Blame the Villain – Chapter 73

Villainous Crown Prince (15)

For the convenience of the serving maids, their residence was very close to the prince’s bedroom, and in no time, the two of them arrived in front of the prince’s bedroom.

The prince’s bedroom was extremely quiet, with the vermilion lacquered door tightly closed and no one around. Two delicate lanterns with paintings of court ladies hung outside the door. The lanterns were designed intricately, and when the wind blew, they would rotate and change the patterns, making the figures on them appear to come to life and perform various preset movements.

Strangely, the court ladies on the two lanterns had no faces…

Song Xuyi glanced at the lanterns and felt a sense of familiarity with the figures on them. Just as she was about to take a closer look, the wind suddenly stopped, and the old nanny in front also stopped in her tracks.

“You can go in by yourself!” the old nanny stood at the entrance to the bedroom. “The prince does not like noise. During the day, there are court ladies to attend to him, but after nightfall, no one can enter the prince’s bedroom without his permission.”

This habit…

Song Xuyi was even more puzzled for a moment: if Nie Qianyu pretended not to recognize her on purpose, why would she still retain the same habits as before?

“Thanks to your care today,” Song Xuyi suppressed her doubts, bowed to the old nanny, and although the old nanny’s reaction was not obvious, Song Xuyi understood that the old nanny had been supporting her all day.

The old nanny did not expect Song Xuyi to thank her.

Thinking back to the scene she saw through the door crack during the day, Song Xuyi felt nauseated, reaffirming her opinion of the old nanny: even though she did not understand why Nie Qianyu had turned into this, at least they had some shared history. Song Xuyi was not afraid of Nie Qianyu. Compared to being by the side of a debauched emperor, Song Xuyi would rather choose to fail the mission.

Song Xuyi once again thanked the old nanny.

The old nanny could not stay in front of the prince’s bedroom for long and quickly turned to leave the bedroom.

For a moment, the empty courtyard was left with only Song Xuyi.

Song Xuyi took a deep breath as she looked at the door in front of her, feeling a hint of unease in her heart. If it was still the quiet and reserved Nie Qianyu she knew before, Song Xuyi would not be anxious. However, the Nie Qianyu she reunited with carried too many unknowns…

Does she still remember me?

Combining Nie Qianyu’s behavior after the reunion, Song Xuyi had a certain speculation in her mind, but that speculation needed further verification.

Thinking back to the dangerous appearance of Nie Qianyu when she was playing with arrows during the day, Song Xuyi bit her lip and decided to be cautious. She would first pretend not to recognize Nie Qianyu, then further observe what was really going on.

With a creak, Song Xuyi pushed open the door.

She was met with the soft glow of the night pearls. Song Xuyi squinted her eyes and unexpectedly met the gaze of Nie Qianyu, who was sitting at the table in her nightclothes.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Song Xuyi never imagined that reuniting with Nie Qianyu would turn out like this. While feeling a thousand emotions inside, she pretended not to recognize Nie Qianyu on the surface and bowed respectfully.

Song Xuyi could sense Nie Qianyu’s scrutinizing gaze on her, and after a while, Song Xuyi heard a cold voice from the front saying, “No need for formalities, close the door.”

As per Nie Qianyu’s instructions, the door was shut, and recalling the mannerisms of the maids in her memory, Song Xuyi stood respectfully by Nie Qianyu’s side.

Nie Qianyu was drinking.

Red plum wine was poured into a jade cup, creating a stark contrast in color. The sweet aroma of the wine lingered in the bedroom, tantalizing one’s taste buds.

Nie Qianyu had an excellent capacity for alcohol. She sat beside the table, drinking one cup after another, expressionless throughout, resembling a sculpture made of jade. It wasn’t until a strong wind blew outside that Nie Qianyu’s demeanor changed, and she turned to look out the window.

Following her gaze, Song Xuyi saw the hanging lanterns with court lady figures at the door.

At that moment, the lanterns started rolling, and Song Xuyi noticed one lady on a lantern planting seedlings in the field, while another was cooking by the stove…

What a chaotic and bizarre picture this is!

The faceless court ladies and the strange scenes left Song Xuyi puzzled and perplexed—

“Is my painting beautiful?” Nie Qianyu, who had been silently drinking, suddenly spoke.

What other answer could be given?

Song Xuyi didn’t dare reveal her true feelings and had to rack her brains to praise insincerely, “Beautiful! Your Highness has a unique and interesting perspective…”

Song Xuyi didn’t expect that her overly official flattery seemed to please Nie Qianyu. The expression on Nie Qianyu’s face visibly softened, and she turned to look at Song Xuyi, saying, “I didn’t expect a palace maid like you to have such insight. I particularly love these two paintings. Every time I look at them, I feel joy in my heart…”

“Little palace maid, what is your name?”

Song Xuyi also didn’t know why, but the more she looked at the two paintings, the more familiar they seemed. Just as a clue began to form in her mind, Nie Qianyu interrupted, forcing Song Xuyi to speak, “I am called Song Xuyi.”

“Xuyi—”

Nie Qianyu softly uttered Song Xuyi’s name, then furrowed her brow slightly, saying, “Song is the surname of the royal family of Lishui Country. Are you by any chance related to the royal family?”

Perhaps because she hadn’t used voice-altering drugs that night, Nie Qianyu’s voice carried a hint of softness, slightly hoarser than most women, but undeniably pleasant to hear.

“Your Highness jests,” Song Xuyi dutifully played the role of a young dancer but couldn’t help but lift her head to glance at Nie Qianyu.

Nie Qianyu turned her face to the side, letting down her hair. The soft light of the night pearl softened the coldness on her face, making her beauty more apparent with her delicate features, red lips, and beautiful eyes…

However, Song Xuyi widened her eyes in shock: on Nie Qianyu’s cheek, that red mole appeared once again at the corner of her eye!

If the Nie Qianyu of previous years was a bud waiting to bloom, the present Nie Qianyu had clearly blossomed into a more radiant beauty. Yet, as she looked in her direction with a hint of inquiry in her eyes, there was no hint of jest, as if she truly was a stranger…

“I see that Your Highness also finds me familiar,” with tumultuous emotions surging within, Song Xuyi forced a smile and tentatively spoke, “Many years ago, I caught a distant glimpse of the missing former Crown Prince, Nie Qianyu, who bears a striking resemblance to you…”

“Perhaps so, after all, we are siblings from the same mother,” Nie Qianyu’s response was icy: “I don’t remember.”

“I was bitten by a snake before, and when I woke up, I had lost my previous memories…”

……

Sure enough, Nie Qianyu had lost her memory!

Song Xuyi confirmed her own suspicions, barely able to maintain the forced smile on her face:

No wonder she hadn’t come back to find her for so long, no wonder she didn’t seem to remember her…

Song Xuyi didn’t understand why Nie Qianyu had reverted to being the prince of Wu Country. While shocked, she also felt relieved: Nie Qianyu hadn’t seemed to suffer much in the past few years, and had even, as the original plot synopsis described, seized control of Wu Country.

But now that she didn’t remember her, their previous bond didn’t count for much, and all progress on the mission would have to start anew.

The current situation is extremely dire. Wu Country is on the offensive against Lishui Country with great momentum, appearing unstoppable. There is no time to pass on the formula of the gunpowder to the royal family. If action is not taken, the fall of Lishui Country to Wu Country is imminent, and the day the country falls will also be the day of the death of the prince and princess, who are the male and female leads in the story.

Having seen Nie Qianyu safe and sound, I must quickly find a way to escape from the palace…

“Speaking of which,” Nie Qianyu continued on the other end, casting a glance at Song Xuyi, her eyes filled with curiosity, “I see you also find me familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”

“No.” With thoughts of escape in mind, Song Xuyi did not dare to reveal their acquaintance with Nie Qianyu and immediately shook his head like a drum, “The appearance of a slave and the face of the common people, Your Highness must be mistaken!”

“Is that so?”

Nie Qianyu chuckled lightly, her eyes turning cold. Suddenly, she reached out and pinched Song Xuyi’s chin, bringing her face closer to Song Xuyi’s cheek for a careful examination.

Before her were the enchanting features of Nie Qianyu’s face, as if she could still smell the sweet scent of plum wine in her breath…

Song Xuyi’s body stiffened: for a moment, she seemed to see a flicker of fire in Nie Qianyu’s beautiful eyes—

But Nie Qianyu quickly released Song Xuyi, returning to her seat and lowering her eyes, “Perhaps I mistook you for someone else.”

Nie Qianyu looked back out the window.

She didn’t drink anymore, just stared blankly at the two lamps…

In the past few years, had Nie Qianyu also lived like this?

Song Xuyi looked at Nie Qianyu in this state and suddenly felt a twinge of pain.

……

As time slowly passed, the drums outside beat a few times, indicating that midnight had arrived. However, Nie Qianyu showed no intention of retiring for the night.

Song Xuyi also had no desire to dwell on the familiar feeling brought about by the two lamps. With a slight frown on her forehead, Nie Qianyu seemed lost in thought. Despite her recent string of victories, which should have filled her with confidence, Nie Qianyu appeared anything but happy.

“Your Highness,” Song Xuyi couldn’t help but softly speak, “You have early court tomorrow. You should retire to bed early.”

Nie Qianyu remained silent, giving Song Xuyi a glance before quietly standing up and lighting a furnace of incense in the room.

Song Xuyi could smell the sedative properties within the incense.

Initially, it was thought that Nie Qianyu would quickly fall asleep after smelling the sedative incense. However, Nie Qianyu’s gaze remained clear, while Song Xuyi, perhaps overwhelmed by the day’s events, both physically and mentally exhausted, found her eyelids involuntarily drooping.

Song Xuyi couldn’t recall when she drifted off to sleep.

She vaguely remembered that as a servant, she couldn’t sleep on the bed, so she took the initiative to lie down on the small couch next to the sleeping hall before finally drifting off.

In a dreamlike state, Song Xuyi seemed to have a dream where someone sketched her features, calling her a “little liar” through gritted teeth, yet their actions were surprisingly gentle, carefully carrying her to bed…

The author has something to say:

This chapter is also known as “The Interlocking Schemes of the Two Disguised Kings”.

Happy National Day!

LP: Re-translated on April 20, 2024