Song Chuyi did not detest Empress Lu. This Empress had always treated her well before she began to ruthlessly pursue the Crown Prince and Prince Gong, and indeed showed visible favoritism toward Zhou Weizhao. Caught between her son and grandson, she was truly in a difficult position. Song Chuyi understood this difficulty and hesitation, but she could not allow Empress Lu’s indecisiveness to continue enabling the Crown Prince and Prince Gong until things reached an irreparable point.
Some people must crash into a wall before they’re willing to turn back—just like Empress Lu. If the matter between the Crown Prince and Prince Gong were still covered up, her compassionate maternal heart would never be severed, and she would never be ruthless with them. But now, with no other choice remaining, even someone confused could become clear-headed again. After all, life must go on, and if she couldn’t rely on her sons, she still had her grandsons—even Zhou Weiyin, Prince Gong’s son, was still her grandson, wasn’t he? Even for these people, for her maternal clan, and for the phoenix seal she had wielded for many years, Empress Lu would wake up. It was only a matter of time. Therefore, Song Chuyi had never taken Empress Lu to heart.
She smiled and grasped the Crown Princess Consort Lu’s hand. This hand already bore the marks of time. No matter how exquisite the palace’s secret formulas, they couldn’t heal someone whose heart was troubled. Fine lines had appeared on Crown Princess Consort Lu’s beautiful face, and several white hairs had even appeared at her temples. When she looked at Song Chuyi, her expression was gentle and her eyes clear and bright, just like any loving mother in this world.
Lady Cui had died early. Song Chuyi knew that Lady Cui had been good to them, but exactly how good—after two lifetimes, she truly couldn’t remember very clearly anymore. Yet thinking about it, it was probably the same way Crown Princess Consort Lu treated Zhou Weizhao, wasn’t it?
Crown Princess Consort Lu could have lived a better life. She could have been more selfish and disregarded Zhou Weizhao—the Crown Prince himself didn’t even treat his own flesh and blood as human, and Crown Princess Consort Lu, having been forcibly taken, was a victim who received not even a shred of pity or help from her aunt, Empress Lu. For her to develop evil intentions would have been entirely natural and reasonable. But she hadn’t. Despite enduring countless hardships, despite being ground down by life to this point, she still stood straight-backed, raising Zhou Weizhao well. She had never used Zhou Weizhao as a tool for revenge, and had even once considered having Zhou Weizhao remain at Longhu Mountain forever. It was because of such a mother that someone as good as Zhou Weizhao existed.
Crown Princess Consort Lu squeezed Song Chuyi’s hand in return, as if she could see through her thoughts: “You haven’t been a mother yet, so you don’t understand a mother’s nature. For your child, you’re willing to do anything, and nothing feels bitter.” She smiled slightly. “Take me, for example. I can only see the Crown Prince’s faults, but my aunt cannot—he’s flesh that fell from her body. When I used to hate most deeply, thinking about how I treat Weizhao, I stopped hating—we’re both mothers, what can be done? Even if he takes a knife to your heart, you’ll still worry whether he might hurt his hand.”
Song Chuyi had actually been a mother. She pressed her lips together, thinking of the prematurely deceased Ran’er, her throat growing bitter. She actively changed the subject: “I understand your meaning. Rest assured, I will grow close to Her Majesty the Empress.”
Song Chuyi truly had this ability. Crown Princess Consort Lu accompanied her on a visit to Qingning Palace. After Empress Lu met with her once, it seemed all grievances had vanished, and she even allowed Song Chuyi to hold Prince Gong’s youngest son.
Princess Rongcheng had been frequently entering the palace recently to accompany Empress Lu. Seeing this, the heart that had relaxed halfway now completely settled back into her stomach. She quietly said to Crown Princess Consort Lu: “Isn’t this much better?”
But Empress Lu herself wasn’t reassured. Watching Song Chuyi carefully pry open Zhou Weiming’s palm, bit by bit wiping away the threads caught in the child’s finger crevices, she frowned almost imperceptibly. This girl’s scheming ran too deep—her emotions never showed on her face. Even though Empress Lu had been Empress for so many years, she couldn’t read her mood from her expression. It was truly rather unnerving.
She increasingly felt that she absolutely couldn’t deceive herself about her deep wariness of this girl. Even she herself, when she was a princess consort, hadn’t possessed this young lady’s current capabilities. With such profound scheming, who wouldn’t be afraid? She pressed her lips together and glanced at Minister of Ceremonies Xie. After Minister Xie carried Zhou Weiming away, she looked toward Song Chuyi: “This is Hong’er’s youngest son.”
Song Chuyi nodded: “The little prince is adorably precious.”
Empress Lu found her thoughts even more inscrutable and finally couldn’t hold back: “The matter in Dongping this time—it wasn’t my doing.”
“I know,” Song Chuyi no longer made Empress Lu guess her thoughts, nodding openly and frankly. “It was His Majesty’s intention.”
After saying this, she looked at Empress Lu again: “I also know of Your Majesty’s difficulties. Before, it was my fault—I was too impetuous and didn’t consider Your Majesty’s feelings as a mother.”
Thinking back to that time, when she suddenly heard that both sons were using their grandsons’ lives as stakes to push each other to death, Empress Lu’s heart had truly panicked. But her first reaction was still to cover it up—what else could she do if she didn’t cover it up? Watch both sons die? She couldn’t help it—her eyes were about to redden, yet she still desperately suppressed her tears: “It was all my indulgence.”
It was indeed all Empress Lu’s indulgence, but she had already paid the price. Song Chuyi took the handkerchief passed by a palace maid and personally handed it to Empress Lu: “I did many inappropriate things. First, I apologize to Your Majesty. But Your Majesty should also know the principle that ‘to hesitate when one should be decisive only invites disaster.’ Look at it now—at least both your sons are still alive and well, and they have nothing left to fight over, isn’t that right?”
This was indeed true. At least she no longer woke in the middle of the night frightened by nightmares of her sons destroying each other. Sighing, Empress Lu simply spoke the truth: “Initially I was angry, terribly angry. But gradually, I truly thought it through. After all, you’re going to spend a lifetime with Weizhao. Standing in your position, I’m afraid I would have done the same. But child, since we’re already speaking openly, I won’t hide anything either. Ask yourself honestly—making this so ruthlessly public, is it truly good for Weizhao? Look at Dongping—he never caught His Majesty’s eye before.”
That she was willing to say these things to Song Chuyi showed she had truly abandoned other thoughts. Since she could think it through, Song Chuyi naturally wanted to help restore her confidence: “At least His Highness no longer needs to fight on two fronts, worrying about someone stabbing him in the back. Actually, thinking about it, whether for the Crown Prince or Prince Gong, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, is it?”
—
*At my aunt’s house, I can’t log into WPS cloud. I’ll update the rest after I get home tonight. My cousin isn’t here today, so I’m taking care of grandmother alone, which might make me a bit late. Those who can’t wait can read tomorrow. Sorry, sorry. Love you all, mwah mwah.*