I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

The first emotion that welled up in Mrs. Cai was not secret delight. That bastard Xu Anxing already had two illegitimate sons and was siding with that little vixen, causing disgraceful fights with her daughter. The last time she had visited Qing Han, her daughter had grown tired of Yan Liu’s constant crying and tantrums and had sent the two illegitimate sons, who were being raised in the main courtyard, back to her.

If it were just Yan Liu, Song Qinghan could naturally handle her. But Xu Anxing constantly fought with her over the matter as well, and she was endlessly annoyed.

Mrs. Cai had long since regretted arranging this marriage that had ruined her daughter’s life. However, she didn’t want to lose face in front of Song Yunzhao and the First Madam, so she never mentioned a word of it.

Who would have thought that Marchioness Wu Xin would say such a thing to her face now? How could she not be furious?

’Xu Anxing doesn’t even like Qing Han, yet he still insists on spending the night in her courtyard. For what reason?’

’Marchioness Wu Xin is doing this deliberately to sicken me. She’s reminding me that as long as Qing Han is in the Marquis Wuxin Mansion, she must bow her head and live a life of subservience to her husband.’

Perhaps the blows she had taken from that unfilial daughter, Song Yunzhao, and the First Madam back in Wangyou Palace had hardened Mrs. Cai’s spirit. She actually managed to keep her composure and suppress her rage, looking coolly at Marchioness Wu Xin and saying, "How rare. It must have been quite an inconvenience for my dear daughter. I just wonder, how is that concubine of yours doing after last night? I think Your Ladyship ought to comfort her properly. After all, she is the birth mother of your mansion’s two illegitimate grandsons."

Because the First Madam was a formidable presence, Yan Liu had not yet been promoted to a formal concubine and still held the title of a low-ranking one. By deliberately mentioning the words "birth mother," Mrs. Cai intended to return the insult.

’A mere concubine, nothing but a lowly foot-washing maid, dares to be called a mother?’

Pah!

’Back in the day, even Aunt Che wouldn’t have dared to be this arrogant under my watch!’

’Thinking this, Mrs. Cai suddenly felt that Aunt Che wasn’t so detestable after all.’

The smile on Marchioness Wu Xin’s face froze. She never imagined Mrs. Cai would say such a thing, and without even bothering to lower her voice. Many of the surrounding madams heard it, and the Marchioness’s face instantly flushed red with anger.

Seeing the look on Marchioness Wu Xin’s face, Mrs. Cai felt a wave of satisfaction. No longer wishing to stand with the Marchioness, she turned and walked away.

The feud between the two families was a perennial topic of gossip in the Capital City. Whenever a family had conflicts between the in-laws, a cheating husband, or a troublesome concubine, the tragic case of Song Qinghan was inevitably brought up. With her as a benchmark, many a newlywed young wife felt that her own life wasn’t so bad after all.

It could be said that Song Qinghan had become the ultimate cautionary tale for marriage in the Capital City.

However, there was a reason Song Qinghan failed to win everyone’s pity. After all, the engagement had been plagued with scandal from the start. Since she refused to break it off and insisted on marrying into the family, who else was there to blame?

Soon, an announcer’s voice from outside declared the arrival of Princess Fuke, and everyone stopped what they were doing to welcome her.

Princess Fuke was dressed magnificently today. She hadn’t worn such bright colors since her Prince Consort passed away. As it was a joyous occasion, the crowd noticed that her gown was embroidered with red and gold thread, making it shimmer as she walked.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Everyone bowed in unison.

Princess Fuke smiled and waved her hand. "There’s no need for such formalities, Madams. Please, be at ease."

The harem concubines had not yet arrived. Since returning to the Capital City, Princess Fuke had cultivated an image of peace and harmony, so the hall quickly became lively again.

Princess Fuke called the First Madam over to speak with her. The two were in-laws, and the eyes of many of the surrounding women darted toward them from time to time.

When this marriage was first announced, quite a few jaws had dropped.

To think that Princess Fuke had taken a liking to a child of the Song Family! Everyone envied Song Buran’s luck. He had become famous overnight after the imperial examinations, and now his marriage was proceeding just as smoothly.

If Princess Fuke’s son hadn’t been enfeoffed as the Changning Marquis, people wouldn’t have envied Song Buran for landing such a huge prize.

And if Song Yunzhao hadn’t given birth to the Eldest Prince and been promoted to Ming Fei, people wouldn’t have envied that sickly Princess Duanjing for snagging such a prize husband.

As things stood now, the marriage alliance was one of perfectly matched status.

As Princess Fuke chatted with the First Madam, no one dared to eavesdrop. The surrounding people consciously kept their distance.

Princess Fuke said to the First Madam, "Ming Fei has given birth to the Eldest Prince, which has made the Empress Dowager very happy. She will certainly attend today’s banquet."

Hearing this, the First Madam breathed an internal sigh of relief. Princess Fuke had indeed gone straight to Shouci Palace upon entering the imperial palace to address this very matter. ’So, from the sound of it, the Empress Dowager really did intend not to attend today.’

At this thought, the First Madam’s expression soured. She said in a low voice, "I hear that the young lady from Marquis Gu’en’s household has become a complete shut-in. It seems there will surely be a place for her in next year’s selection of new concubines."

Princess Fuke was unconcerned. She looked at the First Madam and said, "If it’s not a girl named An, it will be a girl named Zhang or Ma. The vast harem will never be short of new beauties. Lady Ming has already reached the rank of Fei and has the Eldest Prince by her side. As long as she remains steady, no one will be able to easily push her down."