I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Song Yunzhao looked at the flowers brought before her. Raising her head slightly, she looked at the person who had come. "What is the meaning of this?"

Honorable Lady Dong felt a chill run down her spine under Song Yunzhao’s gaze. She forced a smile and said, "Concubine Song, I wanted to place a vase of flowers on your table. Admiring flowers during the Mid-Autumn Festival adds a lovely splash of color."

Song Yunzhao said flatly, "I don’t particularly care for these. Please take them back."

Honorable Lady Dong’s face stiffened. She hadn’t expected such a direct and decisive refusal from Song Yunzhao, and she was suddenly left in an awkward position. The vase in her hands felt like a hot potato, and she looked as if she were about to cry.

Seeing her like this, Song Yunzhao felt a bit stuck herself. ’I didn’t say much, just that I didn’t want the flowers. Why does Honorable Lady Dong look as if I’ve been bullying her?’

Noticing Song Yunzhao’s expression, Han Jinyi turned to Honorable Lady Dong. "It’s just a vase of flowers. If Concubine Song doesn’t like them, you can just take them back. Who are you putting on this act for? Anyone who didn’t know better would think we were bullying you. How dreadfully unfair."

After Han Jinyi spoke, Lu Zhixue belatedly realized something was amiss. Having been punished and suffered misfortune more frequently of late, she stared directly at Honorable Lady Dong and demanded, "You’re a mere Honorable Lady. Is this act of yours meant to force us to accept your flowers? You have some nerve!"

Song Yunzhao shot Lu Zhixue a look. ’Since when is it "us"?’

’Honorable Lady Dong was clearly targeting me. It’s one thing for Han Jinyi to protect me, but how did Lu Zhixue end up jumping into this mess too?’

’This isn’t right, is it?’

Honorable Lady Dong: ...

Being stared down by the three of them, she wouldn’t have dared to do anything even if she had the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard. She quickly spoke, "I had no such intention, Concubine Lu. You’ve misunderstood. I’ll leave right now."

Honorable Lady Dong practically fled in disarray. Song Yunzhao watched her retreating figure. As she made her way back, Song Yunzhao noticed she had far fewer flowers with her. She then glanced around and saw that many of the dining tables were now adorned with floral arrangements, which did look quite pleasing to the eye.

A thought struck her, and she looked up toward the throne. The Emperor’s table was empty. Before she could look away, she saw Noble Consort Chen approaching with a vase of flowers and placing it on the table.

Song Yunzhao sneered inwardly but said nothing.

Lu Zhixue noticed that Song Yunzhao’s expression was off. Following her gaze, she saw Noble Consort Chen walking away from the throne. Looking again at the vase of flowers placed before the imperial seat, she assumed Song Yunzhao was jealous.

She snorted inwardly. ’It’s just one vase of flowers, and she’s taking it so seriously. If the Emperor were to favor someone else one day, she’d probably lock herself in Wangyou Palace and cry her eyes out.’

At that thought, Lu Zhixue shivered. ’With Song Yunzhao’s personality, crying is unlikely. She’d probably march right over and start a fight.’

She tilted her head to look at Song Yunzhao, picturing her leading a group of people to storm someone’s residence. For a moment, she fell silent.

Song Yunzhao felt that Lu Zhixue was giving her a strange look. ’I wonder what’s going through her head now. Her brain is definitely wired differently from a normal person’s. Then again, she’s not one to fall into the same trap twice.’

Han Jinyi, however, wasn’t paying attention to Lu Zhixue’s thoughts. She looked thoughtfully at Yun Zhao and said, "This is a nice idea. A vase of flowers on every table is certainly lovely to look at."

Song Yunzhao thought, ’The flowers are indeed beautiful, but beautiful things usually come at a price.’

"If you like them, keep them. If not, have a Palace Attendant take them away." Song Yunzhao could only say that much; she couldn’t utter another word. ’The plot has already started to change,’ she thought. ’What if this part of the story is different now?’

"Then I’ll have them taken away," Han Jinyi said immediately. ’Yun Zhao isn’t someone who dislikes flowers,’ she thought. ’If she doesn’t want them displayed, she must have a good reason.’

’I don’t need to know why. I just need to follow her lead.’

Sure enough, Han Jinyi had a Palace Attendant remove the flowers from her table too. Lu Zhixue’s eye twitched as she watched. After a moment of hesitation, she also had hers taken away.

Song Yunzhao: ?

Lu Zhixue held her head high, refusing to look at Song Yunzhao’s expression. Han Jinyi found this rather amusing, figuring Lu Zhixue had simply become paranoid about being schemed against. However, out of consideration for Lu Zhixue’s pride, she said nothing. Instead, she turned to Yun Zhao and began talking about the Mid-Autumn moon-worshipping ceremony to change the subject.

Lu Zhixue breathed a small sigh of relief. Turning to look into the distance, she saw a flock of concubines flitting about the hall like colorful butterflies. It was, she had to admit, quite a pleasant sight.

When she pulled her gaze back, her eyes unexpectedly met Qin Xiyue’s.

Lu Zhixue: ...

Qin Xiyue gave her a faint smile. Lu Zhixue wanted to grind her teeth, but simply retracted her gaze, her face expressionless.