Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 69

Jiang Si froze at the question. Her face turned red in an instant. She quickly looked away and stammered, “W-where did you hear such a rumor?”

“You only need to answer me. Is it true or not?”

“…Yes.”

It was something Jiang Si had said herself. There was no point in lying, and no need to.

The way they were sitting now, everything about their posture and closeness felt intimate—just as it had always been. Tonight felt even more so. Jiang Si felt like time had passed in the blink of an eye. Somehow, it was already late, close to bedtime.

She had never experienced a night like this before.

It was unfamiliar, but it made her heart race.

So when Mowan Ci asked her the question, Jiang Si couldn’t bring herself to hide the truth.

“You…” Jiang Si opened her mouth, trying to ask something in return, but Mowan Ci placed a hand gently over her lips and asked her another question.

“Then tell me—why did you say that that day?”

Mowan Ci wasn’t truly unaware of the answer. She simply wanted to hear it from Jiang Si.

She had begun to face her own feelings. But she could tell that Jiang Si was still avoiding hers.

“That day…” Jiang Si hesitated again. For some reason, with other matters she never struggled this much to speak, but when it came to Mowan Ci, her thoughts always tangled up.

But under that quiet and firm gaze, Jiang Si opened her mouth and said slowly, “The situation was different then. We were slighted by the Nanliang royal court.”

“You and the royal family were never on the same side. You didn’t have anyone to rely on. So I thought… if no one else would speak for you, I would.”

“That’s why I said it.”

“You didn’t think of it in any other way?” Mowan Ci followed up quickly, refusing to give her a chance to dodge the truth.

Jiang Si’s voice lowered. “I did think about it.”

“But you rejected me once.”

Jiang Si had once said that Mowan Ci could be petty, but she hadn’t expected her to hold a grudge this long.

With a quiet sigh, Mowan Ci let go of Jiang Si’s arm and slowly sat upright again.

Jiang Si followed, sitting across from her.

“You never thought,” Mowan Ci said softly, “that things were different back then.”

“I did,” Jiang Si admitted.

“Then why still be so stubborn?”

“I… I don’t know,” Jiang Si muttered, face turned slightly, too embarrassed to meet her eyes.

Seeing her like this, Mowan Ci didn’t know what else to say. She glared at her in frustration, then turned her back and lay down.

She didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

Jiang Si sat in silence for a long time before she realized Mowan Ci might actually be upset. She reached out and poked her arm.

No response.

She poked again.

Mowan Ci’s annoyed voice came through the darkness. “Do you mind?”

“You… you still haven’t told me. Where did you hear that rumor?”

With her back turned, Mowan Ci clutched the blanket tightly, took a deep breath, and answered, “Everyone in the Jingwei Battalion knows.”

Jiang Si blinked, completely confused.

She had clearly cleared the room that day. How could everyone know?

Had the soldiers who escorted Mowan Ci back gossiped that freely?

As if reading her thoughts, Mowan Ci turned back toward her, her gaze darkening.

Jiang Si’s brow twitched instinctively. “What is it?”

“What are you suspicious of now?”

“It was just a few of the soldiers on the way back. They were angry at how the Nanliang King treated us and said a few things in passing.”

“It wasn’t deliberate.”

Jiang Si had always been the suspicious type. Mowan Ci had known that from the beginning. If she hadn’t been, their relationship wouldn’t have dragged out this long.

Now that everything was laid bare between them, Mowan Ci decided she might as well say what was on her mind.

But this time, Jiang Si didn’t overthink it. She was just slightly frustrated. She had planned to tell Mowan Ci everything herself, and now it had all been said by someone else.

“I didn’t mean for it to be like that. It’s just…”

“It’s a little embarrassing.”

Her honesty caught Mowan Ci off guard.

She turned her face away, cheeks flushing red, and mumbled, “You don’t have to overthink it. If I didn’t care about you, I wouldn’t have shown my displeasure with Mu Zesheng in front of you. I wouldn’t have kept writing to you these past few months.”

Jiang Si fell silent at those words. Then she slowly let out a breath.

She had been here for over a year now. From confusion and uncertainty to where she was today, she had been through a lot.

And the more she experienced, the more distant her past self seemed.

It was as if she had always been the Marquis of Jiajing, burdened by a mission she had never asked for, always driving her forward.

“You don’t have to force anything,” Mowan Ci said softly. “Just follow your heart.”

Only then did Jiang Si realize that her body had tensed up.

Mowan Ci gently brushed her fingers over her forehead, smoothing the furrow between her brows as if she were soothing her.

Jiang Si blushed instantly. She opened her mouth to speak, but Mowan Ci cut her off again.

“Following your heart means following your feelings—not letting your thoughts run wild.”

“Remember that.”

Her voice was soft one moment, stern the next.

Jiang Si blinked and realized she didn’t have a single argument to offer.

Mowan Ci was right.

Now that the air had been cleared, Jiang Si became a little bolder.

Outside, the snowstorm howled. Inside, the underfloor heating made the room warm and cozy. And the person in her arms…

It was impossible not to feel stirred.

The scent of amber from her own xinxiang clung to the air like a wild beast finally freed, wrapping tightly around Mowan Ci’s gentle snow lotus scent.

Her hand moved to the back of Mowan Ci’s neck, savoring every inch of this fragile snow lotus.

The soft petals trembled. Mowan Ci bit her lip helplessly.

“Jiang Si…”

“Your scent… it’s too strong…”

“You don’t like it?” Jiang Si asked.

Mowan Ci turned away, face flushed deep red. Her lips were almost bleeding from how hard she bit them. “Tomorrow is Little New Year. There’s a lot to do.”

“You said earlier I could sleep in.”

“And besides,” Jiang Si murmured, leaning closer, “we’ve been apart for so long. Don’t you miss me, even a little?”

Jiang Si was rarely like this. She had learned to keep her xinxiang well under control. But once it was released, her words became unrestrained.

Seeing her flushed cheeks and hazy eyes, Mowan Ci began to worry. Whatever she said tonight, she might not even remember tomorrow.

“Jiang Si, do you even know what you’re saying?”
Mowan Ci suddenly grinned mischievously and wrapped her arm around Jiang Si’s neck. Jiang Si froze for a moment, and only then realized she had spoken her true thoughts out loud.

She stayed silent, until Mowan Ci asked softly, “Did you miss me?”

Jiang Si stammered, unable to say anything. Then suddenly, with a quick motion, she tore off the thin gauze covering Mowan Ci’s shoulders.

Surprisingly, Mowan Ci did not get angry. Instead, she smiled and asked, “Is one question enough to upset you?”

Jiang Si pressed her face closely against the back of Mowan Ci’s neck and ignored her question completely. She had intended to stay quiet for a while before responding, but without realizing it, she had fallen asleep.

After a long moment, Mowan Ci turned her head slightly to look at her.

She was already asleep.

Mowan Ci let out a gentle sigh and brushed her hair softly. Her eyes were filled with warmth.

She knew Jiang Si was exhausted from the journey. So Mowan Ci didn’t wake her, allowing her to stay nestled in her arms.

Later that night, Mowan Ci, half asleep, felt Jiang Si move. She rolled over to one side, then pulled Mowan Ci back into her embrace again.

Too tired to resist, Jiang Si didn’t struggle and stayed quietly in her arms.

As the New Year approached, the household became busy with preparations, especially with the upcoming Ice Festival. Mowan Ci barely had a moment to rest all month. With Jiang Si away, Liu Jin consulted Mowan Ci on all major matters within the marquis household.

Even after Jiang Si returned, this habit remained.

Early in the morning, Liu Jin waited outside the southern courtyard and handed Mowan Ci a list of all the upcoming expenses for her to review.

Due to a major victory in battle, rewards for the soldiers were necessary. As the silver reserves of the Jiajing Marquisate steadily declined, Mowan Ci’s expression became troubled.

Although the northern region now belonged to the Jiajing Marquis and brought in countless taxes and revenue, the cost of maintaining the army was far beyond what Mowan Ci had anticipated.

After breakfast was prepared and the discussion with Liu Jin concluded, Mowan Ci carried the meal back to the bedroom.

Jiang Si was already awake, but just as she had said, she was still lying in bed, refusing to get up.

Mowan Ci thought of waking her, but knowing she was tired, she hesitated. She sat beside her, lifted the blanket slightly, and looked at her.

“What is it?” Jiang Si blinked and asked, pretending not to understand.

Mowan Ci smiled gently and said, “It’s time to get up.”

“You told me yesterday I could stay in bed longer,” Jiang Si replied with dissatisfaction.

“I haven’t even blamed you for not accompanying me, and now you’re complaining to me instead?”

Mowan Ci sighed in defeat. She had never meant to blame Jiang Si.

She gave her a playful glare and muttered softly, “So petty.”

“Did you just realize I’m petty today?” Jiang Si answered confidently with a bright smile as she got out of bed.

Mowan Ci thought she was finally getting up, so she prepared to do the same. However, Jiang Si suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, making her fall on top of her.

Then Jiang Si playfully hooked her finger under Mowan Ci’s chin and said,
“Now I understand why emperors don’t like attending morning court.”
“With someone as beautiful as you by my side, I wouldn’t want to get up either.”

Jiang Si rarely joked like this. At first, Mowan Ci had been startled, but as she listened, her expression slowly turned dim.

Jiang Si thought she had gone too far. She let go of Mowan Ci’s wrist and sat up properly.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No, it’s just…”

Mowan Ci paused for a long moment. Jiang Si remained on the bed, watching her closely.

When Mowan Ci stood up, Jiang Si followed her with her eyes. She watched as Mowan Ci retrieved a letter from a box. Jiang Si tilted her head slightly in confusion.

Before she could ask, Mowan Ci had already opened the letter and handed it to her.

“This came from the capital,” Mowan Ci said quietly. “I still have some connections after all these years. They can’t change much, but at least I can receive news.”

Jiang Si unfolded the letter and read quickly through it.

Her eyes widened in shock. She looked up at Mowan Ci, who pressed her lips together and said calmly,
“The newborn prince has already been named Crown Prince, just a few months after his birth.”

“He’s a legitimate heir, so it seems fair. But his maternal grandfather is Tao Zun, and that raises too many concerns.”

“Only my foolish younger brother seems unaware. He’s already chasing after immortality, searching for elixirs and magic.”

What Mowan Ci said matched the contents of the letter.

Jiang Si was shocked because emperors throughout history who sought immortality had all met tragic ends.

Why would anyone believe something so unrealistic? If such a miracle existed, wouldn’t everyone already be immortal?

“Jiang Si, I hope you never become like this.”
Mowan Ci’s eyes were filled with disappointment, not just toward her brother Mu Zesheng, whom she had raised into a ruler, but also as a warning to Jiang Si.

Jiang Si understood and gently brushed her hand against Mowan Ci’s.
In a soft voice, she said, “I won’t.”

Mowan Ci nodded.
“Since I’ve chosen to trust you, I don’t want you to let me down.”

“And if you trust me as well, how about we launch a campaign to the Eastern Sea this spring?”

Trust was rare and valuable between the two of them. Jiang Si paused and felt a wave of emotion rise in her chest.

“It’s true that I don’t trust easily, but once I do, it’s hard to take it back.”
Realizing she was getting too sentimental, she quickly shifted the conversation.

She asked Mowan Ci how much she knew about the Eastern Sea.

In the year they had spent together, Mowan Ci rarely involved herself in military affairs. Jiang Si was free to choose her battles, and Mowan Ci would only ask about the results, never the process.

But this time, Mowan Ci was serious.

She thought for a moment and began speaking.

“The Eastern Sea is filled with islands. It borders the southern regions of Yue and Liang, mostly poor and remote. When I was young and still at my father’s side, I often heard stories about that region.”

“Aside from the myths about immortal islands, the Eastern Sea has excellent seafood. My father, in his old age, feared the hardship of war and the suffering it would bring to the people.”

“But in our current situation, whether we move or not, things won’t improve. It’s better to take a bold step. The Eastern Sea connects two nations. If we seize it, we could…”

As she spoke, her eyes grew brighter.

Jiang Si looked at her and suddenly thought, if Mowan Ci had been born male and became the ruler of Yue, the court might not be in such chaos today.

Mu Zesheng was someone easily controlled once others found his weakness, as proven by how Tao Zun now held power.

He didn’t understand what it meant to be a true emperor. He only craved absolute power, making all of Mowan Ci’s teachings go to waste.

As Jiang Si listened to her speak with such conviction, she wondered what Mowan Ci would have been like if she were fighting for her own homeland.

“Jiang Si, what do you think?”
Mowan Ci finally asked, noticing that Jiang Si had been staring at her without saying a word.

Instead of answering directly, Jiang Si took her hand and asked with a smile,
“If Her Highness the Princess offers her wisdom, how could I disagree?”

“But when the time comes, would you come with me?”

We could even treat it like a trip to the seaside.

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