The Villainous Consort (GL) - Chapter 13

Han Shui, kneeling on the floor, secretly rolled her eyes. That old fox must have calculated that the Princess would strike, so he prepared his retreat in advance. How cunning.

Seeing the Emperor momentarily speechless, a flash of joy crossed the Second Prince’s eyes. Indeed, the older the ginger, the spicier it gets; he hadn’t misjudged Minister Fang. To think he had such a hidden card to play.

The other ministers in the hall shared the same thought.

The Eldest Princess’s expression turned sorrowful. She signaled for Han Shui to help her up and knelt once more. “Since my face was disfigured, I have stayed within the Princess’s Estate, rarely venturing out. Yet, I was still ambushed by assassins and had my leg broken. Now that I have chosen a Consort, she is insulted in such a manner.”

“For all these years, I have aimed only to be a leisurely princess, never making enemies. If it were only an insult to myself, I would never trouble Imperial Father. But now, they insult my Consort—they insult the dignity of the Imperial Family. Since Minister Fang has already ‘severely’ punished Fang Hai, then I ask Imperial Father to punish Minister Fang for his failure in discipline and lack of moral conduct. Otherwise, I would rather kneel until I die in this hall than accept today’s humiliation.”

Minister Fang looked up at the Princess. She’s willing to burn both jade and stone (mutual destruction) just for that useless trash of a Consort?

The Emperor was deeply moved. The Eldest Princess was born the year he ascended the throne, and the former State Preceptor, Qi Xiaosong, had bestowed upon her the name Zhou Shile, meaning “Peace and Joy of the Ten Directions.”

In her younger years, the Princess was exceptionally brilliant, assisting him with state affairs without a single error. That was until a few years ago when a blade ruined her face; since then, her spirit had withered, and she had hidden herself away.

Now, having been ambushed and crippled by villains, his most beloved daughter was suffering such grand insults. As the sovereign of a nation and as a father, how could he let her swallow this grievance?

The Emperor looked at the Second Prince, then at Minister Fang, and finally at the Eldest Princess. He spoke solemnly, “Imperial Daughter, how do you believe this should be handled?”

The Princess replied expressionlessly, “I believe Minister Fang should be demoted to a mere Yuanwailang (Assistant Secretary). Only then can we warn those who disrespect the Princess’s Estate and hold the Imperial Family’s dignity in contempt.”

“Imperial Father, you absolutely must not!” the Second Prince interjected immediately. In the Kingdom of Baiyue, only officials of the fifth rank and above were permitted to attend court. If Minister Fang were demoted from the third-rank Minister of Rites to a sixth-rank Assistant Secretary, he would effectively lose his right to participate in government affairs.

Of the Six Ministries, only Rites and Works were currently loyal to the Second Prince. The other four were either staunch Royalists or fence-sitters. He could not afford to lose this key general.

The Emperor remained silent for a moment. Such a punishment was indeed severe. He looked at the calm Princess kneeling before him, then at the panicked Second Prince. With a heavy sigh of complicated emotions, he spoke: “The Eldest Princess’s words have merit. Prepare the decree. Court is adjourned.”

It was granted? The Ministry of Rites is about to have a total upheaval?

Only after the officials had dispersed did the Princess sit back in her wheelchair with Han Shui’s help.

The Second Prince, who had lingered in the hall, walked over. “Imperial Sister, it must have been hard for you to endure for so long. Unfortunately, showing your claws now is too late. Do you really think the officials and the people of this world would accept a physically ‘defective’ person as their ruler?”

The Princess looked at her resentful brother in silence. she had never intended to reach this point, nor had she ever wanted to fight for the throne. But choosing not to fight did not mean she would accept being trampled upon.

Seeing her staring without a word, the Second Prince questioned her again: “Do you think you’ve won? You are merely relying on Imperial Father’s favor and abusing his trust. It might work once, but twice? Three times? How long do you think he will tolerate your ‘mischief’?”

The Princess let out a light laugh. “Mischief? Even if it is, things have come to this. Imperial Brother, you should wait for the second and third times. Han Shui, let’s go.”

She wasn’t a fool; she knew exactly what she was doing. Only a fool would repeatedly provoke the Emperor’s annoyance. For this kind of move, once was enough, wasn’t it?

“Make way, Second Prince. You’re blocking our Princess’s path.” Han Shui turned the wheelchair with an impatient look. She even intentionally bumped into the Second Prince as she passed, letting out a sharp “hmph” before leaving.

“You—!” The Second Prince flicked his sleeves, watching their retreating backs with darkening eyes.

The news of Minister Fang’s demotion spread like wildfire.

From now on, everyone would have to weigh their actions. The Emperor was still on the throne and doted on the Eldest Princess; furthermore, the Princess had proven herself to be fiercely protective—specifically of her Consort. This meant the Consort was not to be trifled with.

Ministers went home to warn their children: Be careful around that girl from the Preceptor’s Estate. Simultaneously, they realized the layout of the court was changing. The Princess’s next move confirmed their suspicions.

Upon returning to the Estate, the Princess issued an order: “Recruit famous doctors from across the world. I wish to be treated.”

Han Shui was confused. “Princess, acting with such fanfare… won’t it trigger the Emperor’s suspicion?”

The Princess stood up from her wheelchair and removed her veil. She touched the old scar that was now almost invisible. “I want Imperial Father to be suspicious. I want everyone to know that there has never been only one choice for this throne. My Princess’s Estate is not a fish on a chopping block.”

She was never one for submissive endurance. Previously, she didn’t compete to avoid internal strife, but now, innocent people were being dragged into the line of fire. She could no longer tolerate it.

She had thought she could stay out of the fray, but it seemed she would eventually become a ghost under her brother’s blade. If the future ruler was to be heartless, she could be ruthless.

Han Shui’s eyes lit up. “I will arrange it immediately. I will find the doctor who can truly ‘cure’ you.”

Meanwhile, at the suburban villa, Chu Chanyi rushed to find Qi Yu. “Have you heard? Fang Hai’s father was demoted! The Eldest Princess is incredible! I really… I really regret not performing better during the selection!”

She wailed inwardly. When can I find a princess who is this protective and powerful?

Qi Yu looked at her friend’s envious face with a complicated expression. If she didn’t already know her and the Princess’s tragic endings, she might have been happy too. Is the villain starting her plot arc?

But the book said the Princess never beat the Second Prince. Qi Yu composed herself. “If you really want to show off, there’s still a chance. The wedding hasn’t happened yet.”

Chu Chanyi likely thought the Princess was just defending her, but Qi Yu understood that her quarrel with Fang Hai was merely a catalyst—an opportunity for the Princess to topple Minister Fang, a known supporter of the Second Prince.

“Qi Yu, how can you be like this? Aren’t you moved? Don’t let the Princess hear you say that, or she’ll be heartbroken, and my life will be forfeit!”

Chu Chanyi wanted to knock some sense into Qi Yu. Such a good Princess, and instead of treating her well, you’re telling me to try harder? Poor Princess, falling for someone who doesn’t love her back.

Qi Yu remained silent. Moved? I don’t dare to move. Outside was crawling with the Princess’s guards. Her only chance was the wedding day; otherwise, escape would be impossible.

“I’m so moved. I’ll work hard to repay her. But how are the things I asked you to prepare?”

Chu Chanyi’s expression became awkward. Fine, this sister is still obsessed with leaving. She let out a helpless sigh. “I’ve checked everything. The Princess’s Estate has hired a group of kitchen helpers from Loushang Lou. I’ve already commissioned identical clothes. I’ll bring them to you then.”

She looked at Qi Yu, feeling that her friend was being somewhat ungrateful.

Qi Yu felt a massive wave of relief. As long as she could vanish from the Princess’s Estate on her wedding day, she could avoid being tied to the “Second Villain.” She would escape her fate as the “First Villain,” change her look, and live a life of leisure. That would be a life worth living.

As for whether the Kingdom of Baiyue would fall… she looked at Chu Chanyi. “I have a very, very important mission for you. Would you be willing to deliver a letter to your uncle, the Prime Minister, after my wedding?”

If she could warn the legendary Prime Minister Chu Yuan about the Second Prince’s future incompetence, could she prevent the kingdom’s downfall? The book said the current Emperor was the son of an Imperial Uncle, adopted by the previous Empress.

There were precedents for passing the throne to other branches. The Princess was a “villain” doomed to fail, and the Second Prince was a poor choice; they could simply select a wise ruler from the other royal branches.

Chu Chanyi facepalmed. She just wanted to help her friend run away; now she felt like she was being dragged into deep, treacherous waters.

Running away was fine—her parents were travelers with no strings attached—but her Uncle Chu Yuan was like a father to her. She couldn’t involve him.

Chu Chanyi jumped back two steps, her expression uncharacteristically serious. “Stop right there! I’m telling you, Uncle Chu Yuan is just as important to me as my parents. No matter what we mess around with, we cannot involve the old man.”

Qi Yu hesitated. What if this really was dangerous? But if she just left, could she bear to watch the kingdom fall and the people suffer?

After a moment of thought, she asked, “Do you think the Eldest Princess has the makings of a wise ruler? If she beats the Second Prince—I mean if—and takes the throne, would she be a good leader?”

Chu Chanyi jumped back another two steps. “You’ve got to be kidding. You don’t want to be a Consort, so you want to be an Emperor’s Husband? But the Princess… her face is scarred, and her leg is broken. I’m not saying she’s bad, but those old fossils in court would never agree to serve her.”

“Didn’t you just say the Princess is recruiting doctors to ‘cure’ her?” Qi Yu countered. The Princess wasn’t actually disfigured, and her legs were fine. This wasn’t an issue at all.

“You said it yourself: she’s trying to get cured. Whether it works is another story. Right now, the court is split between neutrals and the Second Prince’s camp. It’s a nice thought, but almost impossible to pull off.” Harder than climbing to heaven, Chu Chanyi added silently.

Although Qi Yu was daydreaming, Chu Chanyi felt it was better than her being obsessed with fleeing. At least having a dream might keep her from doing something stupid.