This Is What a Villain Is Like

"Speak. What’s the trouble?" Jiang Lan prompted, his expression relaxed.

But Emperor Xia could clearly sense his tone had grown much more distant and formal, a far cry from the casual, teasing manner he’d used just moments ago.

Her hands clenched unconsciously. A sudden wave of irritation washed over her. She didn’t understand why Jiang Lan’s abrupt change in attitude was making her so upset.

"Shortly after morning court ended, your father, Jiang Lintian, came to the hall with a secret letter. It contained evidence of the Blood Immortal Sect goading him into conflict with me. On top of that, it also informed him that the Dragon-Suppressing Seal was lost and is now in the hands of the Blood Immortal Sect."

"The Prime Minister is using this as leverage to threaten me, forcing me to..."

Emperor Xia took a deep breath, collecting herself, and began her explanation. But when she reached that point, she suddenly stopped, finding the words difficult to say.

Jiang Lan looked somewhat surprised. His brow furrowed slightly as he ventured, "It involves me?"

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Emperor Xia looked at him and hummed in affirmation.

Jiang Lan continued to watch her with a frown.

Finally, Emperor Xia managed to say, very awkwardly, "The Prime Minister is forcing a marriage. He intends for me to enter a marriage contract with you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lan also appeared quite surprised and shaken. He frowned, remaining silent.

Emperor Xia took a breath and quickly regained her composure. She looked at Jiang Lan, waiting for his response.

’She knew Jiang Lan could surely guess the Prime Minister’s intentions.’

’She was completely helpless in this situation. Now, her only hope was for Jiang Lan to find a way to get out of it.’

"My father didn’t inform me of this. He’s using this as a pretext, so he must have some far-reaching plan. On a matter of such importance, his will cannot be swayed."

"This does me no good at all." Jiang Lan’s brow was tightly furrowed, as if he too was contemplating a countermeasure.

Hearing his words and seeing the look of utter resistance and displeasure on his face, Emperor Xia grew even more irritated and upset.

’How could he think *he’s* the one at a disadvantage? No good at all?’

’I am a peerless empress, the first of my kind. Would becoming my Feng Jun truly be such a great injustice to him?’

However, Emperor Xia did not let her dissatisfaction show on her face, continuing to watch Jiang Lan with a blank expression.

’If not for the opposition between her and the Prime Minister’s Mansion, she actually wouldn’t be so resistant to the idea... But her power was currently weak. Any child she and Jiang Lan had would inevitably bear the surname Jiang; there was no way they would be a Xia.’

’This vast empire would be handed over to an outsider on a silver platter.’

"I will return and speak with my father personally to make him retract this idea." Jiang Lan, now treating the matter with extreme gravity, stood up as if to leave.

Seeing his uncharacteristically anxious expression, Emperor Xia finally couldn’t hold back any longer. She blurted out the question that had been stewing in her heart, demanding, "Jiang Lan, what is the meaning of this?"

Jiang Lan looked completely baffled. "If this idea is retracted, isn’t that a good thing for both Your Majesty and myself? Why are you getting angry about it?" he asked with a frown.

"I..." At his words, Emperor Xia was suddenly speechless.

’She didn’t know why she was angry, either. The fury had just come out of nowhere.’

"If you can’t do anything about it, then forget it. It won’t be good for you if the Prime Minister finds out you’ve been in constant contact with me. You are the Son of the Prime Minister, after all. How can you keep helping an outsider fight your own father?"

Emperor Xia waved her hand, her tone now laced with a sense of weariness and resignation.

Jiang Lan, for his part, seemed slightly startled, as if he was very surprised she would say something like that.

He said nothing more, however, simply offering a slight bow before he departed.

Emperor Xia stared at the empty room and let out a nearly inaudible sigh.

She rubbed the space between her eyebrows. ’I feel like I forgot to ask something... What did that Fairy Miaoyin from the Divine Maiden Palace want with him?’

’No, why should I care about something like that?’

’It’s just... if this marriage can’t be avoided, how will I ever explain it to Jiang Ruxian? She’ll probably find a way to kill me.’

Emperor Xia’s head began to ache.

In a bit of a daze, she returned to the Imperial Palace, remaining absent-minded for the rest of the day.

After morning court concluded the next day, Emperor Xia received news that Jiang Lan had been put under house arrest by the Prime Minister. She had no idea for how many days he would be confined.