I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Chapter 361: Chapter 139: High-IQ, High-Quality Female Supporting Character (3)

Song Yunzhao looked up at Lu Zhixue, surprised she was actually worried about her. "Do you think the Empress Dowager would like me more if I worried myself sick and couldn’t eat or sleep?"

’Not necessarily,’ Lu Zhixue griped internally, ’but anyone else in this situation would still be worried, wouldn’t they?’ Song Yunzhao, however, had this give-up-and-let-it-all-burn attitude that was just infuriating to watch. She even dared to confront the Empress Dowager head-on. Was there anything at all that could make her feel a flicker of fear?

"Once the Empress Dowager returns, life in the palace definitely won’t be as easy as before. Daily greetings will likely be mandatory. With your lazy nature and reluctance to go out, you’re probably in for a tough time."

Song Yunzhao detected a hint of gloating in her voice and looked at Lu Zhixue. "I’m the type who takes things as they come. I can endure the worst of hardships and enjoy the best of fortunes."

Lu Zhixue: ...

’I never should have been nice enough to warn her!’

But the silence was suffocating, and Lu Zhixue couldn’t hold back. She looked at Song Yunzhao and lowered her voice slightly. "What do you think the Empress Dowager will do when she learns about what happened at Shouci Palace?"

Song Yunzhao replied, "Either she’ll pretend she doesn’t know, or she’ll make a few bold moves to assert her authority."

’Pretending not to know... given the Empress Dowager’s temperament, that’s an unlikely choice. She’ll definitely want to use this to establish her authority.’

Song Yunzhao wasn’t particularly worried about it. After all, she hadn’t been involved. Even if the Empress Dowager wanted to use the situation to make a point, she’d have no grounds to target her.

’Still, I recall that Princess Consort Zhuang and Qin Xiyue have likely joined forces with the Empress Dowager. If those two use Her Majesty’s influence to make things difficult for me, it’s going to be a real headache.’

’After all, my rank as a Concubine is neither high nor low. It really doesn’t carry much weight.’

’My hardware isn’t up to snuff, so I’ll have to rely on my software. It’ll come down to who’s the better actress—me or the Empress Dowager.’

"My Lady, it’s time," Nanny Yu said, entering the room to remind her.

Song Yunzhao rose and said to Lu Zhixue, "Let’s go, then."

Lu Zhixue got up and followed her out, saying as they walked, "I’ve heard some news. Grand Tutor Qin has been quite busy outside the palace. You should be careful."

Song Yunzhao nodded slightly. "Thank you."

Lu Zhixue lifted her chin slightly, but a sense of regret immediately filled her heart. ’Back when I first entered the palace, I also had grand ambitions. Who wouldn’t want to become the master of the Six Palaces? It wasn’t just for myself, but for the glory of my family.’

’But my ship sank before it even set sail. I took a hard fall because of Song Yunzhao, and that fall was so painful and vicious that it knocked some sense into me.’

The two walked on in silence. Halfway there, they met Feng Yunjin and Han Jinyi, and their little group of four was complete.

Han Jinyi looked at Yun Zhao and said, "I just got some bad news."

Song Yunzhao and Lu Zhixue turned to look at her at the same time and asked in unison, "What news?"

"According to news from Zhaoyang Palace, the youngest daughter of Marquis Gu’en has been by the Empress Dowager’s side for a year. She might enter the palace with the Empress Dowager upon her return."

Song Yunzhao froze for a moment. ’An Shutong?’

’She’s entering the stage this early?’

’In the book, this character was supposed to enter the palace during the next selection. With the Empress Dowager’s backing, she caused no small amount of trouble for Qin Xiyue. And what’s more, this one is smart—a high-quality, intelligent female supporting character.’

’Isn’t this plot point happening a little too soon?’

TSK.

’Trouble.’

’One Qin Xiyue is already annoying enough. Add in the Empress Dowager stirring things up, and the harem is already in the quiet before a storm. And now An Shutong is showing up too?’

’This life... is becoming impossible.’

’When the female lead fights bosses, they come one by one. Why are they all ganging up on me?’

Song Yunzhao was incredibly vexed. She had no idea what kind of trouble would erupt when these two highly intelligent, "high-quality" female supporting characters got together.

’In any case, I absolutely cannot be the one caught in the crossfire. I have to find a way to stir the pot myself.’

’The plan I came up with to deal with the Empress Dowager will probably need some adjustments. I’ll have to think it over.’

"Consort Shu has arrived," Feng Yunjin whispered to a distracted Song Yunzhao.

Song Yunzhao snapped back to reality and sure enough, saw the lavishly dressed Consort Shu striding toward her with her head held high.

’Instantly, my headache got worse.’