Chapter 308 - 126: Hurtful, Unsightly, and Heartbreaking
After Feng Yunjin and Han Jinyi left, Song Yunzhao couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.
She had a nagging suspicion that the courtiers’ proposal for the Empress Dowager’s early return to the palace might have something to do with Qin Xiyue. It was just a gut feeling, with no proof.
While she couldn’t exactly do whatever she pleased in the harem, she never gave anyone an opportunity to find fault with her. No one could touch her.
’Under these circumstances, calling for reinforcements is undoubtedly a good move.’
Besides Qin Xiyue, Princess Consort Zhuang could have also come up with such a plan. The two of them just had tea together; perhaps they were plotting how to deal with her.
She grew displeased at the thought. If she wasn’t happy, then they shouldn’t expect to be happy either.
Song Yunzhao sat in stern-faced contemplation. Xiangxue and the other maids dared not make a sound, even tiptoeing as they walked, terrified of disturbing their mistress’s train of thought.
Nanny Yu returned from outside. Seeing the scene, she didn’t just barge into the hall. Instead, she grabbed Shizhu and asked, "What’s going on? You’re all creeping around like thieves."
Shizhu pulled Nanny Yu into the small tea room before whispering, "A moment ago, Feng Xiaoyuan and Han Guipin came to report that the courtiers have petitioned the Emperor to bring the Empress Dowager back to the palace for the New Year’s celebrations."
Nanny Yu’s brow furrowed at the news. This was not a good sign. "Is this information reliable?"
"It should be, but there’s been no word from the Emperor yet, so it’s hard to say what will happen," Shizhu said.
They had all been in the palace for years. While Shizhu and the others hadn’t been there for very long, they still knew a few things about the past. Nanny Yu, being much older, naturally knew even more about the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the current Emperor during the late Emperor’s reign.
Some old wounds couldn’t be healed so easily.
"The New Year is just around the corner. If they rush to bring the Empress Dowager back now, I’m afraid she won’t be able to endure the journey. It might not happen," Nanny Yu said before turning to leave.
Shizhu thought that made sense. It would be better to delay for a few months if they could. The Empress Dowager’s return would be like having a giant Buddha weighing down on their heads, making life difficult for everyone.
Nanny Yu entered the hall, slowed her pace, and took a step forward. "Mistress."
Hearing Nanny Yu’s voice, Song Yunzhao turned around. "Nanny, you’re back. How did things go?"
"The Imperial Hospital sent an Imperial Physician to Chen Chengyi’s quarters. I was a little worried, so I went along. When I saw Chen Chengyi, I was truly shocked. It’s only been a few months, but she’s so thin she’s practically unrecognizable," Nanny Yu said.
Song Yunzhao knew life was hard for concubines in the Cold Palace, but she didn’t think it would be so bad that someone would be tormented into such a state. "Is someone deliberately making things difficult for Chen Chengyi?"
"I didn’t ask for details," Nanny Yu said with a helpless expression. "But if no one was behind this, Chen Chengyi certainly wouldn’t have ended up this way."
Song Yunzhao understood Nanny Yu’s implication: someone was pulling the strings.
Nanny Yu lowered her voice again. "Chen Chengyi still holds the rank of Chengyi, after all. Her three daily meals might be simple, but they should be enough to fill her stomach. Even if some little eunuchs were skimming from her portions, she wouldn’t have starved to this degree. In my opinion, this is more than just skimming; it’s a deliberate attack. This whole affair is tied to the poisoning of Qin Wan Yi, so I didn’t dare pry, for fear of causing you trouble, Mistress."
Song Yunzhao chuckled softly and looked at Nanny Yu. "I’m afraid someone wants to kill her to silence her."
"Mistress, you mustn’t ever repeat that outside! Without proof, the consequences would be dire if word got out," Nanny Yu hastily advised.
Song Yunzhao scoffed. "Don’t worry, Nanny."
’She wasn’t a fool. Chen Chengyi was certainly pitiable, but if she hadn’t schemed to use Qin Xiyue’s power for her own gain, how could Qin Xiyue have turned the tables on her?’
’Those two are partners in crime. I might pity Chen Chengyi, but if she had succeeded in winning the Emperor’s favor, wouldn’t I have been the one to fall from grace? Would that not have been pitiful?’
’What goes around comes around.’
’She has no one to blame but herself.’
’It’s simply a case of winner takes all.’
However, there was no way she would let this matter slide. Since she suspected Qin Xiyue was trying to make trouble for her, she could certainly use this incident to drag her into the muck as well.
"Nanny, spread the news that Chen Chengyi is being mistreated," Song Yunzhao ordered. "There’s no need to be discreet about it. Since it was our Wangyou Palace that requested the Imperial Physician for her, we can publicize the matter openly. I want to see what the person hiding in the shadows does this time."
Nanny Yu was hesitant at first, but then she realized it was true that Wangyou Palace had summoned the Imperial Physician. That was a fact that could be easily verified, so there was no need for secrecy.
Besides, this could also shape the Concubine’s image as a beautiful and kind-hearted person. After all, everyone else was avoiding Chen Chengyi like the plague. Only their Concubine was willing to lend a hand. Wasn’t that the very definition of a benevolent person?