The Birth of a Villainess

Qi Yandi pulled out of the chamber and didn't allow anyone from inside the room to say anything else. He patted his chest and was proud of himself for doing good for once for his brother and sister-in-law. 

"Hai... they should have told me if they're doing something inside." He slapped his thigh before smiling like an idiot. "I wonder if I will have my nephew or niece soon."

He recalled his real brothers back home. All of them were too young to get married and the Qi family was expecting him to marry soon and bring back a wife and child. Every time Qi Yandi hears his father and mother scold him for not taking back a wife or abducting one at the very least, he thought that his ears would explode.

It was not that Qi Yandi didn't want to get married. But it was because he was still young at the age of nineteen and serving in the army. Besides, he still wanted to enjoy his youth and play with his brothers in the battlefield for a bit longer.

Another reason why Qi Yandi didn't want to get married was that he still hasn't found any woman who could make his heart beat like a drum.

A soldier walked into the courtyard and when he had just raised a foot on the raised ground, Qi Yandi flashed him his most evil glare. 

"Where do you think you are going?" he asked the soldier.

The soldier jumped in fright and bowed his head. "I came here to report something to his Lordship."

"Go back. Report to him later."

"But it's urgent, Sir!"

"Nothing is more urgent than my brother making a ba..." Qi Yandi froze and shut his mouth. Whew! He almost spilled the truth to the soldier. He glared furiously at the innocent soldier and waved his hand. "Tell me what it is first! I'll tell my brother your report when I think it's something urgent."

The soldier looked a bit conflicted but still told him what was so urgent. The man before him was one of the Vice Generals under Duke of Xin and the duke treats him as his brother. There shouldn't be anything wrong with him reporting it to him.

The two male whispered as one reported what news he heard outside while the other listened carefully. The two of them looked like aunties gossiping about some scandals in the market.

After hearing what the soldier had to report to his brother, Qi Yandi's face turned grimmer and darker. 

It was indeed urgent news!

Without further ado, Qi Yandi walked to the door once again after the soldier left the vicinity. He bravely knocked on the door and when he didn't hear anything, he knocked again.

"Bro... A... Are you done yet? I have something important to tell you." Qi Yandi gulped hard. He rubbed his neck and knocked once again.

The door this time was pulled open by someone from inside the room. Standing before him, Qu Xing Xu looked coldly at Qi Yandi. "You really don't value your life anymore, Qi Yandi."

Qi Yandi felt guilty as he looked pitifully at Qu Xing Xu. "Bro... I really love my life. But can you spare me just this once and hear me out first?"

"What happened?"

A female voice came from behind Qu Xing Xu. It belonged to Lin Xiaofei.

"A soldier just came by and told me some urgent news. I blocked him since I didn't want to disturb you two, but it seems that the news is very important for it to be reported later." Qi Yandi told them. "The city people have rioted after the rumor that the food warehouse was almost gone. I told the guards to be careful not to let them find out about it since there will be chaos but it seems that the city leader must have told someone about this matter."

The matter about the fire in the food warehouse was kept from the city people. Aside from the city leader and some important figures in the city and Qu Xing Xu's men, no one should have known about this. And yet, the entire city now found out about it. 

"What did they do?" This time, it was Qu Xing Xu who asked him.

Qi Yandi obediently told the report word by word. "Some farmers, fishermen, and city people came knocking on the door of the city leader. They are demanding to see the warehouse to see if the rumor is true. If this continues... I think there will be a riot soon."

Qu Xing Xu nodded his head. "Gu Yan still hasn't arrived?" 

"Not yet... They should still be looking for some stores who could sell them food in bulk," Qi Yandi said.

"What should we do, Brother?" 

Qu Xing Xu frowned.

Just when he was feeling hopeless and tired from hearing these humans demanding too much from him after he saved their lives, a hand was placed on his back.

"If people heard that you failed to keep the city safe and half of the food in the warehouse was burned, those crooks in the palace court will send ledgers to the Emperor. They will try to use this chance to oust you out of the capital." Lin Xiaofei lived in the Imperial Palace in her first life. She knew exactly what would happen if this matter was heard in the capital.

"Hmph! Those cowards always wanted to get their brother out of the capital. Do they think they have the ability to do that?!" Qi Yandi angrily stomped his foot to the ground.

"Even if they don't have the ability to get him out of the capital... But once this matter isn't resolved sooner... They might even call this a treason or some a capital offense that could behead Qu Xing Xu." Of course, Lin Xiaofei didn't think they could do anything to Qu Xing Xu. Not that she'd allow them to do anything to him too.

"Then... What do you think we should do?" Qu Xing Xu asked.

A smile appeared on her lips as she looked at him. "Of course... First, we must resolve the problem regarding the lack of food in the city. Then.... We can slowly plan on how to strike back against them."