Inside the Eastern Palace, Song Xibai awoke at dawn.
She subconsciously touched her side but didn't find the Crown Prince. She then opened her eyes, looked around blankly, and then remembered that she had returned to the East Side Hall of the East Palace.
The Crown Prince did not stay at her place last night.
Song Xibai sat up, staring blankly at the peony pattern on the quilt.
After a long while, she rubbed her face and gave a wry smile.
"Sure enough, habits are no good! I've only been on the estate for a few days, and I already feel out of place here."
She felt much more at ease at the manor, seeing the prince every night before and after sleep, and she slept better.
But now...
Song Xibai took a deep breath and composed herself.
You have to be careful in everything you do in the palace. You can't be lazy; you have to be alert.
She slapped her cheeks hard, then threw off the covers, got out of bed, and called out twice.
Fuliu and Juqing led the palace maids in, who then helped her wash her face, change her clothes, and comb her hair.
Fuliu chattered on about palace affairs, while Juqing remained quiet, occasionally chiming in with a few words, and things remained peaceful.
After listening, Song Xibai realized that Fu Liu was talking about matters of the inner palace, so he asked her questions.
"What about the Crown Prince's Palace? Has nothing happened?"
"No, after Your Highness and Master left, the masters basically didn't go out except to pay their respects, and there wasn't even any quarreling."
Song Xibai thought about it and realized it made sense. All their fighting and squabbling was for the Crown Prince, wasn't it? Now that the Crown Prince, the real person in question, wasn't around, why would they have the energy to fight?
"Is everything alright in the west wing hall too?"
Song Xibai asked again.
Fu Liu shook her head: "Rou Liangyuan has been saying she's not feeling well since day one, and she hasn't left the house for the past few days!"
Juqing also took the opportunity to speak.
"I heard that the Crown Princess was very angry and scolded Consort Rou for not taking the Crown Princess seriously because of the baby in her belly."
Song Xibai shook her head. This was definitely not something the Crown Princess would say; it must have been some old nanny who was cursing.
After all, outsiders don't know that Yoo Ryang-won's belly is fake, so who would dare to call the child she's carrying "that piece of flesh"?
Although it's not an insult, it's not exactly a pleasant word either!
After sorting through the messages, Song Xibai felt that she was lucky that nothing had happened during the few days she had been away from home.
While they were talking, her hair was styled, and Fuliu opened the dressing box for her to choose jewelry.
Song Xibai chose a pair of yellow jade hairpins, inserted them diagonally into her hair bun, and put on a pair of jade bracelets before getting up and going out to pay her respects in the central hall.
Wei Hong was off duty today, and Fu Liu naturally stayed close to Song Xibai's side.
Upon arriving at the central hall, as soon as Song Xibai stepped over the threshold, she noticed several pairs of eyes fixed on her.
She glanced at it discreetly, then looked up and gave a gentle smile.
"You sisters arrived so early! I live nearby, yet I'm actually later than you. I feel so bad."
There were seven people sitting inside the room. Apart from the Crown Princess, Consort Rou Liang from the West Palace, and Consort Zhu who was imprisoned, everyone else was there.
Du Chenghui was the first to rise and curtsy to Song Xibai.
"Sister Xi, you've come at just the right time. We're too early."
Song Xibai nodded to her and then walked to the first seat in front.
The seat opposite was empty; Yurahime still hadn't come today.
Guo Liangyuan sat to the left of Song Xibai.
She held a pink handkerchief in her hand, covering her mouth with it, revealing a gentle smile.
"Consort Xi went out with His Highness and has been gone for several days. I'm afraid she's forgotten all about us sisters. I heard that His Highness didn't go anywhere last night, not even to the Crown Princess's place. Hehehe... Anyone who didn't know better would think that Consort Xi had given His Highness some kind of love potion!"
These sarcastic words made Song Xibai turn her head involuntarily.
She wasn't angry, just curious why Zhu Liangyuan had changed her style.
She used to be quiet and gentle, always acting like a caring older sister to everyone!
What triggered this?
Song Xibai looked her up and down, and suddenly his gaze settled on her hair bun.
Guo Liangyuan wore her hair in a high bun, gathering all her hair on top of her head. It looked like she had a hair bun, making her hair appear very thick and voluminous. She didn't wear many jewelry pieces, but she did have a large, purplish-red peony flower pinned at the back of her head.
"Guo Liangyuan's peonies are blooming quite nicely, but isn't it not the season for peonies to bloom now?"
Song Xibai's seemingly random remark caused Guo Liangyuan's mind to pause for a moment.
"Indeed, it was the palace gardeners who used a trick to make them bloom earlier."
Guo Liangyuan slightly raised her chin, looking reserved, but her eyes couldn't hide her smugness.
It's just a flower, what's there to be proud of?
Song Xibai turned her head away.
Guo Liangyuan originally wanted to wait for her to ask another question so she could show off, but she didn't expect Song Xibai to ignore her completely, and the expression on her face immediately froze.
This in-between situation left her extremely frustrated.
Song Xibai, however, began to ponder other things.
The palace has greenhouses, so it's not difficult to make peonies bloom a month earlier, but wearing flowers in the hair wasn't a popular custom in the palace before!
The peony flowers are large, and their fragrance is delicate and not very noticeable, but some varieties have a very strong fragrance that can be unpleasant.
Song Xibai frowned slightly.
We must be wary of people using the fragrance of these flowers to cause trouble.
Just as Song Xibai was deep in thought, the Crown Princess came out, supported by Lin Mama.
She wasn't dressed as extravagantly as usual today. Instead, she wore a lake-blue dress embroidered with lotus flower patterns, and her hair ornaments were also reduced, using only two pairs of hairpins.
Song Xibai wondered what the Crown Princess was up to.
She soon found out the answer.
Everyone rose to pay their respects to the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess gestured for them to sit down, then glanced around and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"You all must know that the Empress Dowager is seriously ill, right? From today onwards, I will join the other concubines in attending to the Empress Dowager. You few, you must also guard the doors and windows of the Eastern Palace, and be careful with your words and actions. Do you all understand?"
Everyone responded in unison.
Song Xibai glanced at her: So she was dressed like this to attend to the Empress Dowager when she was ill.
The Empress Dowager suffered a stroke. Although her condition stabilized yesterday, she will need a lot of time to recuperate, with acupuncture and herbal medicine continuously. It is conservatively estimated that it will take at least three months.
Three months later, you can start rehabilitation training, and gradually you should be able to return to a normal life.
With the Empress Dowager's illness and treatment plan in mind, Song Xibai didn't say much. However, Guo Liangyuan, who was opposite her, tugged at her handkerchief and smiled.
"You'll have to work hard, Crown Princess. I'll take good care of things in the Eastern Palace for you, so you can rest assured."
The Crown Princess glanced at her and sneered inwardly.
Ever since the Crown Princess removed all of Consort Guo's spies, Consort Guo's attitude has changed considerably. In the past, she would never have been so humble and obsequious.
However, the Crown Princess would not give her any more opportunities to wield power in the palace.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
