I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

’My father’s letter said that Ling Yunhe was the one who voluntarily handed over the evidence. That means the Ling Family is now fractured. Ling Yunhe must have been worried that I’d learn the truth and take my anger out on his entire family. He was also concerned I’d be displeased with how they handled Third Master Ling, so he sent the evidence to me as a show of good faith.’

’From this, I can see the man Xie Jinshu recommended isn’t half bad. He’s just not as decisive and clean about things as Xie Jinshu himself.’

’Back then, Xie Jinshu single-handedly shouldered the Xie family’s business in the Capital City. Ling Yunhe lacks that kind of grit. And now he’s been backstabbed by his own family.’

’Fortunately, he was able to turn the situation around so quickly after taking a hit. I suppose you could call that sharp and decisive, which is pretty good.’

Song Yunzhao summoned Feng Yunjin and told her what had happened. Feng Yunjin’s expression changed drastically. She was usually in charge of the shops’ day-to-day operations, so she grew pensive. After a long moment, she said, "No wonder. I felt something was off before. The volume of goods the Ling Family ordered from our shops was gradually decreasing. I just assumed the women in their region didn’t care for our products. So this is what was really going on."

Hearing this, Song Yunzhao looked at Feng Yunjin. "What are your thoughts?"

Feng Yunjin shook her head. "I’ve never been in business before, and this is the first time I’ve encountered anything like this. I really don’t have any good ideas." She then looked toward Ming Fei. "But we can’t just let this go. There has to be some form of justice. If the Ling Family dares to pull a stunt like this now, who knows if they’ll behave in the future. Besides, the Tao Family had a hand in this too. It was clearly aimed at you, Your Highness. You must be careful."

Song Yunzhao had a few ideas that would require Feng Yunjin’s help to execute. She explained Ling Yunhe’s actions in detail, and only then did Feng Yunjin’s expression soften.

"Your Highness, are you planning to target the Tao Family?" Feng Yunjin asked in a low voice.

It was obvious that now was not the right time to move against either the Empress Dowager or Gu’en Houfu.

There was no direct evidence proving their involvement. Even if the Tao Family had acted, they could take all the blame, and it still wouldn’t implicate the Empress Dowager or Gu’en Houfu. That was the most difficult part of the situation.

"Yes," Song Yunzhao confirmed with a nod.

Feng Yunjin considered this carefully. "It’s a pity. If the Ling Family had just given us a heads-up, we could have bided our time to land a bigger prize. But now that the Ling Family has dealt with Third Master Ling, they’ve surely tipped our hand. The Tao Family must have heard the news and will be on guard."

Song Yunzhao nodded. "Indeed. That’s also why Ling Yunhe rushed back to his family overnight."

’Why did Ling Yunhe hand the evidence to me? Because while the Ling Family appeared to be punishing Third Master Ling, they were actually saving his life in a roundabout way. What’s more, it served as a warning to the Tao Family.’

’The Ling Family is trying not to offend either side, but Ling Yunhe is smarter than the rest of them. He knows sitting on the fence won’t work, so he prepared a fallback plan for himself.’

Feng Yunjin couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. ’The Ling Family is a merchant clan through and through—they’ll abandon all principles for profit. It’s truly difficult to continue working with people of that character.’

’Still, Ling Yunhe’s willingness to make a painful sacrifice to save himself is enough to make one see him in a new light.’

"Luring the Tao Family out again won’t be easy," Feng Yunjin sighed.

"Not necessarily," Song Yunzhao said, her tone laden with meaning. "People like those in the Tao Family are eager for quick gains. It’s not impossible to bait them."

Feng Yunjin didn’t quite understand. She looked at Ming Fei and asked, "Your Highness means...?"

"The Tao Family thinks they’re safe now that the Ling Family has pushed Third Master Ling forward as a scapegoat. What they don’t know is that Ling Yunhe has already exposed them. We can use that information gap to our advantage, don’t you think?"

Feng Yunjin understood in an instant. She clapped her hands and laughed. "Your Highness is right! The Tao Family thinks they’ve gotten away clean and that we don’t know the truth. They’re sure to make another move."

"I’ll leave this to you, then," Song Yunzhao said.

Feng Yunjin agreed, then asked hesitantly, "Should we inform Consort Shu and Princess Consort Wan about this?"

"Princess Consort Wan doesn’t involve herself in worldly affairs, so there’s no need to disturb her. I’ll speak with Consort Shu. You just focus on your tasks."

"Very well, I’ll go make the arrangements right away." Feng Yunjin stood, but after taking two steps, she suddenly turned back. "What about An Xiaoyi..."

"Leave her be."

"Understood."

Feng Yunjin turned and left, her steps hurried.

Song Yunzhao let out a long sigh. ’An Shutong is no simpleton. If Feng Yunjin were to set the bait, An Shutong might notice something was amiss. After all, she’s a supporting female character with considerable intelligence in the novel. I still need to proceed with caution.’

’Even if I’m going to drag An Shutong down, I have to find the perfect opportunity.’

After Feng Yunjin left, Yun Zhao went to see Consort Shu and also had someone summon Wang Zhaorong to Cuiwei Palace. Consort Shu was so furious she immediately began cursing, but Wang Zhaorong remained relatively calm.

Ignoring the still-fuming Consort Shu, she turned to Song Yunzhao and said, "It seems Your Highness already has a plan."

Song Yunzhao replied, "It’s not a fully-formed plan, which is why I’ve asked you both here to discuss it."

Wang Zhaorong asked for the details of Song Yunzhao’s plan before commenting, "If the Tao Family doesn’t get dragged into this, then Gu’en Houfu, who’s backing them, will remain as unshakable as a mountain. And if nothing happens to Gu’en Houfu, then nothing will happen to the Empress Dowager."

Therefore, targeting the Tao Family was the best approach.

Consort Shu had finally calmed her breathing and said coldly, "They even managed to bribe the Ling Family, and it took us this long to find out. It’s obvious the Tao Family has been plotting this for a long time. What can a mere lapdog like the Tao Family do on its own? Ultimately, someone is pulling their strings. So let’s go with the plan. We can’t just take a beating and not hit back."

Wang Zhaorong looked up at Song Yunzhao. "There’s been trouble with the shops managed by the Ling Family. Should we spread the news?"

"You want to put pressure on the Tao Family?"

"The Tao Family knows the Ling Family took the fall, so they’ll lay low for a while. But if they don’t make a move, how can we get ahold of their weakness? We need to leak the news and make them think we’re determined to get to the bottom of this. That will make them anxious and afraid. Once they’re afraid, things get easier. They’ll be sure to call for reinforcements."

And Gu’en Houfu is their biggest backer. They’ll definitely go running to them.

Song Yunzhao smiled. "Wang Zhaorong, that’s an excellent idea."

’She used to be in charge of promotions, and now she’s instinctively grasped the essence of it. She knows how to wage a war of public opinion.’

Wang Zhaorong, rubbing her hands together in anticipation, left first to find Feng Yunjin and discuss the specifics.

As Consort Shu watched her leave, the corner of her mouth twitched. She turned to Song Yunzhao to complain, "Wang Yunyi is completely different from when she was Princess Consort Zhuang. Her true colors are finally showing."

’Hearing this spot-on complaint, Song Yunzhao didn’t know what to say. When Wang Zhaorong was Princess Consort Zhuang, she was maintaining a carefully crafted persona. Now that she doesn’t even have her concubine rank, she’s naturally letting her true self fly free.’

"I think Wang Zhaorong is doing quite well now," Song Yunzhao said. "At least she’s living happily and freely."

Consort Shu pursed her lips. That much was true. Now that Wang Yunyi wasn’t putting on an act, she found her more agreeable than before. Still, she stared at Song Yunzhao and asked, "You’re not really going to let An Shutong off the hook, are you?"

"After all, everything they’re doing is just to pave the way for An Shutong."