My Female General Is A Villain (GL) - Chapter 11

A flash of cold steel, a clash of blades. Yuwen Jue parried a blow and glanced back. “Leave this to me, Second Miss. You and the others find somewhere to hide, now!”

He Jiaojiao scrambled to her feet, giving him a knowing look. Then she reached a hand out to Pei Ji.

Without waiting for a reaction, she grabbed Pei Ji’s hand and pulled her up, dragging her behind a relatively safe-looking rock wall. Under Pei Ji’s bewildered gaze, He Jiaojiao peeked out, scanning the surroundings. Only when she was certain they were safe did she finally let her guard down.

She then turned to Pei Ji, who stood beside her with a calmness that showed no hint of alarm. “Were you trying to get yourself killed just now? Don’t you know how dangerous it is out there? You were standing right in the thick of it, just begging to be noticed!”

He Jiaojiao’s voice was a hushed, frantic whisper, thick with reproach.

“If you knew it was so dangerous, why did you run over to save me?” Pei Ji’s question wasn’t a rebuke, but an urgent demand for an answer.

Why?

She couldn’t believe He Jiaojiao would be so kind. That selfish, self-absorbed person—why would she risk her own life to save someone she so thoroughly detested?

“There was no time to think. I couldn’t just let you die for nothing, could I?” He Jiaojiao replied, keeping an eye on the unfolding fight.

If Pei Ji died, who would she “conquer”? How would she ever escape this wretched world and get home?

Pei Ji’s pupils constricted. For a moment, she couldn’t tell if He Jiaojiao was being honest. She simply wiped a smear of bl00d from her forehead as a silent part of her heart, a long-still place, stirred with a faint ripple.

When Yuwen Jue was finally out of danger, He Jiaojiao relaxed, a smile spreading across her face. “As expected of the Third Prince, truly a master of the martial arts.”

Pei Ji gave her a fleeting look. “Why are you shaking so much?”

He Jiaojiao…

How could she not be shaking? She had no idea where she found the courage to charge in like that. With so many killers-for-hire, she didn’t even want to think about how much it would hurt to take a sword to the gut.

She pulled her outer cloak tighter, feigning composure. “It’s just too cold out here.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she distinctly heard a cold scoff from Pei Ji.

He Jiaojiao pursed her lips and chose not to argue.

“I had no idea Father had so many enemies,” she muttered to herself, as if asking both herself and Pei Ji. “The people of Great Jing have always revered him. Maybe it’s spies from another country, or someone in the court stirring up trouble…”

“Who do you think it could be?”

When her eyes met Pei Ji’s cold gaze, she felt a bit foolish. This was the one person who wished for the complete destruction of the He family. Why was she even discussing this with her?

Never mind…

“The higher you stand, the harder you fall,” Pei Ji said, her back against the rock wall, arms crossed, her voice devoid of emotion.

Hearing her, He Jiaojiao was struck by a sense of foreboding. According to the original novel, this event wasn’t supposed to happen. Instead, it was He Wenchuan’s actions at the gambling house that enraged the Emperor. The current era was one of peace, and the Emperor was already wary of He Su. Incited by schemers, the Emperor would find a pretext to accuse him of a crime, and the entire He household would be seized and imprisoned.

Eventually, He Su’s trusted men would rescue them, but they would all be secretly executed during their escape.

And the one who executed them? The very person standing beside her right now—Pei Ji.

The memory of her initial dream sent a shiver of fear through her.

But the gambling house incident had been averted. They should be safe now, shouldn’t they?

No… that’s not right…

Pei Ji was also at the gambling house that day. The true orchestrator of the He family’s downfall was Pei Ji…

By this logic, their safety was only temporary. The danger of the He family’s destruction still loomed; it was just a matter of time and the one who would bring it all to pass was Pei Ji herself.

She stared at her, her thoughts spilling out before she could stop them. “Pei Ji, do you really hate the He family? Like, with a bone-deep hatred?”

Pei Ji’s eyes, slightly reddened from the cold, flashed with a brief flicker of ruthlessness, which vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving her expression placid once more. Then, she said two words: “I don’t.”

Pei Ji seemed utterly unconcerned with the slaughter, as if she were a mere spectator.

“The He estate has been my home for years. I’ve at least survived until today. For me, as long as I’m alive, that’s enough. Why would I hate it? Or do you want me to hate it? Do you think I should hate it?” Pei Ji spoke slowly and softly, but her narrowed eyes were a bottomless well, trying to discern the truth in He Jiaojiao’s expression.

“You…” He Jiaojiao was left speechless by the aggressive line of questioning.

But anyone in Pei Ji’s position would have a reason to hate.

Only when a person is utterly despairing does hate take root, a need to prove one’s existence.

He Jiaojiao had made up her mind. Her mission was to win Pei Ji’s heart. If she could fill Pei Ji with love, she could surely change everything.

After some time, the chaotic scene finally ended with the arrival of the He family’s private army. The guests were all important figures of Great Jing, and though no one was killed, there were many injuries. If He Su couldn’t provide a proper explanation, this wouldn’t be forgotten anytime soon.

However, all the assassins left behind had already died, making it impossible to trace the source.

He Jiaojiao hurried to the main hall, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that everyone was unharmed.

“Oh, my dear girl, where have you been? Come here and let Grandma see you.” The Old Madam’s eyes were filled with anxious concern as she looked at He Jiaojiao. “Are you hurt anywhere? Were you scared?”

He Jiaojiao walked over, letting the Old Madam check her from head to toe.

“Jiaojiao is fine, Grandma. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters to me,” He Jiaojiao said, hugging the Old Madam to soothe her worries.

He Su sighed with a touch of remorse. “Jiaojiao, are you angry with your father for not being there to protect you?”

“Of course not. Didn’t Father send the Third Prince and the Ninth Princess to protect me? Father is the pillar of our family, so naturally, you must look at the bigger picture. If I had caused you to lose your composure, I would have been heartbroken.” He Jiaojiao then pulled out a small charm from her inner clothes. “Besides, I have the amulet Mother gave me. It will always protect me, right, Mother?”

Chu Huajun was amused by her playful wink and nodded with a soft smile.

“It seems our little Jiaojiao has truly grown up. She even thinks of the big picture now.” He Su was so moved that he looked as if he was about to shed a few tears.

He Xuanzhi chimed in. “Jiaojiao, where is the Third Prince? We must thank him for his strong support.”

Her elder brother had fully inherited He Su’s upright nature, even surpassing him. Just by standing there, he looked like the embodiment of justice, his voice resonating with an inherent strength. He was like a character from a drama, a well-meaning fool who would be tricked by a villain and thank him for it.

He Jiaojiao, who was peeling a mandarin orange, replied, “He and the Ninth Princess have already returned to the palace. They said they had urgent matters to attend to. As for thanking him, I’ll leave that to Big Sister. I’m just a little girl, so Big Sister is much more graceful in these matters. It’s best to let her handle it.”

He Wanqing was surprised but also a little pleased by her words. Their eyes met, and they seemed to have reached a silent understanding.

The others in the room didn’t object, accepting her suggestion.

He Jiaojiao seemed to remember something and quickly swallowed the piece of orange in her mouth. “Father, do you know who was behind this? Could it have been someone from the court?”

He Su shook his head in frustration. “Your brother and I discussed it. Based on their accents, they weren’t from the capital. But it’s strange—they didn’t go for the kill. They only injured but never murdered. I’ve never heard of such tactics.”

He Xuanzhi added, “And they all had a crescent moon symbol on the back of their necks. It must be a large organization. We’re at a disadvantage now, with them in the shadows and us in the light. We’ll need to be more careful from now on.”

He Su placed his hands behind his back and sighed. “It seems… a storm is coming.”

******

After seeing off and comforting the remaining guests, the sudden relaxation made her body ache. It had been a truly heart-stopping day. He Jiaojiao stretched her limbs, her eyelids so heavy she felt like they were about to droop to the floor.

It was late by the time she returned to her own courtyard. Snowflakes drifted down, and the quiet night was enveloped in a cold mist.

She shivered. This body wasn’t just frail; it was also terribly sensitive to the cold, which was why she always wore more layers and put on warmer clothes earlier than others.

She wrapped her fur-lined cloak completely around herself, tucking her hands inside to protect them from the biting wind. It was a bit of a clumsy look.

The He family had a desolate, abandoned courtyard that was close to where Pei Ji’s wood shed used to be. Few people ever went there, and the servants who were assigned to clean it did so with their hearts in their throats, rushing to finish, terrified they might stumble upon something unclean.

The servants whispered that it was a “ghost garden.” If you were unlucky, you might run into something spooky. Years ago, something like that had happened. A maid who served He Yuzhu had gone in, only to come out in a crazed state, babbling nonstop about ghosts and spirits.

He Jiaojiao didn’t believe in such things, but in the current atmosphere, even she felt a shiver of dread as she passed by.

After only a few steps, a rustling sound made her immediately go on high alert.

No way. What were the chances?

She stopped, and as if possessed, she gathered her skirts and stepped towards the dark, eerie courtyard.

Curiosity really does kill the cat.

After just a few more steps, she thought she heard voices. They were very quiet, so she found a safe spot to hide and observe.

There were no lanterns in the area, only the faint light of the moon. But He Jiaojiao’s eyesight was good, and she immediately recognized the two people talking.

It was Yuwen Jingshen and He Yuzhu.

He Jiaojiao remembered. The novel, Ephemeral Spring, was full of melodrama. In the book, He Yuzhu loved the Third Prince, Yuwen Jue, but because the heroine was He Wanqing, no matter what tricks she pulled, she never got her way. In the end, she married the Crown Prince, Yuwen Jingshen, as a concubine. The irony was that Yuwen Jingshen was a classic career-driven man and didn’t care about her at all.

An unfavored concubine naturally received no respect.

Poor He Yuzhu had neither love nor the status she craved.

But this Yuwen Jingshen sure was busy. He was always finding people to have secret conversations with. Her high school teacher was never this dedicated.

“Was this Prince’s doing today?” He Yuzhu asked, her tone even.

“Are you questioning me, Third Miss?” Yuwen Jingshen said, holding his conspicuous hand warmer without turning around. “I have my own plans, and I don’t need to report them to anyone. You, on the other hand, should focus on your own duties. Don’t forget, you came to me for help. If our collaboration goes smoothly, I will naturally help you get what you want.”

At this, He Yuzhu suppressed a flicker of joy. “I trust you, Your Highness. It’s just that I don’t want today’s events to repeat. Nothing can happen to the He family, and nothing can happen to my mother. That is my bottom line.”

So He Yuzhu wasn’t a fool after all, He Jiaojiao thought. If the He family fell, she and her mother, Auntie Lian, wouldn’t fare well either.

“Third Miss, being soft-hearted isn’t a good thing. Your mercy right now could be what dooms you,” Yuwen Jingshen said, shaking his head. “After all, you’re just a young lady from a noble household. You don’t know what it means to face the darkness of human nature.”

Seeing her remain silent, he continued, “Now, what about the task I gave you? Have you completed it?”