I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Feng Ze was delighted to see his father. He squirmed out of his arms, and once on the ground, he took his father’s hand and began to pull him outside.

Song Yunzhao watched Feng Yi, a small smile touching her lips. Feng Yi often played with Feng Ze in the courtyard, so the child always wanted to head outside the moment he saw his father.

Feng Yi had no choice but to take the child out for a stroll first. Once he had cheered the boy up, he handed him over to the wet nurse and returned to Yun Zhao.

Yun Zhao was under the lamplight, looking through some documents. Feng Yi walked over and sat down across from her. He was just about to ask what she was reading when he glanced down and saw the densely packed list of names. He immediately clamped his mouth shut.

The Beauty List.

Feng Yi felt a headache coming on.

Song Yunzhao looked up, saw Feng Yi’s expression, and couldn’t help but laugh.

Feng Yi let out a small sigh of relief. This list was the cause of all the recent friction between him and Yun Zhao. The longer he looked at it, the more he loathed it.

"Is it that funny?" Feng Yi asked, looking at Yun Zhao.

Song Yunzhao pushed the Beauty List toward him. "Would Your Majesty like to take a look?"

Feng Yi kept his eyes fixed forward. "Why would I look at that?"

"How could it not concern you? The women entering the palace from this year’s selection should at least be to Your Majesty’s liking," Song Yunzhao said.

"The selection hasn’t even happened, yet *someone* is already avoiding me. What will happen once they’re actually in the palace?"

Song Yunzhao: ...

At this, Song Yunzhao looked up at Feng Yi.

Feng Yi didn’t look away, his gaze fixed on Yun Zhao. His dark eyes were somber, as if he were suppressing some deep emotion.

’I’m so angry I could scream,’ Song Yunzhao thought. ’What’s with this long-suffering husband act? What does *he* have to be angry about? Shouldn’t I be the one who’s upset?’

’Everyone in and out of the palace has been running around for months, all just to pick out new beauties for him.’

Song Yunzhao knew she couldn’t fight with Feng Yi. ’If we’re at odds, it would just give others an opportunity to exploit the situation.’

She took a deep breath, forcing down her irritation. She gathered her thoughts and tried her best to keep her voice even before she finally spoke. "I received the Beauty List today. With so many candidates from the capital, I thought that perhaps there were some Your Majesty would want to keep, whether for political reasons or for the harem. That’s why I wanted to ask your opinion first."

Hearing Song Yunzhao’s dutiful words, Feng Yi’s expression soured even more. ’So now that she has a son, I’m not important anymore, is that it?’

’What would she have done if this happened in the past?’

’She would’ve been jealous long ago and picked a fight with me, big or small. But now?’

’Instead, she’s assessing the situation, weighing the pros and cons... being so considerate...’

The more Feng Yi thought about it, the uglier his expression became. He was about to stand up and leave when he heard Yun Zhao add, "I am now one of the three concubines. Countless eyes are on me, and Shouci Palace is taking this matter extremely seriously. How could I dare take a single wrong step? Your Majesty is in a bad mood, but why take it out on me? If you feel I shouldn’t be involved in the selection, you can just tell me directly. Why force me into this difficult position, caught in the middle and filled with anxiety?"

Feng Yi: ?

"Who’s making things difficult for you?"

Hearing his words, Song Yunzhao’s anger flared. ’He’s completely missing the point!’ she thought. ’Is that what I meant at all?’

"Who’s making things difficult for me? Doesn’t Your Majesty know full well? Then again, Your Majesty always seems displeased with me lately. You’re never happy when you come to Yaohua Palace. Even if something were bothering me, how would I dare to speak up? At the end of the day, I’m just a minor concubine with no real standing."

Feng Yi: ...

’She’s clearly the one who’s been giving me the cold shoulder, and now she’s trying to blame me!’

Feng Yi felt both angry and frustrated, yet he was also worried that she had been genuinely wronged. He looked at her and asked, "Did Shouci Palace give you trouble?"

"I’m not afraid of others giving me trouble. I’m only afraid of *Your Majesty* giving me trouble."

"I’m giving you trouble? It’s more like you’re the one taking my heart and slicing it to pieces on a chopping block."

"If you’re going to say that, then there’s no point in me going on. This beauty selection is to fill your harem. You know perfectly well I’m unhappy about it, yet the Empress Dowager still summons me every other day, deliberately asking me about this and that, twisting the knife in my heart with every word. I finally get a chance to see you, and you walk into Yaohua Palace looking miserable. The new Beauties aren’t even here yet, and you’re already disgusted with me. If that’s how it is, then we might as well just break it off and never see each other again."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Feng Yi said, alarmed. He shot to his feet and went to Yun Zhao’s side. "I see you holding that Beauty List all day looking perfectly cheerful. Are you really that happy about choosing new concubines for me? It’s obvious! Now that you have a son, you don’t care about me anymore, and yet you have the nerve to blame me."

"If I’m not happy, am I supposed to walk around with a miserable look on my face? The Empress Dowager would be the first one to punish me if I did. Besides, I’ve already borne a child. How can I possibly compare to those fresh-faced young women? What if I was tactless enough to throw a tantrum and make you unhappy? Who else in this palace can I rely on but you? Even if my heart is aching, would I dare to actually say so?"

"You’re trying to fool me again. What happened to that fearless spirit you used to have, the one that wasn’t afraid of anything?"

"You said it yourself—that was *before*. Before, I was all alone. What did I have to fear, life or death? But now I have a child, and I have to think of him. I just don’t want him to lose his mother’s protection while he’s still so young."

"What do you mean, lose his mother’s protection?" Feng Yi asked, shocked.

"Even now, Your Majesty is already finding fault with me, looking at me with scorn. Once those Beauties enter the palace and win your favor, all it will take is a few whispers in your ear at night. What kind of good end can I expect then? There are so many people who want to use me as a stepping stone to climb higher."

"You... What nonsense are you talking?" Feng Yi’s heart clenched as he saw Yun Zhao cover her face and begin to cry. He stepped forward and pulled her into his embrace.

Song Yunzhao struggled for a moment but couldn’t break free, and her sobs grew louder. "How is that nonsense? You’re furious with me right this very moment, aren’t you?"

Feng Yi grew flustered. "I just felt like I wasn’t in your eyes anymore! Before, you would have definitely thrown a little tantrum and picked a fight, but now... now you’re just looking at the Beauty List so earnestly."

The moment the words were out, Feng Yi recalled what Yun Zhao had said before and realized he had misunderstood her. "It’s my fault," he said. "I let my thoughts get twisted. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you."

He just thought that now that Yun Zhao had a son, she didn’t care about him anymore.

It was just like his own mother, who had only cared about vying for favor. To her, he had been nothing more than a stepping stone to win the late Emperor’s attention.

"Even after having a son, you’re still the best in my eyes."

Song Yunzhao buried her head in his chest, remaining silent. ’She had been suppressing so much lately, but she hadn’t dared to test the Emperor’s heart. Her actions today had been carefully considered; she had weighed every step, every word, over and over in her mind.’

’But she wasn’t the same woman she had been when she first entered the palace, always calculating the pros and cons. In the end, what she’d said was completely different from what she had rehearsed. It had all come out in a burst of anger, without any thought for the consequences.’

’She felt a little scared, a little worried. But listening to Feng Yi’s words... she should have been happy, yet for some reason, she only felt more miserable.’

Her tears wouldn’t stop, and they soon soaked the front of Feng Yi’s robes.