It was only when Song Chaoyu and the other stood at the entrance of the Prince’s mansion that the gates were suddenly opened!
The servants within the mansion, all of them, rushed out as if not a single soul had left the Chang Prince’s mansion: “Wonderful, Your Highness and the Princess Consort have returned! The Prince and Princess Consort have returned!”
Every face, upon seeing Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi, radiated genuine happiness.
Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi were instantly surrounded by the people of the mansion, smiles on every face, which made their hearts feel lighter, as if all their troubles could be momentarily forgotten.
They were ushered into the Chang Prince’s mansion, where everything was just as it had been before they left.
The steward of the mansion also stepped forward, proactively informing Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu of the mansion’s situation: “After Prince Ning rebelled, we all gathered to discuss. Some advocated for everyone to leave, as preserving life was paramount. However, this old servant felt that staying here might be safer. Furthermore, I have spent the better part of my life in this mansion, and have nowhere else to go, so I was the first to remain.”
In truth, not everyone had stayed in the Chang Prince’s mansion. The young servant who first suggested leaving had taken about five or six people with him.
The rest of the people, along with the managers, had stayed behind, believing that Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi would surely return.
They had assisted the Song family in sending Xiao Taozi and Xiao Houzi to the estate, and the wet nurses, nannies, and maids who served them had also gone along. The managers had even assigned them almost all the able-bodied young servants in the household. A total of twenty-three people had left the Prince’s mansion and were now at the estate.
The remaining people stayed in the mansion, and even during the most tumultuous times outside, no one had expressed a desire to leave the Chang Prince’s mansion.
Initially, Mu Hansu’s men had not intended to enter the Prince’s mansion, but they were a disorganised mob.
The Prince’s mansion gates were heavy, and they knew that their masters were no longer inside. Someone nearby shouted that there were good things in the Shangshu Zhang family’s mansion in front of the Prince’s mansion, and those people swarmed towards the Zhang family to plunder.
The knife marks on the Prince’s mansion gates were caused during that time.
Compared to them, the Zhang family’s situation was far more tragic.
Song Chaoyu and the others had seen the Zhang family as they traveled. The vast courtyard of the Zhang family had been almost entirely reduced to ruins by fire. The steward said that the Zhang family’s wife had apparently been violated and then committed suicide by jumping into a well.
Song Chaoyu had not seen Minister Zhang and Madam Zhang in the Guande Hall, and she knew that Minister Zhang had supported the Crown Prince.
It was likely that the two of them had met a grim fate.
How could Mu Hansu, leading such an army, win over the people?
Apart from the Zhang family, other official residences that remained in the capital and did not have time to seek refuge in the palace were not faring any better.
Except for the homes of some military officials, which were relatively peaceful, most of the civil officials’ homes had suffered robbery and plunder to varying degrees.
Any young female family members in the residences had to be hidden away.
Many ministers had even voluntarily handed over their household wealth in exchange for their own safety.
Now that the matter was mostly settled, the capital was filled with widespread condemnation of Mu Hansu.
Upon returning to the Prince’s mansion, Song Chaoyu’s heart settled, but she missed Xiao Houzi and Xiao Taozi even more.
However, she and Mu Changxi decided to wait until all matters in the capital were resolved before bringing the two children back.
—
After returning to the Prince’s mansion and tidying themselves up, news arrived from the palace.
No one had expected that the Emperor’s first act upon returning to the palace would be related to the harem!
The Emperor, on the grounds of the Noble Consort disrespecting the Empress, had demoted the Noble Consort’s rank, stripping her of the title of Noble Consort. She was now referred to only as “Consort Li.”
Even Song Chaoyu felt that such an action was rather petty of the Emperor.
Concurrently, Consort Li had moved out of the Dengque Palace, which was very close to the Emperor, and relocated to the more humble Changqing Palace within the palace.
Song Chaoyu was somewhat worried about Consort Li. Mu Changxi, however, said, “If you are worried, then go into the palace to see Mother Consort.”
Song Chaoyu was stunned: “Aren’t you going?”
Mu Changxi smiled slightly: “Father Emperor should want to see me soon. You go ahead; I can visit Mother Consort in the palace anytime.”
Song Chaoyu understood, and there was no time to delay. The next morning, she entered the palace.
Although it had only been one night, the capital was already vastly different from before.
During the night, all of Mu Hansu’s men in the capital had been apprehended.
The defense of the vast capital had been returned to the Crown Prince’s hands.
When they retreated to the Guande Hall, the Emperor had handed over the Imperial Guard’s token to the Crown Prince. Now, all the Imperial Guards were under the Crown Prince’s command and had not been returned to the Emperor.
Due to the fear of lingering remnants of Mu Hansu’s forces, the capital was still under a curfew.
However, even without the curfew, it was likely that after such a disaster, the people of the capital would not dare to venture onto the streets lightly.
Every household had its doors tightly shut, and the vast capital no longer possessed its former prosperity.
Song Chaoyu traveled into the palace by carriage, and all she heard along the way was the rumbling of their Chang Prince’s mansion’s carriage wheels.
The guards at the palace gates were even more vigilant, but upon seeing that it was Song Chaoyu, they cleared a path for her.
Now that the entire palace city was under the Crown Prince’s control, both Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu could enter and exit freely.
After entering the palace, Song Chaoyu made her way towards a corner of the palace city, feeling as though she had almost walked to the southern end of the palace city before she saw the Changqing Palace where Consort Li now resided.
This Changqing Palace could not be compared to the Dengque Palace.
Changqing Palace was less than half the size of Dengque Palace, and due to years of disrepair, every part of the palace appeared dirty and old.
In the courtyard, there were two withered willow trees, making the scene look utterly desolate.
However, when Song Chaoyu arrived at Changqing Palace, she saw Consort Li sitting under one of the willow trees, which had only dry branches left, drinking medicine.
Her expression was as usual, and her eyes even held a calmness and contentment that was not present in her daily demeanor.
She did not look like a demoted concubine at all; rather, she resembled a mistress of the house comfortably and leisurely sipping tea in her own home.
Seeing Consort Li’s state of mind, Song Chaoyu’s heart finally felt a little at ease.
She entered and bowed to Consort Li: “Your humble servant greets Your Highness. May Your Highness be blessed with peace and prosperity.”
“Rise quickly!”
Consort Li smiled gently, her eyes lacking their usual charm, and instead showing a sense of relief.
Song Chaoyu stepped forward and praised her sincerely: “Mother Consort looks much better, not at all like what they say outside.”
Consort Li smiled slightly, knowing why Song Chaoyu had come: “You were worried, weren’t you? This consort is fine.”