Chapter 262 - 112: Broken Engagement
Meng Jiuchang: ...
’Good thing I took the initiative to bring up Song Jieyu’s situation this time,’ Meng Jiuchang thought. ’As for stealing Zhang Maoquan’s credit... I’m the Emperor’s Grand Steward. This is all within my purview. How could that be considered stealing?’
Feng Yi strode out. Zhang Maoquan seized the opportunity. Ignoring Meng Jiuchang’s scowls and glares, he squeezed past him to walk beside the Emperor and lead the way.
At that moment, Song Yunzhao was still in the side hall, shedding tears. ’I’m really giving it my all to create the right atmosphere!’
She clutched her handkerchief, dabbing carefully at her eyes so as not to smudge her makeup. When she heard footsteps approaching from outside, she assumed it was Zhang Maoquan and sat as still as a mountain. But when she saw the Emperor’s figure appear, the motion of wiping her tears froze.
Song Yunzhao watched the Emperor stride toward her. She snapped to her senses almost instantly, shot to her feet, and ran toward him. She buried her head in his chest, her small body trembling as she cried out, "Emperor, I can’t go on..."
Feng Yi quickly put his arms around Song Yunzhao and chided her, "What is all this talk of life and death? Aren’t you afraid of such inauspicious words? What happened? Take your time and tell me."
Song Yunzhao was crying in earnest now. Her emotions had built to a crescendo, and her sobbing was so intense she couldn’t speak. She could only lie in the Emperor’s arms, her body shuddering as she slowly calmed down.
Seeing her in this state, the Emperor gently patted her back and softened his tone. "Don’t rush," he said slowly. "Catch your breath first."
Song Yunzhao couldn’t speak, so she only nodded and tightened her grip on the Emperor’s arm.
Feng Yi had no choice but to continue patting her back, helping her calm her breathing. ’She must be incredibly upset to be crying this hard,’ he thought. ’I wonder what could have provoked such a reaction.’
Meng Jiuchang had never seen the Emperor be so patient and gentle with any of the concubines. For a moment, he couldn’t quite process it.
Zhang Maoquan, however, wasn’t surprised in the least. He caught Meng Jiuchang’s expression and felt a surge of pride. ’This is nothing,’ he thought smugly. ’The Emperor is incredibly biased toward Song Jieyu. Just you wait, there’s plenty more to come!’
As Song Yunzhao’s emotions gradually subsided, she immediately stood up straight from the Emperor’s arms and turned away, wiping her tears with her back to him.
Feng Yi glanced at her. "What are you doing?"
"I must look frightful after crying so much. I need to compose myself before I can face Your Majesty. I can’t let the Emperor see me when I don’t look my best."
Feng Yi was left speechless. He then saw Song Yunzhao actually pull a small mirror from her sleeve to check her face!
’I’ve underestimated a woman’s innate vanity!’
Song Yunzhao examined her makeup in the small mirror. It was a little smudged—just enough to enhance her look of heartbroken grief.
She angled the mirror slightly, catching the Emperor’s reflection. His brow was lightly furrowed, his eyes dark and heavy, his thoughts unreadable.
Song Yunzhao complained to herself, ’He really is the male lead. A man’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. I’ve put on such a show, yet his emotional control is so impeccable. I can’t read a single thing on his face.’
Timing it just right, she put away the mirror, straightened her skirt, and slowly turned around. With her head bowed slightly, she said softly, "I must have made a fool of myself in front of the Emperor."
Feng Yi took a step forward, sizing up Yun Zhao. ’Is she all better now?’ he wondered.
He took her by the hand and had her sit on the daybed, then said, "Alright, tell me. What’s wrong?"
Song Yunzhao didn’t speak. Instead, she handed the Emperor the letter He Lan Yun had written her. "Emperor, you’ll understand once you read this."
’He Lan Yun’s letter to me didn’t mention much else,’ she thought. ’It was mainly about her marriage to Ji Yunting, so it was fine to show the Emperor.’
Feng Yi glanced at Yun Zhao before taking the letter and opening it. He frowned as soon as he began to read. ’Breaking off the engagement with Ji Yunting?’
’A letter from He Lan Yun?’
Yun Zhao had mentioned He Lan Yun’s engagement to Ji Yunting before, but he hadn’t given it much thought at the time.
However, he knew his courtiers had strong opinions about the marital alliance.
One party was the Left Minister’s Mansion, the other the Prince Zhenbei Mansion. This was an alliance between two powerful families.
Feng Yi continued reading, his face growing darker and his expression more volatile with every line.
Song Yunzhao carefully observed the Emperor’s expression. The moment she saw his face darken, she knew she had him.
Once the Emperor finished reading the letter, Song Yunzhao spoke, her voice still carrying the after-tremors of her crying. "Emperor, you know that Princess Ming’an and I didn’t get along at first during the Zhichun Palace selections, but we eventually became friends. She has helped me many times, and our friendship has deepened. As for her and Young Master Ji, I don’t need to tell you... The Emperor surely remembers those two incidents outside the palace."
As Feng Yi listened to Yun Zhao’s words, he recalled those two encounters. At the thought, his expression soured even more.
Song Yunzhao looked at the Emperor’s dark expression and lit a proverbial candle for him in her heart. ’The Emperor has it rough,’ she thought. ’He Lan Yun already has someone she’s in love with, yet she still participated in the selection; her motives weren’t pure. But that’s a point I can clear up for her.’