Chapter 479: After modification - 479 Are You Begging Me to Be Reasonable
"Alas."
Song Ci propped her chin and sighed deeply.
The nanny seated beside her was sewing a small undershirt. Hearing the sigh, she paused and placed the item on her lap, saying, "Madam, how many times have you sighed already? If you sigh any more, the new green buds on the trees will be sighed off by you. Could you at least let them live through the winter?"
Song Ci turned her head: "I understand now."
Nanny: "???"
"You’re begging me to act like a human!"
Nanny: "..."
She laughed, choked a bit, but found it especially funny.
"If you are truly bored, why not go for an outing?" Nanny suggested, "Now is the perfect season of flying warblers and growing grass, perfect for a spring trip."
"Really, an outing? Do you want to turn into a wet chick with me?" Song Ci pointed to the drizzle of spring rain outside the window.
After the beginning of spring, the rain fell persistently, accompanied by melting snow, cold to the bone. After enduring it all, the rain hardly stopped, coming intermittently, irritating everyone.
With so much rain, the air was damp, and so were the quilts and clothes. Thanks to Song Ci’s noble status and wealth, she managed to keep everything dry; otherwise, it would have been unbearable.
The nanny also looked at the spring rain, saying, "Spring rain is as precious as oil, but there will also be times when it stops. Otherwise, just stop sighing; old slave’s ears are almost pouring oil."
Song Ci pretended to be angry: "Bold! You, a mere old thing, dare to openly gossip about Madam, it seems you want to rebel!"
Look, what kind of Madam behaves like this?
The nanny said, "Stop pretending already, old slave doesn’t even want to cooperate with your act."
"Boring." Song Ci pouted, leaning at the window again, sighing, "My heart, it’s gone with Su’er, I don’t even know where he is now. He must have seen many mountains and rivers, tasted various foods by now."
The tone was both sour and envious.
Seeing her like this, the nanny softened and said, "If you’re not going out for a spring trip, why not host a spring banquet for flower appreciation, inviting a few good madams and young ladies over to play?"
Song Ci was moved: "This might not be appropriate, considering there was such a major incident recently."
The nanny’s expression turned serious, also somewhat secretive.
Song Ci was referring to what happened at the Imperial Temple.
In March, when the royal family led by Emperor Chu went to pay respects at the Imperial Mausoleum, Empress Dowager Wang, along with the Empress and Prince Xiao, and the fifth prince, went to the Imperial Temple.
As it happened, during the ceremony, a monk self-immolated on the spot, the flames quickly spread to some yellow silk, causing chaos on site, terrifying Empress Dowager Wang so much that her souls seemed to scatter, fainting immediately and then falling ill.
Song Ci went to visit in the palace, feeling pity for the usually pampered noblewoman who had become emaciated, saying she even dreamed of the monk’s self-immolation at night, which pained Emperor Chu, prompting him to invite a master from the Royal Enlightenment Temple to relieve the Empress Dowager’s shock.
It was said to be the doing of remnants from the previous dynasty.
Song Ci also knew the royal family was prepared, thinking they aimed at the Imperial Mausoleum, only to find they targeted the Imperial Temple.
A self-immolation at the Imperial Temple, just imagining this event felt vicious. Although the royal family covered it up, there were rumors saying the Chu royal family lacked virtue, unworthy in heaven.
Such rumors naturally couldn’t be tolerated, and the palace issued a severe order: anyone spreading it would face complete family extermination. After executing several people, the stories stopped spreading — who dared to? If someone heard you mention a word, a report would mean your doom, would you dare?