Free Web NovelChapter 128: Chapter 61: This Isn’t Over
As a Noble Consort, Song Yunzhao’s meal allotment was quite good. She received four dishes and a soup at every meal, with dessert to follow. As long as she wasn’t dreaming of feasting on exotic delicacies every day, the food was actually much better than what she had eaten back in the Song Family.
But this soup wasn’t exactly dragon liver and phoenix marrow. For the Emperor to have Zhang Maoquan deliver it personally, what did that signify? freeωebnovēl.c૦m
It meant he was pushing her into a pit.
’The Emperor is a real bastard.’
Nanny Yu and the others saw their mistress’s unhappy expression and asked cautiously, "My Lady, shall this servant ladle you a bowl of soup? This ham is a rare find, a tribute from the south."
Song Yunzhao couldn’t explain the Emperor’s dark intentions to Nanny Yu and the others, so she could only put on a happy face... and drink a bowl of soup.
Drinking that soup made her feel uncomfortably full, as if her very organs were being stretched.
If he wanted her to suffer in silence, Song Yunzhao wasn’t having it.
After thinking it over, she said to Nanny Yu, "Take some of my private silver to the Imperial Kitchen and order a chicken soup. Tonight, have Anshun deliver it to Taiji Palace."
Nanny Yu was startled. "My Lady, I’m afraid that isn’t proper, is it?"
Song Yunzhao smiled benevolently. "His Majesty is so concerned for me, it truly moves me to tears of gratitude. I can only repay him in a small way. Tell Anshun there’s no need to request an audience with His Majesty; he just needs to give the soup to Chief Steward Zhang to pass along."
Nanny Yu faintly sensed that something was amiss, but seeing that her mistress’s expression was normal, she wondered, ’Am I overthinking this?’
Nevertheless, she took the silver and made a trip to the Imperial Kitchen herself.
The news that the Emperor had gifted Song Yunzhao soup at noon spread throughout the harem in less than half a day. Then, during the evening meal, Wangyou Palace sent soup to Taiji Palace—and actually succeeded. This time, the entire harem was truly shaken.
’The Emperor was sensible enough to accept my soup,’ Song Yunzhao thought. ’Otherwise, a grudge would have been well and truly formed between us.’
"My Lady, today’s events were a bit too conspicuous." Nanny Yu’s face was filled with worry, now aware of the restless stirring in the palace.
Without looking up, Song Yunzhao said, "Nanny, what if it was conspicuous? His Majesty insisted on giving me the soup. Did I dare refuse it?"
Nanny Yu shook her head. Of course not. Wouldn’t that be disobeying an imperial decree?
"But, you didn’t really have to send something back to Taiji Palace," Nanny Yu said after a moment’s hesitation.
Only then did Song Yunzhao look up at Nanny Yu. "Nanny, a relationship has to be a two-way street to last. I am simply grateful for His Majesty’s reward and naturally want to return the favor. Look, Anshun delivered the soup to Taiji Palace and His Majesty was willing to accept it. Doesn’t that prove I did the right thing?"
’That’s true in principle,’ Nanny Yu thought, ’but food sent to Taiji Palace has to undergo strict inspection. If someone tampered with it, we wouldn’t be able to explain our way out of it, even if we were innocent.’
Nanny Yu then informed Song Yunzhao of the palace’s inner workings, which, of course, Song Yunzhao already knew from the book.
The Emperor cherished his life dearly. Throughout the entire book, there was never a single plot where someone succeeded in poisoning him, which showed he was no fool.
"Nanny, you’re forgetting. I had Anshun go directly to Zhang Maoquan."
Nanny Yu paused, then smiled. "My Lady is so thoughtful. This old servant was overthinking things."
"I am truly grateful that you would advise me this way, Nanny. I know you’re doing it for my own good; I understand that completely. Since you treat me with such dedication, I will certainly not disappoint your loyal heart. We have a long future ahead of us, mistress and servant. Just you wait and see." Since Song Yunzhao could feel Nanny Yu’s sincerity, she couldn’t let that burgeoning loyalty go cold.
In a place like the palace, two fists were no match for four hands. The first thing she had to do was cultivate her own confidantes.
But confidantes couldn’t be cultivated overnight. It required careful observation. At the very least, Nanny Yu had handled the few tasks given to her well, and she was even able to think from Song Yunzhao’s perspective. She couldn’t let such a person’s heart grow cold.
Nanny Yu was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. She had been in the palace for so many years and had served many masters, but not a single one had ever said such words to her. In her masters’ eyes, she was just a servant, her life as worthless as a blade of grass. But the Noble Consort was different.
A warmth spread through her heart, an indescribable feeling. She quickly lowered her head and said softly, "My Lady speaks too seriously. This is merely what this servant ought to do. I dare not take any credit."
Song Yunzhao just smiled without saying anything more, waving her hand to dismiss Nanny Yu.
After Nanny Yu left, Song Yunzhao knew her peaceful days were likely coming to an end. Qin Xiyue and the others might still wait and see how the trap the Emperor had set for her played out, but concubines like Consort Shu would definitely see her as an eyesore.
The harem’s reactions to the Emperor bestowing soup upon Song Yunzhao were mixed, but the expressions on the faces of Consort Shu and her faction were particularly ugly.
