Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 200: Emperor Cheng Xiao Is Forcing Zhou Cangyan to Rebel

Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Emperor Cheng Xiao Is Forcing Zhou Cangyan to Rebel

"He... deliberately had you bring me here because... he didn’t want Emperor Cheng Xiao to use me as a hostage?"

"Hmph!"

Luo Fubang glanced at her. "You’re not a complete idiot, then."

Song Lianhe ignored him and continued, "In that case, were you and Xuan Mei just putting on an act back then?"

"Yes."

Zhong Shimin said, "I know her temperament. She didn’t want to backstab Tiger Beak, but she also didn’t want to betray you. She’s so stubborn that in the end, her only choice would have been to take her own life to fulfill the twin virtues of ’loyalty’ and ’righteousness’."

Song Lianhe fell silent. Xuan Mei was indeed that kind of person.

But she was genuinely happy. She had been truly heartbroken for a while, thinking Xuan Mei had abandoned her. After all, she had considered Xuan Mei a real friend.

She suddenly asked, "Back then, when Zhou Cangyan left the Escort Masters in Ling’an, that was another move he had in reserve, wasn’t it? Since he staged this whole drama, it naturally drew all the attention to me, the ’abducted’ Princess Qing, so no one would be paying attention to them... So, did Zhou Cangyan have other arrangements for them? Did they also leave Ling’an City in secret?"

Luo Fubang looked at her, his gaze holding a hint of approval.

’Hmph. Good. She’s finally using her brain.’

"Yes."

Now, Zhong Shimin held nothing back. "Yu State is difficult to attack. The Young Master’s thirty thousand troops have been traveling day and night over a long distance. Victory is easier said than done. What’s more, the troops Song Xingfeng assigned were all the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled—most of them were even freshly recruited soldiers! With an army like that, forget thirty thousand; even three hundred thousand wouldn’t be able to take Yu State."

"Emperor Cheng Xiao couldn’t possibly be unaware of this. He was undoubtedly sending those thirty thousand men to their deaths..." Song Lianhe looked at him, a conspiracy theory forming in her mind.

"His target isn’t Yu State, but..."

Luo Fubang sneered, "Sui Bei."

Song Lianhe gasped. "He’s forcing Zhou Cangyan to rebel!"

The first time he forced him, it was to make him hand over his military authority. In the end, Zhou Cangyan did.

So this time, under the pretext of dealing with Prince Yongdong, he was pressuring Zhou Cangyan—pressuring all of Sui Bei!

On top of that, there was a great drought this year, causing a sharp decline in the harvest. There was also a massive influx of refugees from Yu State. The common people were struggling just to eat, so how could they have the heart for war? If a battle were to break out, they would surely retreat without a fight.

If Emperor Cheng Xiao truly intended to reclaim Sui Bei, now was the perfect opportunity!

’Sigh, it’s all my fault. Whenever I came across these political schemes while reading the book, I would either automatically ignore them or just skim through. I never liked reading about them, preferring to see the male and female leads talk about their feelings and fall in love.’

’Now that I’m in the middle of this mess and my cheat ability won’t activate, all I can do is worry uselessly.’

Zhong Shimin said, "Sui Bei is a vast territory. Although it’s a part of Da Cheng and under the Court’s jurisdiction, Sui Bei has a system of hereditary Warlords. The people here only recognize the Luo Family as the kings of Sui Bei. Compared to Yu State, which he can openly attack, Sui Bei has been Emperor Cheng Xiao’s real, deep-seated worry for all these years."

Song Lianhe tried hard to recall the book’s plot. In the original story, Zhou Junlin was the one who went on the expedition, so none of this happened. Afterward, Zhou Cangyan began to focus entirely on his ambitions, but he was still defeated by the male lead’s plot armor.

Now that Zhou Cangyan was the one on the expedition, it meant the entire plot had been moved up. It was just like leveling up in a game—when you skip levels, the difficulty naturally increases.

He continued, "Word from the palace is that the Imperial Physicians are now frequently visiting Chongzheng Hall. Perhaps because of this, he is in a hurry to pave the way for Prince Ling and clear away any obstacles for him. Therefore, if Yu State can be taken, the military merit will go to your esteemed father; if the campaign fails, the Young Master will be the one held accountable."

Luo Fubang’s face remained tense. He spat and cursed, "That whole Zhou family, not a single one of them is any good!"

Song Lianhe didn’t have the energy to remind him that his precious grandson was also named Zhou. She said seriously, "If that’s the case, is Zhou Cangyan still determined to take Yu State?"

It was Luo Fubang who spoke. "Based on my understanding of that boy, he never listens to anyone."

Song Lianhe was confused. "Wouldn’t that be playing right into Emperor Cheng Xiao’s hands?"

"The Young Master has his own plans. We need only follow his orders."

Song Lianhe thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"

’Isn’t this sort of thing supposed to be a secret?’

’And looking at Old Man Luo, who’s constantly on guard against me like I’m a thief in his own house, who knows what he’s scheming now?’

But Zhong Shimin said, "The Young Master mentioned in his letter that before he returns, I must explain everything to you clearly."

Song Lianhe froze. "He’s coming back?"

"Yes." Zhong Shimin nodded.

Song Lianhe pressed her lips together, a quiet joy blooming in her heart.

Zhong Shimin looked at her. His mask concealed all his emotions, but his dark eyes still inadvertently revealed a hint of them...

"Hmph, that little ingrate! He only mentioned you, this girl, in his letter, but didn’t say a single word about his own maternal grandfather!" Luo Fubang couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Song Lianhe pouted. "He knows you’re eating well and drinking well, and that you can even bully a young girl when you’re bored. Your spirits are high! What’s there for him to worry about?"

"You’re on his side, aren’t you, girl?"

"Yep, yep! It’s called ’a husband and wife united in heart’!"

Song Lianhe knew just how to provoke the King of Sui Bei.

Luo Fubang waved his hand, deciding not to stoop to her level. "Now, we should talk about where to find those... sweet potato vine seedlings!"

"Alright~ For Prince Qing’s sake... and Leader Zhong’s, I’ll reluctantly tell you."

Luo Fubang shot a glance at the guard beside him.

’Giving face to Zhou Cangyan was one thing, but giving face to Zhong Shimin? What was that about? Was his influence greater than my own?’

Never mind him; even Zhong Shimin’s brow twitched slightly upon hearing that, though his expression remained impassive.

Song Lianhe asked for a brush and paper. As she wrote, she explained, "These are all the medicinal herb merchants who do business with the Medical Clinic. When it comes to finding things that grow in the ground, no one is better suited than them! Have someone contact Cao Ying, and she’ll arrange everything."

"Good."

Zhong Shimin glanced at the list and put it away.

「Two days later.」 Zhong Shimin returned with news from Ling’an City.

"This is a letter from Miss Cao."

"Sister Cao!"

Song Lianhe took it joyfully and immediately tore it open. It was undoubtedly Cao Ying’s handwriting.

Moreover, the two of them actually had a secret code.

In business, one had to guard against malicious people tampering with contracts. In their spare time, the two had agreed on a secret code that only they knew.

That was how she could be sure it was from Cao Ying.

If there were even the slightest hint of danger, Cao Ying would not have used this code.

Everything was just as Zhong Shimin had said. On the night of her "disappearance," Xuan Mei had gone to see Cao Ying and Marquis Xuan Chang separately...

The next day, everyone cooperated by rushing to the Prince Qing Mansion to demand her return. When it came to acting, the Marchioness Xuan Chang was the true star. She stood outside the Prince Mansion, loudly denouncing Zhou Cangyan, and then personally went to the Prefect’s office to report the crime.

The common people were originally unaware, but now, the news was known throughout the city.

Cao Ying also did her part by posting a reward notice at the Medical Clinic.

At this time, a rumor began to circulate in the city, claiming that the Princess Qing had been placed under house arrest by the Holy Emperor, with the aim of controlling Prince Qing while he was away at war.

Now the common people really had something to say about it.

No matter how you looked at it, Prince Qing was out fighting rebels for the good of the country and its people. For his princess consort to be seized right after he left—what kind of behavior was that!

Cao Ying wrote in her letter that when she heard these things at the clinic, she almost injured herself trying to hold in her laughter!

Song Lianhe shook her head and chuckled as she held the letter. ’This wave of public opinion must have been arranged by Zhou Cangyan in advance, too.’