This Is What a Villain Is Like

The courtyard was lush with flourishing plants and dense banyan trees. The pond was clear enough to see the bottom, its surface dotted with light green duckweed. The occasional shadow of a fish would flit by, lending the scene an air of tranquil seclusion.

Two women of peerless beauty, yet with starkly different auras, stood facing one another. One was as ethereal as an immortal—transcendent and detached—sizing up the other with intrigued curiosity. The other, radiating imperial might and peerless grace, stared right back, refusing to show any sign of weakness.

"And how exactly can you help me?" After a long moment, Jiang Ruxian withdrew her gaze and asked casually.

Emperor Xia replied, "If I wish to help, I will naturally find a way."

A smirk touched Jiang Ruxian's lips. "You don't even know why Jiang Lan and I became mortal enemies, why we draw blades at the sight of each other, yet you presume to say you can help me. I can't tell if you're overly confident or just incredibly foolish."

"Besides, if I were to help you, aren't you afraid the Prime Minister's Mansion would retaliate against you? In case you've forgotten, we are mortal enemies."

Emperor Xia had already considered this. "The Prime Minister's Mansion and I are already as incompatible as fire and water," she replied. "They've suppressed me relentlessly over the years; a little more animosity won't make a difference. Besides, with Jiang Lan around, I'm confident the Prime Minister's Mansion won't retaliate against you."

At these words, Jiang Ruxian's eyes seemed to flicker, but she made no comment.

Emperor Xia looked at her and said, "Didn't you appear to help Jiang Lan in Qianyuan Prefecture? Although he didn't seem grateful on the surface, I'm sure he cared deep down. The enmity and rift between you can be mended. You just need to apply the right remedy."

Jiang Ruxian narrowed her eyes. "It seems you know him better than I do."

Emperor Xia said with a serious expression, "I've had a fair amount of contact with him, so you could say I have some understanding."

Jiang Ruxian gave a half-smile. "As the ruler of Great Xia, you seem to concern yourself with quite a lot. Do you really have so much leisure time to get to know other men?"

"You don't even understand the history between me and Jiang Lan, yet you presume to help me. How is that any different from trying to get something for nothing?"

"If you rely only on yourself, do you really think you can mend your relationship? I'm afraid Jiang Lan wouldn't even be willing to see you. But with my help, the outcome could be very different. As a woman, I understand what's on your mind."

"Think about it. In all of Great Xia, who is in a better position to help you than I am?"

Seeing that Jiang Ruxian was still unmoved, Emperor Xia began to appeal to both logic and emotion, using their shared experience as women to make her case.

She knew Jiang Ruxian's greatest weakness was Jiang Lan. If she wanted to win her over, she had to approach it from that angle.

As for the history of grievances between Jiang Lan and Jiang Ruxian, while she didn't know the full story, she could guess the general idea.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

At Emperor Xia's words, Jiang Ruxian seemed to fall into contemplation.

'Still, she felt Emperor Xia was unreliable. How could something like this be so easy? Jiang Lan wasn't a fool; he would notice at once if the Emperor interfered…'

'But she had to admit, the Emperor's words were tempting. Through her, Jiang Ruxian could learn of Jiang Lan's goals and future plans.'

'That way, she wouldn't have to keep running around aimlessly like a headless fly.'

"What you and Jiang Lan lack right now is simply an opportunity for contact. Under normal circumstances, he would certainly refuse to see you. But what if an imperial decree were involved?"

"I can grant you an official position and arrange for the two of you to work together. Unless Jiang Lan wants to defy a direct order from the throne, he'll have no grounds to refuse," Emperor Xia continued, her tone persuasive.

'I feel like some kind of matchmaker trying to set them up,' she thought. The feeling was bizarre, but to get Jiang Ruxian's help, she had to grit her teeth and commit.

'What did a little lost dignity matter? She'd already lost all face the day Jiang Ruxian nearly killed her.'

"That does sound like a good plan."

And upon hearing Emperor Xia's plan, Jiang Ruxian's eyes lit up.

...

「Meanwhile, at Prince Zhenbei's Mansion.」

In a room reeking of medicine, Xiao Teng lay on a bed. His face was pale, his eyes were shut tight, and his aura was faint.

Suddenly, the spot between his eyebrows began to glow, illuminating his cheekbones until they seemed transparent. Stardust-like motes of light flickered before seeming to merge into every fiber of his being.

Faint wisps of starlight gathered around him, shining with incredible brilliance.

"HACK..."

Xiao Teng's body shuddered, as if jolted awake from a nightmare.

He suddenly shot halfway up in bed and, with a retch, spat out a mouthful of dark, clotted blood. The purplish, bruised color of his face slowly began to return to normal.

"How long was I unconscious?"

He had just awoken, but his mind was still a muddle of piercing pain, as if some terrible blunt instrument had pierced straight through his Sea of Consciousness.

His memory was stuck on that night after he left the Garden of Osmanthus, on the mysterious figure who had suddenly appeared.

His opponent had been immensely powerful. If he hadn't crushed his Communication Jade Talisman in time for the experts from Prince Zhenbei's Mansion to sense the disturbance and rush over, he likely would have died right there.

Waves of fear and a chilling dread washed over Xiao Teng at the thought. To be so brazen and audacious right here in the Imperial Capital, under the Emperor's very nose…

Suddenly, Xiao Teng seemed to remember something. His expression changed, and he struggled to get out of bed, but he was far too weak. His limbs were limp and powerless; he couldn't even stand.