The Villainous Consort (GL) - Chapter 31.1

Behind a screen on the left side of the hall, an exquisite youth stood watching the banquet guests, silently committing Qi Yu’s every movement to memory. Upon closer inspection, the boy’s features bore a startling ninety-percent resemblance to Qi Yu.

After a moment, he slipped away from the front hall and changed into Qi Yu’s clothes. Their stature was nearly identical. Nearby, a maid meticulously groomed the boy’s eyebrows, softening his naturally sharp, heavy arches. With a few subtle cosmetic touches, he became a mirror image of Qi Yu.

The youth made his way out of the stronghold.

Seeing “Qi Yu” approaching, Han Feng hurried to meet him. “Young Master, you are back. We must make haste; the time to receive the Princess is upon us.”

“Qi Yu” nodded without a word and boarded the carriage.

Han Feng scratched the back of his head, feeling a vague sense of oddity. However, figuring it was simply the discomfort of meeting the Great Elder for the first time, he gave it no further thought.

The carriage rolled into the provincial capital of Pingman. Led by the “Prince Consort,” the remaining half of the Imperial Guard set out to rendezvous with the Eldest Princess.

The divine physician’s residence was located in a secluded area. Upon their arrival, they were informed that the physician was currently setting the Princess’s bones and that she would need to stay for two nights before returning.

“Qi Yu” nodded and followed the guards to see the Princess, only to find Han Shui standing guard outside the physician’s room.

“Prince Consort, the Princess is being treated inside. Please wait in your room,” Han Shui said with a wink. Her mistress’s legs were, of course, perfectly fine; this was all merely a performance.

“Qi Yu” nodded silently and turned to leave.

Watching “Qi Yu’s” retreating back, Han Shui thought to herself that the Prince Consort was truly exhausted—his constitution was so weak he couldn’t even speak. How petty.

As night fell, Han Shui finally wheeled the Eldest Princess out of the physician’s room.

Returning to their chamber, they found “Qi Yu” sitting upright at the table. The Eldest Princess spoke calmly, “Has the Prince Consort been waiting for me all this time?”

“Qi Yu” nodded, his eyes flickering as he stood and gave a slight bow.

Han Shui chimed in, “The physician’s quarters are limited. The Prince Consort shall stay with the Princess for these two nights. I will stand guard outside. The day after tomorrow, we can set off for the capital!”

Seeing “Qi Yu” standing there in a daze, the Eldest Princess curled her lips and removed her veil. “What? Is the Prince Consort unwilling? I thought you were looking forward to this.”

Han Shui took two steps back, keeping her eyes on her toes and her mind on her breathing, acting as a mere piece of background furniture. She wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on the couple’s private talk.

The moment “Qi Yu” saw the flawless, radiant face beneath the veil, his pupils constricted sharply before he regained his composure.

Han Shui pursed her lips. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen the Princess’s face before. The Prince Consort is so useless; he’s probably dazed by her beauty again.

The Eldest Princess thought the same. She looked up with a light laugh. “Did the Prince Consort gain anything today?”

“Qi Yu” nodded and fixed his gaze on the woman in the wheelchair. He took a step, then another, drawing closer. Inside his sleeve, his hand slowly tightened around a dagger.

The Eldest Princess frowned slightly. As he approached, the smile in her eyes vanished. “Why does the Prince Consort remain silent?”

“Qi Yu” stared unblinkingly at her. One step, two steps—only a single pace remained between them.

Han Shui also sensed something was amiss. She had intended to leave the “couple” to their intimacy, but her footsteps faltered. A cold chill ran down her spine; she decided to stay a moment longer.

Suddenly, the Prince Consort lunged forward, thrusting a dagger toward the Eldest Princess.

Before Han Shui could intervene, the Eldest Princess leaped from her wheelchair, narrowly dodging the strike.

“Qi Yu’s” eyes widened. Her legs were cured? No, a bone-setting couldn’t heal someone instantly. Unless… this woman’s legs were never broken to begin with.

Having missed his first strike, he lunged again. By now, Han Shui had drawn her sword to parry the blow, allowing the Princess to dodge once more.

The Eldest Princess’s mind raced. She shouted, “Han Shui, leave him alive!”

In that split second, Han Shui’s blade shifted. She moved her sword away from “Qi Yu’s” throat and pierced his left shoulder instead.

Realizing the assassination had failed, “Qi Yu” let out a wicked smirk. He threw something into the air, and while the Princess and Han Shui raised their sleeves to shield themselves, he leapt out the window. The guards in the courtyard, seeing it was the Prince Consort, did not immediately move to stop him.

“It’s an anesthetic! Princess, are you alright?” Han Shui and the Princess rushed outside, but “Qi Yu” had already vanished. The guards stood there, looking utterly bewildered.

Masking her face once more, the Eldest Princess commanded, “Keep this quiet. Follow him and see if you can catch him. Bring him back to me—dead or alive.”

Han Shui understood. If he couldn’t be taken alive, he was to be brought back as a corpse.

Half an hour later, Han Shui returned carrying a body. The Eldest Princess froze, her lips trembling, the words “Is he dead?” stuck in her throat.

A second later, the person Han Shui dumped on the floor let out a soft groan and lazily rolled over.

The Eldest Princess’s fingers stiffened. For some reason, she felt a wave of relief. At the same time, she caught a heavy scent of alcohol. She asked with some difficulty, “What happened?”

Han Shui panted as she adjusted her breathing. “I don’t know. I saw him duck into an alley from a distance, and then I found him collapsed there. In the blink of an eye, he turned into a dead-drunk sot. I just lugged him back. Princess, do you want me to take him down for interrogation?”

“The clothes are different,” the Eldest Princess said, her eyes fixed on the person on the floor.

“Eh? That was fast!” Han Shui couldn’t help but be amazed. In a heartbeat, not only did he get drunk, but he also changed his clothes? Was the Prince Consort a magician?

The Eldest Princess shook her head, though what she was denying remained unclear. “You may go. I will question him personally.”

Han Shui hesitated, glancing at the unconscious Prince Consort, but ultimately retreated under the Princess’s insistent gaze.

The door closed, leaving the two of them alone.

The Eldest Princess, wary, gave Qi Yu’s back a kick. “Prince Consort?”

The person on the floor seemed to feel the pain, rolling over to face her, but made no further move.

“Prince Consort?” The Eldest Princess aimed specifically for the left shoulder and gave it a sharp, hard kick.

The figure on the floor merely twitched a shoulder, showing no signs of waking. The room was silent, save for Qi Yu’s breathing and the mounting smell of wine.

The Eldest Princess drew a dagger from her waist, cut a strip of fabric from the bed curtain, and bound Qi Yu’s hands. Only then did she lower her guard slightly.

Recalling that familiar face and those murderous, unfamiliar eyes from earlier, she used the dagger to slice open the front of Qi Yu’s upper garment.

Her left shoulder was flawless. Not a single scratch, let alone a drop of blood.

The Eldest Princess stood up, her suspicions fully dispelled. It wasn’t this person. It wasn’t her Prince Consort. Then who was that person? Why were they wearing Qi Yu’s clothes, and why were their features identical?

To her discerning eye, it hadn’t looked like a disguise. It seemed she would have to wait for this person to wake up to get answers.

Deep in the night, in the stronghold hidden within the forest.

“Qi Yu” clutched his wounded left shoulder as he entered the Great Elder’s room, fuming with rage. “I failed.”

The Great Elder’s eyes widened. “Qi De, you’re hurt? Let us dress the wound quickly.”

“It’s just a flesh wound, no matter. We’ve been deceived.”

The Great Elder’s clouded eyes flashed. “Assassinating the Eldest Princess was the ‘sincerity’ demanded by Zhou Shili. This makes things difficult. What do you mean we were deceived?”

“There is no need to worry about the Second Prince. Even if the assassination failed, the intelligence I brought back is sincerity enough.” He let out a cold laugh. Zhou Shili and Zhou Shile—this royal brother and sister were truly piece of work.

The Great Elder approached with medicine, asking instinctively, “How so?”

“Zhou Shile’s face isn’t ruined, and her legs aren’t broken. Moreover, she is highly skilled. This trip to Pingman to ‘treat her legs’ was a total sham. Based on her performance, Qi Yu knew this but never sent us word. It seems she has long since defected to the Eldest Princess.” The youth finished, his brow furrowing as the pain from his shoulder flared.

The Great Elder’s movements became gentler as he bandaged the wound. He mused, “If that is the case, the cooperation with the Second Prince shouldn’t be an issue. Our Master had the foresight; women are always swayed by outsiders and cannot be trusted with great affairs. Do not worry, Qi De. Do you know why your sister is named Qi Yu (‘to give’) while you are named Qi De (‘to gain’)?”

“Though you are twins, you were born with different fates. She was destined to be the one who ‘gives,’ while you are the one who ‘gains.’ That is why the Master left her in that den of wolves in the capital and sent you here. Currently, very few in the stronghold know of your existence. Since Qi Yu has defected, we shall find an opportunity to reclaim your name. It is a pity we let the tiger return to the mountain today.”

Qi De raised an eyebrow. “It matters not. Her defection is her business. Keep Han Feng in the dark and maintain contact. She is but a chess piece; as long as the game isn’t over, she has value. I am in no hurry to reveal my identity. I shall pretend ignorance and see what my ‘dear sister’ does next.”

The Great Elder nodded in agreement. As long as they played dumb, Qi Yu would have nothing to say—she would likely be more anxious than they were.

Once the bandage was set, the Elder began to write a letter. He had to get this news to the capital immediately so the Master wouldn’t be kept in the dark. He also wondered how the Second Prince would react to the news.

The next morning.

Qi Yu slowly opened her eyes, blinking hard against a splitting headache—the classic aftermath of a binge. She raised a hand to rub her head, only to find that everything hurt: her head, her shoulder, her back, and even her wrists.

She felt her chest. Her clothes were gone!

Qi Yu sat up abruptly. Ouch. Everything truly hurt.

“Is the Prince Consort awake? If not, I shall have Han Shui douse you with a basin of cold water,” the Eldest Princess said leisurely, sitting at the table.

Han Shui stood nearby, clutching a basin of water like a predator waiting to pounce.

“Who took off my clothes?” Qi Yu blurted out, clutching the quilt tightly. Had this woman done something to her while she was drunk?

At least her trousers were still on, but being bare-chested was still crossing a line! And the pain… she knew about hangovers, but why did her shoulder, back, and wrists ache?

Qi Yu remembered something and bared her wrists, revealing a circle of purple bruises, as if she had been tied up all night.

She looked at the Eldest Princess in disbelief. What had this woman done to her? It hurts so much!

Could it be that the villainous Princess actually had some sadistic tendencies and had taken advantage of her drunken state to commit foul play?

Han Shui rolled her eyes at the panicked Qi Yu. “Where are the clothes you were wearing yesterday? Why did you come back in a different outfit?”

Qi Yu then recalled the previous day. Those rebels had inexplicably made her change clothes before taking turns to toast her. Fearing she would slip up, she hadn’t dared to refuse and simply drank until she passed out in the carriage. She had no idea what had happened afterward.

After hearing the explanation, the Eldest Princess narrowed her eyes in thought. “So, the remnants of the former dynasty had planned an assassination from the start, which is why they changed your clothes.”

Assassination? Qi Yu was a walking question mark.

The Eldest Princess remained silent and signaled Han Shui to explain.

Han Shui recounted the previous night’s events in detail. Qi Yu was shocked. “You’re saying someone impersonated me? Dressed in my clothes to kill the Princess, and looked exactly like me?”