The Emperor awoke leisurely from his warm embrace.
As usual, she stayed at the Royal Consort's palace yesterday.
Wearing only a flowing white undergarment, she tucked the blanket around her consort beside her and got out of bed barefoot. The consort, still half-asleep, took her hand, and the Emperor smiled, turning to kiss him on the cheek.
The emperor's husband grunted twice, turned over, and fell back into a deep sleep.
The Emperor gazed at her husband for a long time.
Although she became a saint of the nation, she still believed that her husband was equal to her.
The Emperor summoned a maid to bring a basin of water, and with tender eyes, dipped the clothes her consort had worn the day before into it, then slowly lathered them with soap. The clothes had several layers, and it took her considerable effort just to wet them.
It wasn't that the Duke and Empress asked her to do the laundry; it was something she enjoyed doing herself, so she volunteered. Hearing this, the Duke and Empress looked at her with new respect, considering her almost like their child.
The Emperor's smile grew even gentler.
Although... she still longed for a life of cooking and cleaning. She despised being tied down by such a life, and she disliked the palace she lived in.
This place is magnificent and resplendent, but it only separates her from her husband, the emperor.
She longed to live with her husband.
Even if we live in the countryside and only have simple food, what does it matter?
The emperor reluctantly wrung out the clothes and then hung them in the courtyard.
She rubbed her reddened hands.
Her personal maid strode over and said, "Her Highness the Crown Princess, Her Highness the Eldest Princess, and the young lady of the Song family are waiting outside the palace."
The Emperor glanced at his personal maid. This maid was one she had carefully chosen in her youth. The maid was of ordinary appearance and tall stature. Even her voice sounded rough. She was clearly not someone who would seduce her husband.
The Emperor asked, "What are they doing here?"
The personal maid said she didn't know.
The emperor frowned and scolded her, "You know nothing! What use are you to me?" She kicked her personal maid and continued to order her around, "Come and help me get dressed."
The personal maid bowed silently.
She helped the emperor put on his outer garments, one by one.
After the elaborate layers of clothing were neatly put on, the Emperor's mood improved somewhat. She went to the main room in the courtyard, sat down on the chair in the middle, and said, "Let them in."
The personal maid bowed in response.
She went outside the courtyard and spoke to the people who had been waiting for a long time. The Crown Princess, who was at the head of the group, thanked them and hurriedly went into the courtyard.
Artemisia and the maid stared at each other for a few seconds. They were similar in build, but Artemisia was in much better condition than the maid. A fleeting look of envy crossed the maid's eyes, and Artemisia broke off some of the gold leaves that had been given to her earlier and put them in the maid's hand.
“This is…” the maid refused.
"I found it on the road," Ai Cao said. She insisted that the maid accept it, and then quickly returned to Song Tang's side.
The Crown Princess led them for a while. When they reached the main house, Songtang calmly let out a soft sob. The Crown Princess looked at her with approval and patted her on the shoulder with a smile.
They went into the main room.
The Emperor, who was sitting crookedly in his chair, was still thinking about his consort when he was startled by Song Tang's crying. As if realizing that her crying was too loud, Song Tang bit her lip and stifled her sobs.
The group greeted the Emperor.
The Emperor sat up straighter and ordered the maids to bring two more chairs. The Crown Princess sat down properly, while the Eldest Princess sat down beside the Emperor with a smile, acting coquettishly.
The Emperor asked Song Tang, "I remember you. You are the youngest daughter of the Song family, aren't you?"
Songtang nodded, sobbing.
The emperor took a liking to the innocent and harmless little girl and asked again, "Why did you come to me crying?"
“Your Majesty…” Songtang sobbed, her face covered in tears, “I heard that my father…” She paused here, as if she could not bear to say more, and covered her face to cry.
"Don't worry," the Emperor said. "I will take into account my past relationship with Song Qing. This matter will not involve his other family members, and naturally it will not affect your future marriage."
“But my father…” Songtang choked up as she spoke, “I have lived alone since I was a child. Now I finally have the opportunity to repay my father’s kindness, but my father has done such a thing for his own selfish desires…”
She sobbed twice and said, "Although I know my father has committed a grave mistake, I still want to plead for his life..." Song Tang suddenly kowtowed on the ground and said, "This is also for the sake of the more than one hundred people in the Song family. I beg Your Majesty to spare my father's life!"
The emperor lowered his eyes.
The eldest princess patted her back with a grin, saying sweetly, "Mother Empress, good Mother Empress, my kind and benevolent Mother Empress~"
When the Emperor saw her smile, the corners of his mouth also unconsciously curved upwards.
The Emperor asked again, "You begged me to spare his life, but while you may escape death, you cannot escape punishment. How old are you now?"
Songtang knelt on the ground and said, "My daughter can't remember her birth date, but she's about eight years old."
“Eight years old, not young anymore.” The Emperor thought for a moment and said, “Then I will entrust the Song family to you to manage. I will also bestow upon you the title of Princess and entrust all of Song Qing’s various properties to you.”
She was startled when she said those words. The Emperor hesitated to change his mind, but Song Tang had already shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and thanked him for his great favor.
She couldn't change it anymore.
"As for the title of Princess..." the Emperor asked the Crown Princess, "Does the Crown Princess have any ideas?"
The Crown Princess smiled and said, "This is naturally up to the Empress Dowager to decide."
The Emperor was displeased: "I have already asked you, and you still won't answer. I will punish you for deceiving the Emperor!"
The Crown Princess said she dared not, but still smiled: "Then... if the young lady of the Song family wants to relieve her parents' worries, shall she be granted the title of Princess Jieyou?"
The Emperor pondered the matter and found the title satisfactory, so the matter was settled.
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