind wishes. Li deserved to die for what she did to me and my son. However, I heard that you were wrongly accused because of this matter. Fortunately, His Majesty is wise and proved your innocence. Otherwise, I would feel uneasy if you got implicated."
The two chatted for a while. When the time was almost up, they had to take their seats.
The main seat was naturally reserved for Xiao Jingheng today. The Empress would sit next to him, followed by the four consorts, with the Noble Consort seated first.
Song Zhao sat next to Concubine Xiao and Concubine Liu. After the previous incident, Concubine Xiao’s throat still hadn’t fully recovered, and her voice was still hoarse.
"I heard that several of His Majesty’s brothers, with whom he has a deep fraternal bond, will also come today?"
Concubine Liu looked around the hall and said, "That was the plan, but I don't see anyone yet, when we’re about to start."
Before her voice faded away, bursts of hearty laughter sounded outside the hall.
Following the direction of the laughter, Song Zhao saw three men enter the hall, chatting and laughing.
The three were wearing python robes, clearly indicating their status.
What made Song Zhao take a second look was the man walking in the middle.
He looked very young, probably seventeen or eighteen. He had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, thin lips and white teeth, very handsome.
The hem of his python robe was slightly flipped up, casually tucked into the white jade belt around his waist.
It didn't look sloppy. Compared to the other two princes dressed properly beside him, it made him look more casual.
He chatted and laughed freely with confidence. His laughter was bright and resonant, and his demeanor had a hint of arrogance.
In terms of looks, he was comparable to Xiao Jingheng.
But he lacked some of Xiao Jingheng’s gravitas and instead had some defiant and roguish charm unique to him.
Concubine Xiao whispered, "Which prince is that in the middle? His court dress is not neat."
Concubine Liu said, "He looks like the Sixth Prince, Prince An. The Sixth Prince and His Majesty grew up together under the Empress Dowager's care. They have the deepest fraternal bond. He's always been unrestrained, and His Majesty always spoils him anyway, never minding such trivial things."
As Song Zhao was watching, Prince An inadvertently glanced her way, and their eyes met.
He smiled frivolously at Song Zhao with the tip of his tongue against his jaw, and nodded slightly to acknowledge her.
His manner was very similar to the local ruffians in the city.
Song Zhao did not respond to him but quickly looked away, continuing her conversation and laughter with Concubine Xiao.
