After Becoming a Succubus, I Was Offered to My Mortal Enemy - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

In the first year of Youtian, the new Emperor ascended the throne.

In three months, it would mark the fifth year since the Ning family fell from grace. Sikong Xue had already risen to the position of Right Prime Minister.

The events of those years had long been distorted by Yuchi Jin’s treacherous pen, turning the Ning family—a lineage of loyal martyrs—into a clan of rebels.

Sikong Xue had plotted for years but had never found the evidence needed to overturn the verdict against the Ning family. Fortunately, the young Emperor she had personally helped onto the throne was extremely obedient. Although he could not officially clear the case, he granted the Ning family exemption from corvée labor, allowing them to live as ordinary citizens in peace in Lingnan.

In truth, even without their criminal status being removed, the Ning family had not suffered too much under Sikong Xue’s covert protection. However, Yuchi Jin was still alive and well, occasionally heading to Lingnan to stir up trouble.

Over these years, Sikong Xue had never been able to sleep soundly. Whenever she closed her eyes, she dreamt of the scene where Ning Yuan died in her arms.

Songyan said regretfully, “Master, Madam Ning has been removed from the criminal registry. Please do not frown so much anymore.”

Sikong Xue replied coldly, “It is not enough.”

Yuchi Jin was still alive, and the Eldest Princess was still basking in her triumph. It was because she had not done enough.

After Ning Yuan’s death, Sikong Xue stripped off her armor and entered the imperial court for the sake of revenge. How could merely wielding a sword avenge A-Yuan? She had to seize more power to be worthy of Ning Yuan.

When Sikong Xue resigned from her military post, many coveted the power in the army. Unfortunately, those people forgot that the Sikong family had more than one daughter.

The second miss of the Sikong family, Sikong Zhi, had also practiced martial arts since childhood; her courage was no less than Sikong Xue’s. She immediately took over the military power from her elder sister’s hands and lived up to the trust, winning victory after victory.

This time, Sikong Zhi had repelled the alien tribes from the west. The tribes had intended to take advantage of the transition of power in Great Liang and the lack of unity to attack. They did not expect Sikong Zhi to be even fiercer in battle than her elder sister. Beaten into a state of panic, the tribes could only bestow the title of “Princess” upon a girl to be offered as a tribute to Great Liang.

Sikong Xue closed the scroll recording the old Ning family case and rubbed her brow. This battle was a great achievement for both Great Liang and the Sikong family. A-Zhi’s victory deserved a grand celebration. However, ever since Ning Yuan was laid to rest, Sikong Xue had lost the capacity for joy.

Sikong Xue often worried whether the ever-burning lamp she had placed in A-Yuan’s tomb had gone out. A-Yuan was so afraid of the dark; if the candle flickered out and the inside became pitch black, A-Yuan would be terrified. What could be done then?

Two years ago, she obtained a luminous pearl. Sikong Xue wanted to place it in Ning Yuan’s coffin but feared that reopening the tomb would disturb her. She could only gaze at the pearl and sigh countless times:

A-Yuan, wait a little longer. Once I have dealt with the Eldest Princess’s faction, I will go to accompany you. I only hope that when that time comes, you will not find me annoying.

Four autumns and nine months had passed; Sikong Xue had long since shed the innocence of her youth. Her naturally heroic face now held a touch more majesty, and her speech and mannerisms were more composed. She would never again do the stupid things that used to make Ning Yuan angry.

She only hoped that when the time came, Ning Yuan would not say she hated her again. A-Yuan always said she hated her and liked “Sister A-Jin,” yet Yuchi Jin had treated A-Yuan like that.

“A-Xue, the tribute from the alien tribes is about to arrive in Great Liang. Aren’t you going to take a look?” Yin Chiyun walked in grandly. Seeing Sikong Xue dazing over the Ning family files again, she tucked away her smile and said:

“It’s been so many years. Have you still not let go?”

The study layout was so cold, devoid of gold or jade ornaments. Entering it felt like stepping into a mausoleum. Looking at Sikong Xue in this state, Yin Chiyun felt somewhat dejected.

She had heard that the “Succubi” of the alien tribes were exceptionally beautiful, and when their monthly “heat” occurred, they were incredibly alluring—one could play with them however they wished without consequence. Although she hadn’t seen what this tribute looked like, many ministers were already hoping the young Emperor would bestow the tribute upon them.

Yin Chiyun had thought that if the tribute was truly beautiful, perhaps Sikong Xue should take her into her manor. That way, maybe Sikong Xue’s mood wouldn’t be so wretched. But seeing the current situation, she realized a tribute wouldn’t help.

It made sense; in the past, Sikong Xue’s eyes only held that pampered miss from the Ning family. For Ning Yuan’s sake, Sikong Xue had done so much. How could she be like those men, moved by lust for some tribute?

Yin Chiyun said, “Fine, fine. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But the tribal envoys are seeking an audience, and I heard the carriage has already reached the city gates. As the Prime Minister, how can you not be present when envoys are received?”

The two had been close friends for years. Although Yin Chiyun’s family status was not as high as Sikong Xue’s, as the daughter of the Imperial Academy of Medicine’s Judge, countless ministers crossed her threshold when they were sick. Thus, Yin Chiyun’s information network was extremely fast. She had come to notify Sikong Xue before the palace summons even arrived.

In the soft palanquin, Ning Yuan struggled to lift her eyelids and prop herself up, looking around.

She actually hadn’t died?

How were her mother and grandmother?

Gazing at the strange environment and unfamiliar people, Ning Yuan felt a trace of fear amidst her confusion. Seeing her open her eyes, a maid dressed in alien attire cried out, “Princess, you are finally awake! We are about to enter the capital of Great Liang; please do not go on a hunger strike any longer.”

Princess? Hunger strike?

What was she talking about?

Ning Yuan looked at the maid warily, only to hear her sob, “Princess, I know you are unwilling to come to Great Liang for a political marriage. But if something happens to you and there is no one to marry, Great Liang’s iron cavalry will surely flatten our city. Princess, how can you bear to see the people who love you become displaced and homeless?”

The young girl’s crying gave Ning Yuan a headache. Her weak body could hardly support her sitting for long. Hadn’t she been stabbed to death by Yuchi Jin? Hadn’t the Ning family been confiscated? How did she become a princess sent for a marriage alliance?

Could it be that she had “borrowed a corpse to return a soul,” just like in the stories?

Ning Yuan raised her hand and saw that the palm, which should have been soft and white, was extremely rough, as if used to heavy labor. What kind of princess was this, living such a bitter life?

“Is there water?” Ning Yuan felt thirsty and a bit hungry. It was likely caused by the “hunger strike” the girl mentioned.

If she truly was the princess of a weak nation, being sent to Great Liang for marriage meant she wouldn’t have to do rough work anymore; that shouldn’t be a bad thing. Ning Yuan knew that the Emperor of Great Liang was a hypocrite. Even if he looked down on a tribute princess, he wouldn’t mistreat her.

Returning to Great Liang as a tribute princess was actually an excellent opportunity for revenge.

Seeing that the Princess was finally ending her hunger strike, the maid hurried to bring water and snacks, watching expectantly as she ate. The snacks were dry and hard, appearing to have been sitting out for a long time; they tasted like chewing wax. In the past, Ning Yuan was a very picky eater and had never had such snacks. But she was starving and had to eat.

Her stomach ached terribly. Only after drinking some water and eating two cakes did she feel a bit better. The maid wanted to persuade her to eat more to have strength, but Ning Yuan refused. Eating too much after starving for a long time would actually hurt the body—Sikong Xue had told her that once.

One year during a drought, many refugees came to the capital. Sikong Xue led people to distribute porridge. Ning Yuan was curious and followed along. At that time, Ning Yuan saw an old grandmother who looked pitiful and wanted to give her more porridge, but Sikong Xue stopped her. She thought Sikong Xue was being malicious as usual, but Sikong Xue said seriously for once: “You can’t eat too much at once when you’ve been hungry for too long, or it will hurt your body.”

Ning Yuan shook her head. At a time like this, why was she thinking of Sikong Xue? That Sikong Xue was her arch-rival.

Ning Yuan felt she had regained some strength. She raised her arms and looked down. Seeing the pink gauze clothing on her body—thin as a cicada’s wing—she unconsciously frowned. How could she wear such clothes? It was truly scandalous.

A golden collar hung around her neck, and the bangles on her arms felt like shackles. This attire did not resemble a noble lady, nor even a princess. What kind of country’s princess would be dressed like this?

Ning Yuan suddenly thought of something and looked at the maid in horror. She wasn’t a princess at all; she was just a tribute.

There was an alien tribe in the West whose women were known as “Meimo” (Succubi). Because they were born beautiful, they were often snatched by other tribes. Every time they were defeated, their lord would bestow the title of “Princess” on a woman and offer her to another country as a tribute.

Ning Yuan didn’t know much about alien tribes; records of the Meimo were only found in forbidden books. Those books were off-limits to noble young ladies and could only be accessed by the daughters of the academy’s teachers.

Back at the academy, after the teacher finished the lesson and allowed a fifteen-minute break, the teacher’s daughter had mysteriously told everyone the story of the alien Meimo, describing it vividly. Ning Yuan was curious; she pretended to be reading seriously while actually tilting her head to listen. But just as it reached the exciting part, Sikong Xue suddenly leaned over, messed up her hair bun, and snatched her favorite pearl flower.

Ning Yuan chased Sikong Xue to hit her. By the time she finally got the pearl flower back and returned to the classroom, she had missed the most important part. When she returned, the other girls had finished the discussion. When Ning Yuan asked them, they all isolated her together and refused to tell her. Ning Yuan had glared at Sikong Xue hatefully.

However, thinking that Sikong Xue hadn’t heard the exciting story either made her feel a bit better. Later, when the teacher found out, the students who discussed the matter were severely punished. Because Ning Yuan and Sikong Xue were outside, they were spared from copying texts.

Back then, she thought she had dodged a punishment, but now that she had become a tribute to be offered to Great Liang and knew nothing of the tribe’s customs, how could she avoid being exposed?

Thinking of everything the Emperor of Great Liang had done to the Ning family, and how her “fiancée” Yuchi Jin had taken her life, Ning Yuan clenched her fists, thinking only of revenge. Since she was a tribute, perhaps she would have the chance to climb into the bed of someone in the imperial family and take their life while they slept soundly.

She just didn’t know what the appearance of this borrowed body was like, or if it could catch the eyes of those people.

Looking at the maid, Ning Yuan asked, “Is there a bronze mirror?”

The maid thought the Princess was finally willing to dress up and hurried to bring the mirror. Ning Yuan leaned forward, and as soon as she saw the face of the person in the mirror, she nearly fainted from shock.

This face looked exactly the same as her old one!

Entering Great Liang with this face, she feared she would be killed before even getting close to the imperial family.

What should she do? Is it too late to escape now?

Before Ning Yuan could think of a way to get away, she felt the palanquin come to a stop. The envoy babbled something in a foreign tongue, followed by someone shouting: “Open the city gates! Welcome the envoys for an audience!”

Ning Yuan’s heart turned to cold ashes. She couldn’t escape.

Support After Becoming a Succubus, I Was Offered to My Mortal Enemy