I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Qin Xiyue said nothing more, a weary look on her face. Nanny Zhuo took one look at her and withdrew.

The moment Nanny Zhuo left, Qin Xiyue closed her eyes. ’The poisoning was real, and it was true that Chen Guoji had made a move. It was just that I wasn’t her intended target.’

’No matter how they investigate, Chen Guoji won’t be able to escape this. I don’t feel I’ve done anything wrong. If it wasn’t her, it would have been someone else. I was just using this incident to take a gamble before the Emperor.’

’Who would have thought Song Yunzhao would ruin everything!’

’Perhaps we never should have met, even back when we were outside the palace.’

Song Yunzhao followed the Emperor out of Huayang Palace. Partway there, she said tactfully, "Emperor, I will not disturb you any longer."

Feng Yi glanced at Song Yunzhao. Seeing her magnanimous look, he was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. "You should head back as well. I’m leaving."

"Farewell, Emperor," Song Yunzhao said cheerfully. ’As long as the Emperor wasn’t stopping by another concubine’s residence, she wouldn’t utter a single complaint, even if he remained married to his work for all eternity.’

Hearing the cheer in Song Yunzhao’s voice, Feng Yi turned and left without hesitation.

After seeing the Emperor off, Song Yunzhao didn’t feel like returning to Wangyou Palace just yet. So, she took Xiangxue and a few other attendants to pay a visit to Han Jinyi at Qiulan Palace.

Han Jinyi was startled by the announcement and hurried out to greet her.

"What brings you here so suddenly, Concubine?" Han Jinyi asked, smiling as she ushered her in.

Song Yunzhao surveyed Liu Hua Palace. It was quite a bit smaller than her Wangyou Palace. The main hall was unoccupied; An Fangyi lived in Feixia Palace, while Han Jinyi resided in Qiulan Palace. With one in the east and the other in the west, they stayed out of each other’s way.

Qiulan Palace was merely a side hall, so naturally it wasn’t as spacious or grand as Song Yunzhao’s main hall. The antechamber served as a reception room, which led to Han Jinyi’s sitting room, and beyond that was the bedchamber.

Han Jinyi led Yun Zhao into the sitting room, invited her to take a seat, and ordered tea to be served.

Song Yunzhao smiled and said, "You’ve kept this place quite tidy. Did you get rid of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion?"

"Yes, it feels much more open now that it’s gone," Han Jinyi said with a laugh. "I like bright, spacious rooms. A Hundred Treasures Pavilion in the middle is certainly beautiful, but I found it obstructive. It’s much brighter and more airy without it."

"You still have flower arrangements on your windowsill?" Song Yunzhao was amused. "Haven’t you heard about what happened with Consort Qin?"

"I’ve heard a little," Han Jinyi said. "But I pick and arrange these flowers myself, so there’s no danger."

Song Yunzhao glanced at the vase on the windowsill and said pointedly, "Your skill in flower arranging is no worse than Chen Guoji’s. Luckily, you didn’t join in on the commotion. From the looks of it, Chen Guoji has really taken a fall this time."

Han Jinyi’s expression turned serious. "Has Consort Qin produced evidence?"

Song Yunzhao looked at Han Jinyi. "You’ve known Consort Qin for many years. How could you not know her temperament? Would she ever make something public if she wasn’t completely sure of it?"

Han Jinyi was completely baffled. "What was Chen Guoji trying to achieve? Why would she do such a thing?"

"She was probably goaded into it by someone," Song Yunzhao said with a soft laugh.

Han Jinyi’s expression grew complicated as she mulled this over. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. "Anyone so easily goaded isn’t very bright. It’s better to take a fall now than to lose her life later."

Song Yunzhao looked at Han Jinyi, thinking, ’She’s still a little too kind-hearted. Since Qin Xiyue dared to use Chen Guoji as a stepping stone, how could she possibly leave her any room to recover? I’m afraid even if Chen Guoji doesn’t lose her life this time, her outcome won’t be much better.’

’But she couldn’t say any of this out loud. Although Han Jinyi and Qin Xiyue didn’t interact much now, they still had some shared history. Han Jinyi tended to see her through rose-colored glasses. After this, however, she ought to realize that you can’t keep judging people by who they were in the past.’

"How are you getting along with An Fangyi?" Song Yunzhao asked, changing the subject. "When I came in, it looked very quiet over at Feishuang Hall. There didn’t seem to be many palace attendants coming or going."

Han Jinyi nodded. "An Fangyi prefers peace and quiet, so the palace attendants at Feishuang Hall are all extremely careful when on duty. Still, in all the time I’ve been in the palace, I’ve never seen her arbitrarily punish any of them."

Song Yunzhao smiled. "From the way you describe it, she doesn’t sound difficult to get along with."

Han Jinyi’s expression was wry. "We don’t really interact. An Fangyi treats me as if I’m invisible."

"As long as she doesn’t deliberately cause trouble for you, that’s what matters. After all, her rank is higher than yours. If something happened, you’d be the one at a disadvantage."

"That’s true," Han Jinyi said with a smile. "When it comes to matters concerning Feishuang Hall, I tend to give way a little. It’s not that I’m truly afraid of An Fangyi, but I don’t want to stir up trouble. Yielding a bit isn’t a sign of fear, it’s just to maintain neighborly peace and avoid constant conflict."