In the evening, Song Heng and I returned to Chenxiang Pavilion together, but he would quietly leave in the middle of the night.
Most of the nights these days, it seemed to outsiders that Song Heng slept in my Chenxiang Pavilion, but in fact it was just a cover. He would carefully leave Chenxiang Pavilion to meet some people, and I didn't ask where or who they were.
But every morning when I woke up, he was already back, lying next to me, and I really started to be able to sleep until noon.
So on the surface, Song Heng stayed in my Chenxiang Pavilion every night, and stayed with me in the morning. He would not get up early until the sun was high in the sky, and would not fall asleep until the sky was full of stars.
Today, after I helped Song Heng change his clothes, he seemed to be in a hurry and very reluctant to go to the morning court.
Sometimes I worry about whether his body can withstand such a chaotic daily routine.
While I was stirring the red date and lotus seed porridge with a porcelain spoon, I was wondering whether I should go to the Imperial Medical Bureau to ask if there was any medicinal food to send to Song Heng.
Suddenly, I heard a servant coming to tell me that the Queen wanted me to go to Fengming Palace.
Compared to the last time when Concubine De sent her servants to invite me to Zhuangning Palace, Xiao Cui and Xiao Tao's faces obviously fell, as if they were facing a great enemy.
I know that this is something I have to face and deal with sooner or later, so I am not too panicked.
Just looking at Xiao Cui and Xiao Tao, I couldn't help but ask the confusion that had been suppressed for a long time: "Xiao Cui and Xiao Tao, do you also think that I am... a seductress?"
Xiao Cui and Xiao Tao were visibly stunned after hearing this. Xiao Tao almost jumped up in anxiety: "My lady, how can you say that to yourself? Bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah!"
Xiao Cui frowned and seemed to think for a moment, then finally said to me in a low but firm voice, "I believe in your character, and I also believe in the relationship between you and Your Majesty. There must be some reason that I don't know."
My eyes lit up. I always knew Xiao Cui was calm and sensible, but I didn't expect her to be so smart.
But I didn't want them to know too much about these things, so I immediately laughed and responded to Xiao Tao: "Okay, okay, bah, bah, bah, I was just listening and teasing you! Let's go, let's go to Fengming Palace for tea!"
Xiao Cui really wanted to ask something, but I pretended not to notice her hesitation and turned to pull Xiao Tao: "Look how anxious you are, I just came here to scare you."
"My dear, you must never say that about yourself again!" Xiao Tao pouted. "Although I'm not as good at speaking as Sister Xiao Cui, no matter what, I believe in you and stand on your side! His Majesty dotes on you because you are great and you deserve it!"
"Hey, Xiaotao," I pinched her nose with a look of surprise on my face, "So you're so good at praising people! I should have scared you earlier and asked you to praise me more!"
The three of us walked to Fengming Palace while playing and joking. A maid with wide eyes and a round face came out to greet us. Xiao Cui reminded me that her name was A Yuan and she had been following the Queen since she entered the palace.
I nodded. This maidservant looked dull, but she was able to stay by the queen's side for two years. It seemed that she was a hidden maidservant.
As soon as I entered the room, I realized that the scene was bigger than I had imagined. I thought the Queen had called me here to ridicule me or threaten and suppress me, but I didn't expect it to be like a tea party, with all the concubines dressed in red and green gathered together.
This made me pinch my sleeves. It seemed that the queen had been preparing for this for a long time.
When I didn't see Concubine De, my first reaction was that she would not get involved in something that might be disadvantageous to me, which made me feel warm in my heart.
Before I could think about it any further, I heard a voice saying, "Mu Zhaoyi is here."
Empress Hua spoke eloquently, and she smiled at me from her seat, but without any welcoming emotion.
"Greetings, Her Majesty." I stepped forward and bowed tactfully.
She seemed to have completely forgotten about asking me to stand up, and went straight to the point: "Mu Zhaoyi, it is our responsibility to expand the royal family, but as time goes by, there is still no news of an heir..."
The concubines on both sides suddenly became quiet and all turned their eyes to me.
"You said, I am the mistress of the harem after all," she continued, "and it is my duty to care for the health of all the concubines. I must not make any mistakes that would hinder the continuation of the royal family."
I frowned slightly.
Suddenly, she lowered her voice, her words piercing like a soft sword: "Your Majesty has lived in Chenxiang Pavilion for a long time, but Concubine Mu still has no news of an heir. I happen to have several experienced maids here, and I have specially invited them to take a look at Concubine Mu!"
I heard Xiao Cui and Xiao Tao gasping behind me, and had a bad feeling in my heart, but I couldn't figure out what the Queen was trying to do. I only heard a "thump" behind me.
"Your Majesty, is the young lady ill? Please ask the imperial physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau to diagnose her." Xiao Cui tried her best to organize her sentences, but I could feel her trembling as she spoke.
Imperial physician? Matron?
I suddenly realized something. Is the Queen's power already that great? She even dared to let a nanny examine my body?!
It was really me who underestimated the enemy. It seems that Queen Hua would rather lose eight hundred of her own men than to injure a thousand of the enemy.
"How dare you!" the Queen yelled at Xiao Cui, "How dare a servant interrupt the master while he's speaking? It's truly a case of the top beam being crooked and the bottom beam being crooked. Come, slap her in the face!"
I immediately stood in front of Xiao Cui and said to the Queen in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, only His Majesty can see my body. You dare to ask the nanny to examine me? Aren't you afraid that His Majesty will come to you to question you?"
I suddenly realized that the Queen must have been planning for a long time. Last time, Concubine De said that Song Heng just came to play chess. I suddenly had a bold guess, that is, Song Heng must have very rarely actually gone to the harem to favor the concubines.
It seems that the Queen is betting on whether I am really favored by Song Heng. If something is found out, even if she is held accountable this time, I will be in trouble.
Most importantly, it would ruin Song Heng's plan.
Thinking of this, I decided that even if I had to force my way out, I would never let them touch me.
"Empress, I understand that you are responsible for the harem," I said, looking at Empress Hua and chuckling softly, "but in front of so many people, are you really taking responsibility for the harem?"
The reason why so many concubines were brought in to watch this incident was just to drag more concubines into it later to share the responsibility.
The planner is guilty, and the bystanders are also to blame.
Sure enough, I saw the concubine next to me holding the tea tremble slightly, and it seemed that someone had been deceived.
Just as I was thinking about how to use their power to free myself, I suddenly heard A Yuan's voice: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has requested that Consort Mu go to the Cining Palace immediately."
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