I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

The three of them had no time to speak and rose to greet her.

The Empress Dowager entered the hall, surrounded by her retinue. She swept her gaze over the three concubines, took the seat of honor, and then said, "You may all rise."

"Thank you, Empress Dowager," the three replied in unison before rising and returning to their seats.

"Has the Emperor not yet arrived?" the Empress Dowager asked.

Song Yunzhao couldn’t be bothered to reply and lowered her head in silence. Princess Consort Wan was always a woman of few words, so Consort Shu had no choice but to speak up. "Perhaps the Emperor is still busy with state affairs."

The Empress Dowager snorted but said nothing more. Song Yunzhao had no desire to cross swords with her just yet, so she avoided eye contact and sat quietly in her place.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Song Yunzhao, taking in her magnificent palace attire. Her lips tightened, a clear sign of her displeasure.

The hall fell silent. Consort Shu had no intention of livening up the atmosphere, so the standoff continued. Fortunately, after about a quarter of an hour, the Emperor’s arrival was announced, and everyone rose to greet him.

The Empress Dowager remained seated.

The Emperor entered, and the three concubines curtsied. After telling them to rise, he then paid his respects to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor. "Since you’ve arrived, let’s begin. Consort Shu said you were busy with state affairs. Let’s finish this selection quickly so you aren’t delayed from your important work."

The Empress Dowager’s words were dripping with sarcasm. Song Yunzhao raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of mockery in her eyes.

Feng Yi took his seat. Hearing the Empress Dowager’s words, he said flatly, "You are right, Empress Dowager. In that case, let us begin."

The Empress Dowager looked displeased. The Emperor was clearly going along with her wishes, but she still felt dissatisfied.

Song Yunzhao’s seat was right next to the Emperor’s. This time, the seating arrangement had been personally decided by the Emperor, who had sent Meng Jiuchang to give the orders in advance. Word had also reached Shouci Palace, so even though the Empress Dowager was unhappy, she suppressed her anger for the sake of An Shutong.

This was why, upon entering the hall earlier, the more she looked at Song Yunzhao, the more she found her an eyesore.

Song Yunzhao sat there with a perfectly straight posture. From the corner of her eye, she could tell Feng Yi had glanced at her, but she didn’t turn her head.

Meng Jiuchang soon announced the first batch of concubines to enter the hall.

The procedure was always the same: if an eye-catching beauty appeared, her nameplate would be kept. If one was particularly striking, she might even be asked a few questions.

Feng Yi didn’t speak. Song Yunzhao’s expression was indifferent. Consort Shu and Princess Consort Wan were unwilling to do anything to offend Song Yunzhao. As a result, two consecutive batches of women entered and left with no one being chosen, and the Empress Dowager grew restless.

When the third group entered, the Empress Dowager took the initiative to speak. It was unclear whether it was a coincidence or if she had arranged it, but the first person she chose to keep was Xu Mingying, the daughter of Marchioness Wu Xin.

Song Yunzhao: ...

The Empress Dowager spoke so quickly that she didn’t even ask for anyone else’s opinion, directly selecting the girl.

Feng Yi’s expression soured.

Seeing this, Song Yunzhao’s straight posture shifted slightly. Her lovely eyes darted about, and she pointed to the third woman in the third row and the fifth in the fourth row. Turning to Feng Yi, she smiled sweetly. "Your Majesty, I find these two younger sisters quite pleasing to the eye. Why don’t we keep them?"

Each one a stunning beauty.

Feng Yi’s scalp tingled with dread, but he couldn’t refute Yun Zhao in front of the Empress Dowager. "If you like them, then we shall keep them."

Consort Shu’s mouth twitched. ’Listen to that,’ she thought. ’Ming Fei likes them? As if Ming Fei liking them means *she’s* going to favor them in bed?’

’The Emperor is really playing innocent after getting such a prize.’

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Song Yunzhao’s smile was as brilliant as a spring blossom.

When the fourth group entered, Song Yunzhao didn’t wait for the Empress Dowager to speak. She pointed out several women, again choosing the most beautiful ones among them.

The Empress Dowager could barely maintain her composure.

Song Yunzhao sneered inwardly. ’The Empress Dowager wants to humiliate me? She should take a good look at my beautiful face. The competition I offer is quite strong.’

’What about An Shutong?’

’To be honest, An Shutong is a beauty, but there are different classes of beauty.’

When the fifth group entered, Song Yunzhao saw An Shutong.

This time, she kept her mouth shut.

The Empress Dowager, holding in her anger, directly chose to keep An Shutong.

Feng Yi frowned slightly. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Song Yunzhao suddenly say, "Oh? Your Majesty, the beauty in the last row looks very familiar, as if I’ve seen her somewhere before. Why don’t we keep her? The woman in the third row wearing the turquoise dress isn’t bad either. What do you think?"

Feng Yi glared at Yun Zhao. He didn’t dare look too closely at the women. If he knocked over this jar of vinegar, he had no idea how much effort it would take to coax her back into a good mood.

’She’s having a grand time competing with the Empress Dowager, but I’m the one who will suffer the consequences! Is there any emperor in the world as put-upon as I am?’

Perhaps understanding the deep meaning in Feng Yi’s glare, Song Yunzhao guiltily touched her nose and then shut her mouth.

The women Yun Zhao had pointed out were, naturally, kept as well. A few of the beauties looked overjoyed, but An Shutong’s expression remained placid, revealing nothing of her thoughts.

The selection continued for several more rounds. Whenever the Empress Dowager chose someone, Song Yunzhao would invariably follow up by choosing one more—always the most beautiful one in the group.

At first, Feng Yi had a splitting headache over it, but he soon gave up struggling. ’Whatever, let her do as she pleases. I’m the emperor; in the end, I won’t be the one losing out.’

Princess Consort Wan was lost in her own world from beginning to end, her demeanor making it clear she was just there to mark her attendance.

Consort Shu was nervous at first, but it wasn’t long before she, like the Emperor, just gave up and went with the flow.

In the end, far more women were chosen this year than in Yun Zhao’s own batch. After the selection was over, Feng Yi was the first to leave. Before he left, he gave Yun Zhao a cryptic look, leaving her to figure out its meaning.

Song Yunzhao: ...

Once the Emperor was gone, the Empress Dowager followed suit. As she left, she looked at Song Yunzhao and tossed out a parting shot, "Ming Fei, you’d best not hoist yourself by your own petard."

"Thank you for the reminder, Empress Dowager. However, selecting beauties for the Emperor is my duty, and I am deeply honored to do it." Song Yunzhao’s smile was sickeningly sweet.

’She wasn’t stupid. She had picked only those who showed a strong desire to enter the palace. She hadn’t chosen a single one who seemed reluctant or avoided eye contact. Why should a girl from a good family have her life ruined by entering a place like the harem?’

’Those who were eager to enter the palace would certainly fight for their own opportunities. But to choose those who didn’t want to come in—that would be truly harming them.’

Among the women Song Yunzhao had chosen, a few had already approached Consort Shu. Consort Shu had mentioned this to her, but she hadn’t made any promises to them.

But Song Yunzhao had kept it in mind. ’Someone had to be chosen to enter the palace anyway. It was better to choose these women than those who had no desire to be there.’

The selected women returned to Zhichun Palace to await their formal conferment and entry into the palace. Knowing she had displeased Feng Yi, Song Yunzhao returned to Yaohua Palace, had someone bring her the soup that had been prepared in advance, and took it to Taixi Hall.

She hadn’t been to Taixi Hall in a long time.

When she arrived outside the hall, she didn’t see Meng Jiuchang, but she did see Xu Sixi.

As soon as Xu Sixi saw Ming Fei, he immediately came forward to greet her. "Greetings, Lady Ming. I wish Your Ladyship peace."

"Mr. Xu, there’s no need for such formalities," Song Yunzhao said with a smile. "I am here to request an audience. I’ll have to trouble you to announce me."

These days, Xu Sixi wouldn’t dare offend her. Whatever ideas he might have had in the past, he had long since suppressed them. He quickly smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, Your Ladyship. This servant will go in and announce you at once."

’This was a consort he couldn’t afford to provoke. He truly couldn’t afford to provoke her now.’