Chapter 3: Still Causing Trouble After All This?

Song Shiwei saw through Song Shilan’s scheme the moment she looked at her.

It seemed she needed to eliminate Song Shilan, this volatile factor, as quickly as possible.

With a sharp gaze and a cold tone, she replied, "You should ask Father. How would a weak woman like me know what to do next?"

Seeing Song Shiwei’s composed demeanor, the jealousy and hatred in Song Shilan’s heart grew like wild, rampant weeds. In both appearance and talent, she was superior to Song Shiwei in every way. Yet, simply because she was born to a concubine, she was forced to be trampled underfoot by Song Shiwei, endure the ridicule of others, and suffer the blatant favoritism their father showed her.

"Elder Sister, I know you are dissatisfied with me," Song Shilan sobbed, putting on a weak and pitiful act. "But our family is facing such a crisis now; we should be working together to solve it instead of bickering like this."

This exile was a golden opportunity. She was certain she could finish off Song Shiwei and climb over her to return to the capital.

Before Song Shiwei could respond, she heard Concubine Qin weeping and wailing. "Master, I know the Eldest Miss has many grievances against the Second Miss, but we are on the road of exile now; the Eldest Miss really shouldn't treat the Second Miss this way."

Song Shilan sighed and offered a bitter smile. "Concubine Mother, please don't say any more. It is all my fault." She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, looking increasingly miserable and pathetic. "It is because I haven't done well enough that I have displeased Elder Sister. It is only right that Elder Sister treats me this way."

Concubine Qin threw herself in front of her, clutching her and sobbing, "Don't cry, Second Miss, don't cry. It is not your fault; it is that this concubine hasn't done enough. If I had been more sensible and obedient, you wouldn't have to suffer like this."

As she spoke, she stole glances at Song Shiwei, as well as the father and mother, trying to gauge how to proceed.

Before Song Shiwei or her parents could react, the other concubines and children of lesser status had already begun to mock Concubine Qin and Song Shilan.

"I say, Concubine Qin, what is the point of you and the Second Miss putting on this weak and pathetic act? Do you think the Old Matriarch is still alive to favor you? It’s truly disgusting."

"We are on the road of exile, and we’ve already walked all day. Instead of thinking about how to get some rest, you two are here causing trouble. It’s laughable."

"Tsk, I think the mother and daughter are just asking for a beating. A good thrashing would set them straight."

Song Shiwei cast a cold, chilly glance at the pale-faced pair. "It is a pity there are no outsiders here; otherwise, your scheme might have actually worked. By the way, since you are neither hungry nor tired, I will ask the guards to stop giving you water and food, so as not to waste it."

Seeing this, Concubine Qin and Song Shilan stopped crying. They knew full well that Song Shiwei was capable of doing exactly that.

***

The two of them, no matter how resentful they felt, dared not continue acting weak and pitiful.

"Please forgive us, Eldest Miss. It is all this concubine's fault," Concubine Qin said, shielding Song Shilan and taking all the blame upon herself. "It is all because I was foolish, thinking only of sparing the Second Miss from hardship, that I did such a thing."

Song Shilan simply shrank behind her, keeping her head lowered and saying nothing. Her heart was filled with bitterness; her mother was truly useless. Not only had she failed to win their father’s heart over the years, but she couldn't even handle a mere Song Shiwei.

Song Shiwei raised her eyelids and said in an indifferent tone, "Concubine Qin, instead of spending your energy on these antics, you should be worrying about whether you and Song Shilan can even survive this exile. This is just the beginning; it will only get more bitter and exhausting from here."

Upon hearing this, the color drained from the faces of Concubine Qin and Song Shilan. They no longer had any heart for scheming.

Song Shiwei snorted coldly and walked over to her parents.

"Father," she said in a lowered voice, "what shall we do next? If we truly walk all the way to the place of exile, I fear few of us will remain." Her entire family was accustomed to a life of luxury; how could they endure the hardships of exile?

Her father had been thinking about this all day. He whispered, "I have thought about asking for help, but..." He sighed, "Now that our family has been convicted of treason, I fear no one is willing to help us." Even if someone were willing, they would surely take the opportunity to make exorbitant demands.

Song Shiwei looked around, noticing Concubine Qin dragging Song Shilan into a corner, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Father, in times like these, it is safest not to rely on others," she stated her plan. "Our priority is to build a relationship with this group of guards—preferably, to bring them under our control. I suspect that some among them have been bribed by others."

Her father scanned the guards with a heavy gaze and asked, "Shiwei, what exactly do you intend to do?"

Song Shiwei pretended to reach into her sleeve, but in reality, she drew two packets of poison from her spatial garden and pressed them into his hand.

"Father, the safest way is control." Her eyes grew cold. "This is poison I keep for self-defense; I had hidden it in my hair, so it wasn't confiscated. This poison requires an antidote every half a month."

She kept a significant amount of medicine in her spatial garden, much of it being poison meant for self-defense.

Her father accepted the packets and nodded. "Very well, leave this matter to me." As Shiwei had said, controlling the guards was the safer path.

Just as Song Shiwei turned to leave, her father’s next words caused a sharp, stinging pain in her heart.

"Shiwei, do you still wish to marry Cui Jing?"

Song Shiwei shook her head slowly. Her eyes held sorrow, but her expression was firm. "Father, there is no possibility between him and me. Now, I only wish to protect our family and find a way to clear your name."

As for Cui Jing, if the opportunity arose in the future, she would ensure he paid the most agonizing price.

***

Meanwhile, Song Shilan and Concubine Qin had calmed down. The mother and daughter were whispering, discussing how they could eventually return to the capital.

"Concubine Mother, let us start with Princess Anning," Song Shilan said, glancing at Song Shiwei as a vicious plot blossomed in her mind. "Princess Anning has always despised Song Shiwei. As long as we can win the Princess’s favor, we will surely be able to return to the capital and live well again."

Concubine Qin’s eyes lit up, but then she looked worried. "But how are we to make contact with Princess Anning?"

Song Shilan took her hand and said with gentle persuasion, "I am sure you have a way, Concubine Mother. Whether we can return to the capital depends on you."

Concubine Qin did indeed have a way, but it was a method she had intended to save for an emergency.

"This..."

Song Shilan leaned close to her ear, tempting her. "Concubine Mother, perhaps Princess Anning will even be grateful to us, find me a good marriage, and grant you a title of nobility."

Previously, she had wanted to steal Cui Jing just to humiliate Song Shiwei. Now, she wanted to marry into the imperial family and ascend the throne as Empress.