Chapter 744: Chapter 521: Demoted by 3 Ranks
Feng Yi heaved a long sigh. ’It’s true what they say,’ he thought. ’Everyone meets their match.’
’He, of all people, with his disposition, had never thought he’d one day be so completely taken with her.’
"You did that on purpose, didn’t you?" Feng Yi asked, though he already knew the answer.
Song Yunzhao let go of Feng Yi, raising an eyebrow as she huffed, "That’s right, I did it on purpose. That Zhao Ling’e is just flaunting her connection to the Zhao Family and the Empress Dowager’s support. While the court is in an uproar over the military provisions case, she’s decided to stir up trouble for me in the harem.
"I wanted to keep the peace, and I didn’t want to lock horns with the Empress Dowager over her again. That’s why I downplayed it and just punished Zhao Liangren as a warning.
"And a lot of good that did me! I showed a little mercy, and she thought I was a pushover! Did you see the way she was looking at you tonight? She practically wanted to glue herself to you. What am I, invisible?
"Even if I were dead, if she dared to act smug over my coffin, I’d rise from the grave just to slap her!"
Feng Yi’s expression was a sight to behold. It had been years since he’d heard Yun Zhao curse anyone out, and he found it surprisingly exhilarating.
But when he heard her casually talking about dying, his expression darkened. "You and that mouth of yours. You dare say anything. One of these days, if you truly push me too far, I’ll have to put you in confinement just to make you learn your lesson."
Hearing this, Song Yunzhao knew Feng Yi wasn’t truly angry. It wasn’t a surprise, but it still put her in a remarkably good mood. She smiled and said, "In this entire harem, besides Her Majesty the Empress Dowager who can walk all over me, who else dares to even point a toe in my direction? It’s just that the harem has been far too harmonious these past few years, allowing some clueless fools to get overly ambitious. Does she think this is Linfeng, where she can do whatever she wants? Who gave her the audacity!"
Feng Yi: "..."
Song Yunzhao felt better after her rant, and Feng Yi felt better listening to it.
They both let out a long breath at almost the same time. Their eyes met, and they immediately broke into smiles.
Song Yunzhao collapsed into Feng Yi’s arms. "Look at your new Beauty. She’s practically forcing me to become a shrew."
Feng Yi nodded with a perfectly straight face. "It’s good to be a bit fiery. That way, you won’t lose out when I’m not around."
Song Yunzhao: "..."
Feng Yi held her in his arms. "Are you still angry?"
Her earlier cheerful tone vanished. "I’m okay, I guess. I always knew this day would come, I just didn’t think it would be so soon. If I’d known, I would have rehearsed. I feel like I didn’t perform well, and it still bothers me when I think about it."
Feng Yi: "..."
’I never should have asked!’
They went into the inner chamber. Feng Yi found an outer robe to drape over her shoulders and looked at Yun Zhao. "Why didn’t you tell me about this before?"
"You were already vexed enough with the military provisions case. How could I distract you? I figured it was just a trivial matter I could handle on my own."
Song Yunzhao leaned against Feng Yi and spoke slowly. "I didn’t think it was a big deal at the time. It was just a few rumors. Besides, I’d already found out who was behind it. Punishing Zhao Liangren was meant to make an example of her to warn others. I figured that as long as Zhao Ling’e kept her head down, we could just turn the page on this."
"You’re certainly soft-hearted," Feng Yi said, looking at Yun Zhao.
"It’s not about being soft-hearted. I just want to avoid trouble." Song Yunzhao frowned. "The Zhao Family is backing Zhao Ling’e. It’s not that I’m afraid of them, but the Zhao father and son have a great deal of prestige among the scholars. If I had gone after Zhao Ling’e from the start, the Zhao Family would have surely used it as an excuse to make a fuss. You’re still busy with the important matter of the military provisions; how could I cause more trouble for you? I thought I’d just endure it for a while and wait until you were done."
Feng Yi held Yun Zhao close. "You’ve had to endure a lot."
Song Yunzhao chuckled. "Do I look like someone who’s had to endure anything?"
On second thought, Feng Yi had to admit she had a point. They both laughed.
"Your handling of Zhao Liangren was too lenient," he said. "That’s why it didn’t deter Zhao Ling’e."
"I just thought that Zhao Liangren has been in the palace for years and has always kept to herself, so I’d give her a chance to see what she would choose. I’m no saint, but now that I have a husband and a son, I want to build up good fortune for you both. Buddhism speaks of reincarnation. I hope that if I can accumulate good karma in this life, I’ll be able to meet you again in the next one, and we can be together again, happy and in love."
Feng Yi gazed at Yun Zhao, saying, word by word, "We will absolutely be together again."
Song Yunzhao smiled. ’A selfish, cold-hearted person like me is actually starting to hope for a next life.’
’Live long enough, and you’ll meet all sorts of strange and crazy versions of yourself, I suppose.’
’If someone had told me ten years ago that I’d be hoping for a next life with a man, I would have laughed in their face and called them insane.’
At that thought, Song Yunzhao chuckled. She looked at Feng Yi and asked, "So, how did you punish Beauty Zhao?"
"Disrespecting an Imperial Concubine, violating palace rules... no matter the charge, she was in the wrong. I’ve had her demoted to concubine."
Song Yunzhao was stunned. ’That’s a demotion of three ranks!’
"And Zhao Liangren?"
"Didn’t you order her into confinement? She’ll just stay there. Zhao Liangren’s rank is unchanged, while Zhao Ling’e is now a mere concubine. There’s no way the two of them will get along after this. On top of that, all of Zhao Liangren’s palace attendants have been replaced, which is like cutting off her right and left arms. Since this all happened because of Zhao Ling’e, discord between them is guaranteed. All you have to do is watch the fun."
Song Yunzhao was left speechless by his explanation. ’I really never thought of that tactic,’ she thought. ’Brilliant!’
"But what if word of Zhao Ling’e’s demotion gets back to the Zhao Family and they’re displeased?"
"Then let the Zhao Family come and say it to my face." Feng Yi sneered. "I’d like to see if the so-called illustrious Zhao Family has the guts."
"They wouldn’t do anything that could be used against them, of course. I’m just worried they’ll resort to underhanded tricks."
"Then let them try. Things are different from when I first took the throne. Zhaozhao, is this why you were being so cautious?"
For a moment, Song Yunzhao didn’t know how to respond and hesitated.
Feng Yi hugged her. "Of all the women in this harem who bear the title of concubine, you’re the only one who has ever truly thought about things from my perspective. You’ve had to put up with a lot."
Song Yunzhao felt a pang of guilt. ’My own motives weren’t exactly pure at the start, either,’ she thought.
But now she could still nod without feeling too guilty. She said softly, "I haven’t endured anything. I’m the Imperial Concubine. Others have no choice but to bow to me. Even if that Zhao Ling’e tries to pull something, she can only do it in secret. Are you sure the Zhao Family won’t be a problem?"
"Song Buran investigated the Zhao Family last year. You know about that, right?"
Yun Zhao nodded. "I do. Didn’t the Zhao Family try to drag the Song Family into trouble through Lady Ding? I was furious, so I had my cousin look into them to see who they thought they were, acting so arrogantly. As it turns out, they really do have the power to back up that arrogance."
Feng Yi was amused all over again. "So what are your thoughts now?"
Song Yunzhao actually gave it some serious thought. "What I think isn’t important. What matters is what the Zhao Family thinks. Right now, Zhao Ling’e only committed a minor offense. In anyone else’s eyes, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but she was demoted three ranks because of me. I’m guessing the Zhao Family won’t be able to stomach that and will be forced to make a move."
Feng Yi nodded. "I’m looking forward to seeing what move the Zhao Family makes."