Abused Female Lead And Beautiful Villainess (Quick Transmigration)

Shen Wan’s brazen words infuriated Guan Yujing, causing him to tremble with rage. He was over fifty and had only this one son.

Seeing Guan Gushan’s wretched state, he wanted nothing more than to avenge his son immediately, regardless of whether the perpetrator was a princess or not.

What did it matter if she was a princess? This was his Yun Province. If he declared her an impostor, then she certainly wasn’t a princess.

“Prefect Guan, are you planning to rebel?”

Guan Yujing’s furious demeanor played right into He Qingning’s hands. She wasn’t afraid of his outburst; rather, she feared he might restrain himself, draw his sword, and personally execute Guan Gushan before her eyes. As it stood, everything was proceeding as she had anticipated.

Seeing Guan Yujing’s momentary hesitation, He Qingning decided to add fuel to the fire. “Prefect Guan, you shall oversee this scoundrel’s execution.”

This pushed Guan Yujing beyond his ability to contain his anger. He laughed coldly, his imposing gaze sweeping over the crowd. The onlookers hastily lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes. Whenever Guan Yujing wore this expression, it meant his wrath was imminent, and someone was bound to suffer.

They pitied He Qingning in their hearts. Princess or not, this wasn’t the imperial palace or capital. Yun Province was Guan Yujing’s domain, where he held absolute power. Even an esteemed princess who had provoked his anger wouldn’t fare well. Though they felt a sense of satisfaction seeing Guan Gushan’s miserable state, they believed the princess, in her youthful impetuousness, had failed to grasp the local dynamics before rashly punishing Guan Gushan. They feared she might not survive this ordeal.

Sure enough, they heard Guan Yujing’s voice ring out, “Audacious witch!”

“How dare you impersonate Princess He Qingning in my presence! Seize this impostor! I shall interrogate her personally. Kill the rest immediately!”

Shen Wan had already positioned herself in front of He Qingning, shielding her completely. As the guards surged forward to attack, He Qingning produced an imperial edict and her princess’s token from her sleeve.

“This is my royal token.”

The guards hesitated briefly, looking to Guan Yujing. He sneered, “Seize her at once! This witch not only impersonates the princess but has also stolen Her Highness’s token. We don’t know the princess’s fate. Capture her for thorough questioning. We must locate Her Highness immediately.”

“This is the imperial edict from my father,” He Qingning said calmly, maintaining her composure despite being surrounded by countless guards. Her demeanor impressed the onlookers; truly befitting a princess, she remained unruffled even in the face of mortal danger. “Father has granted me special authority. Upon discovering any official who abuses their power, oppresses the people, or engages in corruption, I may execute them immediately without prior report.”

Hearing this, Guan Yujing’s face grew cold. Having reached this point, he certainly wouldn’t let He Qingning go. He had initially planned to capture and torture her to avenge his son. Now, he changed his mind.

“Quick, execute this woman immediately! She not only impersonates the princess but also forges royal tokens and falsifies imperial edicts.”

He Qingning smiled faintly. “What’s the matter? No longer planning to capture me and inquire about the real princess? Are you afraid of losing your head if things go awry? Guan Yujing, I have evidence of your countless crimes here, confessed by Guan Gushan himself and bearing his personal mark. Any single offense on this list is enough to warrant your execution.”

“Kill her!” Guan Yujing commanded coldly.

Shen Wan drew her sword, eyeing the guards rushing towards them. “Get back and protect Her Highness.”

The guards hesitated, recalling Shen Wan’s terrifying display earlier. Their swords trembled as they quickly formed a protective circle around He Qingning. Faced with this fearsome woman, they decided to obey her.

Shen Wan gripped her sword as the attackers approached. Her small figure suddenly leapt into the crowd, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Each opponent barely had a moment to react before she severed their sword arms, rendering them unable to fight. He Qingning watched as Shen Wan moved through the sea of blades unscathed. She wanted to call out but held back. Still, her hand clenched tightly within her sleeve.

At this moment, she found herself worrying about Shen Wan’s safety, feeling a hint of fear and even regret for not holding her back in time. Being surrounded by so many people earlier hadn’t evoked such terror in her.

Reflecting on recent events, He Qingning suddenly realized something. In that brief moment of distraction, her gaze upon Shen Wan changed.

Shen Wan’s aim wasn’t to kill the guards but to reach Guan Yujing. With her skills, she quickly made her way to his side.

Guan Yujing hadn’t expected this cold-faced, petite woman to possess such formidable martial arts. So many guards had been incapacitated by her swift, precise strikes. She had deliberately targeted their tendons, her moves quick, fierce, and accurate, without any hesitation.

As the cold blade pressed against his neck, Guan Yujing felt a chill run through his body, the specter of death looming over him. The remaining guards, seeing their leader at knifepoint, dared not approach.

“You were quite bold earlier. Why are your legs shaking now?”

“I am an imperial official. If you dare harm me, then—”

At this moment, He Qingning’s voice interrupted Guan Yujing’s words. “Execute Guan Yujing on the spot.”

“Yes,” Shen Wan responded. Guan Yujing only managed to shout “You dare!” before Shen Wan unhesitatingly slashed across his throat. She quickly jumped back as Guan Yujing, eyes wide, clutched his neck. Blood gushed from the wound, spraying far and splattering the ground. After a few convulsions, he slowly collapsed, lifeless.

The surrounding guards were stunned, their swords unconsciously slipping from their hands.

The onlookers were so shocked they forgot to breathe. As they watched Guan Yujing fall and gradually lose his life, they came to their senses and slapped themselves hard. After exclaiming in pain, they looked at Guan Yujing’s corpse and burst into tears of joy.

“We pay our respects to Princess He Qingning!”

“Long live Her Highness!”

Everyone reacted, kneeling in unison and kowtowing forcefully. Soon, their foreheads were bloodied from the repeated impacts. Guan Yujing’s death brought them such joy that they didn’t even notice their broken skin.

The guards watched all this in a daze. Yun Province Prefect Guan Yujing, the local despot, had just had his throat slit by this diminutive woman. Wasn’t Guan Yujing an imperial official? How could he be killed so easily, so casually?

“Will you continue to resist, or will you surrender?” He Qingning asked.

The guards snapped back to reality, instinctively glancing at the bloody sword in Shen Wan’s hand. They hastily threw down their weapons and fell to their knees with a loud thud that made onlookers wince in sympathy for their kneecaps.

“We beg for mercy, Your Highness.”

Shen Wan had already returned to He Qingning’s side. She tossed her sword to one of the guards—coincidentally, the most junior one who had earlier marked Guan Gushan’s confession. She said softly, “Young man, clean this sword for me.”

“Clean it thoroughly. I’m a bit squeamish about blood!”

The young guard thought to himself: “……” Of course he would clean it. How could he not? This woman was terrifying! And claiming to be squeamish about blood? Who was she trying to fool? She was clearly a fierce character. No wonder Her Highness brought only her along instead of her personal maids.

“Open court, hear the cases,” He Qingning announced, addressing the crowd. “Anyone with grievances, come forward. I shall adjudicate for you.” Even though Guan Yujing was dead, many cases needed to be resolved. The man might be gone, but the proper procedures still had to be followed. Of course, the report sent back would only state that Guan Gushan had attempted to take liberties with her, a princess. She had punished Guan Gushan, which caused Guan Yujing to become desperate, accusing her of being an impostor and attempting to execute her on the spot.

Because she was so favored, the Emperor, fearing she might suffer injustice, had specially authorized her to execute corrupt officials and those who defied imperial authority. Surrounded by guards, she had no choice but to order the immediate execution of Guan Yujing, who threatened her life. Unexpectedly, after Guan Yujing’s death, the common people came forward en masse to file complaints against him.

Through careful investigation, she had uncovered Guan Yujing’s crimes. Naturally, as the Emperor’s most beloved princess, it was her duty to seek justice for the people and right these wrongs. It was a righteous and proper task that fell within her responsibilities; no one could fault her for it.

The investigation into Guan Yujing’s case lasted about ten days. Each day, He Qingning worked from dawn to dusk. At first, the common people didn’t hold much hope. With Guan Yujing dead and Guan Gushan near death, they already felt satisfied. To their surprise, He Qingning took the matter so seriously that she even overturned previous wrongful convictions.

In no time, He Qingning won the love and support of Yun Province’s people. They looked at her with shining eyes—no, she was their light.

As the case neared completion, the newly appointed Yun Province prefect arrived. After his arrival, He Qingning handed over all affairs to him, including the supervision of Guan Gushan’s execution. This man was a trusted confidant of the Emperor, originally of low rank, prepared as a reserve force for the future new ruler. Now that He Qingning was to be involved, performing so brilliantly on her first assignment, the Emperor simply dispatched this person here.

The new prefect was a perceptive individual. He pledged, hand on heart, to handle all remaining matters properly and govern Yun Province well. He respectfully saw He Qingning off. On the day of her departure, all of Yun Province’s citizens had tears in their eyes, carrying baskets filled with various goods. Some even brought chickens and ducks. He Qingning accepted only a small portion as a token of their affection and left with a smile.

In the carriage, Shen Wan cradled a hen, occasionally stroking its little head. Each time she touched it, the hen would tuck its head down, looking particularly adorable. She even took out some pastries to feed it.

He Qingning rubbed her forehead. “How did you take a liking to this hen so quickly? I saw some rabbits that looked quite cute.” Shouldn’t women prefer soft, fluffy little rabbits?

Shen Wan pinched the hen’s small ear and patted its head. “I spotted this hen immediately and thought it looked exceptionally outstanding. Hens are great. If you raise them well, they lay eggs, and when they’re old, you can make soup. Rabbits smell too much and are quite stupid. If you want rabbits, it’s better to have them prepared for eating on the road.”

“Your Highness, don’t you like hens?”

He Qingning smoothed her skirt. “If you like it, then keep it. A hen is fine. Looking closely, it’s actually cuter than a rabbit.”

Shen Wan: “188, did you see that? Love makes all things beautiful. The little princess clearly thinks rabbits are cuter, but seeing that I like the hen, she even said against her true feelings that the hen is cuter. How could a hen be as cute as the little princess?”

[188: “If the little princess knew you were comparing her to a hen, she definitely wouldn’t let you keep it.”]

“Are you sure? Want to bet? Let’s bet space coins. If you lose, you give me ten thousand space coins. How about it?”

[188 quickly refused. “No bet. I misspoke earlier. Even if the little princess knew you were comparing her to a hen, she wouldn’t get angry. She’d just laugh it off.”]

Bet? How to bet? He couldn’t afford it. This host of his had truly gone mad for money, even turning her attention to him. Ten thousand space coins? Why not just rob someone? He wasn’t a fool. Gambling with a couple was stupid, wasn’t it? That little princess was becoming increasingly unprincipled. She might seem aloof, but in reality, wasn’t she just being led by the nose by this unscrupulous host? She’d surely indulge her in everything. Look at her smug little face, so pleased with herself.

Shen Wan found a thin string, tying one end to the hen’s leg and holding the other end herself. During stops, she would lead the hen out for walks, watching it scratch for bugs in the soil. The accompanying guards wore complex expressions. The contrast was too stark. This woman, who could take a life without hesitation, was now walking a hen with a stern face.

They suspected the princess had brought along a lunatic.

“Do you have any questions?” He Qingning noticed the guards’ odd expressions and couldn’t help but ask.

The guards shook their heads in unison. No problems at all. They couldn’t possibly have any issues. Everyone knew that the woman called He Wan was the princess’s favorite. Moreover, throughout their journey, they had come to admire her. Despite her young age and petite frame, she possessed incredible strength. That small fist of hers could probably kill a bull with one punch.

“Then why are you standing here?”

As He Qingning asked, her gaze actually fell on Shen Wan, who was crouching by a pile of grass, walking the hen. Although Shen Wan maintained a stern expression, He Qingning could imagine her true demeanor: probably smiling, with round, bright eyes, or perhaps cupping her chin in her hands as she watched the hen play. The journey had indeed been somewhat boring, and it was rare for Shen Wan to have something she liked, even if it was just a hen. Who could blame her for her preferences? They might as well keep it.

“This lowly one was watching Miss He walk the hen. That hen does look quite interesting.”

The guards inwardly lamented. Could they say it wasn’t interesting?

“Indeed, that hen is quite intriguing. Its feathers are very smooth and glossy, with several colors. It’s truly a rare specimen among chickens,” He Qingning continued, completely disregarding the guards’ barely contained expressions. “Her taste has always been excellent. This hen is truly fortunate to have caught her eye. When we reach the next town, go buy more feed for the hen and take good care of it, understand?”

“Yes, we understand.”

He Qingning’s lips curved into a smile as she walked towards Shen Wan. “This hen seems to have grown a bit.”

“Of course. With how well we’ve been feeding it lately, how could it not grow?” Shen Wan replied. “I wonder when it will start laying eggs for me to see. It probably stopped laying due to the earlier fright.”

He Qingning found it amusing that Shen Wan was truly looking forward to the hen laying eggs. She comforted her, saying, “Perhaps it will lay some in a few days.”

“Little Hen, you heard Her Highness. Hurry up and lay some eggs.”

The guards watched this scene and let out a long sigh of relief. They were right to say the hen was interesting. See how much the princess cared for that He woman? She even indulged such things as raising a Little Hen.

The lead guard patted the shoulder of the youngest, least experienced guard—the same one who had marked Guan Gushan’s confession earlier. “When we reach town, remember to buy feed for Miss He’s pet.”

“Understood, boss.” The young guard gazed expectantly at his companions, having accepted this task. How could he refuse? He wondered when he would become a senior guard and be able to boss around the new recruits.