Chapter 175

Shuang Ruo was so frightened that she froze in place, not daring to move at all. "This is..."

She turned pale as she looked towards the Empress.

But she saw that the Empress had picked up her tea cup to take a sip of water, suppressing her nausea, before saying in her usual tone:

"Since this is Consort Chen's intention, go ahead and light it up."

Only then did Shuang Ruo hesitantly pluck up the courage to pick up the lantern with trembling hands and nervously light the candlewick.

This "sheepskin" lantern was indeed thin and translucent,

not only providing excellent illumination, but the smoke given off by the lantern wick also had a refreshing and pleasant fragrance.

The concubines offered successive compliments, while Song Zhao also said a couple of polite words along with everyone else.

However, her body was visibly leaning towards the side of Consort Yao next to her.

She was feeling nauseous and had no desire at all to smell that odor.

Consort Chen looked towards the Empress.

At this moment, her expression was like someone who had just eaten a dead housefly but still had to smack her lips and praise what a wonderful flavor it was - it looked rather ridiculous.

So Consort Chen said very smugly:

"It's good that the Empress likes it. Then you can enjoy it properly. This servant will take her leave first."

She had just left when the Empress quickly ordered everyone else to disperse as well.

How could she not dismiss everyone?

Otherwise, enduring it a moment longer, she was afraid she would start violently retching in front of everyone.

No matter how Consort Chen and the Empress fought with each other, Song Zhao only watched it as entertainment.

She didn't take this matter to heart.

After returning to the palace, she personally fed medicine to Yun Shan.

The weather had started to become hot and humid recently, so Song Zhao also had half of the ice sent over by the Imperial Household Department placed in Yun Shan's quarters.

When dusk fell and a breeze came up in the courtyard making it nice and cool, Song Zhao then supported Yun Shan out to sit in the shady spot in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air.

Leaning on her cheeks looking at the green leaves on the sophora tree, Yun Shan sighed emotionally:

"Does Noble Consort still remember the summers when you were little? Sister Tong would often come stay at our residence then. Every night, Noble Consort would sit under the big pine and cypress trees in the yard with Sister Tong to enjoy the evening cool, while this slave stood to one side attending you, also feeling extremely happy watching you joke around and have fun."

What Yun Shan spoke of was, apart from her birth mother, one of the few happy memories from Song Zhao's childhood.

She also often thought back on those times.

"Yes. I also wonder how Sister Tong is doing now, whether she has married the man she desired? I remember she most wished for a lifetime commitment to one person. Her father had never taken a concubine in his life. She said she really admired her mother for finding such an ideal husband."

When Song Zhao mentioned Jin Lan, and then thought of herself, she gave a somewhat helpless sigh,

"My only hope is that she is well in every way."

At this moment, Xiao Fuzi came bouncing back from outside the palace. Coming up to Song Zhao, she laughed:

"Noble Consort, guess who the Emperor flipped over the name plaque of tonight?"

Song Zhao spoke in an indifferent tone. "Since you can ask this, it surely isn't Consort Chen or Consort Ying. Is it Consort Yao?"

"No! Tonight the Emperor turned over Consort Hui's plaque!"

"Consort Hui?" Song Zhao was a little surprised, but soon nodded. "She turned fourteen at the end of the second month. Today was the first time the Emperor turned over her plaque. That's not unexpected."

The day after a concubine's first time sleeping with the Emperor, she had to go pay her respects to the Empress.

So early next morning, all the concubines gathered together at Kunning Palace again.

But Song Zhao noticed that all of their complexions didn't seem very good.

Well, that was only natural.

After today, there would be yet another person in the inner palace competing with them for imperial favor.

Other than Song Zhao, how could such a thing sit well with anyone else?

Seeing that it was already past the time but there was still no sign of Consort Hui,

Consort Chen was unable to restrain herself any longer.

She shot a contemptuous look at Liu Yue for waving her fan too weakly, then snatched the fan over. Waving the fan herself with one hand while fanning air over herself with ill humor, she said:

"That little twit dares to come late for her first audience after spending the night? Just who is she trying to show off for?"

--"Waa--waa--waa~"

Consort Chen had scarcely finished speaking when the sound of a young girl's sobs came from outside the palace hall.

Everyone looked to see Consort Hui walking in wiping away her tears while crying miserably.

She paid her respects to the Empress according to full etiquette, but her babbling words were incomprehensible due to her heavy crying.

The Empress said: "First sit down. It's always joy written on everyone's faces the day after first spending the night. Why are you crying like a tearful ghost?" After Consort Hui sat down, her sobbing still did not cease. "Empress...this concubine is afraid..."

She was crying so hard she was hiccuping, unable to explain anything clearly.

So the Empress asked her personal palace maid Rui Er,

"What's happened to your mistress?"

Rui Er said: "Replying to the Empress, after my mistress returned from spending the night yesterday, at first everything was fine. But as soon as she entered the palace gate, she caught sight of a trail of linked rats running through the courtyard. My mistress is terrified of rats. With it being the season when there are the most snakes, worms, rats and ants, she was badly frightened."

"Oh?" Consort Yun gave a contemptuous snort. "Just a few rats can frighten her like this? Consort Hui truly is delicate and precious."

Consort Yun also mockingly added:

"How could she not be delicate and precious? Consort Hui's maternal home is even more prestigious than the imperial palace. She has been pampered since childhood, so where has she seen filthy things like rats?"

Consort Yao also said: "She's been in the palace for four years already. It's not as if she hasn't seen rats before either. Must she be so overly dramatic about it?" Seeing everyone ridiculing her, Consort Hui felt wronged in her heart and cried even harder.

Rui Er spoke up to explain on her behalf:

"When Consort Hui entered the palace, she lived together with Consort Yao at first. Later when she was granted her title and moved to Zhaochun Palace, not long after that when the new beauties entered the palace, my mistress came to live together with Noble Consort Xiao and Concubine Liu.

Back then when she saw rats and the like, my mistress would also be afraid, but at least there were other consorts living together with my mistress who could accompany her sleeping, so my mistress was not as fearful. But now Noble Consort Xiao has moved to live in Consort Chen's palace, while Concubine Liu has... My mistress is left with no choice but to live alone. She has to keep lamps lit all night while sleeping, so of course she became afraid..."

Hearing these words, Consort Chen mocked even more harshly:

"What's this? Does she still need someone to hold and coax her to sleep at night? Wasn't she dramatic enough with the Emperor last night? And now she wants us all to watch her pitiful theater here?"

When Consort Hui heard this, she cried even harder.

She sat next to Song Zhao and clutched her hand as she looked at her tearfully, "Sister Song Zhao, may I move to live with you?"

"This is..."

Song Zhao was somewhat troubled.

Both she and Consort Hui held the rank of Noble Consort, and were the mistress of their respective palaces.

If Consort Hui moved in to live with her, what would that signify? Which main palace hall would have to be vacated?

The Empress also said: "You both hold the same palace mistress rank, how can you possibly live together in the same palace?"

Unexpectedly, Consort Hui blurted out entreatingly:

"Waa--waa--I don't want the mistress rank anymore! I will go beg the Emperor to demote me to a lower position like Concubine Liu's, no matter what it is! Waa--waa-- I don't want to live alone!"

Hearing this, the entire hall immediately erupted into astonished murmurs.

People had only ever seen others desperately seeking promotions, this was certainly the first time seeing someone voluntarily requesting demotion!

But Consort Hui didn't care whatsoever about everyone else's astonished looks.

She only clung tightly to Song Zhao's hand, crying even harder.