Chapter 36: Refusing to be a Shadow

Chapter 36: Refusing to be a Shadow

Li Changzai was dead.

Xiao Jingheng removed her from the list of imperial consorts, and her body was returned to her maternal family.

It was as if she had never existed within the palace.

Yet, during visits to pay respects to the Empress, it was inevitable to hear her mentioned in passing.

Consort Yun remarked, "Who would have thought she could be so malicious? It's one thing to plot against Song Changzai, but to even harm Consort Shu's unborn child?"

Hui Pin, nibbling on pastries, commented, "But I always found Sister Li to be amiable and polite in our interactions, hardly seeming like a villain."

“What do you know?” Yingfei glanced at Hui Pin impatiently, then suddenly changed her tone with a smile, “Today’s milk candy crisps were made in my palace and sent for the Empress. She offered them to everyone. If you like them, I can have some sent back to your palace later.”

“Hee hee~ Thank you, Sister Yingfei!” Hui Pin happily took another large piece.

Every time they visited the Empress, Hui Pin was different from the rest.

While others talked, she was always busy eating.

Song Zhao observed daily; within just over a month of her entry into the palace, Hui Pin’s waistline had noticeably thickened.

Everyone in the palace knew Xiao Jingheng did not favor overly plump women, yet the consorts kept sending delicious treats to Hui Pin,

Their intention was clear – to fatten her up before she found favor, making her appear merely as a mascot when presented to Xiao Jingheng, eliminating any threat of her vying for attention.

By doing so, they could avoid worrying about her as a competitor.

Lost in thought, Song Zhao suddenly heard Yingfei calling her,

“Song Changzai, you too. Li Clan harmed you so, yet I heard you went to send her off on her final journey yesterday? Aren’t you afraid of bad luck?”

Song Zhao pondered briefly, “I merely wanted to ask her why she schemed against me.”

“Did you get your answer?”

Song Zhao shook her head helplessly, “She refused to say anything, only admitting she poisoned my food. She wouldn’t confess to plotting against Consort Shu and her child until her death.”

As she spoke, she discreetly observed the subtle expressions on the faces of the other consorts.

Regarding the matter of Consort Shu’s miscarriage, Song Zhao had been very cautious.

Although all the apparent evidence pointed towards Li Changzai, only Song Zhao knew that she had deliberately orchestrated these so-called proofs.

Regardless of whether Li Changzai was responsible for Consort Shu's miscarriage, Song Zhao, in order to protect herself, had to push Li Changzai into the fire.

But if it truly wasn't Li Changzai, the depth of the real perpetrator's scheming was terrifying to contemplate.

After observing everyone, all seemed normal except Yunfei, who impatiently remarked,

“With the joint investigation by the Court of Judicial Review and the Department of Punishments, the evidence against Li Clan was irrefutable. No matter how stubbornly she denies, it’s futile.”

“Let’s speak less of this,” the Empress, clutching her prayer beads, solemnly said, “Li Clan’s ill intentions led to her downfall, a fate she brought upon herself. Let her case be a lesson. I do not wish to see any of you harboring wrongful thoughts.”

The consorts unanimously responded, “We will heed the Empress’s teachings.”

However, a distinct voice came from Chenfei,

“The Empress’s lack of strictness led to such a disaster, yet now she reprimands others?”

Everyone could hear the provocation in Chenfei’s words,

Yet, the Empress didn’t show annoyance, seemingly ignoring her, and continued,

“Consort Shu’s health is not yet fully recovered; I’ve permitted her to rest well and not come for greetings. Her grief from losing her child far exceeds her physical injuries. Visit her when you can to offer some comfort.”

Chenfei scoffed coldly, taunting, “The Empress is quite the diplomat. Yet, Li Clan used to boast everywhere that she was ‘the Empress’s person’. Her recent actions make it hard not to speculate about the Empress’s involvement.”

“Chenfei! Don’t go too far!” Yunfei couldn’t stand Chenfei’s mockery of the Empress and confronted her heatedly, “In this palace, the only legitimate master is the Empress. Technically, we all are the Empress’s people. What are you implying? Are you planning to form cliques in the palace?”

Chenfei raised her arched eyebrows and sneered, “Oh, look, the dog barks before the master.”

Yunfei: “You...”

Chenfei, seemingly indifferent, stood up and yawned lightly, “I am tired. Empress, please continue instructing them, I shall take my leave.”

She left without a formal bow, swaying her slender waist as she departed.

Yunfei cursed at her retreating figure, then consoled the Empress, “Your Majesty, don’t take it to heart. Chenfei’s lack of respect is bound to bring her retribution!”

Song Zhao remained silent throughout, observing their performance in front of the Empress.

Had it not been for Yunfei and Chenfei conspiring to poison her previously, Song Zhao, with her sharp wit, might not have realized that Yunfei and Chenfei had long been colluding in secret.

On the surface, Chenfei and the Empress seemed at odds, with Yunfei always defending the Empress,

But in reality, Yunfei was nothing more than a pawn placed by Chenfei beside the Empress.

In the following days, Xiao Jingheng did not summon Song Zhao, only inviting her to join him for lunch at Chaoyang Palace one day.

Yunshan, after inquiring at the Office of Attendance, returned with a puzzled look,

“Guess whom the Emperor has been summoning to his chamber these past few days?”

Song Zhao, idly playing with a pot of green radish, replied, “Do I need to guess? Chenfei hasn’t attended the Empress for five days. If the Emperor wasn’t summoning her every day, she wouldn’t dare to be so bold.”

Yunshan said, “But I don’t understand. The Emperor wronged you, and you were poisoned in your meal by Li Clan. One would think the Emperor would want to spend more time comforting you. Even if not with you, Consort Shu is the one who miscarried, not Chenfei. What does it mean that the Emperor summons Chenfei every day?”

Song Zhao smiled faintly and snapped off a wilted branch from the green radish, “Consort Shu, having lost her child, weeps day and night, thinking only of her loss, never considering the Emperor also lost a child. He might comfort her for a day or two, but he can’t do so forever. How much patience can a man have? Eventually, he will tire.

Men, when upset, often seek amusement. Aside from being unlettered, Chenfei excels in singing, dancing, and playing instruments like the guqin and pipa. How else do you think she maintained the Emperor’s favor for so many years? You don’t seriously believe she relied solely on her family background to dominate the palace for so long, do you?”

Yunshan nodded half-understandingly, then suggested, “You, too, have poetry and elegance. Maybe next time you see the Emperor, you could also...”

Song Zhao raised her hand to stop her, “I won't do what others have done. Even if I do it well, it will always be in someone else's shadow.”

After a brief pause, she scooped a small amount of incense powder with a silver spoon and tossed it into the incense burner to burn.

Then, inhaling the wafting aroma of the incense deeply, she smiled contentedly and said,

“If I were to act, I’d only do what others haven't, letting others be my shadow.”