Chapter 145

Chapter 145

[Isn’t the Villain Tempting? Not Really – 15]

When an attendant from Prince Su’s residence reported that his student Tan Yan had arrived outside, Master Bolu paled in shock. Tan Yan entered, but the moment he knelt to pay his respects, Master Bolu hurled a teacup straight at his head without another word.

“You senseless fool! I am old. Why should I fear death? But if you defect to Jingzhou for my sake, I will die with my eyes open!”

Master Bolu cursed him furiously. “Prince Su and his son harbor the ambitions of wolves and trample honor beneath their feet. How can you serve men like them? They used the bond between teacher and student to coerce you into their service-this is inhumane. To prevent word from leaking, they murdered every study attendant at my side-this is unrighteous. Such inhumane and unrighteous scoundrels… Get out! Get out of here!”

Tan Yan could offer no answer. He withdrew in silence.

Yu Sixian’s confidant had stood outside and heard everything. Though embarrassment flickered across his face, he forced out a smile. “I have long heard that Master Bolu possesses a fiery temper. Having witnessed it today, I see the rumors were true. Ha ha!”

Tan Yan could only smile bitterly.

The confidant led him to Yu Sixian and inevitably asked along the way how Jingzhou might break its present deadlock. Tan Yan evaded every question, refusing to offer counsel to Prince Su’s faction.

Yu Sixian did not grow angry. Still smiling, he remarked that Master Tan must be weary after traveling such a distance and ordered someone to take him away to rest.

His confidant’s face darkened. “He has no appreciation for your favor. Why not kill teacher and student and grant them their wish?”

“Why bother taking offense at them?” Yu Sixian raised a hand to stop him.

As Prince Su’s heir, he was close in age to He Kanglin, Chancellor He’s nephew, so comparisons between them were inevitable. Now that He Kanglin had acted with such openhearted compassion, Yu Sixian naturally refused to be outdone.

“They are only two idle men. Prince Su’s residence can afford to feed them. A little rice money in exchange for depriving He Kanglin of a capable adviser is no loss.”

Yu Sixian held a folding fan and wore a faint smile. With his handsome face, he appeared elegant and distinguished. Yet he gripped the fan so hard that veins stood out on the back of his hand, betraying something of his true mood.

Jingzhou’s forces had suffered defeat after defeat, leaving morale dangerously unstable. Moreover, Prince Su and his son had always governed with cold cruelty, provoking no shortage of criticism among the people. With Fuzhou so close to Jingzhou, disaster would be unavoidable unless Yu Sixian found a solution soon.

Because he was in a foul mood, servants rarely dared approach. Zhou Shuhui behaved as meekly as a quail and dutifully reduced the frequency of her furtive peeks. Unfortunately, Yu Sixian happened to remember her at that moment and sent someone to summon her.

“An army is maintained for a thousand days to be used in a single hour. The time has come for you to serve me.”

After so many years in Jingzhou, Zhou Shuhui knew his nature too well to resist. She answered nervously, “Please give your orders, Your Highness. I owe Prince Su’s residence a profound debt and will serve you as faithfully as a horse or hound.”

Amusement glimmered in Yu Sixian’s eyes. “There is no need for that. You need only step forward as a daughter of the Zhou Family and say a few words.”

Prince Su was bedridden, leaving Yu Sixian to manage all affairs in Jingzhou. If he could not defeat the enemy on the battlefield, he would destroy its reputation instead.

Yu Sixian had not been idle over the years. In addition to Zhou Shuhui, he had gathered many others beneath his banner. He had held all of them in reserve, waiting for the day he could unleash them together, strike straight at the enemy’s heart, and crush it beyond recovery in a single blow.

“Your father was a pillar of the court, and the illustrious Zhou Family has always enjoyed a fine reputation. Alas, he died young at the hands of a villain. It is truly a tragedy.”

Yu Sixian rose. Lowering his gaze, he looked down at Zhou Shuhui where she knelt before him. “I need you to step forward and accuse the He traitor before the entire realm. You will say that he secretly murdered your father so he could purge the officialdom of dozens of cities south of Pingcheng and eliminate his rivals, then held your widowed mother and her orphaned children captive. Only you escaped, at the risk of your life…”

Her father’s death remained an obstacle Zhou Shuhui could never cross. She did not want to exploit it to support Yu Sixian. But when she lifted her head, she met his cold and merciless eyes. They held not the slightest trace of human warmth.

Terrified, Zhou Shuhui lowered her head again and whispered, “All… all right.”

Yu Sixian gave several more instructions, and Zhou Shuhui obediently agreed to every one. She walked out in a daze and saw servants throughout Prince Su’s residence hanging lanterns and colored ribbons. Others were pasting up red characters for joy, filling the residence with celebration.

Her heart lurched as a terrible premonition seized her. She approached a maid hanging one of the red characters. “What is all this for?”

The maid glanced at her. “His Highness is becoming engaged to Miss Bai. Don’t you know?”

Zhou Shuhui froze, stunned. After a long while, she spun around and resolutely returned to Yu Sixian.

“Your Highness, you are becoming engaged to Bai Lu?!”

Yu Sixian raised his eyes to her. “Is there a problem?”
Zhou Shuhui shuddered beneath his gaze. She lowered her head instinctively, worrying at the corner of her robe. “No.”

“Leave!” Yu Sixian said.

Zhou Shuhui silently took one step toward the door, then turned back. She hesitated for a long time before flushing scarlet. “Your Highness, there is something I have kept in my heart for a very long time. I have always wanted to tell you…”

“I am becoming engaged to Lulu,” Yu Sixian said.

Pain stabbed through Zhou Shuhui’s heart. Tears welled in her eyes. She pressed her lips together and said, “I know, but I want to tell you that I…”

Yu Sixian smiled. Even his eyes seemed to soften when he spoke Bai Lu’s name. “I truly love Lulu. I want to grow old with her.”

Zhou Shuhui stared at him blankly. “What?”

The tears in her eyes spilled over in shock. She knew what Yu Sixian was capable of, and she knew he never spoke in jest. Every romantic hope and girlish dream vanished. Like a woman pursued by a wolf, she made a frantic bow and fled in a stumbling rush.

Yu Sixian was becoming engaged to Bai Lu.

Yu Sixian was becoming engaged to Bai Lu!

Of course. In the end, the villain was destined to be with the heroine!

But why had Bai Lu become the heroine instead of her, the woman who had replaced the original character?!

Jealousy and resentment churned together. When she spotted Bai Lu sitting in a garden pavilion repairing her bow and arrows, Zhou Shuhui lost control of her legs and walked straight over.

“His Highness is becoming engaged to you. Do you know?”

Bai Lu did not even raise her head. “I know. What about it?”

“Do you love him?” Zhou Shuhui pressed.

Only then did Bai Lu look up. Her gaze rested briefly on Zhou Shuhui’s face before she shook her head. “I don’t know, but I don’t dislike him. I don’t know anyone else either, so being with him seems fine.”

Zhou Shuhui grew anxious. “How can you be with him if you don’t love him?!”

Bai Lu smiled, her expression a little strange. “Weren’t you the one who said every girl has to marry sooner or later? Why shouldn’t I marry Brother Sixian? He treats me well, he is handsome, and his background is excellent. He is one of the finest husbands a woman could choose.”

Zhou Shuhui fell silent.

As if wounded, she opened her mouth to say more. But at that moment, a maid Yu Sixian had assigned to Bai Lu arrived carrying a plate of fashionable fresh fruit.

Zhou Shuhui dared not let Yu Sixian learn what she had said. Forcing a smile, she exchanged a few pleasantries with Bai Lu, then rose and left.

…

The engagement day drew near. Yu Sixian’s smile deepened, gaining a measure of genuine warmth absent from its former hollowness and chill.

Bai Lu, however, remained careworn. She displayed neither anticipation nor hope, let alone a prospective bride’s shyness and delight.

Because Yu Sixian truly loved her, he could not help worrying. At first, Bai Lu refused to explain. Only after he asked several times did she finally speak, her voice desolate. “They call it my engagement, but what does any of it have to do with me? Everyone here is either a guest of Prince Su’s residence or one of your friends and relatives. But where are my own blood relatives? Not one of them is here.”

She had always been strong, never crying out even when injured, but tears now shone unmistakably in her eyes. She turned her face away, unwilling to be seen. “If only Father and Mother were still alive. Even if they could not be here, I would be content if one of Father’s old friends or someone from Mother’s family came to see me…”

“Forget it.” Bai Lu rose, downcast. “Pretend I said nothing. You should attend to your own affairs.”

Seeing her so unhappy pained Yu Sixian. He took her hand and considered for a moment before saying gently, “That is not especially difficult. There is still some time before our engagement. I can send people to search for them. Only…”

Bai Lu understood at once and shook her head. “We shouldn’t. Father’s old friends and all our relatives live in the north, within territory controlled by the He Family. Why create trouble over this?”

Her words refused the offer, but sorrow dimmed her features.

Yu Sixian could not bear the sight. He held her hand in thoughtful silence for a long while before abruptly saying, “I remember that you have a maternal aunt who married into a family in Xiazhou. You mentioned her before. When you traveled north to pay respects at your parents’ graves, the gatekeeper at your old residence passed you a letter from her.”

“Ah!” Enlightenment dawned on Bai Lu, and her face instantly came alive. But after that first delight, she hesitated. “Xiazhou is not too far from Jingzhou, but my aunt is getting older. Asking her to make a special journey may be too much.”

Xiazhou remained under the control of Prince Su’s faction. What difficulty could there be in bringing one family here?

As long as it made Bai Lu happy, receiving such a summons would be her aunt’s greatest blessing.

Determined to cheer his beloved and dispel her melancholy, Yu Sixian asked for every detail Bai Lu knew about her aunt, then dispatched men to invite the family. “See who else lives in the household. If they have the time, bring them all to drink a cup of celebratory wine and lend the bride’s side some presence.”

If the two became engaged, most guests would naturally come on account of Prince Su’s residence. Leaving Bai Lu alone might lead the undiscerning to look down on her. Besides, such isolation was far too bleak. How could Yu Sixian bear it?
The confidant rode day and night. Upon reaching Xiazhou, he soon found the household.

Bai Lu’s aunt was over forty and had a flourishing family. She had five sons alone, not counting her married daughters.

When she heard that her niece’s engagement was approaching and that the prospective groom was Prince Su’s heir, she first burst into tears and lamented that her younger sister had not lived to see this day. Then she urged the entire family to hurry to Jingzhou for the ceremony.

Her daughters-in-law hesitated, saying their children were too young for such a journey. Bai Lu’s aunt scolded them for being useless, but she loved her grandchildren and ultimately allowed the women to remain behind and care for them. She and her husband took their sons, guards, and attendants and followed the confidant to Jingzhou.

Bai Lu could not wait for their arrival. She calculated the time and went to wait at the city gate. When the family appeared, she embraced her aunt and wept.

Yu Sixian studied the woman’s features and saw a distinct resemblance to Bai Lu, dispelling his last doubts. After greeting the arriving guests, he formally paid respects to Bai Lu’s aunt and uncle. Once he learned the five young men’s ages, he addressed each as an older or younger cousin as appropriate.

Several days before the engagement, Zhou Shuhui, the pawn Yu Sixian had cultivated, was finally thrown into play. She was brought before the armies to deliver an impassioned denunciation and wrote to the Zhou Family’s old friends and relations, explaining the supposed “truth” behind her father’s death.

Yu Sixian held her life in his hands, so Zhou Shuhui dared not disobey. She did whatever he ordered, terrified that angering him would see her dragged away and flayed alive.

More importantly, Yu Sixian had already told her that her grandmother was dead. With the person she feared most gone, of course she could say whatever she pleased!

The Zhou Family had always possessed considerable prestige. At first, Zhou Shuhui’s support for Yu Sixian as a daughter of that family proved highly effective, unsettling the northern army and setting commoners whispering.

But age had made Old Madam Zhou far shrewder than any of them. She had anticipated precisely this move. Though she was no longer alive, she had left behind a way to counter it.

Before long, Madam Zhou and Second Madam Zhou appeared at court with letters Old Madam Zhou had left them years ago. Emperor Gaozu also ordered the letter Old Madam Zhou had sent him at the time to be produced. The three letters were placed together, forming irrefutable proof. Who could still object?

Yu Sixian’s scheme collapsed completely.

When news traveled from the capital to Jingzhou, the celebration of Yu Sixian and Bai Lu’s engagement was at its height. Distinguished friends filled the halls, and guests gathered like clouds.

Prince Su forced his ailing body from bed to witness his son’s joyous occasion. Bai Lu’s aunt and her family mingled among the congratulatory guests, helping receive and see them off with impeccable courtesy. Yu Sixian and Bai Lu stood side by side in magnificent robes, a truly flawless couple.

The spy’s letter arrived at that moment.

Yu Sixian read it once. A sinister shadow flashed through his eyes, then swiftly vanished out of regard for the day’s celebration.

Bai Lu stood beside him and noticed the change. She lowered her voice. “What happened?”

Yu Sixian forced a smile and answered gently, “Wait here for a moment. I have something to handle. I will return at once.”

Avoiding the guests, he entered the middle courtyard, where guards kept everyone else away. His expression darkened completely. “Bring Zhou Shuhui here!”

An attendant accepted the order and soon returned with Zhou Shuhui, who looked melancholy yet faintly hopeful.

She did not ask him to abandon Bai Lu and choose her. She would be content merely to remain beside him as a Secondary Consort!

The thought reddened Zhou Shuhui’s eyes.

She possessed pride in her bones. Never had she imagined that she would one day abase herself into the dust for a man!

“Your Highness…”

Her heart overflowing with tenderness and sorrow, Zhou Shuhui had spoken only those two words when steel rang against the scabbard and Yu Sixian drew his sword.

Unease exploded within her. The next instant, the blade’s snowy gleam swept toward her, approaching with boundless cold until everything around her plunged into darkness.

Warm liquid trickled slowly down her cheeks. A heartbeat later, savage pain struck!

Zhou Shuhui screamed. Hot blood poured ceaselessly from her eye sockets. Trembling, she lifted a hand and felt only a clean sword wound. As she recalled that flash of steel, she realized what had happened.

With a single stroke, Yu Sixian had blinded both her eyes!

Agony beyond human endurance crashed over Zhou Shuhui together with the sudden darkness. She collapsed to the ground and wailed without end.

“I wanted to do this the first time I saw you. After waiting until today, I have finally gotten my wish!”