"Your Majesty is wise."
The ministers all spoke in unison.
Yuan Shen waved his hand, signaling Eunuch Feng to lead a group to escort them out of the palace.
After everyone had left, Yuan Shen returned to Changqing Palace.
Song Xibai had been waiting for him so long that she was almost asleep. When she saw him return, she couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief.
Then, the conversation turned to the situation at Cining Palace.
After listening, Yuan Shen remained silent for a long time before finally hugging Song Xibai and sighing.
"Consort Shu...we owe her a great deal."
Song Xibai nestled in his arms, looking up at him.
"After this matter is resolved, shall we let Consort Shu go to Prince Wu's residence? I think that although Consort Shu always complains about Prince Wu, she has always been quite concerned about him."
Yuan Shen nodded.
The two then rested.
That night, countless people couldn't sleep.
At the grand court assembly the following day, Yuan Shen indeed rebuked the Prince of Lu for his improper conduct.
King Lu did not need to attend court, but he had many followers, who immediately stepped forward to defend him.
Yuan Shen flew into a rage and imprisoned these ministers on charges of "forming cliques for personal gain".
This action startled many people.
For the next two or three days, no one dared to speak up for the King of Lu.
Fortunately, to their relief, the Emperor did not make a big fuss about it. He only reprimanded Prince Lu a few times and then ordered him to stay home and reflect on his actions.
The King of Lu and his wife also breathed a sigh of relief.
It was just a matter of reflecting on one's mistakes behind closed doors, not a serious punishment, and besides, it was only three months, which would pass quickly.
The Prince of Lu then felt at ease staying in his residence and did not go out.
However, what he didn't expect was that Consort De and the Second Princess in the harem would also be implicated as a result.
Two days later, Song Xibai issued an imperial edict using the Empress's seal, rebuking the Second Princess for sowing discord between the Eldest Princess and Consort Shen, and for instigating the Eldest Princess to commit an act of filial impiety. Then, the Second Princess was confined to her quarters, and all the servants around her were replaced.
The second princess was terrified on the spot. She wanted to send a message to her mother, but all the people around her had been replaced, and the new palace maids simply wouldn't listen to her.
She halved her usual food, clothing, and daily necessities, and stopped even leaving the house. She couldn't even last two days before admitting her mistake and begging for forgiveness.
However, none of the others whom Song Xibai had instructed, whether they were concubines or other princesses, dared to lend her a helping hand and could only pretend not to see or hear her.
The second princess was in despair and could only hope that her mother would come to save her.
What she didn't know was that on the very day she was confined, Consort De was also stripped of her title and imprisoned in a small palace in the northwest corner of the inner palace.
In this harem, there is no palace marked with the name "Cold Palace," but this place is usually deserted and can undoubtedly be considered the Cold Palace in the hearts of the palace servants.
Moreover, Yuan Shen also instructed Jin Xiang to send people to keep a close watch on the area and prevent anyone from getting close.
The fact that Consort De no longer has the title "De" is arguably the greatest irony for her.
Zhu was stubborn and refused to admit her mistakes while in the cold palace.
At first, she could manage, but later, her treatment deteriorated, and the food she was given was almost the same as that of a lowly palace servant, so coarse that it was hard to swallow.
She immediately knocked over the dishes and started yelling at the door.
The eunuch who delivered the food had a cold face, as if he hadn't heard anything, and turned to report it to Jin Xiang.
Jin Xiang sneered repeatedly.
"Since she doesn't want to eat, there's no need to send her any. Let her go hungry for a couple of days and we'll see."
To Zhu's horror, she discovered that she had no food to eat!
The same thing happened on the second day, and the same thing happened on the third day.
Extremely hungry, she could only rely on water to stave off hunger.
With no one else around to help her, she was all alone and couldn't even wash herself.
Having only been in the Cold Palace for a few days, the once proud and arrogant Consort De was now disheveled and unkempt, like a beggar on the street.
On the fourth day, she began to cry.
They wept for the late emperor, the late empress, and all their ancestors, recounting one by one the merits the Zhu family had made.
She cried all day, but no one paid any attention to her.
Exhausted and hungry, Zhu collapsed behind the door.
When the eunuchs guarding the gate heard no movement from inside, they went to report again.
Jin Xiang then changed his order, having someone deliver one meal a day.
When Zhu woke up again, her eyes lit up when she saw the steamed bun beside her. She didn't care about the dirt and grabbed it to eat.
Jin Xiang used this method to break Zhu's pride and turn her into a submissive and obedient servant.
The name of Consort De quickly disappeared from the palace and was never mentioned again.
As spring deepens and the weather warms, the flowers and trees in the palace are blooming one after another.
The palace maids picked many flower branches to put in vases, and Song Xibai did not forbid it; on the contrary, he was happy to see it happen.
The flowers in Changqing Palace have also been replaced. The once spacious courtyard is now filled with flowerpots, and the colorful flowers are vying for attention, creating a lively scene.
Song Xibai took the child to identify flowers.
"This is an orchid, Zhaojing, Zhaoyan, repeat after me, flower~"
Upon hearing their names, both children turned around, blinking their large, clear eyes as they looked at Song Xibai.
"Ah~ Ah~"
Zhaojing opened his arms to hug him.
Song Xibai didn't take her hand, but instead pulled her hand to touch the orchid.
"These are flowers, flowers~"
Dingxiang leaned against a pillar by the corridor, cracking melon seeds, and couldn't help but speak.
"They're only six months old, they can't even talk yet! No matter how many times you teach them, it's useless."
Song Xibai wasn't annoyed at all and continued to smile.
"It's okay if you can't speak, just listen more."
Children need more input in order to be able to output; otherwise, they will be late in speaking.
"These two children are incredibly clever. They ignore other people when they speak, but they recognize their parents. When I speak, they listen very attentively."
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