According to the typical “transmigration novel” logic, when someone invited you like this, they usually didn’t have good intentions. To avoid falling into their trap, of course, you shouldn’t go!
Song Yunzhao immediately put on an aggressive stance and angrily asked the person, “Following orders? Whose orders? If there is a summon, is there a written decree? I’m just a minor lady, and in Zhichun Palace, we follow the rules of Zhichun Palace. If you insist on taking me away, that’s fine. Produce the decree and explain the destination, and I’ll report to the head matron before going with you. Does that work?”
They couldn’t just take her away without any explanation. Who would she turn to if she suffered a loss?
Want her to take the blame in silence? No way. She wouldn’t suffer any loss without putting up a fight.
The servant’s face turned dark as she listened to Song Yunzhao’s lengthy speech. She had thought Yunzhao was just an inexperienced girl, with only a father who held a lowly rank, and could be easily intimidated. She didn’t expect her to have such a feisty personality.
The stewardess, feeling things were not going well, quickly said, “Miss Song, our Master just heard that you were injured and wanted to express concern. If you don’t appreciate it, then…”
“Look at what you’re saying, as if I’m being ungrateful. You accuse me like this, but you haven’t answered my previous questions. Since you won’t say where you’re from, how do I know if you’re good or bad? How can I go with you if I can’t tell?”
As she spoke, Song Yunzhao’s face turned pale, and she pretended to be terrified, taking a few steps back before turning and running while shouting, “Matron, help…”
The stewardess was left speechless.
In all her years in the palace, she had never encountered such an absurd situation!
She didn’t dare stay any longer and turned to leave. She had messed up the task and had no idea how to explain it when she returned.
After shouting once, Song Yunzhao turned a corner and fell silent. She stopped and peeked out to see the servant hurry away.
“Hmph! Trying to trick me? I’m not that gullible”, she sneered. Just because she didn’t dare reveal the person’s name, did they think she would be scared?
Even if she was just a minor court lady, if she had a bit more status, she could have blown the matter up to show them.
If you want to manipulate others, be prepared to get pricked.
As she walked back, feeling smug about her little victory, she was startled to see someone standing there.
“Miss Song, did I scare you?” Zhang Maoquan asked with a smile.
“It’s you?” Song Yunzhao exclaimed, realizing why the voice had seemed familiar. Zhang Maoquan, who had spoken to the matron that day, was close to the folding fan gentleman.
“Yes, it’s me. I heard you were injured. Are you feeling better?” Zhang Maoquan glanced discreetly into the woods, raising his voice slightly.
“You’re Steward Zhang, right? I heard you speaking to the head matron that day. Thank you for your concern. I’m all better now”, Song Yunzhao replied with an innocent smile and grateful expression.
If Zhang Maoquan hadn’t witnessed the scene earlier, he might have believed she was a naïve young girl. “That’s good to hear. I won’t disturb you any longer, Miss Song.”
Song Yunzhao nodded, “I’ll be on my way then.”
As she walked away, she grew increasingly suspicious. Could it be that the folding fan gentleman had sent him to watch her?
But that didn’t make sense. She had only met him a few times and had no deep connection.
Nonetheless, she didn’t understand why Zhang Maoquan was paying her so much attention.
After all, it was better to keep her distance from him in the future. Since they weren’t meant to be, she should avoid doing anything that might cause misunderstandings.
After Song Yunzhao left, Feng Yi emerged from the flower bushes, recalling her earlier cry for help. He had thought something was wrong, but it turned out she was just scaring someone away.
He knew she was bold and outspoken, but he hadn’t expected her to remain so unrestrained even after entering the palace. She had actually managed to frighten someone away.
He wasn’t sure whether to admire her courage or consider her reckless.
Zhang Maoquan cautiously observed the Emperor’s expression and noticed a pleasant smile instead of displeasure. He immediately knew the Emperor had taken a liking to Song Yunzhao.
“Your Majesty, should I investigate?” Zhang Maoquan promptly offered.
Now was the time to curry favor with Song Yunzhao to ensure smooth interactions in the future.
Feng Yi’s smile faded, and he replied indifferently, “No need.”
If Song Yunzhao couldn’t handle such a minor issue, there would be no need to keep her in the palace—she’d only become a stepping stone for others. He wanted to see how she’d handle the situation and whether she’d surprise him.
Song Yunzhao had no idea she was on someone’s radar. Returning to her quarters, she grew more determined not to let this slide. To maintain her fiery persona, she needed to make a complaint.
Song Yunzhao hurried to a mirror, applied powder to her face until it was pale, then used a handkerchief to remove the excess so it looked natural. Next, she adjusted the color of the rouge and applied it around her eyes to create the appearance of having cried.
Lastly, she loosened her hair, letting a few strands fall messily around her face, giving her a disheveled, fragile look. Perfect.
Timing it just right, she ran around the room a few times to appear out of breath and collapsed onto the table.
When the young maid entered, she was shocked to see Song Yunzhao in such a state. “Miss Song?” she cried, rushing over. “Miss Song, what happened?”
Song Yunzhao lifted her head, revealing her red, teary eyes, and grabbed the maid’s hand. “Yi Yue[mfn]I remember that I wrote the name as Yiyue in one of the previous chapters. I will change it to Yi Yue from now on[/mfn], I was so scared! I went for a walk in the garden, and someone tried to take me away. If I hadn’t run fast, you might not have seen me again…”
“What?” The maid, Yi Yue, was stunned. “Someone tried to take you away?”
Song Yunzhao nodded tearfully, “She was so fierce, and I didn’t know her. How could I dare go with her?”
Yi Yue’s expression changed. “Miss Song, don’t be afraid. I can’t make decisions on this, but I’ll fetch Matron Zhang. She’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you, Yi Yue. I wouldn’t know what to do without you.” Song Yunzhao let a tear fall.
Seeing the beautiful girl in tears broke Yi Yue’s heart. Miss Song, who was such a good person, had just recovered from her injuries and now this fright. Her fate seemed so unlucky. “Miss Song, don’t say that. Stay in your room, and I’ll fetch Zhang Momo[mfn]= Matron Zhang = Stewardess Zhang[/mfn].”
Song Yunzhao nodded, looking at Yi Yue with big, teary eyes.
Yi Yue felt the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. Miss Song was so pitiful and must not be bullied.
After she left, Song Yunzhao slumped over the table, feeling guilty for deceiving the young maid.
Matron Zhang arrived quickly, looking worn out.
Song Yunzhao felt a bit embarrassed but kept a thick face.
“Zhang Momo, thank goodness you’re here. I was so scared…”
Matron Zhang, alarmed by Song Yunzhao’s cry, stepped forward to help her sit and gently asked, “Miss Song, don’t be afraid. I heard from Yi Yue, but she wasn’t clear. Tell me everything, and I’ll investigate.”
“Alright.” Song Yunzhao obediently took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears and began slowly, “The doctor said my leg was much better, so after being cooped up indoors, I wanted to take a walk in the garden. Suddenly, a servant appeared, saying some master wanted to see me. I asked which master, but she wouldn’t say. I suggested she inform you first, but she refused. Zhang Momo, I remember the rules of Zhichun Palace and dared not go with her. I ran back, getting more frightened as I thought about it. Thank goodness you came; I wouldn’t know what to do otherwise…”
Hearing this, Matron Zhang saw Song Yunzhao crying like a pear blossom in the rain. Despite her earlier boldness, she now looked so frightened and pale, breathing heavily—a pitiful sight.
Matron Zhang had a hunch about who was behind this. After asking about the servant’s appearance, she fell silent before saying, “Miss Song, rest assured, I’ll find out who this person is and get to the bottom of it.”
“Thank you, Zhang Momo, for the trouble.” Song Yunzhao half-covered her face with the handkerchief, looking embarrassed.
Matron Zhang’s mouth twitched. Song Yunzhao was truly the most troublesome lady she’d encountered—always finding herself in some predicament.
Ah!
She felt she’d sighed more in the past fortnight than in the entire previous year.
Song Yunzhao wasn’t a troublemaker, just extremely unlucky, with problems always finding her.
After being comforted by Zhang Momo, Song Yunzhao finally looked less scared and saw her off, closing the door behind her with a sigh of relief.
It seemed Matron Zhang’s status wasn’t low. Otherwise, given her frequency of mishaps, she would have long scolded her severely.
Now, instead of scolding, she received comforting words. Who exactly was Matron Zhang?
To hold a steward position in the palace, one had to be connected to the highest-ranking consorts. Could she be serving one of them?
However, Song Yunzhao remembered that in the book, apart from a deceased imperial noble consort, there were three other consorts, none of whom had any connection with her family. So there shouldn’t be any expectation of favoritism.
Could it be that someone wanted to recruit her for their side early on?
Was it because they valued her argumentative skills?
If they were looking for allies, the servant who had come for her today shouldn’t have been so unfriendly.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure out who it was. She couldn’t recall all the fine details from the book she had read so long ago, like the names of the chief matrons and chief eunuchs around the main consorts. With so many characters, it was impossible to remember them all perfectly.
One person she remembered clearly was Meng Jiuchang, the chief steward by the Emperor’s side. The other two were the main female protagonist’s inner and outer stewards, but since the protagonist hadn’t entered the palace yet, those two stewards hadn’t appeared.
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became, so she decided to stop thinking about it. She would deal with things as they came.
She purposely didn’t mention encountering Steward Zhang while escaping. After all, she hadn’t asked for help in his presence, and bringing him up now would raise Matron Zhang’s suspicion.
That evening, when Song Yexi returned, she immediately sought out Yunzhao and asked, “Did something happen to you today?”
Song Yunzhao’s mouth twitched at the speed of the news. She nodded, “How did you know, Sister Yexi?”
Did these ladies have ears like the wind?
Song Yexi sat down and explained, “Ming’an Princess told me. It hasn’t spread yet, but if the princess knows, other ladies probably know too.”
Song Yunzhao understood. Helan Yun had good family connections and informants in the palace, as did people like Qin Xiyue.
Ancient society emphasized class and family background for a reason.
Seeing Yunzhao looking worried, Song Yexi sighed, “The princess asked me to tell you not to be afraid. She’s looking into it to see if she can find out who was behind it.”
“What?” Song Yunzhao was surprised. “The princess is investigating?”
Song Yexi nodded. “Yes. I tried to stop her, thinking it was risky, but she insisted. She promised to be careful.”
Song Yunzhao felt a complex mix of emotions. Qin Xiyue was the main protagonist with a halo, yet she found herself aligning with the troublemaker Helan Yun.
Could it be that she was destined to remain a supporting character?
The camaraderie between supporting characters?
Song Yunzhao was speechless.
Seeing Yunzhao frown, Song Yexi thought she was worried about the princess and reassured her, “Don’t worry. The princess is usually very rational unless she’s facing Qin Xiyue.”
Song Yunzhao could only sigh, “Let’s wait and see.” In Zhichun Palace, the protagonist had her own spies and influence, the powerful supporting characters had their family’s backing, but she, as a minor character, didn’t have such advantages. All she could do was wait for news.
Song Yexi was also worried. After the sisters had dinner, she said, “I should go back. I’ll come by in the morning to go to Qiushui Pavilion with you.”
Song Yunzhao nodded, “Sister Yexi, go and rest.”
The door next door was still closed and dark, indicating that Helan Yun hadn’t returned yet.
After Song Yexi left, Song Yunzhao sat by the window with a soft pillow, reading a book she had brought into the palace. She had read most of it by now and figured she could finish it by the time the selection results were announced, allowing her to leave the palace.
There was no news from Matron Zhang, but Song Yunzhao wasn’t anxious. The person involved must be significant, and it was unlikely that Zhang Momo would give her a truthful answer. She had to carefully consider how to navigate this situation.
Song Yunzhao wasn’t necessarily aiming to expose the mastermind; rather, she wanted to show that she wasn’t easily bullied. No matter who it was, the next time they tried to scheme against her, they’d better be sure they could overpower her instantly. Otherwise, she’d cause a fuss, making it difficult to cover up.
Given her current complex persona, she was seen as kind for saving someone, innocent for being framed and injured, and careful in her actions since entering the palace, avoiding any leverage against her. As long as she didn’t make mistakes, even as a minor character, she wouldn’t be easily dealt with.
Besides, in the eyes of Maton Zhang and others, she had a connection with Steward Zhang.
Song Yunzhao took a deep breath, wondering why things had become so complicated. Initially, she had just planned to go through the motions.
Just then, she heard a noise next door. She immediately got up, opened the door, and saw Helan Yun’s figure. She quickly called out, “Princess.”
Helan Yun turned to her and said, “You scared me late at night.” Instead of going to her own door, she walked over to Yunzhao’s.
Song Yunzhao invited her in and closed the door before saying, “Why did you come back so late? Sister Yexi told me you were gathering information, and I’ve been worried all evening.”
Helan Yun snorted, “At least you have a conscience.”
Song Yunzhao invited her to sit and poured her a cup of tea, “I’ve always had a conscience.”
Helan Yun felt like throwing the tea in her face to wake her up. “I inquired about it. The servant who came for you today is related to Consort Shu, but she isn’t from her palace; she’s in charge of the gardens.”
Song Yunzhao was puzzled, “Consort Shu? In charge of the gardens?”
Seeing her confused expression, Helan Yun refrained from mocking her. She knew that although the Song family had once been glorious, they had fallen and moved away from the capital. Now that they were back, they were far from their former glory and wouldn’t know the current palace intrigues.
She thought for a moment and explained, “Consort Shu is the daughter of Prime Minister Lu Lin, the one who hosted the tea banquet recently.”
Song Yunzhao frowned, wondering why Consort Shu would notice her.
Helan Yun continued, unaware of Song Yunzhao’s expression, “The right and left prime ministers have different political views. When the Emperor first ascended the throne, it was the right prime minister who suggested filling the palace with beauties. The Lu family aimed for the Empress position, but the Emperor chose the daughter of the Count of Dingnan as an imperial noble consort and hasn’t intended to establish an Empress since. Consort Shu must be anxious, knowing you have an outstanding appearance. She probably wanted to test you.”
Song Yunzhao was surprised by how much Helan Yun knew. She had an advantage because she had read the book, but Helan Yun’s knowledge showed the power of the Zhenbei Prince Mansion.
Unfortunately, the book didn’t describe the Zhenbei family much, focusing on Helan Yun’s crush on the female protagonist’s white moonlight, Ji Yunting, and Helan Yue’s affection for the protagonist. The siblings were deeply entangled in the protagonist’s story.
Thinking about this made Song Yunzhao feel a bit melancholic as she looked at Helan Yun.
“Thank you for gathering all this information. It must have been tiring”, she said.
Helan Yun glanced at her, “Not too bad. Just be prepared for Consort Shu’s moves. Be careful during the selection.”
She added, “The steward matron at Zhichun Palace can’t afford to offend Consort Shu. She’ll probably push that servant out, maybe just punish her with a fine. Just consider it as being bitten by a dog.”
Advising someone with such firmness—Song Yunzhao couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, I’ll listen to the County Princess and treat it as being bitten by a dog.”
Helan Yun’s mood brightened at those words, feeling that her efforts to gather information had not been in vain.
Song Yunzhao didn’t sleep well that night and got up early the next morning. Yi Yue came in to help her wash up, and after breakfast spoke up, “Miss, Matron Zhang asked me to tell you that the servant from the garden who frightened you yesterday admitted to being instigated by someone. Since nothing major happened to you, she was just fined three months’ salary.”
Song Yunzhao paused, realizing it was exactly as Helan Yun had said. Though she had expected it, she still felt a surge of anger.
Turning to Yi Yue, who seemed hesitant to meet her gaze, she said with slight resignation, “Matron Zhang has worked hard. I hope this won’t happen again. Yi Yue, please thank her for me.”
Yi Yue, seeing that Miss Song wasn’t making a fuss, felt relieved and quickly agreed, “Don’t worry, I will convey your message.”
Song Yunzhao nodded, showing a hint of helplessness, and then headed out.
It wasn’t a good time to wait for Song Yexi there, so she decided to go out and find her instead.
As luck would have it, just as she opened the door, she heard the door across the hall open, and she saw Qin Xiyue stepping out. They faced each other directly.
“Miss Song?” Qin Xiyue was also surprised to see Song Yunzhao. Not having seen her for a few days, she noticed Song YunzhaO seemed to be in good spirits. Her eyes fell on Song Yunzhao’s knee as she asked with concern, “Is your leg better now?”
“Thank you for your concern, Miss Qin. It’s much better”, Song Yunzhao replied, though she always felt a bit uneasy around the protagonist.
“That’s good to hear. Are you heading to Qiushui Pavilion? We could go together.”
Song Yunzhao gave an apologetic smile, “I have to find Sister Yexi first. We made plans.”
Qin Xiyue nodded slightly, “I see. Then you should go. I won’t keep you.”
Bidding her farewell, Song Yunzhao walked away. Just as she left, she heard a creak from Lu Zhixue’s door, followed by her voice, “Xiyue, who were you talking to? The one across the hall? Why bother with her? She’s cozying up to Ming’an County Princess now and probably doesn’t even see you.”
