Transmigrated as the Villainess, She Made the General Blush - Chapter 85 - The Process Doesn't Matter 2

Chapter 85 – The Process Doesn’t Matter 2

Upon hearing Qin Tai’s report, Xiao Wangshu chuckled softly, her laughter tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Chen Chu, oh Chen Chu.

This ever-dutiful General Chen really left her at a loss for what to do with him.

“For the next few days, you will recover from your injuries in the granary cellar. Yuchi Yan will bring you everything you need. No matter what noise you hear, do not come up until your wounds are fully healed.”

After saying this, Xiao Wangshu turned her gaze toward Yuchi Yan.

“Yuchi Yan, when you have the time, go to Ruan Fuxin and buy some Herbal Honey Paste to give to Qin Tai. It’s best if his wounds don’t leave even a single scar.”

“Yes!” the two men answered in unison.

Then Yuchi Yan asked, “Miss, now that the matter is settled, should we change the names on the title deeds for your properties? They currently bear the Madam’s name. It’s a bit inconvenient for us to have to ask for her permission every time we need to handle business.”

“Don’t change them yet. Wait until Mother brings it up herself.”

Since Xiao Wangshu had put it that way, Yuchi Yan bowed his head and complied. “Yes!”

“You may go.”

“Yes!” The two rose and left the room.

After they departed, Xiao Wangshu let out a yawn, her eyelids drooping heavily.

Some time later, Fang Qin’er walked in carrying a bowl of milky-white eel soup. She sat by the bed and fed it to Xiao Wangshu.

Her face was a mix of worry and relief, and her movements were as gentle as if she were handling a piece of fragile porcelain.

Xiao Wangshu was indeed exhausted; after finishing the soup, she fell back onto the bed and drifted off to sleep.

***

In the Capital.

Having survived the assassination attempt, Fang Qiluo returned to her manor to rest. Tuoba Xin and Tuoba Yunxiao felt too embarrassed to cause Xiao Hong any more trouble, so they stayed quietly at the Official Lodge to look after Tuoba Jihui.

With more than half of the spies in the Capital eliminated, and now without his wife and children weeping in his ears or the Tuoba youngsters causing chaos, Xiao Hong’s days had become significantly more peaceful.

–

In Moonlight Courtyard, the days Xiao Wangshu spent recovering were exceptionally tedious.

Especially during the first few days, Xiao Fuguang kept a close eye on her, refusing to let her even step out of bed.

After she had rested for several days, the imperial physician mentioned that she should move around more to improve blood circulation for a faster recovery. Only then did Xiao Fuguang reluctantly agree to let her walk around the courtyard.

“Little Brother, have you stopped reviewing your lessons and practicing your riding and archery lately?”

Xiao Wangshu sat in the courtyard, her gaze somewhat vacant as she looked up at the clear blue sky.

Xiao Fuguang sat beside her, cracking melon seeds as he spoke. “Don’t worry, Sister. I’ve already memorized all five of the essays I was supposed to. The teacher granted me a half-month holiday to take care of you.”

Xiao Wangshu asked again, “What about your riding and archery?”

“General Chen and General Lu also told me to prioritize taking care of you. They’ve been busy lately and don’t have much time to teach me and Seventh Brother.” Xiao Fuguang’s melon seeds made a rhythmic cracking sound.

At the mention of Chen Chu and Lu Xuyang, Xiao Wangshu’s eyes slowly regained their focus. She sighed. “General Chen arrived quite timely that day.”

If General Chen had arrived even half a step earlier, that arrow likely wouldn’t have hit her.

If that had happened, all her painstaking efforts would have been for nothing.

“Exactly! I went to Moonlight Courtyard to find you that day, but you weren’t there. I asked Yichun and Shuxia, but they knew nothing.

“Finally, I asked the manor guards and found out that Prince Yunxiao had visited and taken you out to ride horses.

“I didn’t know where you had gone to ride, and with the Capital being so unsettled, I had no choice but to ask General Chen to help me find you.”

Speaking of this, Xiao Fuguang added, “But General Chen is truly remarkable. As soon as I mentioned the Tuoba Third Prince had taken you riding, he guessed that you had left the city.

“I suppose you could call this a blessing in disguise. It’s a good thing General Chen got there early, or who knows what might have happened to you, Sister.”

Xiao Fuguang felt a lingering fear just thinking back on it.

Xiao Wangshu smiled, her face showing no sign of panic. She simply said, “General Chen seems to understand the temperament of the Tuoba people quite well. He knew they couldn’t fully let loose on their horses within the Capital, so he went straight outside the city to find us.”
“That’s true.” Xiao Fuguang nodded and continued, “General Chen has been conducting a very strict search for spies lately. General Lu keeps saying that the assassins deployed that day have all been caught or killed, but General Chen insists that there’s still one missing.

“General Lu simply couldn’t win the argument, so he’s letting him be.”

Xiao Wangshu’s hand paused as she raised her tea. “Is that so?”

Xiao Fuguang nodded. “It certainly is.”

“Forget it, that’s General Chen’s official business. Let him search as he pleases. Speaking of which, General Chen saved my life. Little Brother, when you have the chance, please invite him to stay at the mansion for a while. I’d like to thank him in person.”

“As you should. Although Mother and I have already thanked him on your behalf, it will seem more sincere if you do it yourself, Sister.”

***

Meanwhile, in the study of the Chancellor’s Mansion.

“Prime Minister, I have finished the interrogation regarding the three spies who were killing each other in the street that day. The two who were killed had left their posts without reason during the mission. After discussing it, the other spies concluded they were defecting and sent someone to eliminate them.”

Xiao Hong listened to Lu Xuyang’s report and asked, “Why exactly did those two leave?”

Behind this, whose orders had they received, and what were those orders?

Lu Xuyang was also deeply perplexed. “I had the coroner perform an autopsy and examine them thoroughly, inside and out. Truly, nothing unusual was found.”

It was indeed suspicious for the two of them to leave without cause in the middle of a mission.

Hearing Lu Xuyang say that even the coroner couldn’t find anything, Xiao Hong had no choice but to set the matter aside for the moment. He then gave Lu Xuyang instructions regarding the security for the Blood Replacement Ceremony.

…

“The survivor thought the two he killed were traitors. But those two who died-didn’t they also think the survivor was the traitor?

“I merely leaked some false information: that a spy had defected and was rushing to the North City Barracks to blow the whistle. The first two went there to kill a traitor, and the one who followed went for the same reason.

“They all thought they were killing a traitor. It just came down to who could kill whom.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m a merchant; who in my trade doesn’t tell a few lies?

“The process doesn’t matter. The final result is what the young lady wanted: getting the news to General Lu in time so he could rush to the rescue.”

The Lion-handled Baoding Balls rotated in his palm. Ruan Fuxin glanced at Yuchi Yan, tilted his chin toward the two jars of Herbal Honey Paste on the table, and continued:

“It wasn’t easy sending men to snatch these. They cost forty taels of silver. Tell Qin Tai to scrape every last bit stuck to the jars for me to use. Don’t let any go to waste.”

“You really are a stingy one.”

Yuchi Yan stepped forward, picked up the two jars of Herbal Honey Paste, and tucked them both into his robe.

“By the way, what about that Shopkeeper Wang from the Jade Feast Pavilion? The one who used to manage the shops for Old Lady Fang and Madame Xiao? He’s vanished completely. Didn’t Jiang Linhai and Li Ya keep an eye on him?” Yuchi Yan asked.

Ruan Fuxin’s eyes curved into a smile, making him look like a fox. He countered with a question: “Who knows? Perhaps he was afraid the young lady would deal with him, and since he couldn’t find a patron to back him up, he packed up his valuables and fled?”

“‘Who knows?’ I’d say you know perfectly well,” Yuchi Yan said bluntly.

Ruan Fuxin chuckled, deciding it was time to stop being coy.

“Fine, I admit it. I let him go and didn’t order anyone to pursue him. This was also the young lady’s wish.”

“The young lady’s wish?” Yuchi Yan was half-skeptical.

“The young lady’s reasoning is that people like Shopkeeper Wang, who are under nuji (slave registration), are the easiest to rob. Those under nuji (slave registration) have no social standing to begin with. If they are robbed and murdered by bandits, as long as their master doesn’t pursue the matter, the authorities won’t bother either.

“Shopkeeper Wang is getting on in years. Fleeing with a pack full of gold and silver… who knows which den of bandits he might have stumbled into?”