My Female General Is A Villain (GL) - Chapter 9

The Old Madam He’s 70th birthday banquet was naturally a grand affair, but it couldn’t be too extravagant, lest it draw the wrong kind of attention and lead to misfortune.

Everyone from high-ranking officials to princes and princesses came to show their respect.

Across from her sat the Emperor’s most favored son, the Third Prince Yuwen Jue, and his sister, the Ninth Princess Yuwen Jinhuan. Rumor had it that although Yuwen Jue was not the Crown Prince, he was even more favored, and the Ninth Princess, being his full-blooded sister, was equally spoiled, and therefore had been headstrong and willful since she was a child.

It’s worth mentioning that Yuwen Jue was the male lead of this story, and his affection for the He family’s eldest daughter, He Wanqing, was no secret. The people of Great Jin even referred to them as a golden couple, a perfect match that everyone envied.

Unfortunately, neither of them liked He Jiaojiao. The Ninth Princess, in particular, harbored a deep hatred for her, simply because He Jiaojiao had constantly bullied and tormented her older sister, He Wanqing, since childhood.

Once, He Jiaojiao had caused He Wanqing to fall down a flight of stairs, and she was bedridden for an entire month. The doctor even said that if the fall had been any worse, she might have been left with a permanent limp.

But He Wanqing had always been gentle and never had any conflicts with the original owner. She would even, absurdly, help her out of trouble sometimes.

He Jiaojiao had to admit that she couldn’t match that level of kindness.

As fate would have it, He Wanqing was sitting right beside her. He Jiaojiao turned her head and examined her closely. She had to admit, she was stunning—so pleasing to the eye that He Jiaojiao couldn’t look away.

Her gaze was so direct that He Wanqing soon noticed. He Jiaojiao looked like a lovesick fool at that moment.

He Wanqing had never seen her second sister look at her like this. Thinking she had done something wrong, she quickly looked herself over, then touched her own cheek, asking with a confused expression, “Second Sister, why are you looking at me like that? Is something wrong with my appearance?”

Her words broke He Jiaojiao out of her trance. Realizing her lapse in decorum, she waved her hands frantically. “No, no. I just suddenly realized how beautiful you are, Eldest Sister.”

He Jiaojiao didn’t know how strange those words must have sounded coming from her, but they came out naturally.

He Wanqing’s tense nerves immediately relaxed. For some reason, she felt a newfound closeness with her second sister.

It was odd.

He Jiaojiao even peeled an orange and gave half to He Wanqing. The two of them laughed and chatted, creating a very warm picture.

To others, however, it seemed like a suspicious act. When you offer kindness for no reason, you must be up to no good.

Take, for example, Yuwen Jinhuan, who was now glaring at her, her teeth clenched as if she wanted to chew He Jiaojiao to pieces.

He Jiaojiao returned her glare with a ridiculously fake smile, which only made Jinhuan more furious.

Jinhuan suppressed her anger and poked Yuwen Jue with her elbow. “Brother, look. That woman is probably up to something again to hurt Sister Wanqing. Look!”

Yuwen Jue set down his cup and gently scolded her. “Huan’er, don’t talk nonsense. Today is the Old Madam’s birthday. Don’t be so rash, or you’ll embarrass the royal family.”

“But that’s Sister Wanqing! What if that woman has a malicious plan? Sister Wanqing would be in danger! I’m just warning you, Brother!” Jinhuan slammed her chopsticks down, crossed her arms, and glared at him angrily, as if he were a lost cause.

At that moment, the Grand Secretary of the Central Secretariat, who was sitting nearby, inconveniently raised his wine cup to toast the two of them. “Third Prince, Ninth Princess, I toast to you both.”

“Toast what? Can’t you see I’m annoyed?” Jinhuan was already in a bad mood, and here was someone walking straight into her line of fire.

The Grand Secretary had no idea what he had done to offend the princess. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He discreetly wiped it away with his sleeve, mentally replaying his actions and trying to figure out how to respond.

Although he was a high-ranking official, everyone in the court knew not to provoke the Ninth Princess. If she were to whisper a word in the Emperor’s ear, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In the awkward silence, Yuwen Jue spoke up. “Thank you for your kind gesture, Grand Secretary. My sister has a low tolerance for alcohol, so I’ll drink this for her. I hope you don’t mind.”

His demeanor was courteous and graceful.

The Grand Secretary stroked his long beard and smiled. “You are too modest, Third Prince. I am an old man, so please don’t take offense if I’ve done something wrong.”

He was still smiling when he noticed Jinhuan staring at him. He immediately pretended to cough and acted as if nothing had happened, then scooted his chair to the side. He was truly afraid that the Ninth Princess might kick him, so it was safer to keep his distance.

He Jiaojiao saw it all and let out a small laugh. The Ninth Princess was just as frank and adorable as she was described in the book.

It was a shame that no matter how much the Emperor favored her, she couldn’t avoid being married off to a foreign land.

Just as everyone was chatting happily, music began to play. A group of graceful dancers, like the fiery red sun, moved their slender bodies to the rhythm, full of elegance and charm.

After the performance, He Jiaojiao realized that Pei Ji was not at the banquet at all. She lifted her skirt and clumsily stood up. She always found ancient clothing too cumbersome and still wasn’t used to it.

The noise of the crowd was the best time to slip away. She gave Qingyao a signal to stay quiet, and the smart maid immediately nodded in understanding.

She tiptoed past all the guests and finally took a deep breath.

As she passed a line of maids carrying serving trays, He Jiaojiao, who wanted to go unnoticed, turned her head away. Just then, she felt something being slipped into her hand. She looked down and saw a small note. She immediately turned to look for the person who gave it to her, but it was too late. Everything had returned to normal.

Away from the crowd, she took out the note. The handwriting was clear, strong, and familiar.

There were some things, though she wasn’t the one who had started them, that she needed to end quickly to avoid getting into trouble herself and harming others.

She arrived at a secluded courtyard and saw a tall figure standing by a pond. In the moonlight, he looked noble and handsome.

This place was not far from the woodshed where Pei Ji stayed. He Jiaojiao frowned, pondered for a moment, and then walked toward him.

Hearing her faint footsteps, the man turned around and smiled. “You came.”

He seemed to be certain it would be her.

He Jiaojiao curtsied. “Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

The title “Crown Prince” immediately put distance between their status and their relationship.

Yuwen Jingshen was confused. He took a half-step forward. “Why are you being so formal with me? Are you still mad that I didn’t come to visit you sooner?”

Yuwen Jingshen thought she was just throwing a tantrum because he had neglected her recently.

He Jiaojiao took a step back. She looked up, her eyes clear and a little cold. “Since Your Highness has invited me here, I have some things I want to make clear face-to-face, to avoid any gossip.”

She spoke with conviction, her expression calm and composed.

Yuwen Jingshen had never seen He Jiaojiao like this before, and it piqued his curiosity. He didn’t interrupt her.

“Whatever was between us in the past is in the past, and since it is, I have already put it behind me. I hope you have too, Your Highness. You are a smart man; there’s no need for me to spell everything out.” Her words were concise and to the point, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

A strange gust of wind blew, and the snow swirled in the air. He Jiaojiao shivered, her momentum instantly faltering. In her mind, she cursed. Of all the times, the wind had to start now.

Yuwen Jingshen didn’t reply. Instead, he took another step forward and reached out his hand to her.

He Jiaojiao immediately backed away, narrowly avoiding his touch.

Yuwen Jingshen looked like he was about to laugh. He pointed to her right shoulder. “It fell.”

“Huh?” He Jiaojiao didn’t understand. She looked in the direction he was pointing. “Oh,” she said. Half of her fur coat had slipped off. No wonder she suddenly felt a chill. She instinctively said, “Thank you.”

After readjusting her coat, she returned to the topic. “Does Your Highness understand what I’m saying?”

Yuwen Jingshen didn’t seem to take her seriously. He nodded. “Yes, I think so. But Jiaojiao, I am sincere.”

When he said that, He Jiaojiao could clearly hear a hint of mockery in his tone. She wasn’t sure if Yuwen Jingshen had taken any of her words to heart.

“Sincere or not, I am already married. Naturally, I will be devoting my energy to my husband. People must look forward, don’t you agree?”

“But I heard that you and your husband have no affection for each other and are even on bad terms. How can you devote your energy to him?” Yuwen Jingshen said unhurriedly. He looked like he was tired of standing. He sat down nearby, as if intending to have a long conversation with her.

He Jiaojiao was annoyed. Yuwen Jingshen didn’t seem to want to give up, but she had no intention of staying. She said calmly, “That’s my personal business, and there’s no need for me to report every detail to you, Your Highness. You are a busy man with endless affairs of state to attend to; I doubt you have much free time.”

“I’ve said all I need to say. If you have nothing else to discuss, Your Highness, I will take my leave now.” He Jiaojiao lowered her head slightly, looking at her clean embroidered shoes, and turned to leave without a backward glance.

Yuwen Jingshen held a hand warmer in his hands, twirling the thumb ring on his finger, once, twice. His half-closed eyes watched her small retreating figure without blinking.

Suddenly, his low voice carried through the air behind her. “Jiaojiao, we have known each other since we were children. I know your personality better than anyone. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything you said today. Our bond is still here. If you ever change your mind, you can always come to me.”

Yuwen Jingshen used the word “I,” not the royal “we.”

He Jiaojiao understood what he meant, but she also knew his deep ambition. In this moment, she became even more certain that the original owner’s death was not so simple.

For Yuwen Jingshen to ascend to the throne, he would need to win over He Su. But He Su (Minister) was not one for factions and only acted in the best interest of Great Jin. If he was loyal to anyone, it was to the current Emperor.

He Su held military power, controlling the very lifeline of Great Jin. One could only imagine how many people in the court were envious of that.

The original owner had feelings for Yuwen Jingshen, making her the perfect weakness to exploit. If the original owner became the Crown Princess, He Su would be Yuwen Jingshen’s father-in-law. No matter how principled he was, he wouldn’t refuse to help Yuwen Jingshen for the sake of his most beloved daughter. In this world, they would rise and fall together.

But in the end, the Emperor never granted them a marriage, and instead, Pei Ji accidentally got entangled in this mess.

In the original story, Yuwen Jingshen was also a contributor to Pei Ji’s ultimate downfall. In other words, everyone who was a bystander had a hand in it…

He Jiaojiao didn’t know how long she had been walking. The sky was getting dark, and the air felt sinister. Usually, the manor would be brightly lit by this time, but tonight was different. Had everyone had too much fun?

Just then, a strong smell of bl00d filled the air, entering her nostrils and her mind.

He Jiaojiao knew something was terribly wrong.