Chapter 239 - 106: The Guilty Emperor
Feng Yi reached out and caught Song Yunzhao as she threw herself at him, chuckling softly. When it came to reading people, she truly never disappointed him.
When a Beauty willingly threw herself into his arms, Feng Yi was, of course, happy to accept.
After a night of passion, Song Yunzhao truly used every trick in her arsenal to serve the Emperor, making sure he was utterly comfortable. The next morning, she was exceptionally attentive as she saw him off to the morning court session.
The moment she turned around, the smile vanished from her face. ’Time to go back to sleep.’
In the court, Feng Yi brought up the matter of disaster relief. He tossed out a feeler, vaguely suggesting that merchants be allowed into the disaster areas, and tasked the courtiers with devising a concrete plan.
’If I, the Emperor, do everything myself, what are the courtiers for?’
Besides, the method Song Yunzhao had proposed was too general. Many of the finer details needed to be carefully considered. This was the perfect opportunity to make these courtiers roll up their sleeves and get to work, lest they sit around all day with nothing to do but cause him trouble.
The Song Family had in-laws like the Xie family, so how could the other high-ranking courtiers not have in-laws or clan relatives involved in business?
Whether it was national road permits or tax reductions, both were beneficial measures that would allow merchants to profit. Feng Yi was confident that, faced with personal gain, these courtiers would not remain indifferent.
The Left and Right Ministers had been at loggerheads for years. This time, he would personally add fuel to their fire. It would save him from having them stare at him all day, wondering who he was sleeping with.
Song Yunzhao had no idea. She had only offered the Emperor a small suggestion, yet he was able to use his imperial statecraft to lay a trap in the court.
If she had known, she probably would have sighed in admiration. ’As expected of someone fit to be the male lead. He’s so sharp.’
Once Song Yunzhao learned the Emperor had sent men to protect her father, she set her worries aside for the time being. As for the Xie family, she had no intention of tipping them off this time.
’The Emperor isn’t just any ordinary emperor; he’s the kind fit to be a male lead. The man is incredibly sharp.’
’Since I already told the Emperor to see for himself whether the Xie family is useful, I won’t interfere behind the scenes. I have to let the Emperor see my loyalty to him. Only then can I secure more benefits in the future.’
’I’m just a side character, yet I’m carrying the burdens of a heroine. I wonder if I’ll be able to take out the female lead and rise to the top someday.’
News that the Emperor had spent the Mid-Autumn Festival night at Wangyou Palace spread quickly. Song Yunzhao had no intention of hiding it, and she knew she couldn’t anyway. With all the commotion of the imperial entourage, was Princess Consort Wan next door blind?
The Emperor’s action once again solidified Song Yunzhao’s position as the current favored concubine. But she was past caring what others thought—too many lice and you stop itching, too much debt and you stop worrying.
Before Song Yunzhao could hear any news about the Autumn Examination, she received word that Qin Xiyue had fallen ill.
’She’s here, she’s here.’ Although Song Yunzhao had been prepared for this, she still couldn’t help but sigh now that the moment had arrived.
’In the book, the female lead resorted to this desperate measure to fight back against the three concubines. The comment section at the time was full of praise, since the three concubines were inhumane and the female lead was right to rise up and resist.’
’But now, the three concubines haven’t been suppressing Qin Xiyue, yet she still made the same decision. This isn’t about fighting back against anyone; this is about vying for favor.’
Then Song Yunzhao realized that wasn’t quite right. ’Qin Xiyue is doing this to counter me. She wants to take a share of the Emperor’s favor from me.’
Song Yunzhao sat back to watch the show, adopting a "three-no" attitude toward the matter: no asking, no visiting, and no curiosity. She would just see how the female lead’s act would play out.
’In any case, the first cannon fodder won’t be me. Noble Consort Chen is probably about to have some bad luck.’
After Qin Xiyue fell ill, many people went to visit her. The female lead’s popularity wasn’t just good; it was exceptionally good, to a degree Song Yunzhao could never hope to match.
However, things quickly took a turn. Qin Xiyue wasn’t ill—she had been poisoned!
It was like a clap of thunder on a clear day, sending the entire harem into an uproar.
Song Yunzhao continued to stay behind closed doors, eating and drinking. ’What does this have to do with me? I never learned flower arranging, nor did I ever participate in it. Ever since flower arranging became popular, I’ve stayed far away from it, a fact the entire harem knows.’
Qin Xiyue was, after all, Grand Tutor Qin’s daughter. Princess Consort Zhuang immediately submitted a memorial to the Emperor, requesting a thorough investigation. Of course, in her report, she also expressed her hope that the Emperor would visit Qin Xiyue.
Song Yunzhao currently held a monopoly on the Emperor’s favor in the harem, and the three concubines had long been dissatisfied. Now they had a chance to push Qin Xiyue into the Emperor’s view. Their true goal was to have Qin Xiyue win the Emperor’s pity and successfully divide his affection for Song Yunzhao.
Song Yunzhao was momentarily speechless. ’I still underestimated the female lead. Qin Xiyue calculated that the three concubines would be wary of me and planned to use this poisoning incident to gain favor through their influence.’
’Someone fit to be a female lead is truly no simple character.’
Song Yunzhao looked at Nanny Yu and said, "Nanny, if the Emperor heads to Huayang Palace, come and report to me immediately."
’Hmph. So they want to cut me off at the pass? As if I’d let them!’