Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 83

After the Jingyuan Army arrived, Jiang Si had less and less time to spend with Mowan Ci. Apart from sleeping in the same room at night, they were rarely together during the day. Jiang Si was busy with Wu Tai and Ren Jiu, working to bring the surrounding islands under control.

The smaller islands were easier to manage. With Ren Jiu persuading the locals, five or six islands had already agreed to cooperate within half a month.

A few others surrendered immediately at the sight of the Jingyuan Army’s power. It wasn’t that Jiang Si encouraged the use of force. The truth was, many islanders gave up before anyone had to say a word.

There were also some who had already intended to rebel against Wuzhou Island. All it took was the right offer and they gave their support. Not a single soldier was harmed in the process.

This was exactly what Jiang Si had hoped for.

She wasn’t here to conquer. She wanted a win-win situation, to bring goods from the islands inland. Without local cooperation, it would be nearly impossible.

The island that supported her the most was Luzhou Island, where Ren Jiu came from. On the day after Lan Shao took Xiao Qin and Xiao Gu away, the Kunze leader of Luzhou Island, Lady Xun Yu, came to see Jiang Si and asked for peace.

Jiang Si’s military presence had been strong enough to make people mistake her purpose as invasion. Xun Yu came with a very humble attitude, which actually made Jiang Si a little uncomfortable.

She looked young, about the same age as Fang Lin, and clearly didn’t understand much about politics. She had come alone.

After speaking with her briefly, Jiang Si realized she was only a figurehead.

It had always been tradition in the Eastern Sea to choose young Kunze leaders as rulers. They were taught what to believe and how to act. Xun Yu had likely come to escape that. Jiang Si agreed to protect her.

The other islands, whether they surrendered before hearing Jiang Si’s offer or made formal agreements, were treated equally. Seafood and exotic fruits were exchanged at fair prices.

But Luzhou Island was different. It had been their landing point and held a special place in Jiang Si’s plan. She gave Xun Yu better treatment and higher prices. The island also seemed wealthier than others, even though it was far from Wuzhou Island.

Ownership of the islands still belonged to the locals. Jiang Si’s role was only to support and participate.

The Jingyuan Army was also expanding across both the northern and southern regions. In the future, they would station troops here. Soldiers would be allowed to bring their families or receive generous compensation.

If anyone from the islands wished to move inland, the army would help them with no conditions.

But these changes would take time. They had to happen step by step.

First came the issue of housing on Luzhou Island. On the way back, Wu Tai gave a detailed report on the progress.

“The main structures have been completed. But more troops are arriving, so construction will take time. We can only move faster once the construction unit from Jingyuan arrives.”

“Good. Let’s wait for the construction team. You’ve all worked hard enough. Resting now will be more helpful than forcing progress.”

The army had rushed from the northern border to the Eastern Sea, and there had been no rest after landing. Jiang Si wasn’t the kind of leader who pushed her soldiers too far. She wanted them to be well.

Working without strength would lead nowhere. Resting was smarter.

This journey had lasted nearly two months. Wu Tai, who had started off full of energy, now looked tired.

Jiang Si patted him on the shoulder and offered some comfort.

“When we return, don’t take on any more work.”

After spending so many days together, she knew what kind of person he was. Even if she ordered him to rest, he would probably go sit under a coconut tree and watch the area instead.

“Your Highness, I’m not tired…” Wu Tai tried to insist. He appreciated her kindness but wanted to keep going.

“Captain Wu, are you refusing orders?”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Wu Tai bowed and admitted his mistake. He had no choice but to obey.

When they returned to Luzhou Island, Jiang Si handed Ren Jiu’s work to Wu Tai. She kept Fang Lin by her side.

As they walked somewhere quiet, Jiang Si stopped and turned to her.

“There are a lot of fruits on this island. Did you know that?”

Even though Fang Lin had been with her the whole time, she had stayed mostly on the sidelines. She remembered trying a yellow, smelly fruit on the ship once.

She didn’t like it, but she had seen Jiang Si enjoy it. She nodded uncertainly.

“I remember. The one Your Highness ate before.”

“There’s more than just that one. I’ll show them to you now. Later, if I’m not around, bring some to the Princess every few days.”

“But…” Fang Lin frowned and muttered.

“But shouldn’t I stay with you, Your Highness?”

Jiang Si had more patience with Fang Lin than with most people. She also trusted her more, so she explained.

“Staying with me is the same as staying with the Princess. Don’t you understand why?”

“I don’t.” Fang Lin shook her head, confused.

All she wanted was to be a soldier, to fight. Being by Jiang Si’s side meant everything to her. Serving the Princess was not the same, not in her heart.

Jiang Si looked at her and sighed.

She was only sixteen. Some might call her brave, others might say she was reckless.

If Jiang Si had placed her directly in the military instead of assigning her to Liu Jin’s team for training, she might have become someone like Cheng Pu.

Jiang Si already had enough generals like that. She didn’t need another.

She looked serious as she spoke.

“Fang Lin, I know what you want. You could go to Huai City or the Central Plains and fight battles under Su Xun if that’s what you really want. But the Jingyuan Army doesn’t need another fighter.”

“What I need are people I can trust. That’s why I brought you with me. Wherever I go, you go. The Princess and I are one. Do you understand now?”

After saying that, she turned and began picking durians, ignoring Fang Lin.

She wanted Fang Lin to think it through on her own.

Fang Lin wasn’t slow. Her thoughts were just filled with battles. She had never tried to think from another angle.

But as she stood there, she slowly began to understand. When Jiang Si looked back at her, she saw gratitude in her eyes.

Jiang Si smiled and tapped her lightly on the forehead.

“Why are you just standing there? Hurry and pick some.”

“Her Highness is waiting.”

“Oh… alright.” Fang Lin replied quickly and began climbing the tree.

The durians dropped loudly one after another.

Jiang Si struggled to catch them, but her heart was light.

Being young was truly a gift.

The two returned to the ship with their arms full of durians. Jiang Si kept two and gave the rest to Fang Lin to share with the officers.

There weren’t many, but not everyone liked durians, so it was enough for those who did.

Jiang Si hadn’t forgotten about the soldiers either. After Fang Lin finished handing out the durians, she asked her to take the squad leaders into the island and gather some coconuts for the troops to drink.

These few days of rest made the soldiers happy, and Jiang Si was happy too.

Because it meant she finally had more time to spend with Mowan Ci.

But after not seeing her for a few days, she couldn’t just return empty-handed. Nor could she walk in holding durians.

So Jiang Si carried the durians to the kitchen and spent nearly half a day there, working alone. In the end, she managed to make a durian and fresh milk cake. Excited, she carried it upstairs to the third floor.

These days, only Jiang Si, Mowan Ci, Zhi Miao, Wei Nian, two maidservants, and the rarely present Lan Shao lived on the boat.

With Jiang Si’s order that no soldiers were to disturb them, and most of them being busy with construction anyway, she was certain Mowan Ci didn’t know she had returned.

Carrying the cake in both hands, Jiang Si pushed the door open with her back. She didn’t see anyone at first, and with a smile, she was just about to call out and share her creation.

Then she saw Wei Nian kneeling beside the bed.

And Mowan Ci, sitting on the bed, looking pale as a sheet.

Jiang Si’s cheerful mood shifted. She swallowed hard and asked cautiously, “What happened?”

“Did something go wrong?”

Wei Nian didn’t respond. She didn’t even raise her head. She only lowered it further, clearly waiting for Mowan Ci’s instructions.

A bad feeling crept into Jiang Si’s chest. She quickly put the cake down and walked to Mowan Ci’s side.

Wei Nian was a medical attendant. If something could make her this nervous, it had to be related to Mowan Ci’s health.

And looking at how pale Mowan Ci was, Jiang Si’s worry was not without reason.

She took her hand and gasped.

“Your hand is ice cold.”

Mowan Ci didn’t answer. Jiang Si turned to Wei Nian and asked urgently, “Wei Nian, what’s going on with Her Highness?”

Wei Nian slowly lifted her head and gave Jiang Si a long look.

Her concern was genuine, but she remembered Mowan Ci’s orders. This wasn’t something she was allowed to explain. So, she quietly lowered her head again.

“You may go, Wei Nian.”

Before Wei Nian could speak, Mowan Ci calmly gave the order to leave. Jiang Si opened her mouth to stop her, but Wei Nian had already backed away and left the room.

As Mowan Ci’s personal physician, Wei Nian knew when to speak and when not to. Even if she wanted answers, Jiang Si couldn’t push her.

Jiang Si sat beside the bed, watching Mowan Ci closely.

She looked at her face, which had slowly gained back some color, but the concern in her heart only deepened. Something serious must have happened. Mowan Ci was always kind to Zhi Miao and Wei Nian. For her to make Wei Nian kneel like that meant it wasn’t a small matter.

But Mowan Ci clearly didn’t want to talk, and Jiang Si couldn’t force her.

“Are you hungry? I made durian cake.”

Jiang Si got up and brought the cake from the table. She scooped a spoonful and held it to Mowan Ci’s lips.

But Mowan Ci frowned, clearly not in the mood to eat.

“What’s wrong? I remember you used to like durian.”

“It’s too heavy. Makes my chest feel tight.” Mowan Ci pressed a hand over her chest, then looked up with a soft, almost pleading expression. “Can I lean on you for a bit?”

Faced with such a gentle request, Jiang Si naturally couldn’t say no. She nodded and straightened her back to give Mowan Ci a more comfortable position to lean on.

Their current position put her nape very close to Mowan Ci. Mowan Ci leaned against her, almost greedily drawing in the comforting scent of Jiang Si’s amber pheromones.

In her mind, Wei Nian’s words kept echoing.

The reason Wei Nian had looked so distressed was because of what she said earlier. She had said, it might be pregnancy.

The moment she heard that, Mowan Ci’s mind went blank. Her body moved before she even thought. She had instinctively held her stomach and turned to Wei Nian, saying,

“Don’t tell anyone about this just yet.”

“Not Zhi Miao.”

“And especially not the Prince.”

When she saw Wei Nian’s shocked face, her anxiety only deepened. Wei Nian had immediately dropped to her knees, trembling with fear.

Having spent years in the palace, Wei Nian knew when to speak and when to stay silent. But Mowan Ci’s reaction made her feel like she had learned something she wasn’t supposed to. Or worse, something she had no right to know.

Mowan Ci felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

Wei Nian had only said it might be pregnancy. She hadn’t confirmed it. Why was she so terrified?

Mowan Ci raised her hand slightly, gesturing for her to stand, but Wei Nian didn’t move. So she stopped trying and focused on calming herself.

After a while, her thoughts settled, and she frowned slightly before asking,

“Why did you say it might be pregnancy? Not a confirmed one?”

As expected, Wei Nian’s voice trembled as she answered,

“Your Highness, I am not highly trained…”

“You are my personal physician. Even if your skills are limited, you should be able to tell a pregnancy pulse from something else. Speak the truth.”

Mowan Ci’s tone was cold. Wei Nian knew she couldn’t hide the truth any longer. She lowered her head and began to explain hesitantly.

“Based on the timing, this should be your usual heat phase. But…”

“Your pulse is irregular. It feels like pregnancy but also resembles signs of a miscarriage.”

When Mowan Ci heard those words, her vision went dark for a moment. A faint ache began to spread through her lower abdomen.

She didn’t know whether it was just her imagination or something real.

Before she could fully react, Jiang Si walked into the room.

The truth was, Mowan Ci had never truly allowed herself to hope for a child.

She had grown up watching Mu Zesheng, and over time, she had lost confidence in herself. If she were to become a mother, she wasn’t sure she could raise a child properly.

But now, something inside her shifted.

She didn’t know why, but hearing that she might lose the baby made her heart tighten with pain.

Leaning against Jiang Si’s shoulder and breathing in her warm, amber-scented pheromones was the only thing that brought her a little comfort.

It was then that she truly faced the thought she had been avoiding.

She was hoping for this child.

“Jiang Si, do you like children?”

Jiang Si had been sitting upright, her back straight. When she suddenly heard the question, she looked uncertain.

“Children?”

Mowan Ci didn’t say anything else, so Jiang Si continued in a soft voice.

“I wouldn’t say I’m especially fond of them, but… I think I would like my own.”

Before coming to this world, Jiang Si had never imagined she would have children. Her biggest dream was simply to find a girlfriend to grow old with. If that didn’t happen, she had accepted that she might live alone for the rest of her life.

So the idea of having a child had never seemed real to her.

But now, hearing Mowan Ci ask, she suddenly realized something. The two of them could really have a child together.

She looked at Mowan Ci, and her eyes lit up without her realizing it.

Startled, Mowan Ci lifted her head from Jiang Si’s shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat as she asked,

“What is it?”

Jiang Si didn’t answer. Her eyes were glowing in a way that made Mowan Ci feel nervous.

She quickly reached out and covered Jiang Si’s mouth, her voice soft but slightly embarrassed.

“You’re not allowed to do anything strange. And stop thinking weird things.”

Jiang Si blinked, a little confused. She had only been following Mowan Ci’s thoughts. What was wrong with that?

But then she saw Mowan Ci’s bright red cheeks and finally understood what had been misunderstood.

Jiang Si started laughing quietly. Mowan Ci’s expression shifted again, and her face slowly returned to a pale calmness.

As she listened to Jiang Si laugh, a clear thought rang in Mowan Ci’s mind.

She was possibly pregnant.

But Jiang Si could not know.

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