Prince Ning couldn't hold back and spat out another mouthful of blood.
The Empress Dowager's heart skipped a beat, and she stared wide-eyed at Song Xizhi, hesitatingly asking, "Is your father overjoyed?"
Prince Ning clutched the wound on his lower back, and the veins on his neck bulged as he asked, "Mother, what are you saying?"
"Your son is not married, so where did such a grown daughter come from?"
The Empress Dowager frowned as she looked at him: "After your daughter arrives, your mother will naturally follow, and then you won't have to worry about your princess anymore."
Prince Ning took a deep breath, and with the help of the old woman, sat back down on the bed. His expression was no longer lazy as usual, but rather solemn and serious.
He looked solemnly at the Empress Dowager's face and said, word by word, "Judge Song saved my life. If you are fond of her and wish to bestow upon her the title of Princess or Lady of the Township, I would be more than happy to do so."
"However, you should no longer act on my behalf, doing things that I am unwilling to do and do not want to do."
Prince Ning's words suddenly put the two men at odds, and the atmosphere between them became increasingly tense and turbulent.
Song Xizhi dared not listen to anything more, wishing he could close his ears and bury his head almost entirely in his chest.
She hurriedly knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "This humble subject is of lowly status and unworthy of Your Highness and Her Majesty's favor. Your Highness was injured because of me, and saving people is merely my duty. As for the calligraphy, it is Master Yuanhui's gift to Her Majesty; this humble subject is simply using it as a pretext..."
Before Song Xizhi could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager and Prince Ning shouted in unison:
"You deserve it!"
"You deserve it!"
Song Xizhi shuddered violently.
The Empress Dowager couldn't bear to see her kneeling on the ground, so she personally helped her up.
"Enough, enough. I want to get closer to you, but Prince Ning refuses. You were the one who saved him, yet he's so petty..."
Prince Ning took another deep breath and looked at the Empress Dowager in silence.
The Empress Dowager ignored him: "I will inform the Emperor of the life-saving grace I received today, and at least grant you the title of Lady of the Township, so that you may frequently enter the palace to accompany me."
Song Xizhi raised his eyes in surprise, still dazed and confused by the Empress Dowager's words, and had not yet reacted.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but all of this is merely my duty..."
Prince Ning finally relented: "If the Empress Dowager is willing to give it to you, then you are worthy of it and should accept it."
"The Empress Dowager has admired Master Yuanhui for decades. It was your appearance that allowed Master Yuanhui to emerge from seclusion. It was also you who delivered Master Yuanhui's calligraphy. She must be so happy that she can't sleep and will have to announce it to the world."
Song Xizhi then understood what was going on; it turned out that everything was thanks to Master Yuanhui.
The Empress Dowager wanted to use her name to announce to the whole world that she had received such a wonderful birthday gift.
It is evident that the Empress Dowager's worship and reverence for Master Yuanhui had reached a fanatical level.
Song Xizhi stayed in the Empress Dowager's palace for a while longer. She was thinking about He Jingyan, whom she hadn't seen for a long time. In the end, despite the Empress Dowager's attempts to persuade her to stay, she left with Siqin and the others.
As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, the cool, damp night breeze brushed against Song Xizhi's cheeks.
Upon leaving the warm and cozy palace, Song Xizhi shivered and hurriedly walked out with Siqin.
At that moment, Song Xizhi suddenly felt everything go black.
A heavy cloak descended from the sky, covering her entire body, and then a familiar fragrance wafted into her nostrils.
Song Xizhi felt his heart skip a beat, then it started pounding wildly again.
She felt the man's warm gaze, slowly raised her head, and saw a pair of familiar eyes.
It is He Jingyan.
Although he was wearing a stranger's skin mask and dressed as a palace eunuch, she recognized his eyes immediately.
"Your Honor, it's late and the dew is heavy. Please take care of yourself."
The man's deep, husky voice rang out in the boundless night, causing Song Xizhi's lips to involuntarily curl upwards slightly.
The old woman leading the way turned her head and glanced back. She saw a man dressed as a eunuch speaking, and without suspecting anything, she turned back.
Still inside the palace, Song Xizhi suppressed the smile on his lips and continued walking forward.
He Jingyan followed slightly behind her, and as they walked, their clothes occasionally brushed against each other, keeping a respectful distance.
Song Xizhi couldn't help but reach out and secretly grasp his hand under the cloak, asking softly, "How did you get in?"
Through the heavy cloak, the man was examining her hands inch by inch, then slowly searching upwards from her wrists.
The calloused fingertips traced across Song Xizhi's skin, causing a tingling sensation.
Song Xizhi shuddered, quickly shook off his hand, and glared at him in a low voice: "What are you doing?"
The man's expression remained innocent: "This servant will have the prosecutor's office determine whether I was injured."
Song Xizhi sneered: "Does this court need a mere eunuch like you to examine me to determine whether someone is injured?"
"Did Siqin say something to you?"
"It has nothing to do with Siqin, I'm just really worried about you."
Sensing her gradually improving mood, the man finally smiled and took her hand under his cloak, shaking it slightly.
Song Xizhi sensed his subtle movements and finally realized that something was wrong.
She looked up at He Jingyan seriously for a moment, then lowered her voice and asked, "What's wrong with you tonight?"
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