Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess (GL , ABO) - Chapter 15
“Royal Sister, what kind of thing are you saying?”
“How could the most honorable Princess Shaoyuan of Yue lower herself to whisper sweet words to a minor border marquis like her?” Mu Zesheng spoke with righteous indignation, as if genuinely confused by what Mowan Ci had said.
His performance almost made Mowan Ci laugh. She raised an eyebrow and asked in return, “So it is beneath me to speak softly to a border marquis, but not beneath me to become her concubine and suffer humiliation?”
“Marquis Jiajing would never dare,” Mu Zesheng replied, avoiding the point completely.
Mowan Ci’s smile deepened, but her heart sank as she looked at the table full of her favorite dishes.
This was the little brother she had protected since childhood.
Becoming a concubine to the Marquis Jiajing was already a personal insult. But what Mu Zesheng had done went beyond that. It was a betrayal she could not ignore.
She no longer wanted to argue with him and went straight to the point.
“What will it take for you to give me the formula for the suppressant medicine?”
“If the Marquis Jiajing sends fifty thousand more troops, I will give you the formula,” Mu Zesheng said bluntly, no longer hiding his true intentions.
The Jingyuan Army was powerful, and only by weakening it could he take control step by step.
Since childhood, he had watched Mowan Ci and Feng Yao’s relationship. He knew exactly how much they meant to each other.
So he used that bond to pressure her.
The Jingyuan Army had only one hundred thousand soldiers in total, yet Mu Zesheng shamelessly asked for seventy thousand.
No matter how skilled Mowan Ci was, it would be impossible to convince Jiang Si to send more troops.
Mu Zesheng left no room for negotiation. When she said nothing and rose to leave, he spoke again at the door.
“If this isn’t settled before you leave the capital, you will return with nothing. Unless you are willing to live the rest of your life under the humiliation of being marked by the Marquis Jiajing, this may be your only choice.”
The more he spoke, the more confident he became. His tone turned casual, as if he were discussing something trivial.
“Oh, Royal Sister. Feng Yao disobeyed the imperial decree. I’ve already had her thrown into the Sky Prison.”
“Whether she lives or dies now depends on you.”
“Just fifty thousand more troops from the Jingyuan Army. That shouldn’t be too difficult for you, should it?”
Qingyi Palace, Side Hall
“The Marquis is not in serious condition,” said Lan Shao, dressed in a dark blue robe. Her tone was calm and her hands moved quickly and precisely as she inserted a few needles into Jiang Si’s head and jaw.
Su Xun still had questions, but Lan Shao gave her a sideways glance and added, “It could be a reaction to the environment. Or it might be stress.”
“Lan Shao!” Su Xun sounded genuinely upset.
Lan Shao had always been like this since childhood. Ever since Jiang Si took her in, she rarely showed any expression, no matter who she was speaking to.
Over time, she had nearly vanished from Jiang Si’s sight. Unless someone was injured and needed her treatment, she barely appeared at all.
Su Xun knew her better than most and was usually more patient. But when it came to Jiang Si’s health, patience ran out.
“The Marquis was clutching her chest. This is no minor illness. Do you really think a few needles are enough?”
“Then you try,” Lan Shao replied, calmly handing her the needle, as if inviting her to take over.
Su Xun waved her hand in frustration. She would not dare.
She also realized that she was just anxious. After all, Lan Shao’s medical skills were unmatched, far beyond those of any palace physician.
Not long after, Lan Shao removed the needles and Jiang Si slowly regained consciousness. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw two familiar faces. One looked cold, and the other was practically leaning into her with worry.
Startled, Jiang Si immediately became guarded.
“What are you doing?”
Su Xun took a few steps back and regained her usual composure. She bent slightly and said, “Marquis, the Princess Royal had just left when you suddenly collapsed…”
“I was just… worried.”
Jiang Si instinctively rubbed her forehead and gave a vague reply. “I see.” Then she looked at Lan Shao, still expressionless.
“Is it serious?”
“It’s not,” Lan Shao said in her usual brief manner. After answering, she began packing up her things, ready to leave.
She had come all the way from the city’s courier station, hurriedly summoned by Su Xun. The journey had clearly taken a toll on her. As she stood up to leave, her face showed a flicker of pain.
Jiang Si noticed and let out a small laugh.
Lan Shao seemed to react more strongly than expected. She turned back to look at Jiang Si with an unreadable expression.
Jiang Si didn’t understand what that look meant, but she kept smiling anyway.
They stared at each other for a while. Finally, Lan Shao looked away, bowed, and took her leave.
One of Su Xun’s deputy generals was nearby and stepped forward to arrange an escort, but Lan Shao flinched slightly, as if startled.
“No need. I’ll walk back myself.”
Su Xun opened her mouth to say something, but Jiang Si stopped her.
“She wants to walk. Can’t you tell?”
“Does she?” Su Xun asked, clearly confused.
From the palace to the courier station, it would take half an hour on foot, maybe longer. Lan Shao didn’t know martial arts. Wouldn’t that exhaust her?
“Stop bothering people. Help me up. I want to walk too.”
Jiang Si still felt uneasy about having fainted. She needed to prove to herself that she was fine.
As they stepped out of the side hall, Jiang Si’s memory began to return.
She tugged on Su Xun’s sleeve and asked, “Did I… yell at the Princess Royal earlier?”
She could not clearly remember what had happened. It felt like she had been watching everything from the outside, her body controlled by something else.
She only remembered feeling irritated by Mowan Ci’s voice nearby, and the next moment, those words had come out of her mouth. By the time she realized what she had said, she could barely stay on her feet.
So now, she was unsure, and a little uneasy, as she asked Su Xun.
It was because of this that Su Xun began paying closer attention.
Back at the entrance of the hall, she hadn’t thought much of it, but now she found Jiang Si’s behavior strange.
She frowned in thought. It wasn’t until Jiang Si urged her again that she finally muttered, “I guess you could say that.”
“Then…”
“What did the Princess Royal say?”
“She said, ‘Do as you wish.’”
“Oh.” Jiang Si responded flatly and didn’t say another word. Su Xun was naturally quiet as well and simply helped her walk slowly around the side hall.
Jiang Si hesitated several times but still decided not to push her luck.
After saying something like that earlier, Mowan Ci was surely upset. If she went to find her now, it would seem like she was trying to make amends or act soft.
That felt off.
It seemed better to let things take their course. If they ran into each other, she could explain then.
What she didn’t expect was that they would meet again so soon.
They were in the same palace after all. Jiang Si had barely taken a few steps before nearing the main hall, just in time to hear the end of a sentence.
“Whether Feng Yao lives or dies may depend on Royal Sister.”
“Just fifty thousand soldiers from the Jingyuan Army. If Royal Sister is willing, that shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?”
Mu Zesheng had just finished speaking and was walking out of the hall when Jiang Si happened to be nearby.
Her first instinct was to hide, but then she told herself there was no reason to. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. His voice was simply too loud.
In fact, it felt like he had said it on purpose so she would hear.
When he passed the hall doors, the corner of his mouth curved into a smile.
He changed his expression quickly and greeted her with concern, asking how she was feeling, subtly implying that Mowan Ci hadn’t let her visit earlier.
As they exchanged a few words, Mowan Ci stood in the distance, watching silently, as if neither of them existed.
Only after Mu Zesheng left did Mowan Ci turn her eyes to Jiang Si. She motioned for Zhi Miao to step away, then walked toward her in large strides.
Once she reached them, she stared at Su Xun for a moment.
There was no need for words. Su Xun understood and quietly slipped away.
A long silence followed.
Jiang Si was not surprised by Mowan Ci’s intentions. Even before coming to the capital, she had suspected it.
After seeing Mu Zesheng and Feng Yao, she became even more certain.
She also believed that Mowan Ci probably had feelings for Feng Yao. And if pushed far enough, she might really sacrifice something just to save her.
The more Jiang Si thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.
This unexpected romantic rival, Feng Yao, was starting to really get on her nerves.
And sending more troops? That was out of the question.
She glanced over and noticed Mowan Ci looking at her too, though her expression was completely calm.
But what Jiang Si didn’t know was that, deep inside, Mowan Ci was in turmoil.
After Mu Zesheng left, Zhi Miao had looked furious. Mowan Ci knew she was upset on her behalf.
But she herself didn’t feel much anymore.
Or maybe she had simply passed the point of feeling anything at all.
Everything Mu Zesheng did was pushing her closer and closer to ruin.
Saving Feng Yao or not, it wouldn’t change her own fate.
It would only make Jiang Si look down on her even more.
In the end, Jiang Si couldn’t hold back and asked, “Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”
Mowan Ci knew she had heard something, though she wasn’t sure how much.
But what truly unsettled her was the matter of the suppressant formula. As for the rest, she had no words.
She lowered her head, lips pressed tightly together, silent.
Jiang Si grew irritated again.
It was the same feeling that had risen in her during the argument earlier. That hard-to-describe anger bubbling up from deep inside.
She watched herself raise her hand and reach toward Mowan Ci.
With a Qianyuan constitution, she was physically stronger than anyone with a Kunze body, especially since she was also trained in martial arts. Mowan Ci didn’t even try to avoid it and stood there watching her calmly.
Only when Jiang Si’s hand was almost upon her did Mowan Ci close her eyes for a brief moment.
When she opened them again, the coldness in her gaze was enough to make Jiang Si pause.
A sharp pain bloomed at the back of Jiang Si’s neck, followed by the strong scent of sandalwood filling the air.