"Only me?"
Song Zhao abruptly raised her eyebrows, staring at Xiao Yinzi with wide, bewildered eyes. "How could it be just me? That day, I heard Consort Yao and Concubine Li say to them that there used to be another Song Changzai in the palace. Her family committed a grave mistake and was sentenced to death by His Majesty, and Song Changzai was also thrown into the Cold Palace. In the end, she died with resentment..."
When Xiao Yinzi heard Song Zhao say this, he suddenly realized that he had let something slip that he should not have said.
Xiao Jingheng had ordered the entire palace to conceal the unpleasant matters of Song Zhao's past from her, even going so far as to issue a death order. Now Xiao Yinzi was frightened, his face pale. He hurriedly tried to make amends, laughing awkwardly,
"Y-yes, yes! Look at this old slave's terrible memory!"
He fiercely slapped the back of his head, smiling apologetically. "There was originally a Song Changzai in the palace. When Noble Consort Chen mentioned her offhandedly, this muddled old slave actually went and forgot about her."
Seeing his clumsy acting, Song Zhao naturally did not believe him.
"Forgot? You work for His Majesty, and there are only so many consorts in the rear palace. Song Changzai's family committed a crime and she died in the Cold Palace - such a major event, how could you have forgotten about it?"
Faced with Song Zhao's barrage of questioning, Xiao Yinzi was clearly panicking, stammering and unable to respond.
Just then, Xiao Jingheng returned from the morning court session to Changle Palace.
He had entered still smiling. "How did the discussion about the details of the memorial service go?"
But as soon as he focused his eyes, he saw that Song Zhao had an expression of shock while Xiao Yinzi's face was filled with apprehension and unease.
Xiao Jingheng immediately sensed that something was amiss.
But before he could ask, he heard Song Zhao speak first, asking him,
"Xiao Lang, was there another Song Changzai in the palace before?"
Yun Shan had previously reported Consort Yao's idle gossip privately to Xiao Jingheng. At that time, they had fabricated a fictional "Song Changzai" in order to placate Song Zhao.
So when Xiao Jingheng heard Song Zhao ask this, he was mentally prepared. He nodded and replied,
"There was. She's long gone, so why bring her up?"
As he spoke, his eyes glared at the sweaty Xiao Yinzi.
When Song Zhao heard Xiao Jingheng say this, the doubtful look on her face did not diminish at all, but rather grew even more intense.
She stared at Xiao Jingheng blankly, shaking her head as she murmured:
"Yun Shan said my parents both died, and you said Ruo Xin was raised in Noble Consort Chen's palace because she was ill since childhood. But after Ruo Xin was brought back, I saw she didn't look at all like someone who had suffered a major illness.
I was wondering, if a child was ill, why couldn't she be raised by my side? Could it be that Noble Consort Chen would take better care of my own daughter than I, her mother, would? Even if that were truly so, as her mother, how could I have not visited Ruo Xin even once, to the point that my daughter is so unfamiliar with me? Could it be that..."
As Song Zhao talked to herself, she methodically connected all the clues and doubts together.
Her eyes reddened as she looked at Xiao Jingheng, her voice catching with sobs.
"Could it be... could it be that the criminal's daughter Consort Yao spoke of was referring to me? And the one thrown into the Cold Palace... was also me?"
Seeing her become so visibly emotional, Xiao Jingheng also panicked, at a loss for what to do.
He clasped Song Zhao's shoulders and said heavily, "Don't think randomly, things are not as you imagine. Listen to me..."
"Why did you lie to me?" Song Zhao's fierce temper flared up again. She abruptly pushed Xiao Jingheng away, retreating several steps back.
"No wonder... no wonder Consort Yao wanted me dead. It was you who ordered the entire palace to hide the past from me, so when I overheard Consort Yao gossiping about me in private, she became so afraid. And she randomly fabricated a person who didn't exist to placate me!
She tried to poison me because she was afraid I would discover something wrong and question you about it, afraid of causing trouble, so she thought it'd be best if I just died to settle everything!"
Song Zhao's emotions collapsed in an instant.
She crouched down against the wall corner, clutching her hair tightly with both hands, pulling painfully at her scalp. She began to weep in despair.
Seeing things develop to this point, Xiao Jingheng understood in his heart that concealing any more now would only lead to Song Zhao asking around herself and potentially discovering even more that he did not want her to know.
So he could only choose to "come clean" with Song Zhao first.
He slowly approached her one step at a time, testing the waters.
Seeing that she did not resist, he crouched down beside her. His heart ached as he said gently,
"My dear, I... didn't intend to hide anything from you."
Song Zhao looked up at him with tearful eyes, choking back sobs as she asked,
"Then can Xiao Lang tell me the truth? Just what exactly did I experience in the past?"
Xiao Jingheng used his warm fingertips to wipe away the tear tracks on Song Zhao's cheeks. He gazed sincerely into her eyes and said heavily,
"Many things - after you lost your memories, I chose to conceal them from you because I did not want you to recall those unhappy memories again. Since you ask me today, I will no longer hide anything from you. Your father was the Duke Who Protects the State of this dynasty. He committed a grave crime and I demoted him, sending him to Beihanchuan as the Grand Commander. But unexpectedly, feeling remorseful for betraying the court's many years of heavy trust and favor, in a moment of impulse he took his own life...
The rear palace and previous dynasty were as one body, and ever since you entered the palace you enjoyed my special favor. Those stubbornly old-fashioned officials from the previous dynasty were dissatisfied with you early on. With your family causing such an incident, the officials all denounced you. To protect you, I quarreled with them at court. But you... in order not to put me in a difficult position, voluntarily requested to be punished by spending a year in the Cold Palace."
At this point, his face was full of profound feelings, and his eyes had also reddened.
"Ruo Xin had always been by your side since she was young, but when you insisted on entering the Cold Palace, it was just when she was slightly older and beginning to form memories. She was thus sent to Noble Consort Chen's palace, growing close to her and inevitably distant from you."
Song Zhao listened tearfully. Xiao Jingheng's words were truly exquisite -
It was as if he had profound feelings for Song Zhao, and Song Zhao had also always been considerate of him.
The two seemed to have been a couple who lived to complement and sacrifice for one another.
He spoke with such sincerity that if Song Zhao continued doubting his words, it would make her seem somewhat unappreciative.
Although the tears kept falling, she managed to steady her emotions and ask,
"Is what Xiao Lang said true?"
Xiao Jingheng stated solemnly, "Absolutely true, without any falsehood!"
Song Zhao sadly lowered her gaze, no longer blaming Xiao Jingheng for deceiving her, but rather blaming and reproaching herself.
"So that's how it is. To think that I am the daughter of a criminal... the daughter of a criminal..."
"Only me?"
Song Zhao abruptly raised her eyebrows, staring at Xiao Yinzi with wide, bewildered eyes. "How could it be just me? That day, I heard Consort Yao and Concubine Li say to them that there used to be another Song Changzai in the palace. Her family committed a grave mistake and was sentenced to death by His Majesty, and Song Changzai was also thrown into the Cold Palace. In the end, she died with resentment..."
When Xiao Yinzi heard Song Zhao say this, he suddenly realized that he had let something slip that he should not have said.
Xiao Jingheng had ordered the entire palace to conceal the unpleasant matters of Song Zhao's past from her, even going so far as to issue a death order. Now Xiao Yinzi was frightened, his face pale. He hurriedly tried to make amends, laughing awkwardly,
"Y-yes, yes! Look at this old slave's terrible memory!"
He fiercely slapped the back of his head, smiling apologetically. "There was originally a Song Changzai in the palace. When Noble Consort Chen mentioned her offhandedly, this muddled old slave actually went and forgot about her."
Seeing his clumsy acting, Song Zhao naturally did not believe him.
"Forgot? You work for His Majesty, and there are only so many consorts in the rear palace. Song Changzai's family committed a crime and she died in the Cold Palace - such a major event, how could you have forgotten about it?"
Faced with Song Zhao's barrage of questioning, Xiao Yinzi was clearly panicking, stammering and unable to respond.
Just then, Xiao Jingheng returned from the morning court session to Changle Palace.
He had entered still smiling. "How did the discussion about the details of the memorial service go?"
But as soon as he focused his eyes, he saw that Song Zhao had an expression of shock while Xiao Yinzi's face was filled with apprehension and unease.
Xiao Jingheng immediately sensed that something was amiss.
But before he could ask, he heard Song Zhao speak first, asking him,
"Xiao Lang, was there another Song Changzai in the palace before?"
Yun Shan had previously reported Consort Yao's idle gossip privately to Xiao Jingheng. At that time, they had fabricated a fictional "Song Changzai" in order to placate Song Zhao.
So when Xiao Jingheng heard Song Zhao ask this, he was mentally prepared. He nodded and replied,
"There was. She's long gone, so why bring her up?"
As he spoke, his eyes glared at the sweaty Xiao Yinzi.
When Song Zhao heard Xiao Jingheng say this, the doubtful look on her face did not diminish at all, but rather grew even more intense.
She stared at Xiao Jingheng blankly, shaking her head as she murmured:
"Yun Shan said my parents both died, and you said Ruo Xin was raised in Noble Consort Chen's palace because she was ill since childhood. But after Ruo Xin was brought back, I saw she didn't look at all like someone who had suffered a major illness.
I was wondering, if a child was ill, why couldn't she be raised by my side? Could it be that Noble Consort Chen would take better care of my own daughter than I, her mother, would? Even if that were truly so, as her mother, how could I have not visited Ruo Xin even once, to the point that my daughter is so unfamiliar with me? Could it be that..."
As Song Zhao talked to herself, she methodically connected all the clues and doubts together.
Her eyes reddened as she looked at Xiao Jingheng, her voice catching with sobs.
"Could it be... could it be that the criminal's daughter Consort Yao spoke of was referring to me? And the one thrown into the Cold Palace... was also me?"
Seeing her become so visibly emotional, Xiao Jingheng also panicked, at a loss for what to do.
He clasped Song Zhao's shoulders and said heavily, "Don't think randomly, things are not as you imagine. Listen to me..."
"Why did you lie to me?" Song Zhao's fierce temper flared up again. She abruptly pushed Xiao Jingheng away, retreating several steps back.
"No wonder... no wonder Consort Yao wanted me dead. It was you who ordered the entire palace to hide the past from me, so when I overheard Consort Yao gossiping about me in private, she became so afraid. And she randomly fabricated a person who didn't exist to placate me!
She tried to poison me because she was afraid I would discover something wrong and question you about it, afraid of causing trouble, so she thought it'd be best if I just died to settle everything!"
Song Zhao's emotions collapsed in an instant.
She crouched down against the wall corner, clutching her hair tightly with both hands, pulling painfully at her scalp. She began to weep in despair.
Seeing things develop to this point, Xiao Jingheng understood in his heart that concealing any more now would only lead to Song Zhao asking around herself and potentially discovering even more that he did not want her to know.
So he could only choose to "come clean" with Song Zhao first.
He slowly approached her one step at a time, testing the waters.
Seeing that she did not resist, he crouched down beside her. His heart ached as he said gently,
"My dear, I... didn't intend to hide anything from you."
Song Zhao looked up at him with tearful eyes, choking back sobs as she asked,
"Then can Xiao Lang tell me the truth? Just what exactly did I experience in the past?"
Xiao Jingheng used his warm fingertips to wipe away the tear tracks on Song Zhao's cheeks. He gazed sincerely into her eyes and said heavily,
"Many things - after you lost your memories, I chose to conceal them from you because I did not want you to recall those unhappy memories again. Since you ask me today, I will no longer hide anything from you. Your father was the Duke Who Protects the State of this dynasty. He committed a grave crime and I demoted him, sending him to Beihanchuan as the Grand Commander. But unexpectedly, feeling remorseful for betraying the court's many years of heavy trust and favor, in a moment of impulse he took his own life...
The rear palace and previous dynasty were as one body, and ever since you entered the palace you enjoyed my special favor. Those stubbornly old-fashioned officials from the previous dynasty were dissatisfied with you early on. With your family causing such an incident, the officials all denounced you. To protect you, I quarreled with them at court. But you... in order not to put me in a difficult position, voluntarily requested to be punished by spending a year in the Cold Palace."
At this point, his face was full of profound feelings, and his eyes had also reddened.
"Ruo Xin had always been by your side since she was young, but when you insisted on entering the Cold Palace, it was just when she was slightly older and beginning to form memories. She was thus sent to Noble Consort Chen's palace, growing close to her and inevitably distant from you."
Song Zhao listened tearfully. Xiao Jingheng's words were truly exquisite -
It was as if he had profound feelings for Song Zhao, and Song Zhao had also always been considerate of him.
The two seemed to have been a couple who lived to complement and sacrifice for one another.
He spoke with such sincerity that if Song Zhao continued doubting his words, it would make her seem somewhat unappreciative.
Although the tears kept falling, she managed to steady her emotions and ask,
"Is what Xiao Lang said true?"
Xiao Jingheng stated solemnly, "Absolutely true, without any falsehood!"
Song Zhao sadly lowered her gaze, no longer blaming Xiao Jingheng for deceiving her, but rather blaming and reproaching herself.
"So that's how it is. To think that I am the daughter of a criminal... the daughter of a criminal..."
