My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 46

46

“How could this be? How did I offend the Third Prince to provoke such a massive retaliation?” Ruan Zhi frowned and pondered. The only connection she could think of was the Marquis of Yangling, the younger brother of the Third Prince’s concubine.

Could someone of his status really influence the Third Prince?

“Earlier, I sent the tea-making method and the tea masters to my father. He was very pleased, which is why he summoned me to the capital to celebrate his birthday and even assigned me a task. The Third Prince’s people came to you for the tea-making method, but you refused them and gave it to me instead. That alone was enough to offend him. This trip to the capital will likely bring some trouble.” Ye Youli said.

Ruan Zhi recalled that the Marquis of Yangling’s men had indeed tried to extort her, but she had fended them off.

Had that man been acting on behalf of the Third Prince?

It seemed that after arriving in the capital and seeing how the tea-making method had delighted the Emperor, the Third Prince grew resentful and seized the opportunity to slander her.

She had underestimated the pettiness of the imperial family.

And she had underestimated the impact the new tea-drinking method would have on the nobility.

“So it was all because of Your Highness. Your Highness reaped so many benefits, while we suffered in your stead. Does Your Highness have a plan to deal with this? My wife was injured like this to save you—surely Your Highness won’t stand by and do nothing?” Ruan Zhi said slowly.

“Although saving me wasn’t her sole intention, I do owe her this favor. I came to tell you this because I don’t want you walking into the capital blind.” Ye Youli replied.

Ruan Zhi looked at Ye Youli, waiting for her to continue.

“Give me the prescription for yesterday’s medicinal soup. I’ll deal with the Third Prince and keep him too busy to trouble you. If he does come after you, I’ll use my connections in the capital to help.” Ye Youli said.

“Your Highness, the prescription for that medicinal soup is a separate matter. If Your Highness can help secure a spot in the capital’s official shops, then it’s naturally not an issue.” Ruan Zhi said calmly.

“You… do you think the official shops in the capital are the same as those in Youzhou? Those require imperial merchant status! You want to become an imperial merchant?! That’s not something easily achieved—one misstep could cost you your head.” Ye Youli said through gritted teeth, some words nearly spat out.

Becoming an imperial merchant wasn’t as simple as wanting it—it required a royal decree.

The goods had to meet the standards for imperial use.

“Indeed. Since I want to do it, I have my own confidence. Does Your Highness have a way?” Ruan Zhi asked.

She knew Ye Youli had connections—and a trump card.

Just as a soldier who doesn’t aspire to be a general isn’t a good soldier, a merchant who doesn’t aspire to be an imperial merchant isn’t a good merchant.

Merchants were of low status, but imperial merchants were an entirely different matter.

Both wealthy and noble.

The restrictions on ordinary merchants not being allowed to wear silk or adorn themselves with gold did not apply to imperial merchants.

Some imperial merchants even held official positions, were granted titles, and were summoned to register under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Like Ruan Zhi in her previous life.

Ye Youli fell silent for a moment. Menstrual cramps were unbearable, and the prescription could be life-saving. She had no choice but to reveal another bargaining chip to Ruan Zhi.

Gu Qingci didn’t speak, listening as Ruan Zhi and Ye Youli negotiated in this manner, her eyes widening slightly.

This was practically like two business tycoons engaged in a commercial negotiation!

Both Ruan Zhi and Ye Youli were fighting for their own interests.

Alright, she was now completely convinced that Ruan Zhi had no personal feelings for Ye Youli.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to calculate the accounts so clearly.

Yes, this was exactly how it should be.

They couldn’t let Ye Youli take advantage of them!

That tea-making method was the result of thousands of years of civilization. Trading it for just a partnership with an official shop in Youzhou City was far too cheap.

However, the premise was also that Ye Youli wasn’t as domineering as that so-called Third Prince. She was giving and taking, mutually beneficial for both sides.

Ruan Zhi, after all, had dealt with Ye Youli in her past life and negotiated with her in a measured, strategic manner.

After the negotiation, Ye Youli stood up, holding the prescription Ruan Zhi had written.

“What a pity. I thought you’d make a splash in this year’s imperial examination. Who would’ve thought… Well, there’s always the next one in three years.” Before leaving, Ye Youli turned back and said to Gu Qingci.

Gu Qingci froze, looking down at her hands and her bandaged arm.

A bolt from the blue!

Hadn’t she come to Yanjing precisely to take the imperial examination and become a scholar?

Now her hands were useless, one arm was out of commission—how was she supposed to handle the archery and horseback riding tests?!

When Ruan Zhi turned around, she saw Gu Qingci’s eyes wide, her expression twisted, her two mummy-like hands trembling.

“No, no!” Gu Qingci was frantic.

She had trained for months through the winter, endured Song Qianji’s military strategy lessons, memorized several books on tactics and policy essays by rote, and suffered through headaches for months.

And now she was being told she couldn’t take the exam?!

“Lord! Calm down. Healing is the priority. Whether you take the exam or not doesn’t matter.” Ruan Zhi hurried to comfort Gu Qingci.

She suspected Ye Youli had done this on purpose.

Ruan Zhi’s words didn’t offer much comfort, and Gu Qingci’s tears fell first.

“I want to ask Lady Wenren if my hand will heal before the exam.” Gu Qingci sniffled.

Ruan Zhi’s heart ached at the sight. She took out a handkerchief to wipe Gu Qingci’s tears.

Only now did she realize—

This mind truly was straightforward.

Perhaps it really couldn’t be bothered to overthink.

She had been in pain all along, unable to think clearly.

“…Alright, I’ll have Lady Wenren come right away.” Ruan Zhi spoke softly to Gu Qingci before stepping out and sending Lian Rui to summon Wen Renyi.

“The imperial examination is on the ninth day of the second month, less than a month from now. The flesh and skin on your hand should have regrown by then, but they’ll still be very tender and fragile. As for the bone fracture—well, ‘a hundred days to mend tendons and bones.’ It won’t fully recover in less than two or three months, let alone allow you to draw a bow.” Wen Renyi explained.

“Lady Wenren, I know your family has practiced medicine for generations, and there are even imperial physicians in the court. Could you ask one to take a look? If there are any special medicines, no matter the cost, as long as they’re effective.” Ruan Zhi said to Wen Renyi.

“There is an ointment called ‘Muscle-Regeneration Balm’ that can help the skin heal faster without leaving scars. But for fractures, there aren’t many options, and none can work that quickly. It’ll be difficult to recover in time for the exam. Scholar Gu, try not to worry too much. I’ll accompany you—passing the provincial exam as a juren is already an achievement.” Wen Renyi said, even offering to “fail” alongside Gu Qingci out of camaraderie.

“…” Gu Qingci seemed drained of all energy, staring blankly.

Wen Renyi couldn’t console her, so after changing Gu Qingci’s bandages, she left.

Seeing Gu Qingci like this, Ruan Zhi desperately wanted to comfort her.

She had already upset Gu Qingci earlier, and now this new blow had struck.

Ruan Zhi reached out and gently stroked Gu Qingci’s head.

“It’s alright, really. It’s just one exam. Please don’t even think about taking it while injured. If your arm ends up with lasting damage, it won’t be worth it. If you truly want to become an official, I’ll find a way. Even as a juren, you’re halfway there—with some maneuvering, you could still secure an official position.” Ruan Zhi reassured her.

“I want to earn it myself, not rely on Ye Youli or anyone else.” Gu Qingci said.

She had wanted to achieve a high rank, to make it into the top tier.

Now she wanted it even more.

Even if Ruan Zhi didn’t need it, lacking status in this world meant being vulnerable to oppression.

Back then, Dou Qiang had shot an arrow straight at her.

If she hadn’t sensed the danger and dodged, that thick arrow would have pierced right through her.

With medical conditions like these, she probably wouldn’t have survived.

The Third Prince had openly used his own personal soldiers—marked and identifiable—without fear of being exposed.

Because even if they found out, there was nothing they could do.

If he were targeting Ye Youli, he might have hidden his tracks, afraid of retaliation or giving her evidence to take to the Emperor.

But her? He thought she was just an easy target.

Well, did he really think she’d take this lying down?

Third Prince. Dou Qiang.

This grudge—it had just grown much deeper.

“Being able to leverage strength is also a skill. The resources around you that you can use are inherently part of your own power. Refusing to borrow strength when it’s available, insisting on relying solely on yourself—do you think that’s wise?” Ruan Zhi asked patiently.

Gu Qingci understood the logic.

But originally, she could have taken the exam—and possibly achieved outstanding results.

Now, someone had ruined it for her.

Can you not be angry?

“Stop thinking about it. I’ll help you wash up, then you can sleep.” Ruan Zhi said.

Gu Qingci had already been yawning earlier.

But now, she was too angry to feel sleepy.

Ruan Zhi pulled Gu Qingci to wash up.

She didn’t call any maids to help.

The washing session was a bit chaotic.

It was her first time helping someone wash up, and by the end, half of Gu Qingci’s clothes were soaked.

Luckily, the layers were thick, so the inside stayed dry.

“Sorry… These clothes will need to be taken off and changed later.” Ruan Zhi said awkwardly.

Gu Qingci, however, was distracted by Ruan Zhi.

She had always seen Ruan Zhi as composed and effortless.

But this flustered, slightly embarrassed Ruan Zhi, whose ears were even turning red from not doing things perfectly—was actually kind of cute!

Ruan Zhi was used to being a young lady, always the one being served by others. Yet now, she was serving her.

Did this mean she loved her deeply now?

If so, then her anger would vanish…

But would someone as rational and cool as Ruan Zhi really feel that way?

Maybe it was just out of duty and guilt…

Gu Qingci let her thoughts run wild for a moment before stopping herself.

Ruan Zhi had already finished washing her, even washing her hair.

As for bathing, the inn’s conditions were poor—it was too cold, and there was no clean tub, so they skipped it.

Ruan Zhi took off Gu Qingci’s damp clothes and changed her into sleepwear.

Ruan Zhi did it naturally, but Gu Qingci’s face turned bright red.

She stood frozen like a mannequin, unmoving.

Ruan Zhi moved around her, undressing her and changing her into sleepwear.

She had been completely seen by Ruan Zhi!

Ah, these shameful little “Wan Zai” buns…

Ah, this, this humiliation…

Once dressed, Ruan Zhi looked up at Gu Qingci and saw her flushed face. She reached out to touch Gu Qingci’s forehead.

“You’re a bit warm. Lie down first. I’ll call Wen Renyi over now.” Ruan Zhi said, concerned.

Wen Renyi had said that if she developed a fever, someone should call for him immediately.

Gu Qingci felt that her fever probably wasn’t caused by the fracture.

It was purely from embarrassment.

But when Wen Renyi arrived and checked, he confirmed that Gu Qingci was indeed slightly feverish.

“There’s a bit of a fever. She’ll need to drink a fever-reducing medicine. Luckily, we prepared some earlier. A few other injured people also have fever symptoms. I’ll go prepare for it now. Scholar Gu can use a warm, damp cloth to wipe her body and help cool her down.” Wen Renyi said.

The diagnosis only made Gu Qingci’s head feel dizzier.

After Wen Renyi left to prepare the medicine, Ruan Zhi asked Lian Rui to bring in warm water and began wiping Gu Qingci’s body to lower her temperature.

The freshly changed sleepwear was pulled halfway down again.

“……” Gu Qingci wanted to bury herself.

Before long, Wen Renyi returned with the fever-reducing medicine and had Gu Qingci drink it.

“Scholar Gu is still in good spirits now. Madam, please keep an eye on her temperature. If the fever subsides within an hour or two, she should be past the worst of it. If the fever persists, please send someone to call me again.” Wen Renyi said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Having been friends with Gu Qingci for so long, seeing her like this worried him deeply.

After Wen Renyi left, Ruan Zhi continued to cool Gu Qingci down physically.

Before long, Gu Qingci yawned and fell asleep.

Ruan Zhi, however, had no intention of sleeping. She stayed by Gu Qingci’s side, diligently replacing the towel on her forehead.

About half an hour after Gu Qingci fell asleep, her head began to toss lightly, and she let out choked sobs, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.

Startled, Ruan Zhi leaned closer to comfort her and heard Gu Qingci murmuring in her sleep, her voice trembling with tears.

“No, don’t die! I don’t want you to die…”

“I want to be with you… Grandpa, Dad, Mom…”

Listening carefully to Gu Qingci’s sleep-talk, Ruan Zhi sensed her despair and sorrow.

Gu Qingci was not the original Gu Qingci—she had another identity.

This was something Ruan Zhi had known for a long time.

Before, she had only heard Gu Qingci mention her grandfather.

Now, it seemed her grandfather and parents had all passed away!

Ruan Zhi had assumed that someone as cheerful, optimistic, and guileless as Gu Qingci must have grown up in a happy, loving family.

She never imagined that Gu Qingci’s family members were all gone.

She had never asked Gu Qingci about it and knew nothing of her past.

Hearing Gu Qingci’s voice, Ruan Zhi’s heart ached in sympathy. She wrapped an arm around Gu Qingci’s uninjured shoulder and released a bit of pheromones to soothe her.

Gu Qingci’s emotions calmed slightly, but her expression shifted—her sadness now tinged with fierceness.

“I’ll live on for you!”

“No one can take my life—my life is worth four others.”

She spoke through gritted teeth.

These words puzzled Ruan Zhi.

Putting together what she had heard, Ruan Zhi pieced together some of the meaning.

She moved even closer to Gu Qingci, hoping to let her feel her warmth.

After some time, Gu Qingci’s emotions finally settled.

Ruan Zhi touched her forehead—it was damp with sweat, and her temperature had finally dropped.

She called for fresh warm water, wiped Gu Qingci down again, changed her into clean sleepwear, and tucked her into the dry bedding to rest properly.

Wen Renyi, still uneasy, came back to check once more and confirmed the fever had subsided before finally leaving to sleep.

That night, Ruan Zhi slept beside Gu Qingci.

Normally, Ruan Zhi struggled with sleep, but now, with her mind preoccupied by Gu Qingci’s condition, she kept reaching over to check her temperature.

By the next morning, Gu Qingci’s temperature had normalized, and she was much more energetic, with a hearty appetite—eating and drinking well. The only thing dampening her mood was her inability to take the imperial exams.

In contrast, Ruan Zhi, having barely slept all night, was somewhat listless.

In the morning, Wen Renyi changed Gu Qingci’s bandages, and the group set off for Yanjing City.

When they left the inn, Ye Youli parted ways with them to rejoin her own entourage.

Ruan Zhi wanted to ask Gu Qingci about her dream, but given that she was still injured, she didn’t want to bring up painful memories and refrained.

That afternoon, they arrived in Yanjing City.

From the carriage window, Gu Qingci caught her first glimpse of the city’s bustling prosperity.

The city gate alone was dozens of meters tall, towering and majestic.

Entering the city required passing a “security check” and if you were a merchant, you had to pay a tax in silver.

Showing Gu Qingci’s identity token exempted her from paying.

For the first time, Gu Qingci witnessed the power of her own identity token firsthand.

Tax exemption—it genuinely saved her a sum of money.

Wen Renyi had relatives in Yanjing City and, after making arrangements with Gu Qingci, took a carriage and left first.

Ruan Zhi had sent people ahead to Yanjing City, where someone was waiting to receive them.

Among those who greeted them was a tall man.

Ruan Zhi introduced him to Gu Qingci as Qin Zhenhu, the son of Nanny Qin.

He was also one of the people Ruan Zhi trusted the most.

During this period, he had been running errands for Ruan Zhi outside.

Gu Qingci found Qin Zhenhu somewhat familiar and recalled seeing him from a distance when she had sent a few servants to the yamen during the reorganization of the inner household.

Qin Zhenhu’s gaze had been extremely fierce back then.

At that time, she had just transmigrated, and the original host had committed too many misdeeds.

“Following the madam’s instructions, I purchased a three-courtyard residence in a central location and a five-courtyard one a bit further out, but it has a horse-riding track. Which one would the madam like to go to?” Qin Zhenhu asked Ruan Zhi.

With memories from her past life, Ruan Zhi had Qin Zhenhu buy residences she had previously considered, so she didn’t need to inspect them. She specified the locations and had Qin Zhenhu purchase them directly.

“Let’s go to the five-courtyard residence first.” Ruan Zhi said.

Gu Qingci loved horseback riding, and since it wasn’t easy to ride freely within Yanjing City, having a horse-riding track in the courtyard would be ideal.

The group followed Qin Zhenhu to the five-courtyard residence.

By the time the maids and servants finished tidying up, it was already dark.

There was a new wooden tub for bathing.

This made Gu Qingci even more embarrassed.

Ruan Zhi used a towel to wash Gu Qingci, avoiding the injured areas.

By the time the bath was over, Gu Qingci was as red as a boiled shrimp.

After resting for the night, Wen Renyi came to see Gu Qingci the next day, bringing along an imperial physician relative who examined Gu Qingci again.

The conclusion was similar.

It would take nearly a month for her to recover enough to draw a bow and shoot arrows.

However, their family’s secret medicine could alleviate the pain and speed up recovery.

When Ruan Zhi offered to pay, Wen Renyi firmly refused.

“My uncle enjoys tea.” Wen Renyi hinted.

Understanding, Ruan Zhi immediately arranged for someone to bring the best tea they had brought with them, along with tea sets and detailed instructions on how to brew it for the best flavor.

She prepared several portions.

Wen Renyi’s uncle felt almost embarrassed by the generosity.

Such tea leaves couldn’t be bought in Yanjing City for less than several hundred taels of silver.

Wen Renyi’s uncle also promised to come back in the following days to check on Gu Qingci and perform acupuncture to aid her recovery.

After seeing off Wen Renyi and the others, Ruan Zhi wanted to go out to inspect the shops.

“I need to go out for a bit. Would you like to come along and see the sights? We came in a hurry, so you didn’t get to see much. Some places in Yanjing City have acrobatic performances, and certain restaurants offer musical performances…” Ruan Zhi asked Gu Qingci.

Originally listless, Gu Qingci perked up a little at the mention of acrobatics and musical performances and agreed to go out with Ruan Zhi for a look.