I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

"Not necessarily. It’s precisely because she just lost face that she’ll have to be more careful and keep a low profile." Wang Zhaorong, however, had a different opinion. She also knew the Empress Dowager better. ’The Empress Dowager’s reach wouldn’t extend to the Inner Workshop.’

Since they couldn’t expand the workshop for now, they would just have to find another way.

Song Yunzhao had an idea, but it wasn’t fully formed yet. She looked at the others and said, "The matter of Yan City is causing a huge uproar outside. We should try our best not to stir up any more trouble in the palace. Postponing the workshop expansion isn’t a big deal."

Everyone nodded. That made sense. The Emperor wasn’t in the Capital City, and Fan Deshi was a smooth operator. It was better to lay low for now.

After everyone left, Song Yunzhao’s expression didn’t lighten. The situation in Yan City was aimed directly at her father. She couldn’t afford to cause trouble at this critical moment; it would only give her enemies an opportunity to use it against her.

The workshop issue was nothing compared to the matter of Yan City. She knew which was more important.

All she could do was wait.

But while she waited, Baozhuang Building and Treasure Pearl Building couldn’t just sit idle. A round of marketing and promotion was necessary. ’What’s the next festival?’

The Double Ninth Festival.

Thinking of the Empress Dowager, Song Yunzhao immediately gave up on the idea. She wanted nothing to do with her directly.

’After that is the Ghost Festival... That’s even worse.’

’This is so hard.’

’Why is it that when other people transmigrate, their businesses soar to the heavens, but for me, everything is a struggle?’

’Is this truly the fate of a side character?’

Song Yunzhao didn’t have time to wallow in self-pity for long. The Empress Dowager had announced her intention to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival and ordered the palace to begin preparations.

She was at a loss for words. The Double Ninth Festival tradition was to climb to a high place. Where did the Empress Dowager intend to go climbing?

An outing would require a full ceremonial procession and guards. Who was supposed to plan all of that?

Matters involving travel outside the palace were not something the palace staff could decide on their own.

And the Emperor wasn’t even here.

The Empress Dowager was truly making things difficult for everyone.

As soon as Song Yunzhao heard the news, she went to Cuiwei Palace. Sure enough, Consort Shu was in the middle of a tantrum. To her surprise, Princess Consort Wan was also there.

Seeing Yun Zhao enter, Princess Consort Wan spoke up. "I came because I heard about the Empress Dowager wanting to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival."

Song Yunzhao smiled. "Me too. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I came to ask for your advice, sisters."

Consort Shu heard them and said bluntly, "What is there to discuss? To leave the palace, we need to prepare an imperial escort. In any case, my authority doesn’t extend to the imperial guard."

"What about Jincui Garden?" Princess Consort Wan suggested.

She didn’t want to go to all that trouble either. ’Isn’t it nice just staying quietly in the palace?’

"Jincui Garden has mountains and lakes. It would be a good place to go. I just wonder if the Empress Dowager would agree." Song Yunzhao didn’t want the hassle either, but since the Empress Dowager had spoken, the event had to be held.

’In later generations, the Double Ninth Festival is also called the Elderly’s Festival. And isn’t the Empress Dowager an elder?’

After a brief exchange, they had a plan. Princess Consort Wan and Song Yunzhao both turned to look at Consort Shu.

Consort Shu: ...

"Fine. I’ll make a trip to Shouci Palace."

’I can’t count on either of these two. It looks like I’m the one who has to go and deal with the Empress Dowager.’

Consort Shu left for Shouci Palace. Song Yunzhao and Princess Consort Wan walked together after leaving Cuiwei Palace. Princess Consort Wan, who was usually quiet, was now even more taciturn.

Song Yunzhao walked with her to a fork in the path, where they parted ways and returned to their respective palaces.

It was unclear how Consort Shu negotiated with the Empress Dowager, but in the end, the location was indeed set for Jincui Garden.

But even with Jincui Garden settled, there was still much to do. They would have to climb a mountain, which meant arranging for everyone’s safety, and they also had to prepare a Double Ninth Festival banquet. It was one thing after another.

With so many concubines in the harem, any accident, no matter who it happened to, would be difficult to handle.

Consort Shu was so angry she ground her teeth, but although the Empress Dowager held no official power in the harem, she was the Emperor’s mother. So, Consort Shu had no choice but to hurry up and start arranging things, even dragging Princess Consort Wan out to help her.

As for Song Yunzhao, Consort Shu didn’t even consider asking for her help. The Empress Dowager had always disliked her. If anything went wrong, Song Yunzhao would surely be the first to be blamed.

By avoiding such a possibility, Song Yunzhao had a blessing in disguise and found her own burden lightened.

While the various factions at court were still wrangling over the grain silo incident in Yan City, the Double Ninth Festival arrived. Song Yunzhao still hadn’t received a reply from Feng Yi, so she didn’t know his thoughts on the Yan City matter. More importantly, the lack of a reply made her worry. She wondered where he was now and if he had run into some kind of trouble. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he have written back to her?

But worrying was useless. It wasn’t like Song Yunzhao could sprout wings and fly out to see for herself. She could only suppress her anxiety and get through the Double Ninth Festival first.

On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, Consort Shu arranged for carriages to take everyone to Jincui Garden early in the morning. Song Yunzhao boarded a carriage with Feng Ze, followed by a long train of attendants, the majority of whom were assigned to Feng Ze.

Anshun, in particular, never left the young master’s side. Only after watching the young master get into his mother’s carriage did he board the one behind them to follow.

Inside the carriage, Song Yunzhao watched Feng Ze moving all around, even lifting the curtain to peek outside. She didn’t stop him. ’Children are naturally very curious.’

’It’s impossible to hold him down anyway, so I might as well let him be.’

The carriage slowly began to roll forward. The crack of a whip clearing the path sounded from a distance. She pulled Feng Ze down to sit beside her. "The carriage is moving now. Sit properly, or you’ll fall and get hurt."

Feng Ze wiggled his little body and hesitated for a moment before sitting still. Afraid that he would start running around again after a short while, Song Yunzhao decided to continue telling him a story.

She was telling the exciting tale of *Journey to the West*. Feng Ze especially loved Sun Wukong, and he would quiet down as soon as he heard her talk about the monkey.

’Among the Four Great Classical Novels, there’s a saying in later generations: "The young should not read *Water Margin*, and the old should not study *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*."’

But Feng Ze was too young. ’Things like *Three Kingdoms* can wait. *Journey to the West* is perfect—it’s lighthearted, fun, and kids love it.’

The only thing was, *Journey to the West* didn’t exist in this time and place. When she told the story, Xiangxue and the other maids would sometimes listen in with great interest, taking any free moment to catch a bit of the tale.

In any case, Song Yunzhao would never admit she was making the story up herself. She only ever said she had read it in a book.

She had already reached the twenty-first ordeal: the peril in Moon-Waving Cave, where the Tang Monk was captured by the Yellow Robe Demon, only to be secretly released by the princess of the Kingdom of Baoxiang. Feng Ze didn’t quite understand the deeper meaning of the story yet; he just loved the excitement of the monkey fighting monsters.

She continued telling the story along the way, and by the time she had nearly finished this part of the tale, the carriage had entered Jincui Garden.

The Empress Dowager had already set the itinerary: first, they would go to the Buddha Fragrance Pavilion to burn incense, then climb Longevity Mountain for the "ascension" tradition, and finally dine at Chongcui Palace before returning home.

Burning incense was a solemn, serious, and pious affair, making it inappropriate to bring Feng Ze along. He was too boisterous to stay quiet. Yun Zhao didn’t want to give the Empress Dowager an opportunity to seize upon his behavior and belittle him, so she had Anshun take a group of attendants to watch over Feng Ze and let him play around the Buddha Fragrance Pavilion until they were finished.

A whole crowd of eunuchs and palace maids, at least twenty of them, swarmed around. With that many people, how could they fail to protect one little Feng Ze?

Song Yunzhao addressed them personally, warning that no matter what happened, none of Feng Ze’s attendants were permitted to leave his side. If she found out they had, she would not be lenient.

’After watching so many palace intrigue dramas, my sense of caution has skyrocketed.’