Chapter 64: Gift Pin Temptation

Chapter 64

Later, whenever Song Zhao had free time, she would go to visit Concubine Xiao.

She didn't do much, just accompanied her to chat and comforted her, hoping that she wouldn't bottle everything up inside.

Others who saw this thought that Song Zhao was really stupid.

Concubine Xiao's appearance was ruined. It was obvious that she could no longer gain favor. They didn't understand why Song Zhao cared so much about her.

But Song Zhao knew that it was exactly people like Concubine Xiao, who had been pushed to the edge, who were more likely to react desperately and do shocking things.

Regarding the incident of her ruined appearance, Song Zhao made Concubine Xiao think it was Consort Chen who had tampered with her pipa. Concubine Xiao might go after Consort Chen, but she could also go after Song Zhao.

After all, Concubine Xiao had served as her scapegoat. Of course she felt resentful.

Song Zhao didn’t want to provoke such troubles. She didn’t want her schemes to eventually scheme herself.

That was why she was particularly caring towards Concubine Xiao.

She wanted to be a ray of light in Concubine Xiao’s hopeless situation, so that Concubine Xiao wouldn’t resent her.

At the end of the month, the palace received a tribute of mammary orange from Lingnan.

Lingnan was far away from the capital. Mammary orange was expensive. Transporting it required very harsh conditions.

Plus this was a bad harvest year. There weren’t many fruits of good quality either. So when they were delivered to the palace, there was less than two dou left. (Less than 20 catties)

The Empress Dowager loved mammary oranges the most. So one dou was delivered to her.

The rest were distributed to the concubines based on precedence in previous years. The Empress and Consort Chen received the most. Concubines Ying, Yun and Shu also received some. But the lower ranking concubines didn’t get any.

However, there were exceptions.

For example, although Song Zhao was only a Secondary Consort, she also received some.

The Imperial Household Department kept records of imperial favors. Song Zhao couldn’t possibly hide this.

But she handled things very well, sharing the mammary oranges with all the consorts and concubines in the palace, so it didn’t arouse too much jealousy.

In recent days, Consort Chen laid low. Song Zhao once again became the most favored in the palace.

Xiao Jingheng still hadn’t gotten over his fondness for Song Zhao. He still cherished her like a rare treasure.

Just now, after noon there was news from the Attendants’ Office again that Xiao Jingheng had drawn Song Zhao’s name plaque for the night.

But unlike previous times, when the sedan chair arrived at Yao Hua Palace that night to fetch Song Zhao for the imperial favor, the chief eunuch leading the sedan chair was Zhang Jiugui instead.

He was the manager of the Attendants’ Office. Usually he would only lead the sedan chair on a consort’s first night serving the emperor, or if Xiao Jingheng had special instructions.

So Song Zhao asked him, “Why did you come today, Sir?”

Zhang Jiugui smiled obsequiously with hunched shoulders and said, “I happened to have time today, so I wanted to escort the young mistress personally.”

After speaking, he took out a hairpin from his clothes and presented it to Song Zhao, “This hairpin was bestowed on you by Consort Chen. The xanthoxylum fruit tassels carved on it look exquisitely lifelike. With your fair complexion, it would definitely look good on you.”

As soon as Song Zhao took the hairpin in her hand, she understood what was going on.

Zhang Jiugui was Consort Chen’s man. His words represented Consort Chen’s intentions.

As for the xanthoxylum flower tassels, Song Zhao had long learned about the preferences of the consorts and concubines. She knew xanthoxylum flowers were Consort Chen’s favorite flowers.

She had heard that it was because Consort Chen once danced under the xanthoxylum trees when they were in full blossom, drunk on the sunset glow, that she managed to capture Xiao Jingheng’s heart from then on.

And now, Consort Chen was letting Song Zhao wear the hairpin with xanthoxylum flower pendant when attending the emperor, in hopes that Xiao Jingheng would see it and be reminded of their past sweet memories together.

Ever since that incident, Xiao Jingheng had not seen Consort Chen for almost a month.

Song Zhao thought Consort Chen must have double intentions in sending over the hairpin at this time.

The first intention was naturally wanting to regain the holy favor.

The second intention was actually testing Song Zhao herself.

If Xiao Jingheng still showed no intention of reconciling with Consort Chen after seeing the hairpin today, then it meant Song Zhao already held quite some status in Xiao Jingheng’s heart.

By then Consort Chen would definitely become wary against her, even plotting against her.

In a very brief moment, Song Zhao quickly ran through her thoughts. Then pretending to be oblivious, she smiled and inserted the hairpin into her coiffure. She told Zhang Jiugui, “Please thank Consort Chen that I really like this hairpin. I will definitely go to thank Her Ladyship personally tomorrow.”