“Long live Your Majesty.”
Song Zhao appropriately bowed to Xiao Jingheng and asked somewhat puzzled,
“It’s a snowy night in the dead of winter. Today is the 15th. Your Majesty should be in the Queen's palace. How come you are here instead?”
Xiao Jingheng seemed to not hear her words at all.
He just looked at the delicate beauty kneeling in the snow, shivering uncontrollably, and his heart was filled with distress.
He bent down to lightly wrap his arm around Song Zhao’s waist, wanting to help her up from the snowy ground.
Song Zhao subconsciously wanted to refuse, but Xiao Jingheng’s grip only tightened as he forcefully pulled her up into his embrace,
“If all the gods in heaven wanted to see you freeze to death before they would bless Us, people would stop praising the Buddha's compassion.”
Song Zhao had been kneeling in the snow for a while. Her body was covered in fluffy snow.
Especially her fair and tender pair of jade-like hands. To kowtow, she had to support herself with both hands sunk deep into the snow. At this moment, they were even more frozen red.
Xiao Jingheng noticed and his brows involuntarily furrowed, visibly distressed.
He personally helped Song Zhao dust off the snow on her body, and cupped her icy hands in his palms, gently kneading them,
“With your hands so cold, are you deliberately trying to make me worry?”
His actions were very gentle, yet still made Song Zhao whimper in pain as she unconsciously tried to pull her hands back.
Noticing her reaction, Xiao Jingheng held her hand and examined it carefully, only to discover her hands were not just red from the cold. Having been buried in the snow for too long, her fingertips had turned purple.
He quickly said, “This might develop chilblains. Come to the palace with me. I’ll apply medicine for you.”
He didn’t dare continue holding her hand, afraid to hurt her. So he moved his palm up to clutch her slender wrist instead.
Song Zhao did not dare to defy him and could only let him lead her forward by the hand.
Jiang Deshun hurriedly walked to Xiao Jingheng’s side and asked softly in a very weak voice,
“Your Majesty, what about Concubine Chen...”
“Foolish thing. I already told you, by the time her palace maid came to report, I was resting with the Queen. ” Xiao Jingheng coldly cut Jiang Deshun off and fell silent for a bit before instructing, “Make her a cup of the imperial tranquilizing tea. It works best against nightmares.”
Upon hearing this, Song Zhao asked, “Is Concubine Chen unwell?”
“She was frightened by the snake incident and has been having nightmares recently. It’s nothing serious.”
Xiao Jingheng answered dismissively and took Song Zhao onto the sedan chair.
On the ride back to Chaoyang Palace, Song Zhao tried to persuade Xiao Jingheng to go see Concubine Chen, but Xiao Jingheng had just seen her kowtowing for him in the snow, and was so touched that he had no mind to bother about others.
Furthermore, whether Concubine Chen was truly unwell or deliberately throwing a tantrum, he could tell clearly.
Seeing Xiao Jingheng’s attitude, Song Zhao said no more unsavory words and obediently nestled in his embrace like a kitten as the sedan chair made its way to Chaoyang Palace.
It was the 15th today. On the 15th every month, Xiao Jingheng was supposed to spend the night in the Queen’s palace.
Given what had transpired between Concubine Chen and the Queen, Song Zhao figured she must be planning something to get Xiao Jingheng out of the Queen’s palace.
If he did abandon the Queen for her, to go to Concubine Chen’s Yonghe Palace he would have to pass the Plum Garden.
That’s why there was the scene earlier of Song Zhao insisting on praying in the snow there.
Song Zhao was clearly trying to obstruct Concubine Chen’s favor.
But she was not like Consort Xiao from before, openly and unabashedly fighting over favor and making a fool of herself.
Tonight, it was Xiao Jingheng who decided to leave the Queen on his own to go check on Concubine Chen.
On his way there, as he passed the Plum Garden, it just so happened that he saw Song Zhao kneeling in the snow and stopped the sedan chair to go see what was going on.
He then “coincidentally” overheard the blessing Song Zhao was praying for. Seeing her covered in snow and her bright red frozen hands,
he was filled with tender affection and insisted on taking Song Zhao back to the palace.
All this did not seem like Song Zhao deliberately seeking his favor, but rather Xiao Jingheng unable to restrain himself with her.
Of course, in making this move, Song Zhao had also given herself a way out.
When the sedan chair stopped outside Chaoyang Palace, she worriedly said to Xiao Jingheng:
“Your Majesty, this concubine is extremely anxious. Tonight, you were supposed to spend it in the Queen’s palace. On your way to see Concubine Chen who was unwell, you happened to run into me. Now you want me to stay in Chaoyang Palace, neither returning to the Queen nor going to check on Concubine Chen. The 15th is a full moon. I am of too lowly status, how could I possibly monopolize your favor tonight?”
Xiao Jingheng knew Song Zhao well.
This delicate beauty had always disliked harem intrigues and would never fight for favor.
Yet the more she was like this, the more it made Xiao Jingheng dotingly cherish her from the bottom of his heart.
He held her hand, gazing at her with warm and unwavering eyes,
“Staying by the side of the woman I love, others dare not gossip. If you’re afraid my favor would bring you unwanted trouble, we won’t record it on the register tonight.”
As he gently caressed the loose strands of hair by her temple, smiling, he asked,
“Why? Are you unwilling to accompany me?”
Song Zhao shyly lowered her gaze. In a delicate and gentle voice that pierced Xiao Jingheng’s heart she answered,
“I’m willing...”
Without records from the secretarial office today, no one would know Song Zhao spent the night.
To protect her, Xiao Jingheng would definitely hide this from both the Queen and Concubine Chen.
The Queen’s side would assume Xiao Jingheng had abandoned her for Concubine Chen.
While Concubine Chen would assume Xiao Jingheng did not care that she was unwell and only wanted to accompany the Queen.
Would this not make them resent each other even more?
But Song Zhao did not care.
The more fiercely they fought, the more Xiao Jingheng would distance himself from them.
After all, what man wouldn’t be more affectionate towards the woman who prayed devoutly for him than those bickering jealously over his favor?
That night, as expected, Song Zhao spent the night in Chaoyang Palace.
She barely slept a wink all night. The next day at the fourth watch, Xiao Jingheng rose very gently, afraid to disturb her.
So she kept her eyes shut and continued pretending to be asleep.
After all, she had gone three rounds with Xiao Jingheng last night and her body ached with fatigue. She wanted to lie in a little longer.
A woman should also know to appear weak before a man.
The more she lazily overslept today, the more Xiao Jingheng would think highly of his own virility last night.
Even though regarding that matter, Xiao Jingheng had indeed been quite valiant.
With eyes closed, Song Zhao listened carefully to the sounds in the room.
As Jiang Deshun was attending to Xiao Jingheng washing up and changing, she heard Xiao Jingheng instruct him,
“It has been a cold winter this year. I plan to take Mother Empress to the hot springs villa for a short stay in a few days. Have the Queen arrange which consorts and concubines will join the entourage.”
Jiang Deshun obediently answered in acknowledgment. Then Song Zhao heard Xiao Jingheng add,
“Tell the Queen, Song Chang’in will come along too.”
