I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Chapter 387: Chapter 165: Sucking Her Blood

In Shouci Palace, An Shutong attended to the Empress Dowager until she was asleep before returning to her own chambers.

Mu Qing hurried to greet her. "Miss, please, get some rest. Let me bring you a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

An Shutong gave a slight nod and sat down on the large daybed by the window, leaning against a soft cushion. The night was pitch-black, with only a few palace lanterns casting a faint, flickering glow in the wind.

Yingxue approached with a letter in her hand. "Miss, a letter from the master."

An Shutong glanced at it with disgust but took it nonetheless. She tore it open casually, scoffed at its contents, then crumpled it into a ball and tossed it to Yingxue. "Burn it."

Yingxue turned, lit the letter with a lamp, and tossed it into a ceramic basin, where it burned to ashes.

"Miss, I’m afraid you still have to write a reply," Yingxue said helplessly.

’Their miss truly had it hard. The other young ladies in the manor thought she was living a life of ease and splendor by the Empress Dowager’s side, but they had no idea how arduous it was for her. Every day was spent walking on eggshells.’

An Shutong looked at Yingxue. "And what if I do? It will just be the same old drivel. There’s no point in going back and forth."

"If you don’t write back, the master will send a letter to the Empress Dowager, and you’ll be blamed for it again," Mu Qing, who had just entered with tea, quickly advised.

An Shutong took the cup and drank about half of it before pausing, her throat finally feeling some relief. She gave a cold laugh. "I can barely fend for myself. How could I possibly have time for them?"

’The letters from her family were all the same—urging her to find a way into the Emperor’s bed, to become a concubine and bring glory to their name.’

’The Empress Dowager was old, and her relationship with the Emperor wasn’t particularly close. This led her family to believe that they couldn’t rely on the Empress Dowager alone. That’s why they were pushing her to win the Emperor’s favor. They believed that if she became one of the Emperor’s women, the family’s future would be secure, backed by both the Empress Dowager and her.’

"But, Miss, what will you do if the family grows dissatisfied with you?" Mu Qing asked, deeply worried. Becoming one of the Emperor’s concubines was no easy feat. The harem was filled with Beauties, and every last one of them was being left out in the cold.

No one knew what the Emperor was thinking; he only had eyes for Song Zhaoyi. Before they had returned to the palace with the Empress Dowager, they hadn’t understood the true extent of Song Zhaoyi’s favor. Upon their return, they had the misfortune of arriving just as Song Zhaoyi became pregnant. On top of that, the Emperor was so busy with court matters that he rarely set foot in the harem at all.

Thus, they couldn’t quite fathom the depths of the Emperor’s affection for Song Zhaoyi. However, they could get a general idea from the fact that whenever the Emperor entered the harem, he would go straight to Wangyou Palace after paying his respects to the Empress Dowager. Sometimes, he would even visit Wangyou Palace without stopping by Shouci Palace at all.

In such a climate, what good could possibly come of it for their miss?

They were aware of the Empress Dowager’s intentions. Mu Qing’s heart ached for her miss; deep down, she didn’t want her to remain in the palace. She wished the Empress Dowager would take into account her miss’s years of dedicated service and arrange a good marriage for her instead.

But Mu Qing dared not voice these thoughts and could only keep them to herself. It pained her to see her miss return each day with such a troubled expression.

"Then let them be dissatisfied. It’s not as if our miss’s livelihood depends on them," Yingxue said indignantly. "Besides, how many of those people at the manor are even trustworthy? Every single one of them just wants to cling to her and bleed her dry."

Hearing their words, An Shutong knew they were just being protective, and her expression softened. "Alright, you two, stop bickering. You’re giving me a headache."

Mu Qing and Yingxue quieted down. They exchanged a glance, and then Yingxue looked at An Shutong and spoke softly, "Miss, Consort Zhuang is insisting on throwing a birthday celebration for you. I can tell she doesn’t have good intentions. Surely we can’t just let her do as she pleases?"

Mu Qing nodded in agreement. "She’s right, Miss. You aren’t officially one of the harem concubines. Celebrating your birthday with such fanfare is far too conspicuous. I believe Consort Zhuang is deliberately thrusting you into the spotlight. She wants the one in Wangyou Palace to see you as a target."

"Yes, Miss, I don’t think this is proper either," Yingxue added, her face etched with worry. Unfortunately, they were only maids. They had no connections in the harem and were powerless to help.

’Of course An Shutong knew Consort Zhuang had ill intentions. But this was not her decision to make. It all depended on what the Empress Dowager wanted.’

’Currently, the Empress Dowager seemed bent on pushing her towards the Emperor. For the past few days, Nanny Yao, one of the Empress Dowager’s attendants, had been bustling about. At times, An Shutong would even be sent away so Nanny Yao could speak to the Empress Dowager privately.’

’She had a nagging suspicion that the Empress Dowager was planning to do something on her birthday. She didn’t know what it was, but she had a very bad premonition.’

An Shutong didn’t voice her anxieties to her maids. Instead, she looked at them and instructed, "For the next few days, secretly keep an eye on Nanny Yao. See what she is doing. And remember, you absolutely must not be discovered."

Mu Qing and Yingxue hurriedly agreed. Mu Qing then said, "Miss, the hour is late. You should get some sleep. You have to wake up early tomorrow."

An Shutong rose, and Yingxue quickly came forward to help her change her clothes and wash up. Slowly, silence fell over the chamber.

As the stars hid behind the clouds, Song Yunzhao slept soundly. Meanwhile, in Taiji Palace, Feng Yi was still reviewing memorials to the throne—specifically, the reports sent back from Yucheng.

After finishing the reports, Feng Yi’s expression turned grim. He had not expected Qin Yuanjing to have a hand in the affair involving Song Nanyong.

’Qin Yuanjing has already been dismissed from office and confined to his home. Instead of reflecting on his transgressions, he dares to meddle in court affairs? Who gave him such gall?’

The more Feng Yi thought about it, the angrier he grew. ’Qin Yuanjing was convicted and dismissed for taking bribes and recklessly approving mining permits. Not only has he failed to repent and atone for his crimes, but he now wants to drag Yun Zhao’s eldest uncle down with him. Does he truly believe this is enough to topple Yun Zhao?’

’How utterly absurd.’

Feng Yi slammed the memorial down on the desk. Beside him, Meng Jiuchang was so terrified he didn’t dare raise his head. In that moment, he deeply envied Zhang Maoquan, who was currently at Wangyou Palace.

The next day was bright and sunny. After her breakfast, Song Yunzhao sat reading by the window. Whenever inspiration struck, she would write a little for her storybooks. Perhaps it was due to her pregnancy, but she had been constantly drowsy lately, feeling languid and unwilling to move.

Fortunately, she had no signs of morning sickness. Her appetite was excellent, and she wasn’t a picky eater. While other pregnant women craved sour or sweet things, wanting this and that, she ate everything. Even Nanny Yu remarked that this was a very "considerate" baby.

Not long after breakfast, having read only a few pages, Song Yunzhao’s eyelids began to grow heavy. Leaning against a soft cushion, she was about to surrender to the beautiful daylight and drift off to sleep.

Unfortunately, her wish was not granted.

"Your Highness."

Song Yunzhao opened her eyes at the sound of Yulu’s voice. Seeing the maid’s troubled expression, she asked, "What’s wrong?"

Yulu hurried over and bowed. "I just received word," she said. "Han Guipin and An Fangyi are in a dispute, and An Fangyi wants to punish Han Guipin."

Song Yunzhao’s sleepiness vanished instantly. She sat up with a frown. "When did this happen?"