The Villainous Consort (GL) - Chapter 44

After Ai Ye and the Eldest Princess reached their agreement, Ai Ye left without staying for a meal.

Qi Yu scooted closer to the Princess, picking at the dishes absentmindedly. Finally, she couldn’t help but ask, “Princess, are you helping her without seeking anything in return because of Chanyi?”

She told herself she wasn’t just being nosy; as a partner, she simply wanted to know the motivation. If it really was for Chu Chanyi, then by extension, it was for her, and that would mean she owed the Princess far too great a favor.

“Why would the Prince Consort think it is for Miss Chu? I am helping her because I have my own reasons, but it is certainly not what you think.”

The Princess saw Qi Yu’s hesitation and curled her lips slightly. “The agreement I reached with Governor Wei of Pingman also involves providing him with gold, silver, and wealth, as well as sending troops to help him clear out other factions within his province.”

“But why? I don’t understand.” Qi Yu was even more confused. Governor Wei was already a local king acting with impunity; why give him more money and soldiers? Wasn’t that just “assisting a tyrant in his wickedness”?

The Princess’s brows arched, her eyes shimmering with a faint light. She looked at Qi Yu and chuckled. “Nothing I do is for free. Since he has taken my silver and accepted my soldiers, he must accept my people. For the past two years, refugees from the various southern prefectures who have nowhere else to go have been moved into Pingman. Naturally, some are real refugees, but others are ‘fake’ refugees—those skilled in management, teaching, or even leading troops.”

“No matter how much silver I give him, what does it matter? When his Governor’s Manor collapses, that silver will still belong to the Imperial Court; Governor Wei is merely acting as a temporary custodian for a couple of years. As for the timing to replace him—it will be when the majority of Pingman’s military force is sent to Xidao. After that, the Governor of Pingman will no longer be determined by internal succession or recommendation, but by direct appointment from the Court.”

What a masterful ‘draw the firewood from under the cauldron’ move. This was essentially a population and cultural invasion. For the massive Baiyue Empire with its twenty-one prefectures, the sparsely populated Pingman was like a piece of cake waiting to be eaten. In two or three years, the land would be filled with Baiyue citizens; internal autonomy would be a thing of the past.

Qi Yu’s chopsticks loosened. A thought suddenly occurred to her: such a massive plot should be top secret, right? This woman just told her without any defense?

Was she too trusting? Could the failure described in the original book be partly because the Eldest Princess trusted the Prince Consort too much?

“Princess, you are far too candid. What if I were a mole? If I leaked this news, wouldn’t your efforts go to waste?” Qi Yu warned her tactfully.

Keep something to yourself! You’re the villain! Is it really okay to be this reckless?

Hearing this, the Princess turned toward her. She leaned in closer until their foreheads almost touched before speaking slowly: “Then… will the Prince Consort betray me?”

Qi Yu felt her heart skip a beat. Why is she suddenly so close?!

She could see her own reflection in the Princess’s eyes. Why did this woman have no sense of personal space?

Qi Yu swallowed instinctively, feeling like she was losing ground. A strange competitive urge surged in her mind. She gritted her teeth, emboldened her chest slightly, and dared to lean in a few inches closer. They could practically hear each other’s breathing.

A blush gradually covered the Princess’s face. Her mind went blank. After a dozen seconds of eye contact, her breath hitched and she closed her eyes.

It was a subconscious physical reaction, a moment of losing control.

Watching the Princess close her eyes, Qi Yu’s breathing tightened. This woman… does she want to… by closing her eyes, is she… expecting her to…

Qi Yu swallowed again, her eyelashes fluttering. She struggled internally: should she also close her eyes and pluck this enchanting, soft fruit before her?

A battle between heaven and man raged in Qi Yu’s mind. Her hands clenched and loosened nervously. In those ten-odd seconds, it felt like she had fought with her own logic for decades.

At that moment, the Princess’s eyelashes trembled as if she were about to open her eyes.

Qi Yu’s fingers twitched. She raised her hand and gripped the Princess’s shoulders.

The Princess opened her eyes at that exact moment. Her gaze was filled with confusion as she looked at Qi Yu’s arms. Though she didn’t speak, her eyes clearly asked: Prince Consort, why are you grabbing my shoulders?

Qi Yu’s breath hitched. She easily read the question in those clear eyes, and suddenly it felt like she was the one in the wrong.

Why did you suddenly close your eyes? My hands just… acted on their own, just like you did!

A flash of annoyance crossed her eyes, followed by intense regret. The person involved truly regretted it—why did she have to use her hands?

Qi Yu wanted to cry but had no tears. She pulled her hands back and lightly patted the Princess’s shoulders twice. “Cough… there’s dust. Why is there dust falling from the ceiling of Lou Shang Lou? I’m just helping the Princess brush it off, haha.”

“Pffft—hahaha—ugh, this servant will shut up.” To the side, Han Shui, who had witnessed the entire scene with eyes wide open, couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She quickly covered her mouth and buried her head in repentance under the Princess’s death glare.

“Ah, haha, Han Shui is so cute. I’m full. Is the Princess still eating?” Qi Yu withdrew her hand, having lost her appetite. With Han Shui’s interruption, she actually felt much more at ease. This girl was actually somewhat tolerable today.

The Princess had calmed down, but she was annoyed with herself for closing her eyes. Her mental state and instinctive action at that moment had been like an invitation to be kissed. She was even more annoyed that this person had done absolutely nothing.

Thinking of this, her gaze turned cold. Her face frosted over. “Back to the manor.”

The Princess stood up quickly and pushed the door open. Han Shui lingered for two steps, leaning toward Qi Yu to whisper: “Prince Consort, you’ve made Mistress angry.” This useless Prince Consort. The atmosphere was so good; my heart was in my throat, and then… nothing.

“You’re the one who made her angry.” Qi Yu retorted immediately. She wasn’t taking the fall for this. Her own heart was currently a mess of complicated feelings she didn’t know how to handle.

Han Shui glared, stomped her foot in frustration, and quickly followed.

Qi Yu glared back at her retreating figure. Fine, I can’t beat her in a fight. I’ll endure it.

When she boarded the carriage, she saw the Princess leaning against the side with her eyes closed, resting. She likely didn’t want to dwell on that awkward scene. Qi Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

Following that, the Princess became very busy. Aside from the occasional breakfast meeting, they hardly saw each other.

One morning, Qi Yu lay in bed thinking idly: This situation is actually good. My plan was always to be like air in the Princess’s Manor. When the time comes and the divorce papers are in hand, I’ll roam the world freely.

However, as the saying goes, “speak of the devil.” She had just finished her internal monologue when Han Shui knocked. “Prince Consort, Mistress wants to see you.”

Qi Yu opened the door. Seeing Han Shui standing still, she asked, “Let’s go?”

“Mistress said to call you over in fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes? Then why did you call me now?” Qi Yu frowned.

“I was bored, so I came to tell you early so you could wash your face and change your clothes.” Han Shui crossed her arms, looking completely justified.

Qi Yu nodded, instinctively thinking it made sense—wait, what sense? It was early morning, she hadn’t even had breakfast; why change clothes?

She looked at Han Shui and asked, “What is the Eldest Princess doing right now?” Why wait fifteen minutes? Surely she wasn’t using this time to put on makeup? That didn’t seem like her.

“Bathing.”

“That makes more sense. Wait? Did your mistress just come back from being out so early?”

Han Shui rolled her eyes. “Where would she go so early? It’s not even breakfast time.”

Qi Yu froze. She looked at the sun—it was indeed morning!

Did that woman have the opposite habit of everyone else? Not bathing before bed, but bathing after waking up? But she recalled seeing her look like she’d just bathed in the evenings before. Does she bathe twice a day?

“The Eldest Princess certainly has good habits.”

“Mistress only started this habit recently. I don’t know what’s going on either.” Han Shui looked puzzled. Mistress never had the habit of bathing again first thing in the morning; it seemed to have started recently.

When did it start? Han Shui glanced at Qi Yu. It seemed to have started the day after they drank wine together. She woke up acting strange and insisted on bathing, and since then, she’s been bathing and changing clothes every so often in the morning, even though she already bathed at night. It was inexplicable.

A strange thought flashed through Qi Yu’s mind. She couldn’t help but think that the Princess looked much more approachable—less cold—right after a bath.

No, she was still cold, but it felt like something else was added.

Thin clothing, no makeup, clear features… yeah, a bit of “sensuality.” Cold yet sensual. That was the feeling.

Qi Yu found the right descriptor and involuntarily shrugged her shoulders, quickly shaking her head to toss out these inappropriate thoughts. Why am I thinking about what she looks like after a bath? Am I crazy?

Fifteen minutes later, she stopped thinking about it with her mind because she saw it with her eyes. The room was filled with a pleasant, cool fragrance.

Qi Yu looked at the Princess, who had changed into a purple gauzy robe and whose features were much softer. Her pupils shrank, and she looked away.

She stared at the window, chanting a mantra in her heart: Form is emptiness, emptiness is form… female demons eat people, don’t be enticed… I am a monk… no, a nun… don’t pay attention, it’s all void…

The Princess noticed the sudden averted gaze. Her eyes flickered before returning to calm. “The servants say that three days ago, Han Feng claimed he had urgent business and left the manor. He hasn’t returned for three days.”

Han Feng is gone? Hearing the Princess, Qi Yu remembered that brainwashed youth. She hadn’t seen him lately.

“He knows I’m related to the Grand Elder’s arrest, so he secretly ran away?”

The Princess looked at her and tapped the table. “More than that. The Grand Elder has been locked up for a while now. A new leader has appeared at that fortress in Pingman—a young man who looks exactly like the Prince Consort. The former dynasty remnants call him ‘Young Master.’ It seems you, the ‘fake’ Young Master, have been completely abandoned.”

Qi Yu was speechless. Why did this woman sound a bit regretful? “Isn’t it a good thing that I don’t have to be their pawn anymore?”

“The Prince Consort is a discarded pawn, now useless. This is good news, but also bad news. It means we only have one card left—the Grand Elder.” Seeing Qi Yu’s confusion, the Princess kindly explained.

Qi Yu: “…” You didn’t have to explain it that clearly.