I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Song Yunzhao was right. After Mrs. Cai finished reading the letter she’d sent home, she was so enraged she almost fainted!

Song Qinghan rushed over as soon as she heard the news. Life wasn’t exactly easy for her these days. Although her mother had worked tirelessly to arrange her marriage, she was dissatisfied with both the betrothal gifts from the Marquis Wuxin Mansion and the planned splendor of the wedding procession.

However, her father disapproved of the match, leaving her mother to handle everything alone. The Marquis Wuxin Mansion was arrogant, and with her own reputation in tatters, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and accept it.

The more she thought about it, the more miserable Song Qinghan became. She was the eldest legitimate daughter of the Song Family’s third branch; she was supposed to have a magnificent wedding.

She had read the letter from Song Yunzhao, and her face was black with fury. "She’s doing this on purpose," she snarled. "She knows full well that you and Aunt Che don’t get along, yet she still helps Song Jinxuan secure such a good marriage."

Nothing had been going right for Mrs. Cai lately, and her daughter’s words only worsened her mood. Her face was grim. "So what? Since she has already decided it, we can’t object even if we want to."

Song Qinghan pursed her lips. "Mother, if Song Jinxuan marries into the Yang Family, then Song Buming will have their backing in the future. That is hardly a good thing for my brother."

Mrs. Cai knew that, of course. ’This daughter of mine is truly here to make my life miserable!’

"Then what can we do?" Mrs. Cai pressed a hand to her forehead. The letter from Song Yunzhao said that the Emperor was already aware of the matter. How could she possibly interfere now?

"If the Yang Family were to refuse on their own accord, what would that have to do with us?" Song Qinghan said quietly.

Mrs. Cai froze for a moment, then shook her head. "Impossible. Since she sent the letter, the Yang Family must have already agreed to the marriage. Besides, the Emperor is aware of this. You’d best not get involved."

Song Qinghan’s expression stiffened slightly. ’Who was she even doing this for? Wasn’t it for her brother and her mother?’

Mrs. Cai didn’t notice her daughter’s expression. Her own disgust for Song Yunzhao had simply deepened. ’Things have already reached this point; my opposition is useless. But I can make up for it in other ways.’

’So what if Song Jinxuan is engaged to the Yang Family? In the future, her dowry still has to be prepared by me, the main wife. It would be all too easy to make the Yang Family displeased with their new daughter-in-law.’

’If Song Jinxuan isn’t valued by the Yang Family, how could Song Buming ever leverage their influence in the future?’

Mrs. Cai took a deep breath. A plan had already formed in her mind, but she didn’t voice it to her daughter. She only said, "Don’t worry about anything else. The most important thing is to prepare for your own wedding."

’The Marquis Wuxin Mansion has a vast estate and a large family, which naturally means many people. Once she marries in, she’ll have parents-in-law and elders above her, and sisters-in-law below. On top of that, her future husband has an annoying seductress by his side. My daughter’s marriage may look glamorous, but living well there will not be easy.’

She wanted to offer her daughter some advice, but with the wedding date being postponed repeatedly, it was clear Qinghan was no longer in the mood to listen.

"I know. All the required needlework is already finished; what else is there to do? Mother, when on earth is Father coming home? How can there be no word from him at all?" Song Qinghan couldn’t help but ask.

Mrs. Cai simply said, "Matters of the court are of the utmost importance. You just have to wait."

Song Qinghan didn’t want to wait a moment longer. ’She wished she could get married and leave the Song Family this instant; she couldn’t bear to stay here another day.’

’Having to watch her sisters in the Song Family lead easier lives than her, one after another, made her seethe with a fire she couldn’t suppress.’

’It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She was the one who was meant to have the best life.’

"Has there been no word from my maternal aunt?" Song Qinghan asked, unwilling to give up.

Mrs. Cai frowned slightly at her daughter. "Why are you so impatient? The Marquis Wuxin Mansion won’t agree to change the wedding date. Besides, your wedding is a joyous occasion; of course your father should be here for it."

Song Qinghan scoffed to herself. ’Her father disapproves of this marriage. When he comes back and finds out it’s already been settled, he’ll be furious.’

’But Song Yunzhao had ruined her reputation. How could it be easy to find a good match now? She was unwilling to do as her father suggested—marry some poor scholar and live a life of poverty.’

Seeing her mother’s displeasure, Song Qinghan didn’t dare say anything more. For now, this marriage depended entirely on her mother.

Mrs. Cai kept the news to herself, not mentioning it to Aunt Che and her daughter. However, Song Jinxuan heard about it from Song Yexi, and both mother and daughter were finally able to relax.

Aunt Che had good sources within the mansion. When she learned that someone from the palace had gone to see Mrs. Cai, she guessed that the Concubine had sent a letter home. After waiting a long time without being summoned, she knew exactly what was going on. ’The madam must be furious out of sheer humiliation and is deliberately keeping the news from me.’