The Exiled Villainess and Her Shopping Dimension

Chapter 249

"The Emperor has arrived!"

The eunuch’s voice echoed from the front. All the nobles stood up to welcome his arrival. The Emperor of the Bai Region walked in first, followed by the delegation from the Hu Region and the Empress.

They were separated into two groups, not standing close to each other. Additionally, the Hu Region’s delegation included 2-3 women who were there to study the art of medicine preparation. Some of them served as assistants to record the exchange, and the Empress was responsible for overseeing their well-being.

Since Yueqian and the others had to bow their heads to pay respect to the supreme ruler of the Bai Region, they didn’t see them enter. They only heard the sound of footsteps and their laughter. The Emperor’s voice could be heard, engaging in casual conversation.

"Please, everyone, be at ease. Today is an auspicious day. The arrival of the delegation from the Hu Region is a great honor. There’s no need for excessive formalities." After the most dignified person had taken his seat, he waved for everyone else to sit, offering a few polite words to please the representatives from the Hu Region.

Mu Heng helped his wife sit smoothly. Even though Yueqian didn’t look like she was pregnant at the moment, her husband was extremely concerned. He watched her every move closely, his gaze fixed solely on Yueqian.

The beautiful woman glanced around and saw the Wang signaling for the main dishes to be served. Everyone had their own small table with five dishes. Yueqian looked at the food, feeling not very hungry, but she knew she had to eat something. If she didn’t eat at all, the baby might get upset and weaken her body.

She chose the beef stew, which was prepared with Chinese dates and some herbs. It was nutritious, provided protein, and didn’t require her to consume much rice, which had a lot of sugar.

With the fruit included in the stew, Yueqian would receive all the necessary nutrients. If it wasn’t enough, she could always have supplements back at the manor, which were easier to digest and more beneficial.

As she ate, Yueqian habitually observed her surroundings. Her eyes met those of a man who had been staring at her. Perhaps he had never seen her dressed so beautifully before, so her beauty left a deep impression on him, making it hard for him to look away.

Or maybe he had many things he wanted to discuss with her, which made him keep looking her way. Nevertheless, Yueqian didn’t pay him much attention. Being with her husband, how could she lock eyes with another man for long?

She turned her gaze to the Wang to observe his actions. Since the Wang was hosting the event instead of the Second Prince, he had to work earnestly and couldn’t just be a spectator as before. Moreover, he didn’t have a consort, so it was no surprise that the responsibilities fell solely on him.

Due to the importance of Yueqian and Mu Heng regarding the delegation’s arrival, the Wang had seated them at the front, making them easily visible. When she looked at him, the Wang naturally noticed.

His sharp eyes turned toward Yueqian, and his somewhat frightening face was partially hidden by a gray cloak.

Normally, as a Wang, he wouldn’t need to care about others’ gazes, but his expression suggested that he, too, had to be mindful of the delegation’s reactions, unable to reveal his fearsome face. He looked at the beautiful woman who was a key figure in this event. His furrowed brows slowly relaxed, as if he had just remembered something.

At that moment, Yueqian realized she had made a mistake. She shouldn’t have looked at the cunning Wang, as it would only bring her more burdens.

The Wang called a court lady over, whispered a few words, and she approached Yueqian discreetly. The others saw only a court lady refilling Yueqian’s stew, unaware of what was happening. Only Yueqian and Mu Heng frowned. If not for careful observation, no one else would have noticed this irregularity.

"Tell the Wang that Furen Mu cannot help with this matter. She is pregnant; how can she assist?" Mu Heng responded through gritted teeth.

His lips didn’t move at all; the words were merely a whisper from his throat, heard only by the court lady and Yueqian. Seeing her husband’s anger, Yueqian couldn’t help but shake her head. She raised her fragrant tea cup to her lips and said,

"Calm down, my dear. If it weren’t important, the Wang wouldn’t be bothering us. I think this situation has no easy solution," as she finished speaking, she poured tea for her husband in a comforting manner.

"There is a solution, but will the Wang let it be resolved so easily? Perhaps... wouldn’t it better to make this a bigger issue?" Yueqian’s eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke these words.

Her face was full of playful mischief, as if she had found something amusing. This puzzled the court lady who received the message, but she had no role in making decisions. This matter would have to be left to the Wang to handle, so she departed with Yueqian’s response.

The situation still seemed normal. If the Wang’s people hadn’t discovered "something" or heard "certain words," they wouldn’t have been alerted. In fact, it was sheer luck that they did. If they didn’t think too much about this disturbance, no one would have known about it. Or maybe by the time they did, it might have escalated into a major, unmanageable problem. It seemed that the planner of this scheme was truly clever.

Unfortunately, such a clever person had positioned themselves against everyone, meaning they were an enemy to both the Bai and Hu Regions!

No one knew how far the news of the plague in the Bai Region had spread, but terrorists from other Regions managed to devise a layered plan.

They used the plague as a trigger. When the Hu Region’s representatives came to the Bai Region after hearing rumors that they could prepare a cure, they would get infected upon arrival, and everyone would perish from the disease. Not even the medicines prepared by the Bai Region could save them. What would happen then?

It wouldn’t just jeopardize the Bai and Hu Regions’ relationship; it could also cause widespread panic among the people, leading to chaos.

The situation could mirror the previous events in the Red Earth City, where people acted selfishly, hoarded goods, and resisted the government. In such a state of panic, could they still rally people to fight against enemy forces? It would be highly unlikely! Hence, the person who devised this plan aimed for a significant upheaval, likely targeting the Hu Region!

Originally, the Hu Region hadn’t garnered much attention. They naturally didn’t want to expend large amounts of troops on warfare. However, their plan was excellent, fitting their reluctance to waste military strength on fighting. By letting misfortune strike the Hu Region first, it would not be too late to encircle and attack.

Perhaps they might not need to use military force at all. As the ones who released a plague similar to the one in the Bai Region, they would surely have the cure.

Therefore, they could take over the Hu Region simply by announcing that they had the cure. For this unknown plague, they could seize the Red Earth City and then the Bai Region as well.

They would have the cure for the plague similar to the one in the Bai Region and for the disease they released. Ultimately, how could the townpeople not want to pledge allegiance to them?

It should be noted that the Hu Region was quite autonomous. They rarely faced invasions, so their preparedness for such attacks was not as strong as other regions. Typically, it was the Hu Region that annexed small, unnoticed towns to make them their vassals. When faced with such an assault, it would be difficult for them to unify effectively.

This external threat greatly concerned the Wang. He had heard that the plague was released along the way, with someone covertly infiltrating a trade caravan and selling certain animals as food. After consuming these, the symptoms would soon manifest.

The symptoms of this plague were similar to those in the Bai Region, leading everyone to believe that the Bai Region’s medicine could cure it. They would not be eager to act.

Allowing time to pass and relying on the Bai Region’s concocted medicine, they would later realize that the plague they had contracted could not be cured this way.

The plotters were confident that they could cause the Hu Region’s representatives to die in the Bai Region, reinforcing the belief that the Bai Region’s medicine was ineffective. Actually, once this spread, the Bai Region would not survive, and internal wars would inevitably erupt.

However, the primary goal was merely to gradually reduce the Hu Region’s military strength. If their plan succeeded, the Hu Region and its subordinate territories would be engulfed in flames!

Thus, it was fortunate that the Wang’s men learned of this beforehand; otherwise, it would have become a tragedy. But the Wang underestimated the situation. They did not want any issues with this reception. The first thing he needed to do was to prepare medicine for the representatives, preventing any escalation within the Bai Region.

If something happened to the delegates after they returned, it would no longer be their responsibility. However, Yueqian did not think that way. If the enemy continued to target the Hu Region, war within the Hu Region was bound to occur eventually. They just needed to wait to see which event it would be.

It was clear that the person who devised this plan was very clever. Even if they lost this move, they likely had many more strategies in place. Wouldn’t it be better for them to reveal the situation to the Hu Region and stay vigilant? This way, not only would they gain favor, but they might also protect the Hu Region, which was a vassal state of the Bai Region, from war!

The words she had spoken to the Wang were not a joke, but what to do next was up to him.

"Cough, cough." The soft coughing of the delegate surnamed Qin echoed. People didn’t pay much attention and continued to drink and eat. Even Delegate Qin himself was not cautious. They had just arrived in the Bai Region and had fully rested only today. It wasn’t surprising if a weakened body exhibited flu-like symptoms.

However, Yueqian, Mu Heng, and the Wang exchanged glances as if trying to communicate through their eyes. Although they didn’t say anything, someone who had been watching them noticed the oddity. The Young General squinted in displeasure, wondering how any man could look at his fiancée that way. Wei Mudan, who frequently glanced at Mu Heng, was equally surprised.

"Delegate Qin, it seems you’ve been deprived of fine wine for many days. Otherwise, how could you be coughing like this? Come, drink with me to clear your throat," the Emperor, unaware of the underlying tension, raised his cup cheerfully and offered it to Delegate Qin.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!