Noticing the tension in the corner returning, Zhang Yu thoughtfully said, "I didn't take it to heart, so you don't need to worry about it either."
This was about Song Shuhao falling on top of him, and Ahao understood. Having understood, her face, which had finally cooled down, instantly burned again. But was His Majesty the Emperor specifically explaining this to her?
Good heavens! Song Shuhao felt shocked.
She set aside the unopened book in her hand, then rose from her seat once more and knelt directly before Zhang Yu. After taking a deep breath, she seemed to muster her courage and first called out, "Your Majesty!" Then she said, "If this servant has made a mistake, please punish me, Your Majesty!" It was as if she was willing to face whatever punishment came her way, so she might as well get it over with, with a hint of righteous indignation.
This surprised Zhang Yu. He initially thought Song Shuhao was bothered by his offense, but her words clearly implied more than that. Why would she suddenly come to him seeking punishment? Did she enjoy being abused, or did she see him as a sadist...?
He knew, of course, that Song Shuhao wasn't a masochist. Zhang Yu stared at her, his eyes icy, a slight smile appearing on his face, which only made him more chilling. He deliberately asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"This servant shouldn't have been so presumptuous as to plead for a palace maid who made a mistake. To offend His Majesty today is utterly disrespectful." Ah Hao could sense the anger beneath Zhang Yu's icy tone, and knew she had made the wrong bet. Had she only further angered him? Did her past understanding of the Emperor's temperament no longer hold true?
Zhang Yu's smile deepened, but he said calmly, "You do have some self-awareness." His tone was undeniably sarcastic.
Ah-hao dared not speak again, fearing she would make another mistake, and felt even more insecure. Even if she regretted it, the words spoken could not be taken back, and no amount of explanation could undo the damage.
So be it. If she's been rejected, she'll just avoid him even more in the future. She'd rather live like this than live in constant fear and uncertainty, not knowing what he's thinking. Things were actually quite good as they were before, Ah-hao thought to herself.
After saying that, Zhang Yu neither spoke again nor told Ahao to get up, as if he was completely ignoring her. And so, the two of them didn't exchange a single word the rest of the way, and Ahao only rose from her knees upon returning to the palace.
As she finally stepped off the carriage, she thought shamelessly, "This capricious emperor is exactly the one I know..." But she also thought that she should avoid showing off in front of the emperor and getting in his way.
·
After seeing Zhang Yu off, Song Shuhao returned to her residence. While changing her clothes, she noticed bruises on her knees, so she found some ointment and treated them. After washing up, she went to Changning Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.
Upon arriving at Changning Palace, Ahao learned about the Eldest Princess from Xue Liangyue. Xue Liangyue also reminded her that the Empress Dowager had reprimanded the Eldest Princess, causing a rift between mother and daughter, and that the two might be in a bad mood at the moment.
Ah Hao thanked her and entered the palace. Sure enough, when she saw the Empress Dowager, she found Empress Dowager Feng, who was half-reclining on the bed, looking listless and unmotivated.
After bowing before the bed, Empress Dowager Feng asked a few casual questions before dismissing A-Hao, seemingly unwilling to speak to her. Seeing this, Song Shuhao remained silent and retreated outside the hall. She didn't mention the events of the day with Zhang Yu to anyone.
When Ahao came out, Xue Liangyue, who was waiting outside, asked if she had bought what she wanted. Ahao nodded, and then whispered, "Apart from the matter of the Eldest Princess, everything is fine. But there is one thing that I think you should know... The little palace maid you helped plead for a few days ago was taken away by Consort Xie today and is working in Bixiao Palace."
Consort Xie taking the young palace maid away might not necessarily be for her sake, but it's hard to say for sure that it wasn't. Xue Liangyue naturally considered this possibility, which is why she told her the news. That day, His Majesty the Emperor's seemingly innocuous little action actually escalated into something serious.
Ah Hao couldn't help but think of Zhang Yu, and then of what was in the carriage. Her thoughts immediately drifted away, and she simply smiled at Xue Liangyue, saying, "Being able to serve Consort Zhaoyi is much better than working in the laundry department." They both knew what else was going on, and neither said more nor was it appropriate to say more.
Xue Liangyue knew she understood, so she conveyed the message and then moved on to other things.
·
Normally, Song Shuhao and Xue Liangyue would take turns working the night shift with two of the four women serving Empress Dowager Feng: Granny Zhu and Granny Feng. This particular night, it happened to be Xue Liangyue's turn to be on duty, and Song Shuhao was to relieve her the next morning. Therefore, after exchanging greetings, Song Shuhao went back to their quarters to rest when the time came.
It seemed that a lot had happened during the day, because Ah Hao didn't sleep very well. She had a dream that was in fits and starts, in which she saw her mother one moment and an indifferent emperor the next.
When she woke up, it was still dark, and she realized she was covered in a cold sweat. She tried hard to recall, but couldn't remember anything about her dream. The only thing she remembered was the last scene: her mother crying and begging her not to abandon her.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Ahao asked what time it was—she and Xue Liangyue usually had two maids serving them. Seeing that it was almost time to relieve Xue Liangyue and tell her to come back and rest, Ahao simply got up.
Everything was as usual, with not much difference. Song Shuhao did her job properly.
The Empress Dowager was still in a low mood today, and her complexion didn't look good either. However, the Princess was probably also sulking, as she didn't come to Changning Palace to pay her respects or offer any other greetings.
Seeing the Empress Dowager's distress, Granny Feng was very worried, fearing that she might fall ill from holding in her anger. So she discussed it with Song Shuhao, saying, "The Empress Dowager is unwilling to go out for a stroll. Aunt Song is skillful with her hands. Could you go to the Imperial Garden and pick a bunch of hibiscus flowers? They should be in full bloom now. Perhaps seeing the beautiful flowers will cheer the Empress Dowager up."
The Empress Dowager was very fond of hibiscus flowers, and Song Shuhao had no reason to refuse. She quickly agreed and took a maid to the Imperial Garden.
Those few hibiscus trees happened to be planted deep in the southern part of the Imperial Garden. Song Shuhao remembered the approximate location, so finding them wasn't particularly difficult.
However, she was probably really unlucky.
When Song Shuhao accidentally stumbled upon His Majesty the Emperor's intimate moment with a beautiful concubine he had recently taken into the harem, only one thought flashed through her mind.
Chapter 6 Contradictions
A while ago, Prince Anping, Zhao Liang, presented the palace with many precious flowers, trees, and potted plants, but this was only the tip of the iceberg. Besides these, there were all sorts of other tributes, not to mention a considerable number of beautiful women. For example, there was An Qiutong, the beautiful An, standing before Song Shuhao at this moment.
Logically speaking, since His Majesty was here, even if he had dismissed the palace servants, he should have been keeping watch from a distance, and Ah Hao would have undoubtedly encountered him sooner. However, she found her way smoothly to the vicinity of the hibiscus tree without seeing anyone else. This complete lack of vigilance is what allowed His Majesty to disrupt his time alone with Consort An.
Startled by the unexpected scene, Ah Hao paused for a moment, but she didn't look around. She quickly lowered her eyes and bowed to the two men. It seemed she had just offended His Majesty the Emperor yesterday, and today she had ruined his plans... but she hoped that His Majesty's mood hadn't been affected and that he wouldn't hold this unintentional mistake against her.
Standing out from among the newly presented beauties, being summoned to the emperor's bedchamber, and immediately being granted the rank of a fifth-grade beauty, An Qiutong felt quite proud.
She knew about the situation in the harem; there were quite a few influential concubines, but His Majesty the Emperor was currently very interested in her, which was the perfect opportunity for her to consolidate his favor.
Because she had something on her mind, An Qiutong went to great lengths to have His Majesty the Emperor invited to the Imperial Garden to meet her. She had scouted the place beforehand; it was secluded, but had several beautiful pink and white hibiscus flowers in full bloom, creating a charming and interesting atmosphere—perfect for the occasion.
She had thought this was a rather secluded spot in the Imperial Garden, where no one would likely come, but little did she know that her plans would be disrupted. An Qiutong withdrew her hand, which had been reaching out to Zhang Yu, her movements somewhat unnatural.
Then, she glanced at the emperor, whose expression was unreadable, and then at Song Shuhao, who was bowing. An Qiutong thought for a moment before remembering that she was someone from the Empress Dowager's entourage. She had met her when she went to Changning Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.
She was merely a female official, slightly better than a palace maid; despite her looks, she seemed to be nothing special. With this thought in mind, An Qiutong, though annoyed by Song Shuhao's sudden appearance, did not take her seriously.
An Qiutong was ultimately displeased that such a golden opportunity had been wasted and she hadn't had a chance to put her plan into action. The charming smile she had given Zhang Yu just moments before vanished instantly.
·
A gentle breeze wafted by, carrying the lingering fragrance of hibiscus to everyone's noses. Unconcerned about whether he had intruded on their private moment, Zhang Yu straightened his clothes as An Qiutong moved aside, then looked down at Song Shuhao. He thought to himself that she had arrived at just the right time, a slight smile appearing on his lips before quickly vanishing.
He stood upright with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "No need for formalities."
After Song Shuhao stood up, Zhang Yufang asked in a deep and calm voice, "What brings you here?"
Song Shuhao lowered her eyes and answered softly, "Your Majesty, this servant has come to pick a bunch of hibiscus for the Empress Dowager."
"Step down."