Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 79

Mowan Ci understood the meaning behind Jiang Si’s words, and a soft blush appeared on her face without her realizing it.

Jiang Si smiled as she watched her. She didn’t continue the topic about the two of them and instead brought up Lan Shao and Wei Nian. “Let’s respect what they want. We won’t interfere.”

That was exactly what Mowan Ci had in mind, though she had been a little worried after learning that Wei Nian had feelings for Lan Shao.

What concerned her more was that Wei Nian had started crying while talking, something she rarely did. Mowan Ci had wanted to speak to Jiang Si about it, thinking it might be because of a mismatch in their status.

Strictly speaking, she should have asked Lan Shao directly, but because of the nature of their relationship, it seemed more appropriate to talk to Jiang Si.

Jiang Si’s words carried another meaning, so Mowan Ci thought it best not to say more. It was better to let things take their natural course.

They then moved on to other matters.

“I called you here to ask when we’ll arrive at the Eastern Sea.”

“And also, when will I be able to meet Ren Jiu?”

Before coming, Jiang Si had already guessed these would be the two things Mowan Ci wanted to talk about. The issue with Lan Shao and Wei Nian was just a brief distraction. Without needing much thought, she answered, “We may arrive earlier than expected. Likely tomorrow afternoon.”

“As for Ren Jiu, you can see her whenever you want.”

“Then let it be now.”

“Alright.” Jiang Si had not expected Mowan Ci to be this eager. A strange feeling of reluctance crept into her heart.

It wasn’t for any specific reason. It was just that Mowan Ci seemed so eager and sincere about meeting a Qianyuan that it made her feel uneasy.

Even though there was nothing yet between the two of them and the future was uncertain, the feeling of bitterness still lingered.

But she was the one who had brought up the meeting, so she had no right to be upset. She simply said, “Come, I’ll take you there.”

“Alright.” Mowan Ci smiled and lifted the hem of her dress slightly to follow behind her.

Jiang Si kept her hands behind her back, feeling more and more unsettled inside.

Lately, Mowan Ci had smiled very little. She never imagined that she would smile so brightly just at the thought of seeing Ren Jiu.

As they turned corners through the corridors, Jiang Si continued walking in front without glancing back at her.

Naturally, she didn’t know that Mowan Ci had been watching her back the entire time.

Jiang Si was a little taller than Mowan Ci, and she always walked with her back straight. But right now, it seemed slightly hunched.

Mowan Ci could sense that Jiang Si wasn’t in a good mood. She couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong, but she stopped smiling and followed quietly behind.

When Jiang Si gave the order for Wu Tai to bring Ren Jiu up to the deck, Mowan Ci saw how tightly her brows were furrowed. It finally dawned on her that Jiang Si might be upset because she had asked to meet Ren Jiu.

But wasn’t it Jiang Si who had brought it up? Why would she be angry now?

Mowan Ci didn’t understand, but she knew it wasn’t the right moment to ask. It would be inappropriate to question her in public.

Besides, she didn’t believe she had done anything wrong. If she did ask, how would she even go about comforting Jiang Si?

Comforting someone?

That idea felt completely foreign to her. Mowan Ci was surprised that she even considered the need to comfort Jiang Si.

Feeling uneasy, she turned her face away and avoided looking at Jiang Si.

Not long after, Wu Tai brought Ren Jiu onto the deck. It was only then that Jiang Si finally spoke her first words since they had started walking.

“Mowan Ci, she’s here.”

Her tone was still cold.

Mowan Ci knew clearly what Jiang Si was feeling. And yet, she thought, maybe comforting her wouldn’t be such a bad thing. After all, Jiang Si had comforted her many times before.

She stepped forward and leaned slightly against Jiang Si, gently nodding as she asked, “Is this Ren Jiu, the descendant of Prime Minister Ren?”

Her fingertip lightly touched the back of Jiang Si’s hand. Jiang Si felt a light tickle and was about to answer when she realized Mowan Ci was standing very close.

The gesture felt intimate, as if she were doing it on purpose for someone to see.

Jiang Si couldn’t help but smile, but she quickly pressed her lips together to hide it. She mumbled, “Yes, this is her.”

Mowan Ci stepped forward and gently hooked her finger around Jiang Si’s, pulling her along.

Ren Jiu, unaware of what was going on between them, instinctively took a few steps back when she saw them approaching.

During her time locked below deck, she had not been mistreated. In fact, she had eaten better than ever before with real rice and dry food. But being held captive was still deeply unpleasant.

After seeing the strength of the Jingyuan Army on board, she regretted risking everything to try to intercept the ship.

The Eastern Sea islands were home to many tribes, and fighting and raiding were common.

It wasn’t that people enjoyed hurting others. Life was simply hard. If you didn’t fight to survive, you would be prey for others.

Because of that, Ren Jiu was very sensitive toward outsiders. Until she figured out Jiang Si and Mowan Ci’s intentions, she wouldn’t take any reckless actions.

She knew she couldn’t win a fight, so she had to think about survival. Even if she couldn’t survive, she needed to protect her tribe.

As Jiang Si and Mowan Ci got closer, Ren Jiu stopped retreating. Instead, she knelt down and lowered her head to the deck. She pleaded, “Ren Jiu is of lowly status and has caused many offenses. If you want to kill or punish me, I will not resist. I only beg you to spare my people.”

“When did I ever say I was going to kill you?” Jiang Si stepped forward and responded, then immediately looked at Mowan Ci.

She hadn’t expected Ren Jiu to say something like that. She had never planned to kill or silence her. But Ren Jiu’s words made it sound like she was cruel and violent.

She was afraid that Mowan Ci might believe that too, so she looked to her for reassurance.

Thankfully, Mowan Ci didn’t seem to be bothered. Or maybe, she simply trusted her.

Jiang Si’s mood calmed a little. She turned back to Ren Jiu and looked at her again.

For the first time, she began to understand her.

After being captured during the attempted ship raid, Jiang Si had said only a few words to Ren Jiu. Other than that, she had kept her distance.

It was no surprise that Ren Jiu believed Jiang Si was only holding back for now and would eventually silence her.

In a world like this, such thinking was common. Jiang Si, however, was not like most people.

Even Wu Tai and the others had shown no mercy to the members of Ren Jiu’s tribe. Out of more than fifty or sixty people, fewer than twenty remained.

Was that wrong?

Not necessarily. If the ship had belonged to a merchant fleet instead of Jiang Si and her people, then perhaps it would have been Ren Jiu and her tribe who left no survivors.

“I never intended to kill you or wipe out your tribe,” Jiang Si said calmly.

“If I had planned to do that, I would have done it back then.”

Although Jiang Si explained this, Ren Jiu still did not fully believe her. She lifted her head slightly, only to quickly bow it again.

Even though she was clearly beneath Jiang Si in this moment, she still dared to meet her gaze.

Because Jiang Si, like herself, was a Qianyuan.

But Mowan Ci standing beside her was a different story. Ren Jiu couldn’t even bring herself to look at her directly.

“T-this humble one is overwhelmed,” Ren Jiu stammered. “Please ask this Lady Kunze to step aside.”

In her tribe, the hierarchy between Qianyuan and Kunze was strict. Although Kunze were responsible for raising children, their status was considered sacred. Outside of ceremonial occasions or weddings, Qianyuan were rarely allowed to even lay eyes on a Kunze.

Even though Ren Jiu was a tribal leader, her authority only extended over other Qianyuan. The Kunze of her tribe lived separately, and an ordinary Qianyuan might go years without seeing one in person.

So, having Mowan Ci standing right in front of her left Ren Jiu completely at a loss.

Her strange behavior made Jiang Si and Mowan Ci exchange a glance. They didn’t fully understand the reason behind it, but Jiang Si had a vague idea.

Perhaps Ren Jiu had assumed that because no one had harmed her or her people these past few days, Jiang Si must not be the one in charge.

Now that she had seen Mowan Ci in person, she probably believed her own death was near.

Ren Jiu’s reaction also revealed just how high the status of Kunze was in the Eastern Sea region.

Hundreds of years of isolation had completely reversed the societal structure compared to the outside world.

Jiang Si suspected that this Kunze-centered system resembled the matriarchal clans of the past.

“Ren Jiu, this is Her Highness, Princess Mowan Ci of Yue. She is my betrothed,” Jiang Si introduced.

“The Mu family once studied under your ancestor, Prime Minister Ren. Her Highness is here simply because she wishes to meet you.”

“There is no need to be afraid.”

Jiang Si’s words were gentle, but they could not undo a lifetime of deep-rooted beliefs. To Ren Jiu, the Kunze were sacred, controlling the fate of both Qianyuan and Zhongyong. How could someone so exalted belong to just one Qianyuan?

She remained silent and shook her head repeatedly.

Jiang Si realized that no matter what she said, it would not change anything. Frustrated, she gave up trying. Mowan Ci, on the other hand, stepped forward and ordered Ren Jiu to raise her head. Ren Jiu obeyed without hesitation.

“How has the Eastern Sea survived these past centuries? I want to hear it from you,” Mowan Ci said.

Her noble presence was unmatched by any Kunze elder on the island. Ren Jiu didn’t resist at all and humbly replied, “I know little of what happened centuries ago. But ever since I was born, every family in the tribe has considered it a great honor to give birth to a Kunze.”

“All resources and food are offered first to the Kunze. Next are the Kunze’s families, and only after that do people like me—those from Qianyuan families that haven’t produced a Kunze for generations—receive what remains.”

Prime Minister Ren had once been wrongfully exiled along with his family to the Eastern Sea. That event had marked the beginning of the three kingdoms’ split. His students left the court in protest. After nearly a century of division, the former Jin dynasty and over a dozen other governments collapsed completely, giving rise to the current three-state system.

Jiang Si was not the first person to reach the Eastern Sea. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been so many rumors describing the islands as poor and savage. But those rumors had been ignored and never dealt with. The so-called “Eastern Sea barbarians” were left to develop on their own.

The result was a society that had changed far more than anyone expected.

If the islands truly placed the Kunze above all else, then Jiang Si’s Jingyuan Army would inevitably have to use force during the conquest.

“Ren Jiu, do you know why I came to the Eastern Sea?” Jiang Si asked.

“I do,” Ren Jiu said in a low but steady voice. She had heard from her grandfather that a hundred years ago, someone had also tried to land on the Eastern Sea and bring its people under control. After a long period of conflict, the outsiders had mysteriously retreated. However, the invasion left lasting damage on the islands.

“You want to conquer us…”

“Not exactly, or rather, not just to conquer,” Jiang Si replied. “I know others have once set their sights on this place, but in the end, they gave up.”

“Do you know why, Ren Jiu?”

“I do not,” Ren Jiu said, shaking her head in confusion. Her reaction was exactly what Jiang Si had expected. She smiled and continued.

“The Eastern Sea is remote. Its resources are abundant, but they are also limited in variety. If fully exploited, it would cost too much and bring too little in return. Many believed it simply wasn’t worth the effort.”

Ren Jiu understood Jiang Si’s explanation, but it only made Jiang Si’s current actions seem even more confusing.

She did not voice her doubts, but her expression made them clear.

Mowan Ci also wanted to know what Jiang Si intended to do. She turned her gaze toward her, waiting for an answer.

Jiang Si kept smiling, but this time there was a quiet determination behind it.

She was no longer speaking to Ren Jiu, but to Mowan Ci.

“Others have fought over this land because they wanted to take it for themselves. I do not.”

“What I want are the resources that the Three Kingdoms lack. Not for possession, but for mutual benefit.”

“Everyone can be treated equally. The more you contribute, the more you earn.”

When they first set out for the Eastern Sea, Mowan Ci had found Jiang Si’s vision quite novel. Just like the others, she had assumed that anyone coming here must want to claim it for their own. What else could a landing mean?

But after hearing this, her thoughts shifted and turned in every direction.

As for Ren Jiu, her reaction was even stronger.

She had heard some stories about past invaders. Just as Jiang Si described, their goal had always been to take control of the Eastern Sea, to enslave its people and strip the land bare.

But Jiang Si’s words offered something different. They stirred a strange sense of hope in her heart.

After all, who wouldn’t want to have control over their own life?

Support