Transmigrated Into A Novel As A Scumbag Princess’ Consort - Chapter 14

14:

“Ying’er, be good, just hold on a little longer. We’ll have food soon,” Zhou Qiyue coaxed her niece tenderly, wanting to pick her up but lacking the strength.

Little Ying’er sniffled, trying to stifle her sobs, but the more she tried, the worse it felt. “Auntie, I’m hungry, I’m thirsty…” she whimpered.

“Ying’er, don’t cry,” Zhou Qishan said, his heart aching as he hurried to his daughter’s side and lifted her into his arms.

But Ying’er was only five. Despite her maturity, how could she control her emotions when starving?

“Father, I don’t want to cry… hic… waaah…” Unable to hold back, she burst into wails.

The Zhou family, already struggling to endure, felt their spirits sink further at the sound, their hearts heavy with shared sorrow.

When will these days end? Was there even an end in sight?

Having lived so long, they never imagined a day without even water to drink.

The atmosphere grew oppressive, with several Zhou family members quietly wiping tears.

Old Censor Zhou sighed deeply, overwhelmed by guilt. “It’s all my fault…”

The mood turned heavy, pierced only by the child’s relentless cries.

Yu Lu closed his eyes briefly and asked Xiao Gao, “The buns from earlier…”

“Sir, we had just enough for one person,” Xiao Gao interrupted.

If there’d been extras, he’d have shared with the prisoners, but there weren’t any.

Yu Lu stared down the road, then said gravely, “From now on, include the child.”

Meaning the child would get the same treatment as the escorts.

“Understood,” Xiao Gao sighed.

Yun Chi couldn’t help glancing at the Zhou family. The next moment, her hand was grasped.

Surprised, she looked at Ye Xuejin.

In the moonlight, Ye Xuejin turned slightly, her pale face looking thinner, accentuating her deep features.

Her brows furrowed slightly, lips pressed into a line, her expression hesitant as if she wanted to speak but held back.

Yun Chi guessed her thoughts and whispered, “You feel bad for the child?”

A five-year-old, innocently suffering, crying so pitifully—it was hard not to feel sympathy.

Ye Xuejin didn’t answer directly, saying slowly, “The morning before our wedding, at court, the emperor proposed abolishing the law allowing women to serve as officials. Some opposed, but Old Censor Zhou’s words were the most vehement, angering the emperor…”

At Dashao Kingdom, women could study, take exams, and marry other women, thanks to the founding emperor—a woman.

Historical records described the female emperor as a brilliant strategist, unmatched in valor, surpassing even the men of the Zhou family of her time, with an iron will beyond ordinary.

To win over noble families and stabilize the court, she outwardly compromised, naming a nobleman as her male consort.

Privately, she subtly eroded their influence. Once she fully controlled the realm, her first act was to decree women could serve as officials.

In her twilight years, despite opposition, she deposed the male consort, named her long-serving female attendant as empress, and legalized marriage between women.

Over generations, some emperors tried to overturn her policies, but citing her as the founding ancestor silenced dissent—until the current emperor.

Recalling recent events, Ye Xuejin’s gaze grew cold.

The emperor had abruptly purged officials supporting the female emperor’s policies, catching her off guard with no warning.

The boy who once smiled, calling her “royal sister” and vowing to be a sage ruler, had transformed upon taking the throne, becoming a stranger.

It wasn’t until her wedding day, when she was thrown into the Ministry of Justice’s prison and tortured, that she realized some people, seemingly kind, were wolves in disguise…

Thus, she felt sympathy for Old Censor Zhou, who was punished for defending women’s rights.

Yun Chi fell silent.

She knew little of the original story’s plot, only the fates of the scumbag consort and Ye Xuejin, plus some minor details.

Even those details were off—like her cousin claiming the scumbag constantly abused and humiliated the Princess, behavior deemed outrageous.

Now, she occasionally “abused” Ye Xuejin too. Outsiders, like her cousin, would likely find her despicable.

In reality, she had no choice—it was a necessity.

Yun Chi thought it over, squeezing Ye Xuejin’s hand. “I can try.”

She could test if giving items to others triggered rewards and if the storage space allowed remote delivery.

Before today, she wouldn’t have dared dream of such things.

After confirming her wishes could shape rewards, she felt emboldened to explore more possibilities.

“Be careful. Don’t push yourself,” Ye Xuejin said, gripping her hand tightly, her heart uneasy.

Yun Chi whispered, “Don’t worry, I won’t take risks.”

She leaned closer, her breath grazing Ye Xuejin’s ear.

Their eyes met under the cool moonlight, and Ye Xuejin’s heart raced.

In her daze, Yun Chi released her hand.

Ye Xuejin felt an inexplicable emptiness, then watched Yun Chi anxiously, fearing something might go wrong.

Yun Chi focused on little Ying’er in Zhou Qishan’s arms, sensing the storage space’s contents. She nearly tried sending a bottle of water remotely to the girl but reconsidered.

With escorts and other prisoners around, a sudden bottle would be too conspicuous. A five-year-old might not stay calm, and any commotion could bring trouble.

After a moment’s thought, she targeted Old Censor Zhou, who was supporting Old Madam Zhou.

He was carefully watching the ground as he walked, arm around his wife, when he froze, instinctively tucking his right hand into his robe.

Old Madam Zhou noticed him stop. “What’s wrong?”

Old Censor Zhou’s hidden hand clenched tightly, his tone casual. “I’ve got a stomachache. Wife, go with Dalang and the others.” He paused, calling, “Xiao Yue, help your mother. I’ll be back soon.”

Clearing his throat, he clutched his abdomen, approached Yu Lu to explain, and with permission, calmly headed toward the roadside bushes.

Once far enough that no one could see, he pulled his hand out, examining the object that had appeared in it under the moonlight.

A bottle, made of some thin, transparent material, filled with…

Water!

It was water!

His eyes widened, and he fumbled to open it.

At his lips, he hesitated.

This water appeared so strangely, could it be safe?

After a moment, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes as if facing death, and drank.

The next instant, he froze, eyes wide with shock.

It was really water!

Cool, thirst-quenching, like a sweet spring.

He hurriedly took more sips, then carefully tucked the bottle back into his robe and strode to rejoin the group.

Seeing him return, Yun Chi and Ye Xuejin exchanged a glance.

“I tried it,” Yun Chi whispered.

Ye Xuejin nodded silently, and they both watched the Zhou family closely, monitoring for any developments.

Yun Chi felt it had worked. After one bottle vanished from the storage space, Old Censor Zhou left the group, likely having drunk it.

But no reward appeared. She intuited that rewards likely required giving to specific people, like Ye Xuejin.

To be safe, she decided to observe further before planning her next move.

Old Censor Zhou didn’t immediately share the water with his family. He waited patiently, ensuring no discomfort, before letting himself feel relief and joy.

Heaven had eyes!

He wanted to laugh to the skies, Heaven hadn’t abandoned the Zhou family!

After calming down, he took his daughter’s place, personally supporting his wife’s arm.

As he took her arm, Old Madam Zhou glanced at him. “Old man, why so much strength?” And why was his hand trembling?

Before she could ask, he leaned close, whispering a few words.

Old Madam Zhou froze, momentarily unable to process.

He guided her forward, saying cryptically, “Don’t make a fuss. Stay calm like me.”

Old Madam Zhou collected herself, shooting him an amused glare. Calm? Your hand’s shaking so bad, you’re clearly thrilled.