The Villainous Consort (GL) - Chapter 20

As the only Princess of Baiyue was getting married, the Emperor personally officiated the ceremony, and naturally, no official dared to be absent.

As the auspicious hour approached, the Minister of Rites, Li Guangbai, turned pale with anger. Instead of arriving on horseback in male attire as expected, Qi Yu stepped out of a soft sedan chair wearing a woman’s wedding gown. The Eldest Princess was proving to be a truly difficult woman to deal with.

Noticing the Second Prince giving him a look to stay calm, Li Guangbai suppressed his fury and joined the other officials in watching the ceremony respectfully.

Once the Eldest Princess was sent to the bridal chamber, Qi Yu met with Chu Chanyi in private. She changed into a chef’s uniform from the Building-on-Building restaurant underneath her clothes, then threw a set of casual robes over it. Fortunately, it was early spring, so the extra layer didn’t make her look overly bulky.

When she emerged into the hall, the officials wanted to go over and offer toasts, but since the Emperor hadn’t moved yet, no one dared to lead the charge.

The Emperor watched with a beaming smile. For the first time, he felt that the Consort his daughter had chosen had some merit; dressed up, she looked quite elegant and refined—passable, at least.

Sensing everyone’s eyes on him, the Emperor knew the ministers would be uncomfortable if he stayed. He wanted to linger a bit longer, but as he looked up to announce that protocol could be ignored for the day, he saw Censor Ma walking straight through the crowd.

The Emperor’s eyelid twitched. This short-sighted man spent all his time staring at the Princess; was he about to cause trouble again?

They say bad luck comes when you think of it. Just as the Emperor’s ominous feeling surfaced, Censor Ma knelt in the middle of the hall. The room fell into a dead silence.

“This subject has a memorial to present.”

The Emperor glared at him, his voice thick with threat. “What is Minister Ma doing? Today is the Princess’s wedding. If you have a memorial, save it for the morning court session tomorrow.”

Ignoring the threat, Censor Ma reached into his robes and pulled out several letters and a dark, black medallion. “This subject has an urgent report. Waiting until tomorrow will be too late. Please, Your Majesty, judge this matter fairly.”

As a speech official, his duty was to monitor the conduct of officials and princes. To him, the more he defied the Emperor’s wrath, the more it displayed his “unyielding character.” He didn’t care for the Emperor’s warnings.

The Emperor’s breath hitched. In that moment, he truly wanted to be a tyrant and have this man dragged out and executed, but he couldn’t. It was a suffocating feeling.

“Speak then. But if you are here to dampen the mood of this banquet with trivial matters of etiquette regarding the Princess, I shall not forgive you.”

Censor Ma looked up and spoke loudly, “This report has nothing to do with the Princess.”

The Emperor relaxed for a split second, then became even angrier. If it has nothing to do with the Princess, why are you causing a scene? Just to ruin the atmosphere? He was losing his battle against his “tyrant” impulses; he wanted to execute this old stubborn fool’s entire clan.

Censor Ma pointed directly at Qi Yu, who was standing there in a daze. “This subject wishes to impeach the Prince Consort, Qi Yu. This person is a descendant of the former dynasty’s imperial family. She entered the selection and deceived the Princess. This is a display of wolfish ambition! I ask Your Majesty to judge wisely!”

“A single stone stirs a thousand ripples”—the hall became so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Qi Yu’s legs shook. She nearly turned and bolted. What is going on? Impeaching the Princess is one thing, but how did it get to me? Oh right… I’m a lead villain.

Recalling the dead martial arts instructor, her heart leaped into her throat. Wait, could it be true? The book didn’t mention this!

The Emperor frowned. “Bold! Do you know what you are saying? if you speak without proof, I will have your head!”

“This subject has evidence; it is by no means an empty claim.” Censor Ma presented the secret letters with an air of one unafraid of death. Everyone’s eyes shifted in unison to Qi Yu.

After the Emperor flipped through the letters, he picked up the black medallion. He didn’t look at Qi Yu; instead, he looked at Qi’s father. “State Preceptor, Qi Yu is a descendant of the former imperial family. Are you aware of this?”

Qi’s father practically scrambled across the floor to kneel, kowtowing repeatedly. “Your Majesty, I have been wronged! Qi Yu was carried for ten months by my wife! She… she is my daughter! How could she be a descendant of the former dynasty? My wife was a virtuous woman, and I… I am just an ordinary man!”

The Emperor felt even more frustrated looking at the man’s cowardly display. “I didn’t say your wife was unfaithful. But this report says your daughter was swapped at birth. Do you know of this?”

Qi’s father trembled, losing his composure and wailing, “This subject knows nothing! She is my daughter!”

Seeing this, Censor Ma suspected the Emperor wanted to divert the topic. He interjected: “Your Majesty, the letters say the State Preceptor was unaware, but the Consort discovered her true identity at the age of ten. To hide it for ten years and then marry the Princess… this is a direct subversion of the Imperial Family!”

“Shut up! Consort… Qi Yu, come here. I ask you: is what Censor Ma says true?”

The Emperor frowned. This was a mess. His daughter’s beloved was a former royal? While the current dynasty was lenient toward the former royals and had granted them amnesty, hiding one’s identity to marry the Princess was absolutely forbidden. It was a crime.

Panic flashed in Qi Yu’s eyes as she frantically recalled the novel’s content. Her “true identity” wasn’t mentioned, but “colluding with rebels” was. She forced herself to stay calm. She was so close to escaping; she couldn’t let it all fall apart now.

She met the Emperor’s eyes, then walked over to kneel beside her father. “This child has never even heard of what Censor Ma is speaking of.”

She noticed the shift immediately. A moment ago he called her “Consort”; now he used her full name. Emperors were suspicious by nature.

Qi Yu lowered her gaze. For the first time, she liked the title of “Prince Consort” and wanted to cement it. Since she and the Princess had already bowed to the heavens, it was time to address herself as “This child” (兒臣).

The Emperor stared at the back of their heads. They certainly knelt in a tidy row. She still dares to call herself ‘This child.’ He looked at the evidence in his hand, his gaze wavering.

Even though it was spring, the officials felt a chill.

“Imperial Father, this child believes the evidence is not entirely reliable. After all, anything can be forged. Why not let the Consort and Censor Ma confront each other directly?”

Han Shui had wheeled the Eldest Princess into the hall at some point. As the Princess’s personal guard, Han Shui had gone to her the moment things went south. This was the Princess’s Estate; no one was allowed to run wild here.

“Imperial Sister is mistaken,” the Second Prince chimed in, having watched from the sidelines for long enough. Seeing the Princess try to dismiss the evidence as forgeries, he couldn’t stay silent. He looked at the contemplative Emperor and stepped forward. “If there weren’t ironclad proof, would Censor Ma risk his life? You cannot let your emotions blind you to the facts.”

The Princess met his eyes coldly. “I was unaware that my Imperial Brother had already examined the evidence. How else could you be so certain it is ‘ironclad’?”

The Second Prince’s lip twitched. He feigned a pained expression. “I am only worried that my sister is being deceived. Alas, if Sister wants to be happy, so be it.”

“Enough! We shall do as my daughter says. Censor Ma, you shall confront Qi Yu.” The Emperor slapped the table. He hated seeing his children at odds, and this wedding was already turning into a disaster.

The Second Prince’s eyes darkened. The Princess gets to be ‘Daughter’ (皇兒), while I am always just ‘Second’ (老二). This time, he would show the Emperor just how treasonous his favorite’s choice was.

Censor Ma stood up and smoothed his robes. As a speech official, he was never afraid of a confrontation, especially against a young, weak woman.

Qi Yu instinctively looked at the Princess. Seeing her give a slight nod, she felt a sudden surge of confidence. We are the two biggest villains in the book; we haven’t even faced the Protagonists yet. We can’t crash and burn against a minor character like this.

She mimicked the Censor, smoothing her own clothes and standing up to face him.

Han Shui clenched her fists. If the Emperor weren’t watching, she’d be cheering for the Consort.

“Then this old man shall be blunt,” Censor Ma growled.

“Please, Elder,” Qi Yu replied politely with a bow, though she was struggling to keep her legs from shaking. Don’t lose your composure. Stay steady.

Elder? Censor Ma’s beard twitched. This cunning woman… starting with psychological warfare? He snorted. “This old official has served the court for thirty years; I am no match for the ‘young and promising’ Consort.”

Qi Yu looked at the fuming Censor. He was clearly mocking the “useless” original host. She had only called him “Elder” out of politeness, but this old man was petty. He was in his sixties—did he really expect people to pretend he wasn’t old?

She sighed, not wanting to argue over trifles. “Please ask your questions, Censor Ma.”

Ma’s expression didn’t improve. He didn’t hide his disgust. “Hmph! I have three questions. First, does the Consort know her true identity? Second, do you recognize this medallion as the badge of the former Crown Prince’s Manor? Third, the report says the descendant of the former royals has a birthmark on their lower back shaped like a tortoise. Do you admit it?”

Qi Yu was stunned. That’s it? She gathered her thoughts. “First, I know no identity other than being the daughter of the State Preceptor. Second, I have never seen that medallion. Third, since the birthmark is on my back, I naturally cannot see it.”

A tortoise-shaped birthmark? Could you be any more ridiculous? She had been in this body for two months and genuinely didn’t know if there was a mark back there.

Censor Ma seemed to have predicted her denial. “Then, how do you explain the maid from the Preceptor’s Estate who testified to seeing the mark? And how do you explain the secret letter left by your former instructor before he died? Does the Consort still deny being the descendant of the former Crown Prince?”

Seeing her hesitate, triumph flashed across Ma’s face. “Is the Consort speechless? Explain these two testimonies from your own household!”

Qi Yu was stunned again. This old man has no sportsmanship! We agreed on three questions! How many has he asked now? Do ancients not care about honesty?

“Censor Ma, is your memory failing? I have already answered your three questions.”