I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Chapter 64: Chapter 44: The Emperor’s Grand Gift (3)

She walked over to a gooseneck chair outside Qiushui Pavilion and sat down. From this vantage point, the landscape was a seamless blend of mountains and water, the lake shimmering with reflections. A field of lotuses swayed in the wind on the water’s surface, while on the shore, a group of young women in splendid, embroidered gowns strolled about. The mountains were beautiful, the water was beautiful, and the people were beautiful as well.

When Song Yexi returned from her meal, she saw Song Yunzhao leaning back in the gooseneck chair, gazing into the distance. In the sunlight, the young woman’s smile seemed to glow.

She had always known her cousin was beautiful, but at this moment, she felt this was the most beautiful she had ever seen Yun Zhao.

Song Yexi slowed her pace as she approached, not wanting to disturb the serene beauty of the scene. To her surprise, Yun Zhao turned to look at her anyway, a smile on her face. "Ms. Xi, you’re back?" she heard her ask.

Song Yexi found it hard to describe her feelings at that moment. She smiled, walked over, and sat down across from Yun Zhao. "Why are you sitting here? Not joining the others?" freewebnøvel.coɱ

"A crowd just means trouble, and I have no intention of getting into any," Song Yunzhao said, her eyes on the group of women.

Hearing that, Song Yexi felt as if she’d been brought crashing back down to earth. ’I must have been letting my imagination run away with me,’ she thought. She glanced at the concubines crowded by the lake, feeding fish, and said instinctively, "You’re right. With so many people, it’s easy for accidents to happen."

Song Yunzhao had only said it offhandedly. After all, in the book, no accidents were supposed to happen today. The only significant event was the female protagonist and Lu Zhixue outshining everyone with their embroidery skills, which made them stand out and laid the groundwork for the endless conflicts to come.

But Song Yunzhao had forgotten one thing: this concubine selection had an unexpected variable—He Lan Yun.

By the time she heard someone shouting, "Someone fell in the water! Quick, save them!" she was completely stunned.

Song Yexi shot to her feet and grabbed Yun Zhao’s hand. "Let’s go over together. Don’t do anything rash."

Song Yunzhao grabbed Song Yexi’s hand in return. "What would we do over there?"

"Are we just supposed to wait here?" Song Yexi said. "Wouldn’t that give people something to hold against us?"

A reputation for standing by while someone drowned was not a good one. They had to at least put on a show of concern.

"Just wait," Song Yunzhao said.

Song Yexi then watched as Song Yunzhao ran out of Qiushui Pavilion, produced a wooden mallet from somewhere, and struck a large bell with all her might.

The clear ring of the bell instantly traveled far and wide. Immediately after, everyone heard Song Yunzhao shout, "Someone fell in the water! We need help over here!"

Song Yexi nearly choked. ’Was that bell something you could just ring whenever you felt like it?’ fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

But there was no time to worry about that now. She rushed over, shot Yun Zhao a sharp look, and then grabbed her and started running in the direction of the Housekeeper. When they encountered Palace Attendants and eunuchs running toward the sound of the bell, the two girls immediately turned back to lead them to the scene.

Song Yunzhao ran after Song Yexi, gasping for breath until she felt completely drained.

Only when she saw the Palace Attendants and eunuchs jump into the water to perform the rescue did she finally lean against a wall, panting heavily.

Song Yexi wasn’t in much better shape. But at that moment, the two young women locked eyes and suddenly broke into soft laughter.

Song Yunzhao realized she didn’t know Song Yexi as well as she thought.

Meanwhile, Song Yexi sighed inwardly. ’I really underestimated Yun Zhao’s nerve.’

"Why did you ring the bell?" Song Yexi asked in a low, breathless voice.

"I was watching closely. There are so many concubines here playing by the lake and feeding the fish, but have you seen any eunuchs or palace maids nearby?"

Song Yexi thought hard for a moment, her panting even pausing. "I don’t think I have."

Song Yunzhao nodded. "We’re just lowly concubines. We certainly don’t have the authority to dismiss all the attendants. But like you said, we couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. It would have taken us far too long to run and find help. What if someone had died in the meantime? So, ringing the bell was the only way."

Song Yexi had to admit that Song Yunzhao made sense, but she was still worried. "But what if our superiors punish you for it?"

Of course, Song Yunzhao knew that was impossible. The bell was meant to be used for alerts. But Song Yexi didn’t know that, hence her concern.

So she said, "This morning, weren’t we summoned here by a bell? In a life-or-death emergency like this, I’m sure the Housekeepers will be understanding."

Song Yexi was still worried, but what was done was done. ’Worrying won’t help,’ she thought. ’I just have to figure out how to handle the consequences.’

While the two cousins were catching their breath against the wall, the eunuchs had already pulled the victims from the water. Of the two concubines who fell in, one was unconscious and was carried off to a side hall. The other was deathly pale when pulled out and seemed to be in shock; she wouldn’t say a word no matter what she was asked. She was wrapped in a robe and taken to Qiushui Pavilion to be consoled.

"Miss Song, we have you to thank for what happened today. If it weren’t for you, those two young ladies might have been in mortal danger. You are truly a kind and helpful person."