The Villainess Always Wants to Cuddle With Me [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 13

“What? Does Your Highness not trust me?” Guan Qigui lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around the handle of her scholar’s fan. Her long lashes trembled slightly, and a flicker of dark resolve flashed in her eyes. If Yu Chi Lan refused to believe her, she would have no choice but to sacrifice a pawn to save the king.

Yu Chi Lan hesitated, his sharp eyes probing her deeply. “How can I trust you?” he demanded. For some reason, a sense of unease gnawed at him. How could he remain calm when Guan Qigui handled every major matter with such effortless ease? He knew he lacked her silver tongue and her vast knowledge of strategy and statecraft. He was afraid to trust her; after all, she was a tributary prince from an enemy nation. Who could guarantee she didn’t harbor ulterior motives?

The room was as silent as night, the rustling of leaves outside the window audible in the stillness.

The silence grew oppressive. The two stood facing each other, each calculating their next move. Guan Qigui tapped her fingertips against the fan’s handle and smiled serenely. “Has Your Highness ever heard of Fragrant Full House?”

“Who in Kyoto doesn’t know of Fragrant Full House? Especially its three-story secrets,” Yu Chi Lan replied smoothly. As if struck by a sudden thought, his eyes widened. “You mean… the Imperial Father’s information came from Fragrant Full House! This wasn’t your fabrication… you merely gave it a push!”

Now that Guan Qigui had laid her cards on the table, if Yu Chi Lan still couldn’t grasp the intricacies of the situation, he would have wasted his years as a prince.

Though Yu Chi Lan’s suspicion of Guan Qigui remained undiminished, time was pressing. He had no choice but to lead the silver-laden carts and their escort south to manage the flood relief efforts.

Originally, Yu Chi Lan had considered taking Guan Qigui with him to Southern Anhui, but ultimately deemed it unwise. If he openly brought her along, their ambiguous relationship could be reported to the Emperor by malicious parties, resulting in the loss of his wealth and power at best, or a treasonous death sentence at worst.

Moreover, the mind-altering medicine he had administered to the Imperial Father would only exacerbate the Emperor’s already volatile temper. If discovered, Yu Chi Lan’s life would be in grave danger, making any pursuit of imperial power futile.

While he couldn’t take Guan Qigui with him, he could bring Crown Prince Fengyi.

That day, Guan Qigui had recommended Crown Prince Fengyi to him, predicting the young man would rise to great prominence. She reminded him that the Feng Clan had served the nation for generations, urging him to secure Fengyi’s allegiance early to prepare for the future.

On the night Prince Lan and Feng Yi left the city, Guan Qigui quietly slipped into Ling Jun’s chambers. She hadn’t seen her in ages. Though Ling Jun was her final trump card in seizing power, she couldn’t quite trust her. A strange unease lingered.

Guan Qigui gazed at Ling Jun’s soft, sleeping face, a stray strand of hair clinging to the corner of her mouth. Her curled-up posture was so unlike the refined elegance of noble ladies, yet Guan Qigui found it endearing and genuine. She reached out to brush the stray hair aside, frowning as she murmured to herself, “Would you betray me, Ling Jun…?”

Ling Jun stirred, her face itching. She frowned and hummed in her sleep. Guan Qigui quickly withdrew her hand, but when Ling Jun remained still, she reached out again to poke her cheek, lost in thought.

From their first meeting, Ling Jun had reacted as if she already knew of Guan Qigui. All the signs from their interactions suggested Ling Jun was hiding something. Guan Qigui feared that even the last shred of tenderness in this world might prove a cruel joke, that everything she had done had been part of Ling Jun’s calculated scheme all along…

The seed in her heart had sprouted and taken root. Since that’s the case, I might as well try. Try… to see if she’ll still want to be friends with me after knowing my true nature.

Guan Qigui lowered her gaze and sneered, drawing the dagger hidden in the handle of her scholar’s fan. She pressed the blade lightly against Ling Jun’s neck, moving it gently up and down.

Suddenly, Ling Jun’s body jolted awake like an alarm bell ringing, her skin prickling with goosebumps. She snapped her eyes open, but the darkness of the night obscured her vision. She could only make out a blurry figure silhouetted against the window. She squinted, trying to focus, but gave up after a moment. Yet the icy sensation on her neck was impossible to ignore.

“Awake?” Guan Qigui’s sharp eyebrows arched, her aura now cold and imposing, a stark contrast to her usual humble and polite demeanor.

This voice…

And that faint, yet familiar scent…

Ling Jun seemed to ponder for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. “Qi Gui?”

Guan Qigui froze, her expression darkening slightly, her heart skipping a beat. Her sharp eyes narrowed again, hardening her resolve. She pressed the dagger a little harder against Ling Jun’s neck and asked coldly, “How much do you know about me?”

Ling Jun pressed her lips together, her eyes shrinking as she confessed, “Only that you’re a woman, just like me…”

Guan Qigui clearly didn’t believe her. Why else would she have looked so frightened and surprised back then? With her meticulous mind, how could she have been fooled by Ling Jun’s little trick? She was still lying to her! Seemingly growing angry, she pressed, “Do you know Fragrant Full House?”

Fragrant Full House? Ling Jun’s expression was blank. Wasn’t that a restaurant? She coughed twice, and Guan Qigui’s grip loosened slightly at the sound. Her tightly clenched fingertips trembled, as if afraid of Ling Jun’s answer.

“Xiao Mei mentioned it once,” Ling Jun said. “It’s the largest restaurant in Kyoto. Why? Do you want to go?” Her eyes held no pretense, only her lashes fluttered slightly, as if both afraid of Guan Qigui and unwilling to believe she would truly harm her. Otherwise, why would she question her in the middle of the night? Wouldn’t it have been easier to end her life swiftly and be done with it?

Seeing the sincerity in Ling Jun’s eyes, Guan Qigui awkwardly withdrew the dagger, biting her lip in frustration. She was angry that Ling Jun hadn’t come to see her for so long. If she didn’t visit, would Ling Jun never come? What kind of true friendship was this? It was all a lie! Ling Jun even seemed to value her meetings with Yuchi Yanqing more than their own!

“Let’s end our relationship here…” A flicker of struggle crossed Guan Qigui’s eyes.

Ling Jun immediately rose, her eyes widening in disbelief, her voice rising slightly. “What did you say?”

“We can never be true friends. You are a princess of the Rin Kingdom, the future Crown Prince, while I… am a traitor to both the Lu and Rin Kingdoms.” Guan Qigui sneered bitterly at herself. How could someone who belongs in hell ever deserve genuine affection?

“I refuse to accept that!” Ling Jun retorted. “Could it be that you’ve truly fallen for Yu Chi Lan, as the rumors claim?” Regardless of the reason, she couldn’t bear to lose this friend, the only one who offered her a sliver of redemption.

“Princess, rest well. Pretend you never met this Guan…” Guan Qigui’s eyes held a resolute yet hopeful glint as she turned and left without hesitation. I hope… Ling Jun won’t disappoint me…

Ling Jun stood frozen in place for a long moment, stunned. How could this be happening…? I gave her my whole heart, yet she doesn’t believe me!

The night’s chill crept closer, blurring the already indistinct darkness. Two streams of tears traced paths down her cheeks.

Ling Jun gasped for breath, clutching her chest. Why does it feel so empty here? Why does it feel like a punctured balloon? It hurts so much… I can’t breathe… It aches… It aches so badly… Guan Qigui, please don’t say such cruel, heart-piercing words… Please don’t leave…

The floods in Southern Anhui were devastating. Yu Chi Lan’s investigation confirmed the Left Censor-in-Chief and Academician Yan’s suspicions: Magistrate Lin of Lin County was indeed guilty of embezzlement. However, he had no connections to the Crown Prince or the Third Prince, but rather secretly colluded with the Vice Minister of Revenue to enrich himself.

But… if that were all, how could they bring down the Crown Prince and the Third Prince?

Before his arrival, Guan Qigui had given Yu Chi Lan a meticulously crafted “ledger” and several “secret correspondence letters,” instructing him to frame Magistrate Lin with them.

When Yu Chi Lan arrived in Dengkai County, Magistrate Lin was already there to greet him. Despite the dilapidated houses and impoverished residents lining the streets, the magistrate’s residence stood in stark contrast, its vermilion pillars and intricately carved beams radiating opulence.

Yu Chi Lan deliberately sought to win over Feng Yi. Feng Yi, seeing this as an opportunity to join Prince Lan’s faction, feigned submission while secretly observing Prince Lan’s true intentions.

What Feng Yi discovered sent a chill down his spine. While Magistrate Lin excused himself to relieve himself after drinking, Yu Chi Lan pretended to do the same, but instead slipped into the magistrate’s study. Feng Yi followed him, watching as he hid several unidentified objects in various corners of the room. Shocked, Feng Yi quickly returned to his original spot, feigning a mild intoxication.

After this, Feng Yi had planned to sneak into Magistrate Lin’s residence that night. However, Yu Chi Lan, fearing delays might complicate matters, led his troops to thoroughly search the Lin residence the very next day, presenting the “evidence” before Magistrate Lin.

Magistrate Lin, who had never committed such crimes, vehemently protested his innocence. But with the irrefutable evidence laid out before him, his denials were futile.

Feng Yi finally understood Yu Chi Lan’s strategy—a brilliant move to kill two birds with one stone! A masterful fabrication of evidence!

With Magistrate Lin removed from his position of corruption and negligence, the water conservancy project, though still challenging, managed to divert the floodwaters into canals, preventing further inundation.

Despite the project’s progress, Yu Chi Lan remained in the area until the dam’s repairs were fully completed. Seizing this opportunity, he dispatched a messenger on horseback to deliver the evidence and a letter to Kyoto.

Upon receiving the news, the Emperor summoned the Crown Prince and Third Prince to the palace that very night. However, the case had been meticulously prepared, leaving no room for doubt. No matter how vehemently the Crown Prince and Third Prince protested their innocence, they could not dispel the Emperor’s growing suspicion.

That night, after the Crown Prince and Third Prince returned to their residences, the Emperor summoned the Iron Bl00d Hand, ordering him to thoroughly investigate both princes for any further evidence of factionalism or corruption.

The Iron Bl00d Hand did not disappoint. They uncovered substantial evidence, particularly regarding the Crown Prince’s extensive correspondence with numerous high-ranking officials throughout the court.

The following morning at the imperial court, the Emperor erupted in a furious rage, coughing up several drops of bl00d in his fury.

“Your Majesty, please calm yourself!” The entire court of civil and military officials knelt in unison, without exception.

The Emperor grabbed a memorial from a nearby eunuch and hurled it at the two kneeling Imperial Princes. His eyes blazed with fury as he roared, “You rebellious sons! I am not dead yet! My health is still robust! Are you so impatient that you wish for me to abdicate at once?!”

The Prime Minister, about to plead for leniency on behalf of the princes, was cut short when the Emperor flung the incriminating evidence before the assembled officials. He read aloud the names of officials who had secretly corresponded with the princes, then thundered, “Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of War, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Rites… Your audacity knows no bounds! Have you already begun aligning yourselves with your future emperor?!”

No one dared to speak. It was true that many had maintained contact with the princes, but that was… only natural, wasn’t it? The Emperor’s temper had grown increasingly volatile in recent days…

“Crown Prince Yuchi Chang is hereby stripped of his position as Minister of the Six Ministries and ordered to return command of the three battalions under the Ministry of War. Third Imperial Prince Yuchi Heng is dismissed from his post as Supervising Historian of the Court of Judicial Review. Both Imperial Princes are to be confined to their residences for one year!”

Dismissed from their posts and confined for a year! This…

The assembled officials exchanged uneasy glances. Was this punishment excessively severe?

The day Ling Jun visited Shoukang Palace to inquire after the Empress Dowager’s health, Aunt Fangxian intercepted her at the gate, her face etched with reluctance. “Princess, please return. Don’t make things difficult for this old servant. Her Majesty’s health is frail; she’s receiving no visitors these days.”

“Lian Chen is concerned,” Ling Jun replied. “Please inform Imperial Grandmother that Lian Chen came to check on her and urges her to take extra care. I won’t disturb her any further.”

The Empress Dowager was ill? She had seemed perfectly robust just a few days ago. How could she have fallen ill so suddenly? Though Ling Jun’s expression remained composed, her mind raced. There must be something they’re hiding. Why else would she refuse all visitors? This can’t be a minor ailment!

“As you wish…” Aunt Fangxian bowed deeply at the gate, watching Ling Jun depart with a sigh of relief.

On the way back to the palace, Ling Jun, staff in hand, asked Xiao Mei, “Xiao Mei, how could the Empress Dowager suddenly fall ill?”

Xiao Mei frowned and bit her lip. “Perhaps she caught a cold? Maybe they’re worried about it spreading?” Seeing Ling Jun’s genuine ignorance, she refrained from mentioning the poisoning incident. Perhaps Guan Qigui didn’t want Ling Jun to know.

A few days later, Ling Jun heard that the Empress had also fallen ill. The concubines who tried to visit—whether to mock or show concern—were turned away and ordered to stay in their quarters. The official explanation was that the Empress’s cold was severe, and they feared contagion.

What a coincidence! The Empress and the Empress Dowager… both ill… and seemingly quite seriously?

Ling Jun vaguely saw Xiao Mei’s furtive figure meeting with Anxin. After a brief exchange, Anxin left in one direction, while Xiao Mei hurried off in another. Anxin was Guan Qigui’s person…

That evening, Xiao Mei dropped and shattered two plates while clearing the dinner dishes. Ling Jun’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed.

Something’s definitely fishy here!