Chapter 1606: Chapter 1606: The Empress Dowager Is Acting Unusual

Song Ci lingered at Cining Palace until the afternoon before departing, while Empress Dowager Wang stood in front of the hall, watching her leave.

Song Ci: "..."

There it is again, that feeling as though the other party might devour my sacrifice.

Empress Dowager Wang waved her hand, watching as Song Ci was carried away in a soft sedan chair, and let out a long sigh.

Lian Qiao supported her hand and said, "Lady, if you truly can’t bear to part with Madam Song, you could have her stay in the palace for a couple of days."

"If I were to keep her in the palace, people outside might speculate that the Emperor has issues with the Song Family." Empress Dowager Wang sighed and slowly walked back, resting her hand on Lian Qiao’s arm.

"Then why suddenly?"

Empress Dowager Wang’s voice turned slightly heavy as she said, "Last night, I awoke from a dream, and suddenly felt that Song Ci is about to leave us."

Lian Qiao looked startled as she glanced at Empress Dowager Wang, saying, "Lady, how could this be? Madam Song is fine, she even eats more noodles than you!"

Empress Dowager Wang sighed and said, "Haven’t you heard? Sometimes elderly people, without illness or pain, suddenly pass away peacefully in their sleep. In fact, if she goes that way, it would be better, at least she wouldn’t be plagued by illness and her passing would be truly peaceful. What we fear is a lingering illness, which truly makes the heart ache."

Lian Qiao was shocked, but she persuaded, "Perhaps you are overthinking it. How about calling the Imperial Physician to prescribe some sleeping pills?"

"No need, I’ve decided to fast for nine days to pray for blessings. Pass the word that the imperial kitchen should not prepare any meat dishes." Empress Dowager Wang instructed.

...

Song Ci returned to her residence, and right after, a reward from Empress Dowager Wang arrived, claiming to be a birthday gift, extremely rich and precious with all sorts of gold and silver jewelry, fabrics, and top-grade medicinal materials, everything one might desire.

There was also a jade sculpture of a pine tree at arm height, exquisitely carved, lifelike, with excellent implications.

On any other day, this old money-lover Song Ci would find these treasures immensely comforting, but now, she is filled with doubt.

Unusual, too unusual.

"Normally, you love these treasures the most, but now with Empress Dowager’s reward, why aren’t you overjoyed and mumbling instead?" the palace nanny noticed Song Ci’s mouth slightly moving while shaking her head and found it strange.

This isn’t the typical behavior of this money-loving old lady!

"Nanny, do I look like someone who’s about to be hanged?" Song Ci abruptly asked.

The nanny was startled, her old face sinking, she reprimanded, "Madam! What kind of talk is that? Who curses themselves like this?"

Too inauspicious.

Song Ci responded awkwardly, "It’s just that Empress Dowager has confused me; you weren’t in the palace, so you wouldn’t know, she was very attentive, bringing up all sorts of topics, oddly as if I’m about to disappear."

The nanny opened her mouth, but didn’t dare blasphemously suggest that maybe it was Empress Dowager who felt unwell, she just said, "As people age, they become somewhat nagging. There aren’t many people Lady usually finds congenial to talk to, when you visit the palace, understandably she talks a bit more than usual."

"You make a valid point, but this year’s birthday gifts seem excessive."

The nanny had seen the gift list and also knew it was indeed more plentiful than in previous years, but she didn’t want to utter anything unpleasant, she merely teased with a smile, "Isn’t this exactly to your liking? You money-loving old miser!"

Song Ci chuckled twice.

The nanny breathed a sigh of relief, but still arranged for Lin Qing to be invited to take Song Ci’s pulse, lest unsettling thoughts disturb the night’s rest.

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