Ah Hao recalled the scene from that day, but dared not think about it too much. She kowtowed to Empress Dowager Feng, kneeling on the cold ground, her voice echoing in the hall, seemingly reverberating in her heart as well.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. His Majesty instructed me to hold the umbrella, but I failed to do so properly, which is why His Majesty had to take matters into his own hands. Your Majesty the Empress almost fell, which is also my fault. Since I have neglected my duty, I deserve to be punished without complaint."
You must not touch those you shouldn't, and you must maintain your bottom line. Always remember your place, and don't indulge in wishful thinking or unrealistic ambitions. Competing for the emperor's favor is acceptable, but you must never let the emperor pay too much attention to you.
The meaning Empress Dowager Feng was trying to convey to Ahao through these words was unclear to her; now, she was even more clear-headed. Ahao also felt that she had never actually considered those things, neither in the past nor now. But perhaps no one could truly understand her thoughts.
"That's enough. You know what you're doing." Empress Dowager Feng didn't actually punish her. She let A-Hao get up before continuing, "Next March, new concubines will surely enter the palace. Although it depends on His Majesty's will, A-Hao, you must not let me down, understand?"
Ahao then kowtowed again and said, "This servant will heed Your Majesty's teachings."
Empress Dowager Feng nodded, seemingly finally satisfied, but said, "I am tired." A-Hao quickly went forward to help her and escorted Empress Dowager Feng to the inner room to lie down.
Before closing her eyes for a short rest, Empress Dowager Feng, perhaps feeling uneasy or unsettled, suddenly said to Ahao, "I am doing this for His Majesty's good, and also for yours. You surely understand my heart, don't you?"
Seeing Song Shuhao nod in agreement, Empress Dowager Feng's expression relaxed. She informed her, "I'll take a nap," and said no more. Song Shuhao lowered her eyelids, concealing all her emotions, whether they were genuine or not.
Chapter 41 Dissatisfaction
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While Empress Dowager Feng was taking a nap, Lanfang quietly came in and called for Song Shuhao. Earlier, Song Shuhao had asked Lanfang to inquire about something for her, and it seemed that she had made some progress by now.
Ah Hao followed Lan Fang outside, and the two stood under the eaves outside the hall talking. It was a good place to hide, and anyone who came near would be easily spotted, so the possibility of being eavesdropped on was very small.
"This morning, Lanxiang led the palace maids to clean outside the palace. Later, during the inspection, Lanxiang said that the little palace maid had not cleared the snow on the steps, so she punished that person and then asked Xiao Dezi to continue the task."
Lanfang told Ahao what she had found out, and seeing that Ahao merely nodded knowingly, without revealing any of her thoughts, Lanfang couldn't help but ask, "Aunt, what do you plan to do now? Are you just going to let it go like this?"
Although she wasn't the one who suffered, Lanfang was even more anxious than Ahao. If it were her own situation, she could handle whatever she wanted, at least she would know what was going on. But since it wasn't her problem, she felt powerless to help, and was even more at a loss than if it had happened to her.
"What do you mean by 'what to do'?" A-Hao asked疑惑地, then said, "What do you want me to do?" She thought that she had already accomplished something by asking Lan Fang to help her find information. As for what extent she should go next, she hadn't decided yet.
These two seemingly simple questions stumped Lanfang. Although she knew someone was behind it all and that finding the culprit wouldn't be difficult, Lanfang thought, "The Empress Dowager probably won't care," and didn't dare to voice her thoughts.
She blinked and looked at Ahao silently for a moment. Ahao looked back innocently. Lanfang tentatively asked in a low voice, "Aunt, why don't you... ask His Majesty for help?" Ahao just smiled. Lanfang felt embarrassed and could only say, "Although rumors can't be believed, His Majesty must really treat Aunt well."
Lanfang was worried that Ahao might dislike such words and turn hostile, but Ahao still had a smile on her face, and Lanfang didn't know whether she should breathe a sigh of relief. As slaves and maids, with no one to protect them, they were bound to be at the mercy of others. If they could gain the Emperor's favor, even if they couldn't rely on him for a lifetime, they could rely on him for a while, which wouldn't be bad.
Lanfang wasn't afraid of anything else, but she was particularly afraid of Song Shuhao's soft heart, allowing others to bully her without saying a word or fighting back, letting her suffer in vain. Lanfang just felt that it wasn't Ahao who started the fight or made the first move, and since others kept trying to make her suffer, how could she tolerate it even if she didn't get away with it?
"If I were to swallow my anger and compromise, why would I need you to inquire for me?"
She used to be easy to talk to and never caused trouble, so it wasn't surprising that people thought she was easy to manipulate. But whether she was really easy to manipulate was ultimately up to her to decide.
Ah-hao reminded Lan-fang that she was already taking action. In fact, whatever her next considerations might be, remaining unchanged in the face of any eventuality was the most basic approach.
The Princess, who was once more affectionate towards Xue Liangyue, stepped in to help. The person who wanted to kill her has not yet been informed. Some people not only want her to suffer but also want to drag the Empress down with them. In addition, there is the Empress Dowager's warning. Her situation is probably even worse than Lanfang thought.
As for asking His Majesty the Emperor for help...
Ahao's thoughts shifted slightly, and Lanfang, who had realized what was going on, beckoned her to come closer. Ahao did as she was told, and Lanfang said, "I am relieved that you are like this, Aunt." She then leaned closer and whispered in Ahao's ear, "Aunt Xue's relationship with Consort Shu is much closer than before. You might want to be careful."
Someone was walking this way. Lanfang noticed and tried to keep her words brief. Seeing Ahao nod in thanks, Lanfang smiled and said, "Aunt, please don't hesitate to ask me for anything in the future. I will never stand idly by. No matter what, Aunt must not be harmed..."
·
Lanxiang, Xue Liangyue, Consort Shu, and the Empress—Song Shuhao had known Xue Liangyue for many years, so it wasn't difficult for her to deduce Xue Liangyue's thoughts after learning this information. Her actions were indeed in line with her personality, and Shuhao thought it was actually none of anyone else's business.
The Empress's surname is Shen, not Feng. If she could, the Empress Dowager wouldn't wish for Consort Shu to one day ascend to the throne. Xue Liangyue didn't gain much favor with the Emperor, but instead became close to Consort Shu, which can be seen as her currying favor with the Empress Dowager.
Thinking of the various rumors circulating in the palace, and recalling Empress Dowager Feng's words today, Ahao became even less concerned about these baseless and unfounded claims that would eventually fall apart. Her strategy—both cultivating goodwill and smearing Feng's reputation—was undeniably effective, regardless of its sophistication.
Those watching the spectacle only assumed the Empress Dowager favored her, but she, being in the thick of it, naturally understood that the Empress Dowager simply wanted her and Xue Liangyue to fight it out first, and then choose the one she preferred. No matter the methods or the scheming, the outcome was probably more important than the method itself.
Forced into this situation and forced to confront these realities, the Empress Dowager was destined to remain aloof and indifferent. However, she should indeed seek out someone with whom she could "join forces." Even if it were solely for self-preservation, the choice of this person required utmost caution.
Ah Hao didn't consider herself particularly powerful or important, but she had already staked her life on this, and even if it was just for her own sake, she had to be careful. Since someone wanted to get rid of her, it was clear that she still had some value to them.
Lying on the bed thinking about these things, Ah-Hao tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
After counting them over once, from her perspective, the most suitable concubine in the harem was no longer Consort Shu; Consort De and Consort Shu had too many grudges and knew each other's backgrounds too well; as for those below, Consort Xie and Consort Xie, they might not be willing to get involved.
The Empress... Ah Hao thinks that if Consort Shu is to rise to a higher position, the Empress is the first choice. If it weren't for her status, the Empress would also be an excellent choice. The problem is that the conflict between the Empress Dowager and the Empress is too obvious, and this conflict cannot be eradicated.
Although Lanfang and Xiaodouzi could help her find out some information, there was nothing more she could do, and she was too embarrassed to let them get too involved in these kinds of troubles.
Minghuang was so worried that she couldn't sleep. Ah Hao sat up and got out of bed to get some water. She was drinking warm water and lost in thought when she suddenly heard a knock on the door. She was so startled that she almost dropped the teacup in her hand.
As she hesitated, a voice sounded outside the door. Ah Hao listened to the voice and recognized the person, but couldn't help but freeze in surprise.
·
Night had fallen, but candlelight still shone through the Xuanzhi Hall, a testament to the tireless efforts of those within. A cold wind occasionally swirled icy shards past the hall's entrance, while the outside was quietly illuminated by the numerous palace lanterns. Someone hurried towards the Xuanzhi Hall from the darkness.
Lu Chuan personally led the way, carrying a lantern. Behind him, a petite figure followed quickly, draped in a cloak that completely concealed her identity. In the dim light, her features were not easily discernible. When they reached the outside of the hall, Lu Yuan was already waiting to meet them. As soon as they approached, he invited them directly into the hall.
Upon hearing the announcement, Zhang Yu rose from behind his desk and looked towards the palace entrance. Entering the palace, he removed his hood and cloak, revealing Song Shuhao's face. No one else followed her into the palace; now it was just the two of them.
Upon entering the hall, Ahao intended to greet Zhang Yu, but he declined the formalities. Perhaps due to overthinking, she had been unable to sleep, and in the middle of the night, she was genuinely surprised to hear Lü Chuan's voice outside her door.
Zhang Yu descended the white jade steps and walked up to Ahao. Ahao looked up at him and saw that Zhang Yu's face was full of fatigue, and the dark circles under his eyes further revealed his physical exhaustion. It was already strange that he was looking for her in the middle of the night, but Zhang Yu looked like this, which made Ahao even more confused.
The next moment, she met Zhang Yu's eyes and for a fleeting moment sensed a hint of displeasure within them. Ahao bowed and stood before him, waiting for him to speak first. She had believed Lu Chuan when he said it was urgent, but now it seemed there really wasn't anything urgent.
"Have you already forgotten what you promised me?" Zhang Yu's voice was a little hoarse, perhaps because he hadn't rested properly. His abrupt question left Song Shuhao slow to react.
She glanced at Zhang Yu again, but he only stared at her with downcast eyes, as if demanding an explanation. Ah Hao wondered what she had promised, what she had forgotten. After thinking for a while, she identified the meaning behind Zhang Yu's words, but couldn't understand why he had suddenly brought it up. So, she pondered how to speak without angering the person before her.