Thinking of this, Song Yunzhao smiled.
“Since Sister Lirong is getting married, I should share in her joy and prepare a wedding gift.”
She then instructed Xiang Xue to open the storeroom and select several fine bolts of silk fit for the new bride, along with a gold hairpin inlaid with red gemstones— it looked radiant and festive.
“This is too much,” First Madam quickly interjected.
She had wanted Jieyu to contribute to elevate Lirong’s status—so she could stand tall in her husband’s household.
After all, being a daughter-in-law was never easy, let alone the wife of a concubine’s son.
But with Jieyu’s gifts, both her mother-in-law and her legitimate sisters-in-law would grant her more respect, and her days would be far smoother.
“I also hope Sister Lirong will be valued by her in-laws and have harmonious relationships with her new family.”
Song Yunzhao smiled.
“When Sister Yexii gets married, I’ll be sure to prepare an even grander gift for her.”
Madam Song smiled and thanked her on Yexi’s behalf, then took her leave from the palace.
After having Anshun oversee the delivery of the gifts to Madam Song’s carriage, Song Yunzhao watched her depart.
Then her mind turned back to the Marquis of Wuxin’s affairs.
If not for Madam Song’s visit, she would have been completely in the dark, left at the mercy of Cai Shi’s schemes.
After all, in the palace, she could only learn of her family’s affairs if they came to tell her.
Fortunately, she had been wise enough to trust First Madam and she had proven invaluable.
Now, the real question—who had come up with the idea of marrying Song Qinghan into the Marquis of Wuxin’s household…
It was a roundabout way to ensnare her.
Logically, the three consorts were the most likely suspects—especially Consort Lu.
After losing her title, she was bound to seek retribution.
But the Right Prime Minister had already sent people to monitor her Uncle in Yucheng.
That meant he likely wouldn’t resort to a scheme like this—especially with the Left Prime Minister watching.
There were some things the Right Prime Minister could not openly do.
Given this, his involvement seemed unlikely, and Consort Lu was ruled out.
That left Consort Wan and Consort Zhuang.
Her current relationship with Consort Zhuang was still in the honeymoon phase—there was no reason for her to pull Song Qinghan into this.
So the chance of Consort Zhuang’s involvement seemed low.
As for Consort Wan—she couldn’t be certain.
Her father, the Right Vice Minister, was deeply aligned with the Right Prime Minister.
If the Right Prime Minister wasn’t making a move, then would the Right Vice Minister?
Song Yunzhao couldn’t conclude for sure.
Among the three consorts, Consort Wan was the most suspicious.
Yet, given the political balance, it was unlikely that the Right Vice Minister would act against the Right Prime Minister.
So even that possibility wasn’t strong.
Of course—she couldn’t rule out the idea that the Right Vice Minister was acting independently.
What truly unsettled her was Qin Xiyue.
Ever since Qin Xiyue entered the palace, Song Yunzhao had overshadowed her.
And the protagonist of the novel was not the type to suffer in silence.
From Lu Zhixue’s downfall to Beauty Zhen’s demise, Qin Xiyue’s hand had been subtly present—her methods stealthy, befitting a main character’s style.
Song Yunzhao suspected Qin Xiyue was behind this—but she had no proof.
If someone was scheming against her, she wasn’t about to sit around waiting to be struck.
Her eyes gleamed as she sneered.
She was not some fool like Song Qinghan.
She called for Xiang Xue.
“Mistress, what are your orders?”
“Spread the word—I do not approve of Song Qinghan marrying into the Marquis of Wuxin family. But make sure no one knows the source of the rumor. Can you manage it?”
“This is nothing difficult.”
Xiang Xue smiled.
“The palace maids go to the laundry rooms every day—there are plenty of people moving in and out. It will be easy to plant a message.”
Tracing it back wouldn’t be impossible—but investigating every messenger would require an exhaustive effort.
Even the three consorts wouldn’t risk making a big fuss over it.
Song Yunzhao nodded in satisfaction.
“Then go ahead—be careful. Make sure the message spreads far.”
“Rest assured, Mistress.”
Xiang Xue smiled, then left.
Song Yunzhao exhaled deeply.
Once this rumor spread, it would surely stir unrest in the harem.
A marriage between Song Qinghan and the Marquis of Wuxin would harm her—so by acting against it, whoever was behind the scenes would have to ensure it succeeded.
If she watched carefully, she might catch a lead.
The bait was set—now lets see who takes the hook.
Feeling pleased, she enjoyed her lunch alone, since the Emperor was too busy with state affairs.
She planned to nap, then resume writing her storybooks.
If the Emperor was too preoccupied to read them now, she would simply write more.
It was a good way to profit and keep their romance alive.
But she never got to write.
Because Han Jinyi arrived.
The first thing she did was march in angrily, demanding—
“Is it true that Song Qinghan is marrying into the Marquis of Wuxin’s household?”
Her voice was fuming.
“That household is no good—and considering how terrible things are between you and Song Qinghan, this marriage is clearly meant to target you!”
Song Yunzhao, seeing how furious Han Jinyi was, couldn’t help but laugh.
“Exactly,it’s aimed directly at me.”
“You can still laugh about it?!”
“Well then, should I cry for you instead?”
Han Jinyi: “…”
Song Yunzhao’s playful remark took the edge off Han Jinyi’s anger.
With a sigh, she admitted,
“You haven’t been in the capital long, so you probably don’t know much about the Marquis of Wuxin’s household.”
She lowered her voice.
“The man Song Qinghan is engaged to, Xu Anxing, already has a two-year-old illegitimate son. Tell me—what exactly is Song Qinghan hoping to gain from marrying him?”
That was a bombshell.
Song Yunzhao was stunned.
She turned to Han Jinyi, eyes sharp.
“Xu Anxing already has an illegitimate child? How do you know this?”
Xu Anxing wasn’t even married yet—if word spread that he had fathered a child, no noble lady would ever agree to marry him.
Wait.
That’s right—no noble lady would want him, but the Marquis of Wuxin wouldn’t want to disgrace their son either.
And with a favored sister in the palace, Song Qinghan became the perfect candidate.
Her reputation was poor, so she had no right to be choosy about Xu Anxing.
“This isn’t some hidden secret,” Han Jinyi explained.
“The Marquis of Wuxin’s household operates without much regard for decorum. They didn’t even bother covering it up—the child is openly raised within the estate, and his mother is still there, too.”
Song Yunzhao’s expression stiffened.
“So this woman must be impressive. Not only does she hold Xu Anxing’s favor, but even the Marquis’s wife likes her.”
Otherwise, she wouldn’t still be in the household.
Han Jinyi’s face twisted slightly.
“That girl originally served the Marchioness herself. Later, she was sent to attend Xu Anxing.”
Song Yunzhao understood immediately.
There was nothing more to say—the girl knew how to charm both the young and the old.
“Back then, the Marchioness even tried to arrange a marriage for me.”
Han Jinyi huffed.
“My mother nearly threw her out of the house.”
Song Yunzhao’s eyes lit up.
“Really? Your mother is formidable.”
Han Jinyi laughed.
“Otherwise, how would I know all this so clearly?”
Song Yunzhao nodded.
Then something felt off.
“If everyone already knows Xu Anxing has a two-year-old illegitimate son, then why would Song Qinghan agree to this marriage?”
Before, she hadn’t known about the child so Song Qinghan’s decision seemed reasonable.
But now—knowing about the child—this wasn’t simple.
