Zhang Xin was surprised, her almond-shaped eyes widening. "I thought you were going to give it to... Why did you only give it to my tenth brother? That's so unfair! How can His Majesty not have one? He sounds more pitiful than me."
Ah Hao felt something was off about what he was saying, but before she could say a word, Zhang Yu appeared with a dark face.
·
In the end, Ah Hao's gift for Zhang Yu was not successfully delivered. Zhang Yu said he didn't need it, and after thinking about it, she realized that was true, so she carefully kept it for herself and didn't take it out.
Zhang Xin and Empress Dowager Feng brought Ahao over to help prepare Empress Dowager Feng's birthday gift. Empress Dowager Feng's birthday falls on the first day of the Lunar New Year, leaving more than a month to prepare, which was quite ample time. Zhang Xin wasn't in a hurry, but she and Ahao slowly made plans.
Empress Shen's health was not good, as was Consort Xie's, keeping Ling Xiao quite busy. During this period, the situation at court was rather tense, but the inner palace was much calmer. A-Hao stayed in Yongle Palace with Zhang Xin, and no one bothered her.
In any case, as time passed, the emperor and Song Shuhao did not develop any deeper relationship, and the influence of the winter hunt and the rumors brought by Ahao gradually faded. When Ahao returned to serve Empress Dowager Feng, she did not hear Empress Dowager Feng say anything special.
Empress Shen's health was inexplicably compromised, and many imperial physicians tried various remedies but were unable to find a solution, watching her condition worsen day by day. Later, Ling Xiao volunteered to take charge of Empress Shen's health care. No one thought she was capable of the task, but Empress Shen's condition actually improved, and even the old imperial physicians were impressed.
Empress Shen, who had been bedridden for a long time, was finally able to go out. Her first stop was Changning Palace to pay her respects to Empress Dowager Feng. After hearing the report, Empress Dowager Feng instructed Song Shuhao to go out and greet her in her place. Ahao then came out and stood at the foot of the steps, waiting for Empress Shen's palanquin to slowly approach.
Being in poor health, Empress Shen was inevitably sensitive to the cold, so she wrapped herself up very tightly. A-Hao bowed to her and said, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager sent me to greet Your Majesty the Empress on her behalf." Empress Shen smiled and took A-Hao's hand, "It's so cold outside, it's kind of you to stand here and wait."
Ah Hao smiled and helped Empress Shen up the steps. When they were almost at the entrance of the main hall, Empress Shen suddenly slipped and was about to fall. Ah Hao immediately tried to steady her, but she couldn't support her properly. She lost her balance and was even forced to fall straight backward with Empress Shen. Ah Hao felt a sense of foreboding.
Chapter 40 A Warning
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After escorting Empress Shen into the palace to drink tea and chat with Empress Dowager Feng, Princess Zhang Jin also arrived, making it quite lively. Ah Hao seized an opportunity to sneak out from inside; the palace maids had already cleared the thin ice from the steps.
Ah Hao looked closely and asked the palace servant guarding the area where the shoveled-off items were piled up. The servant pointed to a spot, which was indeed nearby. She figured it was just some broken ice and couldn't have been treated in any special way, which was pretty much what she expected.
She had just observed the steps and noticed something was amiss, so she wanted to verify it further. Actions inevitably leave traces; it's not enough to think you've done something flawlessly.
The shoveled ice fragments were huddled together in small clumps, looking no different from the snow pile below. Ah Hao squatted down, reached out and grabbed a small handful. The warmth of his palm made the ice fragments melt faster, leaving behind more than just a few water stains.
Ah Hao flicked the exposed white wax in his palm with his fingers, a hint of seriousness creeping into his usually calm expression. The deliberate manipulation was too obvious, and it seemed as if there was no scruples involved. Either the person who designed it had power, or they had a powerful backer who wouldn't easily fall.
If the Empress falls, she will be punished regardless of whether she is at fault. How many people could possibly cause trouble in Changning Palace? How many could possibly scheme to ensure that the Empress Dowager would send her out to fetch someone? Further verification is still not difficult.
Ah Hao suppressed her thoughts, stood up again, and remained calm and composed. She brushed the things from her hands and returned to the main hall, not mentioning these details she had discovered to anyone.
·
As she returned to Fengyang Palace from Changning Palace, the last trace of a smile on Shen Wanru's face vanished completely. The head palace maid, Hongling, helped her into the palace and removed her cloak. Remembering the scheme that had occurred outside the main hall of Changning Palace, Empress Shen was greatly displeased.
The emperor was just taking a liking to Song Shuhao, yet he treated her like a fool, intending to make her suffer. If it weren't for the timely arrival of the Eldest Princess and her willingness to help, who knows what kind of gossip she would have faced. What kind of person was she to be so petty and calculating like them? It was utterly laughable.
"Go and find out what happened," Shen Wanru instructed Hongling.
Hongling had just handed the cloak to the maid to put away carefully when she suddenly heard Empress Shen's words. It took her a moment to realize that she was referring to the near-fall. She had thought it was just an accident, but it seemed that wasn't the case?
As far as Hongling was concerned, there was absolutely no need for the Empress to resort to such petty tricks to make things difficult for Song Shuhao. She knew that the Empress was open-minded, insightful, and perceptive.
Among the concubines in the harem, there was no shortage of those with powerful backgrounds, cunning schemes, or even those who seemed to hold a special place in the Emperor's heart. But the Empress knew that as long as she didn't make any mistakes, she had nothing to worry about.
Even though Song Shuhao has won His Majesty's favor, she is not necessarily any different from the other concubines in the Empress's eyes. Even Consort De and Consort Shu have always shown deference to the Empress. So why should the Empress be wary of Aunt Song at this time?
"Does Your Majesty think there's something fishy about this?" Hongling asked cautiously after thinking for a moment.
Hongling helped Empress Shen lie down on the small couch to rest, and then took a blanket from the side and half-covered her. Empress Shen was still not fully recovered and looked a little tired, so she closed her eyes for a moment.
Shen Wanru was in a good mood when she went to Changning Palace, but someone ruined it, making her even more uncomfortable with people she didn't get along with. Partly to comfort Hongling and partly to vent her frustrations, she muttered a few words.
“Aunt Song is now someone many people envy. You know I don’t care too much about these things, and others may not know that. Even if they do, they might not be happy with my attitude. They only want to be dragged down with me; otherwise, how would they make room for this position? How could those people possibly give up…”
Shen Wanru believed that since ascending to the throne, she had never lost her way. She never craved the Emperor's exclusive favor; maintaining her position was enough. With the Emperor's respect, she, as Empress, would not bother arguing with the concubines over trivial matters.
With such a status, it would be quite easy for her to control unruly people. Her most important task now is to get her health in order, and with at least one prince by her side, she won't have to worry about the future. Thinking of Song Shuhao, Shen Wanru smiled slightly. Since things have already come to this, she might as well bring her to her side.
Thinking there was more to say, but not hearing Empress Shen's voice for a long time, Hongling looked up and found that Empress Shen had her eyes closed, probably asleep. She went forward to cover Shen Wanru with the blanket and then went to carry out the task Shen Wanru had asked her to do.
·
Xue Liangyue was not on duty today. After seeing off Empress Shen and the Eldest Princess, Ahao and Lanfang exchanged a few words before returning to serve Empress Dowager Feng.
Both Granny Feng and Granny Zhu were dismissed, and none of the other palace servants were kept. Empress Dowager Feng, who was still sitting at the head of the hall, put down her teacup, looked at her, and said coldly, "Kneel down." She exuded an air of authority without being angry.
Seeing that everyone else had been dismissed by Empress Dowager Feng, Song Shuhao had her own thoughts. When she heard Empress Dowager Feng order her to kneel, she was extremely surprised. She knelt down in the hall with her head down, as if submitting to any punishment.
Empress Dowager Feng then asked, "When you were in the Imperial Library, did you bully any of the palace maids?"
Some time had passed since Qing'er's incident, and when Empress Dowager Feng brought it up now, Song Shuhao knew that someone had spoken ill of her to the Empress Dowager. However, she was honest and fearless. The fact that the Empress Dowager was asking about it now showed that she had no intention of pursuing the matter further.
Ahao kowtowed to Empress Dowager Feng and said, "Your Majesty, I have never done such a thing. There was a different story behind that incident." When Empress Dowager Feng asked another question, Ahao explained the incident to her.
Qing'er's ordeal was kept quiet to avoid being criticized or ridiculed even after her death. However, A-Hao had no such worries when telling the Emperor or Empress Dowager Feng.
Some people are making a fuss about this, probably not to create rumors, but rather... Ah Hao thinks, if she's not mistaken, it probably still comes down to the Empress Dowager's attitude. It seems some people have already decided that the Empress Dowager is her protector, and if the Empress Dowager doesn't care about her, she's destined to be trampled on by everyone.
After listening to A-Hao's explanation, Empress Dowager Feng asked, "Who else understands what you've said?"
"Besides His Majesty, there are only two other people left: Eunuch Li, who was expelled from the palace, and the young eunuch who was on duty at the Yuanshu Pavilion that day."
"It seems you gained a lot from accompanying His Majesty out of the palace this time, and you have not disappointed my expectations." Empress Dowager Feng's words were meaningful, but those who understood them naturally understood, such as Ahao at this moment.
What wasn't explicitly stated was that Empress Dowager Feng believed that her presence during the winter hunt had indeed earned her the Emperor's favor, which was why the Emperor believed her. As long as the Emperor understood the situation and was willing to protect her, she would certainly not be in any trouble because of it.
Ahao didn't say anything immediately. Empress Dowager Feng smiled, but it didn't seem like she was pleased. When she spoke again, her tone was even colder than before, "That day, His Majesty went to the Imperial Library specifically to see you? When His Majesty left, were you with him? You're quite bold, daring to have His Majesty personally hold an umbrella for you? Today, I sent you to pick up the Empress, and you almost caused a mess again?"
The relentless questioning, devoid of any polite words, clearly wasn't about hearing Song Shuhao admit that these things were true. Empress Dowager Feng knew that these things had already happened. What she cared about was the Emperor's attitude towards Song Shuhao, and whether Song Shuhao could understand her own position.