The next morning, in Changxiu Palace.
A palace maid, Yingchun, ran into the hall in a flurry, holding up her skirts and nearly tripping over the threshold. Consort Zhuang was facing the mirror, combing her hair. Seeing her attendant so clumsy, she frowned. “Why are you in such a hurry? You don’t even follow proper decorum.”
Gasping for breath, Yingchun knelt quickly and apologized: “I was negligent, Your Highness. Please punish me.”
Seeing her sweating and panting, Consort Zhuang said nothing further. After all, Yingchun had been by her side since childhood. “Rise. Be more careful in the future. What happened outside?” She picked up the gold hairpin that the Emperor had awarded during the Spring Festival and began adjusting her appearance in the mirror.
“Your Highness, Noble Consort Song was demoted to commoner status yesterday and sent to the Cold Palace!”
Consort Zhuang sprang up in shock, making the gold hairpin clatter to the ground. “What did you say?! The Emperor issued the decree? For what reason?” Her heart tightened as she clutched her handkerchief, anxiously looking at Yingchun could it be that the matter had been exposed?
Yingchun spoke quietly: “It involves the plot to harm the Crown Prince Ning. It was Ting He who confessed and identified Noble Consort Song as the one who ordered her to guide Consort Su to the side hall. Song never admitted guilt, but the Emperor immediately decreed her imprisonment in the Cold Palace yesterday.”
Consort Zhuang, relieved that she herself was not implicated, slowly sat back on the bench and let out an inward sigh. “At least she knows her place. Send word to my father he must properly appease the Ministry of War’s Deputy Minister.”
“Understood,” Yingchun replied softly. “Noble Consort Song never suspected that Ting He was working for us.”
Consort Zhuang nodded and said to Yingchun: “Tell my father to make sure Ting He’s family is well guarded.” Her tone was calm, yet each word carried a chill.
Yingchun understood and replied, “I understand, Your Highness.”
Seeing that Consort Zhuang’s expression had eased slightly, she carefully added: “There’s one more matter… Yesterday, Su Daying was supposed to leave the palace, but the Emperor suddenly ordered the gates sealed and… and issued a decree promoting her to Consort Su.”
Consort Zhuang’s eyes widened abruptly. “What did you say?! That wretch! How could the Emperor do this? The case of the Crown Prince Ning has not been resolved! Even if Song Liuzheng guided her to the side hall, she is still the prime suspect!”
Yingchun knelt again in fright. “Your Highness, please restrain your anger! The Emperor said that while Consort Su was confined, she copied scriptures and prayed every day, and she also contributed merit to the southwestern victory…”
“Preposterous!” Consort Zhuang swept her makeup box to the floor in fury, sending hairpins and jade ornaments scattering. The palace attendants nearby cowered and knelt in fear. Gritting her teeth, she said, “The Crown Prince Ning died under unclear circumstances, and the Emperor just placates our Zhuang family with this? A few pages of scripture suffice to outweigh suspicion of harming the imperial heir? The Emperor clearly still cares about that wretch!” She stood abruptly. “I will go see His Majesty myself and demand to know why he is so biased!”
Yingchun hurriedly blocked her. “Your Highness, think carefully! You and Noble Consort Song have always interacted frequently. If Song is in trouble and you intervene, wouldn’t it raise suspicion that you are targeting Consort Su? Moreover, the Emperor has already said he will thoroughly investigate the Crown Prince’s case. If you go now, it may seem you are questioning His Majesty’s judgment, causing more harm than good.”
She lowered her voice and continued to advise: “Consort Su’s promotion to Consort is still below you. There will be plenty of time in the future; there is no need to rush. The person who should worry most now is the Ning Princess, not Your Highness.”
Consort Zhuang paused and considered Yingchun’s words. The malice in her eyes softened slightly. “You’re right. Going now could easily arouse suspicion.” She clenched her handkerchief. “Do you think the Emperor, because of Noble Consort Song, might suspect me?”
Yingchun had the attendants step back and quietly said: “Your Highness, you worry too much. Yesterday, Fuqu was already dealt with by your father’s arranged thieves; she will not implicate you. Besides, the Crown Prince was the Ning Princess’s own child. How could an aunt harm her nephew? There is no reason to suspect you. And others do not know the Second Miss is a concubine’s daughter, raised under your name, not born of the same mother as you.”
“That is true,” Consort Zhuang mused, thinking of that meek half-sister. A mocking smile curved her lips. “If she weren’t useful, given her mother’s singer background, she would long ago have been married off to some merchant for a bit of silver, instead of becoming a princess married to the Ning Prince.”
Yingchun smiled. “Even now, the Second Miss is still treated like a treasure by you. Little do people know, every time you see her, you remember how Aunt Chen once seduced your father.”
Cold light flashed in Consort Zhuang’s eyes. “That wretched girl, back then she charmed my father and caused my mother endless tears. Now Su Su’s behavior… is exactly the same!”
At this moment, the very Su Su whom Consort Zhuang hated so fiercely was kneeling to receive the imperial decree. She froze as she listened, wondering what Li Qianche intended blocking her from leaving the palace, yet promoting her at the same time. This was unlike his usual style; it was unprecedented to demote her and shortly after elevate her rank.
Shen Gaoyi smiled and reminded her: “Consort Su, are you pleasantly surprised?”
Su Su snapped back to attention, taking the bright yellow scroll in both hands: “I, your servant, humbly accept the decree and thank Your Majesty.”
“These are all rewards from the Emperor,” Shen Gaoyi indicated. Behind him, eight eunuchs entered in procession, holding lacquered trays. On the trays, gold, silver, and jade ornaments glimmered, dozens of newly presented tributes sparkling in the light…
The Shu brocade gleamed with flowing colors, and on it lay a tray of gold ingots shining brilliantly. Among them was the white jade hairpin she had not chosen that day.
Su Su’s gaze lingered on the hairpin for a moment, then she lowered her eyes and folded her hands: “Your servant thanks His Majesty for his generous gift.”
“Since Your Highness has resumed your position, Changxin Palace is rather secluded,” Shen Gaoyi said with a bow. “Perhaps you should move to the side hall of Changchun Palace? The scenery there is pleasant, and it is conveniently close to the Yangxin Hall.”
“There is no need,” Su Su declined gracefully. “Changxin Palace suits me very well; moving back and forth would only bring trouble.” She thought to herself: being far from gossip and disputes is just what I need to lay low and plan for the future.
Shen Gaoyi grimaced. “But… if His Majesty asks, I really won’t know what to say.” He recalled the twenty strokes of the court cane last time, and the old wound on his buttocks ached faintly.
“Rest assured, sir,” Su Su said with a faint smile. “If His Majesty seeks to punish, I shall bear the responsibility alone.”
After Shen Gaoyi left, covering his sore behind, Su Su pondered with curiosity: “Why does Shen Gonggong always protect his own backside?”
Chunlan, also puzzled, followed Su Su into the inner hall and whispered, “Your Highness, could it be that His Majesty has truly believed in your innocence?”
Su Su shook her small head gently. “If he truly believes me, he should have restored me to the rank of Noble Consort.” She looked toward the dim morning light outside the window. “His current actions are truly hard to predict.” After all, in her previous life, she had never decided to leave the palace, and now the promotion path is completely different from her former life.
Suddenly, Qiuju rushed in hurriedly, almost tripping over the threshold.
Su Su immediately stepped forward to steady her. “Watch your step. Why are you in such a panic?”
Catching her breath, Qiuju said, “Your Highness, the palace investigation yesterday was originally about the case of Prince Ning’s heir! Fuqu, who used to serve by Your Highness’s side, was released from the palace before reaching the age of leaving the palace. Last night, she was killed in an alley outside the palace!”
Su Su stood up abruptly. “Fuqu? Was she involved in the Prince’s death?” Fuqu had always been obedient and low-key in her palace, hardly noticeable. Could she have been a hidden pawn planted by others by Su Su’s side?
“I heard that on the night of the Winter Solstice banquet, Fuqu falsely conveyed Your Highness’s decree and sent away the palace attendants guarding the Prince,” Qiuju said urgently. “Because of that, Your Highness saw no one when you went to the side hall.”
Su Su sneered coldly. “A treacherous thing, eating from within! Or perhaps she was always placed by others around me. I failed to see through her and never properly investigated those around me before.” In the past, she had been lenient and never scrutinized her palace staff; now she realized how naive she had been.
Chunlan comforted her softly: “Your Highness is benevolent; it is the servants who are ungrateful.”
Qiuju continued her report: “There is another urgent matter. The palace maid who guided you at the Winter Solstice banquet originally came from Noble Lady Song’s quarters. Yesterday, when the Emperor interrogated the involved palace staff strictly, she confessed that she acted under Noble Lady Song’s orders, deliberately leading Your Highness to that side hall. In His Majesty’s anger, he has already decreed that Noble Lady Song be sent to the Cold Palace.”
Su Su was shocked at this news. Song Liuzheng? She was plotting to harm Prince Ning’s heir? Yet she had always followed only Consort Zhuang, whose father was under Lord Zhuang. How could she commit such a treacherous act? Unless… this was all orchestrated by Consort Zhuang to frame her. But why would Consort Zhuang want to kill her own nephew? The reasoning behind this was truly baffling.
“Did Song Liuzheng confess to any accomplices?” Su Su asked further.
Qiuju shook her head. “No. It is said that Noble Lady Song, to the end, insisted it was Your Highness who harmed the Prince.”
Su Su smiled lightly, though frost hardened her eyes: “A loyal dog indeed, dragging me down to the mud for her master at the very end.”
She then turned to Chunlan with instructions: “Now that we have some leeway, send word to my brother. Ask him to discreetly investigate the relationship between Consort Zhuang and Prince Ning’s consort.”
Chunlan was slightly taken aback. “Your Highness suspects… that Consort Zhuang would harm her own nephew?”
Su Su’s eyes were deep and unfathomable. “It’s still uncertain. Everything about this matter is strange. Let my brother investigate first. Once we have clues, we can make our next move.”