Transmigrated as the Villainess, She Made the General Blush - Chapter 10

“Second Brother.” Xiao Wangshu and Xiao Fuguang saluted together.

Xiao Pingnan raised his eyebrows, seemingly a bit surprised to see Xiao Wangshu here. He returned the salute, saying, “Fourth Sister, Eighth Younger Brother.”

Xiao Fuguang glanced back at Xiao Hong’s study, then asked Xiao Pingnan, “Second Brother, are you here to see Father?”

Xiao Pingnan nodded. “I was delayed on a trip to the south a few days ago, and there are some minor matters I haven’t reported to Father yet. Since I have some free time these days, I’ll report them all together.”

After saying this, Xiao Pingnan looked at Xiao Wangshu and asked, “What about Fourth Sister and Eighth Younger Brother?”

Xiao Fuguang grinned. “Also some small matters. Father called us over to ask a few questions.”

Xiao Wangshu glanced at him sideways. Her younger brother certainly knew how to dodge questions; he was very smooth at it.

At first listen, their conversation sounded as if they’d answered everything.

But on closer inspection, they hadn’t actually said anything at all.

All empty talk.

“Is that so?” Xiao Pingnan looked at Xiao Wangshu and continued to ask, “I heard Fourth Sister is going into the palace with Mother tomorrow. You never liked going before-why do you want to go this time?”

“I really don’t want to go, but I want to keep Mother company so she won’t be bored in the palace.” Xiao Wangshu smiled gently, then asked, “Will Second Brother be in the palace tomorrow?”

Xiao Pingnan was a bit curious at her question and asked in return, “Why, does it matter whether I’m in the palace or not? Is our Fourth Miss Xiao afraid of being bullied after entering the palace?”

He was the commander of the Imperial Guard, in charge of the palace’s security, and usually should be on duty in the palace. But since he had just returned to the capital after finishing some business, he was tired, and Father had given him a few days to rest at the Xiao Mansion, so he hadn’t been to the palace these days.

Xiao Pingnan assumed Xiao Wangshu was just asking casually, so he replied with a joke.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Wangshu followed up on his joke, “Second Brother knows me well. I am indeed a bit afraid. Would Second Brother be willing to accompany Mother and me into the palace tomorrow?”

Xiao Fuguang glanced at her sideways. His sister certainly knew how to go along with things-she was very quick to climb the pole.

But he wondered why his sister insisted on having Second Brother go to the palace.

Even if Second Brother wasn’t in the palace, usually no one would dare offend the Lady or Miss of the Xiao Mansion, let alone bully them.

At this moment, Xiao Pingnan was also stumped by Xiao Wangshu’s words.

His Fourth Sister was truly being bold today.

But since she rarely asked him for anything, and he had started the conversation, it seemed he couldn’t refuse.

“I was planning to rest at the mansion for a couple more days since I’m still tired. But if Fourth Sister is truly afraid, Second Brother will go to the palace tomorrow to watch over you.” Xiao Pingnan spoke with particular gallantry.

Xiao Wangshu thanked him with heartfelt emotion, and the sibling bond soared to an unprecedented warmth.

It was a scene Xiao Fuguang had never witnessed before.

In the end, after Xiao Wangshu bid farewell to Xiao Pingnan and walked away with Xiao Fuguang, Xiao Fuguang was still pondering how his sister and Second Brother’s relationship had suddenly become so lively.

It was simply unbelievable.

…

Early the next morning.

Before dawn, Shuxia brought in a basin of warm water and placed it on the stand, then knelt by the bedside and gently nudged Xiao Wangshu.

“Miss, wake up. It’s time. Hurry and get ready to enter the palace.”

Xiao Wangshu opened her eyes and saw that the room was lit only by the glow of oil lamps.

“Miss, don’t oversleep today. You still need to observe the rules when entering the palace.” Yichun came in carrying steaming rice cakes and continued, “Miss, you should eat something to fill your stomach before going to the palace, so you won’t be hungry.”
“Mm.” Xiao Wangshu forced herself to get up from bed, spreading her arms and letting Shuxia dress her, watching as Shuxia busied herself around her body and hair.

Yichun attended to her washing and face wiping, then kept feeding her rice cakes.

Xiao Wangshu was always especially cooperative with this morning routine.

Since waking up and living these days in the book’s otherworld, she had never missed a single proper meal.

“Is Second Young Master at the mansion?” Xiao Wangshu suddenly asked.

In the original book, it was also today that Fang Qin’er would enter the palace once.

But in the book, Fang Qin’er entered the palace alone, because after Xiao Wangshu fell into the water, her temperament changed drastically and she constantly quarreled with Fang Qin’er, so Fang Qin’er did not bring Xiao Wangshu along.

In short, the result of this trip to the palace was that Fang Qin’er was framed and bore the crime of harming the imperial heir.

The matter spread outside the palace, causing a huge uproar among the people, and the reputation of the Xiao Family suffered blow after blow.

Afterwards, it was only thanks to Xiao Hong’s suppression that the rumors were barely quelled.

As for the one who framed Fang Qin’er, it was the book’s heavily featured chosen heroine, Mu Yunze’s legitimate younger sister-Mu Chuxue.

Now Mu Chuxue had already entered the palace as Imperial Consort, the most favored consort of the current emperor-Wei Qixuan.

After all, the Mu Family was one of the few major powers in the emperor’s hands that could rival the Xiao Family. Mu Chuxue was the legitimate daughter of Mu Mansion, and the emperor’s favor towards her was also a sign of reliance on the Mu Family.

As long as the Mu Family could firmly support the emperor and help topple the treacherous Prime Minister, once the emperor took full control of the court, their good days would be ahead.

Now that both Mu Chuxue and Xiao Pan’an were pregnant one after another, Fang Qin’er’s trip to the palace was to visit Xiao Pan’an on behalf of Xiao Hong, and to remind Xiao Caiyi and Xiao Pan’an that the two sisters should work together to protect this imperial heir, and preferably find a way to get rid of the one in Mu Chuxue’s belly as well.

However, before they could act, Mu Chuxue’s child was already lost.

Because Mu Chuxue had once been punished by Xiao Caiyi to kneel in the snow, her health was poor to begin with. The fact that her child had survived until now was only thanks to medicine; it was destined to be a child that could not be born.

Using this doomed child as a price to frame Fang Qin’er, trample the reputation of the entire Xiao Family underfoot, and stir up public outrage against them-this was a deal that could only profit.

And the reason this matter became so big that even Xiao Hong struggled to suppress it was, on one hand, due to the Mu Family’s machinations, and on the other, because Wei Qixuan and Mu Chuxue had calculated the timing, striking when Xiao Pingnan was absent.

If Xiao Pingnan had been able to mobilize the Imperial Guard in the palace in time, rather than rushing in only after the situation escalated, things would have turned out much better.

“Second Young Master?” Yichun thought for a moment and said, “Second Young Master left the mansion even earlier than the Prime Minister did for court this morning. He went out at the third quarter of the Yin hour, so by now he should already be in the palace. Does Miss need something from Second Young Master?”

The Imperial Guard commander did indeed enter the palace much earlier than the officials did for morning court.

But Second Young Master had said he would rest well at the mansion for a few days, so why did he go to the palace early today? How odd.

Hearing Yichun say that Xiao Pingnan had already left, Xiao Wangshu felt a bit relieved.

“It’s nothing, let’s continue. Don’t keep Mother waiting.”

In the book, Xiao Pingnan was originally resting at the mansion today. Only after news of the palace incident reached the Chancellor’s Mansion did he rush to the palace.

It seemed that after her character reboot, many things had already changed, and everything was now interconnected. What happened next would surely not follow the book’s plot exactly.

She would just have to take it one step at a time.”