Transmigration: The Fate of the Villainess

169 She understood its meaning too late Part II

After recounting the event that had happened to her father and mother in detail, Bai Yu returned to rest in her own building. In the afternoon of that same day, Bai Han was called to the palace, and it seemed some of the aristocrats of other major families were the same as well. Xu Peipei must have sensed this movement. That was the reason why, one shichen later, she came here, even though now was not the appropriate time for the families to contact each other. If they chose the wrong side, it would cost the future of the whole family.

“Has Brother not returned yet?” Bai Yu asked about the person who had disappeared and had not returned to the mansion since what happened earlier today.

“He is still at Rui Wang Palace, miss.”

Bai Yu nodded before approaching her guest, who was in a similar white dress. The instant that Xu Peipei saw Bai Yu, Xu Peipei immediately pulled her down to sit next to her, ignoring the confusion she caused among the servants around them. They did not know about the change in the two misses’ relationship.

“Tell me!”

Obviously, Bai Yu could not keep Xu Peipei in the dark, so she told her everything. And when she finished, Xu Peipei was as confused as she was.

“Maybe Brother Nan has a special ability that can distort memory?” After her many visits to Yue Mansion, it was not surprising that Xu Peipei would feel familiar with Yue Nan and call him in such an intimate way. And because of that feeling of intimacy, Miss Xu could not believe that Yue Nan would have planned to assassinate the emperor.

Bai Yu herself was the same, but she could not consult with anyone. It seemed she was the only person who still insisted that the one who dealt the fatal blow was Yue Nan, not Ouyang Yongxian.

“Like, distorting reality and then escaping?” Xu Peipei continued to make a guess after hearing Bai Yu’s story.

.....

“You’ve come all this way because you’re curious about this?” Bai Yu looked at the woman who had accidentally become her friend, expressionless. Her gaze seemed to be jokingly mocking her.

Xu Peipei hit her arm once. “I might be curious, but I definitely did not spend all this energy coming here to ask you about this.”

“Oh.” Bai Yu nodded smilingly. At least this girl understood what she was teasing her for. “So why did you come here?”

“The position of Qin Wang Fei,” Xu Peipei said. Her tone was quite worried. “Soon, it will be yours.”

Bai Yu frowned. “What do you mean?”

Xu Peipei looked around before speaking to her in a lower voice. Her face had turned serious. “The throne is changing hands. At first, the candidates are Taizi and Qin Wang. But after Taizi’s failed coup, it’s not that Qin Wang would not have any more rivals and could immediately ascend to the throne. That rival has been secretly supported by over half of the courtiers all this time…”

“You mean the commander-general, right?”

Xu Peipei nodded. “Right now, the empress is going to be executed together with the Wang family and other aristocrats who helped support Taizi’s coup. Other small families who used to be the Wang family’s underlings might keep their heads now, but soon the new emperor will find a way to get rid of them. That means the power within the court is up to only a few families…”

Obviously, one of them was the Xu family.

“What’s your family’s answer?”

“Of course, it’s Qin Wang.”

The Xu family had always supported Ouyang Mingxian. And up until now, Xu Peipei had been firmly in love with Ouyang Mingxian, just like the old Bai Yu. It was not surprising that they would stand their ground.

“And what about the other families that you mentioned?”

“If we’re talking about the positions within the court, then there’s your Bai family, Yue family, and…”

“Da Yang’s commander-general.”

“That’s right.”

Under the rule of emperor Ouyang Hongxian, the civilian officials were the Xu family and the Bai family, who held the title of senior chancellor, balancing each other’s power.

For the military officials, one pillar was the Yue family, who were responsible for leading the royal protector troops that covered all soldiers within the capital, while the other was commander-general Ouyang Feilong. Distance never diminished his power over all other soldiers in Da Yang who were not under the Yue family’s order.

These two military pillars were loyal to Ouyang Hongxian, thus discouraging other major families, such as the Empress’ Wang family, from acting out of line.

“Our fathers’ being called into the palace must mean that there is a result. Brother has sent me to tell you this.” Since Xu Luanle was the Xu family’s eldest son, his movement was greatly limited during this precarious time. Only Xu Peipei, a woman, could move freely. Young ladies meeting each other was much less conspicuous than young masters.

“What are you talking about?” She asked something that she could already partially guess. Bai Yu watched her friend’s seriousness with a racing heart. Could she really not escape fate?

“My family has chosen a side. The Yue family might not say it out loud, but it’s clear who they support. As for the commander-general, there’s no movement yet. The Bai family’s choice will decide everything.”

“Father has never mentioned this.”

Her mother had always wanted Bai Yu to marry Ouyang Mingxian since she was young, but lately, Yue Mei had been silent. Apart from the secret relationship between Ouyang Mingxian and Bai Hua, the Bai family did not seem to particularly face Ouyang Mingxian. Bai Han had always acted impartially.

“That’s the problem.” Xu Peipei sighed. “Your father hasn’t taken a side, so the court right now can’t determine who will ascend the throne.”

“But the commander-general doesn’t want—”

“But many officials want…” Xu Peipei interrupted with a heavy voice. “…Especially when the war has just ended and something like this happens after it. Qin Wang can’t compare to the commander general’s accomplishments that he has accumulated over the years. Some officials who used to support Qin Wang are now on Rui Wang’s side.”

The throne could not sit empty for even a moment more. Not at this time when the war has yet to fully settle into peace and people are still anxious. Da Yang must have a new emperor as soon as possible. It was not surprising to see the courtiers rushing to make the decision in the afternoon of the same day that the incident had happened.

Bai Yu sighed. She was starting to wish she could turn back time…

If she could, she would use any means necessary to prevent Ouyang Feilong from stepping a foot into the capital. Bai Yu was starting to understand the emperor now. At that time, both she and Ouyang Feilong were taken over by worry about the emperor and hastened their journey back, forgetting to consider the order she had received. Bai Yu did not think that their return would cost someone’s freedom.

Ouyang Hongxian’s royal decree… She understood its meaning too late.

“Don’t worry. The throne will be Qin Wang’s,” Bai Yu said to the other person. It sounded like she was consoling her friend when she was actually comforting herself. Some details might have changed, but the overall story should not deviate from the series. Ouyang Feilong would never stay and be the dragon on the throne. There was no way…

Xu Peipei shook her head. “Aren’t you overlooking something?”

She did not overlook it. She just did not want to think about it…

“Right now, Qin Wang only wants your family. As long as the Bai family supports Qin Wang, the throne will be secure. And when your father doesn’t act, then there’s only one method left for Qin Wang to have the Bai family’s influence, which is…”

“Marriage.”