I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Song Yunzhao huffed. "How would the Emperor have me respond?"

Feng Yi smiled but said nothing. Song Yunzhao didn’t press the issue, changing the subject instead. "Princess Ming’an is now engaged to the Left Minister’s son. I’m on fairly good terms with her, so I was thinking of sending a letter of congratulations."

This was a topic they both knew something about. After all, they had twice stumbled upon He Lan Yun pursuing Ji Yunting, which had led to Yun Zhao’s argument with them.

Hearing this, Feng Yi looked at Yun Zhao. "You seem pleased."

Song Yunzhao couldn’t quite read the Emperor, but she knew she had to make her own stance clear while subtly drawing his attention to the heart of the matter. "Pleased or not, it isn’t me who’s marrying him."

Feng Yi: ...

’She had a point.’

Song Yunzhao looked at the Emperor with a serious expression. "If it were me, I would never agree to an engagement with Ji Yunting."

"And why is that? Ji Yunting is exceptionally learned, dashing, and has a fine temperament. He is a rare talent, and countless young ladies from prominent families wish to marry him." Feng Yi genuinely thought Ji Yunting was a good man. The Left Minister had spared no effort in raising this son, and his work had clearly paid off.

’If the Left Minister weren’t so obstinate, I would have already given Ji Yunting a position. But for now, I can only put that thought aside.’

"Young Master Ji may be a brilliant talent in the eyes of the world, a young master from a prestigious family, but I don’t believe he would necessarily make a good husband."

’Ji Yunting is rich, handsome, and powerful. A man like that would be considered a great catch even in a future era.’

"A good husband?" Feng Yi chuckled softly. "Then what, in your eyes, constitutes a good husband?"

’I should take this chance to subtly discredit the heroine,’ Song Yunzhao decided. Qin Xiyue’s shadow loomed over the recent incidents in the palace. She had no proof, but that didn’t mean she was powerless.

’Especially the incident with the Dancing Girl. My relationship with Princess Consort Wan is mediocre at best, but we aren’t on such bad terms that she would resort to such a disgusting tactic on her own. Someone must have fed her information.’

’There are only a handful of people in this palace who know me that well.’

"Your Majesty, do you recall the circumstances of our first meeting outside the palace?"

Feng Yi actually gave it some serious thought before nodding. "Of course, I remember."

"At the time, Young Master Ji was clearly uninterested in Princess Ming’an. Later, I heard from the princess herself that she and Ji Yunting were practically childhood sweethearts. For that term to even apply, Your Majesty, you must know their bond had to be special. And yet, whenever Princess Ming’an got into a conflict with someone else, Young Master Ji would always scold her while defending the other party. I simply can’t imagine what kind of bond is more reliable than that of childhood sweethearts."

Feng Yi frowned slightly. "Princess Ming’an does have a rather domineering personality."

"Your Majesty, everyone says that I am difficult, overbearing, and unforgiving when I have the upper hand. In short, they say there isn’t a single good thing about me, from head to toe. In your eyes, am I that kind of person?"

Feng Yi faltered. ’Actually, she wasn’t like that at all.’

"My initial impression of Princess Ming’an was also quite poor. It was only after we entered the palace for the selection and I spent more time with her that I came to understand she isn’t an unreasonable person. Thinking back on it, her tantrums and scenes may well have been due to deliberate provocation, as well as Young Master Ji’s failure to maintain clear boundaries."

"What do you mean?"

"Young Master Ji is a man of great intellect. How could he not have realized the princess was interested in him? If he had no feelings for her, he should have been direct and put an end to her hopes, rather than being so vague and ambiguous. Since he never clarified his position, she naturally assumed he reciprocated her feelings. So how could she not be furious when she saw him being intimate with another woman?"

"Even after the incident, Young Master Ji could have resolved things by explaining himself on the spot. But instead, he protected the other woman and rebuked the princess. Who wouldn’t have flown into a rage in her place?"

"Would you?" Feng Yi asked, looking at Song Yunzhao.

Song Yunzhao looked up, meeting the Emperor’s probing gaze with a beatific smile. "No, the princess and I are different. She believes the other woman was shameless and trying to seduce Young Master Ji, so she directed her anger at her and caused a scene. But in my opinion, it takes two to tango. If Ji Yunting hadn’t behaved improperly and spoken inappropriately, causing the other young lady to misunderstand, how could something like this have happened? He neither rejected the princess nor kept an appropriate distance from other women. To act with such a lack of propriety... if it were me, I would have beaten him to a pulp and then we’d be through for good."

Feng Yi: ...

"That’s a rather biased way of looking at it."