Chapter 670 - 448: A Pace Yun Zhao Can’t Keep Up With

Chapter 670: Chapter 448: A Pace Yun Zhao Can’t Keep Up With

Rain began to fall suddenly in the middle of the night. What started as a light drizzle soon grew into a fierce downpour. A sudden clap of thunder heralded a violent storm, startling Yun Zhao and Feng Yi awake.

Song Yunzhao draped a robe over her shoulders, rose, and pushed open the window to look out. Beneath the pitch-black night sky, a few palace lanterns hung under the eaves, swaying in the wind. Their flames flickered, alternately brightening and dimming, growing and shrinking.

The wind gusted in through the open window, making Yun Zhao’s robes whip about. Feng Yi came over, reached out to shut the window, and looked at her. "Don’t stand in the draft, or you’ll have a headache tomorrow. Go back to sleep."

Feng Yi drew Song Yunzhao into his arms and guided her back. Once they were inside the bed canopy, she said, "That rain came on so fast and hard. The first big storm of the summer."

Feng Yi hummed in agreement, but he was worried. ’This rain is too fierce. I wonder if the river dikes around the Capital City are sturdy enough.’

’They were repaired last year, but those officials always skim something off the top. Who knows how well the work was actually done.’

Feng Yi’s mind was heavy with these concerns, but he didn’t mention them to Yun Zhao, not wanting her to worry as well.

When she awoke in the morning, Feng Yi was already gone. Yun Zhao rose, dressed, and washed up on her own, with Xiangxue and her other maids attending to her.

Shizhu said, "What a storm last night! I hear the mountain waterfalls are spectacular, cascading down in layers. A lot of people are going to see them today. Will you go, Your Highness?"

Song Yunzhao had no desire to join crowds these days. ’I’ve learned my lesson,’ she thought. ’More people means more trouble. And since I’m basically destined to be cannon fodder, it’s best to stay away.’

’That’s what being cannon fodder means. In any group incident, no matter what happens, the one who ends up drawing the short straw is always the cannon fodder.’

’In any case, I don’t want to go.’

’If I want to see the waterfalls, I can go by myself. I could even invite Lu Zhixue and the others for company. Why would I have to go with a group of people who are nursing ulterior motives?’

Just after breakfast, Consort Shu sent someone to ask if she wanted to go view the waterfalls. Song Yunzhao declined.

Feng Yi had taken Feng Ze with him early in the morning. Feng Ze was gradually getting used to his imperial father’s early hours, and the father and son’s routines were starting to align. Song Yunzhao felt truly relaxed now.

Feng Yi had basically taken over all of Feng Ze’s care.

’See? People always say raising children is hard. But if all men were like Feng Yi, I’d be willing to have a few more.’

With a quiet morning ahead and no desire to join the outing, Song Yunzhao had her maids set up a tea table under a tree. She sipped her tea and read a storybook. It occurred to her that it had been a long time since she’d last written a story, and just as long since she’d had the time to read one.

Snatching a rare, idle afternoon, she lounged comfortably in a bamboo rocking chair. Shizhu fanned her gently from the side while Xiangxue brewed tea across from her. With a storybook in hand, she couldn’t help but laugh aloud when she reached an amusing part.

’This is the life.’

Before long, a commotion broke out outside. Song Yunzhao’s smile froze. She glanced at Xiangxue, who immediately rose and went to see what was happening.

Xiangxue returned shortly after. "Your Highness," she reported, looking at her mistress, "Qin Wan Yi stepped on a slippery rock on the mountain, sprained her ankle, and fell into the mud. They just carried her back down."

The group viewing the waterfalls had passed by the path near Yun Zhao’s residence, which was why she had heard the disturbance.

When Yun Zhao heard that Qin Xiyue had sprained her ankle, she was at a loss for words. ’So, because I, the cannon fodder, didn’t go looking for trouble, the female lead ended up having the accident instead?’

’That doesn’t seem quite right, though.’

She looked at Xiangxue and asked, "Is it serious?"

"I don’t know. Should I go and see?"

Song Yunzhao shook her head. "No need. News will spread soon enough."

Song Yunzhao lost her mood for reading. She tossed the storybook onto the table and had just picked up her tea when a flurry of footsteps sounded from beyond the main gate.

Before she could even process it, Consort Shu arrived with Han Jinyi and a few others in tow. They all looked displeased, and when they entered and saw Yun Zhao looking so leisurely and content, their expressions became even more complicated.

Seeing them, Song Yunzhao quickly rose to greet them. "Oh?" she said with a smile. "Weren’t you all going to see the sights?"

"See what sights?" Consort Shu grumbled. "What a jinx. Now I see why you didn’t go. Did you somehow predict something would happen?"

"You’re quick to blame others. Just because you’re upset, you come here to take it out on me," Yun Zhao said, ushering them to sit. Xiangxue and Shizhu busied themselves clearing the table and replacing everything with fresh settings, adding a few plates of newly baked pastries.

The hem of Feng Yunjin’s skirt was stained with mud, so Yun Zhao had someone take her to change her clothes. Han Jinyi and Lu Zhixue also looked glum. Noticing Wang Zhaorong wasn’t with them, Yun Zhao asked about her.

Lu Zhixue replied with a sour look, "She went to Qin Wan Yi’s residence. When Qin Wan Yi fell, Wang Zhaorong was right beside her and tried to catch her. She ended up getting pulled down with Qin Wan Yi, and it looks like she hurt her arm. She’s having the Imperial Physician take a look at it as well."

"That’s truly bad luck," Song Yunzhao sighed.

Feng Yunjin returned after changing her clothes, just in time to hear that. "It was more than just bad luck," she said. "The mountain path was covered in loose gravel, and the stone steps were wet and slippery. You had to be incredibly careful with every step. My whole body was tense. We hadn’t even reached the waterfalls yet and my shoes were already a mess. Some little eunuchs brought straw to spread over the muddiest spots, but it didn’t help much. The path is too long; they couldn’t possibly cover it all. Qin Wan Yi was with An Xiaoyi at first, but at some point, they got separated. And right after they split up, Qin Wan Yi sprained her ankle."

Reading between the lines, Song Yunzhao asked, "So Qin Wan Yi’s fall wasn’t an accident?"

Consort Shu snapped irritably, "She didn’t die, she just sprained her ankle. Who cares if it was an accident or not?"

Song Yunzhao was speechless.

’So, Consort Shu’s attitude is that even if it wasn’t an accident, she has no intention of looking into it.’

"We went out to enjoy the view, and the whole mood was ruined. Such a jinx," Consort Shu fumed. She was genuinely angry. It was a rare chance for her to see the waterfalls, and it had ended like this. What was the point of looking at anything now? She was in no mood for it.

Han Jinyi poured more tea for everyone, then turned to Yun Zhao and said softly, "From a distance, I saw Qin Wan Yi and An Xiaoyi talking about something. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but neither of them looked happy. As soon as An Xiaoyi turned and walked away, Qin Wan Yi fell."

"Are you suggesting An Xiaoyi was responsible?"

"I couldn’t see clearly," Han Jinyi said. "We were all on the path, and I only caught a glimpse. How could I see anything for certain? She fell so suddenly, I was just shocked."

The more Song Yunzhao thought about it, the stranger it seemed. ’If it was an accident, that’s one thing. But if it was deliberate... what is Qin Xiyue planning?’

She couldn’t make heads or tails of it, so she decided to stop thinking about it altogether. ’In any case, I wasn’t there. Whatever’s going on, it has nothing to do with me.’

She invited them to stay for lunch, and since Consort Shu didn’t want to go back and sulk alone, they took out a deck of cards and played for the entire afternoon. Eventually, everyone’s spirits lifted.

After lunch was over, her guests rose to take their leave.

Song Yunzhao took a short nap as well. By the time she woke up, news had already spread everywhere that An Xiaoyi had pushed Qin Wan Yi, causing her to injure her ankle.

’Things are moving too fast,’ Yun Zhao thought. ’I can’t keep up.’