Chapter 111: Entering the Palace in Full Ceremonial Makeup—My Neck Is Finished

During the Dragon Boat Festival, every household hung calamus and mugwort by the door and wore sachets embroidered with the Five Poisons.

Before dawn, Song Ci was dragged out of bed by Palace Matron Gong and dressed in full court attire according to her rank, because she was to enter the palace and pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.

In truth, Song Ci did not particularly want to go. It was not that she had no desire to see how magnificent the real imperial palace was. She was simply afraid of giving herself away. After all, she had only arrived in this world a month ago and had just barely grown accustomed to life in the Prime Minister's Residence.

What was more, the person she was going to meet in the palace was the Empress Dowager, with whom she had once endured hardship. What if the Empress Dowager brought up those difficult days of the past and Song Ci could not answer her?

But the Empress Dowager had personally issued an edict summoning her to the palace for a private conversation, saying that she missed her.

Since the decree had gone that far, Song Ci would only seem affected if she made further excuses. She also had to help her eldest son cultivate his social connections properly. Besides, the Empress Dowager was her own protective talisman. Thus, though she was terrified inside, she could only grit her teeth and face it.

After receiving the summons, Song Ci desperately tried to make up for her lack of knowledge by reviewing the original owner's memories. Strangely enough, some of those memories were blurred and difficult to recall. She was so panicked that she nearly drew a few talismans to summon the old lady—wherever she had gone, whether she had been reborn or not—and cross-examine her properly.

Yet no matter how much Song Ci dreamed, muttered, or burned incense, the old lady never appeared. Who knew whether she had already been reborn?

Sigh.

Hearing Song Ci let out a sigh, Palace Matron Gong assumed she was worried. She bent down and said, “Madam, there is no need to worry. This old servant will accompany you. If there is truly anything you cannot remember, simply say that after falling ill, your memory has become rather poor.”

Song Ci looked at her, feeling somewhat perplexed. Palace Matron Gong’s gaze was open and sincere, and she nodded with a smile.

“I am old, and I even suffered a stroke. Naturally, I cannot remember things clearly,” Song Ci said shamelessly. “What I am worried about is whether wearing this crown all day will bend my old neck out of shape.”

Good heavens, she truly admired the people of ancient times. Wearing such a heavy crown—perhaps even if it did not break one’s neck, it would certainly cause cervical spondylosis.

It had to weigh several pounds.

“There will be no banquet in the palace, so you should be able to return to the residence in the afternoon, unless the Empress Dowager asks you to stay for a meal,” Palace Matron Gong said with a smile.

Song Ci thought to herself: Please, no. She would have to be so careful and cautious.

After all the fuss, Song Ci finally managed to stand up, though her body swayed unsteadily.

Oh, heavens! Her head was so heavy and her feet so light that it was practically fatal.

Her body was naturally small and frail. Exercise had improved her condition considerably, but she was still old and weak. With the crown and jewelry atop her head, they must have weighed more than ten pounds altogether.

Palace Matron Gong swiftly caught hold of her. “Madam, are you all right?”

“I am. It is a serious matter,” Song Ci said, clutching her hand. “Palace Matron Gong, you absolutely must support me properly. I am genuinely afraid that after bowing to the Empress Dowager, I will go straight down and hammer my head into the floor. This golden crown—I believe the Imperial Household Department truly used solid gold to make it. It is simply far too heavy.”

Palace Matron Gong smiled. “Rest assured, Madam. This old servant will keep you steady.”

Red Pomelo entered and curtsied. “Madam, First Madam has arrived.”

This time, besides Song Ci, the wives of various high-ranking officials were also entering the palace to pay their respects to the Empress and offer festival greetings. As the wife of the Prime Minister and a first-rank noble lady, First Madam Song was among them.

“Then let us go. We must not be late.” Song Ci extended her other hand toward Red Pomelo.

She could barely walk. In addition to the heavy golden crown, she was wearing the nine-layered ceremonial robes of a first-rank noble lady. They were unbelievably heavy.

Good heavens, she practically wanted someone to carry her on their back.