Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 59

Last night, Jiang Si had promised to make spicy boiled pork slices, but because she was worried Mowan Ci might have lost her appetite from the nightmare, she made vegetable and ham congee instead. So from the moment she woke up, it was on her mind again.

Spicy food wasn’t ideal first thing in the morning, so Jiang Si waited until she finished handling military matters and confirmed the travel dates with Nangong Xuan and Nangong Xiao before heading to the kitchen.

The meat had already been prepared in advance.

Back in Ling Shang City, she used beef for this dish, but in Huai City, pork was far more common. She had no choice but to work with what was available.

Fortunately, her skills in the kitchen were solid. The result came out nearly identical in taste.

When she brought the food back to the room, Mowan Ci was cooling off in the garden pavilion. Seeing Jiang Si arrive, she smiled and waved her over.

“Huai City is hot. I noticed you’ve been out every day in this weather, so I made some herbal tea. Be careful not to let the heat get to you.”

“Thanks.” Jiang Si took the tea and drank it all in one go. The moment she swallowed, her face twisted, and she stuck out her tongue slightly. “So bitter.”

“I asked Lan Shao for advice and added a few extra herbs to the blend. That’s why it’s more bitter than the usual kind.”

In her heart, Jiang Si muttered, “Thanks a lot for that.”

She forced it down and wiped her mouth, then quickly ordered the food to be served: spicy boiled pork slices and sweet and sour pork ribs.

These were Mowan Ci’s two favorite dishes, and also the ones Jiang Si was best at.

She caught the sparkle in Mowan Ci’s eyes as soon as she saw them, and without realizing it, Jiang Si smiled too.

“Eat while it’s hot. Come on, try it.”

Jiang Si slid the dishes toward her. She herself never rushed to eat. She didn’t like hot food and usually waited a bit.

She sat down and started fiddling with Mowan Ci’s tea set.

She didn’t really know much about tea, but back in her world, she had loved fruit teas. This world didn’t have them, and she wasn’t sure if she could recreate one.

She kept thinking about it while they ate. Afterward, she brought it up to Mowan Ci.

“Huai City produces more fruit than Ling Shang. This time of year, the peaches are especially good. Wan Ci, would you like some?”

Mowan Ci was already full and hadn’t planned to eat fruit, but Jiang Si’s expectant expression made her nod.

Soon after, the steward of the Governor’s Residence delivered cherries, honeydew, and other fruits.

Jiang Si glanced at the tray. There weren’t many options. It felt a bit limited.

Still, better than nothing. It was worth a try.

The only problem was that she was terrible with her hands. She couldn’t even peel fruit properly.

She didn’t have Sang Zhi around to help, and she didn’t want to trouble anyone else, so she quietly wrestled with the fruit on her own. Finally, Mowan Ci couldn’t stand it anymore and reached out for the knife.

“I’ll do it.”

Jiang Si hesitated, but after looking at the honeydew she had butchered—skin and flesh both shaved off—she gave in and handed over the knife and the fruit.

With a hopeful tone, she said, “Wan Ci, I really want to try fruit tea. What kind of tea do you think goes well with honeydew?”

“Gongmei from the Prince of Nanliang would work nicely. What do you think?” Mowan Ci answered without hesitation.

Jiang Si visibly frowned.

Mowan Ci didn’t think much of it. She assumed Jiang Si didn’t like the taste, so she offered another suggestion.

“I also brought some oolong tea. If you prefer that—”

“Oolong! Oolong is perfect. I don’t really like Gongmei,” Jiang Si said quickly.

It wasn’t that she disliked the tea itself. She just didn’t like Nangong Xiao.

Mowan Ci didn’t take it to heart. Everyone had their own preferences when it came to tea, and it made sense that Jiang Si might not enjoy Gongmei.

She nodded and turned to Zhi Miao.

“Bring the oolong.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Despite the heat in Huai City, the open breeze in the garden pavilion made it fairly pleasant. The sweat from lunch dried quickly. As Mowan Ci prepared the fruit tea, Jiang Si rested for a bit. When she woke, the honeydew oolong tea was ready.

“I used well water. It’s chilled and refreshing,” Mowan Ci said, sliding the cup toward her.

Jiang Si sat up and took a big sip, eager to try it.

It was refreshing, and the oolong was fragrant, but…

It wasn’t sweet.

Not at all what she had imagined.

She frowned. Mowan Ci noticed immediately and asked, “What’s wrong? Not to your liking?”

“It’s not sweet.”

“Not sweet?” Mowan Ci tilted her head in confusion. She thought it was sweet enough.

Huai City’s honeydew could rival even the melons from the southwest. How could it not be sweet? She took another sip to check and then said firmly, “It’s sweet.”

“This is mildly sweet. What I wanted was—”

“Marquis, I have a report,” a voice interrupted before Jiang Si could finish.

It was Ye Chan.

Currently, Huai City was managed by Ye Chan and Cheng Pu. Ye Chan handled internal affairs and city business, so if she had come personally, it likely meant something serious.

Jiang Si forgot all about the fruit tea. She stood up quickly and walked out of the pavilion, pulling Ye Chan aside.

“What is it?”

This sudden action made Mowan Ci raise her brows slightly, but she acted as if she hadn’t noticed and continued focusing on preparing the fruit tea Jiang Si had asked for.

Not long after, Jiang Si returned, her face calm but clearly displeased.

Mowan Ci gave her a light smile and asked, “What happened?”

“The imperial decree has arrived in Huaicheng. It was personally delivered by Mu Shuyang.”

“An imperial decree?” Mowan Ci asked, though her expression showed no surprise at all. Jiang Si glanced at her, then sat down in the pavilion and said, “Yes, an imperial decree.”

“What is it about?”

“I don’t know. It’s addressed to Cai Yingwei, not to me,” Jiang Si replied briefly and didn’t mention it again. Instead, she pointed at the table and asked, “Mowan Ci, when will your fruit tea be ready?”

Mowan Ci didn’t answer that. Instead, she brought up another matter. “After you return to Lingchang, you’ll also receive a decree.”

“What does it say?”

“It grants you the title of Prince Jiajing.”

“Prince? Prince…” Jiang Si repeated the word a few times like she had just heard a joke, then took a sip of tea.

“His Majesty truly is…” Jiang Si wanted to curse, but after a moment of thought, she held back. After all, the emperor was Mowan Ci’s younger brother.

Mowan Ci spoke up herself, her tone sharp with irony. “Our mother said long ago that Mu Zesheng wasn’t suited for such a heavy responsibility. Father didn’t care, and neither did I back then. I thought with proper guidance, things would work out eventually…”

“Rotten wood cannot be carved,” Jiang Si interrupted with a sigh before Mowan Ci could finish. Mowan Ci paused, then lowered her head.

Even if she didn’t want to admit it, Jiang Si was right.

“It’s just a pity. The foundation of the Yue kingdom has only lasted a few generations…”

Mowan Ci didn’t feel any sorrow for Mu Zesheng himself, but when it came to the legacy of Yue, she did feel regret.

If she had been born as a Qianyuan, maybe Yue’s fate would have turned out very differently.

If their father hadn’t insisted on letting her and her younger brother share power, and had instead passed authority to her older brother, now the Prince of Zhou, or even to the younger siblings who were never given titles, perhaps everything would have ended differently.

Mu Zesheng was most proud of being the legitimate son of the late emperor. Because of that, he was also the most wary of her, someone who shared the same royal blood.

“You need to be careful this time,” Mowan Ci warned.

“He’s not someone to fear. The court ministers let him do as he pleases. But Mu Shuyang is not useless, and the current prime minister, Tao Zun, is even more dangerous. He’s a man with real ambition.”

Tao Zun, now the prime minister, had once been chosen by Mowan Ci and the late emperor to be Mu Zesheng’s father-in-law.

He had once served as the crown prince’s tutor. He was meticulous in everything he did, highly skilled in both civil and military matters. In fact, when he first entered the court, he had been Mowan Ci’s mentor. Within a year he was admitted to the Imperial Academy, and over the next ten years he rose steadily through the ranks. By the time the late emperor passed away, Tao Zun had already held the position of tutor for many years. His daughter was graceful and well-mannered, so the marriage was arranged.

Mowan Ci couldn’t help but sigh. “When Tao Zun first entered the court, he truly had ideals. But after holding power for so many years, of course his heart changed.”

Jiang Si didn’t know much about Tao Zun, but she agreed with Mowan Ci. “That’s to be expected. The only thing that never changes is that everyone changes. Whether it’s for power, for wealth, or for beauty.”

“And what about you?” Mowan Ci looked at her. “Will you change too?”

The question didn’t catch Jiang Si off guard. Instead, it made her laugh.

How could she not?

Since coming into this world, Jiang Si had been constantly changing.

She used to only care about herself and never bothered trying to figure out what others were thinking. But now, reading people’s thoughts—especially Mowan Ci’s—and anticipating her enemies’ moves had become second nature.

Even the smallest things had become routine. Things like giving orders, or letting Sang Zhi choose her outfits before going out, now felt completely normal.

“What are you laughing at, my lord?” Mowan Ci asked.

“I’m laughing because your question was just too cute,” Jiang Si said with a smile. “I’m only human. Of course I change. In fact, I’ve changed so much… I barely even recognize myself anymore.”

She said it with a smile at first, but as she went on, her expression grew more serious. Her voice grew quieter too.

She had been thinking about how to respond to the imperial decree. Whether Mu Zesheng knew she was in Huaicheng was also something she had been concerned about. But now, none of it seemed to matter.

She lay back on the lounge chair in the pavilion, eyes half-closed, watching Mowan Ci as she prepared the fruit tea.

Mowan Ci said nothing.

This often happened between them. Their conversations would stop halfway through, like nothing had ever been said at all.

At some point, Jiang Si dozed off lightly. Every now and then she could hear soft footsteps, either from Zhi Miao or Mowan Ci moving nearby.

When she finally woke up, five cups of fruit tea had been placed in front of her.

“Honeydew oolong, cherry oolong, watermelon oolong. These two are citrus mist and lychee mist,” Mowan Ci said.

“You’re not fond of Gongmei, so I took the liberty of using Yunwu tea instead.”

“Try them all and see which one you like best.”

Her voice was gentle, almost tender. Jiang Si had just woken up and wasn’t quite ready for that kind of warmth. The look in her eyes showed it too, as if she was searching for something.

That look had appeared many times before, but Mowan Ci had thought she wouldn’t see it from Jiang Si again. And yet here it was.

Mowan Ci’s expression turned a little tense. She had spent almost two hours making the teas. Knowing Jiang Si had a sweet tooth, she had sent Zhi Miao to fetch honey and syrup to mix in, offering a variety for her to choose from.

She hadn’t expected to be met with hesitation.

“If you don’t like them, I’ll just have someone pour them out,” Mowan Ci said as she turned to call Zhi Miao.

Jiang Si quickly stopped her. “No. You went to so much trouble. How could I let that go to waste?”

Knowing she was in the wrong, Jiang Si picked up the cups and began tasting them one by one.

To her surprise, every cup tasted wonderful. The sweetness and tartness were perfectly balanced. Even the natural bitterness of the tea had been softened.

She tasted them all, then finished each cup. Only then did she smile and say, “They’re all delicious. I like every one of them.”

With those words, Mowan Ci’s long afternoon of effort had not been in vain. She waved to Zhi Miao to bring over the rest of the tea.

What Jiang Si had just drunk were only small samples. The ones being brought over now were the full servings. Mowan Ci had made large jars of each flavor, planning to store them for Jiang Si to enjoy later whenever she had a craving.

But now, she had changed her mind.

“These are all fruit teas I made just for you. Since you like them…”

“You… you’re not really going to make me drink all of them, are you?”

“I only planned to give you the one you liked most. But if you like all of them, then what’s wrong with drinking them all?”

Honestly, I think it’s sweet. The princess spent her whole afternoon making them just for her.

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