Blame the Villain – Chapter 143

Villainous Fake Eunuch (20)

Gu Ruyu didn’t speak again, holding tightly onto Song Xuyi’s arm.

Song Xuyi couldn’t help but lower her head, not daring to look at Gu Ruyu’s face. After all, given Gu Ruyu’s intelligence, she would surely know that it was Song Xuyi who informed the court’s people.

Thinking back carefully, the experiences of these past two months felt like a fantasy dream. Song Xuyi had never imagined that she and Gu Ruyu would develop into this ambiguous relationship, neither friends nor enemies, nor had she imagined that Gu Ruyu would risk her life to save her.

However, the arrival of the court envoy shattered all false peace — she and Gu Ruyu belonged to two completely different camps.

Almost as soon as the envoy finished speaking, Gu Ruyu’s entire aura changed, like a concealed dangerous sickle suddenly unsheathed. Gu Ruyu slightly narrowed her eyes, her face stern as she looked towards those envoys, once again restoring her sinister, frightening tone —

“Heh, you all surely came in time!”

“The Third Prince was adrift in the mountains and forests, penniless, the Princess was almost buried by mudslides, I was blind, and to avoid pursuers, had to wear women’s clothes…”

Gu Ruyu’s voice carried obvious displeasure, as she recounted one by one the things the three of them had experienced. The envoys remembered the brutal methods of this chief eunuch from the past, and even though doubts arose in their hearts, they dared not think deeply, nor did they dare to meet this lord’s frost-covered cheeks, bowing their heads and kneeling on the ground.

Gu Ruyu leisurely picked up dirt from the ground, smeared it on her face to cover the obvious female features on her cheeks. Despite her disheveled state and her eyes having lost their light, her whole aura remained calm, with the pressure of a superior.

“It’s time to return!”

Gu Ruyu slowly stood up from the ground, walked to the somewhat dazed Zheng Lian and Zhao Qin, and slightly bowed, her posture seemingly humble yet coldly curving her lips: “Servant Gu Ruyu respectfully welcomes the Third Prince back to the palace.”

The envoys’ carriage was parked just outside the mountain forest. Since they had already found the Third Prince, Gu Ruyu also presented evidence of the clans embezzling from the commoners and disregarding human life, prompting the envoys to immediately send a letter back to the imperial palace.

Song Xuyi watched with a complex mood as the envoys sent out the letter on horseback, yet she had no position to stop it.

The Emperor had become increasingly obstinate over the years, and Song Xuyi could almost predict that when the evidence reached the court, the arrogant Emperor would surely rage and, under the instigation of schemers, disregard the external threat and send troops to Jiangnan.

And the more chaotic the domestic situation, the more advantageous it was for Gu Ruyu.

Seeing the great mansion collapse and being unable to turn back time, Song Xuyi felt a sense of powerlessness—time was really too rushed, even though she wanted to stop Gu Ruyu’s plan, she simply didn’t have the ability in such a short time, and hope was dim with the amnesiac Zheng Lian.

The Emperor’s orders became increasingly urgent, and at this time, officers and soldiers in the Jiangnan area were still searching everywhere for Gu Ruyu. To escape Jiangnan as much as possible, the envoys decided to split into two routes to depart: Zheng Lian and Gu Ruyu took the fast route back to the capital for treatment, while Song Xuyi and Zhao Qin formed another group behind.

At Zheng Lian’s insistence, the envoys took Zhao Qin to the capital as well, though it was unclear what Zheng Lian said to Zhao Qin, who originally didn’t want to go to the capital but changed her mind, boarding Song Xuyi’s carriage with an anxious face.

Not long after the emperor’s envoys appeared, Gu Ruyu’s subordinates appeared in the team like ghosts.

Seemingly afraid that Song Xuyi would again think of escaping, Gu Ruyu left most of her subordinates to guard around Song Xuyi’s carriage. Before the two teams parted ways, Song Xuyi originally wanted to check on Gu Ruyu’s injury again, but unfortunately encountered Gu Ruyu during a meeting. Even though Gu Ruyu was now blind and couldn’t see, everyone in front of her still trembled, as silent as cicadas in winter.

Song Xuyi looked at the unfamiliar yet familiar appearance of Gu Ruyu, swallowed the advice she was about to give, and briefly expressed concern for Gu Ruyu—

Not long after, the group split apart.

Zhao Qin wistfully watched Zheng Lian’s carriage gradually grow distant, and when she looked towards Song Xuyi, her gaze became increasingly determined: “Princess, can you teach me to read?”

Song Xuyi always felt somewhat guilty towards Zhao Qin. According to the original plot, Zhao Qin should have developed deeper feelings with Zheng Lian before parting, but now she had advanced this process. To ensure Zhao Qin had more life-saving skills in the future chaos of war, Song Xuyi decided not only to teach Zhao Qin to read, but also to teach her some military strategies and defensive skills…

Zhao Qin was extremely clever and understood that what Song Xuyi taught her were all methods to save her life. She learned very earnestly, with one willing to teach and the other earnest in learning, time passed quickly.

Song Xuyi also didn’t expect that Gu Ruyu would leave her a letter.

In the evening, Gu Ruyu’s subordinate respectfully knocked on Song Xuyi’s door and placed a letter on her desk. Song Xuyi curiously opened it, and inside there were only a few simple words: “As the princess wishes.”

Song Xuyi did not understand the meaning of Gu Ruyu’s words: Was Gu Ruyu intending to rest well as advised, or was there another meaning?

After thinking carefully for a while and still not understanding, Song Xuyi stopped pondering and set the letter aside.

However, in the following few days, Song Xuyi gradually realized, Gu Ruyu’s remaining subordinates began to look at her with a strange gaze, as if expecting something…

However, with Gu Ruyu not by her side, even if they made mistakes, she had no way to plead for them. When she wanted to ask, this group of people stammered, shifting around and changing the subject, so Song Xuyi didn’t question further, focusing on teaching Zhao Qin and handing over the military strategies she had previously compiled to Zhao Qin, asking her to find time later to give them to Zheng Lian.

The system, however, perceived some things from the subordinates’ reactions, but it did not want to benefit the villain. Every time those subordinates appeared, the system often diverted Song Xuyi’s attention with jokes.

Not long after, Zhao Qin learned basic writing, and upon hearing from the subordinates that she could send a letter to Zheng Lian, Zhao Qin eagerly started writing to Zheng Lian.

Song Xuyi guided Zhao Qin to finish the letter, and when she handed it to the subordinates, they finally couldn’t help but ask: “Miss Song, aren’t you going to write a letter to Master Gu?”

Seeing Song Xuyi’s dazed expression, the subordinate coughed dryly and continued: “Recently, because of his blindness, Master’s appetite has worsened a lot…”

Song Xuyi pursed her lips, originally not planning to write to Gu Ruyu because she didn’t know what to say. But hearing the subordinates mention this, remembering that Gu Ruyu was injured because of her, and considering Gu Ruyu’s stubborn nature likely meant the subordinates were afraid to persuade her, after thinking it over, Song Xuyi still wrote a brief letter to Gu Ruyu.

“Eat well, cooperate with the doctor for treatment…”

Song Xuyi only wrote a few short sentences, but the subordinates treated it like a treasure, joyfully taking Song Xuyi’s letter and sending it out quickly.

With this beginning, afterward, when Zhao Qin wrote to Zheng Lian, Song Xuyi could always hear some news about Gu Ruyu from the subordinates, such as Gu Ruyu often having headaches recently, her eyes not healing for a long time, feeling irritable, and having poor sleep… Thinking that sending one letter or two was the same effort, Song Xuyi couldn’t help but also send a letter to Gu Ruyu.

Time passed quickly, and Gu Ruyu and Zheng Lian’s group took the fast route, soon returning to the capital.

As Song Xuyi expected, the worst ending came: The amnesiac Zheng Lian simply couldn’t contend against Gu Ruyu’s arrangements. Even before Gu Ruyu returned to the capital, Song Xuyi heard that the Emperor had decided to send troops to eliminate the Jiangnan clans.

The commoners of He Kingdom had long been living in dire straits, and this news was like a fuse igniting their indignation. The Emperor’s troops had not yet reached Jiangnan, but urgent reports from all over He Kingdom had already reached the capital: bandits were causing chaos everywhere.

Everyone understood — the so-called bandits were commoners forced by their circumstances to rebel, but no one had the courage to clarify this to the Emperor.

Upon hearing this news, the Emperor was furious, and his health declined further, making him increasingly reliant on the divine medicine provided by Gu Ruyu. Although Gu Ruyu herself, due to her eye problems, stayed at a hot spring villa outside the city to recuperate, seemingly far from politics, everyone could see the Emperor’s favor towards her. For a time, Gu Ruyu’s faction in the court became increasingly prominent.

By the time Song Xuyi returned to the capital half a month later, He Kingdom had already fallen into a state of internal and external troubles. The clans began to build armies, ambushing the Emperor’s dispatched troops, unrest continued everywhere, and the foreign invaders at the border started to stir restlessly…

Just as recorded in the original synopsis, after Zheng Lian returned to the capital, he recovered his memory under the treatment of the imperial physician. However, before he could rally forces and gain a voice in the court, the Emperor issued an order — sending Zheng Lian to the border to lead the army.

At the same time, probably having heard the news of Zheng Lian having feelings for a lowly tea-picking girl, the Emperor didn’t want Zheng Lian to marry Zhao Qin. As soon as Song Xuyi and her party arrived near the capital, an imperial decree quietly reached Song Xuyi’s hands — instructing her to accompany Zheng Lian to the border in two days.

Song Xuyi never thought the Emperor would have the idea of pairing her with Zheng Lian. However, imperial orders are hard to defy, and one must bow under the eaves, so thinking she could take Zhao Qin to the border and use modern methods to help Zhao Qin and Zheng Lian in battles to avoid the original plot’s ending, Song Xuyi accepted the imperial decree.

Song Xuyi did not notice the strange looks from Gu Ruyu’s subordinates as they looked at her.

After a long and tiring journey, that night, Song Xuyi rested at the inn, planning to pack her luggage, but suddenly at midnight, the system shouted loudly: “Xuyi, a group of people has intruded into your room!”

Song Xuyi hurriedly got up, just as she was about to escape through the back door, the system screamed “they are coming,” and suddenly a strange fragrance wafted through the air—

Everything went black before her eyes, and Song Xuyi softly collapsed…

When Song Xuyi awoke again, her vision was filled with rising steam.

Song Xuyi found herself lying on a warm jade bed, with the air carrying the scent of sulfur. In front of her was a semi-transparent screen, and she was already dressed in clothes made of light gauze.

Realizing this was a hot spring pool, Song Xuyi had a suspicion in her heart.

“Shameless villain!” The system’s scolding voice in her mind further confirmed Song Xuyi’s suspicion.

Song Xuyi did not think Gu Ruyu would harm her. She frowned and sat up, then heard a slight sound of water from the other side of the screen, followed by a beautiful silhouette with peaks and valleys slowly appearing on the semi-transparent screen…

Realizing what it was, Song Xuyi blushed and closed her eyes:

Gu Ruyu… she brought her here, what exactly does she intend to do?!

The author has something to say:

Xuyi, what do you think she wants to do?

LP: Re-translated on September 03, 2024