Song Ting grasped the woman's hand and patted it gently a few times as if to comfort her: "Your Majesty is my benefactor, and I will do my utmost to protect Your Majesty and His Majesty."
At this moment, the Empress Dowager's defenses were crumbling, and her eyes immediately reddened upon hearing this: "Good, good... Minister Song is loyal and devoted, and the Emperor and I both know that."
The Empress Dowager was like a parasitic flower in the deep palace, dependent on men for survival. She lived half her life in fear and trembling, but she didn't really suffer any real hardship.
This time, she didn't know if she could save her life. The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and finally she couldn't help but shed tears.
"Your Majesty, please do not be sad. Chief Physician Wang will arrive tomorrow. Your Majesty is blessed with good fortune and will surely turn misfortune into good luck and live a long life."
The Empress Dowager, who had been trying to hold back her tears, became even more overwhelmed by Song Ting's comforting words. She buried her face in the blankets and began to sob.
Song Ting remained silent for a while, then comforted the Empress Dowager after she had cried for a while, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't worry anymore. Be careful not to harm your health. As long as I am here, I will protect Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty can rest assured..."
Song's words clearly struck a chord with the Empress Dowager: "Minister Song, what would the Emperor and I do without you? I truly cannot live without you..."
The Empress Dowager had said similar things many times. Song Ting lowered his eyes and slowly knelt down: "It is your humble servant who has failed Your Majesty's trust. Your humble servant is not worth dying for."
"What are you saying, Song Qing?" The Empress Dowager tried to pull him up, but Song Ting insisted on kneeling. The Empress Dowager had no choice but to let him be. "Is Song Qing pleading for Huaiyue?"
Song Ting lowered her head: "Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Song Qing, why are you doing this?"
“Your Majesty, please forgive my overstepping my bounds,” Song Ting said, raising his eyes to meet the Empress Dowager’s gaze. “Others may not understand, but Your Majesty, like me, has experienced the feeling of being worth less than grass.”
As the current emperor's birth mother, the Empress Dowager's past is not something a servant can use to make a fuss. Anyone kneeling here today, except for Song Ting, would probably not have a good ending.
But Song Ting is different. He rose from a lowly bodyguard to where he is today, and almost lost his life several times because of the Empress Dowager and her son. In addition, he just saved the Empress Dowager, which made her even more nostalgic about those past events.
"How could I not understand? If it weren't for my good fortune in catching the eye of the late Emperor, I might already be dead, or I would be living a precarious life, having left the palace to marry any man."
“Your Majesty, it is the same for me.” Song Ting’s voice had become a little hoarse without him realizing it. He knelt at the Empress Dowager’s feet, very close to the most honored woman in Dayan.
Having spent only a few years by the emperor's side, he already knew the temperaments of this mother and son best. He knew exactly how to handle the Empress Dowager, knowing exactly where to strike.
"As far as Your Majesty is concerned, I am willing to devote myself to Your Majesty and the Empress, and therefore I am willing to fight that person with swords drawn. I have no regrets."
"However, in my private life, I truly...cannot forget that person. The moment I saw Huaiyue, I..."
Song Ting could barely continue speaking. He slowly kowtowed and performed a grand salute to the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, I know that my crime is unforgivable. I will accept Your Majesty's punishment."
His words were sincere and heartfelt, expressing both loyalty and sincerity. The Empress Dowager was an indecisive person, and she had previously been wary of Song Ting because of Huaiyue's matter. However, at this moment, she couldn't help but begin to favor Song Ting.
"I was indeed very angry at first, but now I understand. Minister Song is a man of deep affection; otherwise, he wouldn't have helped me and the Emperor for so many years."
"Once the matter is investigated and Huaiyue is found to be truly innocent, I will not hold Song Qing accountable for his deception. In any case... I will still make him wear that mask from now on. I really... cannot bear to look at his face."
Song Ting slowly kowtowed: "Your Majesty is merciful, Song Ting will die ten thousand deaths."
The Empress Dowager couldn't stand that word, and immediately said, "Don't talk about death, I don't like hearing it. The ground is cold, don't kneel, get up and sit next to me..."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I assure you, if Huaiyue is truly a treacherous person, I will personally kill her..."
...
When Song Ting came out of the Empress Dowager's room, more than an hour had passed. Her long hair was casually loose, and her black python robe was half-draped over her body. The weariness on her face was hard to hide.
He looked up and bumped into Zhang Bingzhi waiting outside the door. Unwilling to appear pathetic in front of this old fox, he raised an eyebrow and spoke in an extremely cold tone:
"Her Majesty has already gone to bed. Please come again tomorrow, Your Excellency."
"Furthermore, Her Majesty is not in a position to be troubled by worries at present. It would be best if you, Grand Secretary, did not disturb Her Majesty with trivial matters. What do you think, Grand Secretary?"
Zhang Bingzhi sized him up for a moment, his gaze finally settling on his right hand hidden under his sleeve, and gave him a strange smile: "Commander, you really have some good tricks up your sleeve."
Song Ting smiled in return: "Likewise. However, the Grand Secretary is getting old, and I'm afraid he's no longer up to the task."
"You!" Zhang Bingzhi's expression changed drastically. He flicked his sleeves, turned around, and left. "Hmph!"
Song Ting stared at his back for a moment, then left.
His room was next to Chu Huaixu's. When he returned, the latter was standing under the window teasing Yang Zhaowen. The latter had a tense face and looked like he was about to explode at any moment, but Chu Huaixu seemed to have heard something funny and couldn't stop laughing.
Through the half-open window, Song Ting gazed into those eyes from afar. Chu Huaixu glanced at him a few times, then his smile vanished abruptly, and the window slammed shut in response.
She's angry again.
Song Ting sighed inwardly and walked over.
Before Yang Zhaowen could stop her, Song Ting revealed the Empress Dowager's jade token: "Open the door."
Yang Zhaowen's face darkened. Although he was extremely unwilling, he had no choice but to give in because of the jade token.
Chu Huaixu was actually still under the window, leaning lazily with his arms crossed. Hearing the door open, he slowly lifted his eyelids and looked at Song Ting with a half-smile.
The latter was also looking at him.
The injuries on his face looked even worse than before, with clear five-finger marks. Song Ting felt a turmoil in his heart, as if someone was tearing his heart apart.
He walked step by step toward Chu Huaixu, picked him up amidst the man's mocking gaze, but Chu Huaixu wouldn't let him touch him and kicked him hard.
With one hand unable to exert any force, Chu Huaixu struggled and was pulled downwards. In a moment of panic, Song Ting instinctively used his right arm to brace himself and protect Chu Huaixu.
He immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and even his lips turned pale.
Chu Huaixu sat up, staring strangely at his right hand: "Your hand is broken?"
Song gave a vague reply and reattached the severed arm.
"Adults are ruthless to others, but even more ruthless to themselves. But why bother? Who are they doing this for?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com