Chapter 509 - 287: Sending a Beauty into the Palace

Chapter 509: Chapter 287: Sending a Beauty into the Palace

The Palace Attendants at Wangyou Palace saw the situation and immediately bowed and withdrew. Meng Jiuchang turned and headed for the tea room. He needed to rest his feet. He had been running himself ragged all day and was utterly exhausted.

Early autumn was fast approaching, and the evenings had grown slightly cool. A night breeze drifted past the windowsill, stirring the gauze bed curtains into gentle ripples.

The Emperor was exceptionally passionate tonight, and in a remarkably good mood.

Song Yunzhao was happy as well. The Emperor had returned to the palace, yet he hadn’t thought of seeking out anyone else. Her pregnancy meant they couldn’t fully indulge, of course, and had to exercise restraint. But seeing him so delighted made Yun Zhao feel just as joyful.

Joy really was contagious.

The Emperor had spent the night at Wangyou Palace on the very first day of his return, and the rest of the harem had grown completely placid about it. Not even a single ripple of emotion stirred within them.

Her role as the favored concubine was solidified once more, and Yun Zhao was absolutely delighted.

The next day, she played the part of a virtuous concubine and saw the Emperor off to court, having woken up early specifically to help him dress. The Emperor caught her hand. "You should just rest. Let Meng Jiuchang and the others handle this sort of rough work."

’If I let Yun Zhao do it,’ he thought, ’I’ll be late for the morning court session.’

Song Yunzhao sat obediently to one side, watching as Meng Jiuchang and the others deftly dressed the Emperor and attended to his morning ablutions. After seeing him off, she glanced back at the time and gave a small smile.

’I know Feng Yi thinks I’m too slow but doesn’t want to hurt my feelings,’ she thought. ’That’s why he found another way to say it, claiming he was worried about tiring me out.’

’Hmph. If he was really so worried about tiring me out, he could have been a little more restrained last night.’

On his first full day back, Feng Yi was too busy to return for the midday meal. So, Yun Zhao went over to Lu Zhixue’s place for lunch. Lu Zhixue, in turn, invited Han Jinyi, Feng Yunjin, and Wang Zhaorong to join them. After eating, they spent the rest of the afternoon playing cards.

’Playing cards is a fantastic way to kill time,’ she mused. ’You can strengthen friendships, chat about everything under the sun, and trade a little gossip. It’s so pleasant.’

By now, Wang Zhaorong had five or six white paper strips stuck to her face. Whenever she spoke, the one on the tip of her nose would flutter, annoying her so much that she snatched it off and slapped it onto her cheek. Only then did she seem satisfied.

Song Yunzhao was speechless.

’I really thought she was going to rip it off and toss it aside,’ Yun Zhao mused. ’Who would’ve thought she’d just stick it somewhere else on her face? What a straightforward soul.’

’Birds of a feather really do flock together.’

"The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner," Wang Zhaorong remarked casually, playing a card. "I get the feeling this year’s celebration is going to be rather lively."

"What’s there to be lively about? Won’t it be the same as always?" Lu Zhixue said dismissively.

Feng Yunjin glanced at Wang Zhaorong, a thoughtful expression on her face. Han Jinyi, however, shared Lu Zhixue’s sentiment and didn’t think anything would be different.

Yun Zhao, however, felt her heart skip a beat. ’Feng Yi was a bit *too* passionate last night,’ she thought. ’Could he have done something to feel guilty about?’

At that thought, she turned to Wang Zhaorong. "What do you mean, lively? Don’t beat around the bush."

Wang Zhaorong played her hand—and lost again. Suddenly, she didn’t have the energy for gossip anymore.

"Didn’t Prince Zhenbei just return after a great victory?" she mumbled. "To show their submission to the Heavenly Dynasty, the defeated Tusi have specially selected Beauties to send to the Capital City. Among them is the new Tusi’s own younger sister."

Song Yunzhao was bewildered. ’This scene wasn’t in the book,’ she thought. ’So now a beauty from a minority tribe is suddenly appearing?’

’The original heroine only had to contend with the homegrown beauties of the harem. But now that I’m in charge, has the difficulty been upgraded to fighting foreign bosses?’

Her mood soured instantly. She looked at Wang Zhaorong. ’A starved camel is still bigger than a horse,’ she thought. ’Even after being demoted, her information network is as sharp as ever now that she’s back in the palace proper.’

As soon as she said this, the expressions of the other women shifted. Feng Yunjin frowned. "Just because they’re sending women, does the palace have to accept them? What do they take the harem for? What etiquette or rules could women from those barbarian lands possibly understand?"

"I hear the people from those parts are savage and uncivilized. They probably can’t even read," Lu Zhixue added, clearly displeased. "If they enter the palace, who knows what kind of trouble they’ll cause." She herself could be rather unreasonable, so the thought of dealing with someone even more so was simply a headache.

Han Jinyi hesitated before saying, "How can the harem have any say in a matter like this? The women are already on their way to the Capital City. It’s not as if we can just send them back, can we?"

As they spoke, all eyes turned to Song Yunzhao.

This affair wouldn’t have much of an impact on them, but for Yun Zhao, it was a different story entirely.

’But it’s not that simple,’ Song Yunzhao thought. ’A plot point that wasn’t in the original book has suddenly appeared. This must be aimed at me.’

’The Tusi is sending his own sister. This is part of the court’s grand strategy to pacify the minority tribes. If this woman enters the palace, even if the Emperor never favors her, she’ll have to be kept in style—good food, fine drink, and a respectable rank.’

’And if she’s not particularly sharp and ends up being used as a pawn by the Empress Dowager and Qin Xiyue, my own hands will be tied.’

’When Prince Zhenbei made his triumphal return at the traveling palace, there was no mention of this. For the matter of sending Beauties to suddenly surface now... it’s impossible that no one is pulling strings behind the scenes.’

’Who could it be?’

’There are only a handful of people who have a grudge against me. Here in the harem, that points to the Empress Dowager and Qin Xiyue.’

’It’s true that Grand Tutor Qin has fallen from power, but a great tree has deep roots. He has many former students; if he really wanted to make a move, it wouldn’t be impossible.’

’The Empress Dowager has the support of Gu’en Houfu. Even though the Emperor dislikes them, they are still her maternal family, and plenty of people in the Capital City are eager to curry their favor. On top of that, there’s An Shutong. Everyone in the Capital City believes she has her sights set on the Empress’s throne, which naturally adds to Gu’en Houfu’s influence.’

’How incredibly frustrating. I’ve just returned, only to be faced with a disastrous opening move.’

’This really is the classic treatment for a villainess side character, isn’t it?’

Seeing the color drain from Song Yunzhao’s face, Wang Zhaorong thought, ’And this is just the beginning. Once the Emperor’s power in the court is fully consolidated, Beauties from every corner of the realm will pour into this harem. She has long, hard days ahead of her.’

’Song Yunzhao’s greatest luck is that she’s carrying the Emperor’s first child. If it’s a Prince, fine. But if it’s a Princess, she’ll have to seize the next chance to have another.’

’I’ve come to accept it now,’ she reflected. ’Relying on the Emperor’s favor is useless. It’s like the morning dew—it vanishes in an instant.’

’Never mind that Song Yunzhao is favored now. The moment someone who pleases the Emperor even more comes along, she’ll have to step aside as well.’

’I know the taste of losing favor all too well now.’

’Besides, I was never truly favored. My position in the harem was purely due to my family’s status, and now I’ve even lost my coveted rank of concubine.’

’My entire life has been a complete joke.’

As the sky began to darken, the women took their leave one by one, none of them planning to stay for dinner at Lu Zhixue’s. After returning to Wangyou Palace, Yun Zhao immediately sent Anshun to gather more information.

When Anshun returned, he reported back with some hesitation. What Wang Zhaorong had said was indeed true.

Song Yunzhao started to get angry. The source of her anger wasn’t the arrival of new Beauties, but the fact that Feng Yi hadn’t mentioned it to her last night.

’Is it because he thinks this sort of thing doesn’t concern me?’

The more she dwelled on it, the angrier she became. A pregnant woman’s emotions were already prone to wild swings, and as her temper flared, she began to feel genuinely unwell.

Clutching her belly with both hands, Song Yunzhao froze. She suddenly realized that she was actually getting angry over something like this.

’According to the role I’ve set for myself, there’s no reason to be angry.’

And yet, she was.

’Feng Yi’s place in my heart has changed.’

Song Yunzhao covered her face. ’When it rains, it pours.’