Quick Transmigration: The Villain Is Too Pampered and Alluring - Chapter 80

Xiao Dingcheng only remembered it after five days had passed since Sheng Nuan’s birthday. Filled with regret, he went to the private treasury to pick out a generous gift for her.

While Xiao Dingcheng was rummaging through the treasury, Sheng Nuan unexpectedly encountered Liu Rumian in the garden.

Liu Rumian had changed her usual plain and soft attire for something more extravagant, exuding confidence.

Liu Rumian stopped in front of Sheng Nuan, her expression a mix of amusement and mockery as she looked at her. “Sister Sheng…”

Sheng Nuan slightly raised an eyebrow without speaking, curious to see what kind of trouble Liu Rumian was about to stir up.

In the next moment, Liu Rumian’s attendant, Wen’er, scolded sharply, “How dare you, Lady Sheng! You still won’t show proper respect when you see Madam!”

Liu Rumian rested her hand on her waist, though she hadn’t started showing yet, she was already carrying herself like she was eight months pregnant. “Sister Sheng, there are distinctions between the noble and the lowly. Sister is not trying to deliberately be harsh on you.”

Sheng Nuan laughed. “Do you not know how you came by this position? Instead of showering me with gratitude, you still have the nerve to feel proud?”

Liu Rumian hadn’t expected Sheng Nuan to confront her so directly, and her expression immediately turned cold. Gritting her teeth, she ordered, “Since that’s the case, Wen’er… slap her!”

Wen’er hesitated for a moment but moved forward as instructed. Just as she raised her hand, Sheng Nuan kicked her and sent her flying, letting out a scream as she fell and couldn’t get back up.

Liu Rumian’s expression changed dramatically as she stepped forward, intending to strike Sheng Nuan herself. “How dare you!”

Liu Rumian was sure that Sheng Nuan wouldn’t dare to fight back, especially since she was pregnant… But just as she raised her hand, her wrist was caught.

Sheng Nuan sneered. “I gave you face, didn’t I?”

As soon as she finished speaking, she delivered a resounding slap across Liu Rumian’s face.

With a snap, Liu Rumian covered her face, shocked and unable to believe it. “Y-you dare… you dare hit me…”

“What’s going on here?”

Xiao Dingcheng approached, holding a wooden box.

Liu Rumian immediately burst into tears after seeing him. “Heir Apparent, Sister Sheng… ah… my stomach hurts, Heir Apparent, I…”

Xiao Dingcheng frowned, instinctively wanting to avoid Liu Rumian’s touch. But seeing her about to collapse, he still reached out to give her a hand.

Liu Rumian clung to Xiao Dingcheng and was about to file a complaint, but at that moment, a commotion erupted outside the main gate, followed by a loud crashing sound, as if the gate had been knocked down.

Xiao Dingcheng’s expression instantly changed.

What happened?

In the next moment, frantic shouts came from the direction of the gate.

“It’s bad, it’s bad! Someone from the imperial court has come to raid the residence…”

Xiao Dingcheng’s expression suddenly changed. He no longer cared about anything else and hurriedly shoved the box into Sheng Nuan’s hands before turning on his heel and striding toward the gate.

Liu Rumian didn’t even bother to pretend she had a stomach ache anymore; she stared wide-eyed at the scene unfolding before her…

Sheng Nuan knew very well what was happening and discreetly took the box and turned to leave.

She understood that the drama of the Duke of Zhenbei’s manor being raided had begun…

The Duke of Zhenbei had been killed in battle at Yanyun Pass. The Yanmen Pass also fell, resulting in countless soldiers and civilians dead or injured.

Immediately afterward, he was reported by his subordinates for having correspondence with Great Liao. The Tang Emperor ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard¹ to storm the Duke of Zhenbei’s manor to search for evidence. Although nothing was found, several of the Duke’s subordinates submitted a joint memorial, strongly asserting that he was colluding with the enemy.

Just like the original storyline, the sudden turn of events left the Duke of Zhenbei Manor no time to react and fell from power… Within just five days, the residence was raided, the servants scattered, and everyone from the Old Madam to Xiao Dingcheng was demoted to commoners.

And this was still due to the Tang Emperor’s leniency.

Princess Lin’an, because of her status, divorced Xiao Dingcheng and returned to her princess mansion.

The Duke of Zhenbei had no side consorts, and several of his concubines had no children, leaving quickly with their belongings… Ultimately, only the Old Madam, the Princess Consort, Xiao Dingcheng, Sheng Nuan, Liu Rumian, and the ever-loyal Gui Momo remained, along with Wen’er, who still held her contract in Liu Rumian’s hands.

They had their wealth and possessions confiscated and were left with only a few sets of plain clothing as they were expelled from the Duke’s residence…

On the day they were expelled from the Duke’s residence, a carriage stopped in front of Sheng Nuan.

As the carriage curtain was lifted, she saw Bai Chengze disguised as Princess Lin’an.

Bai Chengze looked at Sheng Nuan warmly and asked, “Are you coming with me?”

Sheng Nuan smiled and shook her head…

Bai Chengze’s expression instantly turned gloomy. He lowered his head, looking very desolate.

Sheng Nuan couldn’t see the gloom and hidden madness in his downcast eyes. She leaned close to the carriage and said softly, “I can’t leave just yet… But once I can, I will come to find you, okay?”

Only then did Bai Chengze smile. “Okay.”

He whispered, “I’ll wait for you, Sister. Please make it quick, okay?”

Otherwise, he feared he would lose sight of everything and, regardless of the consequences, would reveal his true self to bring her back to his side.

He wouldn’t allow her to leave again…

Sheng Nuan smiled, “Take care of yourself.”

After saying that, she let the curtain fall and returned to the dilapidated carriage of the Duke’s manor…

Inside the small carriage were the Old Madam, the Princess Consort, and Liu Rumian, all squeezed together, making it quite cramped as they headed toward their new residence.

This was an old house that Sheng Nuan had found in the northern part of the city for her entire family, the very same place from the original storyline. To pay the rent, she had pawned a silver bracelet.

Since hearing the news of his father’s death in battle and the subsequent raid on the residence, Xiao Dingcheng had been in a daze. The Old Madam and the Princess Consort had both fallen ill from the shock, while Gui Momo was busy attending to everyone.

Liu Rumian was completely dumbfounded…

After all her efforts, even going so far as to sever ties with Xiao Dingcheng to snatch the position of equal wife, and now, within just ten days… the manor was gone?

This time, she truly felt her stomach hurt this time and could hardly get out of bed, so she relied entirely on Wen’er to take care of her.

When they were expelled from the manor, apart from the personal belongings they had on them, they were not allowed to take anything else… all their jewelry had also been confiscated.

Thinking of this, Sheng Nuan felt immensely grateful that she had hidden away a large box of valuables early on… but they definitely couldn’t be used now.

To be precise, she couldn’t use those things until she completed her mission and left Xiao Dingcheng. Otherwise, it would cause trouble!

After moving into the shabby little courtyard, Liu Rumian was in a daze, lying on the bed with a vacant expression filled with confusion…

She had aimed to become the secondary consort of the Heir Apparent but ended up as a mere concubine. After finally exhausting all her efforts to be elevated to the status of equal wife, now, she had lost everything.

If only she hadn’t married Xiao Dingcheng in the first place, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a dire situation as the Minister of Revenue’s daughter.

The Old Madam and the Princess Consort were even more devastated, falling ill and unable to rise…

Sheng Nuan helped feed the Princess Consort some thin porridge and was about to leave when the Princess Consort grabbed her hand, then removed the only remaining jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Sheng Nuan, saying weakly, “The whole family needs to eat. Take this and pawn it…”

Sheng Nuan paused for a moment, then without refusing, took the bracelet before heading out.

Xiao Dingcheng was sitting in the courtyard, lost in thought.

“Husband…”

Sheng Nuan approached to call him.

Xiao Dingcheng suddenly came back to his senses, staring blankly at her. “Nuan Nuan, what’s wrong?”

Sheng Nuan said softly, “The Princess Consort asked me to pawn her bracelet. I’m going out now to do that, and then I’ll bring a doctor… The Old Madam and the Princess Consort’s illness can’t be delayed any longer.”

Xiao Dingcheng stood up. “I’ll go.”

He felt as if his soul had left his body, but knew that in these past few days, the matters at home and the remaining people relied on Sheng Nuan to run around. He had shoulder the responsibility.

Xiao Dingcheng said, “I’ll go!”

Sheng Nuan hesitated for a moment, then handed him the jade bracelet. “Husband, after you pawn the bracelet, go to Miaoshan Hall² to find a doctor. Other places probably won’t be willing to come.”

Now that they had just been convicted, many people were unwilling to associate with the Xiao family.

Not to mention the Liu family, even the Princess Consort’s maternal family, the Dong family, had declared they were severing ties with Dong Qingshuang… This was a matter of treason; anyone connected could face punishment implicating the whole clan, and no one dared to take such a grave risk.

Xiao Dingcheng responded with an “mm,” taking the bracelet with a vacant expression as he left, while Sheng Nuan went to the kitchen to prepare medicine for the Old Madam and the Princess Consort.

However, after she finished preparing the medicine, Xiao Dingcheng still hadn’t returned, so Sheng Nuan had customer service check what was happening.

In the next moment, she heard customer service weakly say: “Host, Xiao Dingcheng lost the bracelet… He’s too scared to come back.”

Sheng Nuan: ……

What kind of rubbish is this?

1. Embroidered Uniform Guard – aka Jinyiwei (錦衣衛) was a special military and intelligence agency that served as imperial bodyguards, intelligence gathering, law enforcement, interrogation and torture, etc. ↵
2. Miaoshan Hall – can be translated as Hall of Goodness. ↵