Ji Yunshu was not worried that her behavior would arouse suspicion; after all, the original owner was a young girl who had grown up pampered by the most powerful person in the world.
She was famously arrogant and willful.
Since Ji Yunshu had inherited the original owner’s memories upon crossing over, her words and actions were naturally influenced by them. Thus, those serving her closely had not noticed anything unusual.
Now, she only needed to carefully think of a reasonable excuse.
Seeing her head bowed in silence as if she had some unspeakable secret, the Empress Dowager did not press her. She simply asked, “Regarding Zhao Heng and that woman—did you know beforehand, or did you only find out last night? Did Zhao Shen have a hand in this?”
Ji Yunshu finally understood. The Empress Dowager didn’t care how she had discovered the relationship between Zhao Heng and Yao Ruolan; rather, she wanted to know if switching the marriage at the last minute was a long-premeditated plan or a desperate measure of expediency.
Or even worse, if she had been manipulated by Zhao Shen.
After a moment’s thought, she said, “I only found out last night. I figured that since Zhao Heng wanted to marry me despite having a sweetheart, he must be plotting something. I didn’t want him to get his way.”
The Empress Dowager nodded. “And what about Zhao Shen?”
Although Ji Yunshu couldn’t read the Empress Dowager’s emotions, she felt the older woman wasn’t particularly angry. She emboldened herself to act spoiled, saying, “It has nothing to do with him. The Ji family’s power is at its peak, so I don’t feel the need to marry a husband with great prospects. I just wanted someone I like. Zhao Shen’s background, talent, and appearance are all outstanding. He only lost his legs, but that doesn’t really affect anything else, does it, Aunt?”
Zhao Shen being disabled only meant that his path to becoming a court official was blocked.
There were plenty of noble sons in the capital who spent their entire lives idling away; compared to them, Zhao Shen was far superior. Moreover, with a hereditary title, not entering the court was no great loss.
Ji Yunshu felt that since Zhao Shen didn’t have long to live anyway, there was no need to worry about such things.
The Empress Dowager poked her forehead with a finger and asked, “Aren’t you afraid people will mock you in the future for marrying someone disabled?”
Ji Yunshu covered her forehead and smiled. “If those people aren’t mocking me for marrying someone disabled and living a poor life, then they must be jealous of me.”
If the only thing they could attack was her husband’s disability, it only proved that she was perfect in every other way.
The Empress Dowager nodded. “Leaving the Palace to prepare for your marriage seems to have made you much more sensible.”
Ji Yunshu hadn’t expected to pass the Empress Dowager’s scrutiny so easily. “Aunt, you aren’t angry with me?”
Looking at her pleasantly surprised expression, the Empress Dowager smiled helplessly. “I would only be angry if you had been fooled by Madam Yao and her son last night, blindly entering a marriage with Zhao Heng, or if you had swallowed your pride and settled for peace just to save your reputation.”
“As long as you don’t blame me for acting on my own. I only dared to act so recklessly because I knew I had your support.”
The Empress Dowager liked this side of Ji Yunshu. Taking her hand, she said warmly, “It is good that you can make your own decisions when things happen. As for that boy Zhao Shen, your grandfather thought very highly of him back then, and I even personally selected him to be the Emperor’s study companion. It’s a pity…”
She paused before continuing, “Since you also think well of him, then let it be him. There is nothing wrong with being the wife of the Shizi of a Houfu, far away from the court’s affairs. The Emperor will issue an imperial edict for the marriage. No one will dare to gossip about this union in the future. Go back and live your life in peace.”
With those definitive words, the weight on Ji Yunshu’s heart finally lifted.
However, thinking about the fate of this aunt who loved her so much in the book, her heart couldn’t help but sink.
She was a cannon-fodder supporting actress, and the pillars of support behind her were naturally cannon fodder meant to serve as stepping stones for the male lead’s career.
In the book, for the sake of the plot, the Emperor was poisoned and became sickly, leading the Empress Dowager to take power. Years of natural disasters resulted in widespread suffering and political instability.
After Zhao Heng caused the deaths of his father and brother, he seized control of the northern military forces and secretly defected to Yong Wang.
Yong Wang then launched a coup under the pretext of “clearing the Emperor’s side.”
In the end, her aunt committed suicide in Ningshou Gong.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Seeing that she was no longer as happy as she was a moment ago, the Empress Dowager asked with concern.
“I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m a bit tired.” Ji Yunshu snapped back to reality and had a sudden idea. “Aunt, could you have the Emperor issue an edict for Zhao Heng and that woman to marry as well?”
Since she had crossed over, she definitely couldn’t let her loved ones suffer the same fate as in the book.
Aren’t Zhao Heng and Yao Ruolan in love?
Then let them be locked together early, so they don’t go off harming anyone else.
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly. “You are certainly generous. What kind of people are they to deserve an imperial edict for marriage? When Changning Hou requested an edict for you and the Shizi, I already issued an edict stating that that lowly servant shall never be granted a formal status in her lifetime.”
Ji Yunshu: “…”
As expected of the treatment a female lead in a “tortured romance” novel would receive.
But this thing called status can’t stop love, after all.
Ji Yunshu stayed to eat a meal with the Empress Dowager. When she left Ningshou Gong, she was still in a daze.
She thought she had changed the plot of the book, but looking at it now, marrying Zhao Shen had blocked Zhao Heng’s path to inheriting the title.
And the Empress Dowager’s sudden stroke of brilliance ensured that Yao Ruolan could not honorably marry Zhao Heng anytime soon.
The main plot of the original story hadn’t been affected at all.
In the carriage back to the residence, seeing Ji Yunshu distracted, Zhao Shen asked softly, “Did the Empress Dowager make things difficult for you?”
Ji Yunshu snapped out of her thoughts and huffed. “Didn’t you say you would stand behind me? You certainly ran off quickly.”
Zhao Shen said helplessly, “The Empress Dowager wanted to have a heart-to-heart with you; it wasn’t convenient for me to stay.”
“You certainly were relaxed, not at all worried that she might cancel our marriage in a fit of rage,” Ji Yunshu grumbled. She then remembered the Empress Dowager mentioning that Zhao Shen was the Emperor’s study companion. Since the Emperor had been there when they arrived, her heart stirred. “Did you ask the Emperor to speak up for you?”
When she entered the Palace, she thought it would take a lot of effort to convince the Empress Dowager. Looking back, it was unusually easy to pass.
A hint of surprise appeared in Zhao Shen’s eyes. “You noticed?”
“I know my Aunt’s personality. She dotes on me, so she naturally takes my marriage seriously. Unless she truly thinks well of you, she wouldn’t be so easily persuaded. The Emperor must have said a lot of good things about you. Are you on good terms with him?”
Zhao Shen said vaguely, “We can talk, I suppose.”
Ji Yunshu felt something was off, but she didn’t dwell on it.
Upon returning to Changxing Houfu, they were met at the entrance by Steward Zhang, who had been waiting for them.
Steward Zhang’s round, pale face was full of smiles as he stepped forward. “The Shizi and the Shizi’s wife have finally returned. An imperial edict just arrived from the Palace granting the marriage, and the Hou has already accepted it. All of the Shizi’s wife’s belongings have been moved to Qionghua Courtyard. If you two need anything, just give me the order.”
Zhao Shen nodded to acknowledge him and then led Ji Yunshu back to Qionghua Courtyard.
The servants had already organized everything, and Mama Li had even brought several maids to decorate the room where she would be staying.
Ji Yunshu was very satisfied with their efficiency.
After Zhao Shen left, Lürü leaned in close to Ji Yunshu to gossip. “Miss, when I went to the main kitchen to get lunch today, I heard people saying that Miss Yao tried to take her own life last night.”
“Cough, cough…” Ji Yunshu nearly choked on the tea she was drinking. “Is she dead?”
If Yao Ruolan died because her affair with Zhao Heng was exposed, Zhao Heng certainly wouldn’t think it was his own lack of discretion that killed his sweetheart. Instead, he would pin the blame entirely on her.
Wonderful. She was still the male lead’s target for revenge—the cannon-fodder supporting actress who met a miserable end in the original story.