That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

After being driven out of the Qin Zheng Hall, the King of Chu went to the Shou Kang Palace.

When the King of Chu entered the Shou Kang Palace, the Empress Dowager was already emaciated and looked extremely haggard.

He was speechless with astonishment:

"Mother..."

"What's wrong with you?"

"It's alright." Seeing her struggling with her illness, kneeling before the Buddha statue while leaning on the table to pray for blessings, the King of Chu hurriedly went to help her, but the Empress Dowager pushed his hand away.

The King of Chu pulled the old woman aside and asked her in detail, only to learn that after autumn arrived, the Empress Dowager had suddenly caught a cold and had fallen seriously ill.

The entire Shou Kang Palace kept their mouths shut, neither telling Xiao Yan nor allowing the news to leak out.

The King of Chu stood behind the Queen Dowager and sighed softly, "Mother, why are you doing this?"

He could tell from this that the Empress Dowager was punishing him in this way, and that even though he was ill, he had to pray for blessings.

The Empress Dowager's eyes were sunken, and her gaze was dull and lifeless as she looked at the Buddha statue.

"Your mother's health is deteriorating day by day. But what I owe your brother, the Emperor, can be made up for slowly. While there is still some time left, let us pray for him, that the country may be stable and the people healthy and safe. Only in this way can I find some comfort in my heart and feel that the debts and mistakes I made in the past can be gradually erased."

The King of Chu sighed, "Mother, if you had realized your mistakes sooner, would things have come to this between you and my brother?"

The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time.

A wave of regret washed over me; I hated myself for being so stubborn and biased in the past.

After a moment, she turned to the King of Chu and asked, "My son, did you come here today for any other reason?"

The King of Chu looked slightly nervous.

"Your Majesty, I have found someone I love and wish to marry her."

The Empress Dowager's eyes flickered slightly, showing a hint of interest: "Oh. Which family's daughter has caught the Emperor's eye?"

The King of Chu looked nervously at the Empress Dowager, "Zheng Yueyao, the younger sister of the Marquis of Zhenbei."

The Empress Dowager remained silent for a moment after hearing this.

The King of Chu stared intently at her expression, his heart pounding in his chest.

Suddenly, the Empress Dowager revealed a faint smile, "Zheng Yueyao is a good girl. Since you are fond of her, I have no objection and will grant your request."

The King of Chu looked surprised and blurted out, "Mother...you don't object?"

He knew that the Empress Dowager was strict and valued the royal family's reputation above all else. Yueyao was a second-time bride, so he originally thought that the Empress Dowager would definitely not agree and would join forces with the imperial clan to make a big fuss about the royal family's reputation and social rules, and insist on opposing it.

But... the Empress Dowager actually agreed.

He didn't say a single word of embarrassment.

This greatly surprised the King of Chu, who even wondered if the Empress Dowager had suffered some kind of shock and had become a different person.

The Empress Dowager raised her hand and lightly patted his face.

"So, in your heart, this is what the Empress Dowager is like?"

She took a breath, her eyes filled with weariness.

"Your mother has long since come to terms with it. Royal dignity, rules and etiquette are not as important as your brothers' happiness and well-being. In the past, your mother was stubborn and made too many mistakes, which led to your brother severing ties with her, becoming like strangers, and regretting it deeply."

The King of Chu felt a lump in his throat: "Mother."

……

The King of Chu returned to the Hall of Diligent Governance and told Xiao Yan the news that the Empress Dowager had fallen ill.

After hearing this, Xiao Yan remained silent for a long time.

"I understand."

His tone was flat and emotionless.

The King of Chu gazed at Xiao Yan's pensive profile and sighed softly.

He would not advise his elder brother to consider the bond between mother and son, or to remember the debt of gratitude for giving birth to him, and to let bygones be bygones.

Some wounds, if not experienced firsthand, do not qualify one to be forgiven or let go, even if that person is the mother who gave birth to them.

*

Two days later, the nanny who served the Empress Dowager made a special trip to Yaohua Palace to invite Song Shuangning to Shou Kang Palace.

Seeing this, Tingyu and Tinglu were somewhat worried, fearing that the Empress Dowager would take the opportunity to make things difficult for Song Shuangning.

Song Shuangning remained calm, "The Empress Dowager wouldn't do that."

Then he followed the old woman to Shou Kang Palace.

The Empress Dowager lay ill on her bed, her appearance withered and haggard, her temples streaked with white.

Song Shuangning slightly curtsied: "Your Majesty, this concubine greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager weakly raised her hand: "You are pregnant, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down."

Song Shuangning's gaze swept over the Empress Dowager's haggard face. "Your Majesty summoned me here. Is there anything you wish to instruct me on?"

"The matter of Zhaohua's death was due to my momentary lapse of judgment. There were also many other incidents in the past that wronged you. You are a sensible and good child."

"Your Majesty is too kind."

The Empress Dowager gestured to the maid to bring a carved brocade box. When the box was opened, a jade bracelet came into view.

"This was personally given to me by the Empress Dowager before her death."

The Empress Dowager gazed at the jade bracelet, "Now I entrust it to you."

Song Shuangning declined, saying, "This concubine cannot accept it."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager said earnestly, "Please accept it; consider it a small token of my appreciation."

Song Shuangning still did not accept the brocade box. Instead, she looked at the Empress Dowager on the bed and slowly spoke, "Empress Dowager, please speak plainly. What do you wish me to do?"

The Empress Dowager lowered her eyelids, her shoulders trembled slightly, and she choked out:

"I...wish to see Your Majesty."

Her breath was weak, and her eyes were glistening with tears: "I know His Majesty cares for you. If you are willing to speak, His Majesty will surely come. I know my own body well; I'm afraid I don't have much time left."

"I truly know my mistakes, and I regret them constantly, punishing my past self every moment."

The Empress Dowager hurriedly explained, "But I did not give you this bracelet to beg you. You are a good child. As long as the Emperor approves of someone, I approve of them too. I passed it on to you in the hope that you and the Emperor will stay together year after year, and live a fulfilling life."

After speaking, the Empress Dowager's gaze locked onto Song Shuangning's face, her eyes pleading.

Song Shuangning sighed: "Your Majesty, some things and some words are like spilled water that cannot be taken back. Even if you try your best to make amends, the traces will never be erased. It is not possible to make amends with sincere remorse or painstaking efforts to make up for everything in the past."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager burst into tears.

"I know, I know everything."

"But I miss him so much..."

Song Shuangning looked at the gaunt woman before her. She had once been a powerful empress dowager and a concubine whom the late emperor had doted on. Now, she was nothing but a haggard figure, a punishment for herself.

Shape pin bone upright.

She left with the words, "I will try my best."

The old woman saw Song Shuangning out, and when no one was around, she lowered her voice and said, "Your Highness, the matter of the Emperor being poisoned by the love potion had nothing to do with the Empress Dowager. It was Consort Shen who made the decision on her own. The Empress Dowager kept quiet because of her relationship with Consort Shen. As the only person who knew the truth, I really couldn't bear to continue to hide it."

If it weren't for that incident back then, perhaps the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager wouldn't have reached this point.

Song Shuangning's expression hardened.

"I understand."

*

The next day.

Shen Jieyu was dragged into the attic with her head covered. When the hood was removed, she saw Song Shuangning in the blinding light and looked surprised.

"Consort Yuan Xian?"

She looked around at the elegant pavilion, where books and light bows were displayed, and the furnishings were all in a refined style.

Seeing this, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why did you bring me here? I am, after all, one of the Emperor's concubines. How can you treat me so rudely?"

Song Shuangning leaned against the chaise lounge, with exquisite pastries laid out on the table beside her.

After a long while, she lazily lifted her eyelids, her almond-shaped eyes glancing sideways, filled with contempt and coldness.

"I have recently heard something that has made me very angry. As you know, I am pregnant and my body cannot withstand any stress. If I were to get sick from anger, His Majesty would surely be worried. This anger was caused by you, and I have come to you today to ask you to help me relieve this anger."