As Wang Chenghai spoke, he looked up at Meng Qi's expression. A woman? Who was she? Could she be a hidden agent planted by Song Chengze in the palace?
Just as he was thinking about it, he heard a creaking sound and the door opened. Song Chengze walked out first, and lifted the cotton curtain with his back hand. A woman in palace dress followed behind him and looked up at Song Chengze.
Song Chengze looked down at her and said a few more words. The woman nodded and reached out to stroke her cheek.
Under the moonlight, the snow reflected a clear and soft light, as if covering the two people with a layer of gauze. It was so unreal, as if in a dream.
Song Chengze looked up and saw Meng Qi standing there looking at him. He put down the cotton curtain in his hand and walked over.
"Mother, there's nothing serious. I think it's better for us to go to Chengtian Palace." Meng Qi tried her best to keep her voice calm.
Song Chengze nodded, and the woman in palace attire followed. Meng Qi saluted the woman in palace attire and asked, "Is Concubine Xiu here to see Mother?"
Concubine Xiu took off the hood of her cloak, and her fair face was slightly flushed, with a soft smile on her delicate face.
"I thought the emperor must need the prince and princess, so I'd like to accompany the queen to relieve her boredom." Xiupin's voice was very gentle and pleasant, neither hurried nor slow.
Song Chengze bowed, "In that case, thank you, Madam Xiupin."
Concubine Xiu bowed to Song Chengze, walked between the two of them, and stopped on the steps to the main hall. She turned around as if unintentionally, and met Meng Qi's eyes. Then she smiled and turned away.
Song Chengze turned and walked out, "I'll talk to you when we get back home."
"No need." Meng Qi said this in a loud and stiff voice. Even she herself didn't expect that she would reply so quickly, as if she had been prepared.
Song Chengze stopped, and Meng Qi also realized her own loss of composure and breathed a sigh of relief. "You don't need to explain the prince's affairs to me. I'm just worried about being seen by others. After all, not everyone in Qionghua Palace is close to my mother."
Song Chengze frowned at first, then said softly, "I know, I know it."
Meng Qi stared at the warm sedan at the door, feeling a surge of unease. It was as if she had always known there was a large pot in front of her, steaming hot food. But she had never lifted the lid to look, and she had no idea what was inside. So, even if she wanted to eat, she would hold it back.
But now, the lid of the pot was suddenly opened, allowing her to see the delicious food inside. She couldn't help but want to taste it, and then she wanted to eat her fill, or even better, drink the soup as well.
The two people sitting in the warm sedan didn't say anything, and both squinted their eyes, thinking about their own thoughts.
Song Chengze sorted out what Concubine Xiu had just told him, especially about the emperor's illness. He really didn't dare to think about it that way, but he had to think about it.
Meng Qi was thinking about this Concubine Xiu, the Concubine Xiu who almost became Song Chengze's concubine.
Xiupin was a concubine who entered the palace together with Rong Zhaoyi and Wu, and was also the last one the emperor recruited into the palace.
During that selection, the emperor wanted to choose concubines or concubines for his married sons. Initially, the dozen or so women who entered the palace didn't receive any specific arrangements. They weren't sent directly to the prince's residence or made concubines for the emperor's harem. Instead, they were assigned to various palaces to learn etiquette.
Xiupin was assigned to the palace of Concubine Lian. This diligent, pretty, and sensible girl quickly won Concubine Lian's favor. Concubine Lian, who had never worried about her son's inner court, began to think about sending Xiupin to the Ruiwang Palace.
Concubine Xiu fell in love with Song Chengze at first sight, and Song Chengze was obviously very satisfied with her. They both thought there was nothing wrong with this matter, and Concubine Lian was also ready to talk about this matter with the emperor and wanted to take Concubine Xiu directly to Prince Rui's Mansion.
However, an accident happened. When Concubine Xiu was paying her respects to the Queen with her sisters who came to the palace with her, she accidentally fell down. She changed her clothes in the side room of Kunning Palace and was seen by the Emperor by chance.
Although the emperor did not favor Concubine Xiu at the time, Concubine Lian could no longer ask for Song Chengze's favor. After the emperor accepted Concubine Xiu, he distributed the remaining concubines to his sons. It was Wu who was assigned to the Ruiwang Mansion by the emperor.
In her previous life, Meng Qi didn't know much of this. To be more precise, she didn't know when she was still alive and kicking. She heard a lot of it while she was lying there, especially after the final showdown between Song Chengze and the Crown Prince, the then Emperor. Or perhaps someone had deliberately let her know.
Now that I think about it, Song Chengze's victory in his previous life must have been closely related to this Concubine Xiu. Concubine Xiu had always admired Song Chengze, no, it should be said that they were in love with each other, but fate played a trick on them, and they were ultimately not meant to be together.
But Meng Qi thought that in his previous life, after Song Chengze took that position, it wasn't impossible for him to change Concubine Xiu's status. Now that he thought about it, Emperor Jing'an had such a deep relationship with his adoptive mother, the late Empress Dowager, and even had a child with her, then it wouldn't be a big deal if Song Chengze really did that, after all, the two of them were sincere.
It was not until Hu Changsheng mentioned it outside that Meng Qi opened her eyes, but she suddenly met Song Chengze's deep eyes. She didn't know how long Song Chengze looked at her like that.
Meng Qi sat up straight and was about to speak when she heard Song Chengze say softly, "It's not what you think." Then he lifted the curtain and got off the carriage first.
When they returned, the emperor's headache had been cured by acupuncture given by the imperial physician, and he had fallen into a deep sleep.
The Queen rubbed her forehead and said to everyone, "Go back, this is your father's wish. Take the children and have a good New Year's Eve, and come back on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month."
Prince Cheng stepped forward and said, "Mother, I will stay and take care of Father."
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