Ah Hao shook her head and said, "Thank you, Aunt Ling."
Although having a relationship with Zhang Yu was her own choice, she is now a person whose life is getting better day by day, and it is not suitable for her to have a child at this time. If she were to accidentally become pregnant, she would definitely be reluctant to have the child, so it would be better to avoid it from the beginning.
“From now on, just call me Ling Xiao.” Ling Xiao patted Song Shuhao’s shoulder and said, “From now on, I’ll call you A-Hao too. There’s no need to be so polite, it just feels distant. I’ll prepare some more pills for you later. You can come and pick them up tomorrow, or I can deliver them to you. You won’t have to come here every time anymore, so His Majesty won’t get suspicious.”
Ling Xiao looked at A-Hao's eyes and asked, "Have you been staying up late a lot lately? Your eyes look a little off..." A-Hao was surprised that she could tell so easily. "You can tell at a glance? I was busy working on embroidery at night a while ago, so I did stay up late for a while."
"Then I'll also give you some eye-brightening pills. That way, we'll have a cover and won't be easily discovered." As he spoke, Ling Xiao moved closer to A-Hao and nudged her lightly with his shoulder. "Hey, A-Hao, have you ever heard a poem that goes like this?"
Ling Xiao changed the subject too quickly, and A-Hao, still touched by her thoughtfulness, was completely confused. The next moment, A-Hao heard Ling Xiao whisper in her ear, "Life is short, so why not enjoy it while you can? What's wrong with sleeping with His Majesty?"
The blunt and explicit words startled Ahao for a moment, but Lingxiao had already stood up with a smile. "It's nothing serious. Why do you look so worried?" She bent down and leaned close to Ahao, unafraid to admit that speaking ill of the emperor could be a crime. She said, "If His Majesty doesn't even touch you, I really suspect that His Majesty is actually... cough... fortunately, that's not the case."
Whether Ah Hao had intentionally or unintentionally ignored this fact in the past, it was true that Zhang Yu hadn't visited any of the concubines in the harem for a long time. But hearing it from someone else's mouth gave it a different feel. After Ling Xiao finished speaking, he went to get the medicine and prepare it. Ah Hao sat alone in the room, lost in thought.
...
When Ahao returned to Xuanzhi Hall, Zhang Yu had already finished his morning court session and had been waiting for her for an unknown amount of time. As soon as Ahao returned, he took her hand and dragged her to breakfast, but Zhang Yu did not ask her where she had been.
Before the meal, Zhang Yudan grabbed Ahao and kissed her deeply. He only let her go when she was almost out of breath. Afterwards, he pursed his lips as if savoring the memory, and said, "I didn't taste any medicine." His tone left no room for interpretation.
Although his words made her heart tighten for a moment, Ah Hao managed to withstand the question that sounded like an interrogation but wasn't. She looked back at Zhang Yu with an unchanged expression and said with a smile, "Why are you taking medicine for no reason?" Then she pulled Zhang Yu to sit down at the table.
Zhang Yu stared straight at Song Shuhao, a slight smile playing on his lips, seemingly pleased with her words. He didn't press her about where she had gone, but instead allowed her to pull him to sit down at the table and begin their breakfast.
·
Not long after Zhang Yu's twenty-fourth birthday, Xie Lanyan passed away in the palace and was granted a grand funeral befitting a concubine. Haitang and Qingtao, the two head palace maids who had served her during her lifetime, volunteered to keep vigil for her. After the vigil, they joined the funeral procession to the imperial mausoleum.
Perhaps it was because no one had seen Xie Lanyan for so long, or perhaps her health was too poor, and no one believed she could live a long life, especially given the rumors of her disfigurement. In any case, Xie Lanyan's death did not cause a major stir in the palace. In contrast, what everyone was most concerned about was the emperor's long absence from the inner palace.
Song Shuhao was the only one serving Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu neither entered the harem nor summoned anyone to his bedchamber, which seemed illogical to others, making it difficult for people not to notice Song Shuhao.
His Majesty the Emperor took her from the Empress Dowager and placed her by his side to serve him closely. He also ordered her to live in the Xuanzhi Palace... All of this seemed to indicate that Song Shuhao was currently enjoying the Emperor's deep favor.
Song Shuhao, in this state, has undoubtedly become a thorn in the side of everyone in the harem. They don't want to get rid of her, but Zhang Yu protects her so well that they simply can't find a way to do anything about it.
As Nie Shaoguang sat in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden admiring the scenery, he happened to run into Xie Lanyan's younger sister, Xie Ninglu, who had come to the Imperial Garden to relax. Xie Lanyan's death had undoubtedly been a blow to Xie Ninglu.
Xie Ninglu's ability to enter the palace and rise to the rank of a fourth-grade imperial concubine without receiving any favor was all thanks to her elder sister. With Xie Lanyan's death, she essentially lost all her support in the palace.
When the head palace maid, Lian Dong, reminded Xie Ninglu that the person in the pavilion was Consort De, she snapped out of her daze, squinted at the direction of the pavilion, and slowly walked over.
"This concubine greets Consort De and pays respects to her."
Hearing Xie Ninglu's greeting, Nie Shaoguang turned her face away. Xie Lanyan had been virtually invisible in the palace before her death, so Xie Ninglu had to keep a low profile. If she hadn't seen her now, Nie Shaoguang would almost have forgotten who she was.
"Is Consort Xie also here to enjoy the scenery?"
Nie Shaoguang skipped the formalities and casually asked a question. She observed Xie Ninglu's expression but didn't see that she was particularly saddened by Xie Lanyan's death. For a moment, she realized that the words of sisterly affection she had heard in the past were indeed not to be taken seriously.
"Well, I thought the weather was nice today, so I came out for a stroll..." Xie Ninglu thanked her and stood before Nie Shaoguang with her head bowed, answering her question meekly.
Upon hearing this, Nie Shaoguang waved her hand and said, "Alright, you can go now. You don't need to stand in front of me anymore." She had no intention of chatting with Xie Ninglu any longer. Rather than saying that Nie Shaoguang and Feng Hui were not on good terms in the past, it would be more accurate to say that she was on bad terms with almost everyone in the palace.
She disregarded those of lower status, and there were few of higher status than her. Her brother, Nie Zhiyuan, was a trusted advisor to Zhang Yu, and as long as she didn't make any mistakes in the palace, her father and brother's influence would give her some face, and she wouldn't easily get into trouble. She wasn't very polite to anyone, yet she had that kind of confidence.
Even those in the palace who had never interacted with Nie Shaoguang knew something of her personality, and Xie Ninglu was undoubtedly aware of it as well. Knowing that Consort De was there, Xie Ninglu had an idea. Therefore, when Nie Shaoguang dismissed her, she did not bow or take her leave.
Seeing that she didn't move, Nie Shaoguang assumed she had something to say and dismissively curled his lip. Xie Ninglu glanced at the palace servants around her and then had to speak first, "I have two things I'd like to say to Consort De."
Seeing that she didn't object, Xie Ninglu stepped forward, leaned close to Nie Shaoguang's ear, and whispered a few words. Nie Shaoguang's expression changed slightly. Xie Ninglu then walked away, curtsied to her, and said, "If Your Highness the Consort De has time and wishes to have tea, I am at your service anytime." After the curtsy, Xie Ninglu left the pavilion and turned to leave.
Nie Shaoguang pondered Xie Ninglu's words. Although they were only two sentences, they seemed to contain a great deal of information. Just how much did she know? Nie Shaoguang's gaze darkened, and the previous ease on his face disappeared.
Chapter 74 Update
When Nie Shaoguang visited Shen Wanru at Fengyang Palace, Shen Wanru was taking her medicine. (For the best novel reading experience, visit [ ]) Her brows were furrowed, and her expression was pained; she was clearly tired of constantly taking medicine. Despite this, she finished the bowl of medicine without bothering anyone. Hongling offered her some candied fruit, but she simply waved it away and was helped back to bed by Lüyi. After Lüyi covered her with a brocade quilt, Empress Shen then had someone invite Nie Shaoguang in.
Stepping into Shen Wanru's room, Nie Shaoguang immediately smelled a strong medicinal odor. Empress Shen's health fluctuated, sometimes better, sometimes worse, and gradually everyone had grown accustomed to her condition, including Nie Shaoguang. However, seeing Empress Shen's lifeless state still stirred a pang of sympathy in Nie Shaoguang.
"It's kind of you to come, please sit down." After Nie Shaoguang bowed to her, Shen Wanru said slowly. However, her voice lacked strength, and she seemed to lack a bit of authority. Shen Wanru and Nie Shaoguang had never had any conflicts in the past, and Shen Wanru looked at her no differently than Nie Shaoguang looked at other concubines.
A palace maid brought over a rosewood chair and placed it next to the bed. Nie Shaoguang sat down, looked at the person on the bed for a while, and said, "The Empress's health has deteriorated to this state. I remember she was in good health two years ago, but in just one year, she has become like this."
Her words weren't pleasant, but Shen Wanru wasn't angry. She sighed, her voice soft and devoid of resentment, "Times change. Although things aren't going well, they're also a cycle of good and bad. I can only keep taking the medicine. The imperial physician said that if I take good care of myself, I'll recover eventually."
"I just don't know when that will be, or whether Her Majesty the Empress will be able to live to see that day..." Nie Shaoguang smiled as she listened to Empress Shen's words. "Her Majesty the Empress has been taking care of her health these days, and has probably not been able to attend to other matters. But there are some things that both Her Majesty the Empress and I need to be careful about."
Empress Shen sensed that she had something to say and knew she wouldn't come to Fengyang Palace without a reason, so she dismissed the palace servants and ordered Hongling and Luyi to stand guard outside the door. After a while, Empress Shen frowned and asked, "What is it you're talking about this time? What happened in the palace?"
Although she was indeed too preoccupied with many things to attend to, as Nie Shaoguang had said, she wasn't completely oblivious to what was happening in the palace. Yet, the implication in Nie Shaoguang's words was clear. Shen Wanru pondered this carefully and easily grasped the situation, but she concealed her thoughts and didn't reveal them.
Nie Shaoguang's smile deepened as he spoke directly to Empress Shen, "His Majesty still has no heir, and the harem has not welcomed any new concubines for a long time. Even this year's imperial concubine selection has been postponed. Your Majesty, why do you think this is? No matter how much you don't want to admit it, I'm afraid His Majesty's heart is indeed set on one person."
"Your Majesty the Empress surely understands His Majesty's temperament. Even though His Majesty wasn't one to indulge in the affairs of the harem in the past, he would still visit the harem from time to time. But now, with Your Majesty in such poor health, how many times has His Majesty come to visit? It is true that there are many affairs in the court, but doesn't His Majesty still go to Changning Palace every other day? So, it seems that His Majesty used to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager every day, but now it's the same."
The words didn't specifically mention anyone, yet every sentence was pointed, making it clear that they were referring to the same person. Shen Wanru understood, but only said, "This is His Majesty's matter; how can you and I interfere? If word gets out, how will His Majesty view it?"
Empress Shen's words only elicited a soft snort from Nie Shaoguang, who seemed somewhat disdainful. He said, "You're saying these nice things now because you think that as long as you're healthy and have an heir, you can rest easy? But you know your own health better than anyone else. What if that person had both His Majesty's favor and His Majesty's child? Would you still be able to sit still like this?"
"If you have to endure another day to recover, that person will have another day to have a child before you. Although your status is Empress, all the concubines and palace maids in the harem who have children still have to call you Mother. But have you ever thought... what if His Majesty is not pleased? Some things cannot be judged by common sense. Even Consort Shu has been dismissed, do you think the Empress Dowager's face is insignificant?"
"No." Shen Wanru denied Nie Shaoguang's words, not believing that the emperor would depose her and make someone else empress. But although her words sounded resolute, she was still suspicious because of Nie Shaoguang's words. Is the emperor's heart unfathomable? Her body was not fit to serve the emperor, and her previous mention of wanting a child was also... Shen Wanru's eyes dimmed unconsciously.
Nie Shaoguang stood up at this moment, coldly retorting, "No?" She seemed to find the remark amusing, chuckled, and then said, "If that's truly your opinion, then so be it. All I know is that His Majesty did touch her, and she went to the Imperial Hospital several times on her own. Do you think she went there to ask for contraceptive medicine? Regardless of your opinion, given His Majesty's current attitude, neither I nor the Empress are adversaries. If you're not well, how well can someone like me be?"
Shen Wanru pursed her lips and coughed a few more times. Nie Shaoguang said nothing more, simply bowing and taking her leave. Empress Shen coughed incessantly. As soon as Nie Shaoguang left the room, Hongling and Luyi, who had heard the commotion inside, went in to check on her. After a while, the coughing stopped, but Nie Shaoguang's words lingered in Shen Wanru's mind. She thought quietly for a long time before whispering a few instructions to Hongling…