The Villainous Consort (GL) - Chapter 8

“Unless what?” Qi Yu’s eyes flickered with a spark of hope. What could be more joyful than escaping the original plot? As long as she didn’t become the Prince Consort, she could avoid the gruesome fate of being dismembered by five horses.

Chu Chanyi cleared her throat, took another slow sip of tea, and spoke with an air of profound wisdom. “Unless the Eldest Princess takes the initiative to call off the wedding. That way, not only would you avoid the Emperor’s punishment, but the State Preceptor’s Estate wouldn’t have to bear the crime of defying an imperial edict.”

After saying this, she couldn’t help but look a bit smug. She felt she was simply a genius for coming up with such a “kill two birds with one stone” solution.

Qi Yu’s mouth hung open slightly. She realized she had placed far too much hope in this friend’s intellect. Her heart felt heavy; what kind of “solution” was this? “That… regardless of the Eldest Princess’s goal, since she chose me, it’s going to be very difficult to get her to call it off.”

In fact, it was nearly impossible. Qi Yu could guess the Princess’s intent: the Preceptor’s Estate had no status, no backing, and wasn’t involved in court struggles. The original host was a useless person—the perfect “soft persimmon” to squeeze. A puppet Consort was exactly what the Princess needed.

However, according to the original novel, the Eldest Princess never imagined that this seemingly useless person was actually a grand villain harboring malicious intent from the start.

Chu Chanyi paused. “It is a bit hard. After all, the Eldest Princess is secretly in love with you. A woman that devoted… once she sets her heart on someone, eight horses couldn’t pull her back.”

Black lines metaphorically slid down Qi Yu’s forehead. Devoted? Secret love? She massaged her temples. “You’re overthinking it. I’ve never met her, never even spoken to her. How could she ‘like’ me? She’s likely after something else.”

“Give it a rest,” Chu Chanyi disagreed. “I’m not trying to bring you down, but look at the state of the Preceptor’s Estate. Is there anything worth the Princess’s schemes? If she’s after anything, it’s you. Besides, didn’t you meet and talk already?”

“When? I don’t—” Qi Yu stopped herself. What if the original host had met her? She quickly changed her tune. “I mean, I don’t seem to remember.”

Chu Chanyi’s eyes widened. “It’s only been a few days and you’ve forgotten? At the competition! The way you and the Princess looked at each other—your eyes were practically intertwined! And you said… you said you were ‘exceedingly willing’!”

Qi Yu: “…” It’s my fault for overestimating this sister’s IQ. “Do you think, under those circumstances, I could have said I was ‘unwilling’?”

By entering the competition, she had signaled her willingness to be a candidate. After being chosen, who would dare risk their life to refuse? This was a feudal monarchy; the Emperor could have her head for a single word. Even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn’t have dared to say no.

“True. If I were you, I wouldn’t dare either,” Chu Chanyi nodded. It seemed there was no way out; they couldn’t defy the edict, so they could only accept it. But thinking of the Princess—scarred and disabled—she offered some sympathetic comfort. “Why don’t you just give in? The Princess has her good points. You’ll be the Great Consort, an Imperial Relative! No one in the capital will dare mock you. As for the rest… don’t be so superficial. When the lights go out, it’s all the same.”

Qi Yu couldn’t help but laugh. She poured herself a cup of tea and said unhurriedly, “You know, when you say things like that, you remind me of someone.”

“Who?”

Qi Yu’s smile grew more brilliant. “Like Mama Li (the nanny/matchmaker). I should call you ‘Mama Chu’ from now on.”

Chu Chanyi: “…” Fine, I’ll shut up.

After seeing Chu Chanyi off, Qi Yu stared at the teapot in deep thought. Refusing the marriage was impossible. Getting the Princess to back out was nearly impossible. The only way was to run away.

But if she fled before the wedding, the Emperor would punish the Preceptor’s Estate. No matter how much favor her father had, he wouldn’t be able to keep his position, and the entire household might end up on the streets—or worse, executed.

Thinking of Mama Li, who had raised the original host with such care, Qi Yu gripped her teacup. She couldn’t take that risk. If it were just her, fine—but innocent people shouldn’t pay for her actions.

However…

What if it’s not BEFORE the wedding? What if I vanish from the Princess’s Estate right after the ceremony, without anyone noticing? Then the responsibility wouldn’t fall on the Preceptor’s Estate. Yes, the wedding day is the perfect day. But I need to make arrangements first.

The next day.

Mama Li was surprised to find that Qi Yu, who had been miserable since the competition, was suddenly in high spirits. She was humming unknown tunes and smiling at everyone. One would think the Preceptor’s Estate was celebrating a great festival.

“Miss, you seem very happy today?” Mama Li couldn’t help but ask after lunch.

“I am,” Qi Yu answered naturally. “I’m getting married. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

Mama Li felt even more suspicious. She lowered her voice. “Are you really happy because of the wedding?”

“Mama Li, you’re acting strange. Of course it’s because of the wedding. Why else?”

Mama Li said nothing more, but she kept a close eye on her. Later, she reported Qi Yu’s abnormal behavior to the State Preceptor.

The Preceptor stroked his goatee. His daughter had no real talents, but she was a master at acting recklessly and foolishly. He wasn’t sure who she took after. That afternoon, when Qi Yu tried to leave the manor, she was stopped. Her father had ordered that she was not to step a single foot out of the manor until the wedding. He even moved guards from the main gate to stand right outside her courtyard.

Qi Yu: “…” What kind of logic is this?! I was acting happy to show I accepted the marriage! Why aren’t you following the normal routine? House arrest?! If outsiders find out, they’ll think something’s wrong! This father is a total ‘pig teammate’ (burden)!

News of the disturbance at the Preceptor’s Estate reached Han Shui immediately. Since Qi Yu was the future Consort and potentially the Princess’s “intended,” Han Shui was paying much closer attention to her.

At the Princess’s Estate:

“You’re saying the guards were moved specifically to Qi Yu’s courtyard?” The Eldest Princess set down her brush. On the paper, she had been drafting the arrangements for the wedding day.

Han Shui nodded. “Yes. I saw it myself. They’ve locked her in. Princess, do you think she’s trying to flee the marriage?”

“Flee? She doesn’t have the guts.” The Princess removed her veil. On her fair right cheek was a faint scar, a pale pink line about an inch long. Though visible upon close inspection, it didn’t hide her ethereal and transcendent beauty.

“Why not?” Han Shui asked. “She used to say she’d never marry an ‘ugly woman,’ and she was even grounded before for complaining about the selection.”

The Princess smiled elegantly. “Because fleeing an imperial marriage is a capital offense. As long as Qi Yu isn’t a fool, she won’t run before the wedding. But when things are abnormal, there’s always a hidden motive. Just in case she is a fool, send our people out. No need to watch too closely—just make sure she doesn’t leave the city.”

If she isn’t a fool, why did she make the Preceptor’s Estate so nervous? The Princess looked at the wedding draft on her desk. A suspicion grew in her mind: It seems the wedding day might be quite eventful.

Within a single night, everyone who needed to know about Qi Yu’s house arrest knew.

Only Qi Yu herself, stuck in her room, was praying the news wouldn’t leak. As she was daydreaming, her door was pushed open from the outside.

“Why don’t you knock… Why are you here in broad daylight?!” Qi Yu gasped at the man in black. It was day! Were the guards useless? If someone meant her harm, she’d have no protection at all.

The man knelt. “Forgive me, Young Master. I saw the guards outside your courtyard last night, but there were fewer during the day. I was worried tonight would be like last night, so I took the chance while they were distracted.”

Qi Yu opened her mouth but said nothing. She couldn’t beat him anyway. Fine, a ‘superior person’ endures what others cannot. “Why are you here this time?”

She stared at him. Were the guards really that incompetent? In one night, this man had figured out the rotation and walked in brazenly. Something felt off.

The man looked up, his tone becoming agitated. “Has the Young Master made up her mind? Will you be a dog for the court, or will you lead us to carve out a path of blood?”

With the wedding approaching and Fang Hai failing his mission, if he couldn’t recruit Qi Yu, only Li Chuanlian’s path remained.

Qi Yu was stunned by his aggressive tone. Suddenly, it felt like this man had no respect for her as his “Young Master.” His high-and-mighty tone felt like he was interrogating a useless chess piece.

“I’ve made up my mind. Don’t come back here again.”

Even a donkey has a temper, she thought. She was already overwhelmed by the fact that she was the “Villainous Consort.” Words like “remnants of the former dynasty” and “path of blood” sounded incredibly dangerous.

After refusing, she took two steps back and grabbed a ceramic cup from the table, taking a defensive stance in case the man turned violent.

To her surprise, the man wasn’t angry. He stood up calmly, as if he had expected this result. Before leaving, he left a single remark: “I hope the Young Master understands which choice is right after the wedding. I will visit you again then.”