I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Song Yunzhao carefully reviewed her plans. For now, there were no oversights. All she had to do was wait for Xie Jinshu’s reply.

But before that, Song Yunzhao still had to inform Feng Yi—or, to put it plainly, tattle on them.

As it happened, Feng Yi had been busy with implementing his new policies for the past two days and hadn’t had time to visit Yaohua Palace. Yun Zhao was also waiting for Xie Jinshu’s reply. After two consecutive days of silence from Baozhuang Building, the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop were getting restless.

Zhang Maoquan had received Ming Fei’s instructions. Regardless of whether it was someone from the Six Departments or the Inner Workshop asking about the supplier, he was to put on a worried expression and say he was waiting for his master to make the decision, and that a mere errand-runner like him wouldn’t dare to act on his own.

One or two days was one thing, but after four or five days passed with still no news, the rumors slowly spread until everyone in the harem had heard them.

Just then, Song Yunzhao received Xie Jinshu’s reply. He recommended the Ling Family, the number one general goods merchant in Jiangnan. The Ling Family had started from a humble sundry shop, and over several decades, their business had grown larger and larger, venturing into whatever was profitable.

The items Song Yunzhao needed were varied and complex, which was a perfect match for the Ling Family. Moreover, the Ling Family had always done business in the south and had intentions of expanding north. If they could secure business with the Royal Family, it would naturally be a magnificent start.

Song Yunzhao couldn’t recall if the Ling Family had been mentioned in the book, but Xie Jinshu had always been meticulous and earnest in his work. His recommendation of the Ling Family meant they were likely a reliable merchant.

Song Yunzhao had Zhang Maoquan personally make a trip to negotiate terms with the Ling Family. When Zhang Maoquan returned, he was so angry he almost jumped up and down on the spot.

He had always served in the palace and knew a little about the outside world, but he never realized the price difference for goods inside and outside the palace was so enormous.

The price the Ling Family quoted was a full fifty percent lower than that of the Six Departments!

Song Yunzhao wasn’t surprised at all. After all, during the Qing Dynasty, the Imperial Household dared to charge the emperor dozens of taels of silver for a single egg.

"Your Highness, at the prices the Ling Family is offering, we can save at least ten thousand taels of silver per shipment! And they guarantee there will be no issues with the quality of the goods. What’s more, to show their sincerity, the Ling Family is willing to let us inspect the goods before receiving payment." Zhang Maoquan’s eyes were shining. So this was the world of business, with all its hidden intricacies.

This trip that his master had sent him on with Xie Jinshu had truly been an eye-opener.

Zhang Maoquan made a point to mention Xie Jinshu’s contribution in front of his master. ’This is someone worth getting to know.’

Song Yunzhao wasn’t surprised. She looked at him and said, "The Xie family started as cloth merchants. They are the number one cloth merchant in Xuanzhou. You should follow Xie Jinshu and learn from him."

A glint appeared in Zhang Maoquan’s eyes. ’Her Highness means for me to learn the trade from him. She’s definitely going to give me important responsibilities in the future!’ He immediately agreed, "I will definitely learn well and not disappoint Your Highness’s high hopes."

Song Yunzhao nodded, and Zhang Maoquan withdrew.

A day later, while the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop were still watching and waiting, the initial rankings for the new concubines were announced.

Feng Yi managed to find a rare moment to come to Yaohua Palace. The first thing he said upon seeing Yun Zhao was, "I heard from Zhang Maoquan. You’ve been wronged in this matter."

Song Yunzhao looked at the dark circles under Feng Yi’s eyes. "Even if you must be diligent in your rule, Your Majesty, you must also take care of your health. You haven’t been resting well lately, have you?"

Feng Yi was speechless.

’How did the conversation turn to me first?’

Feng Yi pulled her to sit down. "I’ve just been a bit busy lately. It’s nothing. A day of rest will fix it. Let’s talk about your situation first. What are your thoughts?"

Song Yunzhao looked at Feng Yi. "Shouldn’t Your Majesty first tell me about the new rankings? The palace was certainly lively today."

Feng Yi said at once, "What is there to talk about? I don’t have the time to deal with them right now. It’s just a matter of giving them a place to live."

Song Yunzhao gave a faint smile and leaned against Feng Yi’s chest. "I know you did it for my sake."

Feng Yi had placed An Shutong in Qin Xiyue’s Huayang Palace and assigned Xu Mingying to Wang Zhaorong’s Zhaoyang Palace. Meanwhile, he had situated Du Wanneng and Qin Xiaoyin in Feng Yunjin’s Yanqing Palace and Lu Zhixue’s Yihua Palace, respectively.

An Shutong was initially ranked as a Xiaoyi. Feng Yi was naturally against it, but the Empress Dowager was willing to trade the last bit of affection between mother and son for it, so Feng Yi relented and agreed.

Xu Mingying was from the Marquis Wuxin Mansion. Although Yun Zhao had no particular grudge against the Marquis Wuxin Mansion, the involvement of Song Qinghan made the relationship a tangled mess. To Yun Zhao, Xu Mingying was no ally. Feng Yi had placed her right under Wang Zhaorong’s nose, clearly intending for Wang Zhaorong to keep an eye on her.

Du Wanneng’s father was a Grand Scholar, and Qin Xiaoyin’s father was a governor. Neither of these two had significant connections with the people in the palace, yet they were placed with Yun Zhao’s confidantes. This was his tacit approval for Yun Zhao to try and win them over.

These four were considered the most outstanding among this batch of new concubines. The others received lower ranks and were assigned to even more remote palaces.

Song Yunzhao felt no pity for them. The harem was also a battlefield where the winner takes all.

"Speaking of which, with An Xiaoyi and Qin Wanyi living in the same palace, I wonder if the Empress Dowager will be displeased?" Song Yunzhao said slowly, watching Feng Yi.

Feng Yi replied, "When An Xiaoyi first entered the palace to accompany the Empress Dowager, she became good friends with Qin Wanyi. I imagine the two of them will get along wonderfully."

Song Yunzhao couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed Feng Yi still remembered that incident from before and had deliberately put the two in the same palace. First, it would displease the Empress Dowager, and second, it would allow Qin Wanyi and An Xiaoyi to keep each other in check.

’Who says men don’t understand these things?’

’It’s only a matter of whether they’re willing to understand. Many men don’t bother because they are the beneficiaries. Since they benefit, they turn a blind eye to the games played between the beauties.’

Now that Song Yunzhao had a clear understanding of Feng Yi’s attitude toward these new concubines, the remaining unease in her heart mostly settled. She immediately brought up the matter of the Baozhuang Building.

After listening, Feng Yi’s expression flickered, and he couldn’t suppress his fury. Finally, he said, "The Six Departments has become too powerful to control. They were already brazen during the late Emperor’s reign. After I ascended the throne, they reined themselves in a little, but now it seems they’re reaching out to test the waters again."

"Your idea is a good one. Let’s see if we can hook a big fish."

"You just go ahead and do it. I’d like to see who dares to interfere."

Song Yunzhao guessed that Feng Yi intended to deal with the Six Departments but had lacked a good opportunity. Now that the Six Departments was digging its own grave and serving itself up on a platter, she would be doing them a disservice if she didn’t fulfill their ’sincere’ and restless wishes.

"I plan to have Zhang Maoquan manage this matter. What do you think?"

"Anshun has gone to Feng Ze’s side, so Zhang Maoquan is the only one you have who’s truly capable. I’ll assign a few more people to you later."

Song Yunzhao didn’t refuse. The more tasks she took on, the more she found her staff to be insufficient. Besides, Nanny Yu and Xiangxue were women, after all, and it was highly inconvenient for them to conduct business outside the palace.

"If this succeeds, I’m afraid the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop will be in an uproar," Song Yunzhao said, looking at Feng Yi.

"Even better," Feng Yi sneered. He was already planning to deal with them; if they came knocking on death’s door themselves, no one could stop them.