I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Song Yunzhao hadn’t expected Feng Yi to approach Xu Anchen directly. They had been together for so long that their thoughts often synchronized, and she suspected Feng Yi’s idea was the same as hers.

Their eyes met, and Feng Yi smiled softly. "Surprised?"

"Not surprised, exactly, more like pleasantly surprised," Song Yunzhao said immediately. "I suppose this is what they call being on the same wavelength."

Feng Yi’s smile grew even wider.

He really liked those words at that moment.

Feng Yi stayed in Yaohua Palace for a while longer before returning to Taixi Hall. After changing his clothes there, he headed unhurriedly toward Shouci Palace.

Song Yunzhao couldn’t care less if the Empress Dowager found out that Feng Yi had visited her first. Even if the Empress Dowager were displeased, that was her own problem.

If she hadn’t broken her own son’s heart, why would Feng Yi have become so distant from her?

’Relationships in this world are a two-way street. You’re good to me, so I’ll be even better to you. Who expects others to give everything while they give nothing at all? It’s absurd.’

As Feng Yi went to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager with great fanfare, the news of the Emperor’s return to the palace spread like wildfire.

Immediately, the courtiers who learned of the Emperor’s return requested audiences one after another. The Left and Right Ministers had been truly worn out lately over the matter of Yan City.

How to investigate the matter, who to send, whether it was a plot against Song Nanzhen or if Song Nanzhen had waded into these deep waters himself—no matter what, a plan had to be made.

With the Emperor away from the Capital City, and with his imperial authority growing by the day, the Left and Right Ministers no longer dared to be as domineering and monopolize power as they had been when he first ascended the throne.

Song Yunzhao was still wondering whether to wait for Feng Yi for dinner when Meng Jiuchang came personally with a message. The line of officials Feng Yi needed to see was long, so he wouldn’t be coming over that night and wanted her to rest early.

Song Yunzhao had somewhat expected this, so she sent Meng Jiuchang back, instructing him that she would have the kitchen send dinner to the Emperor later. She told Meng Jiuchang to remind the Emperor not to get so caught up in state affairs that he missed his meal.

Meng Jiuchang readily agreed. On his way out of Yaohua Palace and back to Taixi Hall, he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. The only person in the entire harem who dared to keep such a close watch on the Emperor’s meals was Ming Fei. Not even the Empress Dowager herself would do so these days.

Song Yunzhao had her own things to do. After dinner, she played with Feng Ze for an hour as usual. Seeing the little one getting sleepy, she had Nanny Qi carry him back to his room to settle him down.

She then went to her study, carefully reviewed the proposals sent by Feng Yunjin and the others, and began making revisions with her brush. She was busy until late at night before finally going to bed.

The next morning, there was no sign of Zhang Maoquan. Nanny Yu came over to pass on a message: Zhang Maoquan hadn’t returned to the palace last night.

Song Yunzhao frowned. ’Did Feng Yi give Zhang Maoquan another assignment?’

She looked at Nanny Yu and asked, "Did you mention this to Manager Meng?"

"Last night after the palace gates were locked, Anshun found me and told me Zhang Maoquan hadn’t come back. I went to see Manager Meng, who told me not to worry. I didn’t dare to press for details, so I came back."

Song Yunzhao nodded. Then it probably wasn’t a major issue. Most likely, Feng Yi had sent him on an errand.

It wasn’t until the afternoon that Zhang Maoquan returned. He came quietly to report to Yun Zhao, "There’s a huge commotion at the Marquis Wuxin Mansion."

Song Yunzhao was speechless.

’This speed, this impact, this efficiency!’

’He truly is the male protagonist.’

Her interest piqued, Song Yunzhao asked for the details. "Tell me everything."

Zhang Maoquan said with a smile, "This was only possible because Your Highness had me deliver a message to Heir Xu earlier. He was already prepared, which allowed him to seize the initiative..."

As Zhang Maoquan recounted the story, it became clear that Song Yunzhao’s prediction had been quite accurate. The Empress Dowager and An Shutong had indeed intended to drag the Marquis Wuxin Mansion into the mire, deliberately framing Xu Mingying to gain control over Marquis and Marchioness Wuxin.

The Marchioness Wu Xin had always favored her younger son and daughter. Xu Anchen, the eldest brother, had always taken good care of his younger siblings, but he couldn’t handle how much trouble Xu Anxing caused. A rift had long since formed between mother and son because of Xu Anxing.

This time, for Xu Mingying’s sake, the Marchioness Wu Xin was actually willing to agree to the Empress Dowager’s terms. Once you board a pirate ship, it’s not easy to get off.

As the Princely Heir, even though Xu Anchen only held a sinecure position, he had a wide circle of friends and was well-informed. He knew that the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager was strained, and with Ming Fei in the middle, the mother-son relationship was fraught with conflict.

If they boarded the Empress Dowager’s ship, wouldn’t that be tantamount to opposing the Emperor?

If they offended the Emperor, what would become of the Marquis Wuxin Mansion? The Empress Dowager held no real power.

It was clearly a trap, yet his mother was determined to walk right into it.

To sacrifice the entire Marquis Mansion’s interests and safety for her daughter’s sake... this wasn’t like the family scandal Xu Anxing had caused, which at worst was just a loss of face. This time, they could lose their lives!

So, after Zhang Maoquan found him again and relayed the Emperor’s intentions, Xu Anchen felt emboldened and went to have a showdown with Marquis Wuxin.

What was more important: his daughter or the Marquis Mansion?

If his sister didn’t ally with the Empress Dowager, the worst that could happen was that she’d be given a hard time in the palace. As long as she endured it, kept her head down, and got through the next year or two, everything would be fine. As long as the Marquis Wuxin Mansion stood, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t dare take his sister’s life.

But if they boarded the Empress Dowager’s pirate ship, there would be no telling what the future held.

The Marquis Wuxin was clearly persuaded by his son. And so, the Marquis and his wife had a huge fight over Xu Mingying. As they argued, they dredged up every old grievance, including the messy affairs in Xu Anxing’s courtyard, and the fight grew more and more vicious.

Seeing this, Xu Anchen went to mediate, but the Marchioness Wu Xin redirected her anger toward her eldest son. She cursed him for being unfilial, for provoking his father into abandoning his sister, and called him a cruel, heartless wolf who lacked the magnanimity of an older brother...

The tirade finally angered Xu Anchen. He knew his mother was biased, but he never thought she would think of him that way. The rift between mother and son inevitably widened. Xu Anchen talked back a few times, and the Marchioness Wu Xin seized the opportunity to rail against him for being unfilial, making the scene even uglier.

Song Yunzhao was speechless.

’Now *this* is what you call a shit-stirrer.’

’No wonder she and Mrs. Cai hit it off. They’re two of a kind.’

’I should light a candle for Xu Anchen. He really has it tough.’

The Marchioness Wu Xin was fuming at her eldest son, and neither mother nor son could persuade the other. At this point, the Marquis Wuxin’s opinion became crucial.

Song Yunzhao didn’t know what choice the Marquis Wuxin would ultimately make. After all, as her husband, how could he not know about the things the Marchioness Wu Xin had been doing all these years? Yet, the Marquis had rarely ever tried to control her.

This alone revealed a great deal about the Marquis’s character. Song Yunzhao gave Xu Anchen a fifty-fifty chance of persuading the Marquis. Whether he could succeed or not depended on his own abilities.

The incident in Yan City could be either a major or minor affair. From the memorials, Feng Yi already understood that the situation was not simple, and the Left and Right Ministers had reported everything clearly. But as for what the truth was, no one could say for certain just yet.

The person chosen to go to Yan City and investigate the truth was selected. Song Yunzhao was both surprised and not surprised—it was Ji Yunting.

’He really is the quintessential supporting male lead—the Great Chu Court’s go-to problem solver, sent wherever he’s needed.’