The Vicious Woman and the White Moonlight are both me - Chapter 27

The sound of silk and bamboo instruments filled the hall while everyone present fell into silence.

Now that His Majesty had spoken in person, the Crown Princess Consort seemed to have no room to refuse. To refuse would only make her look guilty, as if she was protesting too much.

She could only rise and bow, saying, “Yes!”

Thus, the group left the great hall together and headed toward the Imperial Garden.

The Eighth Princess and the young Consort Chen walked in front, chatting and laughing along the way.

Song Zhaoyan and the Crown Princess walked a little behind them. Compared to the liveliness of the Eighth Princess’s group, Song Zhaoyan and the Crown Princess were much quieter.

Song Zhaoyan was still pondering why His Majesty had spoken up and ordered the Crown Princess Consort to go perform the moon worship. Given the rumors circulating in the palace, had His Majesty truly not grown suspicious?

After thinking it over, Song Zhaoyan reached no clear conclusion. But she was certain that this moon worship would be a trap and that in the end, the accusation would surely point to her, Song Zhaoyan. Even so, she was not foolish enough to face it head-on and let the blame be pinned on herself without resistance.

If she could avoid it, she would.

She dared not stay too close to the Crown Princess, could not walk side by side with her, and could not even walk behind her. Otherwise, if something happened later, who would be able to explain it clearly? Especially when there were still “witnesses” present!

After all, Princess Zhaohua’s reputation was already poor, and with rumors flying everywhere now. If anything truly happened to the Crown Princess, the blame would inevitably fall on Song Zhaoyan.

So, Song Zhaoyan lifted her head and glanced at Pei Yayun and Consort Chen walking ahead.

This corridor was indeed not wide—if anything, it felt rather cramped. Yet Pei Yayun and Consort Chen had deliberately chosen this path. Their purpose was not hard to guess.

The moonlight was bright, but beneath the corridor, it was very dimmer. The lantern carried by the palace maid leading the way barely illuminated the ground.

Only then did Song Zhaoyan carefully observe her surroundings. One side was a wall, the other a railing; beneath the railing lay a pool of water. And ahead, just past a turn, she could already see the incense altar that had been set up.

The corridor could still accommodate two people walking side by side without being too crowded, but if Song Zhaoyan wanted to pass them, she would definitely have to turn sideways.

Should she simply act more arrogantly, shove them aside, and then sneer that they were not worthy of walking in front of her? After all, that was something the original owner of this body might well have done.

No! If she caused a scene like that, Pei Yayun and the others would have an excuse to argue with Song Zhaoyan, making it even easier to shift matters onto the Crown Princess. If something went wrong, the responsibility would still end up on Song Zhaoyan.

This stretch of road was walked at a slow pace. Song Zhaoyan had already played out every possible scenario in her mind, and in the end, she recalled what the System had said: the Crown Princess was not pregnant.

Since she was not pregnant, even if Song Zhaoyan really did push her, it would instead expose her lie.

In her mind, Song Zhaoyan had already begun envisioning the moment she would be framed—what kinds of predicaments might arise, and what words she should use to defend herself.

However, even if she could clear herself, Song Zhaoyan did not want to wade into such murky waters. Even if the immediate danger could be resolved, there would surely be more open attacks and hidden schemes to follow.

Thinking about this, Song Zhaoyan became even more vigilant. At this moment, they were just about to leave the stretch by the railing and the pool and step onto the flat path below the stairs.

For the sake of safety, Song Zhaoyan decided to overtake them there.

She walked this section of the path with her nerves stretched tight, afraid that something might happen to the Crown Princess, giving those walking ahead an excuse to make trouble.

Once past the railing and the pool, Song Zhaoyan immediately quickened her pace, widening the distance between herself and the Crown Princess, and swiftly passed the Eighth Princess and Consort Chen.

Pei Yayun, who had been tilting her head to chat with Consort Chen, had been keeping Song Zhaoyan in her peripheral vision the whole time. Seeing Song Zhaoyan drawing closer and closer, the Eighth Princess immediately gave Consort Chen’s arm a light push. Consort Chen received the signal and understood at once. The next moment, she shifted her steps, suddenly turned around, and headed straight toward Song Zhaoyan.

Even though Song Zhaoyan had been on guard all along, she was still startled by Consort Chen’s sudden move.

Consort Chen did not give Song Zhaoyan any extra time to react. After crashing into Song Zhaoyan, she seemed to lose her balance entirely and immediately let out a sharp scream.

“Ah—”

Song Zhaoyan only felt the other party shove hard with both hands, forcing her center of gravity off balance so that she could only stagger backward.

Consort Chen’s actions were far too deliberate. Song Zhaoyan could not help but blame herself—her move to overtake them earlier had been too hasty.

Her mind raced. Thinking of the Crown Princess not far behind her, Song Zhaoyan kept telling herself that she could not retreat any further, or she would crash straight into her.

After taking several steps back, Song Zhaoyan thought of this and struggled with all her strength to steady herself. In the next instant, an external force caught her firmly.

“Your Highness, be careful!”

Zhan Xinyue’s voice rang out by her ear. She had sensed something was wrong and had stayed on guard the whole time. Thankfully, she managed to catch Song Zhaoyan—otherwise, she would have fallen straight down the steps of the corridor.

The incident happened suddenly, but the surrounding palace servants were well trained. They quickly rushed over, immediately shielding their respective masters.

Consort Chen had thrown herself at Song Zhaoyan but failed to push her down. Seeing this, the Eighth Princess, Pei Yayun, also hurried over in seeming “alarm” to grab Consort Chen.

“Consort Chen, be careful and steady yourself—don’t fall!”

Before the words had even finished, no one knew whose force among the crowd had collided with the Crown Princess. Song Zhaoyan only heard the Crown Princess’s terrified cry come from behind her on the left. In the next moment, there was a loud “splash—” followed by the sound of a huge surge of water.

The Crown Princess had fallen into the water!

“Help—help me—!”

At the commotion, the accompanying palace maids and eunuchs panicked, all shouting at once.

Pei Yayun and Consort Chen also wore looks of “urgent concern.” The very moment she heard that the Crown Princess had fallen into the water, Pei Yayun directly pinned the blame on Song Zhaoyan.

“Elder Sister Zhaohua, have you gone mad? You actually pushed Crown Princess Sister-in-law into the lake—what are you trying to do?”

Among the four groups of palace servants accompanying them, those belonging to Pei Yayun and Consort Chen would naturally not speak up for Song Zhaoyan. As for the Crown Princess’s servants, they had failed to attend to her properly. Such negligence, once investigated, would mean certain death.

But if there were a clear culprit for this incident, and they desperately shifted all responsibility onto that person, they might still be able to beg for a slim chance at survival.

And with that person’s already terrible reputation, no one would doubt it.

Song Zhaoyan did not spare Pei Yayun even a glance. Without hesitation, she shoved aside the palace servants, lifted her skirt, and was about to climb over the railing and jump into the water to save her.

In the next instant, however, she was stopped again by a powerful grip. The voice that spoke was decisive, leaving no room for refusal.

“Your Highness, calm yourself. Let me go. Xuezhi, take care of Her Highness!”

Once again, it was Zhan Xinyue.

After speaking, she leapt into the water with a nimble motion, sweeping her arms as she swam swiftly toward the Crown Princess.

Xuezhi wrapped both arms tightly around Song Zhaoyan, afraid that Song Zhaoyan would jump in after her.

The moment Song Zhaoyan saw Zhan Xinyue reach the Crown Princess, she finally let out a breath of relief. Only then did she turn her furious gaze toward Pei Yayun.

Without a single extra word, she stepped forward and slapped her.

“Pa—”

The sharp sound left Pei Yayun stunned on the spot. Consort Chen, seeing this, stared at Song Zhaoyan with horror in her eyes.

Though she knew Song Zhaoyan had always been domineering, she had not expected her to be this direct—to strike someone in front of so many servants.

“I never knew that the Eighth Princess could be so vicious. Seeing the Crown Princess fall into the water, you didn’t call for help—yet the moment you opened your mouth, you pinned the crime on me. Could it be that you’re feeling guilty, like a thief caught red-handed, so you immediately tried to frame me?”

Pei Yayun knew that her earlier words would not intimidate Song Zhaoyan, so she was mentally prepared.

Based on her understanding of Song Zhaoyan, when suddenly accused of such a crime, she would make a huge scene and lash out in an utterly shrewish manner.

Song Zhaoyan did strike her—but not in the way she had imagined. After that single slap, she immediately shot back, turning the accusation around and pinning the blame squarely onto Pei Yayun instead.

Pei Yayun immediately widened her eyes at Song Zhaoyan and spoke with slightly wavering confidence. “What nonsense are you talking about? It was clearly you who pushed the Crown Princess. Consort Chen and I—and all the palace servants present—saw it with our own eyes. You still want to deny it!”

Though she had been a little guilty at first, the moment she mentioned the palace servants present, Pei Yayun instantly regained her confidence. The situation on the scene was in her favor—what was there to be afraid of?

“Oh?” Song Zhaoyan let out a cold laugh and raised her brow, her gaze sweeping over Beauty Chen. “All of you saw it? If that’s the case, then let’s go together and sort it out before His Majesty and the Empress.”

As they were speaking, Zhan Xinyue had already rescued the Crown Princess and brought her ashore.

It was already autumn, and the nights were naturally chilly. Their clothes were not thick to begin with—much less after falling into the water.

The Crown Princess was delicate and noble by nature, and with a “pregnancy” to boot. Though she had been pulled out of the water, she still could not stop herself from shivering.

The palace maids removed their outer garments and hastily wrapped them around the Crown Princess. The senior attendant by her side, Dingxiang, was anxious as well, yet remained orderly as she gave instructions. “The Crown Princess has fallen into the water—hurry and summon the imperial physicians. And you, quickly go inform His Majesty, the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince!”

Compared to the Crown Princess, Zhan Xinyue—who had trained in martial arts for years—was in far better physical condition. Though she had also fallen into the water and expended effort to save someone, she was not seriously affected. Still, her clothes were completely soaked, which was hardly presentable.

Without hesitation, Song Zhaoyan removed one of her outer garments and tossed it to Zhan Xinyue. Zhan Xinyue looked momentarily confused as she caught it. Song Zhaoyan snorted coldly, her tone still as imperious as ever. “Hurry up and put it on. Do you want to embarrass me?”

After saying that, Song Zhaoyan looked again at Pei Yayun and Consort Chen. “The Crown Princess has left, but this matter is far from over. There’ll be no moon worship tonight. Let’s go together and have it judged before my imperial father.”

Though Consort Chen was young, in terms of status, she was still considered their concubine stepmother. After Pei Yayun failed to gain the upper hand against Song Zhaoyan, Consort Chen once again caught Pei Yayun’s glance.

Recalling the look Song Zhaoyan had given her earlier, Consort Chen still felt a lingering chill of fear.

She did not dare speak lightly. Getting slapped would be the least of her worries—if she failed to have Song Zhaoyan held accountable and His Majesty learned of it, she herself would be questioned. And she was nothing more than an insignificant consort …

Yet by choosing to come along with Pei Yayun to worship the moon and pray, she had already tied herself to the Consort’s faction.

Thinking of this, Consort Chen gathered her courage and spoke. “Princess Zhaohua, there’s no need to quibble any further. You should admit your guilt sooner rather than later. His Majesty is benevolent and may show leniency. But if you persist in stubbornly refusing, even if His Majesty dotes on you, I fear he will not be able to protect you this time!”

“Utterly ridiculous!” Song Zhaoyan snapped. “If Consort Chen insists on colluding with Pei Yayun, then beware—those who commit too many wrongs are bound to meet retribution. There’s no point in saying more. Let’s go before my imperial father and sort it out.”

With that, Song Zhaoyan gave a cold snort, flicked her sleeve, and turned to leave. But in the very next moment, Consort Chen shouted, “Guards! Detain Zhan Xinyue, the true culprit. Don’t let her run off. When we reach His Majesty, I will expose every one of her crimes!”

Hearing this, Song Zhaoyan frowned and turned back to look at Consort Chen. Zhan Xinyue did the same, but in the next instant, she shifted her gaze to Song Zhaoyan.

Though she was the daughter of a military family and had some backing—especially with Great Qi facing constant external threats, where even if she made a mistake, His Majesty might turn a blind eye—to her mistakes.

But if she truly became implicated in harming the Crown Princess and the imperial heir, she would likely not be spared. Worse still, it could even drag her entire family down with her.

And as Zhan Xinyue, Song Zhaoyan’s study companion, she could only place her slim hope on her mistress. Though she knew it was a faint hope—this Princess Zhaohua likely saw her as insignificant as an ant and would not deign to help—at this moment, Song Zhaoyan was still her only chance.

Song Zhaoyan did not notice Zhan Xinyue’s gaze. Her eyes were locked fiercely on Consort Chen, but in an instant, she understood Consort Chen’s intention.

Consort Chen indeed wanted to collude with Pei Yayun to frame Song Zhaoyan, but she was also clearly apprehensive, afraid of pushing Song Zhaoyan too far and suffering her wrath.

So now, she tried to pin the blame on Song Zhaoyan’s study companion—on Zhan Xinyue.

If Song Zhaoyan were later held accountable, neither she nor her companion could escape.

If His Majesty still favored her and Song Zhaoyan survived the crisis, claiming that Zhan Xinyue was the true culprit would at least leave Consort Chen a fallback plan.

Consort Chen had played her cards right.

Song Zhaoyan did not consider herself some great hero, but truly watching an innocent person get dragged into trouble because of her—she could not stand by and do nothing. Otherwise, she would never have secretly helped Pei Shen before.

And now, seeing Zhan Xinyue, who had helped her, being unfairly implicated—though Zhan Xinyue’s aid might normally be merely a reflection of her role as a study companion, and even if she helped Song Zhaoyan, it would be a shared honor rather than personal merit—Song Zhaoyan could not let this injustice go unnoticed.

So, she raised her hand, blocking anyone trying to approach Zhan Xinyue, her eyes sharp and commanding as she declared, “Let’s see who dares!”