Chapter 99: Volume 1, Chapter 99: Hou Gong Drama

Rong Luoge could not help feeling that things were not so simple—how many years had it been since a child was last born in the palace?

Though she suspected Lady Zhong's pregnancy was suspicious, she did indeed need to make a trip to Fengyi Palace.

Previously, she and Han Xinglan had merely been in a cooperative relationship, so she naturally would not have had much dealings with the Empress, but now things were different.

A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, though headache-inducing, was still something she ought to make an effort with.

Rong Luoge carefully selected a set of iridescent cloud-brocade palace attire, holding a six-ribbed gauze fan in her hand; a pearl-inlaid jadeite dangling hairpin swayed gently by her ear as she walked, complementing the pearl-and-jade earrings to radiant effect.

Ever since she became Good Lady, the Dong Gong's provisions had essentially all been sent to her quarters, because she was the only female occupant.

Not only were there the standard palace allotments, but the Crown Prince also supplemented her out of his own pocket, so her little storehouse was now quite well-stocked.

She rode a soft sedan chair, and halfway there, the sky suddenly changed and a wind began to blow.

Rong Luoge reached out and lifted the curtain to look outside—the weather in summer could change at the drop of a hat, but this was still too fast; it had been bright sunshine just moments ago, and now raindrops were already pelting down.

The bearers pressed on through the rain, so Rong Luoge said, "Find a place to shelter from the rain and wait for it to stop before going on. This passing shower won't last long."

Everyone answered in unison and quickened their pace.

Rong Luoge did not withdraw the hand holding the curtain; through the gloomy, desolate weather, she suddenly heard what seemed to be a faint commotion carried through the wind and rain.

"What is that sound up ahead?"

Hearing the Good Lady's words, Rong Xin immediately said, "This servant will go and take a look first."

Rong Luoge had watched too many palace intrigue dramas; whether it was a subconscious reaction or not, a sudden clamor in such weather and such a place surely meant something had happened.

She immediately had the sedan halted, dismounted before the covered corridor herself, and went straight into the corridor to shelter from the rain. She told the bearers to find shelter quickly and that they need not come back for her—after she saw the Empress, she could simply walk back slowly on her own.

The bearers were deeply grateful for the Good Lady's gentle kindness and hurriedly thanked her before withdrawing.

Rong Luoge walked a few steps along the corridor, passed through the moon gate, and saw Rong Xin rushing over with a rather odd expression.

"What is it?" Rong Luoge looked at her and asked.

Rong Xin said in a low voice, "Good Lady, I don't know which family's young lady it is, but she came to the palace to pay her respects and accidentally twisted her ankle on the way, and happened to run into His Majesty..."

Rong Luoge did not know whether to say her jinx had come true, or whether the Hou Gong was simply destined never to be peaceful.

"Where?"

"Just around the corner ahead. This servant stole one glance and hurried right back."

"Let's go take a look." Rong Luoge had no desire to meddle, but this scenario of a beauty in distress encountering the emperor was far too familiar—she just did not know which faction was behind it, so of course she had to quietly investigate.

A rainy day with slippery ground—a twisted ankle was truly the perfect excuse of timing, place, and circumstance.

Rong Luoge brought Rong Xin and sneaked to the corner to look; before she even saw anyone, she heard an exceedingly pleasant voice, like the first song of an oriole: "This humble girl has been discourteous and disturbed Your Majesty's procession. I beg His Majesty's forgiveness."

Rong Luoge raised an eyebrow slightly—hearing the voice before seeing the person, the voice alone told her that this woman's appearance was probably far from ordinary.

An oriole's first song, heard through the pattering rain, plus a damsel in distress—tsk tsk, who could withstand such a scene?

Burning with curiosity, Rong Luoge quietly craned her neck to peek at the situation around the corner.

Just then, a thunderclap flashed, and Rong Luoge saw a young woman in a pear-blossom-white dress startle as if frightened, her foot catch, and fall—by sheer coincidence—right into the emperor's arms.

Rong Luoge's mouth twitched as she watched this scene. The acting was utterly natural, with not the slightest trace of performance—a true expert.

Afraid of being noticed by the people around His Majesty, she took Rong Xin and left by another path, making a detour to Fengyi Palace.

Rong Xin's heart pounded like a drum the whole way. She lowered her voice and said, "Good Lady, who do you think that woman was?"

"That I do not know, but I imagine we will find out soon enough." Rong Luoge gave a light laugh. The Hou Gong had been calm for so long—first Lady Zhong's pregnancy, and now this bombshell. It looked as though the winds and clouds were about to stir, and the various factions would soon take the stage one after another.

She had not expected the Crown Prince's move to upend the court situation so thoroughly in one stroke.

Rong Luoge's heart gradually grew heavy. When she arrived at Fengyi Palace, she saw the Empress serenely sipping tea. On seeing her, the Empress waved her hand. "Sit. There is no one else here; no need for excessive ceremony."

Rong Luoge glanced at the Empress in surprise—it seemed the Empress was in a very good mood, and had even become warm and amiable toward her.

She sat on a rosewood stool and, after some thought, decided she should still mention what had happened on the way to the Empress. She smiled and said, "The weather truly changes in an instant. On my way here there was both thunder and rain, and I even heard a woman cry out in alarm. I don't know who kindly passed by and lent a hand. I was in a hurry to come and pay my respects to Your Majesty, so I did not go over to take a look."

Hearing this, the Empress raised her eyes and glanced at Rong Luoge, then smiled and said, "Is that so? Speaking of which, Liu Yingying, daughter of Liu Yuntang, the Governor of Yunjiang, was to enter the palace today to pay her respects. How is it that she has not yet appeared?"

Yan Yin immediately stepped forward. "By the time, she ought to have arrived by now. This servant will go and check whether something has delayed her."

Listening to the exchange between the Empress and her servant, Rong Luoge understood everything—that woman earlier was surely Liu Yingying. She truly lived up to her name: willow-like in form and oriole-like in voice.

However, from the Empress's expression, she could not tell whether the Empress had anything to do with this matter.

"I have already issued an order to the Imperial Hospital to have them nurse your health, so that you may give birth to a little imperial grandson as soon as possible. Remember to take your tonic medicines on schedule." The Empress was now deeply preoccupied with the matter of holding a grandson, and her tone was inevitably a few degrees more forceful.

Rong Luoge was displeased in her heart. Willingness to bear a child herself was one thing, but being pressured into it was naturally an entirely different feeling.

However, she did not confront the Empress head-on. She only smiled and nodded. "Thank you for Your Majesty's trouble. I shall keep it in mind."

Knowing was one thing; whether she actually took the medicine was her own affair.

Besides, a place like the Imperial Hospital was a requisite battlefield in palace intrigue. She did not know whether the people at the Imperial Hospital could be trusted—especially in matters concerning pregnancy and childbirth. She naturally had to be cautious.

Moreover, the Empress was mistress of the six palaces and had sat on the empress's throne for so many years—could she really not know the tricks of the trade?

She certainly knew. Yet knowing all this, she still did not seem to take it very much to heart. Rong Luoge could not help a chill in her heart.

The Empress did indeed want a grandson, but that grandson did not necessarily have to be born.

If this conjecture was true, then the Empress's casual instruction to the Imperial Hospital to examine her body and prescribe so-called tonics was probably genuine—but was truly a pit dug for someone else.