"Ahe?"
Shen Muqing spoke with heartache. If she was still angry when Song Jinhe abandoned her before, she could only feel heartache when she saw Song Jinhe's current state.
"Ahe, what's wrong?"
Song Jinhe looked at her with empty, wooden eyes, without any reaction or speaking.
Shen Muqing could only ask Bai Zhi, "What's wrong with Ahe?"
"Your Highness, my concubine has been in this state ever since His Highness the Crown Prince captured her last time," Bai Zhi said bitterly.
Although she was sent by His Highness the Crown Prince to monitor the concubine, the concubine was the mistress who treated her the best, and she felt bad seeing her mistress so sad.
"Bring me a stool."
Upon receiving the order, Bai Zhi immediately brought out a stool and placed it next to Song Jinhe. Shen Muqing sat beside her, remaining silent and simply keeping her company.
After sitting for an unknown amount of time, Song Jinhe spoke in a hoarse voice: "Why do you have to do this?"
"Ahe, I just don't want you to be so sad."
Seeing that Song Jinhe's emotions were somewhat fluctuating, Shen Muqing leaned on her shoulder and half-embraced her, "What can I do to make you happy?"
"When I left, I only thought of myself. Don't you mind?"
Song Jinhe looked out the window into the distance, her voice carrying a hint of guilt that even she herself could hardly perceive.
"I used to mind it, but I don't anymore."
Shen Muqing spoke her truest thoughts. Now, she felt more heartache for Song Jinhe, heartache for how she had ruined herself in just half a month.
"Qingqing, you are so cute."
Song Jinhe chuckled softly, and her gentle laughter seemed to brighten up the entire Luoxia Pavilion.
“Ahe, you smiled.”
"Um."
Seeing her mistress finally smile, Bai Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. The Crown Princess was truly resourceful; she needed to instruct the kitchen to prepare more food.
For the past two weeks, Song Jinhe has barely eaten anything.
She left quietly, leaving Song Jinhe and Shen Muqing with space to talk.
"Ahe, some of your herbs seem to have died."
Shen Muqing looked at the courtyard. The plants hadn't been cared for for half a month, and they were all wilted, some even lying on the ground.
Song Jinhe followed her gaze and saw that those were all her hard work, which she cherished dearly, but now they seemed to be of no use.
A struggle flashed in her eyes before returning to calm. She ordered that no one was allowed to take care of these herbs for her, to let them live and die on their own, just like her.
"Let me water it for you."
As she spoke, Shen Muqing scooped a ladle of water from the water vat beside her and carefully poured it onto the seemingly dead plant.
"It's no use. No matter how much you try to revive a withered plant, it won't come back to life."
Song Jinhe almost sighed, as if a dead heart could never be restored to its former vitality no matter how much you water it.
"Give it a try, maybe you'll come back to life."
Shen Muqing did not give up and followed Song Jinhe's example, weeding and fertilizing them.
After working hard for most of the day, Shen Muqing finally finished taking care of each tree and said happily, "Ahe, I've finished watering them all. Aren't you amazing?"
"sharp!"
"Hehehe." Shen Muqing chuckled foolishly, her laughter influencing Song Jinhe, causing a slight smile to unconsciously appear in her eyes.
"Qingqing, thank you."
Thank you for bringing hope and joy to my seemingly endless life, and thank you for your encouragement and affirmation.
There's no need for thanks between good friends.
"Good friends?"
Song Jinhe murmured softly, finally giving a firm "Okay!"
"Qingqing, please stay for lunch."
"no problem."
It was dusk when Shen Muqing left Luoxia Pavilion. She walked along the red walls several meters high, her shadow cast by the setting sun. After a few steps, she abruptly turned around and headed towards Yikun Palace.
She didn't let Zhu Qiu come with her; she came out alone this time.
On her way to Yikun Palace, she passed a magnificent and splendid palace, and she gazed at its name: "Weiyang Palace".
It was a good name, but she didn't stop and hurriedly left for Kunning Palace.
Inside Kunning Palace, Empress Liu remained as dignified and elegant as ever, sitting in the main seat and sipping tea.
"Qing'er, I've never seen you come to see me so late before. What brings you here?"
His voice was neither hurried nor slow, yet it carried an inherent authority.
Shen Muqing immediately knelt down, "Your subject does have a request, and asks Mother Consort to grant it."
Empress Liu dismissed everyone in the room, her slender, white hands with red-painted nails slowly setting down the teacup. She sighed deeply; what was bound to happen had finally arrived.
"Get up, I know what you want."
Shen Muqing, kneeling on the ground, looked puzzled. She hadn't even said anything yet, so how did the Empress know?
"It's about Consort Song, isn't it?"
Shock filled Shen Muqing's eyes as he looked at Empress Liu above with admiration.
Empress Liu was in charge of all affairs in the palace, and no matter what happened, it could not escape her eyes, including the matter of the Crown Prince's residence some time ago.
"It's a pity for this girl. My two sons are just like their father. They will get what they want, no matter what method they use."
Shen Mu listened quietly to Empress Liu's words, his eyes filled with seriousness.
"You must have seen the palace called Weiyang Palace when you came here. It was once inhabited by Consort Mei, the emperor's most beloved woman."
"It's a pity that the falling flowers are willing but the flowing water is heartless, and she died young."
Why is this happening?
Shen Muqing asked, puzzled. Logically speaking, the palace is the place that all women in the world want to go to most, and it is also the place that nurtures people the most.
"Haha." Empress Liu casually played with her nails. "Melancholy, with resentment in her heart."
!!
This situation is not exactly the same as Song Jinhe's.
"Qing'er, do you know why I chose you to be the Crown Princess?"
Shen Muqing shook her head, indicating that she did not know.
"Crown Princess, the future Queen Mother of the Mo Kingdom, will one day sit in my position."
"I value you because you are very similar to me. There are rumors that you are deeply infatuated with the Crown Prince. You should know how much of that infatuation is genuine."
"When the selection of a consort for the crown prince was underway, only you showed a desire for power in your eyes when you looked at the crown prince."
"Power is the best tonic for women; love and romance are nothing but child's play in my eyes."
After saying so much, Empress Liu took the opportunity to pour herself some tea to moisten her throat, saying, "The word 'love' isn't a good word in the imperial family."
"But Qing'er seems to have changed a lot now. Oh well, it's all your business. I'm too lazy to care."
"You've come here to get my token to leave the palace, right? For the sake of Consort Song."
The tone was not one of doubt, but rather one of absolute certainty.
"Yes, Mother."
Actually, Shen Muqing was completely confused by the long string of words just now, but when Empress Liu clearly stated her purpose, she immediately perked up.
When Shen Muqing walked out of Yikun Palace with the token, she still felt like she was in a dream; it had gone so smoothly.
Empress Liu sat on the soft couch with her beautiful eyes slightly closed. A nanny beside her spoke up, "Your Majesty, aren't you afraid the Crown Prince will be angry when he returns after letting the concubine go?"
"I am his mother."
She had her own selfish reasons for letting Song Jinhe go, but more than that, it was out of sympathy. Consort Mei was her best friend in the palace, and she didn't want another corpse to appear in the palace.
Secondly, it's not good for the crown prince to be so deeply in love with a woman.
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