My Female General Is A Villain (GL) - Chapter 20

Jiaojiao’s head swayed back and forth, and the hairpins on her head followed suit.

The gently rocking swing made her feel a little sick. The cold wind pierced her brain. She felt like she was about to explode.

Jiaojiao hugged the wine jar, trying to doze off, leaning against the bamboo chair. But the rough branches pricked her, making her head hurt, so she naturally leaned to the other side.

She pressed herself against Pei Ji, her head resting in the crook of her neck. The warm air from her breath tickled Pei Ji’s cold skin, and she let out a soft, sweet hum.

The sudden contact was completely out of nowhere. Pei Ji put her feet firmly on the ground, and the swing stopped. She looked down at the peaceful girl and took a drink from the jar.

The sleeping girl’s hands, which were holding the jar, slowly loosened. Just as the jar was about to fall, Pei Ji caught it. She called out softly, “He Jiaojiao? He Jiaojiao?”

The girl was clearly annoyed, her brows furrowed.

“Don’t be so loud…” Jiaojiao mumbled, her hands tightening around Pei Ji’s arm. She buried her head deeper into her body.

Pei Ji didn’t say anything or move. She stared into the distance for a long time.

******

The next day, Jiaojiao woke up with a splitting headache. She felt better after she drank a bowl of hangover soup.

Drinking was great in the moment, but she always regretted it afterward.

She always told herself that this would be the last time, but every time, she would completely forget the last time she was drunk.

Today, Yuwen Jinhuan came to call for her early, saying her elder sister had entered the palace and that she should go and see her.

The palace gates had been closed for several days. How did she get in?

As soon as she left the courtyard, she saw He Wanqing walking towards her through the wind and snow. Yuwen Jue was holding an umbrella for her, walking beside her.

From a distance, they looked like a perfect couple. It was a beautiful sight.

Her elder sister had always been a calm and steady person, but right now, she was walking so quickly that Yuwen Jue could barely keep up.

“Little Sister,” He Wanqing said, her face pale. She rushed forward and asked, “I heard you were injured. How are you now? Are you okay?”

He Jiaojiao glanced at Yuwen Jue, already understanding what was going on. She replied, “Don’t worry, Big Sister. It was just a scratch. It’s almost all healed now. Walking isn’t a problem.”

“That’s good,” He Wanqing said, letting out a sigh of relief.

“At a time like this, how did you get in, Big Sister?”

“Everyone at home was worried sick about you, so I wanted to come and see you. Thankfully, the Third Prince arranged everything, or it wouldn’t have been so smooth,” He Wanqing said, looking at Yuwen Jue, her eyes gentle and her gratitude apparent.

He Jiaojiao smiled to herself. “Come inside and talk. It’s cold out here, and you must be tired from the journey, Big Sister. You should rest.”

Yuwen Jue immediately understood her hint. “Wanqing, let’s go inside first.”

He reached out to help her, but fearing too much contact, his hand hovered in the air, neither advancing nor retreating.

As the three of them reached the steps, they heard a commotion behind them.

Jiaojiao looked back and saw Yuwen Jinhuan running towards them in the snow, waving both hands and shouting, “Something’s wrong! Something’s wrong!”

Jinhuan ran up to them, gasping for breath. She immediately started pushing Jiaojiao. “He Jiaojiao, hurry and hide! And where’s Pei Ji? Oh, you two, go find a place to hide! Hurry! There’s no time!”

“What’s the meaning of this, Ninth Princess? Why are you so panicked? Why does my little sister need to hide?” He Wanqing asked.

Yuwen Jue: “Huan’er, don’t rush. Explain everything first.”

Jiaojiao had a feeling she knew what this was about. Some things were inevitable. You could run from the first of the month, but you couldn’t run from the fifteenth.

It was good that Pei Ji wasn’t here. She should stay away. If Jiaojiao was right, this trouble was meant for Pei Ji.

The sound of marching footsteps and clanging armor got closer. Yuwen Jinhuan didn’t have time to explain everything. She grabbed Jiaojiao’s arm and tried to pull her inside.

“There’s no time to explain! Just hide inside! My brother and I will handle everything. Don’t do anything rash!”

He Wanqing looked back. “Soldiers are coming.”

Yuwen Jue frowned, his expression grim. “The Imperial Guards.”

He Jiaojiao was silent. All the major plot points seemed to have been scattered. In the original novel, Pei Ji’s imprisonment happened after the He family was raided. But now it was happening earlier, or in a different way.

Pei Ji’s true gender was also discovered during that event. The He family was still safe for now, but if something happened to Pei Ji, it was likely the He family would also be in danger.

The best solution was to protect Pei Ji.

If she ran, she would be handing Pei Ji over. Not to mention, Pei Ji’s frail body couldn’t handle such inhumane torture. Even if she survived, it would cost her half her life.

It was a life, after all and the current Pei Ji wasn’t a monstrous villain.

Jiaojiao calmly said, “When soldiers come, you block them; when water comes, you build a dam. Running is useless. It’s better to face it head-on.”

“Have you thought of a plan, Little Sister?” He Wanqing asked, not panicked at all.

Jiaojiao shook her head.

There was nothing to do but face them head-on.

Jinhuan had thought Jiaojiao had a plan, but she realized the girl was just pretending to be calm.

Her expression was a little speechless.

The leader was the Imperial Guard commander. Jiaojiao estimated there were about a hundred people. Their presence was imposing, as if they wouldn’t leave until they had their target.

This Pei Ji was quite the hot commodity.

Yuwen Jinhuan was the first to step forward. Her back was ramrod straight, and her hands were clasped behind her back. “Commander Wu, what a grand entrance. Bringing so many soldiers to storm my palace. Anyone would think I’ve committed a heinous crime!”

Wu Qicheng clasped his hands and bowed. “We are only following orders, Ninth Princess. Please forgive us.”

He then looked around. Not seeing his target, he asked, “May I ask where Miss He’s son-in-law is? We need him to come with us.”

Yuwen Jinhuan remained defiant. “Orders? Whose orders? You dare to disrespect me.”

“The Crown Prince’s orders,” Wu Qicheng continued. “We hope the Ninth Princess will not obstruct us, or we will have a hard time reporting to the Crown Prince.”

Yuwen Jingshen was a very cunning person. Although his relationship with the Ninth Princess and Third Prince seemed good, Yuwen Jinhuan just didn’t like him. She couldn’t stand to even say one more word to him.

It wasn’t just because of the rumors about the Crown Prince and the Third Prince’s competition for the throne. She simply didn’t like him as a person.

Wu Qicheng bringing up the Crown Prince saved him a lot of trouble.

“Commander Wu, my husband and I came to visit Consort De. We have a clear conscience. What crime do you intend to charge her with? We are law-abiding people, but we are not to be trifled with. If you can’t be clear today, you can’t take her.” He Jiaojiao walked down the steps, standing in front of everyone. Her small body showed no fear as she looked directly at Wu Qicheng.

Wu Qicheng had heard a lot about General He’s daughter, but the person in front of him was very different from what he expected.

She was young, but every one of her words was a challenge.

“I wouldn’t dare to speculate about the Crown Prince’s intentions. He must have his reasons. I am only following orders, and I have no right to question them.”

“So you have no reason?” He Jiaojiao smiled faintly.

“The person the Crown Prince wants to take is my husband, General He’s son-in-law. Yet he wants to do so quietly without anyone knowing. Is my father aware of this? Even the Emperor would have questions. The Crown Prince is only a Crown Prince, and he already shows no respect for my father?”

“This…” Wu Qicheng was speechless in the face of her aggressive questioning.

He never expected this daughter of General He to be so difficult.

Her words put him in a difficult position.

He Wanqing smiled gently, her eyes glinting with a hint of admiration.

Yuwen Jinhuan also took a few steps forward, standing beside Jiaojiao. She tightened her grip on her sword, ready to fight. “That’s right. If you dare to try anything, you’ll have to deal with my sword first.”

“Ninth Princess, please don’t make this difficult for me,” Wu Qicheng said, sweating profusely. Forget about whether he could beat her; he wouldn’t dare to get into a real fight with her.

When he took this mission, he knew he would offend these nobles and that he would be in a difficult position.

Jiaojiao was starting to really like this Ninth Princess. When there was trouble, she was truly on the front lines.

Just as they were at a stalemate, a sharp voice and a bright red robe appeared. “Ninth Princess, would you please give this old eunuch some face?”

“What’s with you, old man? Why do you have to get involved in everything? Do you really think just because you’re with Father, you can reach all the way here?” Jinhuan’s tone was hostile. Jiaojiao could feel her grip on the sword’s hilt tightening, as if she couldn’t hold back much longer.

The newcomer was Chief Eunuch Zhao, the Emperor’s trusted aide.

His hair was gray at the temples, and his face was lined with the marks of time. He wasn’t tall. He seemed kind, but there was an unsettling coldness about him.

It was very uncomfortable.

Yuwen Jue saw him and pulled Jinhuan to the side. He turned to Zhao and said, “Chief Eunuch Zhao, what’s this all about?”

Zhao Lianying bowed. “Third Prince.” He was very composed. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the big commotion in the palace a few days ago, haven’t you?”

Yuwen Jue, of course, knew everyhting.

Jiaojiao had also anticipated a scene like this, but it was happening a bit sooner than she expected.

Now that Chief Eunuch Zhao had appeared, it was likely he had orders from the Emperor.

On the surface, the Emperor had given the Crown Prince full responsibility for this matter. This way, he wouldn’t offend the He family and could use the Crown Prince to do what he wanted.

The Emperor had pushed the Crown Prince into this.

They both wanted Pei Ji dead!

Zhao Lianying continued, “Lately, His Majesty has been very worried about this matter. To ease his worries, the Crown Prince has been investigating it thoroughly. Now that there is a lead, this old servant has come to do my part.”

“Don’t worry, Miss He. It’s just a simple inquiry. This old servant also believes that your husband has nothing to do with this. We will ensure he returns safely to the estate.”

His words sounded nice, but Jiaojiao didn’t trust him.

“No one is taking my husband today.”

She would not let Yuwen Jingshen’s plan succeed.

At that moment, a cold, weary voice came from behind everyone. “It’s fine, Chief Eunuch Zhao. I’ll go with you.”

Pei Ji had heard enough of the commotion. She had finished feeding the birds and watching them fly away before walking out slowly.

These people were too noisy.