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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 17.1\n
âYour Highness, an egg can only be so big.â Shen Wan gestured with her hand. Her index finger and thumb were positioned to the size of an egg, then with a serious face, she said, âThereâs only one egg. If two people eat it, it wonât be enough.\n
âItâs so small, I ate it in one bite.â Shen Wan raised her chin, âNow that we are back to the palace, thereâs an abundance of rare delicacies here. What would Your Highness want to eat? I can tell the cook to tend to you every morning. Itâs only proper for them to prepare a fancy meal for you.\n
âSo, Your Highness, why would you need to take this egg from me?â\n
He Qingning grabbed a handful of grain and placed it next to the little hen.\n
This little hen was still as greedy as before. No matter how much food was given, it will not refuse. It doesnât matter whether it was full or not; the food will be eaten. As soon as it sees it coming, it quickly pecks it off with its mouth. \n
Shen Wan felt that if she didnât take this little hen for a walk every day then it will die from overconsumption. Even if it didnât, then it could still die from obesity.\n
âThen Iâll watch you eat.â\n
Shen Wan: The little princessâ skin is getting thicker and thicker. Sheâs becoming so brazen that she can speak like this without shame. Hmph, she obviously knew I was angry. Do you think that a few sweet words would make me easily forgive you for putting yourself in danger?\n
Not happening!\n
She needs at least three days!\n
No, five days.\n
Five days is too short to give her a wake-up call. She will have to be angry for a month.\n
âIf Your Highness looks at me, I wonât be able to eat.â Shen Wan turned her face to the side; not wanting to look at He Qingning at all. He Qingning was annoyed and amused. Shen Wanâs temper tantrum was turning more and more difficult. Well, this time it was her fault for not involving the other woman. It was normal for her to feel upset.\n
There is one thing she is sure of and itâs that thereâs no need to take risks with Shen Wan. Moreover, in this palace, there is always intrigue. She didnât want Shen Wan to get morally involved and get noticed. It wouldnât be good for Shen Wan. It was fortunate that Shen Wan followed her for nearly three years. Especially during the time she hunted down many assassins and Si Shi. Those small fists were killing people almost every day.\n
If ever she did it all over again, she would still choose to turn Shen Wan to her side. Sheâs contradicting. On the one hand, she didnât want Shen Wan to be fortunate enough not to need her protection; on the other, she didnât want to break her wings. After comparing, she found that her favorite Shen Wan was the true to life, infinitely powerful, and versatile Shen Wan.\n
âThis time I didnât let you get involved because I thought, with Wan Wanâs abilities, your help wouldnât be needed for such an insignificant thing.â\n
Shen Wan: Is the princess sucking up to her? Sheâs so smooth. Have you practiced it in private? Sheâs really a scheming princess. Did she really think I would forgive her so easily? \n
Not possible!\n
âAnother reason is that youâve been running around with me for almost three years. I wanted to let you take a good rest. After all, what will happen next will make you very busy taking care of things and you wonât have the time to rest by then.â\n
He QIngning continued as she pulled Shen Wanâs wrist and sat them side by side, âTomorrow, my father will officially decree me as the crown princess. The future will bring me all kinds of troubles.â He Qingning faced Shen Wan with serious eyes, âThe people around me are untrustworthy, but I have so many things I need help with. The only person I can wholeheartedly trust is you.â\n
Shen Wan: Oh my god! The little princessâs romantic words are so smooth. What do I do, Iâm wavering.\n
Sure enough, she was not a strong-willed person. She couldnât bear being flattered like this, especially by the little princess. Now she feels like flying to the sun.\n
âFatherâs health is getting worse. He would no longer be able to help me after he is gone. No one will protect me. I will need to face all my troubles alone.â\n
Shen Wanâs eyes became resentful, âWhat about me? Did you forget about me? I have been fortunate to protect you for three years and you actually say that no one will protect you? Your Highness, donât you have a guilty conscience?â\n
âOf course, I didnât forget about you.â\n
âBut what you said just not clearly excluded me.â\n
âNo.â\n
âYes, thatâs what you meant.â\n
He Qingning pressed on Shen Wanâs shoulder, held her face up directly, and blocked her small mouth with a kiss. Shen Wan was unable to speak up. Wan Wanâs temper is getting bigger and bigger and she was forced to use this trick. Sure enough, itâs much quieter now.\n
After releasing her, Shen Wan wiped the corners of her mouth. âYour Highness, your way of arguing is really unique. Itâs so shameless. If you canât win the argument, you just block peopleâs mouths.â\n
âIf itâs enough to win, why question the method.â He Qingning smirked. The taste was better than she expected. âI didnât forget you, Wan Wan. I didnât mean to exclude you when I said no one will protect me. Instead, what I want to do next is to protect you; not be protected by you.â\n
Shen Wan: Iâm sorry. She wants to be an unprincipled person. Sheâs the kind of person who will definitely fall when she sets up a small flag and swears that she wonât be struck by lighting even in the end.<sup>1</sup>\n
âYour Highness, what will I do next?â\n
âThereâs many. Why donât we go back in and discuss this leisurely?â He Qingning held the little henâs rope with one hand and held Shen Wanâs small hand on the other. They stood together harmoniously.  \n
As for Shen Wanâs anger, it has long been put off by what the little princess said. In the future, rather than doing the protecting, sheâll be the one being protected. She was almost coaxed into turning and running around the place in circles. Did she even remember what she was angry with before?\n
He Qingning felt relieved when Shen Wan did not mention what happened before, but she didnât expect it to be this hard. In the future, she canât make Wan Wan angry again. She was afraid that if she upsets the other woman again, she wonât be able to coax her out of it next time.\n
âDonât you want to be above 10,000 people and only under one person?â He Qingning said, âI found you many books on becoming an official as well as various accounts of prime ministers in the past generations. Take a look at them as it will be beneficial to you.â Since it was decided, it was only natural that she wouldnât be binding Shen Wanâs wings.\n
Rather than holding this dazzling person in a small cage, sheâd rather have them join their hands, spread their wings, and fly high together.\n
Itâs too cold being in high places. Flying alone would be lonely. Just look at her emperor father. Since her motherâs death, he was getting thinner and thinner and his health was getting worse. If mother was still here, her father may have had more of a fighting spirit. He wouldnât be so hasty in cultivating a successor just to join mother with peace of mind.\n
She could feel that when he stood in the courtroom and faced those courtiers, her father may just give up continuing living in this world. Father loves the kingdom because this kingdom was built together by him and her mother. If there was someone stable to finally manage this kingdom, he could be at ease and be with her mother, the one he loves.\n
She and Shen Wan were different. Shen Wan is very strong and her body is in good condition. They are both women. Thereâs no need to have children or give birth to a child. As for those who will inherit this piece of land in the future, there are still so many members of the He clan. They will be eager to know who she will choose among them and they will support her energetically.\n
Shen Wan was excited. Looking at the box of books, she almost pounced on the little princess and held her down for a kiss. As for being angry, was she angry? When was this? She didnât know. She didnât remember anymore.\n
Shen Wan: â188, you should feel this. This is love. The little princessâ love for me is pure and flawless. She is willing to fight with me instead of locking me in a cage and becoming her pet. Well, I wouldnât mind it. Pets are happy just by being fed every day, but I havenât been given my title yet. When I do, Iâll finally get to experience it.â\n
188: He anonymously went to a forum and read various posts about hosts, but he couldnât find anyone more immoral than his host. His host was not only immoral, she was also shameless and weak-willed. With only a little bit of coaxing, she gives in. He didnât understand how she could get high scores and rewards every time.\n
He wondered if someone was backing Shen Wan, but it wouldnât make any sense. If there was someone, how could she owe such a big debt that she still had to do this exhausting job?\n
He Xiyan and the five princes were previously imprisoned by the emperor for unknown reasons and it caused many to speculate. Although the emperor issued this order, he did not allow the news of He Qingningâs poisoning to pass. But the courtiers, they were all aware. The timing when the two were imprisoned was the second day of He Qingningâs poisoning. When they put those two together, it wouldnât be too far off to assume that the battle between the two princes affected He Qingning. She was the emperorâs heart and soul, it was only natural that this would cause his anger and imprison the two.\n
This would be a scandal for the royal family and, due to this reason, the emperor will certainly not expose this. The courtiers guessed that this was so, therefore it would only bring them bad luck if they asked for the two to be released. Wouldnât it just bring trouble to yourself? It would also make the emperor doubt them, thinking that theyâre involved with the two.\n
Some of the courtiers had other thoughts. The defeated princes were all sent to fiefs as a result of losing against one another. The two men were involved with Her Highness Princess Qingning. They were afraid that there would be no salvation for them.\n
The concubines of the harem had not been happy for a long time. The emperor is old and in poor health. It is impossible to birth a new prince. If they thought about it this way, then wouldnât it mean that those princes who have been sent away have another chance to compete?\n
While the courtiers were thinking about this, the emperor announced that he would be announcing his heir. When the courtiers heard of this, they were all surprised. They deeply wondered who this new prince could be. As the emperor will always be the emperor and he would always do something that they couldnât guess or figure out. Now, in this situation, they really wouldnât be able to say anything.\n
When the head steward read that He Qingning would be crowned heir, the officials of the court knelt on the floor and were too shocked to respond. When they could finally move, He Qingning had already changed to the royal dress belonging to the crown princess and walked up.\n
When He Qingning received the decree, the court officials reacted. Some quickly objected to this, saying that it was inappropriate. He Qingning is a princess and a daughter. How could she inherit the throne? All these surprised and excited-looking people didnât get it at all and only a small amount of people had their heads bowed down.\n
âInappropriate?â\n
There was a faint smile on the emperorâs old face, âI have already made a decision. Does everyone want me to break my word? This emperor is not fooling around. When a decree is spoken by me, it is set in stone. Qingning is more capable than my sons. She can do what they could not and she can do what they can as my daughter.<sup>2</sup> Who would be able to compare?â\n
âEmperor, even though Her Highness Princess Qingning is talented, courageous, and better than many men, she is still but a woman. How will she provide an heir once she inherits the throne?â\n
The emperor touched his chin and smiled, âHe Aiqing, are you saying this because you were born into this world with only your father?â He didnât wait for Lord He to answer before he said, âThis is a strange phenomenon. There are such powerful beings in this world who can procreate alone. I wonder if your father is well. I may need to summon him today and ask how he did it.â\n
Lord He: Emperor, you are being unreasonable!\n
âHe Aiqing, you still have not answered my question. Is your presence in this world only through the merit of your father alone and nothing at all to do with your mother? If this is true, I would like to reward your father for being such a unique man. I hope that there will be more of him in this world. Itâs a blessing for us to be able to have more men that will be able to conceive future generations alone.â\n
The courtiers: The emperorâs ability to ridicule people has never regressed.\n
In the end, the lord surnamed He, kowtowed several times and admitted with his own mouth that he was not born into this world with only one parent. He forgot since the emperor was old. When the ministers put pressure on the emperor, it was normal for the emperor to yield to them.\n
But if the emperor decides on something, they wonât be able to stop it.\n
The emperor smiled, âSo thatâs the way it is. He Aiqing, your parents are still physically fit. Cease knocking your head down. Your mother is in her twilight years. If you go up to her showing scars on your forehead, Iâm afraid that the old lady would get worried. You made a mistake. Thereâs no need to be afraid of my anger.â\n
Hearing this, Lord He was completely afraid to refute anything. If he spoke one more sentence in objection, he felt that the emperor may suspect that he truly was born without a mother. \n
While the emperor spoke about his mother with gentle care, he had to thread carefully. With only a few words, he had stopped him from objecting about the princess from becoming his heir. He didnât dare choose between this and admitting that he had no mother. If he choose the latter, it would be seen by the world as him being ungrateful. Once the emperor mentioned his old mother, it was given as a warning.\n
Shit. He was swept by the actions of the court and subconsciously opposed. Now the emperor had ill will against him and presented something that could ruin his reputation. Sure enough, the story about the emperor comparing him to a tiger was not a rumor. If his old mother heard about what happened today, he would be chased around his yard and beaten by a broom. Despite being in his fifties, he was still afraid of his resilient mother at home. He would not be able to bear being beaten by a broom.\n
By then, how would he be able to show his face in public?\n
After they saw the fate of Lord He, the refuting courtiers all hesitated. They couldnât help but think about what the emperor said about him being born without a mother. \n
It was a real dilemma. If they didnât speak up, the emperor will crown the princess as heir and they wonât be able to stop it.\n
If they spoke, they will be labeled by the emperor and ruin their reputation.\n
Their old mothers live a relatively long life span and most of them are still alive today. If this matter is publicized and their mothers at home find out, wouldnât this be asking for trouble? They claim to be filial sons, and it is a fact that they are, but if this comes out, their reputations will be ruined. They will be humiliated, disgraced, and abused by many people.\n
The emperor truly deserves to be the emperor for he is dangerous. If they continue being rebellious, he will classify them as people born without a mother, which will have them at odds with their old mother. With only a few words, it will split their homes, causing discord in their families. It was inhumane. No way, they absolutely cannot fall for it.\n
The courtiers had no interest in being the leading bird.<sup>3</sup> Looking at Lord He with his head beaten after daring to say a word, they didnât want to have the same experience. They glanced at the imperial decree in He Qingningâs hand and at the very well-fitted imperial court dress. The pattern is different from that of a crown prince. It can be seen that the emperor had thought about this a long time ago. They remembered when He Qingningâs fame began to rise. A cold sweat broke down their backs and their eyes widened in incredulity. \n
As it turns out, a few years ago, He Qingning leaving the Imperial City and doing all those things were the emperorâs way of building her momentum? No wonder⌠it was no wonder the emperor did not reward her after returning. They recalled that those past few years, it was when the princes lost one by one and were placed directly to the fiefs. The courtiers were surprised. His Majesty, the emperor, played a big game. In order to help Qingning rise, all the princes were treated as stepping stones and sharpening stones.\n
âThe court officials recognize Her Royal Highness as the Crown Princess. Your Highness, long live, long live.â\n
The emperor stroked his beard with satisfaction. It would have been better if this happened earlier, wouldnât it?\n
Now that the overall situation has been settled, their rebuttals are completely meaningless. Before he ascended the throne, he endured heavy burdens and heavy hardships. After he ascended the throne, he overcame obstacle after obstacle to control great power and gain the absolute right to speak and not feel threatened by his own officials. These old geezers, did they really think he compromised because he feared them? If he didnât pretend, how would they be able to relax their vigilance?\n
šT/N: I couldnât find the exact expression/idiom. It sounds like âa person stubborn enough to stick with their beliefs to the bitter end even though their beliefs were stupid in the first placeâ.\n
²T/N: This sentence is so convoluted. I donât know how to make it better.\n
ÂłT/N: ĺşĺ¤´é¸ â âleading birdâ person who stands out in a crowd or takes the lead\n
T/N:Â I tried to finish this whole chapter since itâs the last chapter, but holy crap, itâs over 6k words. I couldnât edit it fast enough.\n
T/N2:Â I think there were more T/N notes, but I forgot to put a number on them.\n
T/N3: I was a bit busy with my self-loathing the last couple of weeks, so this is late. Sorry, master. ;n;\n