The Villainous Consort (GL) - Chapter 19

Before long, news arrived from the Princess’s Estate: the martial arts instructor had confessed.

Qi Yu’s eyebrows arched. He confessed? Wasn’t this entire play self-directed by the Princess’s Estate?

The Eldest Princess nodded, signaling that the Consort was not an outsider. The guard then reported in detail: The prisoner admitted to being a remnant of the former dynasty acting under the orders of the Second Prince. He had been undercover at the State Preceptor’s Estate for years to exploit the “useless” Consort to topple the Princess’s Estate. He claimed they were all being housed within the Second Prince’s manor.

“Where is he? This Princess wishes to question him personally.” The Princess frowned. This man was talking nonsense. When he first infiltrated the Preceptor’s Estate, the Second Prince hadn’t even been born. How could he have been following his orders? Did these people take her for a fool?

“The thief had poison hidden in his mouth. He committed suicide immediately after signing his confession.” The guard handed over a sheet of testimony and quietly withdrew.

A dead soldier! And one who had been undercover for twenty years.

As the Princess read the contents, her eyes turned as cold as frost. She knew this testimony was practically useless. The words of a dead guard were unreliable, and it remained impossible to determine whether Qi Yu’s identity was truly linked to the former dynasty.

They had caught a man, but instead of clearing things up, the water had only become muddied. From the confession, it seemed these people wanted her and the Second Prince to attack each other so they could reap the benefits.

But such a blatant lie wouldn’t fool the Princess’s Estate. They wouldn’t take this to the Second Prince. So, what was the purpose of this confession? No—the “drunkard’s interest is not in the wine.”

The Princess looked at Qi Yu. This thin piece of paper superficially mentioned her and the Second Prince, but it skillfully diverted attention away from the Preceptor’s Estate and Qi Yu. The claims that the Estate was “unaware” and the Consort was just a “pawn” were the most tactical pieces of information on the page.

Qi Yu flinched under the Princess’s gaze. Why is she staring at me like that?

“Does the Consort believe this confession is credible?”

Qi Yu’s heart settled slightly. She offered a flattering smile. “The Princess is brilliant. This way, you’ve removed the threat from the Preceptor’s Estate and caught the Second Prince off guard. Truly magnificent.”

The Princess looked up, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the edge of the bed. “I want to hear the truth.”

The flattery on Qi Yu’s face stiffened. Seeing the Princess’s serious expression, she answered earnestly: “Actually, while this ‘two birds with one stone’ plan is good, the credibility is low. The instructor came to our house twenty years ago; the Second Prince likely wasn’t even born. The Emperor might not believe it.”

Could you guys put a little more effort into your perjury? Qi Yu thought. No wonder the Princess loses to the Second Prince in the original story. With such obvious loopholes, it’s a miracle she wins at all.

The Princess remained silent, understanding Qi Yu’s point. Qi Yu didn’t realize the testimony wasn’t forged by the Princess’s Estate, but was a deliberate “confession” by the instructor.

For now, since Qi Yu had asked them to remove the instructor, she likely had nothing to do with the masterminds—unless her Consort was so calculating that she deliberately cut off her own arm to clear herself of suspicion.

The Princess stared at Qi Yu for a long time before looking at Han Shui. “Return to the Estate.”

News of what happened at the Preceptor’s Estate spread quickly. The next morning, a fine, misty rain began to fall. While they say “spring rain is as precious as oil,” the Princess’s face was heavy with gravity. “Let us go to the Palace and wait. Some Censors will surely have heard of yesterday’s events; they will inevitably trouble Imperial Father.”

In the throne hall, Qi’s father, attending court for the first time in his life, looked even more miserable after hearing the Censors’ accusations.

As a father, he accepted being blamed for Qi Yu going to the Princess’s Estate. But for the Eldest Princess to chase her to the suburbs and then visit the Preceptor’s Estate personally—and have that blamed on him too—was just ridiculous.

Alas, when the girl’s father is the Emperor, logic doesn’t apply. He knelt on the floor in resignation. “This subject has failed to discipline his child. This subject is guilty; please punish me, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor looked at Qi’s father, whose face was wrinkled like a bitter melon. He felt frustrated. He hadn’t even said anything yet, and the man was already confessing, making the Emperor look like a tyrant.

“Summon the Eldest Princess.”

Ultimately, it was his own daughter who had run to someone else’s house and caused trouble. It was an unmerited disaster for the Preceptor’s Estate. However, he found this father-daughter pair increasingly irritating.

The Emperor sighed. His daughter was perfect in every way except for her taste—especially in choosing a Consort. If she had chosen a brilliant young talent, there wouldn’t be all this trouble.

The Princess, having expected the accusations, arrived quickly.

Seeing his daughter in the wheelchair, the Emperor’s irritation vanished. The child had suffered so much; if she finally found someone she liked, what was wrong with seeing them? These Censors were just idle; instead of monitoring the officials, they spent all day picking on his daughter.

“How is your health, my child? Has the physician seen you? Is it serious?”

The moment the Princess finished her salute, the Emperor showered her with concern, completely forgetting his intention to scold her. Censor Ma, who had been ranting about “impropriety,” twitched his lips but didn’t dare say another word.

What could he say? With the Emperor’s fatherly instincts in full bloom, shouting for punishment would only result in the Censor himself being punished.

The Princess smiled lightly. “This child is fine. It is the Preceptor’s Estate that was troubled by my clumsiness.”

Han Shui, standing aside, curled her lip. The Princess wasn’t clumsy; the Consort literally begged for help! Otherwise, the Princess wouldn’t have gone there to play out that “bitter trap” scene. She thought the Princess was truly deep in love with the Consort.

The Emperor’s worry faded. Remembering his role, he said sternly, “Don’t be reckless in the future. Was the thief caught? Who was so bold?”

The Princess looked toward the Second Prince, then produced the confession. “The man was caught but committed suicide by poison. However, before he died, he confessed to being stationed at the Preceptor’s Estate for years under the orders of the Second Prince’s Manor.”

The Second Prince immediately stepped forward, shouting, “Utter nonsense!”

Before he could defend himself, the Princess cut in: “Imperial Father, please be the judge. I also believe the thief was merely making wild accusations after his failed assassination. After all, when he entered the Preceptor’s Estate, my Imperial Brother was not yet born. It is clear these villains have malicious intent, seeking to incite conflict between us siblings.”

The Second Prince was stunned. His prepared rebuttal was stuck in his throat; he never expected her to steal his lines. He stared at her, unable to utter a single word. This woman is hateful!

The Emperor finished reading and nodded. “I am gratified that my daughter understands this.” He then looked at the Second Prince. “Second, you should learn from your sister. Don’t let yourself be swayed by those with hidden motives. You two must present a united front against outsiders.”

“This child follows Imperial Father’s teachings,” the Second Prince said, bowing his head. He was suffocating with rage. When was I swayed? He thought he could bite back, but the Princess had used a “retreat to advance” tactic. By not pressing the issue, she had gained a massive wave of favor from the Emperor. He hated her.

The Emperor nodded contentedly. “The Second is growing up. After your sister’s wedding, we should focus on your marriage as well.”

“This child understands.”

He understands nothing! Back at his manor, the Second Prince went on a rampage in his study, smashing every ornament in sight. The servants trembled in fear.

“Clean it up,” he ordered, adjusting his belt. His sister’s wedding was imminent, and his father had finally mentioned his own. He would have to choose his Princess Consort very carefully.

Back at her Estate, the wedding attire prepared by the Palace arrived. The Princess looked at the two sets—one for a man, one for a woman. “Thank you, Mother. Keep this set, but the other must also be made according to a woman’s style.”

The matron from the Palace looked troubled. “Princess, please forgive us. This is the order of the Ministry of Rites. This old servant doesn’t dare send it back.”

The Emperor had left the wedding arrangements to the Ministry of Rites. They held the power. Although the servants were from the Palace, they had to follow orders.

The Princess was unmoved. “Just say it is my order.”

The head matron returned to the Palace with the male attire, but two days later, it was sent back exactly as before. This time, an official from the Ministry of Rites came personally. “The Minister says this is ancestral tradition. One Yin and one Yang make a whole.”

The Princess smiled. “Which official said this?”

The official didn’t flinch. “Minister Li Guangbai.”

A third-rank (acting second-rank) Minister of Rites naturally didn’t fear a disfigured, crippled Princess who had lost her right to the throne.

The Princess said no more and accepted the clothes.

“Princess, are we just going to let this go? That Li Guangbai is definitely the Second Prince’s man. Aren’t they just bullying us?” Han Shui was fuming. She wanted to spit in the faces of those Ministry officials.

The Princess’s lips curled into a smile. “They had better keep that courage forever. Go. Send a few people to the Preceptor’s Estate to take the Consort’s measurements. Tailor a set of women’s wedding robes identical in style to mine.”

It seems some people never change, she thought. She hadn’t intended to make things difficult, but since they insisted on bullying her Estate, she wouldn’t be polite.

“Yes, Ma’am!” Han Shui left happily. No one messed with the Princess’s Estate.

Qi Yu was confused when her measurements were taken yet again. It wasn’t until the early hours of the wedding day, when she saw Han Shui kicking out the officials from the Ministry of Rites, that she realized something was wrong.

“The wedding robes prepared by the Ministry aren’t this set?”

Han Shui raised her head proudly. “Could those blind fools prepare something this beautiful? This was specially ordered by our Princess for the Consort.”

Han Shui had known the Ministry would try to interfere, so she had arrived at the Preceptor’s Estate early with her own people to wait. No one was going to ruin the Princess’s wedding.

Qi Yu touched the fabric of the robes. She didn’t know how to ride a horse, so Mama Li had forced her to learn for a few days so she wouldn’t embarrass herself. But for some reason, she preferred the Princess’s arrangement. What girl wouldn’t want to wear a beautiful wedding dress on her big day?

Even if it was just for show, shouldn’t it at least be pleasing to the eye?