Chapter 73: The Winter Snake Calamity, Part 6

Chapter 73: The Winter Snake Calamity, Part 6

With this, the day's drama finally came to an end.

Throughout this event, Song Zhao had not been particularly concerned about the commotion among the women.

After all, it didn't matter who was scheming against whom; it was just a case of a dog-eat-dog world, best left to them to sort out.

Yet, she harbored one puzzling thought:

Snakes, unlike humans, especially when enraged, are beyond control.

Today, with so many consorts present at the Mei Garden for the plum blossom viewing, didn't Xiao Changzai consider the risk of accidentally getting bitten herself while orchestrating this plot?

A bite from that viper could mean instant death.

Was Xiao Changzai really that foolish, or was the situation not as straightforward as Song Zhao perceived? She couldn't quite figure it out.

Thus, on the way back to the palace, she remained silent, deep in thought about this incident.

Xiaofuzi, protecting her all along, saw her solemn face and waited until they reached a more secluded spot before suddenly kneeling down and saying something to Song Zhao.

"Please forgive me, my mistress."

Song Zhao was initially taken aback but quickly understood the meaning behind Xiao Fuzi's sudden plea for forgiveness, and she calmly said,

"Stand up."

Xiao Fuzi remained kneeling straight, "I dare not... In my haste to protect you, I acted rashly and pushed Baoxia out in a moment of panic. Fortunately, your wisdom prevented her from exposing me. Otherwise... my life is inconsequential, but if it had implicated you, that would have been my grave sin."

Song Zhao bent down to help him up, "You are smarter than Yunsong. If she had been here today, she might have recklessly risked her life to protect me. If it had been Yunsong instead of Baoxia who died, I would have been exceedingly distressed."

As she spoke, she gently patted Xiao Fuzi's shoulder, looking at him firmly,

"The same goes for you."

This seemingly ordinary statement deeply moved Xiao Fuzi.

He had initially thought Song Zhao would blame him for not sacrificing himself to protect her, instead of pushing Baoxia out and causing her trouble.

But Xiao Fuzi was also human and afraid of death,

In the urgency of the moment, his first reaction was to protect Song Zhao, but he also didn’t want to lose his life, which is why he pushed Baoxia out,

That's human instinct.

Yet, after the event, he was filled with remorse,

Constantly thinking about how Song Zhao had rescued him from a living hell in the Xinze Warehouse, he always claimed unwavering loyalty to her, willing to die a thousand deaths, but he hadn’t lived up to his own promise, which troubled him.

Song Zhao, discerning his thoughts from his expression, seemingly casually said with a light smile,

"Those who serve me, I always hope that they first protect themselves before worrying about me. If one does not cherish their own life, how can they recklessly protect another?"

Her gentle gaze met Xiao Fuzi's, she slightly raised an eyebrow and nodded warmly,

"Don’t overthink it. You and I, as master and servant, share the same fate. Today, having you to protect me allowed me to silence Baoxia. Rather than having you risk your life for me, this makes me feel more at ease. Understand?"

The more Xiao Fuzi listened to Song Zhao, the more he felt his actions today were inadequate, deepening his sense of indebtedness to her.

His eyes reddened as he nodded vigorously, his voice firm, "Rest assured, my mistress. With the care you show me, I will undoubtedly protect you even more devotedly in the future."

Song Zhao nodded slightly, teasing him, "I’ve always said that those who follow me will only laugh, not cry. If you shed tears in front of me now, be careful, or I'll send you back to the Xinze Warehouse."

Xiao Fuzi quickly blinked back his tears, managing a knowing smile.

For Song Zhao, she was acutely aware that everyone in this world puts themselves first.

Thus, when she had a servant like Yunsong who always prioritized her, or even a sister, she cherished them greatly.

Even though she knew Yunsong wasn't the sharpest and might hinder her plans, she never thought of sending her away.

Yunsong had been with her since childhood, the only ‘relative’ she had in this world.

If Yunsong were to be sent away, with Lady Jiang seeing her as a thorn in her side, she would likely be killed before she even left the capital.

Xiao Fuzi, also loyal and clever,

Such a person serving her shouldn't feel discomfort in his heart.

Otherwise, if that discomfort accumulated, he would be under pressure, becoming hesitant in his actions, which would be counterproductive.

As they neared Yaohua Palace, Song Zhao suddenly asked Xiao Fuzi,

"I always feel there’s something strange about today’s incident. What if the snake had bitten Xiao Chang herself? What would she have done?"

Xiao Fuzi replied, "If she’s capable of harming others, she must have a foolproof plan, right?"

"With her intelligence? Hmm..." Song Zhao couldn't help but shake her head, chuckling, "I doubt it."

As they turned the corner, Song Zhao saw Yunsong waiting outside the palace gate from a distance.

Yunsong also saw her and hurriedly ran towards her, almost stumbling and falling.

"Slow down, why are you running so fast?"

Yunsong stood before Song Zhao, panting heavily, and looked her over several times from all angles. Her voice was tinged with a crying tone as she kept muttering,

"As long as my mistress is fine, as long as my mistress is fine..."

Seeing her so anxious that she was shedding tears, Song Zhao quickly embraced her shoulders to comfort her, "Stop crying now, Xiao Fuzi has protected me well, see, I'm perfectly fine, aren’t I?"

Yunsong's heart finally settled, and she turned to give Xiao Fuzi a grunting sound,

"Humph! Lucky you were careful. If you had hurt a single hair on my mistress, I wouldn't have let you off!"

The two of them were becoming increasingly uninhibited in their 'playful bickering.'

Song Zhao observed this, but she just smiled and kept her thoughts to herself.

Upon returning to the western side hall and opening the door of the sleeping chamber, Song Zhao immediately smelled a faint fragrance.

The scent was familiar, and she took a deep breath, trying to recall it carefully,

Suddenly connecting this fragrance with the one she had smelled earlier in the day.

The scent was six or seven times similar to the fragrance emanating from the warming flask the Empress had been holding?

Xiao Fuzi also noticed the scent,

After exchanging a glance with Song Zhao, he asked Yunsong, "What's this smell in the palace?"

Yunsong explained, "I heard about the snake incident and was terrified. There was some realgar wine left in the palace, known to repel snakes, so I boiled it and sprinkled some around the sleeping chamber for peace of mind."

Hearing this,

Song Zhao's heart sank suddenly, her brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes dimmed a bit...

(Ps: This plot ends here, go guess! Also, happy Friday!!!!!!)