The Empress stood up, and the palace servants beside her knelt without daring to move. Granny Geng stepped forward, took Song Tangxue's arm, and said with a smile, "The Crown Princess is not well, so she doesn't need to kneel."
Song Tangxue used her strength to get up. Just a moment ago, she was full of energy, but now she was so weak that she could barely stand and needed to rely on Granny Geng's body to stand up.
When she stood up, she stumbled and almost fell to the ground.
The Empress Dowager glanced at Song Tangxue with heartache. Song Tangxue's hair was soaked with sweat, and she looked frail. She was panting as she stood up, but she still managed to curtsy: "Thank you for your consideration, Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager sighed softly, "Help her sit down."
Song Tangli's eyes flickered a few times, and she raised her fair face: "Your Majesty, I am not feeling well, may I..."
"Smack."
Another nanny beside the Empress Dowager, Granny Ye, stepped forward and slapped Song Tangli across the face: "The Empress Dowager didn't ask you a question, so who gave you permission to interrupt? Don't you even know this basic etiquette?"
Song Tangli covered her cheeks, her eyes filled with tears. Any man would feel pity for her if he saw her like this. It was just a pity that everyone present was a woman, and all of them were women who had seen a lot.
Everyone saw through Song Tangli's hypocrisy. The Empress Dowager looked down on this Crown Princess from the bottom of her heart. She glanced at her with indifferent eyes, her eyes filled with impatience and murderous intent.
The Empress trembled and dared not speak. The palace servants beside her knelt down, and no one fanned her. The hall was stiflingly hot.
Before long, the empress, who had brought this upon herself, was also covered in sweat.
After the Empress Dowager took her seat, a young eunuch brought out ice, and Song Tangxue also enjoyed the treat.
"Why didn't Tangxue come to see me when she came to the palace?" The Empress Dowager changed her attitude when facing Song Tangxue, and a smile appeared on her lips.
The moment these words were spoken, the Empress was already sweating profusely.
These words, seemingly directed at Song Tangxue, were actually a veiled attack on her. The Empress, who was about to return to the pile of ice, now dared not move and obediently stood in place as punishment.
The palace servants behind her were forced to kneel as punishment, so she was forced to stand.
Song Tangli was the most miserable one. She had to kneel properly after being slapped and dared not try to be clever in front of the Empress Dowager.
The heat almost pierced through her, making it hard for her to breathe.
She felt incredibly aggrieved. Why was Song Tangxue able to gain the Empress Dowager's favor when she was so much more outstanding than Song Tangxue and was now the Crown Princess?
Tears welled up in her eyes, truly tears of grievance, but sadly, no one was there to see them, and no one shed a tear.
"I was also planning to visit the Empress Dowager, but I've lingered a little longer here with my mother. Please forgive me, Empress Dowager." Song Tangxue's voice was still somewhat unsteady, and her face was a little pale.
The Empress Dowager looked at her with affection: "Your health is not good to begin with, Granny Geng, go and fetch the imperial physician!"
Granny Geng left to carry out the order. The Empress was quite confident in this matter, as she had clearly seen that Song Tangxue was perfectly fine.
Song Tangxue raised the handkerchief in her hand to cover her lips, quickly swallowed a pill, and coughed a few times as if to cover up her discomfort: "Tangxue is fine, there is no need to trouble yourself."
"How can this be!" The Empress Dowager's anxiety intensified when she saw her cough. Granny Geng had already reached the palace gate, and Song Tangxue lowered her head slightly, no longer trying to stop her.
From this angle, the Empress Dowager appeared increasingly dazed, her eyes seeming somewhat moist. Yes, she looked just like her.
The Empress Dowager sighed softly, and Granny Ye comforted her, "Miss Tangxue is a lucky person, she will be alright."
The imperial physician arrived shortly after, and after taking her pulse, his expression was grave: "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess's constitution is weak, and her body is already frail. Her pulse is weak and shallow, and she seems to be showing signs of heatstroke!"
The Empress Dowager gasped, her sharp gaze sweeping over the Empress, who immediately knelt down with a thud: "Mother, I didn't mean it, I..."
"Enough!" The Empress Dowager was annoyed. It was always the same. She was quick to admit her guilt but never changed. She impatiently interrupted her apology: "Empress, you have disappointed me greatly."
The imperial physician, Ming, had been treating the Empress Dowager's health for many years, and she trusted him implicitly: "You know that Tang Xue was raised outside since she was a child and has a weak constitution. Now that she has entered the Crown Prince's residence, she is family. How can you treat family members like this?"
The Empress lowered her head. Damn it, this brat is clearly full of energy. Could she have conspired with Imperial Physician Ming?
That shouldn't be the case. Imperial Physician Ming is upright and incorruptible, and with the Empress Dowager's support, it's impossible for him to be bribed.
"Speak!" Not hearing the Empress's reply, the Empress Dowager uttered a sentence. Song Tangxue picked up the tea that the palace maid had just served her. It was this year's finest Longjing tea, with a pure and mellow taste and a sweet aftertaste.
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong!" The Empress gripped the hem of her skirt tightly and lowered her head.
"If you know you're wrong, you should correct it." The Empress Dowager didn't say anything for anyone to stand up.
Ice blocks enveloped the Empress Dowager and Song Tangxue, keeping them cool even in the sweltering summer heat. In contrast, the Empress and Song Tangli were not so comfortable.
The imperial physician wrote a prescription to relieve summer heat and then withdrew. The Empress Dowager then asked Song Tangxue many questions, which Song Tangxue answered one by one.
She knew perfectly well that the Empress Dowager was stalling for time, wanting the Empress to stand there a little longer.
After a while, the empress's face grew increasingly grim, but she dared not refute it. The only sounds in the room were the conversation between an old man and a young man.
"Alright, I'm tired too. Tangxue, why don't you accompany me for a walk?" The Empress Dowager stood up, and Song Tangxue, who had "recovered," also got up and helped the Empress Dowager walk out of the palace.
The Empress Dowager glanced down at Song Tangxue's hand supporting her, feeling comforted, and did not stop them. The two left together.
Zhao Mama immediately got up and helped the Empress up. The Empress bit her lip and snorted coldly, her knees aching terribly.
That old hag, she's lucky the spices didn't kill her! Let's see if she'll be so lucky next time.
A few days ago, when she went to pay her respects, she found that the incense in the Empress Dowager's palace had been changed. Feeling guilty, she didn't dare to ask any questions, but the Empress Dowager brought it up again.
"Your Majesty, how is the fragrance in this palace?" the Empress Dowager asked her with a smile, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
"Very good." Empress Cheng's heart skipped a beat, but she replied with a light laugh.
The Empress Dowager turned her head to look at the incense burner: "I've had enough of the spices you sent. Trying this new incense is not bad."
Empress Cheng nodded in agreement, her palms sweating. To this day, Empress Cheng still doesn't know if the Empress Dowager has noticed something.
Whether those ambiguous words were a warning to her or not, she could only lie low for the time being.
Song Tangli was truly dizzy and lightheaded, a feeling of nausea rising in her throat, making her want to vomit...
"Empress Dowager..." Song Tangli forced herself to turn around and kneel down before the Empress again: "Your Majesty, I am indeed feeling unwell. May I ask the imperial physician to take a look?"
She had already stopped speaking three times in a row, but unexpectedly she ran right into the Empress's line of fire: "Ali, do you think your mother is punishing you by saying this?"
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