I’m Competing With The Male Lead For A Woman[Gl] Chapter 94: What happened before this Prince went to conquer Yao Country?

As night fell, the lights were sparse. Jue Ge arrived at Xiao Jin’s bedroom and raised her hand to gently knock on the door. After a moment, a familiar voice came from inside the room.

“Come in.”

Jue Ge suppressed her excitement and stepped into the room. Just as she entered, she saw Xiao Jin sitting on a bamboo wheelchair with her back facing her. Her figure appeared somewhat distant, even more so in the floating fragrance of the locust flowers, and she looked frail and skinny.

Just as before, Jue Ge picked up a coat from the bed. She walked behind Xiao Jin and gently draped it over her shoulders, reminding her in a warm voice, “Your Highness, it’s chilly at night, don’t forget to add more clothes.”

The black coat was embroidered with large white plum blossoms using silver thread. Under the moonlight, the silk thread was dyed silver and clear, and when looked at from afar, it appeared as if several branches of white plum blossoms were swaying and blooming against the arc of Xiao Jin’s shoulder, shining in the night.

Xiao Jin pushed the wheelchair and turned around to look at Jue Ge for a while. After a moment, she said lightly, “You’re back.”

Although it was just an extremely ordinary sentence, Jue Ge felt a bit sour inside when she heard it. However, she did not show any extra emotions, pursed her lips, and softly replied, “Yes, I’m back, Your Highness.”

Xiao Jin did not say anything else and pushed the wheelchair slowly towards the courtyard. Jue Ge saw that she was heading towards the backyard and quickly caught up, walking behind her and pushing the wheelchair for her.

As they walked past the corridor, the fragrance of locust flowers filled the entire courtyard. Xiao Jin pointed to the old locust tree in the courtyard, and Jue Ge understood and pushed her towards it.

The old tree was blooming with locust flowers on its branches. Although the fragrance was not particularly strong, it was elegant and graceful, only lingering with a faint and sweet fragrance.

Under the locust tree, Xiao Jin looked at Jue Ge and asked, “Jue Ge, where have you been these few days?”

Jue Ge was slightly stunned, apparently not expecting Xiao Jin to ask this question. She placed her hand on the black sword at her waist and replied, “These few days, I went to the blacksmith’s shop in Qingzhou to repair the paint on the scabbard of my sword.”

Xiao Jin nodded and asked again, “Besides that, have you been to any other places?”

Jue Ge’s hand on the black sword stiffened.

 After a moment of silence, she whispered, “Besides… apart from sharpening the sword at the blacksmith’s shop, I haven’t been to any other places.”

Hearing this, Xiao Jin sighed slightly, feeling somewhat helpless. “Jue Ge, it’s just a lie, yet you speak so hesitantly. Even if I pretend not to know, it doesn’t seem very reasonable,” she said.

“Your Highness…” Jue Ge began, but Xiao Jin interrupted her.

“Jue Ge, you’re so awkward when you lie, obviously not someone who lies often. So I really don’t want to believe that the person who betrayed the Yan Mansion could be you,” She said.

At these words, Jue Ge’s face instantly turned extremely pale. Even when the locust flowers fell from the branches and landed on her clothes, she didn’t seem to notice, forgetting to brush them away.

Jue Ge did not respond to Xiao Jin’s words. After a moment, she knelt heavily on the floor.

Although she had knelt many times on the same day, only this time did she feel ashamed and wanted to commit suicide on the spot to apologize.

Xiao Jin watched as Jue Ge knelt before her, but did not allow her to stand up. She just touched the jade ring on her finger and said calmly, “I had someone investigate, there are a few famous blacksmith shops in Qingzhou City, but not that many.”

“The blacksmith shop you went to is not far from Moonlit Mountain Villa. It wouldn’t take you that long to go back and forth. So apart from the blacksmith shop, you must have gone to other places and met with the person you can’t speak of,” she said.

Jue Ge still did not respond.

Xiao Jin lowered her eyes and looked at her. “Jue Ge, at this point, there’s no need to hide it from me anymore. Who is the person you met with?” She asked.

……

I’m fact, Xiao Jin knows that Jue Ge went to see Tang Ling. She just wants to hear it from Jue Ge’s own mouth. Although it is just a simple sentence, it at least proves that Jue Ge is still honest. Since entering this world, she has not misjudged anyone.

Jue Ge kneels on the ground, burying her head low. After a long silence, she says in a hoarse voice, “Your Highness, I went to see Commander Tang.”

Hearing this sentence, Xiao Jin actually breathed a sigh of relief. However, she didn’t show any expression on her face and spoke coldly, “You have followed me for so many years, you should know that I hate traitors the most.”

This sentence was not made up by Xiao Jin herself, but was information inadvertently revealed by Ye Suyu when she begged for mercy on Jue Ge’s behalf. Using it here was just right.

Jue Ge fell silent again. Many clusters of locust flowers fell from the branches, floating and spinning, falling on her body.

Her head and shoulders were covered with locust flowers, and Jue Ge said softly, “I know…I know Your Highness hates traitors the most, but I…I…”

As she spoke, she couldn’t continue. Xiao Jin listened quietly and watched the flowers falling on Jue Ge’s body without saying a word.

After a while, she reached out and lifted Jue Ge’s chin. Looking into her black, bright and clear eyes, Xiao Jin hardened her heart and asked expressionlessly, “Since you know, why did you still betray me? Do you think that as the General of the garrison, I can’t bear to execute you?”

As she was repeatedly questioned by Xiao Jin, Jue Ge’s face turned even paler. She moved her lips, but couldn’t say a word. It wasn’t until Xiao Jin felt her hand getting a little sore that she couldn’t help but put it down.

Only then did Jue Ge move her stiff fingers and drew the black sword hanging from her waist. With both hands raised, she held up the long sword in her palm and trembled, “I know I am unforgivable, and I won’t make any more excuses. Today, I will apologize with my life, please punish me!”

“… “

Xiao Jin fell silent.

That’s it? You should at least try to explain yourself. If you don’t make excuses, how can I forgive you?

Encountering an employee who doesn’t follow the rules, Xiao Jin feels very tired.

She can only clear her throat and start to grab the spotlight, saying the lines that should have been spoken by Jue Ge was: “Earlier, Ye Suyu has already told me that Aunt Zhao Yang’s has a great favor towards you. And, it’s not a small favor.”

“So you don’t have to hide anything and just tell the truth.”

Jue Ge was stunned. “Your Highness, what should I say?”

Xiao Jin couldn’t help but press her forehead with her hand, “Say something about yourself.”

Ye Juege was still a bit confused. 

Talk about herself? 

But she was an unremarkable person with a monotonous temperament, and she couldn’t think of anything valuable to tell Xiao Jin.

But since Xiao Jin wanted to listen, Jue Ge would not disobey her command.

She began with the basics: “Although I am surnamed Ye (Note: Ye Juege), I am not the same as Suyu.”

Xiao Jin asked, “Why?”

Jue Ge replied, “Because I am not originally surnamed Ye. Before being adopted by Admiral Ye, I was just a beggar on the street, not knowing where I came from or what my name was.”

Xiao Jin looked at Ye Juege, gesturing for her to continue.

Ye Juege said, “The day I first saw Princess Zhao Yang was many years ago. Although I can’t remember the exact year, I vaguely remember that it was very cold in Qi Country that year.”

“After it snowed, the weather became even colder. I didn’t expect that even though I wrapped myself in a grass mat, the cold still crawled up from my feet, making my chest ache.”

“At that time, I was still young and couldn’t stand the cold. I saw a pile of other people’s discarded rags on the other side of the street and wanted to pick them up for warmth. I didn’t expect to startle a nobleman’s carriage.”

Xiao Jin frowned, “Was it Princess Zhao Yang?”

Although she was asking, she was actually very sure in her heart that the nobleman was Princess Zhao Yang.

Ye Juege nodded and continued, “I saw the coachman jump off the horse, wearing soft satin like snow, waving his whip with an angry expression. I knew he was someone I couldn’t afford to offend, so I ran away, but I ran too slowly and was caught by him.”

“I was taken by the coachman and knelt at Princess Zhao Yang’s feet, looking at her shoes embroidered with a golden crow pattern. I thought I would die here today. Who knew that Princess Zhao Yang was kind and merciful. She not only didn’t kill me, but also sent me to the Ye’s house to be raised by Admiral Ye.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin was a little confused.

Was the Princess Zhao Yang in Ye Juege’s memory really the same person as the Princess Zhao Yang she knew? Kind and merciful.

This word applied to anyone, but it was much more appropriate for Princess Zhao Yang than for Xiao Jin.

After finishing this story, Ye Juege didn’t say much else, only said, “Princess Zhao Yang has saved my life and given me a new surname. I will never forget it.”

Xiao Jin nodded, “A great act of giving a new surname, never to be forgotten.” 

Since Ye Juege had already said this much, there was nothing else she could say. 

After all, the subordinate of the original owner has a grateful heart and is a person who knows how to repay kindness. Princess Zhao Yang and Tang Ling took advantage of this point and used it to plot against her.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jin reached out and grabbed the hilt of the black sword. Under Ye Juege’s gaze, she lifted the sword expressionlessly, and then returned the black sword to the scabbard around Ye Juege’s waist.

Ye Juege was stunned.

She could remain calm in the face of approaching death, but when the sword was returned to the scabbard and she felt its heavy weight hanging from her waist, her shoulders trembled and she buried her head low, completely unable to lift it.

Tears fell on the locust tree like the essence born of flower petals and evening dew.

Ye Juege suppressed the choking in her throat and said hoarsely, “Your Highness, I am a traitor… I have let you down… You should not keep my life.”

Xiao Jin couldn’t stand seeing others cry, and when she saw someone crying in front of her, she wanted to wipe away their tears.

However, since she had not finished what she needed to do, she could only suppress the urge to help Ye Juege wipe away her tears and sighed.

“Jue Ge, don’t you understand?” She said slowly. “If it weren’t for Tang Ling mentioning the poetry I recited at Yuhua Tower that day, and the fact that your sword bears the same pattern as the one used by Princess Zhao Yang when she danced with a sword, how would I know that there is an informant from Princess Zhao Yang’s side occasionally passing on information to the capital?”

Ye Juege looked a little confused because she was driven away by Xiao Jin and went to the Baihua Garden with Bai Zheng and Shen Shuang, so she did not know about this.

Xiao Jin continued in a calm tone, “Tang Ling intentionally revealed this information that day, and combined with the pattern on your sword, I guessed some of it. If it weren’t for that, I would never doubt you.”

Ye Juege understood Xiao Jin’s meaning and said in surprise, “So, Commander Tang… wanted to use divisive tactics to sow discord between you and your subordinates?”

“Exactly,” said Xiao Jin.

After understanding this, Ye Juege’s eyebrows furrowed even tighter, “But Commander Tang’s actions didn’t bring him any benefits.”

Xiao Jin didn’t care about what Tang Ling was thinking. She said indifferently, “But it didn’t harm him either.”

Ye Juege thought of something and couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, if that’s the case… I followed your orders at the time and stayed in the capital to investigate Shen Lang’s identity, instead of going to Qingzhou. Why did you still suspect me because of those few poetry?”

Xiao Jin said, “You did not appear in Qingzhou, but you sent Yin Zhu and Zi Ling there.”

“Yin Zhu and Zi Ling were always with me, naturally knowing that I said that poem. And they often kept in touch with you through letters, presumably reporting some trivial matters.”

“So Yin Zhu and Zi Ling should have reported this to you, and when you were in the capital meeting with Princess Zhao Yang or the two commanders, you probably told them as a joke.”

“Unintentional words, listeners have intentions, that’s how Tang Ling caught the handle.”

Ye Juege looked incredulous.

Then she pulled out a somewhat ugly smile and said softly, “Your Highness is ingenious, and I bow to you.”

Xiao Jin shook her head, “It’s not that this Prince is ingenious, but the one who really knows everything is Tang Ling.”

“So now you can speak.”

The tears in Ye Juege’s eyes had not dried yet, but she raised her head and asked seriously, “Your Highness, what do you want me to say?”

Xiao Jin lowered her eyes and looked at the blue stone slabs on the ground.

There are many fallen flowers crowded there, and the locust petals are piled up on the stone slabs like snow, swaying in the wind.

In fact, Xiao Jin has a lot to say and a lot to ask. But when the words came to her lips, she felt ridiculous if she really asked. After all, she is not the real Prince Yan, and what qualifications does she have to question Ye Juege.

Step by step to today, Xiao Jin has already been exhausted by these calculations before completing the mission.

She has never liked these twists and turns, but she realizes that even she herself is calculating Ye Juege at this moment.

However, this feeling is also quite good.

The more she thinks, the safer the people around her will be.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jin looked at Ye Juege and said to her, “Jue Ge, this Prince wants to talk to you about Princess Zhao Yang, Tang Ling, and… this Prince herself.”

“What happened before this Prince went to conquer Yao Country?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: 😲

TO BE CONTINUE…