Consort Xiao Xian was disinterested, “I don’t want to play chess.”
The emperor’s eyes flashed with a darkness, which passed in a flash, and softened his voice, “In fact, I want to play with her, but I am afraid that if I announce her to the palace, she will have resistance in her heart. Consider yourself doing me a favour.”
Xiao Xianfei forced out a smile and nodded, and the emperor immediately sent Eunuch Huang to announce the order.
Eunuch Huang left the palace and went all the way to the Xu residence, where he learned that no one was there, and asked for the address of the southern city, and took two young eunuchs there.
Song Wan Yue was at home trying to make the dim sum she had brought from the Second Prince that day, making a pot, putting it on a plate and carrying it to the hall. When she reached the courtyard, she heard the sound of horse hooves coming from far away and then stopping at the gate. She stopped and turned to look out, just in time to see Eunuch Huang getting off his horse and walking quickly towards the door.
She raised an eyebrow and spoke with a smile, “Eunuch Huang.”
Eunuch Huang also saw her and quickly stepped forward, “Miss Song, the Emperor has announced that you are coming into the palace.”
“Does the eunuch know what the matter is?”
Eunuch Huang stepped in and lowered his voice, “Since the loss of her child, Her Highness, Consort Xian, has lost her vitality and energy.
“Eunuch, wait a moment, I will go and change my clothes.”
“Then I will go and wait in front of you.”
Song Wangyue nodded, and Eunuch Huang turned and walked outside.
Song Wangyue carried the pastries into the hall and placed the plate on the table. Inside the house, Song Lin and Xu were both there, both of them heard Song Wan Yue call out to Eunuch Huang and their hearts lifted, seeing her enter the house, they immediately pulled the person into the inner room, “Yue’er, what did His Majesty ask you to go to the palace for?”
Song Wan Yue said what Eunuch Huang had just said.
The two men were very uneasy and instructed her to be careful.
“Don’t worry, Father and Mother, the Emperor won’t do anything to me.”
After changing her clothes, Song Wan Yue walked outside the main gate, where Eunuch Huang personally brought the prepared horse over and handed her the reins, Song Wan Yue rolled onto her horse and waited for Eunuch Huang to get on as well, following him all the way to the entrance of the palace, where a palanquin was waiting.
Song Wan Yue was not polite, she got on it and went to Kun Li Palace.
The atmosphere in Kunli Palace is not good, after Consort Xian’s miscarriage, all the palace staff here have been punished, and now they are all cautious whether they walk or do anything.
“My daughter has met Your Majesty and Concubine Xian.”
“Get up.”
The Emperor’s tone was softer than it had ever been.
Song Wan Yue stood up straight and looked at Consort Xian, and was startled, Consort Xian was almost out of shape, her formerly round face was now only a palm-sized bit, the person was sickly and looked not at all energetic.
Noticing her gaze over, Consort Xiao Xianfei forced a smile and extended her hand towards her, Song Wan Yue walked over, Consort Xiao Xianfei grabbed her hand and looked towards the Emperor, “Your Majesty go and get busy, I will play chess with Miss Song properly.”
The Emperor gave Song Wan Yue a deep look, the meaning in his eyes was self-explanatory, Song Wan Yue saw it clearly and nodded faintly.
“Someone.”
Eunuch Huang came in.
“Bring me that chessboard of warm jade.”
Eunuch Huang answered and personally went to bring it over.
Only then did the Emperor get up, “I will go and deal with the zhengqi first, and come back later.”
As soon as he left, Consort Xiao seemed to be tired and ordered the court lady to bring up snacks and melons and fruits, “Miss Song, I’ll rest for a while, you can have some snacks.”
“That won’t do ……”
Song Wan Yue’s face was serious, “His Majesty has declared me into the palace to accompany Your Majesty to play chess, if my daughter does not accompany me it would be a crime of deceiving the king, Your Majesty should be considerate of my daughter’s situation and rest later, let’s play chess first.”
The aunt in charge also agreed, “Yes, Your Majesty, you should play a game with Miss Song, otherwise the emperor will blame her and she will not be able to escape.”
She knew that Her Majesty was always soft-hearted and would not let Song Wangyue be punished.
Sure enough, Consort Xian braced herself, “Then let’s set up the chessboard.”
The Steward Aunt was overjoyed and hurriedly set up the chess board, and diligently placed the chess boxes by the two of them, and placed the cakes and melons and fruits by Song Wangyue’s hand so that she could easily take them.
“Your Majesty, please.”
Consort Xiao Xianyue dropped a piece first, followed by Song Wangyue, while the housekeeper aunt and two grand palace maids watched from the side.
Consort Xiao was very slow in placing her piece, and Song Wangyue did not rush her, holding the piece in her right hand while her left hand forked a piece of peeled apple into her mouth with a bamboo skewer and chewed it with a click.
If it were in the past, the aunt in charge would have reprimanded her for her lack of discipline, but now she couldn’t wait for Song Wangyue to eat it, and perhaps Her Majesty would also try a piece or two for the sake of her sweetness.
As if she had not heard, Consort Xiao kept her eyes on the chessboard and dropped another piece, followed by Song Wan Yue, who forked a piece again.
After she had eaten five or six pieces, Consort Xiao suddenly raised her head, and the aunt in charge was overjoyed, hurriedly lifting the plate with the apples and raising it in front of Consort Xiao, “Your Majesty, try it too, this apple is very delicious.”
Xiao Xianfei looked at it for a while before she slowly reached out her hand, forked a piece and put it into her mouth, the housekeeper aunt was overjoyed, this was the first time she had taken the initiative to eat since her maidenhood.
“Quickly, go to the imperial kitchen and ask for some more apples to come.”
The grand palace maid answered and turned to run outside.
Song Wan Yue forked a strawberry and lifted it to Consort Xiao’s mouth, “Your Majesty, try it, strawberries are also delicious.”
Consort Xiao opened her mouth and ate it in.
The steward aunt was so excited that she wanted to kowtow to Song Wangyue.
Song Wan Yue winked at her and gave her another wink, the steward aunt understood, put the plate down and led a group of palace maids out to guard the door.
“Your Majesty, this snack is also good, you can try it.”
Song Wangyue’s voice came out from inside.
The steward aunt folded her hands in excitement.
Inside the room, Song Wan Yue’s finger was on Consort Xiao Xian’s pulse.
“I’m fine.”
Consort Xiao Xianfei told her wordlessly.
“And what is the suffering of Your Majesty?”
Song Wangyue let go of her hand.
Consort Xiao Xianxian smiled bitterly, there was no way for her to avoid serving the bed except this, she had already killed one of her children with her own hands, she did not want to kill another one.
“Your Majesty, you can have another piece.”
After saying this, Song Wangyue lowered her voice once again and
“You will hurt your body in the long run, our good days will be long in the future, you have to get well, see what you want to see and enjoy what you should enjoy.”
Xiao Xianfei’s lips moved as if she wanted to say something but did not, she just looked at Song Wangyue. Listening to the meaning of Song Wan Yue’s words, it seemed that she already knew that Xiao’er had not died, but if she knew, how could she have remained motionless for so long.
Song Wangyue handed the tea to Her Majesty, smiling, “The tea is also good, you can drink some.”
Two quarters of an hour later, the aunt in charge was called in and was overjoyed to see that two plates of dim sum and two plates of melons and fruits had been eaten.