I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Song Yunzhao didn’t worry much about the list. Although Consort Shu had been reluctant, she still handled it. Afterward, Song Yunzhao even had someone deliver a jar of homemade jasmine tea to her.

Jasmine has a rich fragrance that many people love, but just as many dislike. Yun Zhao quite liked the scent, but unfortunately, she couldn’t drink it often due to her pregnancy, so she sent the extra jar to Consort Shu.

The weather quickly grew hot, and the departure from the palace was imminent. Song Yunzhao received a letter from the First Madam, which stated that she had already informed Song Yexi, Song Hongjiao, and Xie Linlang about traveling to the traveling palace together. Xie Linlang would arrive at the Song Mansion early to join them. The letter told Yun Zhao to rest assured.

Song Yunzhao trusted the First Madam. The letter went on to relay a message from Third Master Song. He was very worried about her accompanying the imperial procession while pregnant and urged her to prioritize her health and not overexert herself on the journey.

Reading his words, Song Yunzhao smiled so widely her eyes crinkled. ’It feels so good to know someone is thinking of me.’

On the day of the departure, everyone was to travel with the Empress Dowager, so the wait was inevitably rather long.

Song Yunzhao gathered with the others at Shouci Palace. Seeing that all the people she found irritating were present, she struggled to maintain her smile.

Before Song Yunzhao could even take her seat, Meng Jiuchang arrived. The Empress Dowager had not yet emerged. Nanny Yao stepped forward and said, "General Manager Meng, the Empress Dowager is not yet ready. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a little longer."

Meng Jiuchang’s smile didn’t falter. "The Empress Dowager may take her time. This servant has come on the Emperor’s orders to escort Song Zhaoyi."

Nanny Yao was taken aback. "Escort Song Zhaoyi?"

"Indeed. The Emperor has noted that the journey to the traveling palace involves many complex ceremonies. Song Zhaoyi is with child, and the Imperial Physician has advised against any strain, for fear it might harm the baby. Therefore, His Majesty has granted Song Zhaoyi special permission to wait in her carriage. I must ask Nanny Yao to relay this message. As this servant is on official business, I will now escort the Zhaoyi to her carriage."

The hall fell silent, and the expressions on the faces of the assembled women were a sight to behold.

Song Yunzhao was also quite surprised. ’I can’t believe Feng Yi is so considerate. He even thought of something like this.’

Before Nanny Yao could say a word, Meng Jiuchang had already quickened his pace to stand before Song Yunzhao and bow. "Lady Zhaoyi, if you please. A soft sedan is waiting for you outside."

Presented with such a fortunate turn of events, Song Yunzhao didn’t hesitate for a moment, immediately following Meng Jiuchang out.

After Song Yunzhao left, the hall was utterly silent.

Princess Consort Zhuang stared at Song Yunzhao’s departing back for a long time. When she finally turned around, she looked at Consort Shu beside her and murmured, "This Song Zhaoyi is really something else."

Consort Shu couldn’t bear to hear such talk and immediately shot back, "If you’re so envious, Princess Consort Zhuang, then you should hurry up and conceive a child yourself. The Emperor surely wouldn’t forget about you then."

Princess Consort Zhuang: ...

Princess Consort Wan glanced at the two of them. Remembering Consort Shu’s sharp tongue, she pressed her lips together and remained silent. However, her mood was inevitably soured, dampening some of her excitement about the trip to the traveling palace.

’It really made no difference whether she went or not. It was difficult to see the Emperor in the palace, and she probably wouldn’t see him often at the traveling palace either.’

Song Yunzhao was happily escorted to her carriage. Standing outside, Meng Jiuchang said, "The Emperor said that it’s still a while before our departure. You may rest in the carriage first, Zhaoyi."

"Thank you for your trouble, General Manager Meng. I don’t need anything else here. You should hurry back to your duties; the Emperor can’t do without you." Song Yunzhao was now finding Meng Jiuchang much more agreeable.

Meng Jiuchang bowed and took his leave.

At that moment, Zhang Maoquan was leading his men to load Song Zhaoyi’s luggage onto a carriage, so busy he was covered in sweat. He had no idea that Meng Jiuchang had just seized an easy opportunity to score points with Song Zhaoyi.

Once everything was loaded, Zhang Maoquan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He called Nanny Yu over to give her some instructions before hurrying off toward Taiji Palace himself.

Sitting in her carriage, Song Yunzhao lifted a corner of the curtain to peek outside. Soldiers bustled back and forth, and occasionally, a rider would gallop past. In the distance, she spotted a somewhat familiar figure leading a group of men in her direction.

As he drew closer, Song Yunzhao raised an eyebrow. It was Chu Donghui.

She had met him outside the palace before; he was a friend of Ji Yunting’s. But judging by his uniform, it seemed he had become an Imperial Guard. ’Looks like he’ll be part of the escort on this journey.’

’To be able to work so close to the Emperor, Chu Donghui must be quite capable.’

Chu Donghui didn’t notice Song Yunzhao. He was busy directing his men to inspect the carriages, review the travel route, and scout for potential dangers. His handsome face was taut with concentration, and his eyes glinted with a sharp light.

He was a world away from the man Yun Zhao had met last time.

Chu Donghui was known for his carefree and spontaneous nature. But his current post allowed no room for such an attitude. ’How interesting,’ she thought.

’Escorting the imperial procession is no easy task.’

Song Yunzhao lowered the curtain. ’As a concubine, it’s best not to have any contact with an official of the court.’

Xiangxue straightened the carriage curtain. "My Lady," she said, "why don’t you rest for a while? I just stepped out to ask, and it seems we won’t be departing for a good while yet. The Emperor has to go to the harem to fetch the Empress Dowager, and then the courtiers have to see off the procession. We probably won’t be out of the Capital City until late morning."

Song Yunzhao thought that made sense. Leaning back against a soft pillow, she said to Xiangxue, "The four of you should arrange a rotation. There’s no need for all of you to stay in here at once. This carriage is small, and it won’t be comfortable for you."

Xiangxue nodded. "Yes, I will get out and arrange it in a moment."

"And tell Nanny Yu she doesn’t need to come over unless there’s a reason. She’s much older than you girls, and this journey won’t be easy. We can call for her if something comes up."

"You are so considerate, My Lady," Xiangxue said with a smile. "Nanny Yu will surely be moved to tears when she hears this."

There was a basin of ice in the carriage, another thoughtful gesture arranged by Meng Jiuchang before she boarded. Once they were on the road, it wouldn’t be this comfortable. The ice supply would be limited, with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor getting priority.

Song Yunzhao slowly closed her eyes. When she woke up from her nap, the carriage still hadn’t moved. On the bright side, the Empress Dowager and the others had finally boarded their own carriages, and Xiangxue and Qingfeng lifted the curtain to join her.

"My Lady, you’re awake?" Xiangxue asked immediately.

Song Yunzhao sat up. "What time is it?"

"It’s Noon. We’re about to depart, so please sit tight, My Lady." Xiangxue quickly placed a soft pillow behind her mistress. "I heard from the imperial guard that we’ve been delayed for quite some time, so they’ll likely have to rush the journey. Fortunately, your carriage was newly built by the Shanggong Bureau, and the Emperor even ordered the wheels to be wrapped in leather. The ride would be very uncomfortable otherwise."

’That’s right, they did have a method for shock absorption in ancient times: wrapping the wheels in leather. How extravagant.’

’This was a level of treatment reserved for the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and now... her. She was only receiving this special consideration because of her pregnancy. Otherwise, she would never have qualified for such a luxury.’

Moreover, her carriage was fitted with Futu and Dangtu, so the ride wouldn’t be too bumpy. Sure enough, once the carriage began to move, she found it much more comfortable than the one she had taken on her journey to the Capital City. She felt very little discomfort.

The journey proceeded in fits and starts. Along the way, Song Yunzhao often saw Chu Donghui rushing back and forth with his men. After just a few days, the handsome man was so sunburned that his skin began to peel. ’Serving the Royal Family is truly a tough job,’ she thought.

Fortunately, they would soon arrive at the traveling palace.