Chapter 110 Adding fuel to the fire
That night, Song Zhao still stayed at Bitong Academy.
After the farce was over, it was almost dawn.
Two people lay on the bed, each with their eyes open, each with unfathomable thoughts in their minds.
Song Zhao lay sideways in Xiao Jingheng's arms, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, and circling his thin chest with his soft fingers.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for protecting me."
Xiao Jingheng put one hand on her shoulders, and gently stroked her smooth skin with his fingertips.
"I've said before, as long as I'm here, I won't let you suffer any injustice."
The words are good words,
But when Xiao Jingheng said this, it was obvious that he didn't mean it.
He looked troubled and not in high spirits.
Later, Jiang Deshun reported outside the door:
"Your Majesty, the criminal slave Yingxiang has been executed. The convoy is now in Chen... in the residence of Concubine Ning, sorting things out. In about a quarter of an hour, they will send Concubine Ning back to the palace."
Xiao Jingheng was silent for a moment, and said, "We have to walk a mountain road to get back to the palace. It will be dawn in an hour. We will send her back at dawn. Also, send a few more guards to watch her on the way!"
Jiang Deshun took the order and left, and Song Zhao also heard the hidden meaning of Xiao Jingheng's words.
Ask the guards to watch over Concubine Ning?
What are you looking at her doing?
No matter how domineering and arrogant she was, she was just a weak woman. Xiao Jingheng sent her back to the palace. Could she possibly escape halfway?
The so-called sending more guards was actually Xiao Jingheng's disguised way of asking people to escort Concubine Ning well, for fear that she would encounter any danger on the way.
Everyone in the palace thought that Xiao Jingheng favored Concubine Chen because of her family background.
Only Song Zhao didn't think so:
She had seen Xiao Jingheng's lost look when he passed by the magnolia forest.
I have seen his expression of laughter when he mentioned Concubine Ning.
Having seen him strip Ning Fei of her title, and then hugging her absent-mindedly,
All signs indicate that Concubine Ning occupies a place in Xiao Jingheng's heart.
So Song Zhao said, "Actually, I think... this matter may really have nothing to do with the Empress Chen."
"Whether Concubine Ning knows about it or not, the people who plotted to murder Concubine Yang and tried to repeat their old tricks on you were all people in her palace." Xiao Jingheng sighed helplessly, his voice getting colder and colder. "I used to think she was a little spoiled. Although she was a little bit naughty, she was still cute and playful. Now it seems that I have been indulging her again and again, which has made her even more presumptuous."
Just now, Song Zhao still called Concubine Ning "Concubine Chen", trying to test Xiao Jingheng's attitude.
Hearing him calling her Concubine Ning so often, Song Zhao changed his address and said:
"Perhaps the Concubine Ning really didn't know about this matter? The Emperor has already dealt with Yingxiang and stripped Concubine Ning of her title, which is considered a severe punishment. Could the Emperor please stop getting angry with the Concubine Ning over this matter?"
Xiao Jingheng found this strange.
He hugged Song Zhao tighter and looked down at her.
"She almost killed you, and you're still begging for her?"
"I don't think Concubine Ning is that kind of person."
Song Zhao turned over lightly, and lay on Xiao Jingheng like a soft kitten, with innocence in his bright eyes.
"In my opinion, Concubine Ning is just hard-mouthed but soft-hearted. Your Majesty, do you still remember that when I first entered the palace, I painted rashes all over my face to avoid being favored by the emperor?
At that time, the Imperial Household Department had already removed the green badge of the concubine. It was Concubine Ning who felt sorry for the concubine, so she ordered the people in the Imperial Household Department to put the green badge of the concubine back on. This was the beginning of the fate between the concubine and the emperor.
At that time, I was just an unknown and unfavored concubine in the harem. Concubine Ning was willing to help even a concubine at that time. I always felt that she would not do such a vicious thing. "
Song Zhao's words were sincere, and it sounded like he really wanted to plead for Concubine Ning.
But when Xiao Jingheng heard these words, they took on a different meaning.
Jingshifang is an inner court department directly under the jurisdiction of the emperor. Even the queen cannot interfere with the arrangements of Jingshifang. How can Concubine Ning send Song Zhao to Xiao Jingheng's dragon bed with just a word?
From this, it can be seen that Concubine Ning also had an unspeakable relationship with those people in the Inner Court Bureau in private.
In response, Xiao Jingheng did not show any abnormality on the surface, and only said: "I also hope it is not her."
Song Zhao moved closer to Xiao Jingheng and fiddled with the pink pearl earrings on his earlobes.
"Didn't the Emperor praise the pair of pink beads I was wearing for being beautiful? In fact, these earrings were also given to me by Concubine Ning. Concubine Ning was willing to give me pink beads of such high quality. She is so kind to me, how could she hurt me?"
Xiao Jingheng followed Song Zhao's instructions and locked onto the pink bead on her fair earlobe.
At this time, Song Zhao said in a slightly lonely tone:
"The Concubine Ning has been so supportive of me. She really treats me like a sister. And the Emperor is really good to me, always accompanying me. But... I am unlucky. Concubine Xiao got pregnant after just one time, while I have received the most care from him, but now I am not pregnant."
Xiao Jingheng knew Concubine Ning very well.
She was like a phoenix that would not land unless it had treasure. Why would she give such a valuable thing to Song Zhao for no reason?
In addition, what Song Zhao said was also what he had always been confused about.
A woman of marriageable age, who has been favored by countless men, but it has been so long, and she still hasn't been able to conceive a royal heir?
Thinking about it carefully, Xiao Jingheng easily became suspicious of the pair of pink pearl earrings that Song Zhao wore almost every day.
He said calmly, "The matter of having an heir requires the right time, right place, and right people. You can't be impatient. Your pink beads are beautiful, but the color seems to be a little cloudy."
"Really?" Song Zhao took off her earrings upon hearing that, held them in her hands and looked at them carefully. "Yeah, I wear them every day, and I didn't notice it until the emperor told me. It seems the color isn't as bright as before."
"Pink pearls need to be maintained regularly to keep their color as bright as new." Xiao Jingheng took the earrings from Song Zhao's hands seemingly casually, "I'll have Jiang Deshun take them to Qiaozhenfang tomorrow to have them maintained, so that they will suit you better."
Song Zhao smiled, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty~"
At dawn the next day, after Song Zhao left, Xiao Jingheng called Jiang Deshun and asked him to check whether there was any problem with the pink pearl earrings.
Jiang Deshun had served in the imperial court for a long time, and had handled all kinds of good things.
As soon as I weighed the beads in my hand, I immediately realized that the weight seemed to be wrong.
Upon closer inspection, I discovered a crack in the middle of the bead that was almost invisible to the naked eye.
Use a small pry knife to pry open the crack, and deep red powder immediately flows out from it, accompanied by a strong and strange aroma.
Xiao Jingheng frowned and asked, "What is this?"
Jiang Deshun called Xiao Yinzi, who was familiar with spices, to examine the item.
As soon as Xiao Yinzi took over, he came to the conclusion.
"Your Majesty, this is musk!"
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