I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Princess Consort Wan wanted nothing to do with the matter. Her mind was entirely focused on her new formulas. Besides, with her father’s demotion, she was now even more reluctant to leave her palace.

Consort Shu, on the other hand, was a different story. She was getting restless. She didn’t care about attending the Emperor, she just wanted to see the northern scenery. She had never been and had heard that the landscape there was completely different from that of the Capital City.

Feng Yunjin and the others didn’t even bat an eye. Ming Fei was the one managing Baozhuang Building, and they were all so busy they wished they could grow extra hands. With the building now expanding to the south, the shop’s affairs were numerous and complicated. They were all truly swamped and naturally couldn’t spare a thought for anything else.

As for what others thought, it was none of their business. In any case, a major decision like this was ultimately up to the Emperor.

That was what they thought, but when they saw Ming Fei, they couldn’t help but feel a little worried for her. Yet, seeing Ming Fei’s radiant face, completely devoid of anxiety, they felt they might have been overthinking things.

Right then, Yun Zhao was preparing Feng Yi’s luggage for the trip. The food along the way would be taken care of, but she still needed to pack plenty of clothes and daily necessities. This was especially true after hearing from Feng Yi that his trip would be all about speed and convenience, without the usual imperial procession. That meant the things she prepared had to be primarily practical.

Song Yunzhao packed extra changes of undergarments, socks, shoes, and boots for him. She had the Clothing Bureau work through the night to produce several large chests of them. The socks she had embroidered herself were also finally finished, and she packed them inside as well.

In addition to these, she also had to prepare some medicine. The Imperial Hospital had sent over a list, which Yun Zhao amended by adding and removing items. In the end, she had prepared a large chest full of various medicinal pills.

When Feng Yi came over and saw the hall filled with chests and trunks, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "This is far too much," he said. "I don’t need all this."

Song Yunzhao was checking an inventory booklet. She looked up and said, "These will be escorted by a dedicated team following behind you, so they won’t slow you down. When traveling, it’s better to have extra things you don’t use than to need something you don’t have."

’In this day and age, seeking medical help isn’t as quick or convenient as it is in later generations,’ she thought. ’You can’t be careless with life-saving items.’

Feng Yi walked over and looked at the thick stack of lists in Yun Zhao’s hands. He took it and flipped through a few pages. Seeing the densely packed writing, he could truly feel Yun Zhao’s affection for him.

"Alright, we’ll take it all," Feng Yi agreed solemnly. He could not disregard Yun Zhao’s heartfelt care.

Feng Yi noticed that Yun Zhao’s booklet was exceptionally well-made. It had a table of contents, page numbers, and even corresponding chest numbers, making it incredibly convenient to find things. He couldn’t help but praise her for it.

’If it weren’t so hard to explain the origin of Arabic numerals, I would have used them,’ Song Yunzhao thought. ’Writing out the traditional characters for numbers is such a pain.’

Feng Ze was still too young to understand the sorrow of parting and spent his days laughing without a care in the world. The night before his departure, Feng Yi was in Yaohua Palace, and the bed curtains swayed for half the night. The next day, Yun Zhao rose early to see the Emperor off with the other concubines of the harem.

The news that An Shutong would be accompanying the Emperor caused quite a stir in the harem. Although everyone knew that An Shutong was the Empress Dowager’s biological niece, they also knew that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had a strained relationship. Who would have thought the Emperor would actually agree to take An Shutong with him this time?

The Empress Dowager was in high spirits. An Shutong, standing beside her, also looked completely at ease, her eyes filled with a gentle, smiling warmth.

Song Yunzhao glanced over once, then looked away. *Tsk.* ’Just as I thought. An Shutong approached me with a hidden agenda from the start. No matter how cautious and careful she acts on a daily basis, her true nature is revealed when the dagger is drawn at the end of the scroll.’

Feng Yi hugged Feng Ze, telling him to listen to his mother, before bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager gave An Shutong a little push forward. In front of everyone, she instructed her to serve the Emperor well on the journey. Her intentions were so obvious she couldn’t have hidden them if she tried.

Song Yunzhao and Feng Yi had already discussed this. Looking at An Shutong’s bashful expression, she could only hope that in a couple of days, the girl wouldn’t end up like Meng Jiangnu, whose tears brought down the Great Wall.

Just before leaving, Feng Yi glanced back at Yun Zhao. Holding Feng Ze, Yun Zhao smiled at him. Their eyes met for a moment before they quickly looked away.

Feng Yi turned and strode away, paying no mind to An Shutong beside him.

The smile on An Shutong’s face froze. She immediately lifted the hem of her skirt and hurried after him.

Song Yunzhao’s expression remained unchanged. After the Empress Dowager left, looking thoroughly pleased with herself, she also led her people back to Yaohua Palace.

Consort Shu walked along with Song Yunzhao. After a few steps, she looked at her. "Are you really not bothered by this?"

Song Yunzhao knew what Consort Shu meant, but she couldn’t reveal that this was all part of Feng Yi’s plan. She simply smiled and said, "If I were to accompany the Emperor, what would happen to the Eldest Prince? Of course, looking after him is my priority."

Consort Shu thought for a moment and nodded. Of course, her son was more important. She then tried to comfort her, "Don’t take it to heart."

’It was bound to happen sooner or later,’ Consort Shu thought. ’The Empress Dowager keeps such a close watch on the Emperor. An Shutong was destined to receive his favor eventually.’

Song Yunzhao gave a faint smile. She hadn’t expected Consort Shu to comfort her over something like this. It felt a little strange.

The two parted amicably. When Song Yunzhao returned to Yaohua Palace, Feng Ze immediately started running wild. A child his age didn’t yet understand the meaning of parting.

After two days passed and he still hadn’t seen his Imperial Father, Feng Ze started asking for him.

When a few more days went by and he still wasn’t back, Feng Ze began to make a fuss. Song Yunzhao took out an atlas and showed Feng Ze where his Imperial Father had gone and what places he was visiting.

These past few days, Shouci Palace had been acting unusually high-profile. Even the palace attendants from Shouci Palace walked around with an air of arrogance.

Song Yunzhao kept the staff of Yaohua Palace in check, so they didn’t have any run-ins with them. However, it was the fiery-tempered Consort Shu who was the first to cause trouble. She happened to come across a third-class maid from Shouci Palace bullying a servant in the Imperial Garden and punished her on the spot.

The Empress Dowager was displeased. Feeling that she had been publicly humiliated, she summoned Consort Shu to Shouci Palace for a scolding.

Consort Shu couldn’t stop herself from talking back and was punished by the Empress Dowager.

Song Yunzhao: ...

’The Empress Dowager’s move was truly unexpected. Fast, harsh, and a clear show of power,’ she thought. ’The Empress Dowager doesn’t have authority over the harem. She’s just throwing her weight around, relying on her status.’

But Song Yunzhao couldn’t just stand by and watch Consort Shu be suppressed. So, she went to find Princess Consort Wan to discuss the matter.

Because of the misfortune that had befallen her family, Princess Consort Wan didn’t want to get involved. But after listening to Yun Zhao, she felt conflicted.

So Song Yunzhao said, "Princess Consort Wan, I know you usually stay out of harem affairs. But this time it’s Consort Shu. Next time, it could be you or me. You should be able to guess what the Empress Dowager is thinking, right?"

Among the three high-ranking concubines, the Empress Dowager hadn’t targeted Yun Zhao first because she was a tough nut to crack. Princess Consort Wan didn’t meddle in affairs and never left Roufu Palace, so it was hard to find an opportunity. That left Consort Shu as the most suitable target.

If they stood by and did nothing this time, the Empress Dowager would only become more and more outrageous.

Princess Consort Wan frowned in thought, then finally nodded in agreement. "What do you plan to do?"

Song Yunzhao let out a cold laugh. "Authority over the harem is in the hands of us three concubines. If someone under the Empress Dowager’s command breaks the rules, they must be dealt with impartially."

Princess Consort Wan took a sharp breath. She hadn’t expected Yun Zhao to be so confrontational. After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. "Then I’ll join you."

’In reality, there wasn’t much she could do,’ Princess Consort Wan thought. ’It was just about showing up and making her stance clear.’

And her stance and attitude were exactly what Yun Zhao needed.