CHAPTER 8

After entering the palace gate, Song Yuanzhi got off the sedan chair and followed Chief Steward Gao all the way to Fengyi Palace. If the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion is a military style with strict discipline, then the palace is filled with the cold atmosphere of the battlefield. Song Yuanzhi looked up and saw the red walls, green willows, and golden glazed tiles, which were magnificent. In the sunlight, they complemented the palace walls. It was clearly a warm scene, but Song Yuanzhi inexplicably felt a suffocating sense of oppression. Even the few green grasses in the corners seemed to be wrapped in a layer of gray gauze, blocking the sense of vitality of the greenery.

This is a depressing and hopeless place.

Song Yuanzhi was originally quite curious about what the palace looked like. After seeing this little bit of its appearance, Song Yuanzhi felt a little more helpless that the times were really different.

After transmigrating into the novel, although Song Yuanzhi was in a bad situation, she did not suffer any loss. The most thrilling moment was when she was kidnapped by Xuanyuan Yu and escaped.

But even if Xuanyuan Yu, that psychopath, was badly hurt by Song Yuanzhi and wanted to take revenge, he didn’t dare to fight her face-to-face.

Firstly, he had to consider Imperial Xuanyuan Guifei and Prince Wu and endure small matters in order to seek a greater position; secondly, the open kidnapping was Xuanyuan Yu’s fault, and if he shouted it out, even if Song Yuanzhi’s reputation was ruined, the reputation of the Nan’an Marquis’ Mansion would also be ruined, and Xuanyuan Yu would also be labeled as a lecher.

With Xuanyuan Yu’s narcissistic personality, how could he allow his reputation to become so bad?

This is why Song Yuanzhi dared to take direct action and almost crippled Xuanyuan Yu.

However, the situation in the palace was different. Due to her status suppression, even if someone really wanted her life, Song Yuanzhi could not escape violently like she did last time and had to endure under the numerous rules and regulations.

It’s suffocating just to think about it.

Fengyi Palace is indescribably grand and luxurious, and every detail demonstrates the noble elegance of the residence of the mother of a country.

Empress Lu was over fifty years old, but there was not a single wrinkle around her eyes. She was graceful and elegant, and she had an aura just sitting there. At first glance, she gave off a sense of oppression.

Song Yuanzhi raised her eyes quietly and happened to meet Empress Lu’s eyes that seemed to see through everything. Her heartbeat suddenly quickened a few beats, and she pinched the corner of her clothes nervously, but she did not evade at all and gave Empress Lu a standard smile.

In addition to Empress Lu’s imposing aura, her facial features were as if carefully drawn in a meticulous painting, incredibly exquisite, with a fair face, a delicate nose, long eyebrows, cherry lips, skin as white as cream, and a pair of phoenix eyes that seemed to hide the entire sky. She was calm and composed, and the mixture of light and darkness reflected the ups and downs of her life.

This is a woman who is extremely decisive, calm, and rational.

Song Yuanzhi bowed calmly and sat down as Empress Lu instructed. She lowered her brows and allowed Empress Lu to look at her.

Empress Lu glanced at Song Yuanzhi and said in a clear voice, “Madam Qin praised you a lot. I was curious and asked someone to invite you to the palace. You don’t have to be polite.”

Song Yuanzhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With Madam Qin’s favor, no matter how powerful Empress Lu was, she would never use her as a scapegoat. She just had to deal with it generously.

Song Yuanzhi’s change only took a moment. Empress Lu smiled slightly and nodded with satisfaction. “Madam Qin was right in praising you. You are neither arrogant nor impatient, but calm and alert. You are indeed a good child.”

Song Yuanzhi blinked, and after noticing the goodwill from the Empress, she immediately pinched her face, then patted her chest with a look of relief on her face, and said thankfully, “Your Majesty and Madam Qin have praised me so much. I am ashamed to accept it. Fortunately, I am not really thick-skinned; otherwise, I would not dare to go out.”

Queen Lu couldn’t help laughing, “Why won’t you dare go out?”

“Your Majesty and Madam Qin have praised me many times, and I am shameless. I happily used these compliments to flatter myself. With this compliment, my face is shining like gold. How dare I go out?”

These words were both cunning and amusing. Empress Lu could not help laughing, and the others in the palace followed suit, covering their mouths. The atmosphere was finally no longer so depressing and became a lot happier.

Empress Lu retracted her aura, leaned back slightly, looked at Song Yuanzhi with a smile, and asked her, “Have you really decided? Now that the marriage is set, there will be no chance to regret it.”

Without waiting for Song Yuanzhi to speak, Empress Lu said calmly, “Madam Qin likes you very much. She has revealed to me that she is willing to recognize you as her goddaughter, support you, and find you a good and reliable family.”

Song Yuanzhi was touched by Madam Qin’s kindness. She had only met her twice, but she felt so lucky that she could make a lady who had just experienced the pain of losing her son consider her future.

However, Song Yuanzhi did not want to marry someone she had never met and put her life’s happiness in the hands of others. Divorce was not popular these days, and no matter how difficult life was, she had to endure it. She could only file for divorce if she could not bear it anymore, and her family can support her. Otherwise, there were only two options left for women: divorce or death.

Song Yuanzhi felt that she was not a good wife and mother. She had a lot of small flaws and was fond of playing with weapons. She could not be as virtuous, generous, chaste, and gentle as the ladies of this era. Even if their husband was a bastard, they had to go along with him and secretly try to change his personality.

Is this getting married or being a babysitter for the husband?

Song Yuanzhi has no masochistic tendencies and has never thought about it in this regard.

What’s the point of being a babysitter for such husbands? Wouldn’t it be nice to practice martial arts with Madam Qin? A leisurely retirement life is waiting for you; why do you want to challenge a difficult family or marriage?

Song Yuanzhi did not even think about it and directly shook her head to reject the proposal. She assured Empress Lu with a resolute face, “Your Majesty, I am grateful for your and Madam Qin’s kindness, but I have made up my mind and do not want to be someone else’s wife. Please grant my wish, Your Majesty.”

Empress Lu glanced towards the inner hall, and the smile on her face became more genuine. “Why are you so stubborn, kid? It’s a blessing for that stinky boy to have a person like you by his side.”

Song Yuanzhi inexplicably felt that there was something wrong with what Empress Lu said. While she was thinking about it, she heard someone reporting that Imperial Xuanyuan Guifei had arrived.

Song Yuanzhi immediately pricked up her ears and tilted her head to look, wanting to see what this concubine who had been favored by the emperor for twenty years looked like.

Unlike Empress Lu, who was elegant and graceful, Xuanyuan Guifei showed her status as a favorite concubine from her hair to her heels. She was over forty, but her charm was not diminished at all. She had a pair of soul-stirring fox eyes, a graceful figure, and a soft body. Even a casual glance was full of natural charm. She was really a rare beauty. No wonder she could charm Emperor Yongkang so much that he could not see anyone else and favored her for more than 20 years.

Imperial Xuanyuan Guifei had the savage temper of a favorite concubine. She perfunctorily saluted Empress Lu, and her eyes fell on Song Yuanzhi. Her fox eyes naturally brought a sense of temptation. Her voice was just right to seduce her, but what she said made Song Yuanzhi feel chilled to the bone. “Is this the eldest daughter of the Song family? She is so beautiful; no wonder she can bewitched my nephew. Empress, my nephew is also a poor man. He was young and ignorant, and she actually bewitched him. Your Majesty is lucky. The Marquis of Zhenbei is gone, and you don’t have to worry about your nephew’s stupidity like me.”

These words were truly heartbreaking. Xuanyuan Guifei came back this time specifically to give Song Yuanzhi a fatal blow, and she could also use the fact that Lu Shaoyou died in battle to poke the Empress’s heart.

She is truly worthy of being a favored concubine who has been immersed in palace fighting for many years, and her every move is a killing move.

At this moment, Song Yuanzhi almost didn’t dare to look up at Empress Lu’s expression.

Even though she and Xuanyuan Yu had nothing to do with each other, and she was even a victim of Xuanyuan Yu’s mental illness, she still was a stain in the eyes of the world. Not to mention that she was abducted by Xuanyuan Yu; just mentioning that Xuanyuan Yu had also asked to marry her was enough to make Empress Lu sick. What’s more, Xuanyuan Guifei also talked about how the Empress had a good life and didn’t have to worry about her nephew because Lu Shaoyou was gone!

Song Yuanzhi was furious when she heard this, not to mention Empress Lu, who raised Lu Shaoyou as her son.

How could there be such a foul-mouthed person in this world? Song Yuanzhi only hated that the situation was not right and she didn’t have the conditions to commit the crime. Otherwise, she would have silenced this bitch imperial concubine with a hairpin.

Sure enough, anyone who has anything to do with Xuanyuan Yu is not a good person!

Thinking of the ending of the original novel where Prince Wu ascends the throne, Xuanyuan Guifei becomes the empress dowager, and the male protagonist Xuanyuan Yu’s power reaches a new level, Song Yuanzhi feels like she is about to have a myocardial infarction. If this is true, it would be really suffocating.

No, I have to defeat them no matter what!

Song Yuanzhi is also not a good-tempered person, but she is also a smart person. Knowing the current situation, even if Empress Lu has some opinions about her, she will not show them and will still support her. The best option is for both parties to work together to suppress Xuanyuan Guifei’s momentum.

If Empress Lu really argued with Xuanyuan Guifei’s provocation, it would seem that she was lowered in status, but it did not prevent Song Yuanzhi from speaking out. “Really? The son of Marquis Nan’an also proposed marriage to me. It’s a pity that I only have the Marquis Zhenbei in my eyes and heart. Alas, being too outstanding is such a trouble, and you always have to deal with people you don’t want to deal with. But Concubine, don’t worry, the son of Marquis Nan’an is getting along very well with my sister now, and I’m sure you will hear good news from them soon.”

Xuanyuan Guifei was stunned by Song Yuanzhi’s words. In the palace, who doesn’t speak in a roundabout way? Song Yuanzhi was different. She didn’t beat around the bush at all and just rushed straight ahead. She was thickskinned. Xuanyuan Guifei praised her in a sarcastic way, and she really took it all in. Then she turned around and beat Xuanyuan Yu into a dog who wanted her but couldn’t get her. Her words implied that Xuanyuan Yu was not even worthy of carrying Lu Shaoyou’s shoes. Xuanyuan Guifei didn’t die of anger on the spot because of her good maintenance over the years.

Even so, Xuanyuan Guifei was almost choked by Song Yuanzhi’s anger. She slammed the table and flew into a rage. “Someone, slap her in the face!”

“Noble Xuanyuan Guifei, you have overstepped your boundaries.” Empress Lu glanced at Noble Xuanyuan Guifei calmly, “It is not your turn to issue orders in front of me. Moreover, a daughter of one family has hundreds of requests from other families. It would be despicable to ruin the reputation of others when you cannot get what you want.”

Xuanyuan Guifei was frustrated, and her knife-like eyes kept stabbing at Song Yuanzhi. After a while, she sneered, “What a sharp tongue you have. You better be careful, or someone will break your teeth one day!”

Song Yuanzhi said neither humbly nor arrogantly, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your advice.”

Threats of force are great; at worst they will both perish. Who is afraid of whom? Song Yuanzhi is really not afraid of threats; it is soft but not hard. If Xuanyuan Guifei uses force on her, she can really fight Xuanyuan Guifei to the end.

Xuanyuan Guifei felt a pang in her heart again and raised her head to look at Empress Lu. “Does the Empress also have to agree to let this ignorant thing enter the Zhenbei Marquis’s Mansion?”

Empress Lu suddenly smiled and said, “It’s strange to hear such words come from the Imperial Concubine’s mouth.”

Song Yuanzhi blinked her eyes as she watched the palace fighting gossip at the first scene. Seeing Xuanyuan Guifei being repeatedly humiliated in front of Empress Lu, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

While Xuanyuan Guifei was getting furious, another eunuch came to report that the Prince Wu and the Prince Ning wanted to see her.

Imperial Xuanyuan Guifei instantly became like a peacock spreading its tail, extremely energetic, looking at Empress Lu with a victorious attitude, and smiled, “Prince Wu is a filial child, always thinking about me, his mother. After all, he is a piece of flesh that fell from my body; how can he not love me? Your Majesty also praised Prince Wu for being filial, and he has the demeanor of his youth days!”

The son resembles his father. Such praise is already a very significant hint for the imperial family.

Xuanyuan Guifei was very proud and sighed, “It’s a pity that the Queen’s child was not saved. Otherwise, with the status of the legitimate prince being so noble, it would not be the turn of the Prince Wu to be in the limelight.”

Song Yuanzhi suspected that Xuanyuan Guifei was a wholesaler of knives in her previous life; otherwise, how could she be so good at stabbing people into hearts? Song Yuanzhi, an outsider, felt that these words were very heartbreaking. How heartbroken would Empress Lu be, who had suffered the pain of losing her son?

Empress Lu’s expression remained unchanged, showing no emotion at all. She only said calmly, “Prince Wu is filial, which is indeed your blessing.”