I must never drink this damn wine again. No, I must not drink it anymore, not even a drop.
Meng Qi let go of her hand and patted her face gently. Fortunately, nothing had happened. She could pretend that it had never happened, just treat it as a dream, because she was drunk.
As for Song Chengze's loss of composure, she thought it was probably because he hadn't been around women for a long time. The inner chamber had dealt with so many people recently, and he was very busy. At least, according to the information she had, Song Chengze hadn't gone to Li and Wu's place, and it was even less likely that he was looking for fun outside.
Yes, that must be it.
Meng Qi sat up straight, wondering whether she should ask Song Chengze to have a maid or just take in a concubine.
Meng Qi was shocked by her own thoughts. In her past life, she had never considered such a question. In her past life, she had disdained it; who Song Chengze liked or doted on was of no concern to her. In this life, she had never considered it that way. Ever since she married into the Rui Palace, she had been like a horse galloping along the official road, never stopping for a moment.
Well, just treat it as a dream, as if it never happened. Although she also missed the gentle touch of last night, and the unprecedented trembling, it was intoxicating.
――――――
In the evening, Song Chengze entered Jing'an Garden. Meng Qi was still thinking about how to behave or what to say to avoid the embarrassment of yesterday, but Song Chengze acted as if nothing had happened. It was not known whether he had no time to think about what happened yesterday, or he had done such things so many times that he didn't take it to heart.
"Last night, the Concubine Liang of the Eastern Palace gave birth to a son." Song Chengze said in a deep voice.
Meng Qi tried hard to think about when Dong Gong had a son in her previous life. It seemed to be at this moment.
"Is it going well?" Meng Qi handed over the wet handkerchief.
Song Chengze took it and wiped his face. No one knew what he was busy with today, but he looked exhausted.
"I don't know. The news hasn't been released yet. I'm afraid it will take three to five days."
Meng Qi nodded. Not only the royal family, but even the wealthy families had this custom. The specific information about the birth of a child, especially a boy, would not be told to outsiders.
"Now the prince should be relieved."
"This news was not told to me by the prince, but was found out by people in the palace." Song Chengze looked at Meng Qi very seriously while holding a handkerchief.
Meng Qi didn't react to what Song Chengze meant at first. After thinking for a while, she opened her eyes wide and asked, "The prince is hiding this from you too?"
Song Chengze stood up, walked to the washroom, put the handkerchief into the basin and rubbed it gently. He didn't know what the prince meant. Did he not have time to say it or was he on guard against him? Ever since the incident with Prince Duan, the relationship between the two had become subtle.
He disagreed with Prince Duan's plan, more precisely, not wanting to act so soon. He was completely unaware of the contents buried in Concubine Xiang's palace, and the Crown Prince hadn't told him either. Afterward, Elder Lu analyzed that the Crown Prince might be using this opportunity to settle an old score with Concubine Xiang regarding the late Empress.
It was precisely because of the prince's action that King Jing paid special attention to him, and some actions, especially the arrangements in the northwest, became difficult.
Seeing Song Chengze wet his handkerchief and wipe his face, Meng Qi didn't ask the question again. This was a good thing. The more the prince was wary of Song Chengze, or the more he looked down on him, the sooner he would make up his mind. Of course, these things weren't enough to force Song Chengze to make a choice; he needed an opportunity. Unfortunately, the relationship between the prince and Song Chengze in this life was very different from that in the previous one. She couldn't say much about this matter, lest it affect Song Chengze's judgment.
"There's one more thing." Song Chengze strode back and opened the window a little wider. It was almost June, and the warm wind brought a hint of heat.
"Zhuang Jing was brought back by Wu Hen."
Meng Qi's eyes lit up. "Found it? What did you find out?"
"Mr. Lu asked about it yesterday, but she was so stubborn that she didn't say a word. On the way Wu Hen brought her back, she wanted to commit suicide several times. It's good that Wu Hen had made preparations in advance, otherwise..." Song Chengze sat down in the chair and snorted coldly.
Meng Qi thought for a moment and said, "This Zhuang Jing is quite formidable. She must know something about the relationship between the late Empress and the late Empress Dowager that we don't. She's also been dragging along Princess Hu of Shen County while also bringing along that person called Qingning. When her sister was serving the late Empress Dowager, she was able to frequently enter the palace. After her sister left, she unexpectedly became a fellow apprentice with Yunling Shanren. She's quite capable. Judging from this, she must be someone with a strong will. I'm afraid the usual torture methods won't be suitable for her."
Song Chengze nodded. "That's right, that's what Mr. Lu said. She hasn't said a word since she was brought back last night. She hasn't even eaten a bite. Dong Hai forced the water down her throat. If Chu Yong hadn't taken out the medicine hidden in her teeth, she would have died..."
"Zhang Decheng came to you yesterday to tell you about Zhuang Jing?" Meng Qi knew she was wrong after asking this question. The room suddenly became quiet. Song Chengze looked directly at Meng Qi with a subtle inquiring smile on his face.
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