The face in my memory kept overlapping with the face on the dragon throne, until they finally merged together.
But she could never love this person.
Then, no need for it.
She once told herself that.
Chapter 49 It's settled
When Ahao woke up, she found herself lying on the bed. She only remembered falling asleep on the table. She didn't dare to think too much about whether she had unconsciously lain back down or something else.
After waking up, the events of last night seemed somewhat distant, and I subconsciously tried not to dwell on them. Seeing that it was time to get up, Ah Hao took a deep breath, gave herself a few words of advice, and finally got up.
Actually, none of this made much difference—if she hadn't paid attention, Ah Hao had been silently repeating this phrase on the way to Changning Palace. Perhaps the self-brainwashing had worked well, because she really didn't care so much anymore. After the Empress Dowager got up and she had served her breakfast, the Empress Dowager, having nothing else to do, summoned a musician to perform in a side hall of Changning Palace.
His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be in much better health. He came to Changning Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager, and the two talked in a side hall for a while. Ah Hao served tea with her head bowed and was dismissed by the Empress Dowager along with the other palace servants, which gave her a moment to catch her breath.
Lanfang came over and spoke to Ahao, looking at her carefully for a while, and quietly asked, "Auntie, what's wrong? You don't look well, and your lips seem a little swollen." She spoke seriously, and it seemed she wasn't joking.
Having checked repeatedly beforehand to make sure nothing seemed amiss, and worried about her complexion, Ah Hao had even applied an extra layer of makeup. Hearing Lan Fang's words, Ah Hao couldn't help but pause in surprise. Especially her comment, and the fact that her lips seemed somewhat swollen…
Without saying anything immediately, Ahao looked at Lanfang with feigned curiosity. Meeting her gaze, Lanfang continued, "I suppose I was just being overly concerned. It doesn't seem that serious, but did you not sleep well last night, Aunt?"
Ah Hao shook her head without giving a specific answer, but asked her, "Is something the matter?" Lan Fang didn't press further, instead saying that she was thinking of setting a time to talk to Ah Hao about something they had previously mentioned wanting to discuss. Ah Hao then understood that she was referring to Xue Liangyue and Lan Xiang's actions.
Even if I have time now, it's not good to talk too much here, especially about these things. After thinking for a moment, Ah Hao said, "I'm on night duty tonight and I'm off tomorrow. Come find me when you're free tomorrow, either during the day or at night, and we can talk in detail then."
Lanfang agreed, and that was all. She chatted with Ahao for a while longer before returning to her seat to await orders.
When Zhang Yu came out of the side hall, Ahao bowed his head respectfully. He found it amusing to see that this person had suddenly reverted to the way he had treated him at the beginning.
Now that things have come to this, we'll have to take it slow. Impulsive as he was, Zhang Yu wasn't in a hurry. Someone with this kind of temperament needs more time… Zhang Yu thought to himself.
For Ahao, the day passed uneventfully. Nothing strange happened, and she wasn't ordered by Empress Dowager Feng to do anything for Zhang Yu. Peace and quiet were better than anything else.
She had been on night duty all night, and before dawn the next day, someone came to take over the task of helping Empress Dowager Feng get up, so she went straight back to rest. When she woke up, it was already afternoon, and after having some food, Lanfang came looking for her.
The two huddled together and talked for a long time. Ah Hao listened to her recount the details of how she had been watching Xue Liangyue and Lanxiang, but she didn't find anything special, so that was all.
After hearing it once, Ah Hao felt even more confident. She thought that if something was really wrong, it might just be that it wasn't obvious yet, and maybe she would realize it when she saw something else. But it was hard to say that she might have changed her mind because she felt she had been discovered.
It was already late after saying all this, and although there was nothing particularly noteworthy, Ah Hao urged Lan Fang to go back and rest quickly.
·
Zhang Xin recently acquired a soft, milky-white puppy with bright, moist eyes that could melt anyone's heart when it looked directly into their eyes. Though lively and playful, the puppy was gentle and friendly, neither afraid nor aggressive. Thus, the adorable and playful little dog was brought to Changning Palace by Zhang Xin, where it easily won the hearts of everyone.
Empress Dowager Feng neither disliked nor particularly liked small animals. Zhang Xin was pleased but not intentionally spoiling the mood. She sat at the head of the table, watching the puppy run and frolic in the hall, beckoning to this one and teasing that one. A broad smile graced Zhang Xin's face as she sat beside Empress Dowager Feng, her eyes fixed solely on the little puppy.
"This puppy is so beautiful, where did you get it?"
Empress Dowager Feng's words finally made Zhang Xin's gaze leave the puppy. She turned to look at the person beside her and said with a smile, "Xia Zi gave it to me. I don't know where he got it from. I find it quite novel."
"Lord Xia is a capable minister to His Majesty, how can you always address people so rudely?" Zhang Xin did not correct her, but Empress Dowager Feng was not pleased when she heard it and scolded her.
After considering it for a moment, Empress Dowager Feng replied, "The governesses around you have been ineffective for so long, so it's no use for you to speak up for them anymore. I will pick out a few good ones for you in a couple of days and send them over."
Zhang Xin was most afraid of Empress Dowager Feng bringing this up; it gave her a headache. She was also very tired of dealing with these strict governesses who only talked about female virtues with stern faces. Just as she was about to say a few words in her defense, she became a little timid when she met Empress Dowager Feng's gaze. Then Zhang Xin heard Empress Dowager Feng speak again.
"In just over a month, you'll be seventeen. For the first two years, you said you wanted to find someone you liked, and I let you have your way. Have you found someone yet?"
"I couldn't find it..." Zhang Xin paused for a moment, then said, "Mother, my eldest sister didn't get married until she was eighteen, so I'm not in a hurry."
It would have been fine if Zhang Jin hadn't been mentioned, but when Zhang Xin brought up the Eldest Princess, Empress Dowager Feng smiled and said, "If I hadn't listened to her back then, she wouldn't be in this state now. Do you think bringing her up will make a difference? A couple of days ago, His Majesty and I discussed it, and your consort will be decided before next spring."
Zhang Xin felt she was making things worse, but she was also unhappy, and her good mood vanished. She pouted, clutching her skirt and remaining silent, her initial smile fading. The puppy seemed to sense something, ran back to Zhang Xin's feet and rubbed against her. Zhang Xin picked it up, placed it on her lap, and stroked its fur.
After thinking for a long time, Zhang Xin reluctantly said, "Mother... just this, can't it be different? I'm fine now, I don't want a consort."
Empress Dowager Feng glanced at her and said coldly, "A woman should marry when she comes of age. Do you think you can just not want to? Besides, things are peaceful now, so you can still choose carefully. As a princess, you also have responsibilities on your shoulders."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xin straightened her back involuntarily. The little puppy in her arms suddenly jumped to the ground and ran away. She deflated again, unable to speak, and seemed to suddenly wilted.
·
During this period, Empress Shen's health fluctuated, preventing her from frequently visiting Changning Palace to pay her respects to Empress Dowager Feng. Empress Dowager Feng mentioned to Zhang Yu several times that palace affairs were demanding and exhausting, and that the Empress should prioritize her health. Her implication was that someone else should be found to look after Empress Shen, but Zhang Yu remained unmoved, so the suggestion was ultimately unsuccessful.
Early that morning, news of Shen Wanru vomiting blood reached Changning Palace, and Empress Dowager Feng finally went to Fengyang Palace to see her in person. Zhang Yu was already at Fengyang Palace at the time, and Empress Shen's condition was not good. Seeing her sickly appearance, Empress Dowager Feng couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.
As they left Empress Shen's room together, Empress Dowager Feng brought up the old matter again, saying, "The Empress is already in such a state, His Majesty should be more considerate. If Consort De weren't still recuperating, it would be just as good to entrust the matter to her. With the end of the year approaching, there are many affairs to attend to, and there is no other way but to let Consort Shu take care of things for now. With my help, nothing will go wrong."
In fact, there were people secretly helping Shen Wanru; otherwise, how could they have entrusted her, a patient, with so many responsibilities? But they couldn't bring it up openly. What Zhang Yu found even stranger was that in her previous life, Shen Wanru did indeed pass away due to poor health, but she should have developed these symptoms at least two years later.
He didn't know if this change was due to his rebirth or some other reason; it was only somewhat suspicious. If there was a problem, it wouldn't be that no matter how hard he investigated, he couldn't find any clues. Zhang Yu couldn't tell anyone these things. He wasn't a divine physician; the only thing he could do was to ask the imperial physicians to put in more effort.
After frowning and pondering for a moment, Zhang Yufang replied to Empress Dowager Feng, saying, "Then let's follow Mother's wishes and let Consort Shu help out. The Empress should still hold the Phoenix Seal. Although there are many things to do at the end of the year, they are mostly trivial. It is more prudent to let the Empress make the decisions on important matters. There shouldn't be any problems."
Although Empress Dowager Feng was not entirely satisfied, she did not argue with Zhang Yu, saying, "Since His Majesty intends it this way, then so be it. The Empress has always been able to handle matters large and small in an orderly manner, and is indeed reliable."
Zhang Yu nodded, indicating that it was settled for the time being.
Song Shuhao followed Empress Dowager Feng to Fengyang Palace. While Zhang Yu and Empress Dowager Feng were visiting Empress Shen in the inner room, Hongling took the opportunity to slip a note into her hand. She hid it well and never took it out again. It wasn't until she returned to her room that night, washed up, and prepared to rest, that Ahao finally had a chance.
The note contained only two words, yet they were enough to shock Ah Hao. She didn't quite understand how Empress Shen had deduced this, but she still took it to heart. After burning the note, Ah Hao lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and thought for a while, confirming what preparations she could make next, before finally falling into a deep sleep.
Chapter 50 Trap
</script>