Blame the Villain – Chapter 125

Villainous Fake Eunuch (2)

At this moment, the last person Song Xuyi wanted to meet was Gu Ruyu.

Now, the original owner had almost reached the age of marriage, and under the Emperor’s suggestion, the Empress Dowager had begun to help her find a suitable match. However, the original owner, proud and accustomed to the luxurious life in the palace, was not very willing to leave the palace. In her heart, she even harbored the secret hope of marrying a prince.

But the current Emperor was becoming increasingly muddle-headed. If the original owner directly asked him, it might anger him. Therefore, her attention turned to Gu Ruyu: Gu Ruyu was one of the few people who could persuade the Emperor to change his mind.

Recently, the original owner deliberately befriended Gu Ruyu. However, Gu Ruyu slipped away like an eel. The original owner thought she had become Gu Ruyu’s friend, but she never realized that Gu Ruyu had never made any promises to her. Instead, the original owner gave him food and drink and even considered offering her head maid to Gu Ruyu as a concubine. However, Gu Ruyu politely declined everything until one day, Gu Ruyu proactively asked to borrow the military tally from her deceased father to admire for a few days.

The original owner was overjoyed and happily handed the military tally to Gu Ruyu. She had no idea what Gu Ruyu did in secret, but recently, neither the Empress Dowager nor the Emperor had mentioned anything about finding her a husband.

In the original owner’s understanding, Gu Ruyu had helped her greatly. Before Song Xuyi arrived, the original owner was still planning to strengthen her relationship with Gu Ruyu, hoping to rely on him for more help in the future. However, Song Xuyi understood that Gu Ruyu was like a pirate ship, and getting close to him would only lead to falling into the camp of traitors.

At this moment, Song Xuyi did not want to have any connection with Gu Ruyu.

However, on second thought, Gu Ruyu had already obtained the military tally, and he had always been indifferent by nature. Even when meeting the Emperor, he maintained a nonchalant demeanor. Thus, even if she actively distanced herself, Gu Ruyu might not even notice.

Thinking this way, Song Xuyi pursed her lips and unobtrusively moved behind the Empress Dowager, putting more distance between herself and Gu Ruyu.

Gu Ruyu lifted his eyelids and glanced at Song Xuyi, his eyes revealing no discernible emotion.

The Empress Dowager had urgently told the Emperor about Song Xuyi’s dream and concluded, “Emperor, isn’t Xuyi the lucky star of our He Kingdom? Since she dreamed of the Third Prince, it must be a sign from heaven. Maybe the Third Prince is really still alive!”

A trace of joy appeared on the Emperor’s face, but given the numerous false reports recently claiming that Zheng Lian was still alive, the Emperor felt more skeptical than the Empress Dowager. He looked at Song Xuyi with suspicion and asked, “Does Xuyi know where the Third Prince is?”

“I saw a large forest, it seemed to be on a mountain,” Song Xuyi respectfully replied. Seeing the Emperor frown, she added the lines she had prepared long ago, “But if I reach the relevant area, I will surely recognize it. I am willing to personally lead people out of the palace to find my third brother!”

The original owner had always understood that, although the Emperor told her she could treat the palace as her home, it was just lip service. He treated her more like a mascot placed in the palace. Thus, even though she was given the title of Princess, she never dared to address herself as ‘your child’ in front of the Emperor.

Upon hearing Song Xuyi speak this way, both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager looked at her simultaneously.

Although the original owner believed she had concealed her feelings well, almost everyone who survived in the palace was highly perceptive. Her little schemes were almost transparent before the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. They knew she didn’t want to leave the palace, but they didn’t expect that Song Xuyi would now be willing to go out of the palace for Zheng Lian.

Seeing Song Xuyi’s demeanor, the Emperor was slightly moved.

“Xuyi, as long as you find the Third Prince, I promise you will forever be the most honored Princess of He Kingdom!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Song Xuyi’s face bloomed with a broad smile, feigning extreme happiness. However, in her heart, she was determined to find an opportunity to move out of the palace once Zheng Lian was found.

Everything was progressing just as Song Xuyi had hoped, but unexpectedly, at this critical moment, a soft and sinister voice suddenly sounded from behind the Emperor: “The mountains are high and the roads are long; there might be unforeseen dangers. This servant is willing to accompany the Princess on her journey.”

To be fair, Gu Ruyu’s voice was extremely pleasant to listen to. However, his voice was flat and monotonous, as if squeezed out from his throat, with a slight roughness that disrupted the silky smooth beauty of his tone. It sounded incredibly strange, making people instinctively feel a sense of fear.

Gu Ruyu glanced at Song Xuyi again.

Meeting Gu Ruyu’s gaze, although there was no emotion in his eyes, Song Xuyi felt like a prey targeted by a predator, and she immediately froze in place.

“Why would you say such a thing, Ruyu?” It was clear that Song Xuyi was not the only one unwilling to let Gu Ruyu go to Jiangnan. The Emperor frowned deeply, “You know I can’t do without you. If you go to Jiangnan with Xuyi, who will make the Xiaoyao pills for me during this time?”

“In fact, even without the Princess’s matter, this servant was about to request to go to Jiangnan,” Gu Ruyu’s pale lips curved slightly. “I have heard that in the barbarian lands of the south, there is a type of dark gray honeycomb-shaped fruit. When dried and ground into powder, it has miraculous effects for pain relief and longevity. If this is true, adding this fruit to the Xiaoyao pills would significantly enhance their efficacy!”

Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s expression indeed softened a bit, but he still did not relent.

Song Xuyi grew anxious and was about to find an excuse to stop Gu Ruyu from following when she heard Gu Ruyu continue, “This servant understands Your Majesty’s concerns and has already prepared three months’ worth of Xiaoyao pills. For the next three months, Your Majesty need not worry about lacking medicine—”

“Ruyu, you are indeed considerate!” The Emperor’s furrowed brow immediately relaxed upon hearing this. He laughed heartily and patted Gu Ruyu on the shoulder. “Then I shall await good news from you in three months!” Saying this, the Emperor then looked at Song Xuyi and, with a smile, placed her hand into Gu Ruyu’s. “Ruyu, I entrust the Princess to you. Make sure she does not suffer any harm!”

“I will not fail Your Majesty’s trust.”

Gu Ruyu held Song Xuyi’s hand.

Gu Ruyu’s hands were icy cold to the touch, and Song Xuyi felt as if she were being entangled by some cold-blooded reptile. Goosebumps rose on her arms. However, the matter was already settled, and Song Xuyi could only suppress the urge to pull her hand away, forcing a smile at Gu Ruyu. “I will have to trouble Eunuch Gu to take good care of me in the future…”

And so, the plan to leave the palace in search of Zheng Lian was finalized. Because the Emperor wanted Gu Ruyu to return as soon as possible, everything was rushed, and the departure date was set for three days later.

The thought of spending the next three months traveling with Gu Ruyu made Song Xuyi’s scalp tingle. Contrary to her worries, the system seemed extremely pleased—

“Xuyi, are you… are you really that afraid of Gu Ruyu?” The system’s tentative voice sounded. “Don’t you think he is very handsome?”

“So what if he’s handsome?” Song Xuyi felt a headache just thinking about Gu Ruyu. “He is a major villain who causes chaos and kills without batting an eye!”

“Right—” the system elongated its tone, its voice noticeably rising in pitch, “Such a villain is insane and heinous, deserving of everyone’s condemnation and execution!” After cursing the villain, the system seemed to have thought of something and started giggling, “Hee hee hee—”

Song Xuyi didn’t want to pay attention to the peculiar system. She had a feeling that this trip with Gu Ruyu would not be peaceful and began practicing the self-defense techniques she had learned in a previous world. However, her current body was one that had been pampered and spoiled. Though it appeared valuable, it was the weakest body Song Xuyi had ever inhabited. Despite her efforts, the results of her practice were not satisfactory.

Three days passed quickly.

On the third day, to avoid alarming anyone, Song Xuyi and Gu Ruyu left the palace through a side gate, disguised as a wealthy brother and sister. They were accompanied by guards disguised as household servants and began their journey to Jiangnan.

Jiangnan was far away; even rushing, it would take over a month to get there. Moreover, they still needed to return, making the timeline extremely tight.

At first, it was manageable. Song Xuyi and Gu Ruyu rode in different carriages. Although they were disguised as siblings, due to the separation of men and women, Gu Ruyu seldom approached Song Xuyi. Even during meals, they ate at different tables: Song Xuyi with her maids and Gu Ruyu with his subordinates.

Despite not wanting to pay attention, Gu Ruyu’s strong presence made it impossible for Song Xuyi to ignore him. She couldn’t help but notice him: he always seemed indifferent, his eyes as calm as a stagnant pool, as if nothing could stir his emotions.

Song Xuyi didn’t know why Gu Ruyu insisted on accompanying her to Jiangnan. She felt that he would cause trouble along the way, and this premonition soon came true. While the team moved quickly when leaving the capital, after they exited the city, Song Xuyi noticed their pace slowing day by day. Eventually, the strong and well-equipped team could only cover a little over ten li in a day!¹

Seeing the days pass by, Song Xuyi grew increasingly anxious and finally sought out Gu Ruyu.

When Song Xuyi arrived, Gu Ruyu’s slender, pale arms were grinding herbs. His face was as exquisite as jade, and his demeanor as pure as mountain snow. His unhurried actions seemed to elevate the simple carriage’s elegance. Yet, Gu Ruyu remained indifferent. Hearing Song Xuyi’s concern, he didn’t even lift his eyelids and said calmly, “This servant is responsible for finding medicine for His Majesty. Identifying herbs is a meticulous task; rushing the journey would surely affect the accuracy of the medicine’s efficacy. I hope the princess can forgive me…”

Song Xuyi was at a loss for words. She knew Gu Ruyu didn’t want Zheng Lian to return to the palace, but she hadn’t expected him to come up with such an idea. However, everyone knew the Emperor was addicted to elixirs, so once Gu Ruyu invoked the Emperor, Song Xuyi had no way to command him…

If things continued like this, in three months they wouldn’t even reach Jiangnan, let alone find Zheng Lian…

Song Xuyi was extremely anxious. After much deliberation, she decided to leave the main group and no longer travel with Gu Ruyu, setting off alone to find Zheng Lian.

So, on a dark and stormy night, after everyone in the group had fallen asleep, Song Xuyi packed her valuables, donned coarse hemp clothing, and quietly slipped out through the back door of the inn, heading towards the horse stable she had scouted earlier…

Unbeknownst to Song Xuyi, Gu Ruyu was watching her from the rooftop, his gaze calm and unwavering. He made a hand gesture to his subordinate, who understood immediately. Shortly thereafter, a few fine horses were brought over. The group donned their raincoats, and the horses’ hooves splashed through the rain as they pursued in the direction Song Xuyi had gone…

The author has something to say:

(^▽^) I really like the new like function in the Jinjiang comment section. Sometimes, when I see comments I like but don’t know how to reply, I just quietly give them a like~~~~ Hahaha.

LP: Re-translated on August 10, 2024

1. Ten li (十多裏): A li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 0.5 kilometers or about 0.3 miles.