Transmigrated as the Princess's Scummy Wife - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Prince of Yan’s Visit

 

The streets were bustling, and the front of Tianxiang Pavilion was a hive of activity, crowded with people coming and going.

 

Nan Qing held the rope in her hand. The clamor of the crowd filled her ears, a faint, elusive floral fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose, and an enlarging, cold face was right before her eyes.

 

Pressed so close, she could clearly see the disgust, impatience, internal struggle, and mockery hidden within Xuan Zhaoci’s amber eyes.

 

These negative emotions were suppressed deeply. Had Nan Qing not been a trained actress, she might not have been able to see through the woman’s multifaceted and complex feelings.

 

What puzzled Nan Qing most was that momentary flash of struggle in those eyes.

 

What was Xuan Zhaoci struggling with?

 

Regarding this scumbag Fuma, shouldn’t Xuan Zhaoci feel nothing but negativity?

 

Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, the Princess seemed to sense something. She glanced to the side and then slowly stood up.

 

Nan Qing followed her gaze.

 

A woman in magnificent robes, with a royal insignia hanging from her waist, was browsing the street with several servants. Nan Qing’s pupils constricted.

 

That was also a royal princess. Nan Qing didn’t know her rank, but she remembered her face vividly.

 

The day before yesterday, when she and Xuan Zhaoci were being toyed with by the Crown Princess and the Prince of Yan, and Xuan Zhaoci was cooperating with her to fake a heatstroke, Nan Qing had caught a glimpse of genuine concern and tension on this person’s face when the nobles surrounded them.

 

However, it was difficult to judge the relationship between this woman and Xuan Zhaoci.

 

Xuan Hengyan had brought those royal daughters and princesses to watch the “show” specifically to bully and mock Xuan Zhaoci. Since this princess was among them and hadn’t spoken up for Xuan Zhaoci, it appeared she stood on Xuan Hengyan’s side.

 

Yet, she clearly harbored some degree of concern for Xuan Zhaoci.

 

Nan Qing propped up her upper body, watching the two of them inconspicuously.

 

To her surprise, the woman merely glanced at Xuan Zhaoci before withdrawing her gaze and continuing her shopping as usual.

 

It wasn’t until she was dragged to the pavilion in the fields that Nan Qing was still pondering Xuan Zhaoci’s interpersonal relationships, completely forgetting that Xuan Zhaoci had promised to tell her a childhood story.

 

“Highness, which princess was that we ran into at the entrance of Tianxiang Pavilion?”

 

“The Seventh Princess, title Ning’an.”

 

“Princess Ning’an…” Nan Qing repeated in a low voice, chin in hand, quickly scanning the plot in her mind with a pensive expression.

 

In Dong He’s eyes, the Fuma wasn’t even looking at her own Princess, but was instead fixated on another; her anger flared instantly.

 

“Princess Ning’an is already betrothed! The Fuma must strictly observe the virtues of a consort. The Fifth Fuma is Princess Qinghe’s Fuma; by constantly mentioning others like this, where do you place my Highness? My Highness is your wife!”

 

Nan Qing couldn’t find a match for Princess Ning’an in the original plot. She had just snapped back to reality only to be met with a face full of scolding, leaving her a bit dazed: “Huh?”

 

“Please do not play deaf and mute, Fuma. You must be single-minded toward my Highness.”

 

“Then is your Highness single-minded toward me?”

 

The air suddenly turned silent.

 

Nan Qing swore she only said it because her tongue was moving faster than her brain; the words hadn’t been processed at all.

 

“Is the Fuma worthy?” Dong He glared at her fiercely.

 

Nan Qing couldn’t see Xuan Zhaoci’s expression, only that the woman took a step back, maintaining a posture of clear aversion and dislike.

 

Nan Qing: “…”

 

“Highness, I was merely wondering about the relationship between you and Princess Ning’an.”

 

A direct hit.

 

Xuan Zhaoci seemed not to have expected such a blunt question. Her body tensed up immediately into a highly defensive posture.

 

If Nan Qing could have looked up further, she would have seen Xuan Zhaoci’s tightly pursed lips and displeased expression, which would have allowed her to make a preliminary judgment on the relationship between the two princesses.

 

Unfortunately, she couldn’t see. Xuan Zhaoci’s defensive posture didn’t last long before she relaxed again, becoming once more impeccable.

 

Her gentle voice spoke softly: “I am Princess Ning’an’s Imperial Sister, and Ning’an is my Imperial Sister.”

 

“Strange, the Fuma didn’t hit her head yesterday, so why…?”

 

The end of the sentence trailed off long. Nan Qing, who had just been politely called brain-damaged: “…”

 

She wasn’t annoyed, however. With a light chuckle, she used her hands to pull against the ground, and the cart rumbled toward the narrow path between the fields.

 

After a few steps, A-Xiang moved to the front to pull the cart for her, saving Nan Qing the effort.

 

The three acres enclosed in the middle were to be harvested first; the System upgrade depended solely on these three acres.

 

Nan Qing directed A-Xiang toward that area, repeatedly reminding her not to touch the vegetables.

 

The cart rumbled into the field ridges. The ridges of the demonstration fields were wider than those in common fields; the wheels fit perfectly without damaging the crops, and the height of the board was just right—she wondered which genius had designed this.

 

Lying on the cart, she kept her head level, watching both sides simultaneously. She held a very thin knife in each hand, cutting the vegetables on either side of her body with extreme speed.

 

The knives rose and the vegetables fell. Green vegetable juice stained the sharp blades, glistening under the sunlight.

 

The System’s harvest announcements rang out continuously.

 

Detected Harvest: Youmai Greens *1. Distance to System upgrade is…

 

From an aerial view, one figure stood while the other lay flat, moving with great regularity through the narrow paths of the lush green fields.

 

Starting from the bottom-left of the enclosure, they moved all the way up to the top-left end, then turned into the next narrow path to the right, repeating the process.

 

With every ridge they traversed, they could harvest half of the crops on the mounds to their left and right. It wasn’t until the green on the left half of the enclosure had turned completely into earthy brown that the morning’s harvest ended.

 

Nan Qing’s entire back had been evenly toasted by the sun, and her dripping sweat soaked the cooling mat beneath her. She watched the maids finish loading the harvested vegetables onto the wagons before finally returning to the pavilion with a sense of relief.

 

Naturally, she was “wheeled” back to the pavilion while lying on the cart.

 

The chilled breeze blew in instantly, drying the sweat on her back. Nan Qing lay on the cool stone bench, squinting her eyes in comfort as her exhaustion melted away.

 

“Highness, I’m hungry.”

 

Under the blazing sun, the Fuma lay on the bench with a carefree and uninhibited air, one arm hanging off the side, her back relaxed and defenseless.

 

Sweat rolled off her wheat-colored skin, following the lines of her strong forearm, passing her fingertips, and falling to the ground, creating a dark stain.

 

Xuan Zhaoci’s gaze felt scorched, and she quickly looked away.

 

The churning sensation in her stomach arrived late.

 

The Fuma was, to her, a person of extreme contradictions.

 

On one hand, she loathed the original version intensely; on the other hand, she harbored a strong curiosity toward this current version.

 

Xuan Zhaoci took an imperceptible breath and signaled A-Xiang to bring food to Nan Qing.

 

After A-Xiang went to the side, the wind somehow began to blow harder.

 

She glanced at Dong He.

 

The arc of Dong He’s fan grew wider, her face full of concern.

 

Xuan Zhaoci pursed her lips: “Dong He, lighter.”

 

“Highness, I cannot be light. You were flushed from the heat just now; if I fan harder, you’ll feel better soon.”

 

Xuan Zhaoci suddenly realized something and reached up to touch her earlobe.

 

Her ear was burning.

 

She instinctively looked toward the Fuma. The woman was eating her vegetables heartily; her manner of eating was uninhibited but not uncouth on the contrary, it had a crisp, neat beauty to it.

 

Contentment was written all over that refined face. The Fuma ate mindlessly, completely unaware of what was being said over here. Xuan Zhaoci let out a sigh of relief.

 

Under Dong He’s service, Xuan Zhaoci also began to eat slowly and methodically.

 

Each dish on the table was only slightly diminished; Princess Qinghe’s appetite was roughly that much. Dong He lowered her voice: “Highness, is that the Prince of Yan in the distance?”

 

Xuan Zhaoci looked up: “It is. I have finished eating.”

 

Dong He hurried to offer a silk handkerchief and then presented clear tea. Not long after they had tidied up, the group in the distance reached the pavilion and stopped.

 

Leading them on a fine steed was Xuan Hengyan. She wore the robes of an Imperial Daughter, waving a fan and tilting her head slightly as if waiting for something.

 

Xuan Zhaoci bowed in greeting: “Second Imperial Sister.”

 

Nan Qing, forced to turn around and salute before she had finished her meal: “Second Imperial Sister.”

 

“Mhm.” Xuan Hengyan dismounted. Her amber eyes, identical to Xuan Zhaoci’s, swept over Nan Qing.

 

In the pavilion, Nan Qing and Xuan Zhaoci were separated by two tables. Xuan Hengyan deliberately chose to sit in the space between them. She sat with her back to her younger sister, looking at Nan Qing.

 

Nan Qing looked directly back at her without any hesitation.

 

“I heard that the Fifth Fuma beat over a hundred servants for the sake of my Fifth Sister?”

 

“They insulted Her Highness Qinghe and offended the dignity of the Imperial Family. They deserved to be beaten, did they not?”

 

The two stared intensely at one another, neither willing to miss even the slightest change in the other’s expression.

 

“Ah…” Xuan Hengyan sighed softly. “The Fifth Fuma and my Sister Qinghe truly share a deep, harmonious love.”

 

It was incredibly sarcastic.

 

Nan Qing was not to be outdone. Even lying on the board, her aura did not falter.

 

“Naturally. A wife and her consort should treat each other with mutual respect and support. My union with Her Highness Qinghe is a blessing earned through a hundred years of crossing in the same boat and a thousand years of sharing the same pillow. This is a fortune I have cultivated over many lifetimes.”

 

“As a consort, I must naturally prioritize my wife in all things to love Her Highness, protect Her Highness, and ensure she is not insulted by others.”

 

The more she spoke, the worse Xuan Hengyan’s expression became. Nan Qing added the final blow: “Does the Prince of Yan’s consort not love and protect you?”

 

Her brows were arched, filled with provocation.

 

“Presumptuous! I am the Lord of the Yan Fiefdom; why would I need my consort to protect me!” Xuan Hengyan roared in anger.

 

She’s provoked. This is working.

 

Nan Qing put on an expression that was four parts disdain, three parts nonchalance, and three parts mockery: “Oh, I see.”

 

Xuan Hengyan was fuming, her chest heaving beneath her luxurious garments. She lowered her voice: “Nan Qing!”

 

“I am here. Forgive me, for I am unwell and cannot.”

 

“Second Imperial Sister.”

 

Xuan Zhaoci, who had been watching the scene from the side, walked over to Nan Qing’s side at some point and covered Nan Qing’s mouth with her palm.

 

Nan Qing’s lips brushed against the palm. The warm, soft touch made Xuan Zhaoci’s heart skip a beat.

 

Her stomach immediately churned with unbearable nausea. Contradiction, entanglement, and struggle surged up simultaneously. Her body felt as if the two versions of the Fuma were fighting inside her; the feeling of being split apart threatened to tear her asunder, and she was tormented by the pain.

 

The color drained from her face, but she forced herself to stay upright.

 

“It is my fault for not educating the Fuma well. For the Fuma to be so presumptuous as to talk back to Second Sister is the Fuma’s fault, and even more so mine.”

 

“Heh, you certainly protect your Fuma.”

 

“Just as the Fuma said, we share a deep and sincere affection. The Fuma comes from a rural background and hasn’t learned the rules properly; that is indeed my responsibility.”

 

“But I have been offended. Qinghe, how do you plan to resolve this?” Xuan Hengyan looked at Xuan Zhaoci leisurely, her eyes full of mockery and sarcasm.

 

Xuan Zhaoci pursed her lips. Enduring her discomfort, her gaze fell upon a certain part of Nan Qing.

 

Xuan Hengyan lightly waved her folding fan: “I think, Qinghe, your suggestion is quite appropriate.”

 

Nan Qing felt two scorching gazes sweep across her buttocks. Alarm bells rang frantically in her heart.

 

Holding her breath, she once again squeezed her gluteal muscles tight.

Nan Qing: Beaten again? (Crumbling face emoji)