Chapter 169 Grandma Kong
Yaohua Palace.
Concubine Zhao lay on the imperial concubine couch. The ice in the palace gradually melted, and a trace of cold air came out, making the room cool and comfortable.
She took a piece of iced watermelon and put it to her lips. "Is there still no movement from Zhongcui Palace?"
As soon as Concubine Zhao finished speaking, Nanny Kong, who was standing at the palace gate, hurried in after receiving the news, with a hint of joy on her face.
"Your Majesty, Consort Su gave birth to a prince, but the imperial physician said that the fourth prince suffers from congenital heart defects and is unlikely to reach full term."
"Oh?" Concubine Zhao raised her eyelids and sat up.
"I've always said that it's not easy for children in this palace to be born safely. Su Cairen looks so delicate and frail, and doesn't seem like someone who is blessed with such good fortune."
"Yes, my lady, you are right."
Concubine Zhao lowered her eyes and picked up a piece of watermelon. When she raised her eyes, she inadvertently saw the scar on the back of Madam Kong's hand.
Her brows furrowed slightly: "Why is your hand injured?"
Madam Kong quickly hid her hands in her sleeves, her eyes slightly evasive: "I was just cleaning the yard and accidentally got hurt by a branch."
Concubine Zhao saw that Madam Kong was feeling guilty, and she had just clearly seen that the scar did not look like it was caused by a branch, but rather looked more like it was caused by something scratching it.
"Mammy, are you hiding something from me?"
Madam Kong quickly knelt down and said, "I dare not. I have nothing to hide from you, Your Majesty."
Concubine Zhao pretended to speak in a serious tone, "Then tell me the truth, Madam, how did you get the injury on your hand?"
Nanny Kong's eyes were filled with helplessness and hesitation. She moved her lips, thought for a while, and swallowed her words back.
Concubine Zhao stared at her intently, frowning slightly in thought.
Madam Kong is considered half the master in the Yaohua Palace. The palace maids and servants all respect her very much and dare not offend her.
Then the injury must have been sustained at the birthday party.
What happened that made the nanny hide it from herself?
Concubine Zhao had a premonition that something bad must be happening.
Thinking of Lan who fell into the water and died today, Zhao Fei had a flash of inspiration in her mind.
Could it be related to the Lan family?
"Mammy, your injury is not related to the Lan family, right?"
The nanny's face suddenly changed drastically, and she couldn't help but panic: "Your Majesty... please don't ask."
Concubine Zhao was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening in disbelief: "Could it be that Lan's death is also related to you?"
Seeing that Madam Kong hung her head and refused to speak, she became furious and shouted, "Tell me! Is that right?"
Madam Kong trembled all over and knelt on the ground, saying, "This servant is guilty!"
When Concubine Zhao heard this, her hands trembled, and the watermelon juice spread a dark red color on the hem of her apricot skirt.
She stared at Madam Kong's graying temples. "Is this what you meant by helping me?"
Madam Kong slammed her forehead against the ground. "Your Highness... I raised you with my own hands. How could I not know the pain you feel? I don't want you to see one prince after another being born, and I don't want to see Concubine Xi riding on your head. I will not let anyone who threatens you go."
"I didn't want to kill Lan, but she heard it..."
Nanny Kong explained the whole story, including how she had tampered with Su Nanqing's bird's nest.
The hall was suddenly silent, with only the dripping sound of melting ice as the sound could be heard.
Seeing that Concubine Zhao was silent, Madam Kong knelt forward, hugged her legs, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, this servant has committed a grave crime. If this matter is discovered, I will take the full responsibility for my actions. I will commit suicide immediately out of fear of punishment and will never implicate Your Majesty."
There was gradually warmth in Zhao Fei Chengshuang's eyes, and her heart was filled with mixed feelings.
She raised her hand to help Madam Kong up, tears in her eyes: "Madam, you and I have been together for twenty years, and we have been of one mind from the beginning to the end. What's the difference between what you do and what I do?"
She stroked Madam Kong's wrinkled hand and choked with sobs, "You are the only family member I have left. Without you, how can I survive in this cold palace?"
"Your Majesty..." Nanny Kong was extremely moved. She took Concubine Zhao into her arms and hugged her tightly, tears streaming freely on her wrinkled face.
Concubine Zhao reached out and stroked her back, her tone cold and resolute: "Don't worry, Ma'am, I will never let you get into any danger."
After saying that, she called Xia Ying over and whispered in her ear.
After giving the order, Liang Shan walked in with a grim expression.
"Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has just issued an oral instruction, stating that you must personally copy the Female Commandments twenty times within three days and send them to Shoukang Palace."
Concubine Zhao's face turned pale, her heart pounding with fear: "Did the Queen Mother know something?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt it was impossible.
If the Queen Mother really knew something, the punishment would not be as simple as copying the "Legends for Women".
Liang Shan said quickly, "Your Majesty... You are arrogant because of your favor and lack moral integrity."
Concubine Zhao clenched her palms and smiled coldly: "Is this palace lacking in virtue?"
"Then what about those hypocritical and ruthless concubines?"
Madam Kong was furious, her face filled with worry: "The Queen Mother's move is clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for the Empress."
Concubine Zhao took a deep breath and said coldly, "She has been making things difficult for me for a long time."
"Isn't it just copying the Women's Commandments? I'll copy it!"
Over at Yufu Palace, the Queen Mother stayed for a moment and then left with red eyes.
Apart from the eldest prince, this was the first time she had personally witnessed the birth of a royal grandson. However, he was born sick, and according to the imperial physician, it was unknown whether he could live to a full month.
For a moment, she felt dizzy and sad.
And the body of Aunt Lan had also been carried back.
He Yunzheng reported, "Your Majesty, I have carefully examined Concubine Lan's neck. There are strangulation marks. However, when the guards fished her out, they discovered that her neck was tightly bound by waterweed roots. There are also traces of slipping on the moss by the pond."
As he spoke, he nodded and pointed at a young palace maid nearby: "When Aunt Lan fell into the water, this palace maid heard some noise."
After receiving He Yunzheng's gaze, the maid spoke tremblingly, "I was serving food when I heard a thud, as if someone had fallen into the water. I put the food down and turned around, but there was no movement on the lake. I thought I had misheard. Now I think... I think Concubine Lan had already sunk into the lake at that time."
Xiao Heng looked a little tired and asked, "Did you see anyone suspicious around?"
The maid thought for a moment and shook her head: "No, I thought I had misheard at the time, and I looked around, but didn't see anyone suspicious."
The evidence was now irrefutable, and Xiao Heng's thoughts and eyes were filled with the newly born Fourth Prince. He naturally had no intention of asking further questions, and immediately waved his hand: "Go down."
"Posthumously confer the title of Virtuous Lady on Lady Lan. When Consort Su wakes up, let her see Lady Lan. Then, escort the coffin back to Suzhou with honors for a proper burial."
Lan was a member of the Su family, so naturally she had to be transported back to her husband's family after her death.
However, considering that Lan died in the palace, Xiao Heng also gave her enough honors after her death.
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