Chapter 4 Who Has Never Died?
The tea splashed out, and all the people guarding the palace knelt down.
"Your Majesty, calm down."
Songzhi was so frightened that her head almost stood up, and she kowtowed and admitted her mistake.
"Your Highness, I dare not do that. I am only thinking about your Highness and have never thought of breaking the rules."
Nian Shilan looked down at Songzhi who was kneeling at her feet.
No matter whether she is rich or poor, powerful or decadent, no matter how badly she treats him, this girl will always stay by his side.
And Zhou Ninghai.
"What does it have to do with you?" She reached out her hand to help Song Zhi up, and the others also stood up. "I know your loyalty. After a few days, I will ask my sister-in-law to find a good family for you outside the palace and send you out of the palace to get married."
Song Zhi just stood up and immediately knelt down again.
"I don't know what I did wrong. Please tell me clearly, Your Majesty. I will sincerely repent. Please don't chase me away."
"I'm not trying to chase you away. I'm trying to find a good way out for you and Zhou Ninghai..."
The Nian family is still there, and Nian Shilan is the emperor's concubine. She can't run away, but the servants around her can run away.
There is no need for everyone to stay and die.
Before he finished speaking, Zhou Ninghai knelt down with a thud, "Your Majesty, I didn't say anything. You can't chase me away."
"No, you..."
They have died for themselves hundreds of times, and Nian Shilan really can't bear to see such an ending again.
She didn't want a clean girl like Songzhi to serve that rotten old man, nor did she want Zhou Ninghai to be tortured in the Ministry of Punishment again.
"You guys get up first."
"If your majesty wants to chase me away, I would rather kneel down and stay there forever."
People who have died once don't have that many taboos. Nian Shilan said, "But if you follow someone like me, you won't have a good ending."
"Pah, pah, pah, what nonsense are you talking about? Your Majesty is favored in the harem, and the general is powerful in the front court. How can they not have a good end with unlimited glory?"
After Song Zhi finished speaking, Zhou Ninghai also said:
"Your Majesty, are you upset because the Emperor hasn't come recently? I will go and invite the Emperor now."
Zhou Ninghai stood up and limped out after saying this.
"Come back!"
"My queen!"
"The Emperor will go to Jingren Palace tonight, so there's no need for you to make a wasted trip."
"It doesn't matter. The Emperor has always been concerned about you, Your Majesty. I just said that you were not feeling well..."
Nian Shilan was so frightened that she hurriedly said, "No, no, no!"
Regardless of whether the emperor was sincere or not, she was favored during this period. After Zhou Ninghai said this, the emperor had to come over even if he was reluctant.
"Do you understand that a word will come true? The lies you tell now will come true in the future."
Nian Shilan half coaxed, half lied, and half threatened, "You don't want me to be crooked, half paralyzed, covered in dirt, lying on the bed unable to move, do you?"
"Your Majesty, please don't talk nonsense." Songzhi was shocked. "Your Majesty will surely live a long and healthy life."
Nian Shilan held one in her left hand and one in her right hand, and said sincerely:
"No flower stays in bloom forever, and no man stays in good health forever. One day I will lose my favor, and the Nian family will lose power. If you follow me, your fate may be... miserable. Forget about wealth and glory, you won't even be able to keep your body intact. Aren't you afraid?"
Song Zhi fell into the gentle eyes of her own queen, tears welling up in her eyes, and whispered softly:
"I am not afraid. I have followed the Majesty since I was little. I may say something disrespectful, but in my heart, the Majesty and I are the best in the world. Wherever the Majesty is, I will be there."
Zhou Ninghai's hand was held tightly, and he was too nervous to move. He choked up with sobs, "I will serve you in this life, and I will serve you like a slave in the next life. I have no complaints."
Fate can really play tricks on people.
The man whom she loved with all her heart refused to look at her before his death. However, these servants who were ordered by her were more loyal than each other.
Forget it. Anyway, I don't need to compete for favor now, and I can't have children. If I don't take the initiative to make enemies and persuade my brother to be good, there will be no big danger.
It would be a blessing if I could really live with both of them until the end of my life.
The butt determines the head. The comments all say Song Zhi is smart, but because she is afraid of herself, her head follows her butt. This time, let her display her intelligence.
If you really can't, then try harder.
After all, who hasn't died yet?
What are you afraid of?
"Alright, alright. I know you two are loyal, but don't cry. If you spread the news, people will think I'm harsh on those around me. Ask the kitchen to prepare a meal."
She remembered that the emperor drank three bowls of duck soup in the harem today. The emperor had a very picky palate and could tell if tea was only 70% boiled. So the duck soup must be very good.
"Make a pot of duck soup."
Nian Shilan also wanted to try it.
Songzhi wiped away her tears and whispered, "Your Highness is now concentrating on thinking about food."
Nian Shilan glanced at her, but there was no sign of being offended in her eyes, she didn't care at all.
She wasn't thinking about eating, but she was in prison, the days were long, and she always had to do something.
As for pampering——
The emperor's favor to himself has always been following his brother's achievements. As long as the Nian family is there, he will be favored even if he does not fight for it. Without the Nian family, he will not be favored even if he fights for it.
The Concubine Hua who waited from dusk till dawn is now dead, and she will no longer have any thoughts about the emperor.
The emperor holds the power of life and death and cannot be offended.
Just as he deceived himself in his previous life, he can deceive himself in this life.
Just pretend, the royal family is heartless, everyone is pretending to be nice to each other.
But she has to take it slow first, as she is physically uncomfortable with him now.
Nian Shilan expected that the emperor would come tonight, so she had dinner half an hour earlier and drank a large bowl of thick calming soup.
The emperor had dinner in Jingren Palace. He was unhappy when he heard the empress's advice to eat no more than three meals a day.
Although no one from Yikun Palace invited him, he still came.
The emperor stepped inside and asked, "Where is your queen? Why didn't she come out to greet me?"
Songzhi stepped forward and saluted, "In reply to the emperor, the queen is not feeling well and has gone to bed."
"Are you asleep so early?"
The emperor knew that Concubine Hua was always prone to temper, and today she must have been angry because he went to Jingren Palace for dinner.
He looked at the red gauze tent, deliberately raised his voice, and said confidently: "Since you are asleep, I will go back."
“…”
No one responded.
"It's time to go meet Concubine Qi and the Third Prince—" the emperor said loudly.
“…”
The sound of crickets outside further accentuated the silence in the hall.