The Villainous Consort (GL) - Chapter 34

Back at the Princess’s Manor, the Eldest Princess ordered an investigation into the midwife from twenty years ago. Han Shui received her orders and headed out immediately.

Qi Yu glanced at the Princess, who was lost in thought again, and then at Han Shui’s departing back. She hurried to catch up with her.

The two walked one after the other, leaving the study and crossing the rear courtyard. When they reached the central courtyard of the front manor, Han Shui—who had been paying attention to the footsteps behind her—came to a halt.

“Where is the Prince Consort going? Do you need me to lead the way?” she asked. This was blatant tailing; she wondered what the Prince Consort was plotting by following her so sneakily.

Qi Yu felt a rare sense of embarrassment. Asking for money was an awkward business, but it was, after all, a pre-negotiated reward. She had spent a month running back and forth to Pingman Province and even ventured into the tiger’s den. Thinking of it that way made the words easier to say.

“The Princess told me to find you and go to the accounts for three thousand taels. It’s the reward we agreed upon for the trip to Pingman.”

Han Shui naturally remembered, but she still rolled her eyes. “The Prince Consort is a master of this manor. If you want to draw silver, you can go to the accounts yourself. Why must you keep things so separate?”

“No, even between brothers, accounts should be clear. It’s better if you go.” Nonsense, Qi Yu thought, of course I have to keep it separate. She didn’t want to owe the Princess anything—especially silver—as it was vital for her happy life after she eventually made her getaway.

Han Shui nodded. “Then follow me. To think I have to make a trip for a mere three thousand taels… sigh.” What a waste of my time.

Qi Yu looked at Han Shui’s clearly disdainful expression and thought to herself: This annoying girl doesn’t know the hardships of the common folk. To say “mere” three thousand taels! Ordinary families couldn’t earn that much in several lifetimes.a

That evening, the scouts returned with news: the midwife from all those years ago had actually moved her entire family out of the capital. It was said they returned to their hometown in Xiangnan Prefecture. This made finding her incredibly difficult.

Returning to one’s hometown could very well be a cover story. If she truly was involved with the former dynasty, the possibility of her being silenced was high.

The Eldest Princess swept a glance over the silent Qi Yu. The clue had snapped here, but it also proved they were on the right track. By deduction, there was definitely a hidden truth regarding Madam Qi’s labor.

“The Prince Consort has always been good at ‘divination.’ Why don’t you see this time if that thief is related to you by blood?”

As she spoke, the Princess felt a strange tightness in her chest. From the very beginning, this person had known about her disguise, and then there was the matter of the Second Princess of Xidao—every event was suspicious, yet Qi Yu managed to fool her every single time.

She raised her head, her spring-water-clear eyes fixed on Qi Yu. The person was right under her nose and couldn’t run away. There was no rush; one day, she would tie this person up and settle the score properly.

Qi Yu felt a tightness in her own chest. Why bring that up again? Divination? Do you take me for a fortune teller?

She instinctively looked up and met an intense gaze. A proper villain should be loathsome, yet those beautiful eyes were entirely “out of character.”

Qi Yu snapped out of it after a moment. “Our best bet might be to ask my father. However, if he truly knows the truth, he’ll likely just keep hiding it. If he doesn’t know, asking is pointless. It’s better not to alert the enemy for now.”

The Eldest Princess raised an eyebrow. Her Prince Consort was certainly not partial; she didn’t hesitate to suspect her own father. For some reason, that faint sense of incongruity rose in her heart again.

She bit the tip of her tongue and asked casually, “Does the Prince Consort think the National Teacher might be in the know?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it. Her fingertips lightly brushed her sleeve as she felt a surge of annoyance. How could I voice my suspicion so directly? Especially when it involved the other person’s father—and when the person in front of her wasn’t necessarily innocent either. She had been too reckless.

Qi Yu, however, didn’t mind. Firstly, she wasn’t the original host and felt little affection for Father Qi. Secondly, after all this time, she could tell Father Qi didn’t care much for his daughter anyway.

But since she occupied his daughter’s body, it was better to put on a show of defending him when he was questioned to her face. She replied, “Father is an upright man. He would never have dealings with the former dynasty. I imagine he has been kept in the dark all along.”

The Eldest Princess nodded, her expression somewhat listless. Although she had expected such an answer, she felt unsatisfied. The person before her seemed so transparent, yet also seemed to harbor many secrets.

Whatever the case, she hoped there could be more sincerity between them. Perhaps it was a woman’s intuition, but she felt that Qi Yu’s answer wasn’t entirely from the heart.

The Princess suddenly frowned. Something is wrong with me. Why do I care about sincerity with this person? She looked at Qi Yu again. Is it because we’re collaborators?

Yes, that’s it. Trust is necessary for a reliable partnership. It couldn’t be anything else.

“Send a team to Xiangnan Prefecture to continue tracking the midwife. I am tired; let us end it here today.” The Princess rubbed her brow, her heart feeling strangely restless.

“A message came from the palace this afternoon. Starting tomorrow, the Princess will formally attend court to discuss state affairs. Shall I still accompany you?” Han Shui asked, bowing her head. Her mistress looked troubled, but they hadn’t discussed anything major.

Could it be because they couldn’t find the midwife? That didn’t seem right. The Princess had seen much greater storms without flinching; her behavior today was slightly unusual.

The Eldest Princess remembered. She smiled instinctively. “Speaking of which, I wonder if my dear Imperial Brother has a surprise prepared for tomorrow. You don’t need to come; my legs are healed, after all. There’s no need for a shadow.”

Han Shui withdrew, and Qi Yu sensibly returned to her room. Seeing the woman’s poor mood earlier, she had felt a momentary concern.

But the moment the Second Prince was mentioned, the villain’s face changed faster than anyone’s. Truly, a villain’s joy comes from plotting against others. She wondered if the Second Prince would use the Princess’s face as a weapon in court tomorrow. Most likely.

Recalling how the Princess had revealed her face to the Emperor yesterday, Qi Yu had to admit: this woman was a step ahead. Even with the “Male Lead” script, the Second Prince couldn’t catch a break.

The next day, the Eldest Princess put on the court robes that had been tucked away for years. She gazed into the bronze mirror for a while, her lips curving slightly, before taking out her veil and putting it on again. One had to play the part fully—how else would the fish take the bait?

In the throne room, even though rumors had circulated the day before, many officials were dazed to see the Eldest Princess standing there regally in her court robes. It felt as if time had wound back several years.

Back then, the Eldest Princess possessed true talent for governance. Compared to the somewhat mediocre Second Prince, she had already begun to shine. It was only due to her subsequent “ill fortune”—the disfigurement and the broken legs—that she had faded from view.

Many felt a wave of sentiment. If her face wasn’t ruined, some veteran ministers would still lean toward her for state affairs. But the heir to a nation cannot have physical flaws; thus, they could only hope the Second Prince would rise to the occasion soon.

The Second Prince secretly observed the ministers. They were all looking at his Imperial Sister. He knew it—his father was like this, and these old fogeys were the same. Wherever Zhou Shile was, no one could see anyone else.

His face darkened, hands clenched into fists hidden in his sleeves. Let’s see who these old fogeys choose after today. A Princess who meticulously deceived her Emperor and her officials had no right to covet the supreme throne.

After the main business was concluded, the Head Eunuch called out: “If there are matters, speak; if not, the court is adjourned.”

The Second Prince’s eyes dimmed as he gave a nearly imperceptible nod toward several officials from the Censorate. A Censor stepped forward: “This servant has a petition.”

The atmosphere in the hall froze. The Emperor’s eyelid twitched. “Xiao Linzi, bring Minister Liu’s memorial.” Peace reigns in the land, yet these Censors ignore the officials and keep hounding the Eldest Princess. It’s quite irritating, he thought. He wondered what it was this time.

Just as Manager Lin took the memorial, Censor Liu looked at the Eldest Princess and spoke with a powerful voice: “Yesterday, this servant heard that someone collided with the Eldest Princess and accidentally pulled off her veil. To everyone’s surprise, the Princess who claimed her beauty was destroyed actually has no scar on her face at all! This servant dares to speak: for the Princess to deceive the Sovereign is unfilial; to deceive the officials is unjust. How can such an unfilial and unjust woman be qualified to discuss state affairs in court?”

The Emperor heard this before he even opened the memorial. He took the scroll, but didn’t open it, looking instead at the ministers. “Minister Liu’s words… what do you all think?”

After speaking, he glanced at the Second Prince, who had his head bowed. The Censorate seems to be getting quite close to the second boy.

Two more from the Censorate echoed the sentiment. Li Guangbai, the Minister of Rites, hesitated before stepping out: “This servant agrees.”

Currently, in the Six Ministries, only he and the Minister of Works stood with the Second Prince. The others were watching. The Minister of Works was an old fox who prioritized stability and wouldn’t step out easily. Relying on just three Censors wouldn’t necessarily catch the Emperor’s attention.

After weighing his options, Li Guangbai stepped out. Ultimately, the nation’s fortune lay with the Princes; a Princess was, in the end, just a woman. Though there had been two Empresses before, they had eventually abdicated to men. Abdication was improper; the throne should be passed down the male line to preserve the dragon pulse and the nation’s luck. The Sovereign is confused, but we ministers cannot be.

The Emperor raised his brows and gave Li Guangbai a long look. He thought it would just be a few jumping Censors, but even the Minister of Rites had stepped forward. His two children had finally come to blows over this “chair.”

His heart felt stifled, and his voice grew heavier: “Second Boy, what do you think of this?”

Despite everything, the Emperor still harbored a sliver of hope. His son hadn’t declared his stance yet; perhaps he was overthinking. Perhaps this was just a coincidence.