"That's good."
Song Xibai breathed a sigh of relief.
Dingxiang couldn't help but mutter, "You gave them a hundred taels of silver to buy that baby who died in childbirth. I bet the whole family is secretly thrilled!"
It was quite a coincidence.
When Song Xibai was looking for a wet nurse near the village, he inquired about many families who were pregnant and about to give birth. The daughter-in-law of this family had a difficult labor a few days ago and gave birth to a stillborn baby. After Song Xibai found out, he spent money to buy the baby as part of this plan.
She felt that she was becoming increasingly ruthless, but Wei Hong and the others didn't think so. They thought she was kind, after all, she had given so much money.
Wei Hong also advised her that many unborn children who die, especially girls, don't even have a grave; they are usually just thrown into the mountains.
Song Xibai still felt somewhat uncomfortable.
"Take some time to go to a nearby temple and have someone perform a ritual to help the deceased pass on to the afterlife! After everything is over, give him a proper burial."
Wei Hong agreed and then said...
"This servant thinks the courtyard is quite clean, but it's a bit small. Please wait here, Master, while I tidy up the east room and organize the luggage."
Song Xibai nodded.
Only Fangqi, Wei Hong, and Dingxiang moved in with her this time; the others were taken to Mr. Jin's residence by Commander Yue.
Dingxiang moved a small stool and sat down next to her, taking her pulse while asking questions.
"Why do you insist on living here? This place is too small, and there are too many people around, it's very noisy."
“It’s precisely because there are so many people that it’s not easy to be discovered!” Song Xibai raised an eyebrow. “Do you believe it or not? Every household that has even the slightest connection with the Crown Prince has people watching them. My family isn’t safe either. My father is quite a favorite in the Imperial Hospital now. It’s not safe with Mr. Jin either. If a pregnant woman suddenly shows up, it will definitely arouse suspicion.”
Dingxiang thought about it and felt it made a lot of sense, but she was still unconvinced.
"My house is fine too!"
Song Xibai chuckled and flicked her forehead with his finger.
“Ever since the day you entered the Eastern Palace, your Ding family has been the focus of a lot of attention.”
Dingxiang's eyes widened.
"Really? I haven't heard my family mention this!"
"The person keeping watch won't show up if there's nothing wrong, so how would your family know? Alright, is your pulse normal?"
Song Xibai withdrew her wrist.
Dingxiang pursed her lips: "Then why the Shu family?"
"Have you ever heard the saying 'the darkest place is under the lamp'? This place is absolutely safe." Song Xibai rolled up his sleeves, his tone firm.
"If you say so, then so be it! Your pulse is fine, both little ones are doing well, and you have enough medicine. Now, just relax and wait for the delivery!"
Dingxiang stood up, clapped her hands, and went to help Dingxiang.
Granny Fangqi quickly found out the situation in the neighborhood. Almost everyone living in this alley was related to the Shu family, so it was easy for her to get information.
By the next day, Song Xibai had learned many of the Shu family's secrets, including but not limited to who was having affairs with whom, and whose child wasn't their biological child...
Song Xibai was amazed when he heard this.
Sure enough, wherever there are crowds, there's gossip.
And the gossip skills of ordinary people are just as good as theirs, okay?
Granny Fangqi quickly became familiar with the neighbors. Several times, she inadvertently mentioned the Imperial Concubine in the palace. Before she could even ask, someone would bring up the Imperial Concubine's story.
This is much more exciting than what I heard in the palace.
Of course, gossip is just gossip and not true; Song Xibai just took it as a joke.
For the next few days, she stayed in the small courtyard to rest and recuperate, without leaving the house.
However, the court was far from peaceful.
The great fire at the manor not only burned away her traces, but also set off a raging inferno in the imperial court.
With the Crown Prince missing, the importance of his unborn child is self-evident. Countless people are watching Song Xibai, waiting for her to give birth, hoping for a better future.
The officials, especially those in the Crown Prince's faction, went mad after learning that the fire had killed the Crown Prince's only bloodline. They brought up the matter every day in court, pressuring the Emperor to thoroughly investigate the case, find the culprit, and punish him severely.
The emperor initially dismissed it as insignificant.
Until one day, Censor Zhou gathered half of the court officials, submitted a joint petition, and even led the censors from the Censorate to kneel outside the palace gates, demanding an explanation from the emperor.
Even the most powerful emperor could not allow the censors to act in this way, so he had no choice but to temporarily agree and send the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Minister of Justice to investigate.
However, in private, he began to win over other court officials and prepare to establish a new crown prince.
Many officials in the court originally sided with the Crown Prince. Even though the Crown Prince was missing, there was still hope because of the child in Song Xibai's womb, so they persisted.
But now, even that glimmer of hope has vanished, and so many people have become hesitant.
The proposal to establish a new crown prince encountered little resistance and was passed smoothly.
However, the selection of the new crown prince was debated for a long time.
There were those who supported the King of Wu, and those who supported the King of Lu and the King of Qi, but none of them could match the Eighth Prince.
After all, the Eighth Prince was backed by the Emperor himself.
But even the emperor cannot do whatever he wants.
He knew very well that he would have to give something in order to persuade those old fogies who supported the crown prince.
After another grand court assembly, the emperor sat alone in the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a long time.
As the sunlight gradually moved in, the emperor finally made his decision.
"Prepare the carriage for Yongshou Palace."
Chen Dafu, who was outside, hurriedly ordered his men to get to work.
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