“You see, as soon as Princess Consort Gong says a few ambiguous provocative words before you, you immediately forget that Prince Gong and Father originally plotted to harm me, and instead push the blame onto Xiaoyi’s head, isn’t that so?” With each sentence Zhou Weizhao spoke, Judicial Secretary Xie’s heart couldn’t help but jump violently. He couldn’t help but raise his eyes to look at Empress Lu, only to see her face had already turned deathly pale.
“You can’t always imagine that we can get along harmoniously.” Zhou Weizhao finally shattered Empress Lu’s beautiful dream. He sighed and looked at her. “After such things have happened, even in the heart of a sage, I’m afraid a thorn would be planted. In the future, even if I’m willing to forget this matter, I’m afraid Prince Gong and Princess Consort Gong also wouldn’t be able to feel at ease, would they? Naturally, originally the surface harmony could have been maintained for quite some time, but now Princess Consort Gong has herself torn through that layer of skin. Standing in her position, doing these things naturally isn’t wrong—after all, she earned your pity before you and made things difficult for Xiaoyi. But from my perspective, her skill at sowing discord is truly detestable.”
Empress Lu could finally speak. “Weizhao, I know your grievances. But they are after all—”
Zhou Weizhao’s eyebrows didn’t move at all. He shook his head decisively and firmly. “Grandmother, I’m not aggrieved. I’ve never felt aggrieved. But I cannot bear to see Xiaoyi suffer grievances. She did what she did for my sake, yet Princess Consort Gong instigated before you, so naturally you would detest Xiaoyi even more. In the future, with your status and position, there will naturally be plenty of opportunities to make things difficult for Xiaoyi. On one hand, you want to add wives for me, and the candidate you found is even Xiaoyi’s cousin—” He laughed once. “Such a person—I can no longer use the excuse that she’s family after all to let her off.”
Empress Lu rarely saw Zhou Weizhao so unyielding. Her head gradually lowered. After a long while, she sighed softly. “You’re telling me to send her to keep Hong’er company. This way, both husband and wife will—”
Empress Lu’s heart filled with bitterness. Though she had indeed become suspicious of Song Chuyi because of Lady Yang’s words, in the end she hadn’t done anything—she also knew that Zhou Weizhao now relied heavily on the Song and Cui families, and this marriage with the Song family was certain to happen. She had never harbored any thoughts of ruining this marriage because of Lady Yang’s words. Of course, Zhou Weizhao was right—she did have some ideas, merely to add a few more virtuous side consorts for Zhou Weizhao in the future. Princess Consort Gong’s instigation hadn’t really succeeded, yet she still had to pay such a heavy price?
Zhou Weizhao picked up her words. “If Grandmother feels this punishment is too severe, I’ll go discuss it with Grandfather.”
Where did Empress Lu have any room left to choose? Forcefully suppressing the overwhelming discomfort in her heart, infinitely weary, she responded affirmatively. “Since you put it this way, what else do I have to say?”
Once it went before Emperor Jianzhang, where would Princess Consort Gong have any chance to live? Prince Gong had already been sent to guard the imperial mausoleum—how much more so a mere Princess Consort Gong? Most likely, Emperor Jianzhang would also think that she had instigated Prince Gong to act thus from behind the scenes.
Empress Lu didn’t truly care about Lady Yang’s life, but if this matter caused more trouble, Emperor Jianzhang’s disgust toward Prince Gong would probably rise another level. And there was also Zhou Weiyin—he was still so young after all.
Zhou Weizhao stood up and took his leave from Empress Lu. “Since Imperial Grandmother has agreed, I’ll await Imperial Grandmother’s news tomorrow.”
Empress Lu had a thousand words she wanted to say, but in the end couldn’t utter a single one. When he was about to leave, she called out to stop him. “You’re only having her go accompany Hong’er?”
Zhou Weizhao stopped and turned around, resolutely shaking his head at her. “The Princess Consort has a weak constitution. In caring for His Highness Prince Gong wholeheartedly and exhaustively, she overexerted herself—”
Empress Lu hadn’t expected he truly wanted Lady Yang’s life. For a moment, she was stunned.
Zhou Weizhao didn’t wait for her to say more. “Grandmother, this is the price she must pay. With her scheming methods, can you guarantee she won’t incite Prince Gong to commit even more irreversible mistakes? If you truly have Prince Gong’s interests at heart, you should very much agree with my thinking.”
Empress Lu had nothing more to say. After Zhou Weizhao left, she collapsed limply against her pillow, looking at Judicial Secretary Xie and asking, “When did he start becoming so ruthless?”
Judicial Secretary Xie came forward to wipe the sweat from her forehead. After thinking, he ultimately advised her honestly. “Your Majesty, no matter who was schemed against like this, they couldn’t act as if nothing happened. Have you perhaps overestimated the Grand Prince’s patience?”
Empress Lu smiled bitterly for a while. That night she had nightmares, and the next day couldn’t get out of bed. Her illness worsened considerably. When Princess Rongcheng entered the palace and heard about this, she couldn’t help but speak on Zhou Weizhao’s behalf. “What Lady Yang did was truly improper from the start. How was she doing this for Weizhao’s good? She was clearly sowing discord between you and the Song family, making things difficult for Weizhao.”
Though these methods were somewhat ruthless, what Zhou Weizhao said was truly reasonable—with Lady Yang’s temperament, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t instigate Prince Gong to do even more excessive things in the future. If one wanted what was good for Prince Gong, they shouldn’t keep her around.
Empress Lu also knew this matter was beyond repair. She was just still worried that Zhou Weizhao would transfer his anger to Prince Gong, which was why she wanted to have Princess Rongcheng tell Princess Duanhui, and have Princess Duanhui speak with Miss Song Six.
After Princess Duanhui heard the whole story, she lowered her eyes and didn’t agree to anything. “In this matter, it’s not convenient for me to interfere.”
The enmity between both sides had already been formed. Speaking of transferring anger or not was pointless. If Empress Lu still dreamed that these two parties could get along harmoniously and peacefully, how could that be possible? The blade had already been drawn—how could they feel at ease leaving the other side alive?
After breakfast, Song Chuyi and her siblings came to present festival gifts. Princess Duanhui smiled and invited them to sit, then instructed someone to go to the front to request Cui Yingshu—a heavenly envoy from the palace had come to bestow mooncakes and gifts, and Cui Yingshu had received the rewards and taken them to offer at the ancestral hall.
However, Cui Yingshu had someone request that Song Yan come to the front, saying he had words to tell Song Yan. Princess Duanhui had someone accompany Song Yan to the front, then told Song Chuyi about Nanny Zeng’s visit that morning.
“Earlier, I still felt that Weizhao making such a grand display would probably make Her Majesty the Empress more wary of you. But thinking it over later, what he did truly wasn’t wrong—by making his attitude clear and having Lady Yang pay a price for this matter, Her Majesty the Empress will naturally have to weigh things more carefully when dealing with you in the future. You’ll also have much less trouble.” Princess Duanhui took Song Chuyi’s hand. “But you must also be clear about this in your heart.”
She looked at Song Chuyi. “Now that Prince Gong is in this state and the Crown Prince has also fallen, the Grand Prince of the Eastern Palace is the most legitimate heir apparent there could be. I’m afraid those with designs on him will be shoulder to shoulder, one after another in succession. Leaving aside other matters, Rongcheng has always been reasonable, yet this time she sent Nanny Zeng to tell you to persuade Weizhao. What she wanted you to persuade about, you probably understand clearly in your heart. On the surface, she wanted Weizhao to avenge himself against Lady Yang and be done with it, but in reality, wasn’t it to pave the way for County Princess Yunxiu?”