I Was Supposed to Be the Villainous Consort

Chapter 92: Chapter 51: Are They Taking Her for a Fool?

"Alright, stop arguing. Look, Miss Song is being pulled out," Qin Xiyue said, interrupting their quarrel. "Let’s go have a look."

With a dark expression, Han Jinyi turned and walked away. Lu Zhixue was livid. Qin Xiyue could only say, "Miss Han is just worried about Miss Song’s safety. I understand what you mean, but this is a matter of life and death. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Let’s go over and see what happened before we say anything more."

Lu Zhixue’s expression softened when she heard Qin Xiyue wasn’t taking Han Jinyi’s side. She then said, "The way Song Yunzhao refuses to suffer even the smallest slight, I simply can’t imagine her saving Song Qinghan. Don’t you remember how those two sisters fought when we first entered the palace?"

Qin Xiyue nodded slightly. "Of course I remember. Alright, let’s not talk about this for now. Let’s go see what happened first."

Lu Zhixue finally fell silent, but she was still fuming inside. She was convinced Song Yunzhao was just putting on an act.

When Song Yunzhao was pulled from the water, she had genuinely choked on a mouthful. The water rushed into her sinuses, making her head ring. The chattering voices around her sounded like hundreds of people talking at once, and her brain throbbed with a stabbing pain.

"Take her to a side hall first! And bring a blanket to wrap her in."

"Make way! Quiet down, it’s too noisy!" He Lan Yun shouted, telling the palace attendants to place Song Yunzhao onto a soft sedan chair.

The surrounding noise immediately died down. He Lan Yun looked at Song Yunzhao anxiously. "Song Yunzhao, are you all right?"

Song Yunzhao struggled to open her eyes and shook her head at He Lan Yun. "I’m fine, County Princess."

"The Medical Woman is here! Everyone, make way!" Song Yexi couldn’t squeeze through the crowd, so she shouted from the outside.

Nanny Zhang quickly had people lift the soft sedan chair and sent everyone who had fallen into the water to the side hall. She then quickly found the Medical Woman and had her follow them.

The other concubines exchanged glances, then followed along. They had to find out what had happened.

After changing their clothes, Song Yunzhao, He Lan Yun, Han Jinyi, Luo Xiu Ni, Song Qinghan, and Zhao Xiaoyu sat in a row. The Medical Woman first had someone brew ginger soup and made them drink it down. The spicy taste instantly cleared Song Yunzhao’s head.

Song Yunzhao turned her head and met Song Qinghan’s sinister gaze. She gave her a wide smile.

Song Qinghan could barely maintain her composure. To make matters worse, Zhao Xiaoyu, who was beside her, said, "That was terrifying. I thought I was going to die in the water today. Qing Han, I’m a little scared..."

Zhao Xiaoyu looked awful. Earlier, their boat had hit Han Jinyi’s, and then Han Jinyi’s boat had hit Song Yunzhao’s. She had been so muddled at the time that she had no idea how the boats had crashed into each other.

She’d been so scared she was at her wit’s end, but Song Qinghan had said no one saw them and that they should just hide so they wouldn’t be discovered. She thought she had gotten away with it, but she never expected that their boat would also be hit right after they left the lotus patch.

And it was Song Yunzhao who had hit them.

Zhao Xiaoyu wasn’t particularly cunning, but she wasn’t stupid, either. ’How could it be such a coincidence?’

She was terrified that Song Yunzhao knew they were the ones who had started it all.

Song Qinghan’s mind was in turmoil. Listening to Zhao Xiaoyu say such things, even in a hushed voice—’what if someone overhears?’

She could only hiss in a low voice, "Stop talking. If anyone asks, you don’t know anything."

Zhao Xiaoyu froze and quickly nodded, though her heart was still hammering in her chest. ’This is the first time in my life I’ve ever done something like this; how could I not be afraid?’

Song Yunzhao kept her eyes fixed on Song Qinghan and Zhao Xiaoyu. Noticing Zhao Xiaoyu’s shifty gaze, she scoffed internally. ’And she thinks she can get away with harming people with nerves that weak?’

After the Medical Woman had examined them and confirmed that no one was seriously hurt, Nanny Zhang and the others finally began to ask what had happened.

Song Yunzhao immediately jumped in to answer. "Nanny, the County Princess and I were admiring the scenery in the lotus patch when Miss Han’s boat rammed ours and capsized it. But Miss Han said she didn’t know whose boat hit them, which made her lose control and crash into us. We were just enjoying the view, and we ended up in the water. The County Princess and Miss Han’s group can’t swim well and nearly drowned. I wanted to know who hit us, so I went after them..."

’This is a rare chance to get some leverage on Song Qinghan,’ she thought. ’And with Zhao Xiaoyu as the weak link, if I play my cards right, I might be able to deliver a fatal blow and get her thrown out of the palace. The thought of how furious Mrs. Cai will be... it’s just delightful.’

’Song Qinghan is like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows. Now that I have a chance to get rid of her, why would I play the saint and let her go? That would only mean leaving a lingering threat for myself.’