Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 47

When Su Xun finished speaking, Mowan Ci, sitting inside the carriage, suddenly tensed. Her expression turned serious as she looked directly at Jiang Si, who was standing just outside.

On Jiang Si’s face, Mowan Ci could not read any emotion at all.

Jiang Si simply replied in a calm voice, “Understood.”

She didn’t get off the carriage. Instead, she turned to face Mowan Ci and looked at her closely.

“Your Highness, you heard the news. Wei City has fallen.”

“I heard.”

Matters of war were unfamiliar to Mowan Ci. She wasn’t sure how to respond. Still, seeing Jiang Si so composed and confident, she could tell that everything was under control.

“Are you preparing to leave for the front lines?” she asked.

Mowan Ci’s calmness didn’t surprise Jiang Si. She didn’t hide anything from her and answered directly, “For now, I am still in Ling Shang City.”

“I’m waiting for someone to arrive.”

“From the Rongdi?”

“Not necessarily only the Rongdi. The western frontier connects with their territory.”

“And the King of the Western Frontier is not someone to be taken lightly either.”

The King of the Western Frontier.

Mowan Ci remembered meeting him as a child. At that time, she entered the capital as a royal princess, under the appearance of promoting peace between two nations. In truth, her visit was meant to persuade the late emperor to support her claim.

In the Western Frontier, social classes were extremely strict. Omegas had very low status, and slavery was still common. The current king’s mother had been a slave who was once favored by the emperor while he was drunk. It was a common practice in the Western Frontier to abandon the mother and keep only the child, whether a son or a daughter.

The king had grown up under that kind of oppression. Compared to the Crown Prince, he was more cunning and naturally unwilling to live in submission.

The internal chaos in the Western Frontier had been stirred up by Mowan Ci herself. Now the king ruled a small part of the land and called himself King of the Western Frontier.

Mowan Ci asked quietly, “Then how did you know that the King of the Western Frontier is working with the Rongdi?”

Jiang Si didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked at her and said, “Do you still remember when Lan Shao’s men were sent to the West to find herbs?”

Hearing this, Mowan Ci glanced at her, then said, “I remember.”

Jiang Si noticed the meaning in her eyes. Mowan Ci likely believed that the man’s long absence wasn’t because the medicine was hard to find but because there was a hidden reason behind it.

“Don’t look at me like that. The herbs really were difficult to find. That’s why they happened to discover the truth about the King of the Western Frontier. The man nearly didn’t make it back.”

Mowan Ci hadn’t known this before. She was slightly surprised at first, but after a moment of thought, she began to understand. Maybe the journey hadn’t been all that complicated, but it wasn’t simple either.

This kind of thing did feel like something the Marquis of Jiajing would do.

Even though she understood now, she still felt uneasy inside.

Her quiet expression and the way she pressed her lips together made Jiang Si confused. She had explained everything clearly. Did Mowan Ci still not trust her?

If so, then everything she said had been for nothing.

Jiang Si didn’t want to keep talking about the Western Frontier and the Rongdi. She simply took Mowan Ci’s hand and led her toward the southern courtyard.

She didn’t slow down her pace. Mowan Ci had to walk quickly to keep up and even stumbled a little. Wei Nian and Zhi Miao, who followed behind, almost fell behind as well.

Wei Nian said nothing, but he looked at Mowan Ci with concern. Zhi Miao, however, spoke up directly, “Marquis, if you keep walking this fast, Her Highness might get hurt…”

Already in a bad mood and feeling anxious, Jiang Si suddenly turned around and stared at her. Her gaze was sharp and intense. Zhi Miao stepped back instinctively, but she still tried to explain, “Marquis, I am only worried for Her Highness…”

Jiang Si didn’t want to cause trouble, but she was having a hard time controlling her emotions.

Whether Mowan Ci trusted her or not didn’t really matter. Her actions came from frustration and fear for Mowan Ci’s safety.

Her voice was cold. “The enemy is invading. Do you think Her Highness still has the time to walk through the garden and enjoy the scenery?”

Not far ahead was the garden of the marquis’s residence. Jiang Si clearly meant something by pointing it out. Zhi Miao lowered her head further, feeling both frightened and ashamed.

She had always cared for the princess deeply, ever since childhood. But she had never experienced anything like this, and her reaction was clearly inappropriate. She was embarrassed and blamed herself.

Jiang Si didn’t want to waste more time, but she still glanced at Mowan Ci.

In her heart, she thought if Mowan Ci really wanted to walk away, then she would let go of her hand and let her go back alone.

Fortunately, Mowan Ci stayed calm and spoke for Zhi Miao.

“Zhi Miao grew up in the palace. She has never experienced something like this. She didn’t mean what she said. Please don’t be upset with her, Marquis.”

Jiang Si gave a slight smile. She had no intention of arguing with Zhi Miao.

She continued to lead Mowan Ci toward the southern courtyard.

As they arrived, the soldiers of the Jingyuan Army came in right after them.

Zhi Miao felt that the man leading the troops looked familiar. She looked at him, then looked at Mowan Ci.

Mowan Ci also thought he looked familiar. After taking a closer look, she realized he was the one who used to sweep the garden.

She had never thought that a deputy general of the Jingyuan Army would be pretending to be a gardener.

Before she could think more about it, Jiang Si raised her voice.

“Jingyuan Army, listen to my command. Guard the marquis’s residence. Do not let anyone step inside.”

The soldiers knelt in front of the southern hall and responded loudly, “Yes, we obey.”

Jiang Si looked around, then focused her gaze on the leading officer, Wu Tai.

“General Wu, the safety of Her Highness is now your responsibility.”

Wu Tai raised his head with determination in his eyes. “Marquis, please rest assured. I will protect Her Highness and everyone in the residence with my life.”

Jiang Si nodded, then turned to speak to Mowan Ci. “With the Jingyuan Army here, the estate is safe. You have nothing to worry about.”

“When the battle is over, I will return.”

After saying that, Jiang Si turned and walked away.

She did not look back. But Mowan Ci kept watching her the whole time.

She suddenly remembered the last time they parted on the city wall. Jiang Si hadn’t turned back then either.

Maybe that was for the best. If she didn’t look back, Mowan Ci could say quietly to herself, “Be careful.”

But right after she said it, she felt like something was missing. She looked up again, and this time, Jiang Si turned around.

Without hesitation, Mowan Ci smiled and said clearly, “Be careful.”

Her voice was calm and steady, just loud enough for Jiang Si to hear.

Jiang Si had already paused in her steps. When she heard those words, she turned completely around. Her voice softened as she replied, “Don’t worry.”

Then she turned again and left.

Wei City was almost a hundred li away from Ling Shang City. The message about the fall would arrive about an hour earlier than the enemy troops. The nearby cities had no power to resist, so it was certain that the Rongdi would soon reach Ling Shang.

The Jingyuan Army had fought them for many years. Wei City was the furthest they had ever come. That had never changed. The soldiers felt no fear.

Following Jiang Si’s orders, civilians were moved to safety.

Although confident, they stayed cautious.

Ling Shang City had the Jingyuan Army. The marquis’s residence had the protection of the Jingyuan troops. Everything was in place.

Even so, Jiang Si couldn’t stop herself from worrying.

Just before leaving, she looked back at the direction of the estate. Lan Shao noticed and comforted her.

“Wu Tai is second only to you and Su Xun in the Jingyuan Army. With him there, you can feel at ease.”

“If anything goes wrong, he will lead Her Highness through the secret tunnel.”

Jiang Si already knew all this without being told.

Since returning from Huaicheng, she had prepared for this day. The arrival of the Western Frontier army had only forced the battle to begin a few days earlier.

What she didn’t expect was how worried she would feel now.

She pulled herself together and gave the order to ride.

Ye Chan was not there. The vanguard was now led by Qiu Han, a deputy under Su Xun. She had already reached Qinglong Valley, thirty li from Ling Shang City. This place was a narrow mountain pass and the only route between Wei City and Ling Shang. The terrain made it easy to defend and hard to attack.

The Rongdi had suffered many defeats there in the past. Both sides had their strategies ready.

Less than twenty thousand Jingyuan soldiers were stationed there. Five thousand had stayed behind in Ling Shang City. The rest had moved to Qinglong Valley to try and defeat the Rongdi in one decisive strike.

The Jingyuan Army knew the Rongdi well from years of battle. The real unknown was the soldiers from the Western Frontier.

Jiang Si said to Su Xun when she arrived, “End this quickly. Don’t let the Rongdi drag us into a drawn-out fight.”

The front lines would involve close combat. That was the most dangerous part. But with the help of the Jingyuan Army and their improved fire crossbows, damage could be minimized.

Every soldier in the unit had been trained in archery. By now, nearly all of them could use the fire crossbows with skill.

Three thousand vanguard troops stood ready in formation. All wore iron armor and carried blades. Warhorses neighed, and the battlefield was tense.

Jiang Si held her silver spear tightly. Her fighting spirit was overwhelming.

Half an hour later, the Rongdi army was forced to retreat, but they still refused to withdraw from Qinglong Valley.

Just as the sky was filled with the roar of battle, the soldiers of the Western Frontier army arrived like a dark tide. Jiang Si curled her lips into a slight smile as the thunderous cries of the Jingyuan Army echoed in her ears. Sharp blades sliced past her, whistling through the air.

The ten thousand soldiers of the Jingyuan Army were all part of Jiang Si’s plan. They were bait, meant to draw the Western Frontier army in.

Soon after the Western Frontier soldiers arrived, another army appeared in Qinglong Valley. Soldiers in silver armor riding white horses quickly moved into formation.

It was the Nanliang army, and leading them was Nangong Yan.

She raised her hand, signaling her troops to enter the valley and join forces with the Jingyuan Army.

This battle had been carefully arranged by Jiang Si ever since the day Lan Shao’s trusted men returned with critical information.

Nangong Yan had been staying in Ling Shang City. Meanwhile, her army remained hidden along the road to Mao City. A few days ago, Nangong Yan had reunited with her forces. The news of Wei City’s fall reached both her and Jiang Si almost at the same time.

This battle ended in a great victory.

And it marked the beginning of a chaotic new era.

Except for Ling Shang City, the northern border towns were vulnerable. They could all be taken, and now, that was becoming reality.

Feng Yao had not been left behind because Jiang Si wanted to keep him, but because the war made it impossible to take him along.

While Jiang Si was locked in fierce combat at Qinglong Valley, an unexpected visitor arrived at the Jiajing Marquis Manor. Their martial arts were so advanced that only Wu Tai sensed their presence.

By the time they met face to face, the intruder had already reached the main gate of the southern courtyard. Everyone guarding Wu Tai had already been taken down.

This person wore red from head to toe. It was impossible to tell whether they were male or female. Their slightly curled hair covered half their face, and a strange glow flickered in their eyes. In the dark of night, that gaze was all the more striking.

“Where is Mowan Ci?” The voice was rough and low, almost like a growl.

Wu Tai immediately drew his sword and stared at the figure with caution.

“You trespassed into the Jiajing Marquis’s estate. Do you think you can leave unharmed?”

The intruder let out a strange laugh but didn’t reply. Instead, they raised a hand and sent out a flurry of silver needles, attacking Wu Tai without hesitation.

Even though Wu Tai was known for his agility in the Jingyuan Army, he could barely dodge the needles.

Seeing that Wu Tai was entangled, the intruder headed straight for the main hall of the southern courtyard.

Jiang Si had left clear orders. Wu Tai would protect Mowan Ci with his life if necessary. Even after being hit by a needle, Wu Tai gritted his teeth, lifted his blade, and went after the intruder.

Just as he was about to reach their neck, another silver needle struck his arm. A wave of numbness swept through his body, and Wu Tai could no longer grip his sword.

With a loud clatter, the blade dropped to the ground. Wu Tai fell to his knees at the doorstep.

He watched helplessly as the intruder walked into the hall as if they knew the place well, then entered Mowan Ci’s bedroom without hesitation.

At that moment, Mowan Ci was quietly preparing tea. Zhi Miao and Wei Nian stood nearby. She preferred silence while making tea, so the two of them didn’t say a word.

That was why the sound of bodies hitting the floor was especially clear.

Mowan Ci looked up and saw a stranger appear in her doorway. Then, she noticed Zhi Miao and Wei Nian lying unconscious.

“Who are you?”

“You broke into the Jiajing Marquis’s manor. Do you think you can get out alive?”

Whoever this was had great skill. To enter her bedroom undetected meant they were no ordinary person. Their footsteps had been light. If not for the sound of Zhi Miao and Wei Nian collapsing, Mowan Ci might not have noticed them at all.

She had grown up in the inner court. Aside from basic physical training, she had never learned martial arts. She had no way to defend herself.

Even if she wanted to run, she couldn’t.

But it was not fear that filled her heart. It was disgust.

The way this stranger looked at her made her skin crawl. It was worse than anything she had seen in her nightmares.

In their eyes, she saw only greed.

The intruder moved confidently, sitting down beside Mowan Ci as though they belonged there, staring at her with no shame at all.

Their gaze was impossible to ignore. It made her deeply uncomfortable, more than any dream ever had.

There was no desire in those eyes except hunger.

The person reached out and touched her hair without permission. The half of their face that was visible carried a twisted smile. Mowan Ci instinctively wanted to back away, but her body wouldn’t move.

They gently lifted a strand of her hair. Then came that rough, terrible voice.

“Don’t move. I’ve poisoned you.”

“If you die, that wouldn’t be fun at all.”

Her arm had already gone numb. Even if she wanted to move, she couldn’t. The words sounded ridiculous to her. Mowan Ci couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.

That only made the intruder laugh even louder. They even bent forward as they laughed.

“I’ve spent days blending in at Ling Shang City, but I’ve never seen anyone like you.”

“No. Not just this city. In all the northern lands, and even across all three kingdoms, there is no one like you.”

“My name is Xi Xi Yuefeng.”

“And I’ve been longing for you for many years.”

That awful voice carried a sick kind of pleasure. As they leaned in closer, Mowan Ci fought hard not to show her discomfort.

But Xi Xi Yuefeng seemed completely unaware. They casually lifted another strand of her hair and whispered next to her ear.

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