Rui Er was the affectionate nickname for Song Zhao's birth mother.
Only those who were extremely close to her would address her in such a way.
It had been many years since Song Zhao last heard this name uttered by the Empress Dowager.
Song Zhao's beauty, almost eighty percent of it, was inherited from her birth mother, Bai.
In particular, the facial features of the mother and daughter were nearly identical.
But compared to Bai's gentle demeanor, Song Zhao possessed a more radiant allure.
At that moment, she looked at the Empress Dowager with restrained respect and cautiously replied,
"Your servant's birth mother's nickname is indeed Rui Er. Does the Empress Dowager know Lady Bai?"
The Empress Dowager paused briefly, her eyes filled with even greater joy.
She held Song Zhao's hand, exempting her from formalities, and her voice trembled with excitement,
"Turns out, you are Rui Er's daughter..."
Before she could finish her sentence, her eyes welled up with tears.
The Empress Dowager was always composed and rarely showed any signs of losing control.
So her current state not only astonished the concubines but also left Xiao Jingheng perplexed.
He asked, "Mother, are you acquainted with Lady Bai, who was often in the company of Song Chang?"
The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, making an effort to calm her agitated emotions, and nodded slowly,
"The maternal family of this humble palace is from Hang City in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang area, involved in the silk trade. The Bai family and my maternal family were separated by only a wall. They were engaged in embroidery, which happened to be our family's business. As a result, there was frequent interaction between the two families."
As she spoke, she tightened her grip on Song Zhao's hand and continued, "This humble palace and your mother had a close relationship since childhood. We were both the only daughters in our respective families, and our older brothers were more interested in playing with boys, so they didn't want to be burdened with us. Thus, we sought our own amusement.
In our youth, I often shared a pot of tea and a meal with your mother, and at night, we would climb onto the roof to gaze at the stars."
As the Empress Dowager recounted these memories, a faint smile played on her lips, and her vacant eyes gleamed with nostalgia.
It was evident that this childhood memory held infinite beauty for the Empress Dowager.
Trapped in the depths of the palace for decades, living the same life day in and day out, bound by rules and etiquette, it was only natural that the yearning for elusive freedom grew stronger with age.
She continued, "Later, this humble palace entered the palace by imperial decree, and since then, contact with Rui Er was severed. This humble palace also sent many letters to the old residence of the Bai family, but there was no response."
Song Zhao explained, "According to Aunt, after Uncle passed away, the Bai family had internal conflicts. Uncle drove Aunt out of the mansion, and they no longer engaged in embroidery. After leaving the mansion, Aunt traveled to various places and eventually settled in the capital, where she opened a small embroidery workshop to make a living."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager suddenly recalled something and said, "You are the daughter of the Duke of Protector's household, so Rui Er married into the Duke's household?"
Song Zhao nodded, and the Empress Dowager continued, "I never expected that we have been in the capital together for so many years and still managed to overlook each other. The Duke's legitimate wife had visited this humble palace a few times. If this humble palace had known earlier that Rui Er had married into the Duke's household, we would have met each other all these years."
She smiled at Song Zhao, her voice gentle as she asked, "Is your mother doing well now?"
Upon hearing this, Song Zhao's previously harmonious smile faded away.
Her slender feathered lashes drooped slightly as she shook her head with a touch of melancholy, and in a weak voice, she said:
"Empress Dowager, Aunt passed away ten years ago..."
The Empress Dowager's nose tingled, and she pressed her thin lips in sorrow. She wanted to say something but hesitated.
After a long pause, she tightened her grip on Song Zhao's hand and said,
"When I was sick, I often remembered the late Emperor and cherished the friendship between you and your mother in our youth. Rui Er and I were close confidantes in the palace for more than ten years. How could I not miss her? I thought we would always have a chance to meet again, but..."
The Empress Dowager's voice gradually choked up, and Song Zhao quickly comforted her,
"The departed are gone. If Aunt were still alive, she would not want to see you saddened and shedding tears for her."
The Empress Dowager took a deep breath and raised her hand to tuck away a stray lock of hair near Song Zhao's temples.
"Fortunately, Rui Er has a good daughter like you. Just like your mother, you are elegant and graceful, no wonder the Emperor favors you."
Xiao Jingheng initially thought that the Empress Dowager would give Song Zhao a hard time when they first met,
But he never expected such a deep connection between the two of them.
The Empress Dowager genuinely liked Song Zhao and had been holding her hand since they met.
Xiao Jingheng took the opportunity to praise Song Zhao to the Empress Dowager,
"Song Zhao is gentle, considerate, and understands the big picture. She is remarkable."
The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Just like her mother, both have gentle and tender personalities. With her taking care of the Emperor, I can rest assured."
The Empress Dowager was indeed at ease, and Xiao Jingheng was pleased with the situation,
However, how could the other concubines not feel jealous?
Even the dignified Empress had never been as close to the Empress Dowager as Song Zhao.
Everyone fell into silence, not daring to show any displeasure.
Just then, a breeze blew, and the Empress took a few steps forward with a smile,
"I never expected such a bond between the Empress Dowager and Song Zhao. Song Zhao, when we go to the Hot Spring Mountain Villa, you must take good care of the Empress Dowager."
Song Zhao bowed and replied, and then the Empress said, "It's windy, the Empress Dowager shouldn't stand in the draft. Let's get on the carriage first, shall we?"
The Empress Dowager turned to look at the Empress, nodded with a smile, and said, "Thank you, Empress, for your concern. Please take care of the affairs in the palace."
Then, she turned to Song Zhao and said, "Girl, do you mind sharing a carriage with me?"
The fact that the Empress Dowager referred to Song Zhao as 'girl' instead of 'Zhao' showed her genuine fondness for her.
The other concubines felt a sourness in their hearts, but Song Zhao didn't have time to worry about how others saw her.
If she could make the Empress Dowager look at her differently and have her protection, it would be more reliable than the verbal promises of Xiao Jingheng.
So she immediately said, "It is the blessing of a concubine to serve the Empress Dowager. Why would I mind?"
As they prepared to help the Empress Dowager onto the carriage, Song Zhao expressed her concern, "It's cold. Empress Dowager, would you like a warm hot pot?"
She signaled to Yun Shan, and when she reached out to take the hot pot he handed her, she discreetly knocked it over without leaving a trace.
The warm water that rolled over her body emitted a steamy heat, even in the winter.
Song Zhao was momentarily frightened and quickly bowed, "I apologize for my rudeness, Your Majesty..."
Yun Shan also dropped to her knees and kowtowed, confessing, "This servant is clumsy and has offended the Empress Dowager and the young mistress. I beg for the Empress Dowager and the young mistress's forgiveness..."
When the pot of hot water was knocked over, the Empress Dowager witnessed it with her own eyes.
To prevent the splashing water from reaching her, Song Zhao quickly shifted to the side and shielded herself from the splashes.
As a result, the Empress Dowager developed a slight fondness for this acquaintance's daughter.
Everyone in the palace knew that the Empress Dowager highly valued etiquette,
Yet, at this moment, not only was she not angered by Song Zhao, but she also carefully inquired if she was hurt.
Xiao Jingheng approached Song Zhao with concern, "Are you scalded?"
Feeling guilty, Song Zhao shook her head, and Xiao Jingheng suggested, "Your clothes are soaked. Xuanli Hall is right next to us. You should go and change into dry garments to avoid catching a cold."
The Empress Dowager also glanced at Yun Shan, who was trembling on the ground, and benevolently said, "You don't need to kneel anymore. Follow along to serve your young mistress."
