Time passed as swiftly as a white steed galloping by. Day after day was spent in vain as grains of sand slipping through one's fingers.
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since the imperial cortege arrived at the Wenquan Mountain Villa.
In the past when attending to the imperial cortege, Consort Chen would almost exclusively monopolize the favor. Others couldn't even get a tiny share.
It was said that this time there were only four imperial consorts accompanying the villa. Noble Consort Xiao was pregnant and couldn't attend to the emperor. Consort Chen's favor should have stood unparalleled.
Yet unexpectedly, there was the exception of Song Zhao.
Consort Chen secretly counted. In over ten days at the villa, Xiao Jingheng had visited Song Zhao more times than her.
Moreover, Song Zhao was in the good graces of the Empress Dowager.
It was said the Empress Dowager had rewarded her with a kingfisher hairpin, ordinary in style with mediocre workmanship, but it had been many years since the Empress Dowager gifted anything to anyone other than the Empress and Consort Chen. Now, Song Zhao was just an attendant, yet she received such fortune?
Consort Chen couldn't stand others competing with her favor. She had to remind Song Zhao to know her place.
So she told Song Zhao not to keep buzzing around Xiao Jingheng and to understand propriety.
Song Zhao obeyed on the surface, but that very night, Xiao Jingheng stayed in her quarters again.
Now Consort Chen was thoroughly furious. While fuming in her room at night, Xi Ying happened to arrive.
When Song Zhao entered the palace, Consort Chen had arranged for Xi Ying to monitor her. Xi Ying had been reporting everything to Consort Chen, yet never found any missteps of Song Zhao.
But this time, she seemed to have "rendered meritorious service."
She presented Consort Chen with a letter and said, "Niangniang, this is a family letter that the attendant Song wrote to her maternal home, asking this slave to send it out. This slave noticed odd contents, so brought it for Niangniang to review first."
Consort Chen took the letter and impatiently unfolded it:
[Ask father well. Daughter is fine in the palace and has encountered a joyous event recently at the Wenquan Mountain Villa.
It turns out the Empress Dowager was an intimate friend with maternal aunt in their youth. Cherishing past feelings, the Empress Dowager naturally treats daughter well.
With the Empress Dowager's protection, daughter's future in the palace hopefully won't be too difficult.
If daughter is fortunate enough to gain a good position in the future, will surely serve father well.
Convey regards to mother.]
"She wants to overturn the heavens!"
Consort Chen was furious upon reading it and tossed the letter aside.
Yingxiang immediately picked up the letter, neatly refolded it, and handed it back to Xi Ying with instructions:
"Send this family letter to her unaltered."
Of course, even in her anger, Consort Chen couldn't use this letter against Song Zhao.
Firstly, there was nothing outrageous written. Secondly, if the letter was withheld, it would startle the snake in the grass and alert Song Zhao that she was being monitored.
Consort Chen resentfully asked Xi Ying, "Did she pretend to be unwell today and tell the emperor to rest instead of staying for dinner?"
Xi Ying shook her head. "No. She was chatting merrily with the emperor. Didn't even finish dinner before they went to bathe in the hot spring together..."
"That shameless vixen!" Consort Chen angrily slapped the table. After numbing her palm, she demanded: "What other bewitching things has she done recently? Tell Zhen clearly!"
Xi Ying timidly replied: "Song attendant has always upheld propriety and followed Niangniang's instructions. Just recently, she has ignored them for some reason..."
She didn't know why. But Consort Chen did.
It was probably because Song Zhao curried favor from the Empress Dowager and gained a powerful backer, so she no longer feared Consort Chen.
Yingxiang comforted Consort Chen to quell her anger while instructing Xi Ying:
"Go keep a close eye on her and report any movements."
Then she routinely gave Xi Ying a few silver coins before sending her away.
After she left, Yingxiang said to Consort Chen: "Niangniang must be vigilant against the Song woman now. She used to rely on Niangniang in the harem since she had no other supporters. But now that she stands in the Empress Dowager's favor, she must harbor ulterior motives against Niangniang. Although the Duke of Protector only holds the second-rank official position, there is no precedent of bestowing a formal consort title to a daughter of secondary status. But judging by the emperor's favor now, I fear..."
She stopped mid-sentence as Consort Chen suddenly glared at Yingxiang, voice hardening:
"With which eye did you see the emperor favoring her?"
Yingxiang immediately knelt in apology. "Slave misspoke. The emperor only toys with Song's novelty. He will tire of her after a few days. But the Empress Dowager and Song's mother have a history, so Niangniang must make plans early on..."
Although still irritated, Consort Chen was no fool.
Yingxiang was right.
The most principled person in the harem had always been the Empress Dowager. Although of secondary birth, if Song Zhao birthed an imperial prince by fortune in the future, Xiao Jingheng would want to raise her status, yet the Empress Dowager would surely oppose it.
But now, seeing how the Empress Dowager favored Song Zhao over Xiao Jingheng himself, if Xiao Jingheng did confer Song Zhao an elevated status in the future, the Empress Dowager would most likely turn a blind eye.
After some thought, Consort Chen sneered coldly:
"Song Shicheng gained his dukedom by riding his ancestors’ glory. The title is but an empty shell to him. Even the emperor disdains interacting with him. If not for him fawning over this Zhen’s father and brothers, secretly doing their dirty work that cannot see the light of day, his misdeeds would have already been reported to the throne. How else could he enjoy such prestige today?"
She scoffed with contempt then added:
"Her father is but a dog raised by the Ning Family. What could that Song Zhao amount to?"
Yingxiang said: "That's why Niangniang must make preparations before it rains. To make Song attendant devotedly serve as Niangniang’s dog, Niangniang must make her understand the meat in her bowl is all Niangniang’s reward, not her own credit. Now that Niangniang is displeased and kicked her begging bowl aside, leaving her hungry for two days, she will learn better."
Consort Chen contemplated then said: "The Duke of Protector still has some face on the surface as an official family. As his secondary daughter forcing her way up, she can bask in some glory too. But calamity often lurks with fortune. If her maternal family commits a crime, their standing would become her burden instead."
Languidly reclining against her chair, she smiled slyly:
"Perhaps a daughter of secondary status still has hope of advancement, but the daughter of a convicted criminal - no matter how exceptional her abilities - would never have the audacity to bluster in front of the throne again once stripped of her glory!"
Consort Chen's logic was sound.
The Empress Dowager might overlook Song Zhao's secondary birth, but if she became the daughter of a convicted criminal, even if Xiao Jingheng still wished to raise her status in the future, the opposition from elder court officials on moral grounds alone would give him a headache.
Thus, Consort Chen said sinisterly with a smirk:
"The Duke still has to handle affairs for his father, so cannot be touched for now. But Zhen heard his principal wife, Jiang, isn't a harmless character either - flaunting gold and splendor all day, putting on ostentatious airs.
Send brother a letter to have him help Zhen keep watch for any wrongdoings. Let's see how long she can remain so arrogant!"
