Song Chuyi was also present when Princess Duanhui came to Qingning Palace to speak of this matter. Crown Princess Lu was currently leading her in listening to Empress Lu explain some old protocols regarding palace affairs. She was listening somewhat distractedly—an eight-hundred-li urgent military report had come from Xibei. This was the first eight-hundred-li emergency dispatch to successfully reach the capital since the Tatar invasion began. She desperately wanted to know what news it contained.
Empress Lu herself was also somewhat distracted. Although she knew she ought to muster her spirits and properly live through each day, truthfully speaking, with the Tatars pressing forward step by step and Xibei suffering defeat after defeat, it was truly too difficult for her to raise her spirits.
Whenever she thought about how the disaster that brought calamity to the nation and suffering to the people was someone she herself had given birth to, she wished nothing more than to die in apology to all under heaven—she truly felt she had wronged Emperor Jianzhang far too deeply, and had wronged her niece Crown Princess Lu and her grandson Zhou Weizhao as well.
After sighing deeply for a while, she was just thinking of picking out a few happy matters to discuss—recently, Song Chuyi’s cousin Xiang Mingzi had become pregnant and was living in harmony with Li Er like a lute and zither in perfect accord. She had been planning to bestow some gifts upon them.
But she had barely begun when the news Princess Duanhui brought shocked her into standing frozen in place for a long time. Only after quite a while did she feel she had found her voice again. After remaining stunned for a moment, she asked, “Twelfth Lady, speak more slowly. I didn’t hear clearly… Just now, you said who had an accident?”
Princess Rongcheng’s eyes revealed shock. She exchanged glances with Crown Princess Lu, and both saw the astonishment and unbearable pain in each other’s eyes. Lu Chonghua was an extremely good child—she could see clearly, let things go, had schemes but no malice. This carefree quality was truly endearing. Moreover, Lu Chonghua was, speaking of it, Crown Princess Lu’s niece and should call Princess Rongcheng “Little Aunt.” Now, suddenly hearing this terrible news, both of them were somewhat dazed.
Even Song Chuyi stood frozen in place for a moment without reacting, somewhat bewildered as she raised her eyes to stare at Princess Duanhui.
Princess Duanhui’s eyes heated up, and with some choking in her voice she said, “They couldn’t find anyone… They only found the sunken ship. It was found in Huizhou… Inside were Chonghua’s maid and Nanny Lu, but there was no Chonghua.”
Princess Duanhui was provoked to even greater distress by the stiff and cold atmosphere in the room, and tears fell with a plop. “Both the Huizhou Prefect and the Zhangzhou Prefect say this was… was attacked by sea bandits. My sister-in-law refuses to believe Chonghua is dead. She wants me to come help beg you, to ask you to think of another way.” Princess Duanhui narrowed her eyes. “Looking at my sister-in-law’s state, if something truly terrible has happened to Chonghua, I’m afraid she won’t be able to live either.”
Only now did Empress Lu finally react. She understood what Princess Duanhui was distressed about—being attacked by sea bandits, dying would actually be better. If one didn’t die and fell into their hands, that would be a fate worse than death.
She lowered her eyes, thinking of Lu Chonghua who had just arrived from her hometown a year ago, fresh and radiant with beauty, and felt a sweetness of blood surge up in her throat. After quite a while, with a “pfft,” she spat out a large mouthful of dark red blood.
The palace hall erupted into chaos. Song Chuyi immediately recovered from her shock and ordered someone to summon the imperial physician. She attended to Empress Lu as she rested, instructed people to prepare medicine, watched as Empress Lu drank the medicine and fell asleep, and only then followed Princess Rongcheng’s wishes by having Princess Rongcheng remain to attend to the illness while she herself led people back to Yong’an Palace.
Princess Duanhui had originally wanted to ask her about the news from Xibei, but now she had no mood for it. She gripped her hand, wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing and turned to leave.
When she returned to Yong’an Palace, Song Estate’s First Young Madam, Li Qingzi, had already presented her token requesting an audience. She supported herself as she received the visitor, and upon hearing Li Qingzi advise her that life and death were matters of fate, wealth and honor were determined by heaven, she nodded once, but tears came streaming down in torrents.
Seeing this, First Young Madam Song’s eyes reddened. She stepped forward and grasped her hand. “Xiaoyi… Your Highness, please don’t grieve.” She gripped Song Chuyi’s hand forcefully, and as she used to do back when they were still in the Earl’s residence, reached out to stroke her head. “Don’t grieve. Life and death are ordinary matters—who can avoid death? You must think more openly about it…”
Song Chuyi could not think openly about it. She still remembered Lu Chonghua from the previous life. Although Zhou Weizhao had died early in that life, the Lu family had not fallen into ruin. Her eyes brimmed with tears and her throat ached somewhat. Then she suddenly froze.
That’s right—in the previous life, even though the grandson of imperial blood Zhou Weizhao had died, why had the Lu family remained unharmed under Prince Duan’s regime?
Not only was the Lu family unharmed, but First Master Lu had been reinstated and made Governor-General of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, becoming one of the eight great provincial governors. At that time, Shen Qingrang had been so jealous his eyes turned red, yet he was helpless to do anything about it.
It was also at that time that she first heard that Song Chuning had held a flower viewing party and specifically sent an invitation to the wife of Han Zhi, who by then had become the Commander of the Imperial Guard and a trusted confidant of the new emperor—Madam Han. Then at the flower party, someone from the Lu family came to the residence, a young lady of the Lu family who had married Han Zhi—Lu Chonghua.
Supporting her head, Song Chuyi felt her head splitting with pain from these past events. She hadn’t paid attention to them before, but once she heard the news of Lu Chonghua’s death, these past events she had never recalled before emerged in her mind in minute detail, leaving her at a loss.
Why had the Lu family been unharmed in the previous life? How could the Lu family have married Lu Chonghua to Han Zhi?!
She couldn’t think it through clearly. A vague conjecture emerged, ready to burst forth, and she felt all the fine hairs on her body stand on end.
Qing Ying’s voice had changed with distress. Half-kneeling before her and supporting her knees, she said, “Miss, I know you had deep feelings for Miss Lu, but worldly affairs are unpredictable. The Old Madam is right—you must think more openly about it…”
Song Chuyi had always remained calm even if Mount Tai were to collapse before her, never causing anyone worry. But this time, whether it was because there had been too much bad news recently, matters were too chaotic, or today’s wind was exceptionally cold and the snow exceptionally heavy, and she had caught a chill on the road back from Qingning Palace, she fell ill that very afternoon.
Imperial Physician Hu and Imperial Physician Sun personally made a trip, prescribed medicine to nourish her qi and calm her spirit, and said she had caught a cold wind and been overthinking, causing some problems with her lung meridian. They told her she must rest well and nurture herself, then left sighing and shaking their heads.
Lately, who knew what was happening—the Crown Prince fell ill, then Empress Lu fell ill. Empress Lu fell ill and to this day remained bedridden without improvement, and now the Crown Princess had fallen ill. It truly was a time of many troubles.
Zhou Weizhao only heard the news when evening had already arrived. The palace lanterns and lamp towers had all been lit. The entire imperial city was enveloped in bright and dim halos of light, like a fire dragon breathing flames, beautiful in the night to the point of seeming unreal.
Coming out from the Grand Secretariat deliberations, he went directly from the Western Park to rush back to Yong’an Palace. Upon reaching the rear hall, he saw Qing Tao, red-eyed, retreating after changing the damp cloth on Song Chuyi’s forehead.
He had already heard from Qing Zhuo about what had happened. Taking a deep breath, he first reached out to check Song Chuyi’s forehead temperature. His touch met searing heat. His hand fell from Song Chuyi’s forehead to her face, slowly stroking it, then gently took her hand. “Don’t grieve. We’ve also sent people to search. The news hasn’t come back yet. Perhaps things aren’t as bad as we think. No matter how distressed you are, you can’t be at odds with your own body. If you ruin your health, wouldn’t that be even less worthwhile?”