I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

It was just too cold.

She only began to thaw after stepping into the inner hall and feeling the warmth from the braziers. Song Yunzhao stepped forward to curtsy to Consort Lu. "This concubine pays her respects to Lady Lu."

Consort Lu had no desire to see Song Yunzhao. Every encounter left her fuming. Ever since Song Yunzhao entered the palace, it had become nearly impossible for the other concubines to get even a glimpse of the Emperor. Before, they could at least have tea with him every now and then. Now, they couldn’t even get a sip.

’She didn’t know how this Jieyu was so damn capable. If Song Yunzhao were a pushover, that would be one thing. But no, she was all thorns—anyone who tried to touch her got pricked.’

’It was a blessing the harem had no Empress. If there were one, they’d have to see Song Yunzhao every single day when paying their respects. Life would be truly unbearable then.’

"You may rise. Song Jieyu, you’re a rare visitor. What brings you here on such a snowy day?"

Song Yunzhao paid no mind to Consort Lu’s passive-aggressive tone. After rising and taking her seat, she smiled. "I have come to offer Your Ladyship a chance to earn great merit."

At her words, Consort Lu’s eye twitched. She stared at Song Yunzhao, sizing her up with suspicion. "A chance for great merit? For me? Why wouldn’t you keep such a good opportunity for yourself?"

"Because I can’t handle it all myself, of course." Song Yunzhao knew how to deal with Consort Lu. With a temperament like hers, beating around the bush was pointless. It was best to be direct.

’That sounds just like something Song Yunzhao would say,’ Consort Lu thought. "Go on, I’m listening," she said.

Song Yunzhao briefly explained the situation with the snow disaster, making sure to emphasize the actions already being taken by Qin Xiyue and Grand Tutor Qin. Her goal was to create a sense of urgency for Consort Lu—an illusion that if she didn’t act fast, the primary credit would slip through her fingers.

Just as she’d hoped, Consort Lu’s expression turned serious. ’At this point, she didn’t much care if the Emperor visited Cuiwei Palace or not. What difference did it make? He would just sit there, drink tea, and play chess. For whatever reason, the Emperor simply found her disagreeable, and he hadn’t promoted her in all these years.’

’What mattered most to her now was securing her rank as a concubine—and advancing further, if possible. On top of that, her father had been implicated in that cheating scandal, which had brought her shame as well.’

’If what Song Yunzhao said was true, and this was a chance for her father to earn some merit, it would be a godsend.’

Song Yunzhao adopted a solemn expression. "My family has only just arrived in the Capital City. We have no connections to hire people to make padded clothing on such short notice. We can contribute some silver for the fabric and cotton, but we’re powerless when it comes to finding embroideresses. That’s why I came to you, Your Ladyship. Only you can make this happen."

Consort Lu glanced at Song Yunzhao. ’Such flattering words,’ she thought. ’She knew most of it was probably nonsense, but she couldn’t deny it put her in a good mood.’

"You have a point. The common people are innocent, and when they suffer from a natural disaster, we should do what we can to help. However, I can’t guarantee I’ll succeed in this matter. I can only try."

A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Song Yunzhao’s face. "Just hearing you say that, Your Ladyship, is a blessing for the common people."

Consort Lu shot Song Yunzhao another look. "So, you and the others plan to contribute silver for the fabric and cotton?"

Song Yunzhao nodded. "We only wish to do what little we can."

’Relying on just the four of them would be a drop in the bucket.’

’What Song Yunzhao was truly counting on was this: with her group taking the lead, leveraging the Right Minister’s influence, and using the names of both Consort Lu and herself—the Emperor’s current favorite—the aristocratic ladies of the Capital City would surely jump on the bandwagon to perform good deeds. Those who followed their lead were the real prize, the ones with the deepest pockets.’

’Song Yunzhao understood the bandwagon effect perfectly. Things like this were all too common in her past life.’

’She was just using that mass psychology to see if she could leverage the situation to bring some relief to the common people. This was the extent of her abilities. She couldn’t claim she could do a perfect job, but she would do her best.’

’So full of schemes,’ Consort Lu grumbled internally. ’No wonder she’s captivated the Emperor.’ The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. But then, the thought that she would get the largest slice of the pie from this venture made her avert her gaze. ’If I don’t look at Song Yunzhao, I won’t get angry.’

"How long have you been in the palace? What silver could you possibly have?" Consort Lu snorted. "Count me in." She turned to Yunshang. "Fetch one thousand taels of silver for Song Jieyu."

Yunshang nodded and entered the inner chamber. She quickly returned holding a silver note, which she respectfully placed on the table beside Song Jieyu.

Song Yunzhao hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise. "Your Ladyship is truly benevolent. I am deeply impressed."

Consort Lu waved a dismissive hand. "That’s enough. You should go. I’ll have someone notify you when I have news."

For the sake of the one thousand taels of silver, Song Yunzhao chose to ignore Consort Lu’s attitude. She rose at once to take her leave, not wanting to remain an eyesore for a second longer.