I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Chapter 142: Chapter 66: The Emperor is Hard to Handle

Song Yunzhao put away the silver and took stock of her private savings. Combined with the allowance from her father, her coffers were actually quite full. fгeewebnovёl.com

But for a concubine like her, who had to support an entire palace of attendants, the expenses were still quite high. In the palace, if you wanted to eat well, you had to use your own silver to order special dishes from the Imperial Kitchen. Otherwise, you were stuck with the standard-issue meals.

The menu for the standard-issue meals only had a few dishes on rotation each season. Anyone would get sick of eating the same things year after year.

Clothing, food, lodging—everything cost money. Outsiders saw the life of a concubine as glamorous, but they didn’t know the hardships involved. Take clothing and accessories, for instance. Garments were supplied each season according to one’s rank, but that only amounted to four sets of outer robes and four sets of undergarments. Even shoes and socks were issued in fixed quantities.

For someone like Song Yunzhao, who wanted to look her best for the Emperor every day, she couldn’t keep wearing the same few outfits and accessories on repeat. That meant spending extra silver to have new things made. These were all hidden costs, and they added up to a significant amount.

Why did so many people fight tooth and nail for a position in the Six Departments? Because the opportunities for graft were enormous.

Song Yunzhao was someone with nothing to lose. She had no intention of lining the pockets of the Six Departments, especially after their previous disagreements. Instead, she was preparing to fleece the Emperor himself.

"His Majesty, the Emperor, has arrived!"

Song Yunzhao froze for a moment. ’Speak of the devil,’ she thought. She had just been thinking about him, and here he was. She quickly rose to greet him, thankful she hadn’t been resting and was still dressed presentably.

She left her bedchamber and had just entered the main hall when she saw the Emperor striding in. She hurried forward and curtsied. "This concubine greets Your Majesty, the Emperor."

This was Feng Yi’s first visit to Wangyou Palace since Song Yunzhao had moved in. "You may rise," he said. "I was passing by and decided to come and see you."

Song Yunzhao’s eyes twinkled, and a delighted smile immediately bloomed on her face. "Truly? This concubine thanks you for your concern, Your Majesty. This has made me so happy."

Hearing this, Feng Yi turned his head to look at Yun Zhao. "It makes you that happy?"

"Of course. Being in someone’s thoughts is a wonderful feeling," Song Yunzhao said with perfect earnestness.

Feng Yi recalled how Mrs. Cai had mistreated Song Yunzhao back in the Song Family household. He had expected her to be in low spirits today, but she seemed to be doing quite well.

’To be in someone’s thoughts, to have someone thinking of you... it truly is a happy thing.’

Something that seemed so ordinary to others was a rare gift for people like him and Song Yunzhao.

At this thought, Feng Yi couldn’t help but think of the Empress Dowager, who was still at her separate villa, and a hint of melancholy clouded his features.

"Sit down and talk," Feng Yi said after taking a seat, gesturing to the spot opposite him.

Song Yunzhao did as she was told and sat. She could sense a shift in the Emperor’s mood after her last remark.

’Of course he’d feel something. In some ways, she and the Emperor were both just as pitiable. Words like that were bound to strike a chord.’

’The first step to romance is finding common ground. You need shared topics, a sense of mutual understanding, and emotional resonance.’

’A bond like that is special. It’s not something a third party can easily break.’

Feng Yi looked up to see Yun Zhao gazing at him with her large, luminous eyes. "What are you looking at?" he asked instinctively.

"You’re handsome, Your Majesty."

"Nonsense!" Feng Yi shot Song Yunzhao a glare. ’I am the sovereign of this nation. How can she speak to me with such flippant words?’

Song Yunzhao didn’t believe him for a second. ’Even though he’s been on the throne for five years, he’s still only twenty,’ she thought. ’He’s a young man in his prime. There’s no way he isn’t secretly pleased. What young man doesn’t like being called handsome?’ fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"I’m speaking from the heart. ’Behold the elegant lord, polished and refined, carved and honed.’ In my heart, Your Majesty’s majestic bearing is as radiant as a tree of jade. No one can compare."

Feng Yi was speechless.

’She must not be in her right mind,’ he thought.

Still, being praised so effusively, he couldn’t help but feel a little smug. ’Her only redeeming quality is having good taste, I suppose.’

"You don’t believe me, Your Majesty? I could eat three extra bowls of rice just by looking at your face."

"What?"

"It helps with my appetite."

Feng Yi fell silent. He didn’t quite understand what she meant, but he wasn’t about to admit it.

Song Yunzhao explained gleefully, "Other people need tasty side dishes to enjoy their meals. I don’t need any. All I need is Your Majesty. See how important you are to me?"

Feng Yi felt his breath catch in his throat. ’My, I’m so grateful,’ he thought dryly. ’But no, thank you.’

Song Yunzhao was in high spirits after successfully teasing the Emperor. The more she interacted with him, the more she realized he was nothing like the character in the book. The Emperor in the story was supposed to be steady, self-possessed, patient, yet also petty and vengeful over the smallest slight. The one before her now, however... was actually a little endearing. It made her feel almost guilty for teasing him.