Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess (GL , ABO) - Chapter 13
“Rise,” Mowan Ci said coldly. Only then did Feng Yao stand up and continue, “Your Highness, My Lord, His Majesty has prepared a banquet and is awaiting your presence. Please follow me to the inner palace.”
Carriages were allowed inside the palace grounds, but Jiang Si didn’t think much of it. After all, the long journey had left her tired whether she was riding in a carriage or on horseback.
Walking seemed like a good idea.
However, after just a few steps, she noticed that Mowan Ci hadn’t moved. Her eyes were fixed on Feng Yao.
Feng Yao kept his head down and did not dare look up.
Jiang Si’s curiosity flared. She glanced around, trying to figure out what was going on, but before she could make sense of anything, Mowan Ci raised her hand and was helped down from the carriage by Zhi Miao.
Jiang Si looked away and waited for Mowan Ci before following behind Feng Yao.
The palace where the banquet was held was quite far. It took them nearly half an hour to reach it. Just before they entered, Feng Yao turned to Jiang Si and said, “My Lord, since this is a family banquet, we ask that you and General Su remove your weapons.”
Before Jiang Si could respond, Su Xun’s expression had already turned cold. His eyes narrowed at Feng Yao with clear hostility.
“It’s fine. I’ll remove mine,” Jiang Si said calmly. She took the sword from her waist and handed it to Su Xun. Su Xun did not remove his own weapon, and Jiang Si didn’t ask him to.
Feng Yao looked like he was about to say something, but Jiang Si interrupted with a small smile. “Isn’t this a family banquet? She won’t be going in. She’ll be guarding the entrance.”
Feng Yao nodded and agreed, even assigning someone to look after Su Xun.
Su Xun rejected the offer coldly. Holding Jiang Si’s sword tightly, he said, “No need. I’ll wait for My Lord outside.”
Feng Yao hesitated, then reluctantly said, “Very well.”
Soon, the palace doors opened, and a court attendant came to escort them inside.
The Emperor was seated on the dragon throne. When he saw the Princess Royal, his face lit up with emotion and he stood up immediately.
“Sister…”
In contrast, Mowan Ci’s face was calm and indifferent. Seeing her younger brother was no different from seeing a stranger.
She knelt and bowed as any subject would.
Jiang Si followed her lead.
The Emperor saw this and slowly composed himself. He instructed the attendants to guide them to their seats.
Their seats were to his left, an even more prominent position than the Empress’s seat on the right.
After sitting down, Jiang Si looked around the hall and quickly realized that Feng Yao had not told the truth.
This was not a family gathering.
Many civil and military officials were present, and some even had their blades with them.
The request to disarm had clearly been aimed at her alone.
Her expression darkened. Mowan Ci’s face was also cold. The two of them sat at the upper seats in silence. The gathered officials did not dare to speak.
“My royal sister has been away from the capital for months. I am very happy to see you again. Let me offer you this first cup of wine,” the Emperor said warmly.
He lifted the cup and walked over to them.
Only now did Jiang Si get a good look at him.
This was the new Emperor, Mu Zesheng.
He looked very much like Mowan Ci, especially around the eyes, but he lacked her grace and refinement.
Mowan Ci seemed lost in thought and didn’t react until Mu Zesheng reached the table.
Perhaps because he was standing in front of her, Mu Zesheng gave a youthful smile that suited his age.
He was only seventeen. He had ascended the throne three years ago and had taken over court affairs just one year ago after his marriage.
Before he had matured, he had followed Mowan Ci around like a little shadow. Whenever he was bullied by their older siblings, he would run to her for protection.
There were times when he was pitiful, but more often he was frustrating.
After becoming Emperor, he used various excuses to send his royal brothers and sisters out of the capital, assigning them to remote and harsh regions.
They were not powerful princes and princesses, just young children who had once misbehaved.
This Emperor held grudges and was petty.
He drank the cup of wine in one gulp and then gently held Mowan Ci’s hand.
“Elder Sister, I’ve missed you so much. Please stay in the palace for a few more days.”
Then, as if remembering something, he added, “You stayed at the Princess Royal’s residence last night. I made that arrangement last minute because I knew you were tired and wanted you to rest.”
“Was everything comfortable?”
“It was acceptable,” Mowan Ci replied.
Compared to Mu Zesheng’s enthusiasm, Mowan Ci remained distant.
There was not even a trace of affection for her younger brother.
Mu Zesheng didn’t seem to mind. Soon his attention turned to Jiang Si.
After several rounds of wine, he returned to the dragon throne.
The pastries served in the palace were delicious, and Jiang Si, feeling hungry, ate quite a lot. Mowan Ci noticed and gently tugged on her sleeve.
Jiang Si turned to her with her mouth still full and asked, “Do you want some?”
Mowan Ci shook her head and said softly, “I’m tired.”
“Do you want to go back?”
She nodded.
The pastries were good, but they weren’t as filling as proper food. Jiang Si didn’t feel like sitting around any longer, so she stood up to request their leave.
Mu Zesheng, who had been acting warm and friendly the entire evening, showed a flicker of displeasure on his face when he heard they were leaving.
Mowan Ci acted as if she didn’t see it.
Jiang Si did the same.
Just a moment of deadlock passed before Mu Zesheng realized there was nothing he could do to make them stay. He changed the topic, trying to keep them a little longer.
“Today’s banquet is not only to welcome my royal sister and the Marquis of Jiajing, but also to announce an imperial marriage for Commandant Feng.”
“I know my royal sister and Commandant Feng have been close friends since childhood. She surely wouldn’t want to miss this important moment.”
Jiang Si was seated very close to Mowan Ci, and she clearly noticed that when those words were spoken, Mowan Ci’s breath caught slightly.
She had forgotten to refuse.
Mu Zesheng saw the opening and pressed on. “Feng Yao, receive the decree.”
“The daughter of the Zhou family, Ruo Yun, is graceful and intelligent…”
Mu Zesheng’s voice was full and loud. The entire hall echoed with his words. No one could ignore it even if they tried.
When the Zhou family’s daughter stood up, the Empress also rose with her.
At first, Jiang Si didn’t understand the significance. It wasn’t until the Empress spoke that she realized the connection.
This Zhou girl was a cousin from the Empress’s maternal family.
With that tie, as long as Feng Yao didn’t make any major mistakes, his future in the court would be smooth and promising.
But the way he kept glancing toward the Princess Royal with those hesitant, complicated expressions, without giving a clear response, made people uncomfortable.
Especially Jiang Si. She had a protective nature.
She didn’t usually have anyone to protect, but now that she had been tied up with Mowan Ci by circumstance, and after spending two or three months together, they were much more familiar than anyone else in this hall.
So she began to feel indignant on Mowan Ci’s behalf.
Now one of them acted like he couldn’t let go, and the other pretended there was still some deep sibling bond, but in truth, they were both stabbing knives.
Soft knives. Not painful, but deeply irritating.
“I am here today because I care for the Princess Royal, not to attend some wedding banquet for Commandant Feng,” Jiang Si said. Her tone was neither loud nor soft, but just enough for those at the upper tables to hear her clearly.
Mu Zesheng’s face darkened considerably. He didn’t respond, but his twisted expression said everything.
Feng Yao remained silent, clearly unsure of what he really wanted.
It was the Empress who finally lost her temper.
She turned to Jiang Si and shouted, “How dare you speak like that!”
“This is the capital, not some savage frontier! The Marquis of Jiajing should know her place…”
“Empress!”
The Empress had already finished speaking by the time Mu Zesheng finally stepped in to stop her.
Jiang Si simply smiled and stood up.
What she didn’t expect was that Mowan Ci stood up as well.
She spoke in her defense. “The Marquis is right. The northern border is not yet stable. We will return to the front soon.” She turned her gaze to Feng Yao. “Commandant Feng’s wedding banquet will have to be missed.”
The hesitation in Feng Yao’s eyes disappeared. He stood tall and answered firmly.
“Your Majesty, please withdraw the decree. I am willing to live my life alone.”
Jiang Si raised an eyebrow. That look, combined with his words, felt like there was more than one meaning behind it.