How To Survive as a Villain

Before, Xiao YuAn was confused, trying to understand what was going on and felt dizzy. At this time, when he had finally calmed down, he found that the maid had been helping him all along.

Xiao YuAn was about to raise his head and thank her, but when he saw the maid’s face, he froze midway.

The maid hadn’t noticed the strange look in Xiao YuAn’s eyes, so she carefully applied the medicine for him: “Xiao Jun Wang, the bruises on your body should be washed with hot water, this maidservant will go to-…”

Xiao YuAn interrupted her abruptly, and asked urgently: “What’s your name?”

The maidservant was slightly stunned as she replied: “My…. nono. This maidservant’s name is Tian, Tian Xiang.”

Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, and asked: “Do you have a sister?”

Tian Xiang nodded: “How did Xiao Jun Wang know? This maidservant has an older sister, called Hong Xiu.”

As soon as Tian Xiang said those words, Xiao YuAn began to cry and laugh. She was so scared, thinking that she had said something wrong, she quickly knelt down to apologize. However, Xiao YuAn hurriedly stopped her and pulled a stool for her to sit down: “Why did you enter the Imperial Palace to become a maid?”

After Hong Xiu died, Xiao YuAn not only buried her, but he also sent a reward to her younger siblings; a hundred taels of gold, so that they could each get married and start a business. This way, even if the Northern Kingdom fell, Tian Xiang wouldn’t have to reduce herself to the point of entering the Imperial Palace as a maidservant.

Although she didn’t know why Xiao Jun Wang was curious about her life, Tian Xiang replied with honesty: “Xiao Jun Wang, this maidservant doesn’t have parents. Since childhood I’ve been living with my older sister and my brother. A few years ago, my sister had an accident, so my brother and I relied on small handmade items to make a living. But later, the Northern Kingdom was conquered, and for a time, no one was interested in those small items anymore. My older brother is old enough to get married, so this maidservant tried to enter the Imperial Palace, and got selected.”

Xiao YuAn frowned tightly: “After your sister’s accident, didn’t the Imperial Palace send a reward?”

Tian Xiang nodded: “Someone came to appease my brother and I. They gave us the reward His Majesty sent.”

Xiao YuAn asked: “How much was it?”

Tian Xiang blinked, and said: “It was a lot! One tael of gold!”

Xiao YuAn: “…….. One tael?”

Tian Xiang: “Yes!”

Xiao YuAn: “…. FUCK!”

‘Mmp! The Minister that went to deliver the reward was really greedy!‘

Xiao YuAn was infuriated. When Tian Xian looked at Xiao YuAn’s irritated face, she was slightly scared. Since she was the humblest maid in the Imperial Palace, if there was a hard or tiring type of work, she would be the first one to go. The day before yesterday, when she was sent to serve Xiao Jun Wang, she heard from the other maids in the Imperial Palace that this foreign official, Jun Wang, had a bad temper. They said that he might even beat and scold the maids sent to him, so Tian Xiang thought that she should pay close attention to her words.

Tian Xiang was restless and didn’t know what to do as she saw Xiao YuAn suddenly getting up and rummaging through the cupboard. Since this Xiao Jun Wang used to be the Monarch of a Country, no matter matter how miserable he was, he still should have some money. Sure enough, after a short while, Xiao YuAn found a pile of gold and silver.

Xiao YuAn stuffed all the things he found into Tian Xiang’s hands, and said: “Take these first, I’ll definitely give you those 99 taels of gold in the future.”

Tian Xian stammered and asked: “99 taels of g-go-gold?”

Xiao YuAn nodded his head without hesitation.

As a Tyrannical President! If you say that you’ll give a hundred taels of gold, you will give a hundred taels of gold! Not a single cent less!

At this moment, as a woman who just met a Tyrannical President, Tian Xiang looked at the gold and silver in her hands with only one thought in her mind.

‘In the end, Xiao Jun Wang was driven out of the bedchamber by the Emperor himself this morning. If he became crazy after being subjected to ‘submission’, what should I do?’

…

In the early spring, the green branches began to sprout, but the few cold snowflakes refused to disappear.

Outside the Emperor’s bedchamber, a man was relentlessly arguing with the Imperial Bodyguards at the door: “Let me see your Emperor! I’ve something important to say to him!”

“Xiao Jun Wang, His Majesty has gone to bed, please don’t shout. Please go back.” The Imperial Bodyguard at the door, with a cold face and his hand on his sword scabbard, ruthlessly drove Xiao YuAn away.

‘Daxiongdi¹, it’s just Youshi² hour ah!! The sun is still hanging on top of the mountain. Time to sleep my ass!’

The Imperial Bodyguard said profoundly: “Although it’s only Youshi hour, His Majesty has his own reasons.”

Xiao YuAn: “……”

Another Imperial Bodyguard couldn’t stop himself, and whispered: “Xiao Jun Wang, don’t make it difficult for us. After the last incident, His Majesty was so angry that he dismissed all the Imperial Bodyguards that were in charge of his bedchamber. Recently, His Majesty has also been in a bad mood. Why does Xiao Jun Wang want to anger His Majesty?”

The Imperial Bodyguard’s words were subtle, but Xiao YuAn understood that the last ‘incident’ he was referring to, was the fact that Xiao Wangye had sneaked into the Imperial Bedchamber to drug the Emperor.

Originally, Yan HeQing intended to drive Xiao Wangye back to the Western Shu Kingdom, but the Ministers advised him to not do it. Xiao Wangye came to the Southern Yan Kingdom to present himself as a subject. But he was also the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom, so it wasn’t in line with the etiquette and rules to drive him away like this. After considering the advantages and disadvantages, Yan HeQing didn’t drive him away. But he didn’t want to see Xiao YuAn.

In his mind, Xiao YuAn had made up a lot of plans to let Yan HeQing know it was him, but it was useless.

Today, since Xiao YuAn was still unable to see Yan HeQing, he returned feeling unhappy. Tian Xiang couldn’t bear to see him like that, so she tried to persuade him: “Xiao Jun Wang, everyone in the Imperial Palace knows that His Majesty is an extremely devoted man, and that there’s already someone else inside his heart. This maidservant heard others say that after the death of that man, His Majesty would go to his tombstone to worship, as long as he’s free, every single day! So please, don’t provoke His Majesty more than you already have.”

After spending a few days together, Xiao YuAn found that Tian Xiang’s temperament was very different from Hong Xiu’s. Hong Xiu was extremely cautious in both her speech and behaviour. After having served the Emperor for many years, Hong Xiu had long since developed a delicate and understanding personality. Tian Xiang, on the other hand, was simply a young girl. Even though she was deliberately disguising it, the straightforwardness in her bones was still present, so she would often say what she really thought.

“I know he has someone in his heart.” Xiao YuAn melancholy said.

“If Xiao Jun Wang knows, then why are you still provoking His Majesty, ah?” Tian Xiang didn’t understand.

‘Because I’m the one who Yan-ge has inside his heart!!!’

However, Xiao YuAn simply waved his hand and didn’t explain.

Since Tian Xiang knew that he must have his own reasons, she could only sigh helplessly.

Just when Xiao YuAn was thinking about how to meet with Yan HeQing, he suddenly heard that he had a visitor. As Xiao YuAn wondered who would come to visit ‘him’, he saw Huang Yue walking in with his hands behind his back.

Huang Yue immediately ordered the maid and the Imperial Bodyguard to wait outside, leaving only the two of them inside the bedchamber. Huang Yue wasn’t polite and didn’t wait for Xiao YuAn to open his mouth. He directly sat down, grabbed a cup of tea and slowly took a sip before asking: “Xiao Jun Wang, have you changed your mind about the plan we’ve discussed last time?”

Xiao YuAn: “……”

‘What last time?! What plan?! Why did Xiao Wangye and Huang Yue collude with each other?! Isn’t the second half of the original book known for Yan-ge building his harem? How come it ended up turning into a conspiracy plot when I’m the one involved?!’

When an idea suddenly appeared in Xiao YuAn’s mind, he pretended to be serious as he said: “I still need to think about it. But, I wonder if General Huang can introduce me to His Majesty?”

However, as soon as he said those words, Huang Yue stared straight at Xiao YuAn, making his back lightly shiver.

Hong Xiu’s sister!!! (*´˘`*)♡

Ahhhhh but that damn greedy minister!!!! How dare he steal 99 tales of gold that were for HX’s siblings!!!! Scum scum scum!!!

(Also, quick note, but the ‘fuck’ in capital letters was also in english in the raws hahaha)

Ah that damn General again (￣へ ￣ 凸 Xiao Wangye! What did you dooo!!!

Footnotes

1. 大兄弟 dà xiōng dì; A Northern dialect word originally used by Northern women to refer to men who are younger than themselves. This word is popular on the internet because of the Webcast.
2. 酉时 yǒu shí; 5-7 pm in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in ancient times.