Chapter 933 A Mother's Status Rises with Her Son

At this moment, a guard came in and whispered a few words in Xie Shang's ear. He unconsciously looked in Jiang Fenghua's direction, his eyes filled with deep scrutiny.

He said in a deep voice, "Let the Empress handle the rest. I have official business to attend to."

After saying that, he left with the guards.

Jiang Fenghua gazed at his cold, emotionless back, a faint smile playing on her lips. This was the Xie Shang she knew.

His heart could never be filled with romantic love. She knew him too well. If he had to choose, he would only want the throne, not a beautiful woman.

Similarly, if she were to choose again, she would still choose to be the empress rather than choose love. Therefore, neither of them wronged the other, nor did either of them take advantage of the other. If we have to compare, it should be said that she took advantage!

Jiang Fenghua put aside the jumbled thoughts in her mind and walked up to Song Qing.

Song Qing had already figured it out. She said directly, "Empress knew from the moment Yun Mama went to find Hua Rui that Your Majesty would never give Yun Mama a chance to make a move. Your Majesty also knew about my accepting money a long time ago. Everything is a joke in Your Majesty's eyes."

"It seems you're not too confused after all." Jiang Fenghua sat steadily in the main seat, looking at her casually.

Song Qing felt increasingly panicked. She still had a son, and she couldn't entrust him to someone else to raise. She didn't want to grow old and die in the cold palace like this.

Gao Qingtong had always looked down on her, but now he had taken away her son.

She looked at the Empress with almost pleading eyes and explained, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I never meant to harm you. It was Granny Yun who... she said that the bottle only contained sleeping potion. They threatened me. I really didn't want to harm you. Fortunately, Your Majesty was alright in the end."

I did take a lot of money from those merchants. I know I was greedy, and I truly know I was wrong. You saw it yourself; my family kept pressuring me to give them money and even asked me to beg the Emperor to grant them official positions. I know what kind of people they are; they're not cut out to be officials at all, so I never agreed.”

Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice, "From the first day you entered the palace, I warned you that as long as you behaved yourself, I could give you a peaceful life. But you have made things difficult for me time and time again. Apart from the mistakes you have admitted, do you really think I can't see what other tricks you have up your sleeve?"

"I didn't," Song Qing vehemently denied. "I was truly forced. My mother, my brother, my family, they..."

Jiang Fenghua didn't want to hear her excuses and said directly, "From the moment you and Ye Susu started to befriend each other, I knew you weren't being honest. I just turned a blind eye."

Song Qing was stunned, her eyes filled with disbelief. The Empress remembered Ye Susu?

She blurted out, "Your Majesty, you haven't lost your memory? Or have you regained it?"

It's no longer important for Jiang Fenghua to discuss with her whether she has amnesia. The only thing that matters is that Zhang Jingpin's life was not saved during the time she was away from the palace due to amnesia.

She was furious. The deaths of Zhang Jingjing and Pan Jieyu had always been a thorn in her side. Both of them died in childbirth at the same time. Who was behind it all?

She stared coldly into Song Qing's eyes, "If I continue to suffer from amnesia, do you think you'll have a chance to become the head of this harem?"

"I didn't, I never thought of that," Song Qing said, trembling with fear.

"Is there really no one? Haven't you ever thought about pushing the Second Prince to the position of Crown Prince, so that the mother can gain status through her son in the future?" Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice.

Song Qing fell silent instantly; she couldn't even lie in front of the Empress.

Jiang Fenghua said coldly, "The Eastern Palace is very suitable for you. From now on, you should cultivate your character there!"

"On what grounds?"

Song Qing suddenly shouted, "Your Majesty was not harmed. I only accepted some money. I was forced to do it. Your Majesty is tolerant of other concubines, why not me? Your Majesty promised that you concubines would live a good life in the palace, but are we really living a good life?"

Jiang Fenghua paused, "You were lacking food and clothing in the palace, were you having a hard time?"

Song Qing knew she was finished. Her son had been taken away, and she was now in the Cold Palace. She was desperate. "Yes, the Empress will always be a generous and kind Empress, the person the Emperor cherishes most. We are just tools of the Emperor. What does it matter if we give birth to imperial heirs? Will the Emperor even glance at us? The Emperor only gives the Empress gifts and flatters her with all sorts of rewards. What about us? We have nothing. Our meager monthly allowance isn't even enough to reward the servants. Everyone at home thinks that when we enter the palace as empresses, we've become phoenixes soaring to the top. But the only true phoenix is ​​the Empress!"

Jiang Fenghua understood. She was jealous, angry, and envious. She wanted to win the emperor's favor, become the emperor's truly beloved woman, and then beg the emperor to give her a life of wealth and honor.

Jiang Fenghua could only sneer inwardly. Even though she was the Empress, and in their eyes she was the Emperor's darling, the truth was that she was the Emperor's beloved because of her value. Song Qing didn't understand that the most heartless and ungrateful person throughout history was the Emperor. Since they had become the Emperor's women, they couldn't ask the Emperor for love and affection. They should just do their duty.

She wouldn't say these things to Song Qing, because it would be a waste of breath.

Jiang Fenghua sneered, "You're just a selfish person who only cares about yourself. You've lost the most basic kindness a person can have, and all you do is hurt, attack, and scheme against others. Why should I keep my promise to let you live a peaceful life in the harem for the rest of your life?"

Hearing these words, Song Qing was stunned. "The Empress is right. I am that kind of person. Your Majesty the Empress clearly knew that I had done something behind the scenes. You are the Empress, the head of the inner palace. Why didn't you punish me, expose me, or use your power as the Empress?"

Now you're accusing me of losing my kindness, Your Majesty. Do you know that even if I don't harm others, they will still harm me and scheme against me? I'm just short of money; I haven't taken anyone's life.

You had a happy and fulfilling life growing up, loved and pampered by your whole family, and your husband loved and cherished you after you got married. But what about me? Do you know how I grew up? My mother only liked sons. Even though I came from her womb, she didn't like me because I was a daughter.

My father only listens to my mother. They only started treating me like their daughter after they knew I could marry into the palace and become an empress. Haha, I thought they would start to love me from then on, but I never expected that every time they wrote a letter, they just wanted money and wanted to secure an official position for the family.

I thought I was lucky to have given birth to a prince, and that I would rise in status because of him. But what good is having a prince? The Emperor only has eyes for the Empress's princes. There are even other princes in the palace. My second prince is nothing at all. He doesn't receive the Emperor's favor..."

Song Qing was sobbing uncontrollably, looking utterly pitiful.