Abused Female Lead And Beautiful Villainess (Quick Transmigration)

Ever since meeting He Qingning once, Guan Gushan’s heart had been restless with longing. However, since she was a princess, he refrained from acting rashly despite his desires.

A princess from the imperial capital was surely different from the common women of Yun Province.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to take immediate action. Rather, He Qingning’s quarters were always heavily guarded by skilled fighters, making it impossible for him to approach.

If he was discovered before succeeding, it would not only cause trouble, but the prize would likely slip away. Acting too impetuously might scare the princess off, ruining any future chances.

So his plan was to find an opportunity to succeed in one fell swoop. He had no intention of releasing the princess afterwards. That would be foolish and cost him his head.

The Emperor was far away. Even if he learned the princess had vanished, Gushan could fabricate any story he wished when questioned. He doubted the Emperor would come personally, and by then all evidence would be long gone. They could spread rumors that the princess encountered bandits on the road. Since bandits were villains anyway, they could claim to do a good deed by having imperial forces eliminate them.

“But how can I achieve success in one move? It’s difficult, so difficult…”

Chen San’er was Guan Gushan’s lackey, helping him with all sorts of misdeeds. Whenever Gushan abducted a beautiful woman from a good family and grew bored of her, Chen San’er would follow to take advantage. As the attendant of a prefectural magistrate’s son, his quarters held no shortage of pretty girls. Those who disobeyed or resisted would be sold directly to brothels.

At the moment, Chen San’er was hiding in some bushes, spying on He Qingning’s quarters and listening for any movement inside. He dared not get too close—those guards looked formidable and would surely discover him if he approached, ruining his master’s plans. The young master had said it would be troublesome to make a move within the compound. Their chance would come when the princess went out to enjoy herself.

So despite the blazing summer heat, he kept watch under the scorching sun. As Chen San’er stared at the courtyard, he swallowed hard. The princess looked like a celestial maiden. Though Chen San’er had his fair share of women, he had never experienced a princess before.

Just as he was pondering this, Chen San’er felt a sharp pain in his rear. He stumbled forward, rolling on the ground several times. About to curse whoever dared ambush him, he looked up to see Prefect Guan Yujing.

“My lord.” Chen San’er scrambled to kneel before Guan Yujing. “Do you have any instructions for me?”

“Chen San’er, what are you doing here?” Guan Yujing glanced towards He Qingning’s quarters. “Princess Qingning resides here. Do you have a death wish?”

“Mercy, my lord. I simply haven’t seen Her Highness before and wished to admire her graceful demeanor.”

“How dare a lowly wretch like you gaze upon Her Highness’s visage?” Guan Yujing waved his hand dismissively. “Get out of here immediately. If you disturb the princess, I’ll have your worthless hide.”

“Yes, yes, I’m leaving at once.”

Guan Yujing wasn’t actually afraid of He Qingning. He only knew she was highly favored. If anything happened to her here, the Emperor might hold him responsible, causing no end of trouble. Better to avoid complications. After sending off this exalted guest, he would still be the local autocrat. Besides, the Emperor would hardly consider a place unsuitable after the princess had stayed there for some time. Wouldn’t his position only improve?

“Wait a moment, something’s not right.” Guan Yujing suddenly realized Chen San’er’s intentions in watching the princess’s quarters likely went beyond mere admiration.

Remembering his lecherous son, he felt uneasy and headed to Gushan’s quarters to warn him to keep a low profile and not cause trouble. Once the princess departed, he could do as he pleased.

However, as he approached Gushan’s room, he overheard him discussing with Chen San’er how to get their hands on He Qingning. Without waiting to hear more, Guan Yujing angrily kicked open the door. Meeting Gushan’s startled gaze, he strode over and slapped him twice across the face.

“You foolish thing!”

Gushan clutched his stinging cheeks, looking utterly wronged. “Father, why did you hit me?”

“Behave yourself and don’t cause any trouble, especially with the princess. Put away your petty schemes. You can have anyone else, but she is off limits.” That situation would be far too messy to clean up if things went wrong.

Gushan was very afraid of Guan Yujing and agreed while holding his face, but inwardly he remained unwilling. This place was far from the Emperor’s reach. What did it matter if she was a princess? Once in his hands, he could do as he pleased with her.

“This is all the intelligence I’ve secretly had people gather,” He Qingning said gravely, her delicate hand slamming forcefully on the table. “This Guan Yujing is truly audacious. His son Gushan alone has torn apart countless couples, caused the deaths of many women, and forced respectable ladies into prostitution.”

Shen Wan was unconcerned about Guan Yujing and Gushan’s fates. With her and her wife here, those two were doomed anyway. Her eyes darted worriedly to He Qingning’s reddened palm. How it pained her to see that! Palms were soft flesh, while tables were hard wood. How could her hand not be red after such a strike?

“What does Your Highness plan to do?”

Taking advantage of He Qingning’s distraction, Shen Wan slipped a soft piece of cotton cloth onto the table.

He Qingning noticed and inquired, “What’s this for?”

Shen Wan’s face reddened slightly. “I noticed Your Highness likes to strike the table. It’s so hard, what if you hurt your hand? This soft cloth will cushion it. Now you can strike as you like, as many times as you want. With the thick, soft cloth padding it, you won’t hurt yourself or make too much noise to draw attention.”

“How thoughtful of you.” He Qingning’s tone was neutral, but inwardly she felt a warm current flowing through her heart. When she angrily struck the table again, it was indeed painless and quiet, just as Shen Wan had said.

“First, gather evidence against Guan Yujing. We don’t need everything, just enough to warrant his execution,” He Qingning said, narrowing her eyes. “Then we can behead him first and report afterwards.”

“Your Highness, Guan Yujing has powerful backers,” Shen Wan casually reminded her, though she too favored simply eliminating such a corrupt official.

He Qingning replied, “That’s precisely why Father has authorized me to execute these corrupt officials immediately if I find evidence warranting it. Afterwards, Father will dispatch new officials he trusts and believes capable. He intends to place them in these positions first, with the ability to recall them at will later. I’m just a princess, so even if they suspect Father sent me to investigate, they won’t realize I’m involved in the power struggle.”

“Once I execute Guan Yujing, what can they do even if they are enraged? After eliminating a few more, replacing their underlings with Father’s people, they’ll grow wary. Shen Wan, we can’t possibly kill everyone who’s committed wrongs. Executing high-ranking officials would cause major backlash, while eliminating these minor players serves as a warning. We’ve touched their interests without implicating them directly, so they can only suffer in silence. And as a princess, I won’t conflict with my brothers for now. As long as Father withstands the pressure, no one can stop me from acting against these peripheral officials if I have evidence.”

He Qingning paused briefly before continuing, “The path I’ve chosen inevitably requires killing to gain respect. First, I must act more decisively than my brothers. Second, I must assert dominance as a woman. Though my actions will offend many, all the positions I’ve cleared out will be filled with my own people in the future. With the common people’s support and Father’s backing, who would dare oppose me once I hold power? If they do, I’ll have the opportunity to replace them all. This journey should provide us with no shortage of evidence.”

At this point, He Qingning’s face bore a smile. It was beautiful yet intimidating, even carrying a hint of majesty.

Shen Wan could only stare at He Qingning, amazed at her little princess’s capability. Such determination made her heart race. How could her princess be so captivating?

“However, the problem we face is that many dangers lie ahead,” He Qingning said with a slight frown. “After all, I’ve interfered with many people’s interests. In the face of profit, killing me, a mere princess, would be ideal for them. They could simply claim I was murdered by bandits, and my father’s fury would be useless.”

“Your Highness, I am immensely strong. No matter how many little assassins come, I’ll crush them all for you. We’ll see if their puny hearts and heads are harder than my fists.”

As she spoke, Shen Wan’s fair hand grasped a wine cup. Under He Qingning’s gaze, the cup shattered into fragments, which Shen Wan placed on the table. “Your Highness, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you. Just as I escorted you from the imperial city, I’ll guard you on your return.”

He Qingning’s lips curved into an amused smile as she grasped Shen Wan’s wrist. Her voice unconsciously softened, “Gripping so hard, did you hurt your hand?”

Shen Wan: “188, see that? The little princess is growing more and more concerned for me.”

188: Remained silent, content to simply observe.

“It’s fine,” Shen Wan said.

She opened her palm to He Qingning, revealing it was indeed uninjured. However, some glass shards clung to her skin. He Qingning held her hand and carefully wiped away the fragments with a handkerchief.

Shen Wan basked contentedly in the attention until a knock at the door startled her. She quickly withdrew her hand and assumed a cold, serious expression, standing ramrod straight behind He Qingning.

Shen Wan: Coming out to assist the little princess in her investigation was all well and good, except for having to maintain this stern face all the time.

He Qingning looked towards the door and asked, “What is it?”

“Your Highness, the Young Madam requests an audience.”

“Let her in.”

The door opened, and a woman of great beauty and grace entered. She first bowed to He Qingning, not daring to look at her directly, but secretly observing both He Qingning and Shen Wan from the corner of her eye. Shen Wan seemed to notice and let out a snort, glaring at the woman, who nearly fell to her knees in fright.

Her wife might be beautiful, but that didn’t mean just anyone could look at her.

This woman coming to see the little princess might be harboring ill intentions. If Shen Wan discovered any, she’d smash the woman’s skull with one punch.