The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Empress Dowager Wang stood in front of Yangxin Hall, wanting to see through the hall doors and comprehend everything. Her usually smiling face now cold and solemn, her lips lined with wrinkles tightly pursed.

She withdrew her gaze and said, ”Return to the palace.”

Song Zhiyuan stepped forward, extended his elbow, and bent slightly, saying, ”Your humble servant oversteps, respectfully seeing off the Empress Dowager to the carriage.”

Empress Dowager Wang looked at him deeply and placed her hand onto his arm, saying, ”Thank you, Prime Minister Song.”

Song Zhiyuan bent his body, slowly assisting Empress Dowager Wang toward the carriage, his lips moved, transmitting a barely audible voice into her ear.

Empress Dowager Wang’s hand suddenly squeezed tightly on his arm, taking a deep breath.

”Lady, watch your step,” Song Zhiyuan reminded, guiding her to the carriage, watching her step onto the footboard onto the vehicle, looking at her and saying, ”The weather is turning cold, please take care of your health, so that besides worrying about state affairs, the Emperor does not need to worry about your health. Only when you’re well, can the Emperor be well.”

Empress Dowager Wang said, ”Prime Minister Song serves as the Emperor’s right-hand man; the Emperor trusts you, and I also trust you. I hope that Prime Minister Song will not betray our trust in you.”

Song Zhiyuan bowed.

Empress Dowager Wang lowered her gaze, saying, ”Persuade the Emperor to prioritize his health, return to the palace.” She then looked toward the Empress and others: ”Empress, let them return to the palace too. Yangxin Hall is a place where the Emperor summons courtiers to discuss affairs. If the Emperor hasn’t summoned you, blocking here like this, what does that look like? Do you want to make a laughingstock for the courtiers?”

Concubines including Consort De turned red with embarrassment.

”Being a concubine, one should remember their own duties and not act like lively prawns, without etiquette. Empress, you are the nation’s mother, if anyone doesn’t understand the rules, teach them properly.” Empress Dowager Wang said coldly: ”Since you are all so idle, I happen to wish to copy some Diamond Sutras and the Heart Sutra from the Ksitigarbha Sutra for offering during the Double Ninth Festival. Copy a volume for me each, the Empress is responsible for gathering them for me.”

The Empress bowed: ”Your daughter-in-law accepts the order.”

The concubines also reluctantly bowed to accept the order, though their hearts felt bitter, this was not their intention.

Empress Dowager Wang left in her carriage.

As the Empress called for the concubines to leave, she cast a deep glance at Song Zhiyuan before departing, hoping to discern something from his face.

But Song Zhiyuan’s face showed no sign of change, she lowered her gaze and returned to the palace, yet her hand hidden in her sleeve was slightly trembling.

Even if Song Zhiyuan said nothing, with the palace guards on high alert and Yangxin Hall guarded like this, something must have happened, though it was unclear what it was, whether the Emperor Chu’s health was unwell or something else?

The Empress could only pray Emperor Chu was safe and sound; otherwise, with the Eastern Palace vacant, if the Emperor were to meet with misfortune, her position as the nation’s mother and that of the sole eleven-year-old crown prince would become precarious.

The Empress Dowager and concubines were gone, Prince Xiao and others might desire to linger but dared not, lest Prime Minister Song pin the grave crime of palace conspiracy on them?

The brothers also left together.

”Elder brother, what do you think about this?” As the youngest, Prince Yan looked at Prince Xiao: ”Do you think Father is ill?”

Prince Xiao folded his hands behind his back, saying: ”If I knew, would I still be leaving like this?”

Prince Zhou snorted heavily: ”No matter Father’s condition, Prime Minister Song is clearly using small authority as great power. Elder brothers and younger brother, can you tolerate this?”

Prince Xiao’s eyes flashed, saying: ”Grandmother also said Prime Minister Song is Father’s right-hand man, his position is naturally exceptional. Brothers, I’ll leave first.” Clearly, something happened with Father, he must hurry back to his residence to summon his aides for discussion.

The remaining ones scoffed at each other, yet they all quickly rushed out of the palace, not letting the eldest take the lead by ten steps.