Chapter 369 - 147: How Can There Be Such a Coincidence

Chapter 369: Chapter 147: How Can There Be Such a Coincidence

At this thought, the Empress Dowager heaved a long sigh of relief. ’This time, I must slow down and speak with the Emperor gradually. Mother and son cannot have another falling out.’

’An Shutong is beautiful and has a good temperament. How could the Emperor possibly not take a liking to her?’

’As long as I don’t force the Emperor to take her into the palace and instead scheme slowly, I will surely achieve my goal.’

’How many men in this world dislike a fresh, beautiful face? My own son is no exception.’

After the Empress Dowager took a nap, An Shutong withdrew from the hall and returned to her own residence, the East Palace.

Yes, the Empress Dowager had given her the East Palace to live in. The east has always been considered the most honorable direction, so she had a sense of what was to come when she moved in. But it was the Empress Dowager’s words today that truly put her heart at ease.

"Milady, you’re back?" Mu Qing hurried forward to greet her, helping her sit down before quickly bringing over tea and snacks. "Milady, have something to eat first."

Serving the Empress Dowager was not an easy task. Their lady had been raised in comfort at home, but life by the Empress Dowager’s side was anything but easy.

She had to wake up earlier than the Empress Dowager and wait for her to rise after getting ready. During meals, she had to serve the Empress Dowager first. Only after the Empress Dowager was finished could her lady quickly grab a bite. If the Empress Dowager gave an order, she could not afford any delay.

When the Empress Dowager prayed in the Buddhist hall, their lady had to accompany her. She not only had to recite scriptures but also kneel while doing so. By the end of the day, her knees would be bruised.

So, whenever their lady returned to rest, they had to help her recover as quickly as possible.

As An Shutong ate her snacks and drank her tea, Mu Qing massaged her shoulders. She then called Yingxue in to massage her legs, determined to help their lady recover at top speed. As soon as the Empress Dowager summoned her, she would have to go and serve again.

Mu Qing noticed her lady’s somber expression and asked softly, "Milady, you don’t look very happy. Did something happen?"

Yingxue looked up and shot Mu Qing a glare. "You really know how to touch a sore spot. The news of Song Jieyu’s pregnancy has spread everywhere. How could you not know?"

"What does Song Jieyu’s pregnancy have to do with our lady?" Mu Qing retorted, unconvinced. "Yingxue, I’m telling you, don’t go inciting milady to do anything reckless."

"Who’s inciting her?" Yingxue was also displeased, but she was wary and kept her voice low, afraid that the walls had ears. "The Empress Dowager brought our lady back to the palace. Isn’t the meaning clear enough? Besides, back at the traveling palace, we already knew the Emperor doted on Song Jieyu. Now, for her to announce her pregnancy right as the Empress Dowager returns to the palace with our lady... who would believe it wasn’t intentional? Things are never that coincidental."

Hearing Yingxue’s words, Mu Qing hesitated, momentarily at a loss for what to say.

Yingxue looked up at her mistress. "Milady, you must come up with a plan. If you simply return to Gu’en Houfu like this, who knows how those people will laugh at you."

"What are you talking about? We can’t let milady take risks just to avoid losing face," Mu Qing said unhappily.

An Shutong waved her hand to stop their bickering. "I have a plan for this. Don’t say anything when you go out. If anyone tries to sound you out, just say that I always listen to the Empress Dowager."

Only then did Mu Qing and Yingxue nod in agreement. But their faces remained fraught with worry, wondering when this ordeal would end and how much longer they would have to endure.

Before An Shutong could come up with a countermeasure, the Emperor issued a decree the very next day promoting Yun Zhao to Zhaoyi. The palace fell silent. A promotion due to pregnancy was not unusual, but the situation was delicate. In the past, with the Empress Dowager absent from the palace, the Emperor naturally made all the decisions.

But now that the Empress Dowager had returned, for the Emperor to promote a concubine without even consulting her... one could only wonder what the Empress Dowager would think.

Wangyou Palace was filled with joy, and smiles adorned every face from top to bottom. Song Yunzhao was happy too. Who doesn’t like a promotion? This was the rank of Zhaoyi, a Secondary Second Rank, second only to the rank of Consort.

It didn’t mean she could now walk sideways through the palace, but if even the three concubines wanted to punish her, they would have to ask for the Emperor’s permission first.

Song Yunzhao generously rewarded everyone in Wangyou Palace. Soon, Han Jinyi and the other two arrived to offer their congratulations. Seeing that they were also happy for her, Song Yunzhao invited them in to sit and ordered tea to be served.

Lu Zhixue’s eyes were fixed on Yun Zhao’s belly, a hint of envy in them. But envy was useless. She had done something foolish in the past, and the Emperor detested her. She feared she would never have this chance in her lifetime.

Han Jinyi smiled and said, "We wanted to come over as soon as we heard the good news yesterday, but we figured you needed to rest after fainting. So we waited until today. Seeing you look so well puts our minds at ease. From now on, we’ll have to ask for your guidance, Lady Zhaoyi."

Once promoted to Zhaoyi, she could be addressed as "Lady," a proper master of the palace.

Song Yunzhao replied, "Why not? Don’t worry, you can count on me."

They all began to laugh, and the atmosphere in the hall became light and cheerful.

"What did the Imperial Physician say? Why did you suddenly faint yesterday? Are you alright now?" Feng Yunjin asked with concern.

"The Imperial Physician just said I’ve been overly anxious lately. I just need to rest and I’ll be fine. It’s nothing serious," Song Yunzhao said with a smile.

The three of them understood immediately. It was surely because the Emperor had gone to receive the Empress Dowager, and Yun Zhao had grown anxious with worry.

’No wonder His Majesty likes her. In this entire palace, there’s probably no one else who worries about His Majesty as sincerely as Yun Zhao does.’

’In any case, our own intentions for entering the palace were never pure, so there’s no point in talking about sincerity or pretense.’

’Everything happens for a reason. It’s no one’s fault that the Emperor dislikes us.’

The arrival of the three seemed to be just the beginning. Soon after, the Empress Dowager sent over rewards. This time, even Yun Zhao was a little surprised. ’I didn’t expect this. The Empress Dowager’s actions are different from how they were in the book.’

’In the book, the Empress Dowager was always running around causing trouble for the female lead. Why is she being so gentle and mild with me now? It’s a completely different attitude from her interrogation yesterday. It’s quite curious.’

The one who came to deliver the rewards was the Empress Dowager’s Nanny Yao. She was all smiles, as if her ferocious demeanor from yesterday had been a dream. She spouted a stream of auspicious words, her attitude exceptionally pleasant.

Immediately after, gifts from the three concubines also arrived. Princess Consort Wan’s gift was delivered by one of her attendants, with the message that the Princess Consort was unwell and could not come in person. Song Yunzhao expressed her sincere concern.

’She probably wasn’t really sick, just didn’t want to see me,’ she thought. She could understand the feeling. If she were in Princess Consort Wan’s shoes, it would be difficult to act any better.

Princess Consort Zhuang and Consort Shu arrived one after the other. Consort Shu had just set foot inside when Princess Consort Zhuang arrived right behind her.

Song Yunzhao invited the two to sit, putting on an appearance of extreme joy. Her face was starting to ache from smiling so much.

"My sincerest congratulations, Song Zhaoyi. This is truly a double blessing," Princess Consort Zhuang said with a wide smile.

Before Song Yunzhao could reply, Xiangxue came in to announce that Qin Wan Yi had arrived.

Song Yunzhao forced a smile and told Xiangxue to invite her in.

’Great, everyone’s here now,’ she thought. ’I feel like a melon on the chopping block, just waiting for them to start carving.’