I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Chapter 353: Chapter 137: Inciting the Two Concubines to Fight

The next day, Han Jinyi and Feng Yunjin came to Wangyou Palace. It was only after listening to them that Song Yunzhao learned Princess Consort Zhuang was planning a banquet to welcome the Empress Dowager.

"The Emperor hasn’t issued any decree, but Consort Zhuang is being so very virtuous. She truly lives up to her name as the most virtuous person in the harem."

Song Yunzhao looked at Han Jinyi. She must have been truly infuriated; it wasn’t easy for someone with her disposition to say such things.

Feng Yunjin chimed in, "You may not know, Concubine, but for this welcome banquet, Consort Zhuang wants every palace to chip in some Silver. It’s not just to host the feast; she also wants to prepare a welcoming gift for the Empress Dowager."

Song Yunzhao was left speechless.

’That’s Princess Consort Zhuang for you!’

"Did you both agree?" Song Yunzhao asked, looking at the two of them.

Han Jinyi scoffed. "She opens her mouth and demands one hundred taels from everyone. How very virtuous."

Song Yunzhao was shocked as well. "One hundred taels?"

The annual stipend for a concubine is 300 taels, a Noble Consort receives two hundred taels a year, and an Honorable Lady’s stipend is only one hundred taels. This doesn’t even account for those of lower ranks, such as Beauties, talented persons, and attendants, who earn a mere fifty or thirty taels a year.

Of course, besides this annual base salary, the Emperor would bestow additional rewards for major festivals, a concubine’s birthday, or the birth of a child. Sometimes it was a direct payment of money, other times it was precious treasures. As for the amount, that depended entirely on the Emperor’s mood.

However, this supplemental income wasn’t fixed. After all, someone like Song Yunzhao, who would complain directly to the Emperor about being poor, was likely the first of her kind since the dynasty’s founding.

In addition to their income from the Royal Family, concubines also received allowances from their paternal families. However, the amount of that allowance varied, and concubines had to cover their regular expenses. Besides necessary expenditures like clothes and jewelry, tipping the various Palace Attendants was another huge expense.

’After all that, how much Silver could they possibly have left?’

The three concubines wouldn’t think twice about one hundred taels, but what about the other concubines?

Take Yun Zhao, for example. It was difficult to live on her monthly stipend alone. Forget ordering extra dishes from the Imperial Kitchen on a whim; she had to think twice before even having a pretty dress made or a new piece of jewelry crafted.

Now, with the Emperor’s personal subsidies, her own savings from before she entered the palace, and the Silver that would be coming from the Xie family, she could finally live comfortably. She had these sources of income, but others certainly didn’t.

’Princess Consort Zhuang just opens her mouth and asks for one hundred taels. With so many people throughout the palace, how much Silver would that be in total? How much could a banquet possibly cost? The rest of the money is for buying a gift to welcome the Empress Dowager, but what kind of gift could possibly cost that much?’

’The gift would be presented by Princess Consort Zhuang, so the Empress Dowager would only remember her offering. Even if all the concubines in the harem pitched in, they would just be doing the hard work for Princess Consort Zhuang’s benefit.’

’No wonder Han Jinyi looked so upset. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford it; she just didn’t want to hand over the Silver.’

"I’m sure you didn’t see this coming, Concubine?" Feng Yunjin said with a nod.

"I certainly didn’t," Song Yunzhao scoffed. "Consort Zhuang is truly making a grand play. Did you agree?"

Feng Yunjin shook her head. "Some people agreed on the spot, but I, Han Guipin, and a few others did not."

"Then you must have offended Consort Zhuang," Song Yunzhao said with a smile.

"If she’s offended, then she’s offended," Han Jinyi sneered. "It’s not that I can’t afford the Silver, but once you give in, there will always be a next time. We can’t set this precedent."

"Exactly. Besides, there are already official procedures for welcoming the Empress Dowager. There’s no need to make such a fuss," Feng Yunjin’s tone grew sharp. "Ultimately, it’s just Consort Zhuang wanting to curry favor with the Empress Dowager, and she wants us to foot the bill."

’Is this really about the Silver?’

’Yes and no.’

Song Yunzhao suddenly thought of Qin Xiyue and looked at her guests. "How did Qin Wan Yi react?"

"It’s not like she’s hurting for one hundred taels," Han Jinyi said.

Song Yunzhao arched an eyebrow. "Qin Wan Yi has been getting very close to Princess Consort Zhuang lately. This whole thing came out of nowhere. Princess Consort Zhuang has always prioritized stability, but now she’s asking everyone for money. Everyone is cautious when it comes to finances, so this move is truly unexpected."

"Concubine, are you suggesting this was Qin Wan Yi’s idea?"

"I can’t be sure, but considering Qin Wan Yi’s usual methods, it’s definitely a possibility."

"You have a point, Concubine. No wonder I felt something was off. Now that you mention it, it all clicks. When things have happened in the palace before, we’ve never seen Princess Consort Zhuang go around collecting Silver."

"There’s just one thing I still don’t understand," Han Jinyi said, still puzzled. "Surely Consort Zhuang knows how this will affect her? Given Princess Consort Zhuang’s past disposition, why would she do something like this?"