Transmigrated as the Princess's Scummy Wife - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Slap

Midsummer, the fierce sun hung high in the sky.

In the boundless vegetable fields, a few people stood scattered here and there. Looking closer, most were bending over with their heads down, seemingly searching for something in the soil.

There was only one exception.

“Fifth Consort, have you found it yet?”

A shrill voice drifted from a distance.

The ‘exception,’ Nan Qing, was the only one in the vegetable patch with her head held high. She turned a deaf ear to the distant voice, her gaze fixed intently on every movement of the palace maids in the field. Her breathing was heavy, as if she were facing a formidable enemy.

Seeing a maid’s hand about to touch a head of lettuce, she cried out in warning.

“Hey, don’t—”

Before she could even finish the word ‘touch,’ the quick-handed maid had already dug up the roots. The maid pressed her face close to the ground, carefully inspecting whether the Crown Princess’s gold ring was hidden inside.

A perfectly healthy head of iceberg lettuce met a tragic end beneath the maid’s feet.

After rummaging through the mud, the maid kicked the lettuce aside and reported to the distance: “Second Highness, it’s not here!”

From the distant pavilion came a shrill response: “The Second Highness orders! Continue searching! Even if you have to pull up every vegetable in this field, you must find the Crown Princess’s gold ring!”

Inside Nan Qing’s mind, a warning siren wailed.

[Triggered Event: Vegetables Stolen/Destroyed]

[Punishment Level: Tier 1]

[Electric Shock Countdown: 9 seconds]

As the two maids finished their high-pitched back-and-forth, the system countdown hit zero.

A surge of electricity instantly shot from her fingertips, traveling up her arm. Nan Qing felt her muscles and bones go numb and twitch; her fragile elbow felt particularly defenseless. She gritted her teeth, her breathing quickening as beads of sweat dropped from her temples.

Both hands were numbed by the shock. Her lean arms hung limply at her sides, her fingertips twitching uncontrollably.

Idiotic system, she cursed internally.

“Sincere apologies. The system cannot retrieve information for that command. Please change your command or upgrade the system.”

The existence of this system was the greatest obstacle to Nan Qing’s survival here. Her body was still twitching slightly; she had been shocked three times since the maids started digging up the field. She didn’t want a fourth.

Nan Qing turned and shouted toward the distance, “Second Highness! I know where the Crown Princess’s gold ring is!”

The moment she spoke, the maids in the field snapped their heads toward her, their gazes filled with indignation.

When she was ten paces away from the pavilion, the Second Highness’s personal maid stepped out to block her, looking her up and down. Nan Qing wore a bamboo hat and was drenched in sweat. Her hemp clothes were damp and stained with mud—she was a mess. Her hands were still twitching slightly; she looked nervous, lacking any royal dignity.

This person only has a handsome face and a tall stature to catch the eyes of the Highnesses, the maid thought. She tilted her chin up disdainfully, stopping Nan Qing from coming closer. “Fifth Consort, you may speak from there.”

“This subject, Nan Qing, pays respects to the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Highnesses.”

She performed seven complete, formal bows. Her posture was neither humble nor arrogant, and her etiquette was flawless. However, no sane person would bow to each individual like that. Nan Qing simply didn’t know what else to say, so she used the greetings to stall for time.

She had no idea where the ring was. she just didn’t want the maids to keep destroying the crops, lest the system misidentify the damage and shock her again.

Nan Qing knelt rigidly before the pavilion. The sun scorched her back, and the heatwaves were so intense that even the air she breathed felt boiling.

Compared to the sweat-soaked Nan Qing, the Highnesses in the pavilion looked incredibly refreshed. Seven royal ladies sat under the shade on luxurious high-backed chairs. A circle of thick ice blocks had been placed inside the pavilion, and maids gently waved fans, sending cool breezes from all directions. It was pleasant and breezy—the perfect spot to sit and watch the “scenery” of the fields.

They wore magnificent robes and relaxed in various poses; some ate chilled watermelon while chatting, some looked at the ragged Nan Qing with indifference, and others looked on with a blank expression as if it were none of their business.

“Fifth Sister, your Consort is performing such a grand bow… it couldn’t be that she was the one who stole it, right?” The Second Princess laughed, covering her mouth.

All eyes snapped to the Fifth Princess.

The Fifth Princess was the one who had been acting as if none of this concerned her. Mentioned by name, Xuan Zhaoci raised her eyes. A tear mole sat at the corner of her eye like a spark trapped in transparent resin, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

Her amber eyes looked calmly at the Second Princess. Her gaze was indifferent, yet her aloof features turned that plainness into a sense of cold pride and detachment.

“Second Sister is joking.” Her voice was gentle and clear, like mountain spring water—a stark contrast to her cold, arrogant exterior.

“Since Fifth Sister wants to vouch for her Consort, then hurry up and let the Fifth Consort stand up and tell us where the gold ring is.” The Second Princess was an expert at twisting people’s meanings.

Nan Qing remained kneeling but peeked at the situation in the pavilion. The Second Princess’s gaze drifted intentionally toward the West Palace Gate. “Fifth Sister, why are you dazed? Go on, help your Consort up.”

The other princesses joined in the teasing.

Xuan Zhaoci pursed her lips. Although she was a Princess, she was of humble birth. Her biological mother had been a mere palace guard whom the Emperor had taken a liking to during a late-night drinking session. In the Xuan Dynasty, if the mother’s family had low status, the daughter was ranked as a “Princess” (Gongzhu)—to be used for political marriages or married off to officials to win their loyalty. Conversely, if the mother’s family was noble, the daughter was ranked as an “Imperial Daughter” (Huangnü), given a title and a fiefdom upon adulthood.

Xuan Zhaoci’s maternal family was the lowliest of them all. The others already looked down on her, and now that she was married to a commoner, their contempt had only grown. Two people of low status were the perfect entertainment for the royal sisters’ leisure time.

But the “original” Nan Qing was a super scumbag. After being mocked by the royals, she would secretly beat the Princess at home. Having done heavy labor all her life, the original Nan Qing was someone the frail Princess couldn’t possibly resist.

Xuan Zhaoci had been deeply traumatized by the original Nan Qing. There was no way she would actually want to help her up.

And yet, Xuan Zhaoci merely pursed her lips, gripped the armrests of her chair, and slowly stood up. Her snow-white skin was exposed to the scorching sun. She was indeed a beauty, but her constitution was frail; after only a few moments in the sun, her face was flushed deep red.

Unlike the other princesses, Xuan Zhaoci had no maid following her today, no one to hold an umbrella, and her sisters certainly didn’t care. As she walked, her steps became weak and unsteady. Nan Qing watched, heart in her throat.

The magnificent boots finally stopped a few paces in front of her. A faint fragrance wafted over. Nan Qing lowered her eyes again, kneeling even more rigidly to maintain an air of absolute respect.

She had only transmigrated two days ago. Unfamiliar with everything, she had made a minor etiquette mistake at a family banquet. The other princesses had seized the opportunity to make a mountain out of a molehill, resulting in Xuan Zhaoci being placed under house arrest for two days. Nan Qing was terrified that any mistake she made now would cause more trouble for the Princess.

Kneeling, she could only see the lower half of the boots—exquisite and untainted by dust. They remained in her field of vision for a long time. Xuan Zhaoci stood before her for so long that sweat dripped into Nan Qing’s eyes, stinging them, yet the Princess still didn’t tell her to rise.

Just as she began to think the Princess was taking her revenge on her “scummy wife,” Xuan Zhaoci finally spoke.

“Consort, you may rise. Lead the way quickly.”

The gentle, clear voice carried a hint of a tremor, clearly showing her physical distress from the heat.

Nan Qing stood up the moment she heard the first two words, but then she panicked—she had no idea where the ring was.

While worrying internally, she snatched an umbrella from a passing maid. The maid stomped her feet in anger and went to complain to her master, but Nan Qing ignored her. She tilted the umbrella completely over Xuan Zhaoci. Wearing a bamboo hat, Nan Qing didn’t need it.

Xuan Zhaoci’s face was flushed and her lips pale. Standing in the shade of the umbrella, her discomfort visibly eased. She looked at Nan Qing with a complex expression—there was a sliver of gratitude, but it was outweighed by disgust, coldness, and a desire to keep her distance.

Clearly, the original “scum wife’s” abuse had left a deep shadow. The Princess only stayed near her because she was physically weak and needed the shade. Even so, she pointedly leaned away from Nan Qing.

Seeing her about to be exposed to the sun again, Nan Qing took a half-step closer. The shadow enveloped the Princess once more. The Princess pursed her lips, the disgust in her eyes intensifying as Nan Qing approached. She moved further away; Nan Qing followed.

After a few rounds of this “pursuit,” Nan Qing was losing her patience. She didn’t want the people in the pavilion to watch them like monkeys. She lowered her eyes and said aggrievedly, “Highness, do you find me… dirty?”

This person’s appearance and voice are top-tier and highly deceptive, but her nature is crude and vile, Xuan Zhaoci thought. She was certain that Nan Qing’s change in behavior over the last few days was just a ploy to trick her into consummating the marriage. She felt nothing but revulsion; she wouldn’t fall for it.

It had nothing to do with the mud on Nan Qing. If the Consort were a person of noble character, she would have treated her with mutual respect. She didn’t want to argue with such a rogue in front of her sisters.

“Consort, lead the way,” she urged, choosing to walk behind her.

Nan Qing held the umbrella and was forced to walk forward. She scanned the area, hoping to get lucky and find the ring. If luck failed, she just had to stall until dusk when the noble ladies would have to return to their own manors. Adjusting her bamboo hat, she continued walking aimlessly.

Fortunately, it was so hot that the princesses and maids stayed in the pavilion. In the vast fields, only she and Xuan Zhaoci were out, and from a distance, no one knew they were just wandering.

Walking in front while holding an umbrella for someone behind was a bit difficult, but Nan Qing persisted. She wasn’t a “simp” doing thankless work; she had an ulterior motive. She didn’t want the beauty; she wanted to go home.

Nan Qing was a newcomer in the entertainment industry. She had finally landed a role, but before she could act, she transmigrated here on the day she joined the set. As an actress, she had read hundreds of transmigration scripts; she had adapted quickly.

But when Xuan Zhaoci appeared, she was stunned.

How does this beauty… how does she have the exact same face as the Best Actress from the set next door?! They looked identical. For a moment, Nan Qing thought the Movie Queen had transmigrated too.

Soon, the system loaded the plot, and Nan Qing realized she had transmigrated into a supporting character in the drama next door—a character who shared her name. That explained the resemblance. And since there was a connection to the real world, the probability of going back was higher.

Nan Qing’s care for the Princess—the formal bows, the umbrella, the concern for her health—was all an attempt to get close to the most important “NPC” to find a breakthrough to go home.

But before she could find the way home, she was facing a life-threatening crisis. The system threatened to “humanely destroy” her if she didn’t farm well. To go home, she had to be a perfect farmer. Not just that—she had to treat the crops like her own children. Over the last two days, her carelessness had triggered the system’s electric shocks countless times. The system was incredibly unintelligent; if it detected that her field or her vegetables weren’t being pampered, it would shock her regardless of the reason.

Nan Qing was traumatized. Now, she walked through the field with extreme caution; no farmer had ever walked with more elegance and grace.

She also had to watch the Princess behind her, making sure Her Highness didn’t accidentally damage the precious vegetables. She glanced back, her peripheral vision catching the long royal skirt. Her heart stopped.

The complex, heavy palace skirt was sweeping across the narrow path of the ridge, brushing over the lettuce… brushing over the lettuce… brushing over the lettuce…

Warning bells screamed in her head.

[Triggered Event: Vegetables Damaged]

[Punishment Level: Tier 1]

[Electric Shock Countdown: 0 seconds]

Electricity surged through her arm. Nan Qing’s heart went cold.

Her arm went numb and dropped instantly, limply striking the beauty’s narrow shoulder and even uncontrollably sliding toward her chest.

It all happened too fast. Nan Qing had no control. Her eyes widened in horror.

But someone reacted faster.

SLAP!

A crisp sound echoed in the empty field. Princess Qinghe delivered a stinging slap to her face.

The slap jolted her senses. Her sense of smell reacted first; the wind from the slap carried a waft of fragrance. A moment later, a burning pain bloomed on her cheek.

Then came the sound.

“You shameless scoundrel!”

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