Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess (GL , ABO) - Chapter 18

At this moment, with Su Xun away and no one reliable nearby, Jiang Si had no choice but to call Lan Shao over.

Lan Shao had intended to stay out of the matter. She had seen situations like this before, not too often but not rarely either. Based on what she knew about the Marquis of Jiajing, she assumed he would bring the person back to Ling Shang City. What she did not expect was for the marquis to look completely startled and instinctively glance toward the princess.

Lan Shao had been watching with interest from the side, noticing that the princess’s expression was growing colder. She had been curious to see how the marquis would handle it. But before she could enjoy it further, she was called over.

“Marquis, what are your orders?”

“Have someone take this…” Jiang Si paused for a moment, forgetting the name. Lan Shao smiled and helped, “Liu’er.”

“Right. Have this Liu’er taken away. Wherever he came from, send him back there.”

Lan Shao had not been in Ling Shang City when the situation with Xiang Ning occurred. She had been out gathering herbs at the time, and after returning, she kept to herself and barely left her home. If not for this journey to the capital, she might still be in seclusion. Because of this, she had no idea what had happened before.

Also, because she was quiet and reserved, no one ever came to chat with her about such things.

She frowned in confusion and asked bluntly, “You are really willing to let him go, Marquis?”

Jiang Si said nothing.

She suddenly missed Su Xun.

Jiang Si’s look of pure disgust made everything clear to Lan Shao. She stopped asking questions, though she quietly wondered when the marquis had started to change. Then she left to arrange for Liu’er to be sent away.

After searching for a while and not knowing who to assign the task to, the governor of Xiangcheng happened to arrive at the front gate with the gifts he had prepared for Jiang Si.

In the end, it was the governor who ordered one of his men to handle it.

As Liu’er was taken away, he cried as if his heart were breaking.

Lan Shao scoffed at the sight. He was just a brothel courtesan. What true affection could someone like that possibly have?

Liu’er had left, but the onlookers had not. They lingered nearby, still hoping for more gossip or spectacle.

Jiang Si remained on her horse, watching everything clearly. Her face burned with shame.

She quickly dismounted, walked to Mowan Ci, and without thinking, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the courtyard.

Because of what had just happened, Zhi Miao’s opinion of the Marquis of Jiajing had dropped sharply again. Seeing her lady being dragged away, she hurried forward, afraid the marquis might do something inappropriate.

Fortunately, Jiang Si only wanted to speak with Mowan Ci. They had not gone far from the gate, so Zhi Miao stayed back but remained alert.

“I don’t know that person,” Jiang Si said.

“And I have no interest in men.”

Both statements were true. She really did not know Liu’er. And she was not attracted to men, especially not that type of male courtesan.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. In her heart, she cursed the previous Jiang Si for being a complete disaster, someone who would flirt with anyone. Her expression changed with her mood. What began as a desperate attempt to explain herself turned into frustration.

Zhi Miao stood nearby, worried that Jiang Si might lose control and act out toward the princess. She was just about to step in when Mowan Ci spoke calmly.

“Why is the marquis explaining this to me?”

Jiang Si froze. She tilted her head slightly, confusion in her eyes.

Mowan Ci continued, “As long as you do not cross any boundaries with me, whatever you do has nothing to do with me.”

“Oh,” Jiang Si replied dryly, though something about it still felt wrong.

She could not figure out what it was.

She nodded and turned to leave. After only a few steps, it suddenly hit her. Why had she been so eager to explain everything to Mowan Ci?

There was no need for it. None at all.

Just a few steps away, Jiang Si thought things through. She finally understood. It was not just about clearing up a misunderstanding. She did not want to take the blame for something she had not done. And deep down, her stubborn pride would not let her walk away without saying what was on her mind.

“I just wanted you to know,” she said, turning back, “that I am not what others say I am. And I am not what you think I am either.”

After saying that, she felt much more at ease. She no longer cared how Mowan Ci saw her or whether she believed it.

She turned around, ran back to the gate, jumped onto her horse, and rode off cleanly and quickly.

She was so fast that Zhi Miao thought she had seen an illusion.

Only when the sound of hooves faded in the distance did Zhi Miao return to Mowan Ci’s side.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Her worried tone made Mowan Ci smile. She gently tapped Zhi Miao on the forehead and said with amusement, “You saw the whole thing. Why are you still asking?”

“I just got flustered because I care,” Zhi Miao replied, a little embarrassed. Still, she could not help but act playfully.

After all, moments like this between her and the princess had become rare since Her Highness came of age. She treasured them deeply.

Once they returned to their private residence, Zhi Miao finally gathered the courage to ask, “Your Highness, do you really believe the Marquis of Jiajing did not know that courtesan?”

“I do.”

“Why?”

Zhi Miao was confused. Before entering the marquis’s estate, nothing about Mowan Ci’s behavior suggested she trusted the marquis. Even afterward, there had been no signs of change. So what had happened in the capital to make her believe her now?

Mowan Ci did not answer right away. Instead, she instructed Zhi Miao to prepare the tea set.

The late emperor had raised Mowan Ci with the education of a Qianyuan. Because of this, she disliked many things associated with traditional kunze behavior. The one exception was tea. Both Qianyuan and kunze were taught to appreciate tea.

After washing her hands, Mowan Ci finally responded.

“When the marquis saw that person, the look of disgust on her face was not fake.”

“And I have already told her clearly. As long as she does not offend me, what she does is none of my concern.”

“Princess…” Zhi Miao understood what Mowan Ci meant, but she still could not help feeling sorry for her.

“The weather in the northern border is cold. Go bring me some red tea.”

Zhi Miao’s emotions often ran so deep that it gave Mowan Ci a headache. Instead of responding to her sympathy, Mowan Ci gave her a task.

“Bring me some Pu’er tea instead.”

“Yes,” Zhi Miao replied, sounding even more upset. She stood up, lifting her skirt slightly as she went to get the tea leaves.

As a kunze, especially one of such high status like Mowan Ci, life was often dull and restrictive.

It had been this way in the palace, and it was no different here in the northern territories.

Three days had passed, and nothing had changed.

But at night, Mowan Ci kept having nightmares. For three nights in a row, it was always the same dream.

She seemed to be in Qingyi Hall, but the room was entirely empty except for one bed. The furnishings were gone, and there was a sharp pain in her chest and the back of her neck that jolted her awake each time.

She always woke around the same hour in the early morning. As soon as she stirred, Zhi Miao would come in from the next room and ask with concern,
“Your Highness, did you have another nightmare?”

Mowan Ci’s only reply was the sound of her short, shallow breaths. Seeing her like that, Zhi Miao would panic.

“Your Highness… should I go get Wei Nian?”

Zhi Miao had already thought of calling Wei Nian, the princess’s personal physician, the past two nights. But Mowan Ci had insisted it was nothing and refused to let her go.

Today, however, looking at the princess’s pale face, Zhi Miao felt she had to do it, no matter what.

This time, Mowan Ci did not stop her.

Because she really did not feel well.

Her body was sore and weak. The burning pain at the back of her neck reminded her of her rain and dew cycle, but she was sure it was not that time.

Wei Nian lived nearby and was used to sleeping lightly. As soon as Zhi Miao called to her, she got up and followed her to Mowan Ci’s room.

By the time they returned, Mowan Ci was in even worse shape. Her skin was damp with cold sweat, and she lay limp on the bed with no strength left.

Wei Nian did not speak. She knelt down at the bedside right away.

As a Zhongyong kun and the princess’s personal physician, she did not worry about formalities. She immediately took Mowan Ci’s wrist to check her pulse.

Zhi Miao stood nearby, too nervous to speak or even breathe too loudly. She did not want to interfere.

But as the minutes passed, Zhi Miao began to realize something was wrong. Wei Nian usually finished taking her pulse quickly. The last time was just before they left the capital, and Mowan Ci had been perfectly healthy then.

This time, it was taking much longer.

Although anxious, Zhi Miao waited until Wei Nian finally let go of the princess’s wrist. Then she asked,
“How is Her Highness?”

Wei Nian frowned and looked from Mowan Ci to Zhi Miao. Then she suddenly knelt down at the side of the bed and said,
“Your Highness, please forgive me. My medical skills are limited. I failed to identify…”

She hesitated.

“I failed to find out what kind of poison Her Highness has been exposed to.”

“Poison?”

“Poison?”

The first voice came softly from Mowan Ci. The second was Zhi Miao’s, filled with fear and disbelief.

How could she have been poisoned?

“Princess, I will go get Physician Lan right away.”

In her panic, Zhi Miao turned too quickly, hit the doorframe, and fell to the floor. Wei Nian helped her up and said,
“You stay with Her Highness. I will go find Physician Lan.”

Mowan Ci and her attendants were staying in the inner courtyard of the governor’s estate. Lan Shao, who had remained behind with the soldiers, was staying in the outer quarters. Wei Nian did not know the layout well, and since it was still dark, she had to jog most of the way. By the time she reached Lan Shao’s room, the sky was beginning to lighten.

“Physician Lan.” Wei Nian knocked on the door and called gently.

Lan Shao was a light sleeper. Just that quiet call was enough to wake her. As soon as she heard that Mowan Ci was unwell, she sat up and replied,
“One moment.”

She got dressed quickly and stepped outside with her robe in hand.

She was concerned. If the princess’s personal physician had come to her in the middle of the night, it could not be a minor issue.

She walked while slipping into her robe, looked around quickly, and said,
“Lead the way.”

Wei Nian’s cheeks flushed slightly. Lan Shao’s robe was a bit loose, and her appearance in the dim light was slightly disheveled. But Wei Nian quickly composed herself and led the way back to Mowan Ci’s room.

Lan Shao said nothing as they walked, and Wei Nian dared not speak either. The air was heavy with tension.

Just before reaching the residence, Lan Shao stopped and turned to ask,
“Is Her Highness currently in her rain and dew period?”

Although she had been left behind to care for Mowan Ci, Lan Shao was still a Qianyuan. It would be inappropriate for her to enter the room if the princess was in that condition.

“No. I believe she was poisoned, but I could not tell what the toxin was or how to treat it.”

Lan Shao nodded and said,
“Her Highness is a kunze, and I am a Qianyuan. It is best if I do not enter her bedroom. The sun is about to rise. It would be better to bring her to the main hall.”

“But Her Highness…”

“Is weak and unable to walk?”

Lan Shao guessed it right away. Wei Nian’s eyes widened and she nodded.

“Yes.”

“It will be fine. You and Miss Zhi Miao can help her walk. I will wait in the main hall.”

Mowan Ci was soon helped into the hall. When she arrived, she saw Lan Shao standing there with a deep frown, quietly inspecting the surroundings.

Lan Shao’s eyes eventually landed on a small sachet by Mowan Ci’s bedside.

Following her gaze, Mowan Ci looked in the same direction.

Then she heard Lan Shao ask,
“Has this sachet been with Your Highness the entire time?”