Chapter 712 - 490: A Bad Premonition

Chapter 712: Chapter 490: A Bad Premonition

"An Pin is the Empress Dowager’s own niece, so it’s only natural for her to be so attentive." Song Yunzhao didn’t comment further on An Shutong. In the book, she was a major supporting character.

Qin Xiyue had fallen, but An Shutong was still around. It was hard to say how things would develop in the future.

For now, she was adopting a wait-and-see approach. If An Shutong was smart enough to mind her own business, they could coexist peacefully in the future.

However, both the Empress Dowager and An Shutong were ambitious. She didn’t know if they could ever be content and stop vying for power.

Consort Shu missed the deeper meaning in Yun Zhao’s words. "You have a point," she said. "Her entry into the palace was all thanks to the Empress Dowager."

Having finished their conversation, the two parted ways at a fork in the path, each returning to her own palace.

As Song Yunzhao stepped into the main hall of Yaohua Palace, a wave of warmth washed over her. She felt her entire body relax. ’It’s so cold outside.’

She huddled by the smoke cage to warm herself and drive away the lingering chill from outdoors. Only then did she enter the inner chambers, where she saw the wet nurse playing with Feng Yun.

At the sound of Yun Zhao’s voice, Feng Yun’s little head turned to look at her. A genuine smile bloomed on Yun Zhao’s face as she gazed at her son. She stepped forward and took him into her arms.

The little one was just starting to learn how to sit up, though he was still a bit wobbly.

The wet nurse bowed and withdrew, while Xiangxue and a few other maids brought in tea and refreshments.

Yun Zhao took a sip of hot tea, only to notice Feng Yun’s eyes fixed on her teacup. She couldn’t help but chuckle.

"You can’t have this yet," Yun Zhao said with a laugh. She had someone bring over some warmed milk and began to feed it to him herself, one small spoonful at a time.

Feng Yun drank it in small sips, waving his arms and kicking his feet in delight. He looked utterly adorable.

Jiangxiang lifted the curtain and entered, offering a curtsy before speaking. "Your Highness, the stewards from the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop are requesting an audience. When would you be free to see them?"

’Coming to see her at this time... it was most likely about the upcoming New Year.’

Feng Yi wasn’t in the palace this year, but the annual banquet still had to be held. Yun Zhao didn’t want to make a grand affair of it, though. She thought a simple gathering of the palace concubines would suffice.

Inviting the noble women to the palace at a time like this would be far too ostentatious.

With this in mind, she said to Jiangxiang, "Tell them to come the day after tomorrow."

"Yes." Jiangxiang went out to relay the message.

Yun Zhao turned to Xiangxue. "When you have a moment, take a trip to Cuiwei Palace and invite the three consorts to discuss the New Year’s banquet."

"I’ll see to it," Xiangxue acknowledged.

Song Yunzhao watched her son, who was wobbling like a roly-poly toy, start to tip backward. She quickly reached out to steady him, which only made him giggle even more delightedly.

This lightened Yun Zhao’s troubled mood a little, but before she could even catch her breath, a messenger arrived from Shouci Palace. The Empress Dowager summoned her.

Yun Zhao was speechless.

’She had just returned from Shouci Palace not long ago, and now she had to go back? No one would be pleased about having to brave the wind and snow again.’

Nevertheless, Song Yunzhao handed the Second Prince back to the care of the wet nurse and Nanny Yu. She draped her heavy cloak over her shoulders, ordered a warm sedan chair, and set off for Shouci Palace.

Halfway there, the warm sedan chair came to a stop. She heard Consort Zhuang’s voice from outside. Yun Zhao lifted the warm curtain and peered out. "Consort Zhuang, where are you headed?"

Consort Zhuang, also in a warm sedan chair, started to disembark to pay her respects, but Yun Zhao quickly stopped her. "It’s freezing out and there’s no one else around. Let’s dispense with the formalities."

Consort Zhuang thanked her and said, "The Empress Dowager has summoned me. I’m on my way to Shouci Palace."

Yun Zhao was taken aback for a moment. "What a coincidence. So am I. Let’s go together."

Consort Zhuang was clearly surprised as well, and her sedan chair fell in with the Imperial Concubine’s procession.

When they arrived outside Shouci Palace, the two women disembarked from their warm sedan chairs and walked together.

Consort Zhuang moved closer to Yun Zhao and lowered her voice. "I wonder for what reason the Empress Dowager has summoned us. Your Highness, didn’t you just pay your respects to her this morning?"

Song Yunzhao nodded. "I did."

Consort Zhuang’s brow furrowed slightly. "I haven’t heard of anything important happening at Shouci Palace."

Song Yunzhao didn’t know either. Looking at Consort Zhuang, she said, "We’ll find out once we’re inside."

A little palace maid from Shouci Palace saw the two of them and hurried forward to offer greetings, while another lifted the curtain to go inside and announce their arrival.

A palace attendant held up the curtain, and Yun Zhao and Consort Zhuang entered. They removed their cloaks and handed them to another attendant to hang up. After composing themselves, they proceeded into the inner hall to greet the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager was seated on a heated couch near the window. Her complexion looked somewhat sallow, and with her eyes slightly downcast, she appeared listless.

An Shutong was attending to her nearby. Seeing the two enter, she stepped forward and curtsied. "This concubine greets the Imperial Consort and Consort Zhuang."

"An Pin, there’s no need for such ceremony. Please rise." Song Yunzhao offered a perfect smile before turning to the Empress Dowager. "This concubine greets Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager."

Consort Zhuang curtsied along with the Imperial Concubine, and then she heard the Empress Dowager say, "Rise, both of you. Have a seat and we can talk."

The two women took their seats, but the Empress Dowager said nothing further.

An Shutong murmured from the side, "Lady Shufei and Lady Wanfei have not yet arrived."

Song Yunzhao raised an eyebrow slightly. ’She’s summoned everyone?’

As the Empress Dowager remained silent, Yun Zhao simply maintained her smile and did not take the initiative to speak.

Consort Zhuang was preoccupied and had no desire to speak either, so the hall fell completely silent.

After a moment, a palace attendant entered with tea. An Shutong personally placed cups on the small tables in front of the Imperial Concubine and Consort Zhuang.

Even though the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were not on the best of terms, the provisions allotted to Shouci Palace were always of the highest quality. This tea was this year’s tribute tea, harvested from an ancient tree on a cliff’s edge. Only two jin had been produced in total. The Empress Dowager had received half a jin, and Yun Zhao had also been given half a jin.

The Emperor had gifted the remaining jin to several high-ranking ministers, keeping only two liang for himself.

For the Empress Dowager to bring out this particular tea now, Yun Zhao knew something major was afoot. After all, she was never served it during her routine visits to pay her respects.

Soon, the sounds of footsteps and low voices came from outside again. A moment later, Consort Shu and Princess Consort Wan entered together. They were visibly startled to find Yun Zhao and Consort Zhuang already present.

After paying their respects to the Empress Dowager and then to Yun Zhao, the two of them took their seats.

Now that everyone was present, the Empress Dowager finally lifted her head to look at them. In a somewhat weak voice, she began, "I have summoned you all here because there is a matter to discuss."

As the Imperial Concubine, Yun Zhao had often been at odds with the Empress Dowager, so she simply maintained a polite smile and held her tongue.

Princess Consort Wan was habitually quiet in the Empress Dowager’s presence. Consort Zhuang glanced at Consort Shu, then after a moment’s silence, smiled and said, "If Your Majesty has a task for us, this concubine is naturally willing to help ease Your Majesty’s burdens."

The Empress Dowager glanced at Consort Zhuang, but her gaze swept over to Song Yunzhao out of the corner of her eye. Seeing her with her head bowed and gaze lowered, the Empress Dowager’s lips tightened almost imperceptibly.

"It’s nothing of great importance. I have been bedridden with a lingering illness since the start of winter, and I find myself missing my family dearly. Thus, I wish to invite Duchess Gu En to the palace to stay for a few days."

’This wasn’t a major issue. If the Empress Dowager wanted to, she could simply have the woman brought into the palace. Her summoning all of them just to announce it meant things were definitely not that simple.’

Song Yunzhao had a faint, uneasy premonition, but she couldn’t fathom the Empress Dowager’s true intentions.