Chapter 116 -
Back in her comfortable, quiet bedchamber, Su Yueqing slumped onto the plush daybed. She threw one arm over her eyes, letting out a long, dramatic groan into the silent room.
The serene mood from watching Mingyu in the courtyard was entirely gone. Her temples were throbbing with a dull, persistent headache that got worse by the second.
[Nine,] Yueqing snapped internally, her mind buzzing with nervous energy. [Wake up. We need to figure this out right now.]
DING!
[System 009: System is fully operational, Host. Please refrain from screaming into the mental interface. It causes lag.]
[I don’t care about lag!] Yueqing’s mental persona threw its hands up in complete exasperation. [We have a massive emergency! We need a plan to help Wenzhe survive that ambush at Red Cliff Pass without breaking my villain character or ruining my final mission!]
[System 009: As a transmigrated Host assigned to the Villainess role, direct intervention in military affairs is strictly prohibited by central protocol. You are not authorized to command troops, deploy weapons, or send tactical messages.]
Yueqing sat up straight on the daybed, rubbing her sore temples aggressively.
[Okay, fine! I can’t command an army,] she grumbled, her mind racing through options like a high-speed engine. [What about indirect help? Can I send him an anonymous warning letter? Write a mysterious code on a piece of paper and have a shadow guard drop it on his desk?]
DING!
[System 009: Negative. Any attempt to directly send coded messages to the Male Lead will trigger a Script Violation Penalty, deducting 500 Villain Points. Additionally, your current handwriting is easily recognizable by household guards.]
[Ugh, useless! I don’t even have up to 500 villain points!] Yueqing groaned, flopping back down against her silk pillows. [What if I send him extra body armor? What if I bribe the supply carriage drivers to run faster? What if I fake a divine prophecy and pay a street monk to yell outside the military camp?!]
[System 009: Analysis: Bribing supply drivers will take four days to arrange. Sending armor requires official clearance from the Duke’s armory, which you do not possess. Paying a monk will result in the monk being arrested for disturbing public order. None of these options alter the arrival time at Red Cliff Pass.]
Yueqing’s head throbbed painfully. Every single idea she threw out collapsed instantly under the weight of system rules, ancient logistics, and plain old bad luck. Nothing made sense. Nothing was adding up. The timeline was closing in, and she was completely trapped inside this lavish estate while her key to returning home was riding straight into a mountain trap.
Finally, the sheer frustration boiled over. Unable to hold it in any longer, Yueqing squeezed her eyes shut and shouted at the floating system interface in her mind:
"Nine, he is the male lead! He can’t just die... do something about it!"
Her actual voice leaked out slightly, a sharp, breathless whisper escaping her lips into the quiet room.
Outside her bedchamber doors, the two guards standing on duty stiffened slightly, exchanging a quick, confused look before resuming their stoic posture.
Inside her head, the system chimed back with its usual unbothered, flat tone.
DING!
[System 009: System 009 is an automated monitoring unit, Host. I cannot physically fight barbarians, nor can I stop a flying arrow. However, Host’s emotional distress is noted. Scanning for alternative narrative loop-holes...]
Yueqing buried her face in a soft goose-feather pillow, muffled groans echoing in her chest.
[I am going to end up stuck in this ancient world forever,] Yueqing wept internally, her mind painting a terrifying picture of her future. [I’ll be eighty years old, sitting in this exact chair, drinking herbal tea, and regretting the day I let a wooden block of a husband get ambushed in a snowy pass! Nine, find a loop-hole faster!]
Before Nine could respond, the heavy wooden doors to her courtyard suddenly creaked open, followed by the crisp, urgent footsteps of several senior maids approaching her chamber.
The heavy wooden doors creaked open fully, and the head maid bowed low at the threshold, her voice carrying a tone of formal urgency.
"Young Madam, Her Grace, the Duchess, has arrived."
Su Yueqing quickly adjusted her dress and pushed herself up from the daybed, smoothing down her lavender silk skirts.
[Wait, the Duchess?!] Yueqing’s mind screeched in sudden panic. [Why is my mother-in-law coming to my room right now?! Did she find out I gave Mingyu red-bean buns? Is she here to lecture me about etiquette again?! I already have a splitting headache, I cannot handle a mother-in-law confrontation today!]
Outwardly, Yueqing put on her best mask of polite, dignified calm, bowing gracefully as Lin Meiyun stepped across the threshold.
"Mother," Yueqing said smoothly, keeping her voice soft and respectful. "To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"
Lin Meiyun stood near the entrance for a brief moment, looking at her daughter-in-law. Her face was calm and elegant on the surface, but her hands were clasped tightly together inside her wide silk sleeves, her knuckles pale with hidden tension.
Look at her, Meiyun thought to herself, her heart heavy with anxiety. She acts so cool and indifferent on the outside, while her mind is practically bursting with panic for my son.
Meiyun took a quiet, steadying breath and walked farther into the room, waving her hand to signal the maids to wait outside. The heavy wooden doors were pulled shut, leaving only the two of them inside the private chamber.
Yueqing’s heart gave a slight thud.
[Why did she dismiss the maids?!] Yueqing’s inner voice groaned frantically, her brain doing nervous backflips. [Is she about to drop a household bomb on me?! Please don’t tell me she wants me to audit the estate accounting books! I’d rather take another etiquette lesson!]
Lin Meiyun turned to face Yueqing directly. She didn’t offer a gentle smile or sit down to drink tea as she would likely do. Instead, her dark eyes locked onto Yueqing with a serious, unwavering intensity.
"Yueqing," the Duchess began, her voice steady despite the quiet trembling in her chest. "I have come to speak with you about Wenzhe."
Yueqing froze for a microsecond before lowering her eyes submissively. "Is there something wrong regarding Wenzhe, Mother?"
[Oh no, oh no, oh no!] Yueqing’s mind was practically screaming off the walls. [Does she know about Red Cliff Pass?! No, how could she? Only I know the plot! Is she just missing her son? Why is she looking at me like she’s about to assign me a life-or-death mission?!]
Lin Meiyun took another step forward, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"As you know, Wenzhe left for the northern border in great haste this morning," Meiyun said, watching Yueqing’s reaction carefully. "However, the main supply line and medical carriages carrying extra medicine are moving far too slowly behind his vanguard. I am deeply concerned that the army will lack proper support before they reach the mountain passes."
Yueqing blinked.
[Wait... the medical carriages?] Yueqing thought, her brain instantly making the connection. [She’s talking about the rear unit where Li Mei is! Is she worried about the supplies, or is she worried about Wenzhe?!]
"Therefore," Lin Meiyun continued, her voice ringing clear and authoritative in the quiet room, "I have decided to dispatch a fast, light carriage with an elite escort of our family’s top shadow guards to carry urgent medical supplies and speed up the rear guard."
Meiyun paused, taking a step closer until she was standing right in front of Yueqing.
"And you, as Wenzhe’s lawful wife, will be traveling with them to the border."
The room went dead silent.
Su Yueqing’s jaw almost dropped open in broad daylight.
[WHAT?!] Yueqing’s internal scream echoed with such violent volume that Lin Meiyun actually had to flinch slightly to keep from wincing. [ME?! GO TO THE BORDER?! IS SHE OUT OF HER MIND?! THAT IS AN ACTIVE WAR ZONE! THERE ARE MOUNTAINS! THERE ARE BARBARIANS! THERE IS DUST AND NO LUXURY BEDS! WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU SEND A DELICATE VILLAINESS TO THE FRONTLINE?!]
Outwardly, Yueqing forced her expression to remain frozen, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to maintain her polite composure.
"M-Mother..." Yueqing stammered, her hands clutching her silk handkerchief tightly. "Is... is that appropriate? A young bride traveling to a military encampment... wouldn’t that cause rumors?"
"You are going under the legitimate reason of an anxious wife bringing crucial aid to her husband," Lin Meiyun replied smoothly, her eyes fixed on Yueqing with absolute resolve. "No one in the capital will dare question your devotion."
[DEVOTION?! WHAT DEVOTION?! I DON’T HAVE DEVOTION, I HAVE A DIVORCE PLAN!] Yueqing’s mind raged in pure, frantic horror, her mental persona grabbing its hair in total agony. [MOTHER-IN-LAW, PLEASE! I JUST WANT TO STAY IN MY FIVE-STAR LUXURY ROOM, EAT RED-BEAN BUNS, AND WAIT FOR WENZHE TO COME BACK AND EXECUTE ME! WHY ARE YOU DRAGGING ME INTO THE BATTLEFIELD?!]
Lin Meiyun reached out, taking Yueqing’s cold, trembling hands into her own warm grip.
"Pack your belongings, Yueqing," Meiyun said softly, though her voice carried the weight of an iron command. "You leave at dawn."