Chapter 18: Refusing to Sleep
Song Zhao thanked the emperor and stood up, listening to Concubine Chen say: "I didn't do this for you, it's just that I don't like the way the queen is trying to curry favor with the emperor.
The empress was used to trying to please the emperor. Since she herself was out of favor, she wished she could send all the young and beautiful girls to the emperor's pillow every day so that she could gain a reputation for being virtuous.
The red rash on your face a few days ago did not go away. The Queen has obviously abandoned you and often persuaded the Emperor to find Concubine Li who lives with you. I couldn't bear to see it, so I secretly helped you."
Song Zhao could clearly tell how much truth and falsehood there was in Chen Fei's words.
But since she had extended the olive branch, there was no reason for Song Zhao not to accept it.
"Thank you very much, Madam Chenfei, for your care. I have just entered the palace and have no one to rely on. If you don't mind, I would like to visit your palace more often and accompany you."
The meaning of surrendering to the Empress Chen in these words couldn't be more obvious.
Upon hearing this, Concubine Chen pondered silently for a moment, thinking that there were already many shameful things happening in the palace, and it was not convenient for her to do them herself, so she had to find a minion who was easy to control.
Song Zhao is very good.
Her status as a concubine's daughter meant that even if she was favored, her position would not be very high, and the fact that she could say these words also showed that she was a brainless person.
People who are beautiful but have no family background and no brains are the most suitable to be exploited.
Then the Concubine Chen smiled, which was rare, and said, "I live alone in Yonghe Palace, and I don't have anyone to chat with on weekdays. If you are willing to come to my palace often, it will not seem lonely and lifeless. I will naturally agree."
Song Zhao was overjoyed and said hurriedly, "Your Highness, you are joking. The Emperor favors you so much, how could your palace be so dead? Your Highness does not despise my humble background and is willing to give me a chance to accompany you. I am very grateful."
The concubine had heard so many flattering words that she did not respond. She just said calmly, "Come on, you look so sick, so don't waste time with me here. Go back now."
On the way back to the palace, Yunshan was silent and depressed.
Seeing that she looked troubled, Song Zhao asked, "What's wrong? Just say it if you have something to say."
Yunshan then said, "My lady... have you really decided to rely on the Empress Chen? We all heard before we entered the palace that the Emperor favors her the most and she is also known for her jealous and domineering personality. Compared to her, I think the Empress looks kinder and at least she won't plot against you..."
Song Zhao said: "If I agree, even if I depend on her in private, she will not let me challenge the queen in public. Also, since you said she is jealous, she will definitely plot against the favored one.
I must first become her man and be used by her, then she will be the last one to plot against me. I need some time to avoid her edge, otherwise I will be used as a target by her before I can gain a firm foothold in front of the emperor. "
Yunshan thought about it and felt that Song Zhao's words made sense. He nodded as if he understood, and then said:
"Didn't the Emperor say yesterday that he would summon the young lady to sleep with him tonight? Let's go back to the palace quickly and sweat after taking the medicine to make ourselves feel better."
"I won't go to the emperor's bed tonight." Song Zhao looked at the road ahead and said this calmly.
Yunshan was surprised and said, "You're not going? Are you worried that the emperor will know you're sick and won't turn over your card? But what if the emperor really turns over your card? We have to prepare in advance."
Song Zhao said calmly, "When I say I won't go, I mean that no matter whether the people from the Jingshifang come or not, I won't go. If they don't come at night, that's fine. If they do, go and tell them that I have caught a cold and have a high fever. I'm afraid that I will pass the disease on to the emperor, so I can't sleep with him."
Yunshan widened her eyes and said, "How can this be possible? The emperor flipping the card is equivalent to issuing an imperial decree. If the young lady does not go, it would be disobeying the emperor's order!"
Song Zhao seemed to have heard a very funny joke and chuckled, "No one in the harem dares to disobey the emperor's order, right? Then I will be the first one, so that he will remember me. What's more, I disobey the order out of consideration for his health. You don't have to worry about other things, just do as I say."
As night fell and it was almost time for dinner, the people from the Jingshifang arrived as expected.
The one who personally led the Luanming Cheng'en sedan chair into Yaohua Palace today was Zhang Jiugui, the chief steward of the Jingshifang, which shows that Xiao Jingheng really cares about Song Zhao.
When Yunshan went out to greet him, he saw Zhang Jiugui walking with a limp, as if he had been hit on the buttocks with a stick.
Yunshan thought that her mistress had guessed correctly. Zhang Jiugui must have been beaten because he neglected her yesterday.
When Zhang Jiugui saw Yunshan, he immediately stepped forward with a smile and said, "Where is Princess Song? Great news! The Emperor has picked Princess Song again today! This is the second day in a row, and it was an honor only for the Empress Chen."
It sounds like a great happy event, but Yunshan is so sad that he can't be happy.
"You don't know, eunuch, my young lady has caught a cold and is now bedridden with a high fever. My young lady is ill and I am afraid that she will pass her illness on to the emperor, so I am afraid that she will not be able to sleep with him today."
Zhang Jiugui's face changed when he heard this. "He was fine when he came back yesterday. How come he is sick now? Is it serious? Have you called the imperial physician?"
Yunshan shook her head. "The young lady is weak. She was caught in the rain yesterday and fell ill in the morning. She didn't want to make it public, so she didn't let me summon the imperial physician. She just said that she would be fine after drinking ginger soup and sweating. I couldn't persuade her to go in."
Zhang Jiugui got spanked on the buttocks yesterday and it still hurts a lot.
If Xiao Jingheng knew that Song Zhao got sick because of the rain, and that he was the one who escorted Song Zhao back yesterday, Xiao Jingheng would inevitably blame him for this. Then he would lose his head.
Fortunately, he was more careful yesterday. After sending Song Zhao back, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he peeped through the crack of the door for a while and seemed to see Concubine Li and Song Zhao arguing.
So in order to clean himself up, he immediately said to Yunshan:
"We all saw it yesterday. It was Concubine Li who took away Princess Song's umbrella and made her stand in the rain! This must be the reason why Princess Song caught a cold!"
After hearing this, Yunshan had an idea in his mind.
Everything was just as Song Zhao had expected, and Zhang Jiugui had indeed seen it all.
So she followed Song Zhao's instructions and said, "Don't talk nonsense, eunuch. My mistress has never had an argument with Concubine Li!"
At this time, in order to protect himself, Zhang Jiugui would tell Xiao Jingheng about the dispute between Li Guiren and Song Zhao, and the incident in which Li Guiren snatched Song Zhao's umbrella and left Song Zhao standing in the rain, no matter what Yunshan said, so as to clear himself of the matter.
Zhang Jiugui waved the whisk in his hand and said hurriedly: "I saw it all yesterday, so don't hide it. Serve Master Song well, and I will go back and tell the emperor about this!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
