My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 70

70

“Xu Dace trained a total of over a thousand Tiger Guards, who served as elite soldiers against the Hu cavalry. Additionally, he commanded an army of two hundred thousand, forming a solid barrier guarding the northwest and protecting Yanjing City. They repeatedly repelled Turkic invasions, deterred the neighboring state of Chu, and saved Daheng from peril several times. Father trusts him deeply. If you said someone else might rebel, it would be believable, but him—impossible. Moreover, his position is currently irreplaceable.”

Ye Youli shook her head at Gu Qingci’s words.

“The Tiger Guards who ambushed me this time were all dressed in Hu attire, wearing ghost masks. I suspect they were trying to disguise themselves as Hu people, planning to pin the blame on them afterward.” Gu Qingci said. Speaking at length left her slightly breathless, and she paused to recover.

The third prince’s uncle naturally hadn’t rebelled yet, but after Emperor Changping’s death, when the throne didn’t pass to the third prince, he rebelled—and even allied with the Hu people.

In the plot, this was only mentioned in passing. Since the time hadn’t come yet, and Gu Qingci had no desire to get involved in these struggles, she hadn’t paid it much mind.

But now, forced into this situation, she had to save herself.

She guessed that colluding with the Hu people wasn’t something done overnight. If investigated thoroughly, some clues would surely surface.

Even if they were well-hidden and nothing was found, she would still pin this crime on him.

“You mean…” Ye Youli’s eyes flickered as she thought of something.

“Wolf Tu Army.” Gu Qingci nodded and uttered three words.

“The Wolf Tu Army is a highly skilled cavalry unit of the Turkic people from the northern Hu, an elite force directly commanded by the Turkic royal family. You’re suggesting that if all current evidence points to the Hu people, we deliberately steer the narrative toward the Wolf Tu Army, first concealing the involvement of the Tiger Guards. Then, once it’s revealed that these people are connected to the Tiger Guards and the third prince, their ties to the Hu people will become undeniable.” Ye Youli said, looking at Gu Qingci with some surprise. She hadn’t expected her to think this way, elevating the nature of the incident to such a height.

If they directly accused the Tiger Guards, the other side would surely find a way to shirk responsibility, possibly even framing it as a personal vendetta—there would always be a way to avoid implication.

But from the outset, pushing the blame onto the Hu people—and not just ordinary Hu people, but the Wolf Tu Army—would make people ponder deeper.

Emperor Changping relied on Xu Dace to suppress the Turkic tribes in the northwest. If Xu Dace might be colluding with the Turks, his credibility would be questioned. Could the emperor still trust him to lead troops guarding the border?

“As for Dou Qiang, he is also a member of the Wolf Tu Army—a traitor. There are likely other traitors among the Tiger Guards.” Gu Qingci nodded.

“Taking this step will inevitably subject the Tiger Guards to investigation. When Father orders an inquiry, if the Tiger Guards are barred from the battlefield and Xu Dace is restricted, who will lead the northwestern army? What if the Turkic tribes seize the opportunity to cause trouble?” Ye Youli asked further.

Internal strife is the easiest way to give foreign tribes an opening to exploit.

“Since this matter arose because of me, I naturally won’t stand by and do nothing. I will train the Flying Dragon Army to replace the Tiger Guard. As for the Northwest Army, isn’t there still General Cao Bang’ang? He has many generals under his command, among whom Cao Hang is this year’s military examination second-rank graduate. When the time comes, I will also go to assist.” Gu Qingci thought for a moment and said.

After Xu Dace’s failed rebellion, Cao Hang became the supreme commander of the Northwest Army. It might be a bit early now, but with so many neutral factions, surely they could find someone capable.

Ye Youli wanted to say something but was stopped by Ruan Zhi’s subtle gesture behind Gu Qingci.

Gu Qingci still didn’t know that her poison was extremely difficult to cure and might very well be incurable. Even after her injuries healed, she likely wouldn’t be able to lift a bow, let alone ride a horse, shoot arrows, or go to the battlefield.

“Alright, we’ll deal with that later. First, let’s settle the immediate matters. If His Majesty summons you, the information you provide must align with what I report.” Ye Youli nodded.

“Of course. Also, could you please arrange for Wen Renyi to come here? I need to discuss the training of the Flying Dragon Army with her.” Gu Qingci said.

“Alright.” Ye Youli agreed.

If Gu Qingci only talked about training, could she really produce a force comparable to the Tiger Guard? That would have to be seen later.

“Don’t let the Crown Prince’s side sit idle and reap the benefits.” Gu Qingci reminded.

“Of course not. General Gu, focus on recovering. His Majesty is already aware and will send imperial physicians and eunuchs daily to monitor your pulse and treatment.” Ye Youli said.

“Thank you. Oh, one more thing—I’ve been feeling unwell lately, weak and lacking strength, as if I’ve been poisoned. If we find the antidote, can it be cured?” Gu Qingci asked about the poison.

“Wen Renyi’s uncle came earlier. He said he would find a way. The poison originates from the Hu people and will take some time. Don’t worry.” Ruan Zhi spoke up.

“That’s good.” Gu Qingci said, not overly concerned.

In her current injured state, she was already very weak, and the effects of the poison seemed less noticeable, not posing an immediate threat.

Ye Youli glanced at Ruan Zhi but said nothing more.

After Ye Youli left, Ruan Zhi escorted her out.

“Regarding her poison, please keep it confidential for now. If we truly can’t find an antidote, I will tell her myself.” Ruan Zhi said to Ye Youli.

“I know. If Gu Qingci were still the unparalleled warrior of Daheng, defending her would be worth a higher cost, and even Father Emperor would likely deem it worthwhile. If… let’s focus on recovering from the injuries first. I’ll handle matters in the court.” Ye Youli said.

“Thank you. There’s one more thing that could serve as leverage. The Third Prince and his faction have been secretly raising a private army. If nothing happens, the authorities might turn a blind eye, but if anything occurs, this would be incriminating evidence. Additionally, maintaining a private army requires substantial funds—part of which comes from embezzling military pay allocated by the court, and the rest from their commercial enterprises and estates. Does Your Highness have any information about the Third Prince’s shops and estates?” Ruan Zhi asked.

“…What are you planning to do?” Ye Youli was somewhat surprised by Ruan Zhi’s words, not expecting her to know about these matters.

“If their businesses suffer significant losses, leaving them without funds to sustain their army, those soldiers won’t remain obedient. And if their shops lose money, they’ll have to make up for it elsewhere.” Ruan Zhi said, looking at Ye Youli.

Gu Qingci’s injuries had also enraged Ruan Zhi.

As for the Third Prince’s faction, Ruan Zhi intended to make them pay in her own way.

Ye Youli understood Ruan Zhi’s meaning and couldn’t help but smile.

Of all people to provoke, the Third Prince had chosen Ruan Zhi and Gu Qingci.

“Your talent is no less than Gu Qingci’s. Rest assured, I will support you fully. Later, I’ll have those in the know come and discuss this with you.” Ye Youli said solemnly.

When it came down to it, this matter had originated because of Ye Youli.

If Ruan Zhi and the others had simply handed the benefits to the Third Prince’s side from the beginning, none of this would have happened.

But the enmity between Ye Youli and the Third Prince’s faction was not new—it had started back when Ye Youli’s mother was alive, with the Third Prince’s mother scheming and suppressing her at every turn. After Ye Youli’s mother passed away, they turned their focus to Ye Youli.

Otherwise, Ye Youli wouldn’t have had to bide her time and keep a low profile, leaving the capital for Youzhou Prefecture.

After exchanging a few more words, Ruan Zhi returned to Gu Qingci, the sharpness in her expression softening once more.

Gu Qingci puffed up her cheeks as she lay on the bed, staring at the door. When it opened and Ruan Zhi walked in, her eyes curved into crescents.

“Sister, what were you talking to her about for so long…?” Gu Qingci made no effort to hide her jealousy.

“Business matters. Since the Third Prince loves money so much, we’ll just take more of it from him.” Ruan Zhi replied, walking over to plant a kiss on Gu Qingci’s forehead.

Seeing Gu Qingci try to sit up, she helped her rise.

Still in pain and weak all over, Gu Qingci clung to Ruan Zhi like a boneless creature, resting her head on her shoulder.

“What does Sister plan to do?” Gu Qingci asked.

Ruan Zhi briefly explained her plan.

“The idea is like this, but I’m not yet familiar with their management or the specifics of their shops. Once I understand better, I’ll make a detailed plan.”

Seeing that Gu Qingci was eager to hear more, Ruan Zhi elaborated a bit.

“Sister, you’re amazing! I really want to see that guy’s face—he must be furious! Ow—” Gu Qingci started to laugh but winced as the movement agitated her internal injuries.

“Where does it hurt?” Ruan Zhi asked anxiously.

“My chest hurts. If Sister hugs me, it won’t hurt anymore…” Gu Qingci said pitifully.

“…” Ruan Zhi placed a hand on Gu Qingci’s chest and gently stroked it.

“Try not to get too worked up while you’re still injured. Once you’re better, you can do whatever you want.” Ruan Zhi said softly.

“Really?” Gu Qingci asked.

“Of course.” Ruan Zhi smiled.

Gu Qingci’s emotions flared up again, and her chest ached once more.

Though the vital spots had been avoided, the sheer force of the blows had injured her internal organs.

Forced to restrain herself, Gu Qingci settled for “calm” intimacy with Ruan Zhi.

“Sister, how did you find me?” Gu Qingci asked, bringing up the question she’d wanted to ask since waking up, only to be interrupted by Ye Youli’s visit earlier.

“It was Chihuo…” Ruan Zhi explained the situation to her.

“Chihuo is also here, and the wounds have been treated. You can see it when you feel better.” Ruan Zhi said.

“Sister, you rode Chihuo here—your legs must be injured. Let me see.” Gu Qingci insisted.

“It’s just a few scrapes. It’s nothing.” Ruan Zhi replied.

“I want to see.” Gu Qingci persisted.

“…” Ruan Zhi had no choice but to let her look.

Yet the person whose own flesh was torn and bleeding, who hadn’t shed a tear from the pain, now reddened at the sight of her scrapes, tears falling.

Ruan Zhi pulled her into an embrace to comfort her.

“Sister, you should wear riding attire when on horseback. Later, I’ll properly teach you how to ride.” Gu Qingci said.

“Alright.” Ruan Zhi agreed.

A sour ache rose in her heart again.

In the future, she didn’t know if Gu Qingci would still be able to ride as freely as before.

After the two lingered affectionately for a while, Gu Qingci, weakened from her injuries, quickly grew drowsy.

Ruan Zhi soothed her to sleep, then turned to her own tasks.

She sent someone back to Yanjing to inform her parents of their safety, summoned the family’s shopkeepers to inquire about business conditions, reviewed account books, and made plans for the next steps.

Additionally, she used merchant tactics to counter the Third Prince’s schemes.

In her past life, she had employed commercial strategies to help Ye Youli strike against rivals, including the Third Prince’s faction.

However, at this time, she wasn’t entirely clear about the Third Prince’s current structure—she needed more information to formulate targeted plans.

Ye Youli soon sent a steward over. Ruan Zhi coordinated with them, exchanging intelligence and devising strategies.

The next morning, just after Gu Qingci had taken her medicine and was hoping to get close to Ruan Zhi, a eunuch sent by Emperor Changping arrived to check on Gu Qingci, bringing with him an imperial decree.

“By the decree of Heaven… Gu Qingci has rendered meritorious service in resisting the enemy and is thus rewarded… promoted to Second-Rank Marquis Wuzhong, Commander of the Imperial Guards’ Left Division!”

Emperor Changping not only rewarded Gu Qingci with a pile of treasures but also promoted her in rank, even reinstating her as the Left Commander, a position previously fought over.

Gu Qingci single-handedly killed twelve members of the “Wolf Tu” and one “spy.”

Such formidable combat prowess directly shocked the imperial court, and now her deeds have spread like wildfire.

Gu Qingci had previously been reluctant to bother with the intricacies of officialdom.

No real power? Fine—as long as she had rank, it was enough.

But after this incident, Gu Qingci was forced to flip her idle ways and rise to the occasion.

Emperor Changping thoughtfully granted her time to recuperate.

While Gu Qingci was receiving the imperial decree, the Third Prince’s residence was filled with the sound of shattering porcelain.

Ceramics and jade ornaments were hurled across the room, smashing into pieces.

“That idiot Dou Qiang! I told him to stay hidden and just observe from the sidelines, but he had to show himself! And not only did he show himself—he got himself killed! Useless! Useless!”

The Third Prince was furious, wishing he could tear the entire room apart.

“Your Highness, please calm down. At this point, we must firmly insist that Dou Qiang was a traitor and that Your Highness was unaware. At worst, it’s a case of poor judgment—Your Highness is also a victim.” a cautious advisor at the doorway whispered.

“Because of him, my entire estate is about to be investigated! I’m so angry! Uncle said he sent the best Tiger Guard—how could they be so weak that Gu Qingci killed them all by herself? Not only did she not die, but she was promoted to Left Commander!” the Third Prince raged.

“Your Highness, Gu Qingci is no longer a concern. After her injury, she must have been poisoned. If she can’t concoct the antidote, her life is as good as over. She won’t hold the position of Left Commander for long. Right now, Your Highness should worry more about the Eldest Princess and the Crown Prince—who knows what faults they might exploit next. Your Highness should write a detailed account of the events and send it by carrier pigeon to General Xu to see what he advises.” the advisor suggested.

Hearing this and remembering that Gu Qingci would soon be crippled, the Third Prince’s expression eased slightly.

Gu Qingci had been poisoned—while others might not know, their informants certainly did.

“Uncle is all the way at the border—what a hassle! By the way, how much of the silver Uncle urgently requested has been raised? Send whatever we have to him now.” the Third Prince grumbled, his temper cooling slightly as he prepared to write the letter.

“Your Highness, forgive me—we’ve only gathered thirty thousand taels so far. We’re still short by more than half.” the advisor replied nervously.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a teacup lid flew out and struck his forehead with a thud.

“Uncle’s silver cannot be delayed. Keep working on raising more.” the Third Prince ordered.

The advisor swallowed his grievances, resigned to finding another way to scrape together the funds.

Unaware of the chaos in the Third Prince’s residence, Gu Qingci continued to rest and recover.

The wounds on the back of her arms have scabbed over, and her internal injuries have improved slightly. However, overall, she is still very weak and needs someone to support her when walking.

In the following days, Ye Youli maneuvered in the court, while Ruan Zhi was busy setting commercial traps by drawing up enticing offers for the Third Prince’s faction.

The most idle one was Gu Qingci.

Wen Renyi visited once, and Gu Qingci reviewed the training plan with her, asking her to continue drilling the troops while she recuperated.

She slept a lot each day. When she woke up and Ruan Zhi wasn’t by her side, Gu Qingci would ponder other matters, revisiting some weapons from later eras.

Improvements to the crossbow, designs for repeating crossbows—she had some ideas before but hadn’t yet brought them to life. She could continue working on them, making them even more formidable to avoid a situation like this time, where a single strike failed to kill, giving the enemy a chance to counterattack.

Gu Qingci suspected most of her internal injuries came from Dou Qiang’s desperate counterattack when she couldn’t dodge in time.

Not only did she need to design a good crossbow for Ruan Zhi’s protection, but she also needed to equip herself with one. Fighting over a dozen people this time was too exhausting. If she had better weapons, she wouldn’t have nearly died.

Aside from crossbows, during the horseback battle with that group, Gu Qingci noticed another issue: the knives those people used to slash at Chihuo were too short. If they had been weapons like the mòdāo or hooked spears—specialized anti-cavalry arms—she and Chihuo wouldn’t have lasted more than a few rounds. She guessed such weapons didn’t exist here. Once she confirmed, she’d equip her Flying Dragon Army with them.

Additionally, there was gunpowder.

This world did have gunpowder—firecrackers were set off during the New Year—but it seemed the optimal ratio hadn’t been found, so its power was limited and not used in warfare. Adjusting the formula and creating rudimentary landmines or grenades could significantly increase its destructive force. There was no comparison between firearms and cold weapons.

She had no desire to harm others, but when others sought to harm her, she needed the ability to fight back.

Once the wounds on Gu Qingci’s back improved slightly and she could hold a brush, she spent her free time in the study writing and sketching, making preparations.

One day, Ruan Zhi went out, and Gu Qingci was in the study drawing when she sensed someone approaching. She looked up, but the figure she had glimpsed from the corner of her eye was gone—only the shadow remained, belonging to a small child with twin buns in their hair.

Gu Qingci lowered her head, and the figure peeked out again.

Gu Qingci found it amusing.

So she drew a cute expression on paper, pretending it had fallen to the ground, letting it drift near the shadowy figure.

The figure cautiously bent down to pick it up.

While Gu Qingci turned away, the child tiptoed over and placed the paper on her desk. When Gu Qingci turned back, she saw her.

Upon seeing the little girl’s face, Gu Qingci was slightly surprised.

She was a child of about three or four, with round, chubby cheeks and exquisite, delicate features. Her eyes were like black gemstones—pure, bright, and clear.

Gu Qingci hadn’t expected Ye Youli’s residence to have such a child.

She didn’t know whose child she was, but judging by her clothing—made of fine fabric—she didn’t seem to be the child of a servant.

The little girl, noticing Gu Qingci looking at her, widened her round eyes and took a step back, hiding again.

But she hadn’t left.

“Little one, how old are you? What’s your name?” Gu Qingci asked.

The child didn’t answer and remained hidden.

“Do you want some candy?” Gu Qingci gestured to the snacks on the table that Ruan Zhi had prepared for her.

The child still didn’t speak.

Gu Qingci sensed something different about her but didn’t show it.

Since she had been drawing for a while and needed a break, she decided to amuse herself by teasing the child.

“Don’t want to talk? Then just nod or shake your head.” Gu Qingci said, sitting down and sketching a simple little animal.

“You said this is a puppy?” Gu Qingci picked up the drawing and asked.

The little child shook their head by the door.

Getting a reaction was good, so Gu Qingci continued to draw a few more.

The child responded to each one.

But didn’t say a word.

“I’ll give you all these drawings. If you want them, come and take them.” Finally, Gu Qingci’s hand grew sore from drawing, so she said this.

The child hesitated for a moment, then shuffled over to take the drawings Gu Qingci offered.

“You like bows? Then I’ll give you this one too.” Noticing the child’s round, bright eyes fixed on the simple bow she had drawn on the table, Gu Qingci handed that drawing over as well.

The child took it, and their dark eyes seemed to light up a little.

Gu Qingci was about to ask something else when hurried footsteps approached, and soon another person appeared at the door.

It was Ye Youli.

Ye Youli was slightly out of breath. Having discovered the child was missing, she had searched everywhere.

Afraid something might have happened to the little one.

Unexpectedly, the child had come to find Gu Qingci.

And Gu Qingci was talking to her—moreover, the child was actually looking at Gu Qingci and had taken something from her!

Ye Youli was astonished.

The child usually ignored strangers.

Could it be that the earlier stories had an effect, and knowing Gu Qingci was the martial arts top scholar made the child feel close to her?

“Your Highness, who is this child? What’s their name? They’re quite interesting.” Gu Qingci asked with a smile when she saw Ye Youli.

Ye Youli’s expression shifted slightly.

“My apologies for disturbing you. I’ll take her away now.” Ye Youli said without answering Gu Qingci’s question, stepping forward to take the child’s hand.

The child resisted slightly.

Ye Youli grew even more surprised.

“Ah Ran, do you want to stay here and play?” Ye Youli asked softly.

The child pressed their lips together and didn’t speak, only continued to look at Gu Qingci.

“…” Ye Youli sighed softly in her heart.

“General Gu, I’ll trouble you to look after things for a while. I’ll explain more to you later.” Ye Youli had no choice but to say to Gu Qingci.

Gu Qingci nodded in agreement and continued interacting with the child.

After a while, Gu Qingci’s arm grew sore from writing, so she put down the brush and rubbed it.

The child seemed to notice, took a few steps back, then turned and left.

Ye Youli escorted the child out, and before she could return, Ruan Zhi came back first.

Upon hearing the maid say that Ruan Zhi had returned, Gu Qingci didn’t stay in the study any longer and went back to the room to be close to her.

“Sister, how is the plan you mentioned earlier coming along?” Gu Qingci asked after a moment of intimacy.

Ruan Zhi had been going out frequently these days, busy with the scheme to trap the Third Prince.

“The merchants we arranged to purchase raw materials have already made contact with the Third Prince’s household, buying the materials at a high price. The Third Prince’s household sold all their existing stock to our merchants.”

“Now that they have no inventory left, if they want to profit from the price difference, they’ll have to buy from elsewhere. As for those materials, I had people buy up almost all available stock on the market earlier. If they want to purchase, they’ll have to buy from us. Today, they negotiated the price, and tomorrow we’ll see how much they’re willing to buy.”

Ruan Zhi briefly explained the situation to Gu Qingci.

Both the buying and selling were handled by people Ruan Zhi had arranged.

Even though they had purchased some of the Third Prince’s materials at a high price, Ruan Zhi had originally bought them cheaply. By reselling those goods to the Third Prince’s people at a slightly higher price, they were guaranteed to profit.

In the end, when the Third Prince’s people bought the goods Ruan Zhi had marked up and tried to resell them at an even higher price to another party, that other party would “disappear.”

Listening to Ruan Zhi outline her plan, Gu Qingci’s mood lifted considerably.

As expected of a mastermind—using business tactics to trap the opponent was seamless.

As long as the other side wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, they would take the bait.

“Sister, you’re amazing! You’ve already done so much! Meanwhile, I’m still just a little good-for-nothing, my injuries aren’t even fully healed yet… Wuwuwu… My arm got sore after just a little drawing today… Sister, can you massage it for me?” Gu Qingci clung to Ruan Zhi, acting spoiled.

Ruan Zhi knew it was the effect of the poison that made Gu Qingci easily tired and sapped of strength.

The progress of deciphering the poison was very slow. Besides Ruan Zhi’s financial contribution, it was also due to the involvement of Wen Renyi. The entire Wenren family had stepped in to help, including the elderly patriarch who had long retired from practicing medicine—Wen Renyi had managed to persuade him to come out and assist in researching the antidote.

There was no telling how long it would take to develop it.

Suppressing the ache in her heart, Ruan Zhi looked at Gu Qingci’s pleading expression and naturally couldn’t refuse.

“Sister, I feel like I’m up for it today—can we stick close?” After Ruan Zhi’s careful and gentle massage, Gu Qingci pushed her luck.

“…Your wounds have just scabbed over. Are you sure you’re ready?” Ruan Zhi pressed a finger to Gu Qingci’s cheek.

Over the past few days, it was only because of her injuries—getting too excited would make her chest ache from panting—that they hadn’t done much.

And now she was here asking for more.

Why was she so obsessed?

Ruan Zhi worried Gu Qingci’s wounds might reopen, but she also couldn’t bear to see her upset.

So she indulged her, while carefully watching over her.