Chapter 517 - 295: Song Yunzhao Takes the Big Blame

Chapter 517: Chapter 295: Song Yunzhao Takes the Big Blame

"Yes, not a single one was kept," Zhang Maoquan said with a smile.

Song Zhaoyi was truly formidable. She even had the Tusi’s younger sisters swept out the door before they could even touch the threshold of the Imperial Palace.

Song Yunzhao fell silent.

She could already predict that the rumors about her being domineering, jealous, and intolerant would surely escalate once again.

She was truly wronged in this matter. She hadn’t said a single word about it to Feng Yi. But since he had made such a decision—and right after spending the night with her—she was stuck taking the blame for it.

Still, even if she had to be the scapegoat, she was happy to do it.

While everyone in Wangyou Palace was overjoyed, over at Shouci Palace, the Empress Dowager was smashing one teacup after another.

’I’ve really underestimated this Song Yunzhao,’ she thought.

Song Yunzhao was delighted. She had to give Feng Yi credit. Whatever his reasons for this decision, the outcome was in her favor, and that was a joyous occasion.

It wasn’t just the harem, with all its differing opinions; the outer court was also buzzing with discussion.

When the Beauties from the Southern Border arrived in the Capital City, so many people were waiting to see Song Yunzhao become a laughingstock. This Song Zhaoyi had been triumphant for so long and offended so many; surely this time she would finally stumble, right?

You just can’t get away with relying on your beauty to act atrociously forever. There’s always a time when your ship will capsize.

But what was the result?

It was their ships that had capsized.

This was especially true for the wives whose households now had a new Beauty. They could now personally experience the kind of vexation they had wished upon Song Yunzhao.

After the Right Minister returned to his residence, he said to his wife, "You must write a letter to our daughter. Tell her that in the palace, she must not make an enemy of Song Zhaoyi. She should yield to her whenever possible."

The Right Minister’s Wife nodded quickly. "You are right, my lord. Song Zhaoyi is truly incredible. To think she could make the Emperor bestow all those Beauties upon others, with not a single one entering the palace... her ability is truly formidable."

The Right Minister frowned, saying with some displeasure, "The Emperor is far too indulgent of Song Zhaoyi in matters of the harem. If this continues, it will not be a good thing for the realm."

Hearing this, the Right Minister’s Wife quickly said, "Harem affairs are for the Empress Dowager to manage. My lord, you absolutely must not get involved."

’Just look at those who did get involved. They ended up with a new Beauty in their homes,’ she thought.

The thought of having one in their own family was just a headache. At her age, the Right Minister’s Wife wasn’t concerned about *that* sort of thing, but having such a Beauty in the house—one you couldn’t treat too lightly or too harshly, and a gift from the Emperor no less... wasn’t that just asking for trouble?

In any case, the Right Minister’s Wife didn’t want the trouble. She looked at her husband and said, "If you want to take a concubine, I’ll find a girl from a respectable family and bring her into the household properly."

The Right Minister was speechless. ...

’What does this have to do with me taking a concubine?’ he thought.

The Right Minister flicked his sleeves and left. Behind his back, his wife rolled her eyes. ’If I really brought someone in, we’d see if he’d still be flicking his sleeves then.’

However, since he hadn’t expressed an opinion, she had no desire to pretend to be a magnanimous wife. In this day and age, even supporting a concubine cost money. If the new woman wasn’t sensible, it would only lead to arguments. This way, she had peace of mind and saved money too.

Because of the matter of bestowing the Beauties, the Capital City was abuzz for quite some time. Yun Zhao was made the scapegoat, and her reputation skyrocketed, cementing her firmly in the position of "Evil Concubine," from which she could not escape.

The days grew cooler, one by one, and her belly grew larger. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, just as she was pondering writing a letter to her Eldest Aunt, she was startled by the news that the Emperor had ennobled Princess Fuke’s eldest son as the Changning Marquis.

Years ago, Princess Fuke had not married into the Capital City’s nobility, but to that year’s top scorer in the imperial examinations. By marrying a Princess, the top scorer’s official career was constrained. Although the late Emperor doted on this daughter, he never granted her husband the rank of Marquis. He held the title of Imperial Consort until he died of illness.

Therefore, Princess Fuke’s children had no paternal title to inherit. She had brought them back to the Capital City hoping the Emperor, mindful of their bond as brother and sister, would elevate her children’s status.

Now that Princess Fuke’s eldest son, Wei Chang, had been ennobled as the Changning Marquis, a major worry had been lifted from her heart. They could finally establish a firm foothold in the Capital City.

Song Yunzhao thought for a moment, then had a congratulatory gift prepared and sent to the Princess Mansion.

After the gift was sent, Song Yunzhao temporarily lost the inclination to write to her Eldest Aunt. She pondered the situation. Everyone knew that Princess Fuke was on bad terms with the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager had just hosted a banquet, and immediately after, Feng Yi had gifted the Beauties to his courtiers and ennobled Wei Chang. It was hard not to see this as a signal.

Princess Fuke acted quickly, sending Yun Zhao a thank-you letter written in very familiar terms. In the letter, Yun Zhao saw that the princess mentioned Princess Duanjing’s marriage, and then brought up her own eldest male cousin. Though nothing was stated explicitly, the probing intent was clear. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

’Does Princess Fuke actually want my eldest cousin to marry Wei Minzhen?’

Wei Minzhen was several years younger than her cousin, and she was said to be in poor health. Based on that alone, her Eldest Aunt would likely not be very pleased.

Poor health implied difficulty in bearing children. Furthermore, since she was a Commandery Princess, it would likely be difficult for her eldest cousin to take a concubine in the future to continue the family line.

Song Yunzhao felt this marriage was unlikely to happen. After some thought, she wrote a letter to her Eldest Aunt.

When the Eldest Aunt received the letter, her expression didn’t change at all. Princess Fuke had already put out feelers to test the waters before. At the time, she hadn’t responded, merely saying she needed to discuss it with her husband. She had assumed Princess Fuke would know to back down, as such a reply was clearly just an excuse.

She hadn’t expected the princess to approach Yun Zhao about it. Princess Fuke had made no moves before, but now that her son was the Changning Marquis, she clearly had more confidence.

The Eldest Aunt wasn’t angry, though. She had met Princess Duanjing before. If not for her poor health, it would have been a good match.

After much consideration, the Eldest Aunt submitted a request to enter the palace, wanting to discuss the matter with Yun Zhao.

When Yun Zhao met with her Eldest Aunt, she heard her say directly, "It’s not that I’m unwilling to consider this marriage. In fact, it would be our family marrying up. But Princess Duanjing is frail and sickly, which I fear will be unfavorable for producing heirs. Given her status, even if your eldest cousin were to take a concubine to continue the family line, I’m afraid Princess Fuke would still back her daughter. When that time comes, our two families will likely have a falling out. If that’s the case, it’s better not to form this union at all, lest we end up as enemies."

Hearing this, Song Yunzhao knew her guess had been correct.

From her family’s perspective, she felt her Eldest Aunt was right. After a moment of thought, she said, "Princess Fuke has always been a clear-headed and self-possessed person. Since she dared to bring this matter to me, she has likely thought it through. Eldest Aunt, you are right that we cannot become enemies even if the marriage doesn’t work out. I think you should make a trip in person to explain things clearly and hear what Princess Fuke has to say."

The Eldest Aunt sighed. "I said from the beginning that we should have settled your cousin’s marriage first, but your Eldest Uncle insisted on waiting. Well, since things have come to this, I will go and pay her a visit to hear the Princess’s thoughts. Even if she is a Princess, she can’t expect our family line to end."

The Eldest Aunt wasn’t entirely against the match, but Princess Duanjing’s health was the most critical issue.

Then again, if it weren’t for Princess Duanjing’s poor health, a match like this would likely never have been offered to the Song Family in the first place.