The Villainous Consort (GL) - Chapter 33

The Eldest Princess lifted the carriage curtain and dismounted, with Qi Yu following close behind. When she caught sight of the man blocking their path, Qi Yu raised an eyebrow. No wonder the voice had sounded familiar; it was an old “friend,” the former son of the Minister: Fang Hai.

It seemed today’s scene wasn’t just a simple case of extortion. She wondered what the enemy’s true objective was.

Even though she had prepared herself for a challenge, Qi Yu was still startled by the ensuing spectacle. As soon as they approached Fang Hai, two dark arrows were fired from each of the corner towers.

The arrows weren’t aimed at people; instead, they thudded into the woodwork of the Princess’s carriage. The onlookers instantly dissolved into a chaotic mess, pushing and shoving one another. The guards from the Princess’s Manor immediately gave chase toward the four cardinal directions.

The Eldest Princess showed little panic. Such an assassination attempt was too crude and had a negligible chance of success. Curiously, after the crowd fell into a frenzy, they did not disperse; instead, they seemed to press inward, growing even more congested.

Suddenly, their hands met. The Eldest Princess turned her head to look at Qi Yu. She thought to herself that the Prince Consort’s boldness had grown quite significantly—daring to take her hand so openly. Despite the thought, she tightened her grip slightly. Since they were putting on a show in the public eye, she had to play her part.

Qi Yu, however, wasn’t focused on the etiquette. She noticed a group of people who clearly weren’t ordinary civilians; they were mingling with the commoners and closing in on them. Her vigilance spiked, and her hand instinctively gripped the Princess’s hand hanging by her side.

As she pulled the Princess toward the safety of the carriage, Fang Hai suddenly lunged from the ground, charging straight at her.

Qi Yu flinched and moved to dodge, while the Princess simultaneously pulled her to the side. Yet, Fang Hai stopped abruptly. A sinister smile spread across his face, and he turned and walked away, looking for all the world like a man who had successfully completed his mission.

Panic flared in Qi Yu’s chest. She turned back to the Eldest Princess and saw that her face, which had been covered by a veil, was now fully exposed to the public. The veil had been snatched away during the confusion.

Just then, the crowd suddenly dispersed, leaving the two of them standing there, hand-in-hand and stunned.

At a nearby intersection, the Second Prince stared fixedly at the Eldest Princess’s face. So much for “ruined features” and “disfigured beauty.” That clean, stunning face was truly an eyesore.

“Your Highness, the deed is done. We should not linger,” Li Chuanlian whispered. The carriage turned and quickly departed.

The Princess’s carriage resumed its journey toward the National Teacher’s Manor. Inside, the two sat in silence, as if still processing the recent chaos.

Qi Yu glanced secretly at the pensive Princess. Something felt wrong. Did Fang Hai stage that entire performance just to rip off a veil?

No, Fang Hai was the Second Prince’s man. Did the Second Prince really go to such lengths just to unmask her?

What was the point? To show the world her face was healed? That would only backfire, making the Princess’s claim to the throne even more legitimate.

Unless… it was to prove that her face had been healed for a long time and she had been deceiving everyone—specifically the Emperor.

Wait, the Emperor already knew. Just yesterday, the Princess had personally revealed… Could it be…

Qi Yu’s heart jumped as the truth dawned on her. Recalling the Princess’s behavior before the Emperor yesterday, she looked at her with a complex expression. It turned out the “Number Two Villain” had already struck first. But if the Eldest Princess was this capable, why did the book say she lost?

Compared to the forward-thinking Princess, the original host—this “Great Villain”—was surrounded by a group of “pig teammates.” Could the Princess’s ultimate failure have been caused by the original host?

Considering the rebels she had met recently, Qi Yu had to admit they provided zero help and were experts at ruining plans.

Seeing her complicated expression, the Eldest Princess knew Qi Yu had guessed the truth. “I anticipated they would try something like this, though I didn’t expect it so soon. I simply pushed the boat with the current to help them along.”

Qi Yu felt a strange sense of relief. So, the Princess wasn’t the one being schemed against; she was the one doing the scheming. However, remembering how she had impulsively grabbed the woman’s hand, Qi Yu felt a wave of embarrassment. Her good intentions were entirely unnecessary; the Princess didn’t need her help at all.

“The Princess’s foresight is brilliant. It’s good that you have a plan.” The Second Prince would likely try to make an issue of this soon, only to have it blow up in his face and draw the Emperor’s suspicion to himself. The thought was quite satisfying.

The Eldest Princess smiled at her. “I have yet to thank the Prince Consort for your protective intent. You did well just now. If such a thing happens again, remember to hold my hand tightly. Let the outsiders see how harmonious we are.”

“The Princess is too kind. As your Prince Consort, it is only my duty.”

Qi Yu’s face burned with awkwardness, followed by a prickle of annoyance. She must be teasing me. All her good intentions were wasted on her “traitorous” hand—why had it acted on its own and grabbed her? Her fingers felt hot, a sensation that spread to her ears and cheeks.

The Eldest Princess saw this clearly. Her own fingers twitched with a strange restlessness, as if she wanted to feel that hand-holding sensation again. Startled by her own thoughts, she abruptly turned to look out the window, her face turning cold.

I’ve become muddled, she thought. I’ve been acting for so long that I’ve almost forgotten where the play ends. But seeing Qi Yu’s bright red ears, her expression softened again. If the acting felt this real, perhaps it wasn’t so bad.

They both tended to their own private thoughts until the carriage reached the National Teacher’s Manor.

Since the National Teacher was away, Nanny Li led the staff to welcome them. Seeing that the Princess had not only regained the use of her legs but was also without her veil, Nanny Li looked at the peerless beauty of the Princess and then at her own young miss. Her eyes grew moist with tears. Miss has truly struck gold!

Qi Yu looked at the servants, feeling a faint sensation of being watched. she stepped forward to help Nanny Li up. “Nanny Li, rise quickly. It has been many days; let us go inside to talk.”

The Eldest Princess followed suit, taking Nanny Li’s other arm. “Nanny Li needn’t kneel anymore. In the future, treat me as you treat the Prince Consort.”

Qi Yu knew the villain was “acting” again, but since it suited her purposes, she nodded. “Indeed. Dispense with these empty formalities.”

Nanny Li, overwhelmed by the honor of being supported by both of them, followed them into the room. Her heart was full of comfort. The Miss has grown up, and the Princess is a good person. The Madam can rest in peace now.

Once inside, the three sat at the table. Nanny Li was still a bit uneasy sitting with the Princess, but under Qi Yu’s encouraging gaze, she calmed down.

Qi Yu and the Princess exchanged a look. Though this was a private matter of the manor, it was tied to the assassination attempt, so it was all one business.

“Nanny Li, when my mother gave birth to me, were you there?”

“This old servant was there. Why do you ask, Miss?” Nanny Li noticed Qi Yu’s expression turn serious, and even the Princess looked inquisitive. Had this touched upon something critical?

Qi Yu nodded. “Good. Then do you know if my mother gave birth to any other children besides me?”

Since the two were so identical, the first suspicion was twins or a very close blood relation.

Nanny Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What nonsense are you talking, Miss? There was only you in the National Teacher’s Manor. The Madam was fated for a short life; she passed after giving birth to you…” Remembering the scene, Nanny Li’s eyes grew watery.

She had been the Madam’s personal maid and most trusted confidante. When she entered the room that day, the Madam had looked at her and managed only one sentence: “Protect the child,” before passing away. Nanny Li had remained unmarried her whole life just to devote herself to raising Qi Yu.

Qi Yu frowned. No useful information there.

The Eldest Princess looked at Nanny Li. “Were you outside the room the entire time?” Based on her intel, Qi Yu’s father had no siblings or relatives, yet the “Fake Prince Consort” who tried to kill her looked exactly like Qi Yu. Intuition told her they were blood-related, likely twins. This was the only breakthrough point.

Nanny Li thought for a moment. “I was originally inside, but then the Master called me out. I can’t recall specifically why, but I remember the midwife. She shouldn’t have left the room.”

The Princess’s eyes lit up. “Please, Nanny Li, give us as much detail about that midwife as possible.” It had been twenty years; finding a person would be difficult, especially if they were hiding on purpose.

After recording the information, Qi Yu and the Princess returned to the manor. They couldn’t search openly; it was safer to have Han Shui investigate in secret to avoid alerting the enemy.

Nanny Li sat alone in her room, the tea on the table turning cold as she lost herself in memory.

Back then, the National Teacher had said there weren’t enough midwives and told her to go find another. At twenty years old, hearing the cries from the room, she had lost her composure and rushed out to follow orders.

Thinking back, although the manor was in decline then, there were plenty of servants. Why would he send her, the lady’s personal maid, away? By the time she returned, the child was born. The midwife said it was a hemorrhage and the Madam couldn’t be saved.

Hearing those words, Nanny Li had rushed in recklessly, only to hear: “Protect the child.”

Suddenly, she stood up and hurried to the bronze mirror. She opened her mouth and, following her suspicion, repeated the Madam’s final words, emphasizing the final, silent mouth movement: “Protect the children.”

Children. Plural. So it was “children.” No wonder the Madam had shown more than usual back then. But why had the doctors never mentioned it?

Nanny Li fell back into her chair, stunned. At the same time, a question she had long ignored surfaced: Why had the Madam said to “protect” them? Was someone trying to harm them?