How To Survive as a Villain

‘So I did die? And I was reborn again? Reborn in the body of the former Xiao Wangye of the Western Shu Kingdom? How long has it been since my death? And why is “he” in the Southern Yan Kingdom?’

There were too many questions, coming one after the other. As Xiao YuAn covered his forehead, he knelt on the ground feeling overwhelmed. His body was trembling, but he didn’t know whether it was due to the pain, the cold, or a combination of both. The maid servant who had tried to help him a while ago, trotted over and placed a coat over Xiao YuAn: “Xiao Jun Wang, this servant will send you back to your bedchamber.”

Xiao YuAn nodded his head, and stood up with the help of the maid.

Xiao YuAn’s temporary bedchamber was on the West side of the Imperial Palace, which was often used to entertain guests, and was also the place where the foreign envoys lived. The maid went to the Taiyi Hall to ask for medicine for Xiao YuAn’s bruises, and cleaned the wound on his forehead. Xiao YuAn looked around the bedchamber until he found a book handwritten by the original owner of this body. After Xiao YuAn read the book, and asked some maids, he finally understood what was going on.

Three years ago, the Western Shu Kingdom began to be in a state of regime separation. First of all, the Emperor of the Western Shu Kingdom died of an illness, and for a long time, there was no one who could succeed the throne. The Western Shu Kingdom is a country dominated by women, and both Princesses and Princes can fight for the throne. The Imperial Court is extremely complex, and there isn’t anyone, besides Xiao PingYang, who can monopolize the throne. Meaning that during the process of fighting for the throne, there were many instances where both sides have suffered defeat.

At the same time, the Western Shu Kingdom was hit by natural disasters, popular uprising, barbarian invasions, and other chaotic events. The country that was once peaceful and stable, had turned into a mess.

However, during the past three years, the throne of the Western Shu Kingdom had changed from a highly desirable sweet steamed bun to a burning hot potato¹; and the people who originally wanted to seize the throne, died during the fight for power. Xiao Wangye is a man that has a ‘being in harmony with the rest of the world²’ kind of temper, always aspiring for a leisurely and compancent type of life. But since his country has turned into this state, with the matter of survival at hand, Xiao Wangye doesn’t have a way to bear such burden on his own.

Who would’ve known that before these internal fights for power could be solved, external problems would arrive.

After the unification of the Three Kingdoms, the Southern Yan Kingdom began to eye the Western Shu Kingdom. Ever since the defeat of the Western Shu Kingdom, the country was divided by the barbarians around it. So, in this situation, fighting against the Southern Yan Kingdom would be like hitting a stone with an egg³!

In order to save the Western Shu Kingdom, Xiao Wangye reduced himself from a Prince to a commoner. By lowering his dignity, he showed his goodwill. Saying that he was willing to pay tribute to the Southern Yan Kingdom every year, with the condition that the country’s territory will be preserved, and the Western Shu Kingdom’s title wouldn’t be taken away.

However, Yan HeQing didn’t want to do it this way, making it clear that he wanted to unify all of the kingdoms into one, and that he didn’t want a vassal state. Xiao Wangye was at a loss at what to do, but in the end, he traveled all the way to the Southern Yan Kingdom to bow his head, and surrender himself. Even if he can only delay it by one day, it’s still a whole day.

When a Monarch reaches such a state, he ends up looking both cowardly and sad, but also laughable and helpless.

When Xiao Wangye came to the Southern Yan Kingdom to proclaim himself as a subject, a year had passed since the assasination attempt, so when Yan HeQing heard the name of Xiao Wangye, he was eager to meet with him. However, he then left with a cold face.

Xiao Wangye tried every means to curry favor, but he failed again and again to meet Yan HeQing’s eyes, not to mention that he failed to discourage Yan HeQing from sending troops. Xiao Wangye, finding himself in a desperate situation, met a person. With the help of that person, he entered Yan HeQing’s bedchamber at night, with the intention of drugging Yan HeQing, so that he would escape after a night of pleasure.

But after drugging Yan HeQing, Xiao Wangye felt ashamed and humiliated; like a prostitute from the red pavilion, who had to rely on being bought in exchange for profit. The years of repression instantly defeated the Monarch’s last line of defense, filling his mind with suicidal thoughts. Impulsively, he drank some poison.

And then, President Xiao woke up.

Xiao YuAn closed the handwritten notes, shook his head, and sighed with great emotion. Then, he whispered: “Thank you for your hard work.”

‘I don’t know who’s the one who helped Xiao Wangye, since he was vaguely mentioned in his notes. But since he was able to let Xiao Wangye enter Yan HeQing’s bedchamber in the middle of the night, he must be a person with high authority and credibility.’

‘Unexpectedly, a year has passed since my death. A year isn’t a long nor a short period of time, and I don’t know how Yan HeQing spent it.’

Xiao YuAn brought over a brush, ink and paper; as he dipped the brush in the liquid, he studied the ink. Then, he turned to the last page of the notebook, and on top, he wrote the word “Revenge”.

He wrote: Things to take revenge on. Domestic violence, of all kinds. Not letting me call him Yan-ge… wait, don’t. I won’t call him like that ever again! Not anymore! Damn it! Next time I’ll call Yan-ge a dog instead!

Xiao YuAn aggressively closed the notebook, but after a while, he silently opened it again and added the word “barking” after the last sentence.

✨Extra Chapter thanks to Ko-fi✨ [4/4]

Ahhhh I’m finally free enough (from real life issues) to update the last extra chapter I owed!

Aldhskdjs XYA really called YHQ a “barking dog”

And to be clear~ nothing happened between Xiao Wangye and YHQ. Our ML is a devoted man, he just thought he was our XYA since they share the same name.

Now though… He really is our XYA

Footnotes

1. 炙手可热 zhì shǒu kě rè; Chinese idiom, it means burning to the touch / hot enough to scald one’s hands. Used as a metaphor for a mighty figure / the supreme arrogance of a person with great power. From《丽人行》
   by (杜甫 dù fǔ) Du Fu [712-770], a poet from the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. 烫手山芋 tàng shǒu shān yù; It’s a metaphor for a problem that’s very difficult to solve, but after solving it, you’ll obtain a benefit. It mostly refers to the fact that you have to rely on real talent and knowledge to be qualified for a job that takes risks all the time. Basically, this sentence refers to the fact that the throne went from something everyone desired to obtain, to something no one wanted.
2. 与世无争 yǔ shì wú zhēng; Chinese idiom, used to refer to people who avoids any kind of conflict. From《战国策》(zhàn guó cè), “Strategies of the Warring States”, possibly written by (苏秦 sū qín) Su Qin [340-284 BC], a political strategist during the Warring States Period [475-221 BC].
3. 以卵击石 yǐ luǎn jī shí; Chinese idiom, it means that if you don’t estimate your own strength, you’ll end up killing yourself. From《荀子·议兵》by (荀子 xún zǐ) Xun Zi (or Hsun Tzu) [310-237 BC], a Confucian philosopher from the Warring States Period [475-221 BC].