Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 387: Then Let Him Threaten

"It’s time to go!"

At some point, Yin Huan poked her head out from inside. "Manager Meng is here."

"Yin Huan, too...?" Seeing the situation, Song Lianhe understood everything. "She’s one of your people now?"

Zhou Cangyan didn’t say a word. Instead, he draped an arm over her shoulder and hurried her to the back door. Xuan Qi immediately opened it, and the Shadow Guard followed them out.

As Xuan Qi left, he didn’t close both of the double doors, leaving one ajar.

It was as if someone had forgotten to close the door on their way out.

Zhou Cangyan brazenly pulled Song Lianhe behind the other half of the door to hide.

Song Lianhe held her breath, thinking, ’This is way too bold!’

But sometimes, the more obvious the mistake, the less likely it is to arouse suspicion.

A moment later, Manager Meng’s voice drifted from inside. "Huh? Where’s Doctor Song?"

"Doctor Song was tired, so I sent her to her room to rest."

It was Yin Huan.

"Ah, then... then what about this Hero E..."

"Oh, he ate too much. I was afraid he’d eat you out of house and home, Shopkeeper, so I hit his pressure points to let him rest for a while too."

Upon hearing this, Manager Meng was immensely grateful and thanked Yin Huan profusely.

"Manager Meng, there are some medicinal herbs here that I don’t quite recognize. Could you teach me? After all, we are running a medical hall. If we’re going to put on a show, we have to make it convincing!"

"Right, right, right, Miss Yin Huan is absolutely correct."

And so, Manager Meng led Yin Huan to the drying racks on the other side of the courtyard to identify the medicinal herbs one by one.

Song Lianhe lifted her gaze to the man before her, her voice a mere whisper. "I didn’t even know you’d recruited Yin Huan!" She huffed. "And here I thought she and I were closer. I never expected you’d have won her over so long ago."

Bracing one hand against the wall, Zhou Cangyan glanced down at her. "She’s clever and street-smart. She knows how to adapt, so she can stay by your side and look after you."

Hearing that he had done it for her, Song Lianhe couldn’t stop the corners of her tightly pressed lips from curling upward.

Just then, he suddenly moved closer.

Startled, she tilted her head up and stared at him blankly.

"For the next few days, you will stay here. If you’re in danger, reveal your identity as Princess Qing."

"No!"

Song Lianhe refused without a second thought.

"Prince Yongdong will use me to blackmail you!"

He watched her steadily and said slowly, "Then let him blackmail me."

"You..."

Just then, the Shadow Guard whispered, "Why let someone else use her as a threat? It would be better for the Princess Consort to come with us. We have so many brothers to protect her."

Xuan Qi calmly stated, "Being with us is the most dangerous place for her."

The Shadow Guard faltered and fell silent.

’On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes. It really is too dangerous. It’s better for the Princess Consort to blend into the crowd, especially since these are Prince Yongdong’s people.’

The light in Song Lianhe’s eyes dimmed as well. It wasn’t because she couldn’t go with Zhou Cangyan; she had never planned to, for fear of holding him back.

She was worried about this battle. Once the flames of war were ignited, it would surely be a matter of life and death.

Zhou Cangyan suddenly asked, "Where’s Little Lan?"

Song Lianhe froze for a moment, subconsciously lifting her wrist. There, on her bracelet, coiled a small blue snake, its scales shimmering with a faint, iridescent sheen.

"Huh, I haven’t seen it for a while. It seems like... it’s changed its appearance again? But I can’t quite say how..." As she spoke, she waved her wrist in front of Zhou Cangyan. "Don’t you think so?"

Zhou Cangyan merely glanced at Little Lan, and the little snake, as if terrified of the Evil Qi around him, immediately shrank its head and refused to lift it again.

Even Song Lianhe noticed. "See? You scared it."

"Who knows? Maybe it has a guilty conscience."

"It’s a Poisonous Snake. What could it possibly have a guilty conscience about?"

Zhou Cangyan looked up at her. "Regardless, it’s better to keep it with you. Even if you just throw it at someone, it might save your life at a critical moment."

Little Lan: "..."

’Oh, thank you so much!’

In the courtyard, grateful to Yin Huan for the favor of "saving his grain," Manager Meng was explaining everything to her in meticulous detail.

Over here, Song Lianhe wasn’t as nervous anymore, but this was Sishui City after all, full of Prince Yongdong’s spies. He couldn’t stay for long.

"You and your men should leave quickly."

"...Mm."

Zhou Cangyan looked down at her and murmured his assent, yet he didn’t move.

"Is there something else?"

Song Lianhe suddenly slapped her forehead. "How could I forget!"

She said hurriedly, "I heard some of your troops have malaria and typhoid. I prepared a cart full of medicine for you before I left. It’s in a carriage parked outside the city. Wait there, and Ah Jun will lead you to it."

The Shadow Guard said happily, "Princess Consort, you’ve been a huge help this time! To be honest with you, the old, weak, sick, and disabled soldiers sent last time weren’t so bad. At most, they were just too old to walk. But this time, Emperor Cheng Xiao is clearly sending us to our deaths!"

Xuan Qi went on to explain, "Our ranks are filled with soldiers suffering from infectious diseases. We’re encamped in that conspicuous spot by the river purely as a bluff. Now, with these medicines, we can save the majority of our troops, and the old lord will no longer have to worry about us."

Xuan Qi’s seemingly casual sentence revealed an important fact.

’Personal feuds are one thing, but when it comes to the good of the nation, Sui Bei will not waver!’

’This means the Heir King is planning to send reinforcements.’

’But if he does, Sui Bei would be deploying troops without an imperial summons, which is tantamount to treason.’

’What a fine Emperor Cheng Xiao!’

’With those thick brows and big eyes, you look so righteous. Who would have thought you’d gamble with the lives of an entire province!’

’An Emperor’s heart is the most ruthless of all!’

Hearing the voices inside drawing closer, Song Lianhe said hurriedly, "The pills are sorted by color; I wrote clear instructions. Also..." She looked up at Zhou Cangyan, slightly awkward and flustered. "I prepared a separate package just for you."

Zhou Cangyan nodded. "Understood."

"My Lord, we have to go."

The Shadow Guard steeled himself and urged him again. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

’It wasn’t that he was tactless; it was just too dangerous. They were right at the enemy’s front door!’

At that moment, Zhou Cangyan put his fingers to his lips and whistled. A moment later, Chun Hua was circling in the air above.

"I’ll leave Chun Hua with you. If you’re in danger, have her notify me."

"I know, I know! Just go!"

Song Lianhe could already hear the patrol at the end of the alley. Terrified something would happen to him, she frantically urged him to leave.

Only after all three of them had disappeared into the night did she breathe a sigh of relief.

She hurried back. Manager Meng was stunned when he saw her. "Doctor Song, weren’t you resting in your room?"

"I was, but then I heard you explaining the herbs to Yin Huan and couldn’t resist coming out to listen."

"Oh dear, I must have disturbed you!"

"It’s fine. Oh, right, Ah Jun! Go out and buy me some candied fruit... Manager Meng, please continue. Let me learn along with you..."

"You’re flattering this old man... Er, well, in that case, let’s discuss them together."

On top of the wall, a dark figure leaped down.

Only after confirming she was safe did Zhou Cangyan truly leave with the Shadow Guard and Xuan Qi.

「Outside the city.」

Ah Jun sat on a haystack, bored, counting the stars in the sky.

A throwing dart suddenly flew past his head, scaring him so much he jolted upright.

"Who’s there?"

Dressed in military attire, Zhou Cangyan approached slowly with his hands clasped behind his back.