I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Chapter 351: Chapter 137: Instigating the Two Concubines to Fight

Han Jinyi’s mind was in turmoil, and her heart grew heavy. The Empress Dowager was already meddling before she had even returned to the palace. Who knew what kind of trouble she would stir up once she was back.

With this in mind, she looked over at Yun Zhao and chose her words carefully before speaking. "Yun Zhao, you arrived in the capital late. Do you know about the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor?"

She was afraid Yun Zhao didn’t fully understand the conflict and would suffer a major setback once the Empress Dowager returned.

"I know a little," Song Yunzhao said with a nod. "But there is also much I don’t know."

Han Jinyi sighed. "I figured you might not be clear on some things, so I wanted to use this opportunity to explain them to you. I don’t want you to be caught in someone’s scheme."

"Even if you hadn’t come, I was planning to invite you over in a day or so," Song Yunzhao said with a smile. "We were thinking the same thing."

Han Jinyi smiled. It wasn’t surprising that Yun Zhao already had a plan. In a low voice, she said, "Speaking of whom, our Empress Dowager isn’t quite like most mothers..."

As Song Yunzhao listened to Han Jinyi’s explanation, she found that most of it matched what she had read in the book, though some details were different. The book had been from the protagonist’s point of view; now, she was hearing it from an observer’s. The Empress Dowager became a more three-dimensional figure in Song Yunzhao’s mind.

’Overall, she’s a figure on par with Mrs. Cai. Of course, the Empress Dowager only has one child, the Emperor, whereas Mrs. Cai has three. Mrs. Cai’s aversion to me was because I wasn’t a son. The Empress Dowager’s dissatisfaction with her son stems from his inability to help her win favor or secure a higher rank in the palace.

’One thing they have in common is that both women are extremely self-centered.

’People like that are the most difficult to deal with—utterly obstinate.

’Besides, for the Empress Dowager to have survived the late Emperor’s reign and raised the current Emperor, it’s impossible that she’s completely incompetent. Perhaps her talents just didn’t lie in currying favor, but you couldn’t say she was without skill. That makes things difficult.’

"In any case, you need to be careful. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor have many disputes, and you are the most favored concubine in the harem," Han Jinyi said with concern.

Song Yunzhao nodded. "Now that you’ve put it that way, I understand. Don’t worry, I know what to do."

Although Song Yunzhao thought the Empress Dowager would be a handful, as long as the Emperor was on her side, she wasn’t the least bit afraid.

’Besides, the Emperor is clearly leaning in that direction, intending to use the harem to suppress the Empress Dowager. Judging from what happened at Shouci Palace, it’s impossible to gain support from Princess Consort Zhuang and Princess Consort Wan, which leaves only Consort Shu.

’But Consort Shu’s wits are unreliable, making her a poor ally. As for Qin Xiyue, she doesn’t carry much weight in the Emperor’s heart at the moment. In the end, the Emperor will have to rely on me.

’I’ll have to get involved, but *how* I do so will be on my own terms.’

"Then I can rest easy," Han Jinyi said, letting out a long sigh of relief. "The commotion from the incident at Shouci Palace was considerable. It must have reached the outer court by now. Who knows what kind of trouble it will stir up."

Song Yunzhao understood Han Jinyi’s unspoken meaning. Before and after the New Year, the Emperor had made no small number of moves to weaken the power the Left and Right Ministers and the courtiers held over him. The conflict had, in fact, already become quite acute.

Now that they had a chance to cause trouble for the Emperor, they would naturally be happy to take it.

Even though the Right Minister had been reprimanded and lost face over the cheating scandal, he had since regained his prestige through the disaster relief efforts. When it came to a power struggle with the Emperor, he wouldn’t necessarily be willing to yield an inch.

That’s how struggles for power work: give an inch, and you’ll end up giving a mile.

Song Yunzhao knew the Emperor’s temperament. He was a monarch with an extremely strong desire for control and would never be willing to be suppressed by his courtiers. The late Emperor had neglected his duties in his final years, allowing the real power of the court to fall into the hands of the Left and Right Ministers. Getting them to relinquish that power completely would be difficult. Never mind whether the ministers themselves were willing—the factions that supported them would never agree.

Song Yunzhao looked at Han Jinyi and said meaningfully, "The Emperor is not the same man he was when he first took the throne. Last year’s cheating scandal actually allowed him to take on a group of Imperial Students. In a few years, there’s no telling how far they will go."

’Imperial Students, by definition, would be loyal to the Emperor, with no ties to the factions of the Left and Right Ministers. Anyone who could break free from the established networks of influence was guaranteed a place at court in the future.’

Hearing this, the smile on Han Jinyi’s face relaxed. "You’re right. The Emperor has a keen eye for talent and knows how to use it. It’s a blessing for the scholars."

’I’ll have to have a serious talk with my father. We can’t afford to get involved in the conflict between the Emperor and the two ministers.’