Chapter 413 - 191: To Kill Two Birds with One Stone

Chapter 413: Chapter 191: To Kill Two Birds with One Stone

Lu Zhixue had long been displeased with An Fangyi. Now that Han Imperial Censor had impeached Grand Tutor Qin and Duke Dingguo before the Emperor, it was truly gratifying, and her face was alight with undisguised joy.

"If only there was concrete evidence," Lu Zhixue said regretfully.

Hearing this, Feng Yunjin looked at Lu Zhixue and gently advised, "You can’t expect to accomplish everything at once. The current situation is already much better than we’d hoped."

Lu Zhixue realized she was right. It certainly wouldn’t be easy to find evidence of dealings between Grand Tutor Qin and Duke Dingguo, but not everyone possessed the courage to speak so bluntly before the Emperor as Han Imperial Censor had.

Everyone was in high spirits, but Han Jinyi’s feelings were the most complex. She was happy her father was protecting her, yet she was also afraid he had stirred up trouble. Neither Grand Tutor Qin nor Duke Dingguo was someone to be trifled with.

Amid the joyful atmosphere, Feng Yunjin looked at Yun Zhao and said, "With the Empress Dowager returning to the palace this year, there’s a chance the court will go on a summer retreat."

Song Yunzhao looked at Feng Yunjin, a little confused. ’What does she mean by that?’

Feng Yunjin knew Yun Zhao hadn’t grown up in the Capital City, so it was no surprise she was unfamiliar with such matters. She explained in detail, "In all the years since his ascension, the Emperor has never gone to a traveling palace for the summer. But now the Empress Dowager has returned, and at her advanced age, the heat of the Capital City will likely be unbearable for her."

Song Yunzhao understood. The Emperor couldn’t let his own mother suffer in the heat. Going to the traveling palace for the summer would boost his reputation for filial piety and allow him to enjoy a cool summer as well. It was a win-win situation.

But there was the problem. Song Yunzhao was pregnant. If she followed the imperial procession out of the capital for the summer, the journey might not be safe for her. But if she were left behind in the palace, the Emperor wouldn’t see her, and his affection might wander to someone else. Another woman could seize the opportunity to win his favor.

Song Yunzhao...

’Well now, this is a perfect case of killing two birds with one stone. It feels like this is aimed at me, too.’

’When one plot fails, another one begins, all dedicated to dragging me down from my position as the favored concubine.’

"Where did you hear this from?" Song Yunzhao knew Feng Yunjin was always well-informed, but she hadn’t expected her to be *this* well-informed.

Feng Yunjin answered readily, "I heard it from the Laundry Bureau, and I’d say there’s at least a sixty or seventy percent chance it’s true." After all, Song Zhaoyi was far too conspicuous.

Song Yunzhao nodded, understanding instantly.

The Laundry Bureau wasn’t just a good place to gather information. It was also an excellent place to spread it.

In a place with so many people coming and going, tracing the source of a rumor was incredibly difficult. It was like trying to find a single drop of water in the ocean.

It finally dawned on Lu Zhixue. She looked at Song Yunzhao with concern and said, "If this is true, you’re in a difficult position whether you go or not. Who would come up with such a plan? It’s just too vicious."

"I’m definitely going." Of course, Song Yunzhao couldn’t just leave the Emperor surrounded by a group of scheming beauties, especially with the Empress Dowager pulling the strings in the background.

’But *how* I go... that’s not for others to decide.’

Han Jinyi said with concern, "If you do go, you must be careful on the journey."

A long journey by carriage was not a comfortable experience, and problems could easily arise, especially for someone pregnant like Yun Zhao.

Meeting their worried gazes, Song Yunzhao smiled and said, "I have it under control. Don’t worry."

’As if they could stop worrying.’

But since Song Yunzhao had said so, and they had no better ideas to offer, they couldn’t very well try to dissuade her. After chatting for a little longer, they rose to take their leave.

After seeing her friends off, Song Yunzhao considered the matter with An Fangyi closed for now. Han Jinyi hadn’t mentioned what happened with Ying Chun’s brother, but from her subdued expression, it was clear she was still quite annoyed.

Han Jinyi certainly wouldn’t lift a finger to help Ying Chun’s brother. The crime was helping to frame a concubine; even Ying Chun herself would likely be implicated, to say nothing of the brother who actually committed the offense.

However, Yun Zhao wouldn’t interfere in these matters. Han Jinyi could handle her own affairs.

The next issue was the journey for the summer retreat. ’Ancient carriages actually had suspension systems,’ she thought. ’But I’ve transmigrated into a novel, and a novel wouldn’t bother with such trivial details. Who would waste time writing about carriage suspension?’

But to Yun Zhao, this was a major issue. An artifact called a "Futu" had been unearthed from the Zhou Dynasty, and it was part of a carriage’s suspension system.

The Futu was located between the carriage body and the axle. It was named for its strong resemblance to a crouching rabbit; it was flat on top and concave on the bottom, allowing it to fit perfectly over the axle. It didn’t just absorb shocks; it also served the more important function of securing and stabilizing the axle.

In addition to the Futu, there was also the Dangtu.

The Dangtu was situated between two Futu and resembled a deeply crouching rabbit. It was a component that linked the carriage’s pole to the axle. If a hole were drilled directly into the pole for the axle, it would easily cause wear and breakage. Adding a Dangtu not only made the connection more secure but also provided additional shock absorption.

This technology was detailed in the *Carriage Diagram*. Song Yunzhao picked up her brush and drew it out. ’This probably doesn’t exist in the world of this novel,’ she mused, ’because the Song Family carriage I rode in didn’t have it. The ride to Shangjing was so bumpy I thought I was going to die.’ There were, however, soft suspension systems, like laying thick cushions in the carriage to increase comfort.

At this thought, Song Yunzhao specifically called Anshun over to ask. Anshun didn’t understand much about such things, so he made a special trip to the Six Departments to inquire. Only then did Song Yunzhao find out that this technology truly didn’t exist here.

’Oh, what a perfect opportunity to make money!’

Song Yunzhao meticulously drew the diagrams and made two copies. She had Anshun immediately deliver one to Xie Jinshu, who would naturally know how to monetize it.

As for the other copy, she decided to present it to the Emperor as a token of her affection. ’It is a symbol of my deepest devotion, after all,’ she thought.

This thought amused Song Yunzhao. It was a way to make a quick profit; once others learned how to manufacture the parts, the big money would be gone.

Still, she would be the one to claim that first pot of gold.

Song Yunzhao wanted to give Feng Yi a surprise, so she sent Anshun to the Shanggong Bureau with the blueprints. Once the new carriage was built and she presented it to the Emperor, he would surely be delighted to take her along on the summer retreat.

’Perfect.’

Wangyou Palace was as quiet as ever, but the inner palace was anything but a pool of still water.

Princess Consort Zhuang was in a rage. She had just received a letter from her family. Between her failure in the matter of An Shutong and the subsequent incident with An Fangyi, she had failed to gain any advantage. As a result, her family was quite displeased with her.

In all her years in the palace, Princess Consort Zhuang had never been this furious. She viciously tore the letter from her family to shreds, threw the pieces into a copper basin, and burned them to ash. Her expression was as dark as a sudden summer storm.

Rouge entered quietly. She took in the wreckage on the floor without so much as batting an eye. Stepping over shards of porcelain, she approached and said in a hushed voice, "Your Highness, I’ve found out. On that day, Qin Wanyi did indeed disappear for well over an hour."