Chapter 219: The Building will Fall

Name：The Girl Who Struggled Through Palace Intrigues to Become the Empress Author：
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Chapter 219

Song Zhao stared at Xiao Jingheng's smiling eyes in a daze for a good half a day, and was at a loss for words for a moment.

It was Consort Yao who laughed and said,

"Is my younger sister so overjoyed that she even forgot to give thanks?"

Only then did Song Zhao come back to her senses. She quickly shook her head and said,

"Your Majesty... I have been in the palace for a short time and my status is still shallow. How could I deserve to be one of the four imperial consorts? It would be better if..."

"It doesn't matter,"

Before she could make excuses for a few more sentences, Xiao Jingheng waved his hand to interrupt her,

"I said you are worthy, so you are worthy."

Then he pointed at Consort Yao and said, "You are close with Consort Yao, why don't you ask her?"

Consort Yao was upset in her heart, both envious and bitter.

But she still had a bright smile on her face, and the flattering words came out smoothly,

"My younger sister has given birth to a noble son and is favored by His Majesty, she naturally deserves to be one of the four imperial consorts."

Song Zhao lowered her brows and bit her lips, murmuring softly,

"Even my elder sister is making fun of me..."

Xiao Jingheng held her in his arms, "It's late September now, after Cheng Yu's one month celebration next month, I plan to hold your investiture ceremony on the auspicious day of the 15th of November. I will have the Office of Ceremonials take your measurements for your ceremonial robes. Your investiture ceremony will be grand."

Usually the Office of Imperial Workshops would be in charge of the ceremonial robes for consorts,

while the Office of Ceremonials would only be responsible for the Emperor, Empress Dowager, Empress and Imperial Noble Consort's attire.

Even for an investiture ceremony, Song Zhao was only being raised to a consort now, but Xiao Jingheng was having the Office of Ceremonials attend to her personally for everything, showing his favoritism towards Song Zhao.

Song Zhao knew that the key to feigning reluctance was actually in showing willingness.

She had already declined Xiao Jingheng once, if she declined again it would dampen his enthusiasm,

so she shyly nodded and snuggled into Xiao Jingheng's arms, whispering softly:

"I'll listen to Your Majesty's arrangements."

Consort Yao said from the side: "Speaking of auspicious days, wouldn't the 7th day of the 10th month be perfect?"

Xiao Fuzi said, "It was Prince Rui who attacked first."

The grudge between Prince Rui and the Ning family was not formed in just the last few days. (Chapters 139, 140)

Earlier, because Song Zhao had a severe allergy to peach blossoms, Xiao Jingheng ordered the Empress to have the peach trees near Zhongsi Gate removed.

It just so happened that Consort Chen was overseeing the six palaces then, so the Empress deliberately assigned this matter to Consort Chen.

Recklessly, Consort Chen directly ordered for all the peach trees to be chopped down.

But the peach trees near Zhongsi Gate were personally planted by the late Emperor for Prince Rui's mother, Princess Dowager Yu.

Princess Dowager Yu had always been sickly, and when she suddenly heard about this, she died from rage.

After finding out about this, Xiao Jingheng assumed it was just an accident, and had Princess Dowager Yu properly buried, without punishing Consort Chen.

But with the murder of one's mother, there could be no peaceful coexistence under the same sky. And Prince Rui had always been hot-tempered and prone to holding grudges. How could he easily let the Ning family off?

Today, the enemies met and saw red. Naturally, after just a few words, fists started flying.

Xiao Fuzi said that currently Xiao Jingheng was dealing with the matter. Then he added gloatingly,

"Consort Chen is about to be promoted to Noble Consort soon. At this time, her elder brother injuring a prince in the palace, a subject assaulting a prince is a grave offense and crime! I reckon the matter of promoting her to Noble Consort will also have to be postponed..."

"I don't think so."

Song Zhao lowered her head and continued embroidering pearls on a tiger head shoe for Cheng Yu.

"In my opinion, not only will His Majesty not postpone Consort Chen's investiture ceremony this time, he might even grant more glory to the Ning family."

Xiao Fuzi and Yun Shan looked at each other, somewhat puzzled.

Song Zhao slowed her needlework, smiled coldly and said,

"Let me ask you, Prince Rui rarely goes to court, and Ning Xiuqi has been on military campaigns for years, so he doesn't return to the capital to give reports often either. Why did these two, who rarely frequent the court, just so happen to run into each other there today?"

After thinking briefly, Xiao Fuzi's eyes lit up, "Does Your Ladyship mean that..."

Before he could speak his guess aloud, Song Zhao slightly nodded and said:

"In times of turmoil in the realm, military generals who campaign and conquer the lands become heroes. But in times of peace, those former heroes would naturally become the greatest threat to the ruler.

If I haven't guessed wrong, His Majesty's successive actions recently are to raise the Ning family's power to the apex.

When a towering building is about to collapse, it must first be built up tall, piercing the skies, only then can it be razed to the ground in one move, leaving not a single brick or grain of sand behind."