Chapter 624 - 402: As Expected of Consort Shu
Song Yunzhao got into her carriage, seething with a frustration she couldn’t swallow.
She had hoped they could all just get along. As long as the Empress Dowager maintained a veneer of peace, she was willing to play along.
But after the way the Empress Dowager publicly humiliated her today, if she didn’t react, wouldn’t everyone in this palace think they could walk all over her in the future?
The Empress Dowager’s move to shame her wasn’t a whim; it was clearly deliberate.
The goal was to chip away at her authority in the harem, piece by piece.
’Pah!’
’I’m not playing that game.’
Since the Empress Dowager didn’t want to get along, she shouldn’t be blamed for flipping the whole table.
She, Song Yunzhao, was no longer the helpless, unsupported girl she’d been when she first entered the palace. Her father was now the Minister of Revenue, and her family had been granted a marquisate. To put it plainly, she had a powerful family backing her.
Furthermore, she was at the peak of the Emperor’s favor and had her son, Feng Ze, by her side. What did the Empress Dowager have, besides the title of being the Emperor’s birth mother?
It was a blessing if Gu’en Houfu didn’t hold her back; they certainly couldn’t be counted on to bring the Empress Dowager any glory. An Shutong may have entered the palace, but she hadn’t captured the Emperor’s affection. To dream of using imperial favor to benefit her family, as she herself had done, was pure fantasy!
She had the power to go head-to-head with the Empress Dowager!
The more Song Yunzhao thought about it, the angrier she became. ’That Empress Dowager is like a toad hopping onto your foot. It might not bite, but it’s utterly disgusting!’
Suppressing her fury, Song Yunzhao returned to Yaohua Palace and went to see her son first. The wet nurse quickly reported that the Eldest Prince had worn himself out playing in Jincui Garden, and after eating, he had fallen right asleep.
Song Yunzhao gazed at her son’s little face as he slept, instructing the wet nurse and the other maids to take good care of him before she got up and left.
She changed her clothes and entered her study. She absolutely had to tell Feng Yi what happened today.
’When it comes to tattling, one can’t be late!’
After all, she was the one who had been wronged.
’What’s that?’
’Sowing discord between the Emperor and his mother, the Empress Dowager?’
’What a joke. As if she needed to do any sowing.’
’If the Empress Dowager didn’t pull these kinds of stunts, where would she even get the opportunity!’
’Being merciful to your enemies is being cruel to yourself. She wasn’t some Guanyin statue in a temple, all-forgiving and magnanimous, here to save the masses.’
Song Yunzhao’s letter was brutally direct. She laid out the entire sequence of events clearly, including her own stated bewilderment. Of course, she didn’t mention her suspicions. This incident had nothing to do with her; she was merely a bystander. She only needed to describe what happened fairly and impartially—Feng Yi would draw his own conclusions.
Besides, in the book, An Shutong was a deeply calculating side character—a villainess whose schemes had nearly defeated the heroine.
Overall, she was inclined to believe that Xu Mingying had been set up.
But without evidence, she wouldn’t voice that thought.
As for what the Empress Dowager had done to her, she added a single, seemingly casual line at the end of the letter—the most cleverly crafted of complaints.
Just thinking about it now made her angry all over again.
’What has the Empress Dowager ever done for the Emperor?’
’She hasn’t done a single good thing, only ever causing trouble.’
After having someone dispatch the letter, Song Yunzhao finally felt a sense of relief.
Once the letter was sent, she realized she hadn’t eaten lunch yet. No wonder she was starving.
She had lunch brought in and enjoyed a delicious meal. She might have issues with others, but she wouldn’t neglect her own stomach.
Fed and satisfied, she was just debating whether to take a nap to soothe her bruised feelings when she heard Xiangxue announce that Consort Shu had arrived.
"You’re back already, Consort Shu?" Song Yunzhao asked in surprise as she welcomed the consort in. She was genuinely taken aback. ’That was quick. I didn’t expect that.’
The moment Consort Shu entered, she caught the lingering aroma of food. "Have some lunch sent over for me first," she said bluntly. "I’m starving."
Song Yunzhao: ...
After telling Xiangxue to order another meal from the kitchen, she sat down across from Consort Shu. "How did it go?"
Consort Shu snapped, "You certainly fled quickly. Princess Consort Wan was useless, too. The two of you just held me back."
Song Yunzhao kept her smile in place. Consort Shu had done most of the work today, so she would tolerate the jab.
When Consort Shu saw that Song Yunzhao didn’t offer a biting retort as she usually would, her temper cooled slightly. "An Shutong still hasn’t woken up," she continued. "The Empress Dowager said we’ll deal with it after she’s conscious. We couldn’t all just stand around in Jincui Garden forever. I knew right away the Empress Dowager had something else up her sleeve, and since it had nothing to do with me, I naturally brought my people and left."
Song Yunzhao fell silent. ’That’s certainly something Consort Shu would do.’
’Then again, she would probably have done the same thing.’
"You have a point, Consort Shu," Song Yunzhao agreed. "Since the Empress Dowager said to wait until An Shutong wakes up to deal with it, all we can do is wait."
Consort Shu nodded. "That’s what I was thinking. We might have to go through the motions again later, at most. I believe the Empress Dowager has something else planned. Do you think what happened today was a coincidence?"
Song Yunzhao gave a slight laugh. "That’s hard to say."
Just then, lunch arrived. Consort Shu washed her hands and sat down again. She started with a bowl of soup, which seemed to restore some color to her face. Then, she began to leisurely pick at the dishes, venting to Song Yunzhao as she ate. "This whole affair seems very strange to me. Xu Mingying said that An Shutong claimed to have something to tell her, but then grabbed her and pulled them both down. I just can’t figure out why An Shutong would do that."
’It makes no sense. The two of them have no history of animosity.’
"Yes, I can’t figure it out either." And truthfully, Song Yunzhao still couldn’t make sense of it.
"Well, that’s a surprise. Something even *you* can’t figure out."
"Please, Consort Shu," Song Yunzhao retorted. "I’m not a Bodhisattva. How could I possibly know the prayers of every devotee?"
Consort Shu shot Song Yunzhao a look. ’That sharp tongue of hers never loses an argument.’ This time, she didn’t rise to the bait. After finishing her meal, she followed Song Yunzhao into the inner chamber to speak privately.
"Something feels very off," Consort Shu said, lowering her voice. "You’d better be careful. I’m worried this is all targeted at you." After all, if it wasn’t aimed at Song Yunzhao, why would the Empress Dowager have humiliated her so publicly today?
The Empress Dowager had certainly treated Song Yunzhao poorly in the past, but such a blatant, targeted attack was rare.
"Target me by framing Xu Mingying? How would that even work?" Song Yunzhao shook her head. "I don’t associate with Xu Mingying. It seems too far-fetched."
But Consort Shu retorted, "Nothing to do with you? How can you say that? Isn’t Song Qinghan her sister-in-law? You call that ’no connection’?"
"It’s common knowledge that Song Qinghan and I don’t get along," Song Yunzhao said with a shake of her head. "What is there to exploit? It has no value."
Consort Shu had to admit that made sense. This whole thing was a real headache. She stood up. "I still feel it might be related to you, but I don’t have any proof. Just forget I said anything. I’m heading back."
Song Yunzhao walked Consort Shu out. "I know you mean well, Sister Shu. I appreciate your concern, and I will be careful."
A corner of Consort Shu’s mouth curled up. "Good to know you have a heart."
Song Yunzhao saw her to the door. After taking a few steps, Consort Shu suddenly turned back, looked at Song Yunzhao, and asked, "Do you think the Empress Dowager intends to win over the Marquis Wuxin Mansion?"
Song Yunzhao’s eyelid twitched. "What do you mean?"
"Isn’t it obvious? Marquis Gu’en is a useless glutton, and there’s not a single capable person in his whole household. The Tao Family suffered a downfall because of the Baozhuang Building incident. The Empress Dowager has no one useful left. Don’t you think she’s looking for a new ally?"