Chapter 8 Plotting Treachery: Xue Rongyue is a vengeful person.
Xue Rongyue was slightly taken aback.
The sunlight, like thin gold, cast a clear, emerald green glow on the green branches hanging from the dark tiles of the pavilion. Bright spring flowers swayed and danced among the branches, and unintentionally fell upon Xue Rongyue's black hair, which was styled in a bun.
After dismissing the servants, Xue Rongyue sat in the vermilion pavilion near the Thousand Carp Pond.
Her delicate lips, as white as peonies, were straight and taut, twitching slightly. Xue Rongyue said sarcastically, "Falling four, there are still seventy-eight left. If you hate them this much, is there any need for a strategy?"
That being said, upon closer examination, Xue Rongyue found it quite reasonable.
After years of fierce rivalry and tension, if Qin Jin harbors no hatred towards her, then she should seriously reflect on whether she has tried her best all these years and why she has failed so miserably. Conversely, the higher Qin Jin's level of hatred towards her, the more it proves her outstanding performance over the years.
This is an acknowledgment of her supreme glory.
The goal of this strategy is to combine the original plot with a voting system for readers to ultimately select the character who best fits the storyline and is most popular with readers.
After the system was bound, it clearly sensed the host's resistance to the target and kept urging it on.
[When favorability is maxed out and hatred is reduced to zero, the romance is considered a success. Not only can you defy fate, but you can also break free from the constraints and control of the original storyline on the character. Why not give it a try?]
[The timeframe is ten days. The progress cannot be zero at the end of the ten-day period. Please begin the strategy as soon as possible and do not delay any further.]
With a slight twitch of her lips, Xue Rongyue let out a contemptuous smile.
She didn't believe that there was such a thing as being able to change one's fate by seducing a man, but she also knew that this was the price the system paid for helping her start over from the drowning ending. The mission had already begun, and the system would not compromise. No matter how much she talked, she couldn't change this fact.
So why waste her breath and struggle in vain before finding a new way to survive and being powerless to resist?
Leaning lazily against the mahogany backrest with its Suzhou-embroidered cushions, Xue Rongyue raised an eyebrow at the system's incessant chatter and interrupted unhappily, "Haven't I started the conquest yet? Favorability is rising, hatred is falling, so hasn't the conquest progress changed yet?"
The system's chatter abruptly stopped, followed by a brief silence.
[Host's current progress in the conquest is: 1]
Although the strategy progress has been made, the system has not detected any strategy-related activity.
[Was it because the host cried so bitterly today, actively showing weakness, that [character Qin Jin] felt pity for him, thus reducing his hatred and causing his emotions to fluctuate?]
Xue Rongyue laughed.
The gold and jade hairpins swayed gently beside her bright and beautiful face. Her red lips curved into a smile, and she laughed so hard that her body trembled. Her melodious laughter did not conceal the sarcasm in it.
Wiping away the tears from her eyes with her neatly trimmed fingertips, she said, "Really? If you can win over Qin Jin by feigning weakness and shedding tears, then you're underestimating him."
Having fought with Qin Jin for over a decade, and knowing each other's character inside and out, Xue Rongyue was certain: "He is missing his brother."
The system suddenly realized.
You deliberately brought up the late actor [Xue Huaijin] today.
A cold, dark glint flashed in Xue Rongyue's almond-shaped eyes as she retorted, "Otherwise, why would you go to him and question him?"
Her tears did not move Qin Jin; what touched him was his deceased brother. And if he wanted to subtly remind him of the past, this long sword was the best way to start the conversation.
With an opening statement based on resentment, Qin Jin wouldn't be wary of her proactive approach today. Only then could she temporarily set aside her hostility amidst her "out-of-control" tears, immerse herself in the past, and reminisce about her deceased friend.
Beneath the jewels fluttering at her temples, Xue Rongyue closed her eyes, her long, curled eyelashes trembling slightly as she suppressed the emotions surging within them.
She quickly opened her eyes, her gaze returning to its usual clear and aloof intensity. She said self-deprecatingly, "Don't worry about me being unyielding and refusing to be conquered, after all..."
"I want to live more than anyone else."
The system had no doubt about this statement.
The reason it chose to bind to the character [Xue Rongyue] was because it detected that she feared death more than anyone else, yet was fearless in the face of dire straits.
The thought of living well had become ingrained in her bones and flesh, an inseparable part of her being.
She would pay any price and do anything to survive.
The cold wind is merciless, disturbing the spring and causing the green branches to flutter.
Brushing away the cascading beads from her ornate gauze pomegranate skirt, Xue Rongyue gently massaged her temples with her slender, white fingertips. She lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, then raised her hand and waved, summoning Jingnu.
Jingnu stopped three feet away from Xue Rongyue, her hands respectfully placed in front of her abdomen. Just as she steadied herself, she heard Xue Rongyue's clear, cold voice instruct her: "Go to Xie Fangzhai and buy some sweet and trendy pastries. Take them to Princess Yu'an's residence and present them to Prince Qin."
Jingnu bowed her head in response and was about to leave when she heard Xue Rongyue warn her in a tone that was neither too loud nor too soft: "Don't be careless this time."
They dared to be careless when checking the gifts sent by the Qin family. This time it was a sword. If it were any other harmful item in the future, would it also be able to enter the manor's storeroom smoothly?
Lowering his head in shame, Jingnu knew that this oversight was no small matter and wanted to make a good impression to atone for his mistake.
But after careful consideration, she was still undecided, so she turned around, looked at Xue Rongyue with a hesitant expression, and decided to ask her for clarification.
With a serious expression, Jingnu asked meticulously, "Does Madam intend to continue putting laxatives in the pastries this time, or will she try a different poison?"
Xue Rongyue: "......"
Xue Rongyue was furious and embarrassed: "This time, I won't use any medicine or poison!"
***
Because of her recent unruly behavior, she had angered the Empress Dowager, who ordered the palace maid to enter the princess's residence and, carrying an imperial edict, to admonish Princess Yu'an for a full two and a half hours.
From Chenshi (7-9 AM) to Wushi (11 AM-1 PM), Princess Yu'an took three naps amidst the cold and stern voice of the palace maid. Her ears were practically calloused from hearing it so much that she finally saw the maid off. When she arrived at Tinglan Waterside Pavilion, Xue Rongyue had already left the mansion, and only Qin Jin remained in the pavilion.
A small table is placed beside him, with a pot of steaming Yangxian tribute tea and a box of uneaten pastries with the lid open.
Qin Jin lay on the chaise longue, his body tall and imposing. The chaise longue was clearly too small to contain him, and his two strong, straight legs could only be slightly bent.
The warm sunlight fell on his broad, sturdy shoulders, his clear, arched eyebrows furrowed, and he held a fishing rod made of sandalwood in his hand, fishing intently.
"You certainly know how to enjoy yourself." Princess Yu'an glared at him and said with a playful laugh, "But don't you dare ruin my fish again."
Upon approaching, Princess Yu'an glanced into the fish bucket and, seeing it was empty, felt relieved. Looking at the pastries on the table, she raised an eyebrow: "Pastries from Xie Fangzhai."
A maid brought over a round stool, and Princess Yu'an sat down. She loved sweets, and Xie Fangzhai's pastries were famous in Chang'an. She picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, the soft and sweet aroma filling her mouth.
After finishing a piece, she wiped her fingertips with a handkerchief and asked, "You don't usually like sweets, so why did you buy pastries from Xie Fangzhai?"
Qin Jin didn't lift his eyelids, his sword-like eyebrows slightly furrowed, still focused on the fishing rod, and casually replied, "It was sent by someone from the Xue family."
Princess Yu'an was stunned: "Who? The Xue family? Which Xue family?"
Qin Jin said calmly, "How many Xue families are left in Chang'an?"
The handkerchief slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground, where it was swept up by the spring breeze and rolled into the lake. Princess Yu'an suddenly stood up, her face pale: "You scoundrel! Why didn't you tell me that these were pastries sent by Second Madam Xue? You just watched me eat them!"
She was so anxious she jumped up and down, frantically ordering her maid to fetch the imperial physician. She also hurriedly ordered someone to prepare emetics. In her panic, a fine layer of sweat beaded on her forehead. She couldn't help but yell, "You two are truly sworn enemies! I'm terrified of you! I wonder what Second Mistress put in the pastries this time..."
Princess Yu'an paced anxiously, repeatedly urging her maidservants on.
The last time she visited the Qin residence, she saw a box of pastries on the table and casually picked up a piece. Just as she swallowed it, Qin Jin, who had rushed over, stopped her. At the time, she thought Qin Jin was stingy, but when she asked, she learned that the pastries were sent by the Xue residence.
She wondered why the Xue family would send her pastries out of the blue, but before she could even voice her question, her stomach began to cramp, and she felt as if she could just have a massive bowel movement right then and there.
Once again, she was at the Xue residence when she saw a servant serving her sweet soup. Because of the hot weather, she ordered a bowl as well. But after she had only taken a few sips, she saw Xue Rongyue holding the white jade porcelain bowl without touching it. She looked at it thoughtfully for a long time, then sniffed it. Suddenly, she stood up and said something was wrong.
It turned out that she had poisoned the sweet soup that Qin Jin had sent to the Qin family in Liangzhou. Qin Jin must have noticed something was wrong and switched the soup before sending it to the Xue family. Xue Rongyue didn't touch it, but she developed a rash all over her body that took several days to clear up.
From then on, she was truly afraid and never wanted to get involved in their struggle again.
They were both very familiar with each other's tactics, but she suffered the most, falling into one trap after another, becoming an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of their struggle.
Today, because she was at her own princess residence, she was careless and fell into the trap again!
Princess Yu'an stomped her feet in anger, feeling completely out of sorts. She said angrily, "This time I will never let you two off easily again. I won't be able to quell my anger without giving you two ten lashes!"
The fishing rod twitched, and Qin Jin quickly reeled it in, only to find that the koi had swallowed the bait and already escaped. He couldn't help but hang his head in dejection.
Hearing this, he put down his fishing rod, casually picked up a piece of white jade frost cake from the cake box, and ate it. He found it too sweet and only ate half a piece before stopping. He then said to Princess Yu'an, who was staring in disbelief, "There was no poison in this batch of cakes."
"How could that be!" Princess Yu'an blurted out, but seeing his confident expression, she softened her expression and asked suspiciously, "How do you know there's no poison?"
After a pause, she bluntly attacked, "Why would she give it to you if it wasn't poisoned?"
After drinking half a cup of fragrant tea, Qin Jin, feeling tired from lying down, got up and stretched his limbs before his gaze lightly swept over the cake box.
Yes, why would we give him pastries that weren't poisoned?
Xue Rongyue's unusual tears today did indeed frighten him for a moment, but after she left, he thought about it carefully and felt that something was strange.
After thinking for half an hour, I finally realized it.
At the time, she did believe that he had destroyed the sword, but it was not like she would do something like tearfully accusing him of being the "culprit".
Xue Rongyue is a vengeful person who never wastes her breath. Anyone who offends her will be retaliated against in every possible way.
Just like on the Lantern Festival, she took her sword, braved the snow, and went up the mountain to kill him.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Qin Jin twirled the jade ring on his finger and sighed thoughtfully, "...They must be plotting something sinister, harboring ill intentions."
A note from the author:
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In the original work, Xiaoyue plays the role of a "vicious female supporting character." However, I personally believe that [emphasis added] the charm of this type of character lies in her "any means necessary" for the sake of survival and power, and her determination to climb mountains even in dire straits. I don't want to erase these qualities, so this can also be considered as the process of Xiaoyue's inner transformation (I'm so happy to see some readers calling her that [heart eyes]).
She truly loathed Qin Jin, but her desire to live outweighed her loathing for him. However, because she genuinely hated him, she would engage in manipulative tactics while secretly hoping that Qin Jin would suffer misfortune or fall into her hands—a complex mix of emotions.
Happy reading! Xiaoyue is about to embark on a hilarious and absurd journey of strategy. [Go for it!]
Oh, and starting with the next chapter, the update time will be changed to around 8:30 AM daily. Don't come to the site only to find it empty!
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