Song Chuyi knew nothing of what was happening at home. Even after entering the palace, she remained in a daze—no matter how well she could anticipate events, she couldn’t guess why the Empress had summoned them to the palace this time.
If Princess Rongcheng’s words had taken effect, at most they would simply let the matter slide at the spring banquet. Consort Xian naturally wouldn’t be foolish enough to press forward at this juncture and quarrel with the Empress over her daughter’s companion reader. There was originally no need to summon them to the palace for this unnecessary extra step.
The one who came to receive the Song family ladies was Nanny Qi. Song Chuyi had already seen her once during her last palace visit. She was a very cautious and proper person. Leading them into a side hall of Qingning Palace, her eyes swept the room once, and immediately junior palace maids came forward to serve tea.
“Please wait a moment, everyone. When Her Majesty summons you, I’ll lead you ladies over.” Nanny Qi’s gaze fell on Song Chuyi. Seeing that she still had her eyes lowered with restrained expression just like during her first palace visit, showing no emotions whatsoever, Nanny Qi smiled and pressed her lips together. Her Majesty the Empress truly had spoken correctly—this young lady was different from others at first glance.
After waiting for nearly half an hour, a palace maid came to relay a message. Nanny Qi lifted the curtain, revealing the courtyard outside with its incense burner and a pear tree full of blossoms, then led them toward the main hall.
Song Chuyi had never seen the Empress in her previous life. When she was in her natal family, a young lady like her with such lack of propriety and poor reputation had no chance to enter the palace. After she married, the Empress had long since passed away, unable to withstand the successive violent deaths of the Crown Prince and the Imperial Grandson.
In her previous life, when she entered the palace to have an audience with Grand Empress Dowager Rongxian, she had to put on an act and didn’t dare glance at the Empress. Now finally seeing her, she felt the Empress wasn’t much different from what she had imagined—she bore considerable resemblance to Princess Rongcheng.
“The one who made such a fuss insisting on keeping someone as a companion, which one is she?” The Empress smiled and told them to rise and granted them seats, then turned her head to look at the Ninth Princess seated on her right.
The Ninth Princess didn’t even let her eyes drift toward them, yet the words she spoke carried absolute determination: “I want Song Sixth Miss. Even if you don’t give me anyone else, it doesn’t matter. I beg Mother Empress to grant me this.”
When she said these words, she rolled “Song Sixth Miss” around on her tongue, pronouncing it with a somewhat gnashing quality. Both Song Chubin and Xiang Mingzi trembled slightly upon hearing it.
“Unfortunately, she alone cannot be given to you.” The Empress still wore a smile on her face. She propped her head and leaned back against the couch in an indescribably graceful and noble manner. Watching the Ninth Princess’s face suddenly change color and about to open her mouth in protest, the Empress changed her tune and smiled: “However, I won’t give her to Eleventh Princess either.”
The Ninth Princess bit her lip, tears faintly flickering in her eyes.
“After you two made such a scene, it wouldn’t do for me to give Song Sixth Miss to you as a companion—I fear Consort Gui’s face would suffer.” The Empress laid it out clearly, then spoke again with a half-smile: “Eleventh Princess also came to plead with me, and I rejected her too. You two are sisters after all. What kind of spectacle would it be if you fought again over competing for a companion reader?”
They had already provoked Emperor Jianzhang’s great fury over a lapdog. If they now quarreled again over the companion reader matter, Emperor Jianzhang might truly come to detest her.
Only now did Song Chuyi understand why the Empress had summoned her to the palace—taking advantage of the Ninth Princess pestering again, she was making things clear to the Ninth Princess now, making her give up completely.
She breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Though she wasn’t afraid of the Ninth Princess causing trouble, if she truly became her companion reader, the Song family would inevitably become entangled with Prince Duan’s side.
That the Empress and Princess Rongcheng were willing to help them probably had this consideration as well.
The Ninth Princess had nothing more to say. Yet she felt the Empress had brazenly summoned people in and rejected her to her face, making her lose face. She forced herself to sit for a brief moment but could no longer remain seated. Biting her lip, she glanced at Song Chuyi once before leaving.
The Empress then relaxed, beckoning with her hand to call Song Chuyi before her. She examined her carefully, then smiled at Nanny Qi beside her: “They say she increasingly resembles Tingting. I originally thought they were just humoring me, but now that I look, it’s truly the case.”
Cui Tingting was about the same age as Princess Duanhui. In past years, Princess Duanhui often led people in to visit. Nanny Qi also smiled in agreement: “Your Majesty speaks truly. At first glance, they’re five or six parts similar. Sixth Miss has grown as beautiful as Miss Cui was in her youth—she has a blessed countenance.”
But Cui Zhanmei ultimately had no fortune, passing away early. Having finished this sentence, Nanny Qi regretted her slip of tongue. Glancing at Song Chuyi, she said no more.
When the Empress shifted her gaze to Xiang Mingzi and Song Chubin, Nanny Qi understood tactfully. She smiled and asked them if they’d like to go outside for a stroll, mentioning that several pots of Eighteen Scholars camellias had just been sent from Jinan.
How could Song Chubin and Xiang Mingzi dare say no? Understanding in their hearts that the Empress wanted to speak privately with Song Chuyi, they hurriedly rose and followed her out.
The Empress then pointed to where the Ninth Princess had just sat, telling Song Chuyi to sit there, and smiled as she asked her: “Summoning you all so suddenly, were you frightened?”
Song Chuyi shook her head slightly, then heard her laugh.
“When your mother first came to the capital, she was about your age. In the blink of an eye, her daughter has grown this big.” After finishing her laugh, she said to Song Chuyi: “Don’t be afraid. I called you here this time for no other reason—first, to handle what A-che requested of me, and second, to ask you how you became entangled with the Han family?”
Song Chuyi’s heart jumped in alarm. She immediately looked up at the Empress—she didn’t know what relationship this phrase “entangled with the Han family” referred to. The heart that had just been floating aimlessly in the clouds immediately fell back to solid ground as she rapidly contemplated the deeper meaning of this statement.
What did it mean to be “entangled with the Han family”? Was the Empress asking about the relationship between the Song family and the Han family, or between herself and the Han family? But whether it was the Song family or herself, aside from that one journey back from Qingzhou together, there was no relationship worth mentioning on the surface. Why would the Empress suddenly ask this out of the blue?
Seeing her eyes widen in a bewildered expression, the Empress softened her voice: “Don’t be nervous. I’m just asking casually.”
But Song Chuyi knew the Empress wouldn’t simply ask about the Han family casually.
Grand Consort Fan was the most favored consort before the Crown Prince, and aside from the Crown Princess, the only Crown Prince consort who had given birth. The child she bore, Zhou Weiqi, was also much beloved before the Empress.
If the Han family still had anyone who could speak before the Empress, aside from Grand Consort Fan, there were no other candidates.
But why would the Han family suddenly have Grand Consort Fan mention her before the Empress? Song Chuyi’s heart sank, yet her expression grew increasingly calm. She honestly replied to the Empress: “Aside from meeting the Jinxiang Marquis’s heir a few times on the road when returning from Qingzhou with Grandmother two years ago, there have been no other interactions.”