I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

When Song Yunzhao arrived, a crowd had already gathered around Yanqing Palace. Feng Yunjin, looking somewhat disheveled, stood outside supported by Palace Attendants. Upon seeing Yun Zhao, she immediately came over to curtsy.

Yun Zhao pulled her up and asked with concern, "Are you all right? How did a fire start?"

Feng Yunjin replied, "Someone was careless with a flame in the small tea room, and a fire started by accident. Fortunately, it was discovered quickly. I’m unharmed."

Just then, Consort Shu rushed over. She happened to overhear them and immediately snapped, "An accidental fire? I think your servants are just being careless! You’re usually so soft-spoken, and now the people under you are getting bolder and bolder."

Song Yunzhao also found the situation strange. Feng Yunjin had just had a scare, so it was natural for her not to be thinking everything through. Following Consort Shu’s lead, she said, "Consort Shu is right. A moment of carelessness nearly burned down the palace. Any more negligence, and who knows what disaster could have struck. It’s best to investigate this thoroughly."

Consort Shu was already upset about the matter with Xu Mingying, and this incident only added fuel to the fire. By now, the blaze had been extinguished, with only wisps of black smoke drifting into the air.

Consort Shu led her attendants inside to investigate. Concubines usually ate meals from the Imperial Kitchen; each palace only had a small tea room for boiling water, brewing tea, or preparing small snacks when needed.

Feng Yunjin’s small tea room was now burned beyond recognition. Fortunately, the fire had been extinguished quickly and hadn’t spread to the main hall. The tea room would have to be rebuilt, and the outer walls of the main hall, stained by the smoke, would also need to be cleaned.

As Consort Shu sent the Palace Attendants scurrying about, her anger slowly began to subside.

Meanwhile, Yun Zhao was questioning Feng Yunjin about the details of what had happened, and Feng Yunjin answered truthfully.

"After my meal today, I took a nap. I was sleeping soundly when I heard someone shouting for help with the fire. My attendants woke me, and we ran outside. Then, Your Highness arrived."

Song Yunzhao nodded. "What about Du Wanneng, who lives across from you?"

Feng Yunjin shook her head. "She gets along well with Talented Lady Qin and went to visit her today. She wasn’t in her quarters."

Feng Yunjin had just finished speaking when Xiangxue came to report that Du Ji had arrived and wished to pay her respects to both ladies.

Song Yunzhao was in no mood to see her. "Tell her to go back for now," she said.

Consort Shu walked over and stopped Xiangxue. "I happen to have some questions for her. You, lead the way." She then turned to Song Yunzhao. "I know you value Feng Xiaoyuan, but the matter hasn’t been fully investigated. Why are you taking your anger out on someone else? That doesn’t seem like you."

Song Yunzhao was left speechless by Consort Shu’s question.

Seeing this, Consort Shu grew even more smug. "You’re always saying I act on impulse, but now it’s your turn to be emotional? That simply won’t do."

Consort Shu walked away, head held high. Song Yunzhao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

A warmth spread through Feng Yunjin’s heart. She had a chair brought for Yun Zhao and, once she was seated, said softly, "Is Your Highness worried that someone is trying to harm me?"

Song Yunzhao nodded slightly. "Xu Mingying just left, and now this happens to you. I can’t help but feel it’s no accident. You’re my right and left hand now. If someone wants to target me, wouldn’t they try to chop off my limbs first? You can never be too careful."

Feng Yunjin froze. ’So that’s why Yun Zhao found out something was wrong and arrived even faster than Consort Shu, who lives right next door. She was genuinely worried for my safety.’

Feng Yunjin’s eyes reddened. When she first sided with Yun Zhao, she did it to secure a place for herself in the palace, to avoid being bullied. With her wits and intelligence, she was confident she could manage that.

Over the past few years, she knew Yun Zhao treated her with a degree of genuine affection, but she never realized the feeling ran so deep.

She sniffled softly. "I know you’re protecting me, but I’m not an idiot. I can protect myself. I will get to the bottom of what happened today."

Knowing Feng Yunjin understood the stakes, Song Yunzhao breathed a sigh of relief. "Since the fire started in the small tea room, if someone was truly behind it, that means someone close to you has been turned. Without concrete proof, this incident will likely be ruled an accident. But you need to be firm in your own mind. Don’t be easily fooled."

"I understand," Feng Yunjin replied. Whether today’s incident was an accident or a deliberate attack, it definitely required a proper investigation.

Consort Shu returned quickly. "That Du Ji is so timid," she said to Yun Zhao. "I only asked a few questions, but she acted as if I were about to beat her to death."

Song Yunzhao looked at Consort Shu. "Has anyone gone to question Talented Lady Qin?"

Consort Shu paused. "Not yet. I’ll send someone over."

Du Wanneng’s story needed to be corroborated by Talented Lady Qin. Since she lived in the same palace as Feng Yunjin, her convenient absence during the fire certainly needed to be investigated.

Before the person sent to question Talented Lady Qin returned, news had already reached Shouci Palace, and Nanny Yao came over personally to make inquiries.

Song Yunzhao despised the people from Shouci Palace, so she didn’t even show her face. She remained inside the hall, letting Consort Shu trade barbs with the woman.

Feng Yunjin, of course, went out to answer the questions. The hall fell quiet, but the lingering, unpleasant smell of smoke and scorched wood still hung in the air.

Princess Consort Wan, whose residence was farther away, was on her way over after hearing the news and ran into Nanny Yao, who was just leaving. Yun Zhao watched from a window as Nanny Yao curtsied to Princess Consort Wan. She couldn’t hear what was said, but Princess Consort Wan’s expression darkened.

After Nanny Yao left, Princess Consort Wan came straight inside. Consort Shu saw her and said, "What are you doing here? Weren’t you feeling unwell these past few days?"

"The news gave me a scare. I had to come see with my own eyes to be at ease," Princess Consort Wan said, giving a slight cough. Thanks to her connection with Song Yunzhao, Princess Consort Wan was on good terms with Feng Yunjin and the others.

As soon as she finished speaking, Han Jinyi, Lu Zhixue, and Wang Zhaorong arrived one after another, and Yanqing Palace suddenly became lively.

Han Jinyi’s face was pale. When she saw Feng Yunjin, she grabbed her hands and refused to let go, looking her over from head to toe. Only after confirming that she was truly unharmed did she relax, tears welling in her eyes.

Lu Zhixue curled her lip with a hint of disdain. "She’s obviously fine. Don’t cry, it’s bad luck."

Han Jinyi’s tears hovered on her lashes, not quite falling, making her look all the more pitiful.

Wang Zhaorong, who had been speaking with Princess Consort Wan, turned and remarked, "Han Jinyi is just worried. Not everyone is as magnanimous as you."

"A big heart is a blessing," Lu Zhixue said proudly. ’When I first entered the palace,’ she thought, ’my mind was narrower than the eye of a needle. Haven’t I now trained myself to be more carefree than a simpleton?’

Feng Yunjin’s maids, Ai Ju and Ru Hua, bustled about, attending to the guests. Consort Shu had already sent for the palace maid responsible for the fire in the small tea room to be interrogated. Just as Yun Zhao expected, the person who came back to report declared it an accident.

The little palace maid watching the stove had accidentally dozed off. Too much charcoal had been added to the furnace, and with the doors and windows open, a gust of wind blew in and ignited the handkerchief in her hand. The flame burned her, and she instinctively threw the handkerchief away. As fate would have it, the cloth landed on the door curtain, which immediately burst into flames.

The story sounded plausible enough, but Yun Zhao couldn’t help but feel there were far too many coincidences.