Transmigrated as the Princess's Scummy Wife - Chapter 4

That a mere commoner could possess such exquisite culinary skills was unexpected.

The savory, fresh, and sweet flowering bok choy left a lingering aftertaste; had it been paired with a bit of steamed rice, it would have been pure bliss. These blue-bloods were accustomed to the complex and delicate dishes of the Imperial Kitchen, but they could also appreciate the simple fare of the common people. To them, while beauty and presentation were good, the most important thing was the flavor.

The group set down their chopsticks. Personal maids stepped forward to offer clear tea and clean silk kerchiefs. They took small sips of tea, wiped their lips, and exchanged glances, all seeing the same lingering desire in each other’s eyes.

This dish was virtually flawless; they could find no fault with the Fifth Consort. Thus, they all turned their gazes toward Xuan Hengyan.

Xuan Hengyan snorted coldly: “The Fifth Consort should go back and practice more.”

Everyone else: “…”

To be fair, this dish by the Fifth Consort was superior to the skills of the master chefs in the Imperial Kitchen.

Nan Qing was speechless. If it weren’t for the fact that the Second Imperial Daughter’s plate had been cleared faster than anyone else’s, Nan Qing might have actually believed that lie. But as a lowly Fifth Consort, she could only pretend not to notice.

“Yes. Upon returning to the manor, I shall certainly devote myself to studying the culinary arts and serve Highness Qinghe with all my heart.”

“Consort.”

Just as Xuan Zhaoci was mentioned, she “woke up.” Nan Qing leaned in, her hand reaching out to help her up, but she suddenly smelled the heavy scent of oil smoke on her own body. Her reaching hand retracted awkwardly mid-air.

Strange. The oil smell hadn’t just appeared now; why had she only just noticed it?

Xuan Zhaoci caught the movement of the hand extending and retracting. Her eyelids lowered slightly, her thoughts unknown.

“Qinghe, you’re awake? Do you feel better? Perhaps the Fifth Consort should make you an afternoon refreshment to cool you down.” Xuan Hengyan spoke words of concern, but her eyes were narrowed, projecting an air of careless indifference.

Although the idea of stir-fried greens to “cool down” was bizarre, Xuan Zhaoci complied. Nan Qing fired up the stove for another quick stir-fry. In the blink of an eye, an exquisite plate was placed before Xuan Zhaoci. She had no maid, so Nan Qing was the one to arrange the presentation.

As Xuan Zhaoci tasted it, a flash of amazement crossed her eyes.

Watching the slight curve of her eyes, Nan Qing knew that this ancient-world Best Actress was about to start her performance. Tears shimmered in her eyes, the corners of her lids twitched slightly, and even that beautiful red mole seemed to radiate a sense of being overwhelmed by favor. Her gentle voice was pitiful: “My thanks to the Consort.”

Humble yet retaining the noble pride of a princess she truly deserved the title of Best Actress.

Compared to the naturally gifted Princess, Nan Qing was a technical actress trained in the academy. She measured her performance carefully, putting on a facade that was respectful on the surface but held a trace of disdain and irritability underneath, ensuring the royals could see her “displeasure” at a glance.

“The Princess is the sovereign; serving Your Highness is the duty of a subject.” Anyone hearing this would find it dripping with sarcasm.

Xuan Hengyan added a slow, pointed remark: “Today is the fifteenth; Qinghe can certainly enjoy her fill.”

It was a double entendre. The princesses covered their mouths and giggled, while the fourteen-year-old Xuan Zhewen scratched her head in confusion.

Xuan Zhaoci felt sickened. Recalling Nan Qing’s previous actions, she felt like spitting out the food she had just eaten. She didn’t know if this person mentioning “tonight is the fifteenth” while she was “unconscious” was to distract the crowd or if she truly meant it.

In the ten days since their marriage, Nan Qing had indeed harmed her countless times. Even if this person had been more settled over the past two days, Xuan Zhaoci still felt she was up to something. One cannot know a person’s heart; despite trying to trust Nan Qing just now as they worked together to fool the crowd, she still felt nauseated by this person, her loathing undiminished.

Nan Qing was unaware of Xuan Zhaoci’s internal monologue. She only wanted to get rid of the “plague gods” in the pavilion as quickly as possible, and she was getting better at the acting. She raised an eyebrow and twisted her mouth, her eyes widening in a slightly distorted way, perfectly portraying an impatient lecher.

Xuan Zhaoci truly felt sick with disgust.

“By the grace of Second Highness’s words, the Crown Princess’s gold ring has been found. May I consider this an account settled with Her Highness?”

“The Fifth Consort is confused. This was found by my (this King’s) maid.”

Nan Qing: “Indeed. I saw it too. It was indeed Second Highness’s maid who found it inside the iceberg lettuce.”

“I saw it as well,” the princesses chimed in one after another. Xuan Zhewen also said, “I saw it too; it was Second Royal Sister’s maid, Ruohe, who found it.”

The credit for finding the gold ring was successfully attributed to the Second Imperial Daughter. Xuan Hengyan didn’t want to stay any longer and left with her entourage, glancing at Nan Qing before she departed.

Nan Qing was baffled by the look. What does the Second Imperial Daughter mean? That’s twice she’s looked at me strangely.

System, she called out in her mind.

Please issue a command, Host.

Did you miss part of the plot?

Plot Summary: …

The system repeated the plot summary it had given her when she first transmigrated two days ago. As a trained actor, Nan Qing had a strong memory for stories. She re-checked the summary and confirmed she hadn’t missed anything.

But that was strange. Why did all the major characters seem different from their descriptions in the summary? Were specific details only given after an upgrade, or were they not given at all?

Will upgrading the system unlock more plot details? she pressed.

No.

It seemed she wouldn’t be able to learn the “true” side of the major characters anytime soon. Afraid of being killed by the system, she had spent the last two days focused entirely on the vegetable fields, managing to understand all the crops the original owner had planted in the shortest time possible.

Her understanding of the original owner’s relationships was limited to that one block of text. Today’s incident with the lost ring served as a reminder: besides the system, there were people who wanted her dead. If the Crown Princess’s ring hadn’t been found, the vegetable containing it would have entered the palace or the Qinghe Manor; framing Nan Qing for a crime would have been all too easy.

Considering this, she had acted on a whim to stir-fry vegetables during “afternoon tea.” She had bet correctly and escaped a disaster—the ring had indeed been inside the lettuce.

Now, all the major characters were deviating from the personas given by the system. This was supposed to be a tragic script centered around the Xuan Dynasty’s Fifth Princess, Xuan Zhaoci. Xuan Zhaoci was born frail and sickly but was exceptionally talented; she married down to the farming-expert Nan Qing only to help her mother govern the nation, even though her mother initially ignored and disfavored her. Her initiatives laid a solid foundation for the Xuan Dynasty’s golden age.

Unexpectedly, the Consort was a brute who frequently abused the Princess. Frail Princess Qinghe died tragically at the hands of her spouse before she could witness the golden age she helped build. She was a beacon of hope for the people, yet she died suddenly in an unhappy marriage.

In Nan Qing’s modern world, technology was highly advanced, and marriage rates were at an all-time low. It was normal for the civil affairs bureau to have no visitors all day. Marriage was no longer the mainstream; people sought absolute personal freedom. Because of the economic base, films about this topic were endless. Nan Qing only knew that the neighboring film crew was a major production, having invited the world-renowned “Grand Slam” Best Actress, Xuan Qinghe, to play the lead.

Only after transmigrating did she learn about the script, but a script is a script, and reality is reality. Xuan Zhaoci was indeed frail, but what was this about her being “gentle”!? That cold beauty only spoke gently; it was merely the quality of her voice. Who could explain why the Fifth Princess’s aura was so sharp and fierce? In the field, she looked like she wanted to kill someone. That such a fierce princess could be bullied by a scumbag was simply preposterous.

Then there was the Second Imperial Daughter. If one didn’t pay close attention, she fit the “power-hungry” persona, but the two looks she gave Nan Qing were too bizarre, as if the profitless original owner and the Second Imperial Daughter were acquaintances. The Crown Princess was strange too; the plot description said she was an exceptionally tolerant and reasonable heir who treated her sisters and subjects with sincerity. Yet, the reality was the Crown Princess intentionally framing the Fifth Princess and her Consort.

If it hadn’t been for the crowd of witnesses and Nan Qing successfully designing a situation where a maid peeled open the lettuce in public, they would have fallen straight into a trap.

Furthermore, there were two others who were supposed to look down on Xuan Zhaoci like everyone else, yet Nan Qing noticed their unusual concern for her.

The more Nan Qing thought about it, the more her head ached. She looked at Princess Qinghe and described the characteristics of those two: “Can Your Highness tell me who those two Highnesses are?”

She saw Xuan Zhaoci instinctively shrink back, her face pale, her lips tightly pursed, and her hand clutching her lower abdomen, looking as if she were in great pain.

Nan Qing: “Your Highness, what is wrong?”

“Stay away from me.” Xuan Zhaoci felt only loathing and nausea. This scoundrel was indeed after her; the lecherous look she had directed at the Second Royal Sister earlier was simply grotesque. She could never submit to such a disgusting person. She felt sick just looking at her.

The Princess was highly refined; though her stomach was churning with nausea, she did not show it on her face. But Nan Qing was a professional at observing expressions. Worried about Xuan Zhaoci’s health, she leaned in to look, only for Xuan Zhaoci to cover her mouth, her throat moving and her eyes suddenly turning red.

It was a sign she was about to vomit.

Nan Qing quickly grabbed a clean bucket from the side and placed it before Xuan Zhaoci: “Your Highness, just vomit here. I will handle it.”

Xuan Zhaoci was in great distress, her body filled with nausea, but she did not want to show a weak and unrefined side before this disgusting person. Her face flushed as she endured, in extreme pain.

The churning in her stomach was finally suppressed with difficulty, but then the disgusting person leaned in again. Xuan Zhaoci no longer cared about maintaining her image and snapped: “Get away! I feel nauseous just looking at you.”

Nan Qing had no choice but to retreat outside the pavilion, feeling confused and a bit wronged. But there was no use arguing with a sick person; she quickly regained her composure and watched the other woman’s condition closely.

The nausea seemed real, but she had never heard of a condition where looking at a person caused vomiting; that reason could be ruled out. The Princess hadn’t felt nauseous during the heatstroke earlier, so external causes were also basically ruled out.

Could it be… could it be morning sickness!?

Nan Qing’s eyes widened. The more she thought, the more it seemed logical. That scumbag original owner really had done every evil deed. Why couldn’t it be the scumbag who was pregnant? Why did it have to be the frail Princess? Nan Qing was full of worry. Regardless of whether Xuan Zhaoci tried to drive her away, she leaned in and said patiently:

“Your Highness, this is morning sickness. You need rest. I will help you back to the manor.”

Xuan Zhaoci looked up, her gaze sharp enough to kill as she glared at her.

Nan Qing: If you’re pregnant, you can’t have crawfish tonight.

Xuan Zhaoci: ???