Transmigration: The Fate of the Villainess

“Hah?”

Bai Yu blinked rapidly as her brain rushed to process his words. She slightly tilted her head as she pondered. In the words of the teens in her old world, right now Bai Yu was ‘mind-blown.’

Seeing her reaction, Ouyang Feilong burst out laughing so loudly that the servants outside the palace were shocked. However, they thought nothing of it. They knew the emperor was enjoying himself. When it was something related to the empress, he was quick to smile, unlike when he was in front of others.

The former emperor was a handsome man who always had a smile on his lips. His authority came with warmth, embracing his subjects’ hearts. The current emperor was different. Even though they both had the same blood, the younger brother’s beauty was stunning. Yet the air around him was frighteningly still, to the point of it being oppressive. Despite his appearance, which exceeded any man’s, he was exceedingly intimidating.

Thus, all in the royal palace whispered that Empress Bai was a lucky beauty who had the honor of receiving the emperor’s smiles.

Slap! Bai Yu hit her palm on his strong arm when she saw that he did not stop laughing. Her glares and grimaces seemed to only spur Ouyang Feilong’s laughter.

“Hahaha. Ow. Hahahaha.”

What’s so funny?!

.....

“Feilong.” This time, she directly called the emperor’s name through gritted teeth.

Ouyang Feilong tried to stop laughing, though his lips still contained a smile. “I already knew the first month when your magic current became chaotic. Is this considered knowing first?”

He had known before her for that long…

“What did I do wrong, dear?”

What he did wrong was pretending to stay silent and making her scramble to cover up for six months! Bai Yu already knew that she could not keep the secret from Ouyang Feilong until the end. But she did not expect him to know even before her! Damn him!

Slap! Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap!

“Ow, ow, ow. Hahaha. Alright, alright. I was wrong. Furen, be gentle.”

“You schemer!”

And now her thoughts returned to that night when he pleaded and called her furen. He already knew how her body was, and he still bullied her! Even though Ouyang Feilong was especially gentle that night and did not continue for many rounds like usual, he still should not have asked her for it in the first place when he already knew!

“I’m not talking to a schemer!”

Ouyang Feilong suppressed a smile. His hands pulled her cheeks and tugged them upward. “Can you smile for me?”

“No!”

“Why are you so cruel?”

“You’re no different!”

“I’ll be away for several days. Won’t you give me a smile to see and remember?”

Bai Yu paused. Her brows were pulled together as her words turned formal. “Where is Your Majesty going?”

Even when he knew she was pregnant with his children, he would still leave her behind?!

“Don’t you dare have that thought?”

He knew what she was thinking?

“Don’t you realize it? Over the past six months, your expression has been easy to read.” His hand gently caressed her cheek. “You’re so moody. Zhen doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.”

Bai Yu accepted his remark. “And what am I thinking right now?”

“You’re upset, wondering why zhen has to leave you when you just have good news for zhen.”

Bai Yu nodded. She was waiting to hear his reason.

“At first, zhen intended to pretend not to know about your pregnancy until a Taizi is appointed and has gone out to meet the citizen. However, Mother changes both you and zhen’s plan.”

“Did I faint because of the Empress Dowager?”

Ouyang Feilong solemnly nodded. “There’s something in the tea and incense that affects pregnant women.”

“Then I was lucky.”

“Hm?” Ouyang Feilong raised a brow.

“Taizi was there as well. He caught me in time, otherwise, I would’ve collapsed to the ground. Our children could have been harmed.”

“Oh.” Ouyang Feilong nodded. “What a coincidence.”

“It is a coincidence that leads to a good thing.” Bai Yu smiled at the man who seemed to have suddenly become quiet. “So where is Your Majesty going? I’m not told yet.”

“This year’s summer comes later than in previous years. Normally, zhen and you would move to stay at the summer palace. We can visit the citizens on our way there.”

“Then it’d be great if Taizi could come with us too.”

“Zhen thought of that as well. But now that you’re pregnant, zhen will go out for only seven days and won’t stay at that palace.” Ouyang Feilong sighed. “If your pregnancy were still a secret, there would be less danger when zhen’s away. But now that everyone knows, zhen’s worried.”

“Your Majesty should go. Don’t worry about me.”

Ouyang Feilong was still silent.

“Is something the matter?”

He sighed again. “You should be careful of Mother too.”

Bai Yu smiled. That, she would not neglect. “Please rest assured. I am always careful.”

Ouyang Feilong lightly stroked her head. “Now that your pregnancy is exposed, zhen doesn’t want to go.”

“Your Majesty sounds like Big brother now.”

“Obviously, zhen worries about you more than Bai He does.”

“Big brother naturally worries about me more.”

“Zhen more.”

“Big brother.”

“Zhen.”

“Everyone worries about me. I guess I won’t worry about myself.”

“Hm?”

“I’m worried about Your Majesty. Please go and hurry back to me and our children.”

—————–

In the end, the royal vacation to the summer palace was reduced to a summer visit to the citizens. Included were Emperor Ouyang Feilong, Taizi Ouyang Mingxian, and all the court officials.

This was the only opportunity in one year for the people to see the emperor. Ouyang Feilong could not disappoint his subjects, even though that meant Bai Yu and the consorts could not follow him.

Yue Huiling was ordered to return to her post. Her added duty was that she had to protect Bai Yu in particular, to which Bai Yu did not object at all. It was preferable, even, as she would have her cousin as a company and as the person to help send magic letters in reply to Ouyang Feilong and Bai He, on top of the massive amount of letters from Xu Luanle and Xu Peipei, who bemoaned her for hiding her pregnancy from them. Bai Yu believed that within a few days, the siblings would surely return to Da Yang and invade the royal palace.

Ever since the news of Bai Yu’s pregnancy was announced, furens from various families continued to send gifts to her. Ouyang Feilong had given a firm order to Royal Doctor Li to send medicine to help nourish Bai Yu after every meal. Seeing that Ouyang Feilong had prepared the ingredients himself, Bai Yu believed in the quality of the recipe from the son of heaven and decided to send some to Bai Hua as well.

“Your Majesty, I’m back.”

Xiao Xi came straight to Bai Yu’s palace as soon as she returned from the east palace. She had seen something and thought that it would be best to inform Bai Yu.

“What are you in a hurry for?”

Bai Yu watched her personal maid have an ‘itchy mouth’ and pretended to ask. The little puppy needed to vent too.

“Your Majesty, I met Miss Wei Shushu at the east palace!”

“Wei Shushu?” She had never heard of this name before.

“She’s the Empress Dowager’s relative. She has just returned from another city to keep the Empress Dowager company. Also, she helped take a tonic from the Empress Dowager to Second Consort Bai as well.”

“And what does Xiao Chang say about her?”

“Jiejie said that the young miss is beautiful and reserved. She didn’t seem to be acting strangely, but she would always come when Taizi was at the palace.”

“Oh.” Bai Yu now understood. “The Wei family has finally made their move.”

“Is it alright to let it continue like this?”

“It’s not good for bengong to interfere.” She wanted to wait and see first if this was truly Empress Dowager Wei’s plan to present a beauty to her grandson, or if she had a more nefarious thought in mind. “You relay bengong’s word to Xiao Chang: Take good care of the second consort, and don’t let that Wei woman meddle too much.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Oh.” Another thought came to her. “Next time you visit the east palace, take two chests of thin silk with you to give Taizi Fei. Most of them should be red so that she can use them for a new dress.”

“Should I contact the anonymous master’s shop as well?”

“That’s good.”

Bai Yu stopped paying attention to the conversation and turned back to the new clothes she was designing for the summer that was drawing near. Bai Yu liked this season in particular, as clothes in summer did not have to be too modest. It allowed her to design something that enabled the wearer to show off her curves while remaining cool at the same time.

The new fashion of Da Yang had come!

.....

——————

It was the fifth night without Ouyang Feilong in the palace. Everything was surprisingly uneventful. None of the two Xu siblings came. There were only multiple magic letters sent to her. This had a positive effect on the mental well-being of the Empress, who had been ruling the inner court over the past five days. In the afternoon, Bai Yu received a letter saying that he would arrive at the palace tomorrow morning…

Bai Yu put down the brush and moved her head to relieve the muscle aches from sitting in the same position for a long time.

No matter how sore she felt, the clothes she was designing made all the fatigue disappear. Bai Yu had guessed that in a few days, the real anonymous master would come to request an audience with her to discuss the clothes and the pregnancy she had kept secret.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty.”

An anxious call from a woman outside stopped Bai Yu as she was stretching. Xiao Xi headed outside to see what was important enough to interrupt Bai Yu in the middle of the night.

This situation was a familiar one. She could only hope that nothing was repeated, otherwise, she would have to face the fate she had been trying to escape from. The disgraceful last fate.

“What happened?”

Xiao Xi came back with a face so pale that Bai Yu had to ask before she reached her.

“Y…Your Majesty… Second Consort Bai has miscarried!”