Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 54

After months of marching, the Jingyuan Army finally pushed their long-time enemy, the Rongdi, deep into the grasslands.

The campaign’s swift success was also due to the support of the Crown Prince of Nanliang.

Jiang Si had long maintained close contact with Nangong Yan. Half a month after reaching Wei City, the Nanliang Army marched north. Leading their troops was Gan Hu, the strongest general under the King of Nanliang.

Nangong Yan and the Crown Prince, Nangong Xiao, accompanied the army personally.

Although the alliance had been made with Nangong Yan, it was essentially a pact with the Nanliang royal family. Nangong Xiao’s personal appearance showed real sincerity, and it quickly pushed Nangong Yan out of the spotlight.

The Jingyuan Army and the Nanliang forces worked together to surround the Rongdi from the north and south. Gan Hu commanded the southern route, while Nangong Yan and Xu Ji accompanied him. However, they played only symbolic roles in the campaign.

After a decisive victory, the two armies gathered to celebrate with a bonfire feast. During the banquet, Nangong Yan tried several times to speak with Jiang Si but never got the chance. Nangong Xiao was always one step ahead of her.

In front of her older brother, Nangong Yan seemed gentle and harmless, like a well-behaved younger sister.

Back when the military alliance was first established, Jiang Si had already ordered someone to investigate the Nanliang royal court.

Nangong Xiao was the son of the former Queen of Nanliang, who had been a cousin of the late emperor’s mother. After the queen passed away, Nangong Xiao was made crown prince.

Years later, Nangong Yan’s mother entered the palace as a concubine. Although she was favored by the king, she remained distant from both the king and Nangong Yan.

This left Nangong Yan in an awkward position. Her mother did not care for her, though her father favored her openly. She was trained in both scholarly and martial arts, but her father always saw it as childish play.

Nangong Xiao treated her the same way. He spoiled her like a little sister but never saw her as his equal. His standing in the Nanliang royal court was unmatched.

After a few polite compliments about the Jingyuan Army, Nangong Xiao turned to look at Nangong Yan with a smile. Holding her hand, he said to Jiang Si, “Yan acted rashly. I heard she stayed at your manor for quite some time. I owe you an apology. Why don’t you come visit the Nanliang royal court? It would be my honor to host you properly.”

“If you accept, our father will be very pleased.”

With the Jingyuan Army behind her, there was nowhere Jiang Si feared to go.

But that didn’t mean she would accept so easily.

“The northern border is still unsettled. I will need a little more time.”

“Naturally,” Nangong Xiao said, pouring her a cup of wine with a sincere tone. “Wherever you choose to go, I will gladly accompany you.”

The most likely destination was Huaicheng. Nangong Yan had long set her sights on it. If she wanted it, then so did Nangong Xiao—perhaps even more so. The difference was, he was far better at hiding it.

No wonder he had remained crown prince for nearly thirty years.

During wartime, everyone stayed in tents. After the banquet, the officers returned to their camps.

As soon as Jiang Si entered her tent, she asked for paper and ink. She wanted to write a letter back to the Jiajing Marquis Manor.

She had been gone for months and had not written even once. She originally thought she would return to Lingchuan once the war was over. But if she went to Nanliang now, it would be months before she could return.

She felt that she should at least say something.

But once she held the brush, she didn’t know how to start.

She wasn’t good with traditional script. She worried that if she used simplified characters, Mowan Ci might not understand. After some thought, she decided to write the parts she could in traditional form and use simplified characters for the rest.

When she finished, she felt that sending a letter directly to Mowan Ci might seem too personal. So she left the envelope blank.

Lan Shao had brought her the supplies and glanced at what she was writing.

Seeing the simplified characters, Jiang Si didn’t bother hiding it. She figured Lan Shao wouldn’t understand it anyway.

And she was right. Lan Shao couldn’t make sense of it but didn’t ask any questions.

The Marquis of Jiajing was known for her military strength. Her handwriting, however, was terrible. Seeing this, Lan Shao decided to write a second letter herself under her own name and send it to Wei Nian.

Her only goal was to help Jiang Si and Mowan Ci communicate better. She didn’t think too much about how Wei Nian would react to receiving such a letter.

The two letters were sent together. That same day, the Jingyuan Army and the Nanliang forces set out for Huaicheng.

It wasn’t far, but they moved slowly and didn’t arrive until the seventh day.

Huaicheng, being a border city, was far more prosperous than Nangong Xiao had expected.

Nangong Yan had written about her desire to claim Huaicheng, but he hadn’t taken her seriously at the time. Later, after working with Jiang Si, she proposed that Ji City and Feng City be handed over to Nanliang, which conveniently aligned with Nangong Xiao’s plans.

He had been operating near Ji City for years, preparing to catch the Yue Kingdom off guard. Jiang Si’s offer made things much easier for him.

But after seeing Huaicheng with his own eyes, Nangong Xiao began to feel tempted.

His reaction was subtle, but Jiang Si noticed.

They all stayed at the governor’s estate in Huaicheng. The city now belonged to the northern territory, so Jiang Si was given the best courtyard. Lan Shao and Su Xun stayed nearby, and Nangong Xiao and Nangong Yan were housed further back.

A welcome banquet was arranged.

During the meal, Nangong Xiao praised Ji City again and again. Unlike Nangong Yan, who had little interest in the place, he was full of admiration, making her look bad by comparison.

Pride and stubbornness were in Nangong Yan’s bones. Earlier, she had simply fallen silent when she couldn’t keep up. But now, seeing her brother praise a place she had once dismissed, she couldn’t stay quiet.

“If it’s so small and unremarkable, then why are you even interested in it, brother?” she asked.

Nangong Yan was a Kunze, but she had been raised wild. Deep down, she had always resented Nangong Xiao’s authority.

He was much older, already thirty-five, and had been crown prince for nearly thirty years. He had always been indulgent toward her.

Jiang Si thought he might get angry, but instead, Nangong Xiao just smiled and reached out to pat her on the head like a child. Nangong Yan wasn’t having it. She moved away with an unhappy look.

“This isn’t the royal court. Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

“You’ve really grown up, Yan. Don’t you remember how you used to cling to me when you were little?”

“I’ve forgotten,” Nangong Yan replied coldly. She even moved closer to Jiang Si, putting distance between herself and her brother.

Nangong Xiao frowned, then gave her a sly smile.

“I heard the marquis hasn’t taken a wife yet. Perhaps my little sister could catch her eye.”

Jiang Si had already heard rumors about Nangong Xiao’s sharp instincts. Since the day they met, Nangong Yan had never hidden her feelings toward her.

Even when she was silent, her eyes said everything. And when she spoke, it became even more obvious.

“Oh? I’d really like to see for myself. Who could possibly be good enough to win the favor of the Marquis of Jiajing? Even the Princess of Shao Yuan could only become her concubine. The one who becomes her official wife must be extraordinary.”

“The Princess of Shao Yuan is already unmatched in beauty,” Lan Shao said with a gentle smile. As soon as the words left her mouth, Nangong Yan’s face turned sour, and Nangong Xiao looked at Jiang Si with surprise.

Jiang Si pretended to be annoyed and shot Lan Shao a glare. “I haven’t said anything yet, and you’re already talking ahead of me.”

Whether Jiang Si was truly angry or not was easy to tell. Nangong Xiao quickly adjusted his tone and nodded in agreement.

“Her Highness’s beauty and presence are beyond comparison. Marquis, you are truly fortunate.”

“If you ever find a wife to stand beside your beloved concubine, wouldn’t that be even better?”

What Nangong Xiao said wasn’t wrong. Among noble Qianyuan, having several wives and concubines was common. He himself had both a main wife and secondary ones. For someone with Jiang Si’s status, taking more than one partner was nothing out of the ordinary.

He even laughed heartily after saying it, clearly pleased with himself. Only after he finished laughing did he realize that both Jiang Si and Nangong Yan were visibly uncomfortable.

Nangong Yan’s feelings were obvious. She was not a Qianyuan, and her heart had always been set on Jiang Si. Naturally, she had always hoped to be her only one.

As for Jiang Si, she had been raised with the values of one-to-one commitment. She had never considered the idea of taking multiple partners. Even with Mowan Ci, she had never thought about labels like concubine or consort. She only viewed their connection as a binding engagement.

That was why she could never agree with what Nangong Xiao had said.

Jiang Si had a temper but knew how to keep it in check. Nangong Xiao clearly didn’t. Before anyone else could react, Nangong Yan stood and called Jiang Si by name.

“Jiang Si, I have some military matters to discuss with you.”

Everyone in the room knew she had no such matters to speak of. Nangong Xiao knew it too. He didn’t say a word but simply gave her a fond look, clearly indulging her.

Su Xun and Lan Shao both looked like they wanted to say something, but neither did.

Jiang Si wasn’t eager to be alone with Nangong Yan, but she disliked being near Nangong Xiao even more. So she stood and followed.

Just before they reached the door, Ye Chan arrived in a hurry.

Behind her were several familiar faces. Mowan Ci, Zhi Miao, Wei Nian, and two of Mowan Ci’s personal guards.

“Ye Chan reporting to the marquis, the crown prince, the princess, and all honored guests.”

“We had distinguished visitors at the gate, so I took the liberty of bringing them inside.”

Jiang Si’s eyes had already locked onto the people behind Ye Chan. Once Ye Chan finished speaking, Jiang Si waved her aside and stepped forward quickly, making sure she had seen correctly.

It was Mowan Ci. She had come to Huaicheng.

Jiang Si hurried forward to meet her, completely unaware of the displeasure spreading on Nangong Yan’s face. Mowan Ci, however, noticed it clearly. Beneath her bamboo hat, the corner of her brow lifted slightly in amusement.

When Jiang Si reached her, Mowan Ci removed her hat and spoke in a calm, courteous voice.

“I received your letter and left right away. It seems we arrived on the same day.”

A letter?

Jiang Si paused just as she was about to speak. She had sent a letter, yes, but never mentioned anything about an invitation.

Still, her handwriting had been terrible. If Mowan Ci claimed it was an invitation, then so be it. Jiang Si could not argue.

They had been talking about Mowan Ci earlier. Now that she had appeared in person, Nangong Xiao could not hide his amazement. He stepped forward to greet her.

“I am Nangong Xiao. I had the honor of seeing Your Highness once more than ten years ago. I wonder if you still remember?”

“The crown prince of Nanliang is hard to forget. Of course I remember,” Mowan Ci answered with a gentle smile.

Nangong Xiao was skilled at showing different sides to different people. Mowan Ci could do the same. The two of them quickly exchanged polite words at the table.

Jiang Si, however, found herself caught in the middle. Nangong Yan clearly did not want to stay and was waiting for Jiang Si to follow her out as promised.

But with Mowan Ci here, Jiang Si no longer wanted to leave.

She could not relax.

“Jiang Si, I really think you’ve fallen for Mowan Ci.”

“You told me all those things before, but now that she’s here, you’ve lost your mind.”

Nangong Yan didn’t speak very loudly, but her words were clear enough for everyone nearby to hear. Nangong Xiao and Mowan Ci, who were chatting pleasantly, didn’t hear. But Su Xun, Lan Shao, Zhi Miao, and Wei Nian heard everything.

Lan Shao, ever bold, responded first.

“Why should the princess of Nanliang be questioning how our marquis chooses to treat Her Highness?”

“You…” Nangong Yan tried to reply, but her voice lacked strength.

She was angry, but she knew Lan Shao had spoken the truth.

Zhi Miao, watching from the side, felt her thoughts becoming more complicated.

If the Marquis of Jiajing cared this much for Her Highness, what would happen when she found out that Mowan Ci had come all this way not for her, but for Lan the physician?

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