I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

"It’s a little crooked, My Lady," Xiangxue called out from a distance.

Song Yunzhao asked, "Which way is it leaning?"

"A little to the left."

Song Yunzhao gave the door god in her hands a slight adjustment. "How’s this?"

"That’s good."

Song Yunzhao pressed the door god firmly against the door. The back of the print was coated in a paste Shizhu and the others had prepared, and with a press all around the edges, it stuck perfectly.

Song Yunzhao hopped down from the stool, planted her hands on her hips, and stepped back to observe her work. Then, she clapped her hands together decisively. "Perfect!"

Nanny Yu and the others immediately burst into appreciative laughter. Next, Song Yunzhao led her attendants to hang the palace lanterns. The corridor eaves were quite high, so the lanterns had to be hoisted up with a bamboo pole. ’I can definitely do this,’ Song Yunzhao thought.

But she hadn’t expected the combined weight of the bamboo pole and the lantern to be too much for her. ’All these years of being pampered have really made me soft.’

’Back in my past life, I would have just rolled up my sleeves and gotten it done like the tough woman I was. A little chore like this would have been nothing.’

Anshun immediately stepped forward to take the pole. "Let me, My Lady. You can stand back and direct us."

This time, Song Yunzhao didn’t try to force it. She handed the bamboo pole to Anshun. ’The New Year has to start off smoothly,’ she thought. ’It would be terrible luck if I tried to show off and ended up dropping a lantern.’

A whole row of lanterns needed to be hung. Xiangxue led a group of little palace maids, each holding a lantern, making for a spectacular sight.

When Han Jinyi and the others arrived, they were surprised to find Song Yunzhao directing her attendants in hanging lanterns. ’How interesting,’ they thought. ’It’s so lively here.’

Seeing them, Song Yunzhao smiled and waved. "Come see how the door god turned out!" she said loudly. "I put it up myself."

Lu Zhixue: ...

’What’s there to show off about?’

’Who among us would ever do such menial labor personally?’

Han Jinyi, however, found it rather charming. "Concubine, you did a very neat job," she said with a smile. "It looks quite amusing."

Song Yunzhao laughed. "I wanted to hang the lanterns too, but I wasn’t strong enough. Once the lantern was on the pole, I could only lift it halfway, not high enough to reach the eaves. I have to just watch them do it now."

Hearing the note of regret in Yun Zhao’s voice, Feng Yunjin and the others all smiled.

"What brings you all here?" Song Yunzhao finally found a moment to ask.

"It’s just as chaotic at our own residences, with everyone busy putting up door gods and hanging lanterns. We thought we’d come to your place for a chat, Concubine," Feng Yunjin said with a smile.

Song Yunzhao quickly ushered them inside to sit down and ordered tea to be served. She went to wash her own hands before rejoining them.

With the New Year upon them, everyone was in high spirits. They would be able to see their families at the palace banquet that evening.

Han Jinyi watched Song Yunzhao bustling about, thinking she seemed unaware of the matter of the noon banquet. She decided to speak up. "I heard that Princess Consort Zhuang and Princess Consort Wan went to ask the Emperor for his decision on arrangements for a noon banquet."

Song Yunzhao paused. "A noon banquet?"

"Yes. When the Imperial Concubine was still here, there was always a noon banquet on New Year’s Eve," Lu Zhixue said, looking at Song Yunzhao. ’She’s so wrapped up in her own amusements that she doesn’t even know about something this important.’

Song Yunzhao was a little surprised. "There wasn’t any talk of this before," she mused. "Why the sudden push for a noon banquet?"

"It wasn’t held last year because the Imperial Concubine was gravely ill, so the Emperor dispensed with it. But this year is different, so naturally, the banquet should be held."

’The Emperor never mentioned it to me,’ Song Yunzhao thought. ’If he intended to hold one, he would have surely ordered preparations to begin in advance.’

She then recalled her encounter with Princess Consort Wan the day before. ’Since it was Princess Consort Wan and Princess Consort Zhuang who proposed this to the Emperor, it must be related to what happened yesterday.’

At this thought, Song Yunzhao was at a loss for words.

"I haven’t heard the Emperor mention this," Song Yunzhao said, looking at the three of them.

Feng Yunjin understood immediately. "We’ve only heard that Lady Wanfei and Consort Zhuang went to ask for the Emperor’s decision," she said with a smile. "His Majesty’s decree hasn’t been issued yet."

Lu Zhixue understood. ’So even if Princess Consort Wan and Princess Consort Zhuang propose it, it’s not guaranteed to happen.’

’Why?’

’Because Song Yunzhao said the Emperor hadn’t mentioned it to her.’

Lu Zhixue glanced at Song Yunzhao. ’What kind of confidence does she have to say that? Just because the Emperor didn’t mention it to her, does that mean he can’t possibly agree to it?’

’But then again, Song Yunzhao isn’t one for empty boasts. If she says something like that, she must be fairly certain.’

Still, she couldn’t stand Song Yunzhao’s smug little look, so she couldn’t resist retorting, "With Princess Consort Zhuang and Princess Consort Wan making the request together, perhaps the Emperor will change his mind."

Han Jinyi thought Lu Zhixue had a point. After all, it was the New Year, a time when the palace should be filled with lively celebration.

Feng Yunjin, however, disagreed. She looked at Lu Zhixue with a smile. "I think the Concubine has a point. If a noon banquet were planned, an edict would have been issued in advance. It can’t just be thrown together at the last minute."

Seeing Lu Zhixue’s unconvinced look, Song Yunzhao said to her, "If you don’t believe me, let’s make a bet."