“What’s wrong?!” The First Madam was visibly anxious, hurriedly standing up. She wanted to move forward but hesitated, glancing at Consort Song. “Is your heart palpitation acting up again?”
Consort Song had a heart palpitation condition, but it rarely occurred. The family had only discovered this hidden ailment just before she entered the palace. However, she had taken good care of herself all these years and never had any problems.
Zhuying shook her head, carefully receiving water from a palace maid and bringing it to Consort Song’s lips, looking at Consort Song as if wanting to speak but hesitating.
Old Madam Song, however, stared intently at Consort Song for a while, then turned to look at Song Chuyi, her expression quite complex.
Consort Song didn’t respond, and Old Madam Song strangely fell silent as well. The First Madam couldn’t help but sense something was wrong. She looked around, realized this was deep within the palace, and lowered her head—even Song Chuyi, though a child, was probably much more perceptive and clever than herself. Sometimes when one shouldn’t ask questions, one must not ask. This principle, she had already learned.
The spacious and magnificent hall immediately fell quiet, so quiet one could hear their own breathing. Occasionally the sound of ice shards falling outside came through, especially jarring in such silence.
Consort Song raised her head. The hand on her chest lifted and waved, and all the palace maids except Zhuying and Zhuyi filed out in an orderly manner.
Song Chuyi couldn’t help but look up at Consort Song—this elder sister she had never met in her previous life and was meeting for the first time in this life had exquisite makeup and smiling eyes that made people feel warm as spring while easily overlooking the coldness in her eyes.
She watched the doors outside being slowly closed, and the few remaining senior palace maids in the room lowering their heads in silence, looking deaf and mute, and suddenly laughed—how could she have thought back then that it was this elder sister who had acted foolishly? Song Chuchen, who firmly controlled Fengzao Palace in her hands and had used the Empress’s hand to eliminate a pile of planted informants?
Consort Song’s phoenix eyes lifted slightly to look at her, finally tinged with a trace of amusement. “Xiao Yi, what are you laughing at? Elder Sister’s place is full of danger right now—why do you seem quite happy about it?”
The First Madam felt as if she were falling through clouds and fog, utterly confused. But seeing that Consort Song no longer seemed unwell, she barely breathed a sigh of relief.
Old Madam Song finally turned back to clasp Song Chuyi’s hand in hers, turning her head to look at her with a serious expression and piercing gaze. “Xiao Yi, I remember you previously mentioned not only your eldest brother and your own matters, but also your elder sister.”
At that time, she had said that after Song Jue’s death, the Song family fell into chaos, Consort Song died suddenly while pregnant, and Song Chengru was also framed, accused of embezzling military provisions for the northwest and colluding with Tartars to assassinate the Crown Prince.
Now several of these matters had been avoided, yet they had forgotten one thing—if following the timeline in Song Chuyi’s dream, Song Chuchen should have already conceived a prince.
Consort Song’s gaze also followed Old Madam Song’s to rest on Song Chuyi. She finally put away the smile and teasing from her face, genuinely surprised as she made a sound of wonder, looking somewhat bewildered at this grandmother and granddaughter pair. “What dream? Why mention me?”
She had harbored unspeakable thoughts, wanting to reveal to her grandmother and mother the secret she had hidden for over a month. But only now was she astonished to discover that Grandmother seemed to already know—yet this was clearly impossible. Setting aside how well she’d hidden it, she had even concealed it from the Eleventh Princess.
Old Madam Song placed her gaze on her belly, her expression already restored to its previous composure and ease. She raised her chin and asked, “Has Your Ladyship reported this to the throne?”
Consort Song finally couldn’t hold it in. Pursing her lips, she stared at Old Madam Song somewhat at a loss for quite a while before deeply sighing.
She had originally thought that when this news came out, even her usually extremely steady grandmother would probably be shocked beyond composure. But looking now, Old Madam Song clearly wasn’t surprised by this astonishing news at all—in fact, she seemed to have anticipated it long ago. And why would Old Madam Song possess such abilities beyond ordinary people? Even her birth mother, the First Madam, hadn’t noticed anything wrong.
Consort Song placed her gaze on Song Chuyi, her mind instantly flashing through many thoughts—what dream had Old Madam Song just mentioned? What was special about this young girl? Previously, in order to keep this secret and avoid Grand Empress Dowager Rongxian, she had pushed Song Chuyi forward, which had provoked such great anger from the Song family elders—could it also be because of this reason?
“The imperial physician just diagnosed it yesterday. Her Majesty the Empress has already verified it against the palace records.” She suppressed the surprise and shock in her heart, and in a moment was smiling again. “It’s truly an unexpected joy. So many years have passed without any news—I truly didn’t dare hope anymore. Who knew that an unintended effort would bear fruit.”
The First Madam finally caught some clues. Her eyes widened, momentarily losing composure as she stood up, her voice trembling as she asked, “What? Your Ladyship is actually—”
Consort Song faced the First Madam but kept her eyes fixed on Song Chuyi, slowly nodding her head.
The First Madam was immediately filled with joy, so happy she didn’t know what to do with herself, repeatedly saying “good” several times but unable to think of anything else to say for the moment.
Consort Song had longed for this child for who knows how long—living in the deep palace was frightening at every turn. Having a prince at one’s side was incomparably better than those concubines without children, especially so for Consort Song who had entered the palace young and wasn’t particularly close to the Emperor.
Previously, she had lived in fear for so long because of this, praying and seeking divine help everywhere. Now that her wish was finally fulfilled, she felt joy welling up from her heart and quickly took out her handkerchief to wipe away tears that were about to fall.
Consort Song, however, asked Song Chuyi, who had laughed earlier but now sat quietly, “Xiao Yi, you haven’t told elder sister yet what you were laughing about.”
Since she called herself elder sister, Song Chuyi went with the flow and changed her form of address. “In response to Elder Sister, I was just laughing about how capable Old Madam is.”
“Oh?” Consort Song placed her hand on her belly, as if interested. Seeing Old Madam Song’s face full of smiles, she asked, “Why did you suddenly think of that?”
Among those taught by Old Madam Song, except for Song Linlang, there were no bad ones. Consort Song’s well-maintained slender jade hands were like the finest mutton-fat jade, complementing the two chalcedony bracelets worn on her wrists.
Song Chuyi lowered her eyebrows and eyes, assuming a respectful posture. “Old Madam is capable, which is why she could teach someone with such an exquisite and perceptive heart as Elder Sister.”
Previously, Song Chuyi had never really understood why Consort Song would do something as foolish as pushing someone out to die in her place to avoid the spotlight. If it were the First Madam doing this, it would seem more reasonable, given that the First Madam’s background determined her perspective. But Consort Song, who had been taught by Old Madam Song at her side and had been immersed in the deep palace for more than ten years, should not have been so reckless.
Now it seemed this elder sister’s acting skills were truly first-rate.