I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

’But this was Princess Consort Wan’s banquet. I’m not about to get involved.’ She simply said to Feng Yunjin, "Since the Imperial Physician is here, it can’t be anything serious."

Feng Yunjin understood that Yun Zhao wanted her to keep quiet. She nodded slightly and said softly, "I just fear something is amiss. Zhaoyi, you should still be careful."

Yun Zhao knew Feng Yunjin was worried this incident was aimed at her, so she nodded slightly.

Feng Yunjin quietly retreated. Han Jinyi and Lu Zhixue pulled her down to sit, whispering, "Did you tell her?"

"I did. Don’t worry, the Zhaoyi knows what she’s doing."

Han Jinyi and Lu Zhixue finally breathed a sigh of relief. They didn’t know if it was from spending too long in the palace, but they tended to jump to conspiracy theories at the slightest incident. Still, it was far better to be cautious than to be caught off guard like a fool.

The people who remained in the hall murmured amongst themselves, their expressions constantly shifting. Consort Shu’s face was as black as thunder. She felt it was incredibly unlucky to encounter such a thing at a banquet. If she had known, she wouldn’t have come.

Princess Consort Zhuang, on the other hand, was perfectly composed, gazing toward the side hall with a worried expression. She was speaking to the person beside her, her face tinged with a look of pity.

Qin Xiyue was seated right beside Princess Consort Zhuang, making a show of listening attentively, occasionally nodding in agreement.

Song Yunzhao watched this bizarre scene, finding it utterly ridiculous.

’You couldn’t say the plot has completely collapsed, but it’s at least seventy or eighty percent of the way there.’

’Qin Xiyue, the supposed female lead, should be on a smooth path to success by now, according to the book’s pacing. Her romantic push-and-pull with the Emperor should be reaching its peak. And yet, here she is, still trailing after Princess Consort Zhuang.’

’This allergy incident today is incredibly strange. Nine times out of ten, there’s an ulterior motive.’

Song Yunzhao dearly wanted to just get up and leave, but the incident had already occurred. ’If I leave now, wouldn’t it look like I have a guilty conscience?’

The thought only soured her mood further. She and Consort Shu both looked as if their faces were thunderclouds, one more furious than the next.

Soon, the Imperial Physicians emerged, led by a Palace Attendant. They walked over to Huang Mingxiu’s table, where one of them stepped forward to carefully inspect the bowls and plates.

All eyes followed them. Then, they heard an Imperial Physician say to Princess Consort Wan, "Your Ladyship, there is nothing wrong with any of these items."

Princess Consort Wan frowned. "If the food is fine, then what is the problem?"

The Imperial Physician glanced at the table, then picked up the wine cup from the corner and sniffed it lightly. His expression froze. After taking a tiny sip, he said in a low voice, "This fruit wine has had almonds added to it."

The Marchioness Yongjia’s face changed color. She practically shrieked, "Mingxiu can’t have almonds! Even a tiny bit will make her break out in a full-body rash."

Princess Consort Wan’s expression darkened. She looked at a Palace Attendant and asked, "Why was there wine on Sixth Miss Huang’s table?"

The Palace Attendant who had been serving earlier dropped to her knees with a THUD. Her voice trembled as she said, "This servant delivered it. A palace maid serving the Sixth Miss said that she wanted to try the palace’s fruit wine, so this servant brought it to her."

Hearing this, the Marchioness Yongjia tried to recall what that palace maid looked like, but all the attendants on duty today were in the same uniform. She really couldn’t remember the face.

At this thought, the Marchioness Yongjia turned to Princess Consort Wan. "I beseech Your Ladyship to take charge and find this palace maid for questioning."

"Investigate," Princess Consort Wan said immediately.

"Yes, this servant will go at once." Xue Yan, as the Chief Eunuch of Roufu Palace, immediately accepted the order and began to screen all the Palace Attendants who had served at the banquet.

Song Yunzhao watched with cool detachment. ’This Xue Yan is quite capable.’ He gathered all the attendants who had been on duty today, and soon enough, someone stepped forward.

Song Yunzhao glanced over but didn’t recognize her.

However, Feng Yunjin’s expression flickered.

Xue Yan brought the palace maid inside. Stared at by so many people, the maid couldn’t help but tremble all over, her limbs seemingly refusing to obey her. She dropped to her knees with a THUD.

"Your Ladyship, this servant did nothing! I was only relaying the Sixth Miss’s words when I requested a cup of fruit wine." The palace maid’s face was a mask of panic. She kowtowed repeatedly to Princess Consort Wan, looking completely terrified.

Princess Consort Wan turned her head to look at Le Chun. "Go and ask Sixth Miss Huang if she was the one who asked for the fruit wine."

"Yes." Le Chun hurried away.

Song Yunzhao couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, but she had a bad feeling about it. ’Still, I haven’t done anything from start to finish, and this is the first time I’ve even met this Sixth Miss. It has nothing to do with me.’ The thought calmed her down again.

Le Chun returned quickly and bowed as she reported, "Your Ladyship, this servant has questioned Sixth Miss Huang. The Sixth Miss said she originally had no intention of drinking wine, but the serving palace maid told her that the fruit wine at the traveling palace this year was brewed to be exceptionally sweet and refreshing. That’s what piqued her curiosity, and so she asked for a cup."

When the palace maid heard this, her face went deathly pale. She hurriedly said, "Your Ladyship, everything I said is true! The fruit wine at the traveling palace really is well-brewed this year. Besides, I serve at the traveling palace year-round. How would I know that Sixth Miss Huang cannot have almonds..."

"That’s right, how would you know? Naturally, someone must have told you."

Song Yunzhao whipped her head around to look at Qin Xiyue. ’I never would have imagined the female lead would step forward at a time like this. Now things are getting interesting.’

"Qin Wanyi, this servant doesn’t know what you mean."

Qin Xiyue looked up at Princess Consort Wan. "Lady Wanfei, this concubine didn’t recall it at first. But just now, listening to this palace maid’s reply, I suddenly remembered seeing her speaking with someone in a corner of the wisteria corridor on my way to the banquet. At the time, I only took a second look because I thought the peach blossom ribbon tied at her waist was very pretty. I never expected it to be the same person, what a coincidence."

After hearing Qin Wanyi’s words, everyone’s gaze fell upon the palace maid’s waist. Sure enough, they saw a silk ribbon woven into the shape of a peach blossom tied there.

Although the palace maids’ dresses were all the same, their accessories were their own choice. No one would normally pay attention to such a small detail.

Who would have thought she’d be undone by this.

Upon hearing this, the palace maid grabbed the ribbon at her waist, her face ashen. Ignoring her already swollen forehead, she kowtowed forcefully again and cried, "Your Ladyship, spare me! This servant would never dare to do such a thing, but I had no choice! Please forgive me, Your Ladyship! This servant is just a lowly palace maid, merely acting on orders!"

"Acting on orders? On whose orders?" Princess Consort Wan demanded angrily.

"It was a Palace Attendant from Song Zhaoyi’s palace who gave the order. Now that Song Zhaoyi is with child and highly favored by the Emperor, this servant... this servant did not dare to disobey..."

The hall fell silent in an instant. All eyes immediately fell on Song Yunzhao.

Song Yunzhao: ...

’What the actual fuck.’

’I was just enjoying the drama, and now it’s about me!’

’Why am I always the melon in the patch that everyone wants to set up and frame?!’

Princess Consort Wan stared at Song Yunzhao in astonishment, her mouth opening and closing. After a long moment, she finally said, "Song Zhaoyi, do you have anything to say?"

Song Yunzhao rose to her feet with a smile. ’She really did want to be a good person, but others just wouldn’t give her the chance. They insisted on making her play the role of the Evil Concubine. Could she really be blamed for that?’