Transmigrated as the Villainess, She Made the General Blush - Chapter 88 - Let's All Drink Together 1

Chapter 88 – Let’s All Drink Together 1

“Sister Xin? Cousin?”

Xiao Wangshu turned to look at the two of them, a hint of surprise on her face.

“Why have you two run out instead of resting quietly in your own rooms? Aren’t you afraid of making your brothers worry?”

Tuoba Xin was doing well enough; her two older brothers were restless souls who loved to play even more than she did.

As for Fang Qiluo, she had received a stern lecture from her father and brother after returning home on the day of the assassination attempt.

“Wangshu, we wanted to come see you!”

Tuoba Xin stepped forward and supported Xiao Wangshu’s arm. Looking her up and down, she smiled and said, “You look like you’ve mostly recovered. In a few more days, once the wound on your shoulder heals completely, you’ll be able to move this right arm.”

“With all the tonic soups being poured down my throat every day, it would be a bit unreasonable if I didn’t get better,” Xiao Wangshu said before asking, “How is the Second Prince’s arm injury healing?”

“You still have time to worry about him? My royal brother is as strong as an ox; he’s been mostly fine for a while now. You’re the delicate one. They were both worried about you, so they asked me to come check on you for them.”

As she spoke, Tuoba Xin looked up at Chen Chu. She seemed a bit curious as to why an outsider had entered the back garden of the Chancellor’s Mansion and was spending time with Xiao Wangshu.

“Wangshu, he is…?”

“General Chen is one of my two younger brothers’ riding and archery instructors. He happened to be at the mansion today, so I asked my brother to invite him over so I could thank him in person,” Xiao Wangshu explained.

Seeing Fang Qiluo curtsy to Chen Chu, Tuoba Xin followed suit and offered a greeting as well.

Chen Chu cupped his fists in return, maintaining a taciturn and stern demeanor.

Seeing that the three people surrounding him were all unmarried young ladies of high status, Chen Chu felt it was inappropriate for him to remain. He looked at Xiao Wangshu and said, “Please enjoy your chat, Miss. I still have duties to attend to, so I shall take my leave.”

Xiao Wangshu gave a graceful curtsy. “Safe travels, General.”

After straightening up, she added a reminder: “In ten days, remember to come to me for the token. That way, you won’t run into any conflicts with the people at the manor.”

“I understand,” Chen Chu replied, cupping his fists before departing.

Watching him stride away without looking back, Tuoba Xin rubbed her chin and remarked, “This General Chen is quite fickle.”

“How so?” Fang Qiluo asked.

“Look at him now, acting all cold and indifferent like he doesn’t want to talk to anyone. But on the day we were attacked, when he carried Wangshu into the house, he was frantic.

“Sister Qiluo, don’t you remember? When he sent people to fetch the physician, his eyes were so fierce it looked like he wanted to eat someone. The physician’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking under his gaze.”

Recalling the event, Fang Qiluo nodded. “That did happen.”

After saying this, her gaze fell upon Xiao Wangshu’s cloak.

Xiao Wangshu remained unfazed, deflecting the topic smoothly. “If something had happened to us right under his nose, it would have been a failure of duty on General Chen’s part. How could he not be anxious?”

Tuoba Xin thought about it seriously and then followed Xiao Wangshu’s logic, nodding in agreement.

“I suppose that makes sense.”

Fang Qiluo said nothing, only murmuring to herself: *Does it?*

“Alright, enough about him. Did you two come to the mansion today just to see me?” Xiao Wangshu changed the subject, leading them toward Baoxiang Garden.

Late chrysanthemums were in full bloom in Baoxiang Garden, standing proud on their branches against the cold wind.

Tuoba Xin let out a cry of admiration and ran over to look at the flowers. Without looking up, she said, “If we didn’t come to see you, what else would we be here for?”

“It looks to me like Sister Xin came to see the flowers,” Xiao Wangshu teased with a smile.

At that moment, Fang Qiluo replied from the side, “She’ll have plenty of time to see these flowers in the future-provided she really intends to stay in the Capital.”

“Stay in the Capital?” Xiao Wangshu was genuinely surprised.

She had assumed that this visit from the Tuoba Envoys for a marriage alliance would end the same way as it did in the book-where none of the three siblings entered an alliance, and the group returned with the same number of people they arrived with.

To suddenly hear that Tuoba Xin was staying for a marriage alliance was quite unexpected.

“Is it so bad for me to stay in the Capital and play with you all?” Tuoba Xin looked at Xiao Wangshu and pouted.
Xiao Wangshu pondered for a moment before saying softly, “How could it be bad? It’s just that, Sister Xin, if you truly intend to stay in the Capital, I’m afraid you’ll have to follow the local customs and abide by the Capital’s rules. It won’t be as free and easy as your life in the Tuoba Tribe.”

And if she married their second brother, Xiao Pingnan…

Who could say whether they would be friends or enemies in the future?

“I know there are lots of rules, but don’t make it sound so scary. Is it really that hard to learn?” Tuoba Xin waved a hand, unconcerned. “I’ll just set aside more time to study them.”

Xiao Wangshu and Fang Qiluo exchanged a look, and neither of them continued.

Some things couldn’t be talked out of, and some people couldn’t be persuaded.

Especially not matters of the heart-especially not a woman in love.

It wouldn’t work, and it shouldn’t be forced.

If anyone could have talked her out of it, Tuoba Xin’s two royal brothers would have done so already. Even her own brothers hadn’t managed to stop her-how could they?

…

Five hundred miles outside the Capital, at the border between two provinces.

At dusk, a carriage jolted along a dirt road in the wilderness, its wheels crunching over scattered gravel as it hurried southwest.

Inside, a middle-aged woman clutched two teenage sons to her chest and complained to a man in his fifties. “It’s just a few hundred taels of silver we haven’t finished paying back. Such a tiny account-could Xiao Wangshu, with her empty head, really dig it up?

“You dragged our whole family out of the Capital in the middle of the night. We’ve been on the road for over a month now, and no one’s chased us at all!

“Husband, why are you so cowardly? If worst came to worst, we could’ve gone to Old Lady Fang and resigned the shopkeeper post, stayed in the Capital, and simply stopped dealing with Xiao Wangshu. What could she have done to us then?

“Look at the children-look how exhausted they are! It’s not just the little ones who can’t take it. Even the older ones can’t!”

As she spoke, she looked toward her two grown sons and a daughter sitting to the side.

The older son said, “Mother, stop. Once we get back to our ancestral home, we’ll settle down in the county, buy a larger courtyard, and start a small business. We’ll still live just fine.

“Staying in the Capital was too risky. You don’t know-Xiao Wangshu’s methods are vicious now, completely inhuman.

“Those uncles who used to be close with Father-as soon as they heard Xiao Wangshu had taken over our family’s shop, they all drove Father away, terrified of being associated with us.

“Uncle Xiao burned to death in his own home. It was a horrific way to die. Even if she didn’t send someone to do it, who would dare claim it had nothing to do with her?

“Leaving the Capital is a good thing. At least we won’t have to live in fear.”

With her son saying the same, the woman’s tone weakened a little, but she still couldn’t help grumbling. “But we left too suddenly. The fourth and fifth boys were still studying at the private school. Bringing them out all at once-won’t their lessons fall behind?”

Hearing her harp on such trivialities at a time like this, the silent Shopkeeper Wang finally exploded.

“Shut your mouth!

“You truly don’t know what matters and what doesn’t. Ignorant, stupid woman-say one more word and get out of the carriage!

“Yapping nonstop-you’re driving me insane!”

He was already weighed down with worry and irritation, and this fool was still screeching beside him!

The two grown sons and the daughter beside Shopkeeper Wang didn’t speak up for their mother.

Perhaps they, like Shopkeeper Wang, despised her ignorance and crudeness.

The woman’s chest tightened with grievance. Just then, the two younger sons in her arms woke up and said irritably, “We’re exhausted. Mom, stop making so much noise!”

Seeing her younger sons couldn’t sleep, the woman finally fell silent. She looked at them with doting eyes, patted their backs, and coaxed them gently back to sleep.

Right then, the horse pulling the carriage let out a shrill neigh, and the carriage came to a sudden, violent stop.

From outside came the driver’s panicked cry-

“Great King, spare my life! Great King, spare my life! I’m just a cart hand from the horse market-I’ve only got one worthless life! I truly don’t have any money!”