Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 41

When morning came, Jiang Si was already gone. Only Zhi Miao remained by the bedside.

Mowan Ci slowly sat up, the blanket slipping from her shoulders. The marks on her neck were clearly visible, causing Zhi Miao’s cheeks to flush. She lowered her head in a respectful bow and said,
“Your Highness, before the Marquis left, she instructed me to tell you that she went to the training grounds to inspect the troops.”

Mowan Ci, suddenly more alert, pulled the blanket tighter and glanced to her side. Her voice was hoarse as she replied,
“I understand.”

Breakfast had already been prepared. Zhi Miao quickly asked,
“Would Your Highness like to eat first?”

“Did the Marquis leave any other message?” Mowan Ci turned to look at her.

Zhi Miao blinked, then quickly answered,
“The Marquis also said, if Your Highness has no duties today, she invites you to attend the Nianyue Festival banquet with her.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?” Mowan Ci asked, displeased.

Zhi Miao panicked and stammered,
“I thought… I should first ask if Your Highness wanted to eat.”

Mowan Ci glanced at the porridge and side dishes in Zhi Miao’s hands. Her expression eased slightly.
“Take the food away. I’m not hungry.”

“But this was prepared personally by the Marquis. She asked me to wait on Your Highness.”

“She said that since Your Highness has been tired, some porridge might make you feel better.”

Mowan Ci really didn’t have much appetite. Her throat burned as if it were on fire, and her body ached with fatigue. Yet when she saw the familiar ham and preserved vegetable porridge, she suddenly felt a bit hungry.

She raised her hand and pointed to the table.
“Put it over there. You may go.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t want Zhi Miao nearby, but the marks all over her body might be noticed if the girl stayed.

Since coming to the northern region, Zhi Miao had matured somewhat. Though still hesitant at times, she obediently placed the food on the table and prepared to leave. Just as she stepped out the door, Mowan Ci called out,
“Prepare bathwater for later.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Zhi Miao turned back and acknowledged the order before leaving the room.

Mowan Ci remained in bed for another fifteen minutes before slowly getting up.

Her legs felt weak beneath her. She supported herself on the edge of the bed and walked unsteadily to the bronze mirror, still in her nightclothes.

There were more marks than she expected. Even her chin bore red imprints from Jiang Si’s touch.

Her entire body still carried the scent of amber musk. It was Jiang Si’s scent, and it clung to her skin.

With effort, she dressed and sat down at the table.

The familiar aroma of the porridge stirred her appetite. She ate with more enjoyment than usual, even more than when others were around. By the end, she felt like she could have eaten more.

Mowan Ci had never been particularly fond of food, but Jiang Si’s cooking always matched her tastes perfectly.

And what Jiang Si had done last night left her restless.

The questions Jiang Si had asked echoed in Mowan Ci’s mind.

She had answered, “I don’t know.” Jiang Si clearly didn’t believe her, but still prepared breakfast for her that morning.

Jiang Si was nothing like the rumors claimed. She wasn’t irritable or hot-tempered. She treated everyone with kindness, but that gentleness always felt distant.

Even if Jiang Si was no longer the same person she once knew, her goal of humiliating the Mu royal family had already been achieved. As someone cast aside by the royals, Mowan Ci only wanted to become someone Jiang Si could not easily forget.

Yet now, Jiang Si’s behavior left her feeling defeated.

The last time she had felt like this was before leaving the palace. Back then, she was heartbroken over Mu Zesheng, the prince she had protected for years, and felt lost after devoting so much without reward.

Now, she felt something similar. A stifling frustration that she couldn’t quite explain.

She had believed Jiang Si only saw her as a means to an end. Their intimacy was just a temporary impulse, driven by loneliness. But the moment Jiang Si distanced herself, Mowan Ci began to feel uncomfortable.

She knew it shouldn’t be this way.

There was something about Jiang Si that drew her in, something she couldn’t put into words.

Their relationship looked close on the surface, but underneath, it was full of cracks.

After bathing and applying perfume, Mowan Ci made her way to the main hall of the northern courtyard. Liu Jin was in the courtyard giving instructions. From just a few words, Mowan Ci could tell he was preparing for the Nianyue Festival outing.

“The Marquis ordered that Her Highness, the Princess, will accompany her. Prepare the carriage…” Liu Jin was still speaking when he turned and saw Mowan Ci. He immediately knelt and greeted her,
“Your servant Liu Jin greets Her Highness, the Princess.”

The rest of the servants followed and knelt as well.

Since arriving at the Marquis of Jiajing’s estate, Mowan Ci had mostly stayed inside the southern courtyard. Scenes like this had become rare and now felt unfamiliar.

She raised her hand slightly and signaled for them to rise.
“Has the Marquis returned from the inspection?”

“She has. But right now, she is speaking with General Su about military matters.” Liu Jin’s tone was respectful, clearly suggesting that Mowan Ci would need to wait. The next moment, Zhi Miao gave him a sharp look.

Though she had learned some manners, Zhi Miao only showed them to Jiang Si. When it came to servants like Liu Jin, she could not be as polite.

Liu Jin quickly lowered his head in silence. Mowan Ci gently tugged Zhi Miao’s sleeve to calm her.

Waiting did not bother Mowan Ci. She found a seat in a side room near the brazier and rested there.

“Zhi Miao, it’s been so long. Have you still not learned restraint?”

“You must treat the Marquis of Jiajing with respect. You must treat the rest of the household the same way.”

In the palace, Zhi Miao had been Mowan Ci’s personal maid. Even the emperor’s attendants had to show her respect. She did not understand and replied stubbornly,
“Your Highness is a noble princess. I serve you personally. Of course I must show respect to the Marquis, but why should I treat Liu Jin and the others the same?”

“This is no longer the palace. I am not just the Princess of Shao Yuan. I am also the consort of the Marquis of Jiajing.”

“The Marquis may call me Princess out of courtesy, but in truth, what kind of princess am I now?”

Every word from Mowan Ci carried weight, and Zhi Miao was left speechless.

After a while, they saw Su Xun and Nangong Yan exit the main hall. Zhi Miao asked,
“Shall we go speak with the Marquis now?”

Mowan Ci did not reply. Her eyes were fixed on Nangong Yan, whose attire was different from the others. She wore armor, standing tall and confident.

A flicker of sorrow crossed Mowan Ci’s eyes before she quietly said,
“Let’s wait a little longer.”

Inside the study, Jiang Si lounged casually, eating the winter jujubes she had bought the night before, one after another.

“Lan Shao, I followed your instructions. Will it still affect me this much today?”

Lan Shao had not expected such a strong scent-bond between Jiang Si and the Princess. She had thought the two would simply complement each other, but from Jiang Si’s brief words, she realized that the connection between them ran far deeper than she had imagined.

Because of this, she had told Jiang Si about a method that should not be used lightly.

“If you did exactly as I suggested, then of course there will be changes. But connections between Qianyuan and Kunze are naturally strong. It is impossible to sever them completely. What you are experiencing is no different from what happens between others with similar bonds.”

“However, your scent is unique. You must spend time with the Princess at least once every seven days. If you are apart, there will be no problem. But if you are together, this will happen again.”

After the reversal of their bond, Jiang Si found herself thinking of Mowan Ci more often, even when it was not yet time for the seven-day cycle. If it had only happened on schedule, it would have been easier to manage.

In any case, they had to spend time together every seven days no matter what. How or why no longer seemed important.

“That’s good, but what about when the campaign begins after the New Year?”

“The Marquis and Her Highness have been bonded for several months. The medicine I’ve been working on is finally showing results. The people we sent to the western frontier will return early next month. It will not interfere with anything important.”

“Good. That puts my mind at ease.”

Only two winter jujubes were left. Jiang Si tossed them into her mouth and spoke while chewing,
“I need to prepare for the Nianyue Festival. You may go.”

Lan Shao nodded slightly but remained standing. Once Jiang Si finished chewing, she noticed and asked,
“Why are you still here? Don’t you need to change your clothes?”

“I have something to ask about the imperial envoy.”

“Go ahead.”

“Will you tell Her Highness about it in advance, or wait until the envoy arrives?”

“Mu Zesheng is acting like nothing happened. He’s sending the envoy to the Northern Territory at the end of the year as usual. He only wants to make sure I keep my promise.”

“The Princess is nothing more than a chess piece, maybe even a discarded one. If she doesn’t know…” Jiang Si stopped mid-sentence, then looked at Lan Shao and asked,
“Lan Shao, why are you taking such an interest in my relationship with the Princess?”

Lan Shao froze slightly. There was something in her eyes that Jiang Si could not read. She bowed and admitted her mistake.
“I apologize, Marquis. I spoke out of turn.”

“It’s fine. I was just curious.”

“You may go now and begin preparing.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

The Nianyue Festival had always begun only after the Marquis of Jiajing lit the ceremonial fire and struck the first drum. The people of Fuyi City were used to waiting for Jiang Si’s appearance. What they did not expect was for Mowan Ci to appear beside her.

Jiang Si wore a deep red round-collared robe. Mowan Ci was dressed in a ruqun of the same color. Aside from Liu Jin, who had been informed in advance to prepare the carriage, the rest of the household looked at Mowan Ci with surprise and curiosity.

Everyone already knew the Princess was beautiful, but today she was especially stunning. Even the coldest day of winter could not conceal her charm.

Jiang Si seemed unusually gentle.

The most surprised of all was Su Xun. She rarely came to the residence except to report on military matters. Her last memory of Mowan Ci was of a woman who kept her distance and barely spoke. And now, just a few days later, she was walking beside the Marquis, smiling like spring had arrived.

Su Xun turned her gaze to Lan Shao, who stood quietly and watched with a smile. Su Xun asked,
“What happened between the Marquis and the Princess?”

Jiang Si had changed a great deal over the past six months. Su Xun had expected some changes, but not this much. In this moment, Jiang Si seemed like someone completely unfamiliar.

Once the two boarded the carriage, Lan Shao finally replied,
“Isn’t it a good thing for the Marquis to show some warmth?”

For many years, Lan Shao had never seen such emotions from Jiang Si. Over the past few months, they had slowly begun to show. This morning, when Jiang Si had rushed to find her, it was more obvious than ever.

After saying this, Lan Shao didn’t wait for Su Xun’s reaction. She mounted her horse and rode after the procession.

Su Xun remained still, trying to make sense of everything. The changes were not necessarily bad.

She had heard that Qianyuan often changed after marriage, but this was the Marquis of Jiajing. The change had come quickly, and it would take time to fully understand.

Fortunately, Su Xun’s main concern was always the military. No matter how Jiang Si changed, her ambition remained the same. In fact, they were now more aligned than ever in terms of strategy. Matters within the residence were not important.

When the fire was lit and the drums began to sound, the people cheered. This year felt more joyful than in the past. Everywhere Jiang Si looked, she saw smiling faces.

But a flash of white among the crowd caught her eye and made her pause. She instinctively turned to Mowan Ci. Mowan Ci, like her, froze. She didn’t even respond when called several times.

When Mowan Ci finally realized her reaction, she lowered her gaze and asked softly,
“Is something wrong, Marquis?”

Jiang Si didn’t explain.
“Nothing.”

After that, Mowan Ci seemed distracted throughout the celebration. Jiang Si, on the other hand, remained calm and composed.

Mowan Ci looked at her several times. Jiang Si smiled back every time, her expression unchanged.

But this was not how Jiang Si usually behaved.

The events of the previous night were never mentioned. It felt like a wall had quietly risen between them.

They had never been truly close, but now they felt farther apart than ever.

On a day like this, the entire city came out to join the celebration.

Among the crowd was Nangong Yan, who had not yet left the city. She sat in the upper floor of Shengyun Pavilion, watching Jiang Si and Mowan Ci from above with a cold expression.

After a long moment, she smiled faintly and stood up.

Xu Ji stepped forward to block her.
“Where is the Princess going?”

Nangong Yan narrowed her eyes and asked sharply,
“Since when do I need to report my actions to you?”

“I’ll do as I please. You can report it to my father if you want.”

Xu Ji’s face turned pale. He froze and could only watch Nangong Yan leave gracefully.

She headed toward Qingfeng Teahouse, the same place where Jiang Si and Mowan Ci had gone to rest.

Nangong Yan entered uninvited, surprising both of them.

The last time Mowan Ci had seen her was at the Marquis’s residence. She had assumed it was for military matters. Now, seeing her here just to drink tea, she could no longer hide her annoyance.

Especially when Jiang Si personally poured her a cup of tea.

Fortunately, Jiang Si said nothing to her, and Nangong Yan remained silent as well.

All three sat quietly, drinking tea. The one who finally spoke was Nangong Yan. She looked at Mowan Ci and smiled.
“Does Her Highness, the Princess of Shao Yuan, know that General Zhongwu is coming to inspect the Northern Territory?”

Mowan Ci raised her eyebrows. Jiang Si’s expression immediately darkened.

Jiang Si had planned to tell Mowan Ci after they returned to the residence. Even though she hadn’t gotten a clear answer from Mowan Ci the night before, she never intended to keep this news from her.

She certainly had not planned for it to be revealed in this kind of questioning tone.

It was obvious that Nangong Yan was trying to provoke Mowan Ci.

As if everything she had said before meant nothing.

Jiang Si clenched her teeth. She had wanted to explain this herself, but Mowan Ci didn’t even look at her. She ignored Nangong Yan’s question and replied calmly,
“And who is this General Zhongwu? I’ve lived in the capital for years and have never heard of such a person.”

“The newly appointed General Zhongwu is Feng Yao, the second daughter of the Marquis of Changjian. Are you not familiar with her?”

Support