Chapter 18: Plot Online

With that, he walked away. However, the man with the sword couldn’t resist casting another glance at Xia Tong, his expression strange.

Her whole body tensed up. Is the villain tired of playing around and planning to get rid of me now? she thought.

As the figure of Gu Qin disappeared into the distance, Fang Yu gave him an odd look. His movements made no sound, a testament to his profound martial arts skills. She hadn’t expected him to be the notorious traitor that Zhongqiu had mentioned.

“Your servant has some matters to attend to and will take her leave now.” Terrified, Xia Tong didn’t dare linger any longer and hurried down the stairs.

However, Xiao Jing frowned and looked at the back again. Gu Qin had always loved to go against him, and now he even wanted to intervene with the selection of the Crown Princess. But he would not do anything without benefits, so there must be something fishy.

The streets below were bustling with people. Xia Tong, petite and delicate, lifted the hem of her green skirt as she hurried to her carriage as if fleeing from some terrifying beast.

In a private room of the teahouse, a man stood by the window, his dark eyes following the carriage as it slowly drove away, his expression unreadable.

The room was filled with a faint, peculiar fragrance of tea. The shopkeeper, bowing deeply, whispered respectfully, “Master, your servant has discovered that recently, Shen Xin of the Minister of Rites’ household has been inquiring about shop rents in the capital. She’s also been in frequent contact with various merchants, though I’m unsure if she’s acting on behalf of Minister Shen.”

Her behavior had been secretive. The shopkeeper had dealt with Shen Xin before, and she didn’t seem like an ordinary young lady. In fact, she resembled a shrewd merchant more than anything else. There was no doubt that she wasn’t simple.

The room remained as quiet as ever. The man with the sword suddenly looked at the shopkeeper and asked, “Why are you paying attention to a mere woman?”

By now, their master only seemed to have ears for one woman’s name. It was hard to fathom what abilities the fourth young lady of the Xiahou family possessed. Could it be that, since their late father had arranged the engagement, their master was especially fond of Xia Tong?

“This king doesn’t like that woman. Get rid of her,” came the man’s calm voice.

The shopkeeper shuddered at those words and immediately bowed his head. “Yes.”

After the shopkeeper left, Gu Qin withdrew his gaze and looked at Xifeng. “That woman always runs away at the sight of me. She must have a guilty conscience. The Xiahou family is full of hypocrites. Killing her would be a waste. I think I’ll marry her and make her life a living hell. That way, Xia Zhian will never have peace.”

Xifeng: “…”

“How does the master plan to torture her?” Xifeng asked, his expression serious. He knew his master would never forgive the Xiahou family. But if he didn’t marry her, he could still torment her, couldn’t he?

Gu Qin was silent for a moment before a cold glint appeared in his eyes. “The Ministry of Justice has plenty of methods. I’ll use every single one on her.”

*

On her way back to the Xiahou Manor, Xia Tong had been deep in thought. She decided that if the villain ever showed any unusual behavior, she would take the money and flee immediately. As for her parents, if they refused to leave with her, she would have to go alone. Better to live another day than to die with them, she thought.

However, when she finally returned to her room, she saw several beautiful dresses and new jewelry waiting for her. She was used to her grandmother’s ways by now and knew that the old lady wanted to take her out to meet people again.

Seeing her return, Qing’er quickly came up to her and said, “Miss, these were sent by the old madam. The day after tomorrow is Grand Tutor Tang’s 70th birthday. The crown prince will definitely be there, so you must dress beautifully.”

Xia Tong was still picking out which jewelry pieces she could sell when the words startled her.

“Rumor has it that the second young lady of Minister Dong’s household is a stunning beauty, skilled in all the arts. She’s much more of a threat than the one from the Duke’s family, so you must be cautious,” Qing’er whispered as she looked around cautiously.

Xia Tong just let it go in one ear and out the other. That’s right, the second daughter of Lord Dong’s family is the most important female supporting role in the novel. Not only is she scheming, but she is also good at pretending. Even the heroine had fallen into her traps a few times.

What was even more surprising was that this upcoming grand birthday celebration for Grand Tutor Tang was a major plot point in the story. Even though the villain held military power, the economic core of the Jin Dynasty had always been in the hands of various noble families, and it wasn’t something that could be eradicated overnight. Though the villain’s family currently appeared dominant, many of the taxation checkpoints and other crucial controls were still managed by these noble families. If it weren’t for them, the antagonist might have rebelled long ago.

Grand Tutor Tang was a senior official who had served under two emperors and was the head of these noble families. Everyone had to show him respect. Yet, in truth, he was even more devious and ruthless than the villain. In the end, he colluded with the third prince, stirring up conflict between the antagonist and the crown prince to benefit from their struggle. He engaged in all sorts of shady dealings behind the scenes.

At this upcoming grand birthday banquet, the heroine would face a misfortune. The supporting female character, noticing the crown prince’s growing affection for the heroine, plots to ruin her reputation. The heroine, having been drugged with an aphrodisiac, accidentally ended up with the hero instead. However, the heroine didn’t want the crown prince to take responsibility, which only heightened the crown prince’s interest, rapidly intensifying their relationship. But that was the affair of the hero and heroine—Xia Tong had nothing to do with it, and she was just here to watch the drama unfold.

“Miss…” Qing’er couldn’t help but raise her voice, calling out several times.

Snapping back to reality, Xia Tong glanced at the outfits before her and casually pointed to a pale green one. “This one will do.”

Her lifelong ambition was to blend into the background as much as possible.

Because Grand Tutor Tang had a “respected reputation,” no one dared to offend him. Everyone in the Xiahou family, aside from the old lady, had to attend, especially since they had received a formal invitation from the Grand Tutor’s residence—a rare privilege for important officials in the court.

The morning of their departure, the sky was overcast, and a chilly wind was blowing. Summer Tong shared a carriage with her mother. When they arrived at the Grand Tutor’s residence, they saw a steady stream of guests coming to offer their congratulations. As soon as they disembarked, her father and several uncles ran into acquaintances from court, exchanging pleasantries and indulging in flattery.

“Haha, Lord Xia is truly fortunate! I’ve heard the Empress is very pleased with your fourth daughter. It seems the position of Crown Princess is as good as sealed, isn’t it?” said a plump official with an envious smile.

Others joined in the congratulations, but Xia Zhian, looking anxious, quickly waved his hand. “Lord Liu, please be careful with your words. Such matters are for His Majesty to decide. We dare not speculate.”

Knowing his habit of being cautious with his words, the others didn’t press further. Instead, they turned to congratulate Xia Min^[1]Xia Ning’s father. It seems that the author had made a mistake with the naming., praising him for having secured such an excellent match with the heir of the Duke family.

After presenting their invitation, the servants at the entrance led them inside. The banquet hadn’t yet begun, and the men and women were seated in different areas, though they could still see officials passing by from time to time.

The Grand Tutor’s residence was vast. After the servants guided them to the garden in the rear courtyard, they saw many noble ladies engaging in small talk. In a pavilion by the lake sat several of the so-called “fake noble daughters.” Xia Tong kept quiet, but Xia Min, dressed flamboyantly, looked thrilled. It seemed she was hoping for a good marriage match, much like Xia Ning.

“Ning’er, you and your cousins go and look around. Be sure not to cause any trouble, and take care of Min’er,” Madam Wang instructed seriously.

Xia Ning obediently nodded. “Yes, Mother. I understand.”

By the lakeside pavilion, there were several familiar faces, though a few were strangers to Xia Tong. Lin Qin was there, as well as the female lead.

As they approached, a few sharp-eyed girls immediately gathered around. “Look at Sister Ning’s rosy face. It’s really different now that she’s getting married.”

“Yes, Sister Ning and the heir of the duke family truly make a perfect couple.”

Marrying into the Duke’s family had elevated Xia Ning’s status significantly. Even those who barely knew her came to offer their congratulations, while Xia Ning shyly responded, “Sisters, please stop teasing me.”

While everyone was talking, they were secretly looking at the fourth young lady of the Xiahou family. They heard that the Empress wanted to make her the Crown Princess, but it turned out that she was just good-looking, not worthy of it.

Xia Tong felt like she was being excluded, but she didn’t care. Instead, she walked straight towards the scorching hot heroine in a red dress.

The lake was calm and serene, its surface clear and tranquil. Noticing someone approaching, the female lead, Shen Xin, glanced up and smiled. “Miss Xia, you look beautiful today.”

Xia Tong was dressed in a simple pale green gown, understated yet elegant. Her clean and refined features still made her stand out in the crowd, as striking as the clear water of the lake, subtly captivating.

Who would’ve thought the heroine could be so complimentary? Xia Tong slowly sat beside her, chuckling. “Sister Shen is also very beautiful. Are you embarrassing me by saying that?”

As they spoke, a haughty woman approached, sneering as she saw the two sitting close together. “Birds of a feather flock together. I didn’t expect that Fourth Miss Xia would like to associate with such a shameless person.”