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<h5 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="arc-3-story-line">ARC 3 STORY LINE</h5>\n\nDisclaimer: This is an MTL translation that has been edited to make the story flow smoothly which may cause the translation to not be 100% accurate. The Chinese novel: Abused Female Lead And Beautiful Villainess is not owned by me. This is only a fan translation by Idiot Goggle Translations.\n
Chapter 16\n
Shen Wan came to He Qingningâs mansion and saw her lying pale on the bed.\n
The imperial physician just came in and was sitting by He Qingningâs side while checking her pulse. The emperor is estimated to be very busy at this time and he wonât be able to visit for the time being.\n
Shen Wan had a grim face. This time the severe and indifferent face she had on was not pretend. She was pissed off; angry at the naughty little princess. If she hadnât walked in and saw sharply with her own eyes how He Qingningâs exposed fingers gently moved, she wouldâve been afraid and thought that she really had been poisoned.\n
The imperial physician was the same doctor she was familiar with.\n
It was the imperial physician Chen who went to the royal palace to treat He Xiyan. Needless to say, this old man with dead eyes and a pretentious posture must be He Qingningâs underling. As for the state of He Qingningâs pale face, it was probably the old man who prescribed her the medicine she needed to take. If it werenât for Doctor Liu who was in the palace with his certain âskillâ, He Qingning might have let him think of another way. Her little princess was certainly covering her bases.\n
Shen Wan took a deep breath and held herself back from going up to He Qingning and spanking her ass.\n
For He Qingningâs plan, itâs obviously better to use the imperial physician Chen to be more convincing.\n
This is a ploy; a ploy that will be easily seen through. This is why Shen Wan was angry. This means that He Qingning knew very well what will happen. That there would be a dangerous situation that will occur and she chose to put herself at risk; use herself as bait to draw out the enemies hiding in the dark.\n
She was very upset.\n
He Qingning felt Shen Wanâs unhappiness, but at this time, the only choice she had was to keep her eyes closed and wait for imperial physician Chen to diagnose her as poisoned.\n
Shen Wan came closer and stared at He Qingning, her small fists letting out a clenching sound.\n
ClenchâŚ<sup>1</sup>\n
ClenchâŚ\n
He Qingningâs ears caught the constant sound of clenching fists and she frowned as she was forced to keep on listening. Wouldnât you hurt your hands if you keep clenching your fists like that?\n
(188: Hurt? She wonât get hurt. Sheâs so powerful that she could kill a puny assassin with one punch.)\n
âHow is Her Highness, Doctor Chen?â\n
When the imperial physician Chen heard Shen Wanâs cold, icy voice, he became really frightened and took caution. He wiped his cold sweat, âHer Highness was poisoned.â\n
âSince itâs poison, hurry up and find a solution.â\n
Doctor Chen smiled bitterly. The emperor hasnât come yet, since he did not have time. The drama cannot continue until then. If this performance is ruined, it wouldnât be unusual for Her Highness to kill him if he acted improperly.\n
Fortunately, the emperor was a lifesaver. Once he heard that He Qingning was poisoned, he urgently handled all of his matters and came quickly. What happened next is the grand performance of imperial physician Chen and He Qingningâs people in the room. Imperial physician Chen didnât seem to be himself anymore. Shen Wan thinks that he was closer to Sherlock Holmes with how he found the root cause of the poison, deducted the person who may have done the poisoning, and came up with the most suspicious one.\n
In the end, a person under He Xiyan was uncovered flawlessly. The emperor was livid. He sent someone to summon He Xiyan. Even in the face of countless evidence, He Xiyanâs expression was very indifferent. She could only vaguely see a little worry in his eyes as if he was a mere outsider and the situation had nothing to do with him. With how he was presenting himself, everyone had to wonder if the evidence were truly real.\n
âThird Prince, do you have anything to object?â the emperor asked. From the look on his face, no one could determine what he was thinking. Although he did look angry just now, no one really doubted that he was anything but angry.\n
He Xiyan knelt on the ground before opening his mouth, âFather Emperor, this son was wronged. If I may ask, father, if this son truly poisoned Qingning, then what benefit would this son gain from this?â Of course, heâll benefit. He Qingning is his biggest competitor.\n
As soon as He Qingning died, could a mere fifth prince rival him? Never mind the sufficient evidence for now. The more evidence there is, the more embarrassed his father will be when he resolves this.\n
He Xiyan showed a face filled with worry. His acting looked very authentic and anyone who saw him wouldnât think that he really was He Qingningâs murderer.\n
âAll the evidence is here right now, Third Prince. How will you clear yourself of suspicion?â\n
âCan Father Emperor give this son a dayâs time? If Iâm not able to find anything to clear my name within the day, then Father Emperor has me at his disposal, but if I do clear my name, I ask Father Emperor to severely punish the real offender. I surely did not have thoughts of harming Qingning. It would not be good for this son.â\n
The emperor pondered for a bit then nodded, âFine. I will give you a day.â\n
Right now, He Qingning was still in a coma. The doctor said that it was fortunate the poisoning wasnât excessive and the treatment was timely. He Qingningâs life was out of danger. The next thing to do was to slowly remove the remaining poison and sheâll recover.\n
On the next day, He Xiyan came again and this time He Qingning was awake.\n
When he came in, he couldnât hold back from glancing at Shen Wanâs face. He knew very well that this woman was not his princess, since their personalities were very different. However, when he swept his eyes to this similar face, he had to look twice. In fact, when he thought about it now, other than being a little clingy, the princess wasnât actually bad. At least she was willing to give her life for him.\n
In this world, there were few people who would die for him. Even Shen Shi when he approached her. Didnât she have second thoughts? It was only because he loved Shen Shi so much that he automatically ignored all the bad things about her.\n
Shen Wan looked away. If this were any other time, she would have rolled her eyes at He Xiyan. This scumbag actually looked at her with eyes filled with nostalgia and longing. Does this scumbag have that one trait? The one where they only recognize the beauty in people after they lose them, then they curl up within themselves trying to remember everything. The more memories they remember, the harder it was to keep themselves from falling in love with the person whoâs gone.\n
Shen Wan: âThis scumbagâs taste in people is really heavy. He likes to obsess over the dead. He has a sick mind.â\n
[188: âItâs called âthe one that got awayâ and itâs always problematic. Wanwan, now that you are the woman He Xiyan can never have, hehe, are you excited?â]\n
Shen Wan: âVomit rainbow pukeâŚâ\n
[188: âWanwan, you and the little princess havenât done the deed yet. Vomiting is too early. But even if you have done it with her, you wonât be able to vomit rainbow puke anyway, ah. Thereâs no such function.â] \n
Shen Wan: âVomit rainbow puke!!â\n
188 sneered and stopped talking. Thereâs no reasoning with this host.\n
Not long after, the emperor was invited inside.\n
âThird Prince, have you found any evidence?â\n
He Xiyanâs expression showed a look of pain and his voice was hoarse, âFather Emperor, this son has investigated it.â\n
âOh? From the looks of it, not everything is at it seems.â The emperorâs expression did not change from beginning to end. Only in front of He Qingning will he show a different expression. Almost everyone couldnât figure out what he was thinking just from the look on his face.\n
He Xiyan was actually a little nervous when facing such an emperor. He was in a hurry to do things, but his fifth brother was more impatient. In comparison, the loser could only be the fifth brother.\n
âFather Emperor, this matter is indeed strange. You will need to summon Fifth Brother to come.â\n
The emperorâs eyes darkened. For a moment he did not speak and the air was filled with tension. No one dared to breathe.\n
âGo and bring me the fifth prince.â\n
When the fifth prince came, he was calm. He glanced at He Xiyan with apathetic eyes. When the two faced each other, he did not feel at ease.\n
âFifth Brother, Qingning is our young sister. Why did you poison Qingning? Just because Qingning liked to be close to me and we grew up together, of course, our relationship would be stronger. Fifth Brother, you truly disappoint me.â\n
The fifth princeâs expression changed immediately, âThird Brother, what are you talking about? How could I poison Qingning? Third Brother, I heard that the imperial physician Chen found evidence incriminating you to be the culprit. Third Brother, donât push this crime on me just to clear your name.â\n
âFifth Brother, I have no reason to harm Qingning.â\n
The fifth princeâs expression remains unchanged and he suddenly laughed out loud, âThen, Third Brother, where is your evidence against me? Present the proof that I hurt Qingning.â\n
âSince youâre so persistent, I will present the evidence for the sake of Qingning and prove my innocence.â\n
When He Xiyan put forward the evidence, the fifth prince paled and he felt the emperorâs cold eyes. He didnât meet them and, instead, he kept his sight on He Xiyan.\n
He Xiyan bowed to the emperor, âFather, I have found the person who was responsible for harming Qingning. This son is very sorry and is saddened that the person who harmed Qingning was actually Fifth Brother.â\n
âFifth Prince, is there anything youâd like to say?â The emperor sat in his seat, his majestic gaze scrutinizing the fifth princeâs face, âNow that the evidence is concrete, Fifth Prince, you disappoint me. Just for the sake of the throne, youâd dare poison Qingning?â\n
The fifth prince was pale in the face, but when the emperor asked him to kneel on the ground, his face only showed pleasure as he laughed to himself, âFather Emperor, this son has lost. Father Emperor, I am at your disposal.â\n
He was too impatient, but in this current situation, how could he not be? It was obvious in court how their father valued He Xiyan. The only thing he could do was gamble. After all, at this time, he had to take this bet. Who knows, their father couldâve had a different mind from what they could all guess.\n
He didnât expect that his favor was not in the hands of He Xiyan, but with their good sister He Qingning instead. He took a glance at the pale-faced figure leaning on the bed, as if she really was poisoned, and smiled again. Did He Xiyan think he won? In this competition, the two of them only bit each other, but this will ultimately go to their sister He Qingning. It was only now that he realized it.\n
Why was it such a coincidence that he heard what he wouldnât be able to?\n
As for He Xiyan, he must have heard the same thing he did, right?\n
They both thought it was an opportunity to frame each other. Unfortunately, none of them won.\n
Pawns, pawns. The both of them are He Qingningâs pawns and they were also the stepping stones for their father to prepare He Qingning. If he asked among the many princes and princesses: who would their father willingly cooperate with on their performance? Other than He Qingning, who else is there?\n
He Qingning!\n
Well, at least itâs not He Xiyan. If the crown prince turned out to be He Xiyan, he may not have been able to keep his head.\n
Heâll have to help his good sister then.\n
First thingâs first, he had to drag down the currently triumphant He Xiyan no matter what. How could he be better than him? His mother wasnât a concubine, but a maidservant riding on the empressâ coattails, so why? His own mother was one of the four concubines, so his identity should be much more noble than He Xiyanâs.\n
âFather, this son has something to say.â\n
Who didnât bury a few nails in their oppositionâs house?<sup>2</sup> When the fifth prince said He Xiyan knew of his plan and played along to it despite him plotting to kill He Qingning, He Xiyanâs expression barely changed. He remained calm and waited for the fifth prince to speak further, but by then He Xiyan could no longer maintain his composure.\n
âFather Emperor, I did poison Qingning. My original purpose was to let Third Brother have one less supporter, but later I accidentally overheard a secret.â As if the fifth prince has already given up, he stopped kneeling and openly sat lazily on the ground. He raised his chin and smiled faintly as he said, âI heard that father wanted to crown He Qingning as the empress, so I couldnât help myself.\n
âThird Brother, I guess you heard it too? Donât deny it, you must have heard it. After all, the person who sent you the message was one of my people. I have evidence for the things you have done.â The fifth prince watched He Xiyan and couldnât stop himself from smiling happily, âWhy donât we get Doctor Liu to come forward so we can confront him?â\n
Shen Wan: âDoctor Liu again? So, who exactly owns Doctor Liu?â\n
[188 is also a bit confused: âWanwan, donât you think that the people from the past are horrifying? This common doctor is actually playing this big of a part. Upfront, heâs under He Xiyan, but secretly he is owned by the little princess and you, and even deeper than that, he is also the fifth princeâs man. Terrible, terrible.â]\n
Doctor Liu came trembling with his back soaked wet.\n
When he saw so many prominent men for the first time, his forehead also began to sweat. He was so frightened that he hurt the bones in his knees after kneeling on the ground.\n
Dear God, he really was just a doctor!\n
Why was he, a simple doctor, having such a difficult time living?\n
The king of the underworld used his family to blackmail him and the âdeadâ princess tempted him with benefits. He had to admit, Shen Wan was very generous and he really couldnât deny temptation.\n
Her Highness, the princess, used her power to intimidate him and the fifth prince offered to help him save his family and if he didnât agree, then he would send someone to kill his family.\n
So he was afraid.\n
He did his best to be careful with what he did. He isnât someone who would do these things on purpose.\n
This is not a matter for a human to handle at all.\n
The king of the underworld asked him to prepare a poison, but he didnât expect that the princess would know, so he let him go through with it. The fifth prince also asked him to make a poison, but he didnât expect that the princess would know this as well, so he let him go through with another one. Therefore, he came to the conclusion that the most terrifying of these people was Her Royal Highness.\n
âDoctor Liu, tell us what you know.â The emperor said.\n
Doctor Liu pressed his head on the ground and spoke while he lay on his stomach. He recited the words according to what the princess had given him. He familiarized them by heart too. He hoped that when Princess Qingning reached her goal, she would give him peace.\n
Faced with full proof evidence, He Xiyan could not argue. He looked at the emperor and then at He Qingning, âOkay, I lost.â\n
He did lose. He lost to He Qingning. He lost to his father. Even if He Qingning is a daughter, so what, with their fatherâs favor as emperor, he single-handedly pushed her to the throne.\n
He had come to realize why He Qingning would be sent to punish corrupt officials and why his father allowed the princes to fight during this time period. It was to build momentum for He Qingning and turn him into a shield for her. Their emperor father is still a father. Who would have seen through this until the end?\n
The funny thing is that he paid an enormous price to defeat several of his brothers and thought he simply needed to prepare a wedding dress to give to He Qingning.\n
He Xiyan felt his anger down to his blood, attacking his heart and almost making him spit out a mouthful of blood. He turned his eyes to Doctor Liu and wanted to ask whether this man was with the fifth price or with He Qingning. His words were really smooth, organized and clearer than what he expected of him. It was impossible for someone like him not to have a guide.\n
Shen Wan: Her little princess is still amazing, ah.\n
What the fifth prince and He Xiyan did would certainly not be publicized. The emperor only temporarily imprisoned them in the palace. As for what will happen to them, it did not matter as there were more important things now.\n
âQingning, what do you think should happen to them?â\n
He Qingning understood that this was the emperor testing her. Despite the emperor pampering her, she also had a little love for the other princes and princesses and she hoped that, in this battle, they wouldnât be killed.\n
âFather Emperor, this daughter thinks that it is better to send them to a fief. They are all brothers of mine.â\n
The emperor looked at He Qingning for a time until his weary face smiled. He patted He Qingning gently, âThen I as the emperor will put them on house arrest and Qingning will dispose of them.â\n
He Qingningâs eyes were red, her lips pursed, and her voice choked out, âFather.â\n
âIâm very relieved that Qingning is like this now. It is not good for you to be ruthless when it is not in your interest to take their lives. You must understand this. Since Qingning does not have the heart to kill them, when you ascend the throne, show the world that you grant them amnesty, release them, and never recall them.â\n
âThank you, father.â\n
âŚ\n
A day after, He Qingning came to Shen Wanâs side and asked with a wide smile, âWanwan, why donât we take the little hen for a walk?â\n
Shen Wan snorted coldly, took the little hen, and moved to another spot with a faint hum. She was not as enthusiastic as before.\n
âWanwan, Iâm craving for some of the little henâs eggs. By this time, the hen should have laid a lot of eggs, right?â He Qingning asked as she pulled on Shen Wanâs wrist.\n
Shen Wan glanced at her and pointed to her belly, âItâs all in here. Iâve eaten it all. Theyâre gone.â\n
šT/N: ĺ â A character to indicate noise or clamor. In that particular sentence, it said, âĺĺĺâ which was translated by Google as âwow wow wowâ but in actuality, itâs more like ânoise noise noiseâ. I searched, but I couldnât find a sound close to a clenching fist and I certainly didnât think âwow wow wowâ or âhua hua huaâ (ĺĺĺ pronounced literally) was appropriate. It sounded more like breath being let out in an exhale, doesnât it? I didnât want it to be âClench clench clenchâ like some frat boys chanting to some poor initiate to clench their butt cheeks either, so I just decided to use one word for the sentence.\n
²T/N: I couldnât find anything related to this despite it sounding like an expression or idiom. It sounds like it means, âstrike your opponent while theyâre under a false sense of securityâ. What do you think?\n
TN: One chapter left, my lovelies. \n
TN2: I didnât have as much trouble with this than other chapters. Hallelujah. \n
TN3: Iâm too sleepy to proofread. Just tell me where I messed up if you find anything wrong.\n
TN4: 188 is so sassy. I love him! Did you guys read the part where he commented off-hand that Shen Wan could get preggers when she and the princess did it? Lol.\n