Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 102

At the time, Zhou Wu had felt something was amiss. However, since Zhou Qishan was the young master and he was merely a servant whose words carried little weight, he hadn’t dared to voice his doubts. Consequently, he hadn’t given it much deeper thought.

Recalling it now, he was struck by the true nature of the problem. That night, Zhou Qishan had been far too abnormal.

As a servant of the Zhou house, Zhou Wu’s heart had hammered against his ribs when he overheard those thugs; he had been worried to death about what was to come. Yet, Zhou Qishan had not only failed to take any action, but he had even stopped someone when they suggested sending word to warn the others.

Granted, the Grand Princess had the protection of “the immortal,” but the group of women ahead included the elderly Madam Zhou, Zhou Qiyue, and little Ying’er.

In hindsight, even Zhou Qishan’s later excuses—claiming he trusted the immortal’s protection, or that telling the truth would only distress Her Highness and tarnish the reputations of the noblewomen—rang hollow.

Whether an immortal was watching over them or not, word should have been sent regardless. What if? What if the immortal hadn’t intervened? Even if he didn’t care for the Princess, how could Zhou Qishan not worry for his own mother, his sister, and his daughter?

As for the claim that it would “distress Her Highness” or “affect their reputations,” it now sounded to Zhou Wu like nothing more than a string of lies. Shivers ran down his spine. Zhou Qishan was far too ruthless, far too cold-blooded. Whatever his ultimate goal was, a man should never remain so indifferent in his roles as a son, a brother, and a father.

Listening to Zhou Wu’s account, Ye Xuejin showed no surprise. She had sensed something wrong that night, but everything had been based on conjecture, which could not serve as proof. It was precisely because of those past suspicions that her resolve to stop relying on the Zhou family had solidified when her doubts resurfaced this morning.

Zhou Wu’s words undoubtedly confirmed that her suspicions were not unfounded.

Ye Xuejin frowned for a moment, her eyes darkening. “Zhou Wu, what were your primary duties in the Zhou household? Do you possess any particular skills?”

The man was relatively clever and understood the wisdom of “a fine bird choosing a sturdy branch to perch upon.” His conduct differed from the other Zhou men; he possessed a certain level of courage. He might be worth entrusting with some responsibility.

Zhou Wu’s heart leaped. Suppressing his excitement, he replied, “To answer Your Highness: I was born into the Zhou family as a domestic servant. Fortunately, my father was the Zhou family steward and wished for me to learn some skills. I have practiced martial arts since childhood and served as a guard for the estate once I grew up. Thus, my combat skills are passable.”

Ye Xuejin nodded. “I have a task to entrust to you now…”

“Yes! This subordinate shall not fail his mission!” Zhou Wu answered loudly. He turned and sprinted toward the mines.

The Princess had ordered him to summon the Zhou family while secretly keeping a close eye on the Old Master and the Young Master. What did this imply? It meant that in the Princess’s heart, he was more trustworthy than those dozen or so other Zhou family members. He was determined to handle this task flawlessly and never let Her Highness down.

As Zhou Wu ran, the wind whistled past his ears—a sound that matched the ambitious spirit of a young man striving for advancement.

This time, Yun Chi understood without needing to ask, as similar events had occurred before. “You plan to make use of Zhou Qishan?”

Ye Xuejin gave a faint smile. “One could call it ‘using the enemy’s strength against them.'”

To keep a “nail” right under one’s eyes where it can be watched, only to pull it out at the perfect moment—utilizing the enemy’s own chess piece to its limit before acting—was the superior strategy.

However, there were certain matters that still needed to be clarified. Ye Xuejin looked toward Qi Mingyan, took Yun Chi’s hand, and walked over.

“Your Highness,” Qi Mingyan said, bowing in greeting.

“Your Highness,” Shisong added, following closely behind her.

Ye Xuejin looked at Qi Mingyan and said warmly, “Mingyan, there is something I wish to ask you.”

She had originally thought the Zhou family’s affairs were private and that she shouldn’t interfere. But Zhou Wu’s words had reminded her: if there was a problem with Zhou Qishan, then the Zhou family’s “private affairs” likely held a greater significance.

Qi Mingyan’s expression shifted slightly. Lowering her eyes, she asked, “Your Highness, might we speak in private?”

Before Ye Xuejin could answer, Yun Chi reflexively let go of her hand. “You two go inside and talk. I’ll chat with Shisong.”

Ye Xuejin gave her a soft, appreciative look, accepting the arrangement, and led Qi Mingyan into the room.

As the door closed, Yun Chi let out a low sigh and grabbed a stool to sit on. Alas, she thought, some gossip is simply not meant to be heard.

Shisong sat directly on the stone steps nearby and mirrored her sigh. The young girl’s brow was knit tight, her face a picture of misery.

Amused, Yun Chi asked, “Shisong, what are you so gloomy about?”

Shisong rubbed her forehead vigorously. “I think I’ve made the Military Counselor angry. She is the best person I’ve ever met. If she stops wanting to talk to me, I’ll feel miserable just thinking about it. Prince Consort, what should I do? I really love listening to her talk. I’ve already apologized, but she said I did nothing wrong—yet she told me to mind my manners in the future…”

Sister Shushi had told her she said something wrong, but no matter how much she thought about it, Shisong couldn’t figure out which sentence it was.

Yun Chi raised an eyebrow. She wondered why she had ever thought this girl was quiet; this rambling was the mark of a true chatterbox. “Actually, you might really be in the right.”

Shisong blurted out, “Then whose fault is it? It can’t be the Military Counselor’s fault!”

Yun Chi laughed. “The Military Counselor is not in the wrong either, of course.”

Shisong grew even more frustrated. “Then who is?”

Yun Chi raised her hand, signaling Shisong to sit closer. She hesitated for a moment, feeling it was a bit inappropriate to gossip behind someone’s back. After a moment of thought, she said earnestly, “The Military Counselor simply wants to maintain a certain distance from you. You shouldn’t be too familiar in your speech or actions. That is the only way you can continue to get along well.”

Ye Xuejin had said Qi Mingyan was “once bitten, twice shy.” Combined with what Shisong had said earlier, this was likely what she meant. They could be friendly, but not too close.

Shisong looked at her blankly. “Why does the Military Counselor want to keep her distance? Why can’t I be close to her?”

Yun Chi fell silent for a moment, then patted the girl’s head, smoothing down a stray lock of hair. “That is an excellent question. Don’t ask it again.”

She didn’t know why either; she was only guessing, and she didn’t want to say the wrong thing.

Shisong: “…”

Having reached the end of that conversation, the two sat with their chins in their hands, looking bored as they stared at the third living person outside. Su Da woke up in a daze, only to see two people staring at him like predators. His eyes immediately rolled back into his head, and he chose to go back to being unconscious.

As the sun began to set in the west, the sound of hoofbeats approached. Shushi had returned. Behind her followed Shi Niang, Shi Lan, Yu Lu, and five official guards.

“Subordinates pay their respects to the Prince Consort.” The group dismounted and bowed in unison to Yun Chi.

Yun Chi straightened her back, adopting a composed manner. “Her Highness is currently discussing matters with the Military Counselor. Please wait out here for a moment.”

“Yes.” The group looked around and, following Shisong’s example, sat down on the stone steps.

Shi Niang and Shi Lan sat on either side of Shisong, looking her up and down. “You’ve grown taller, and you look a bit sturdier too,” Shi Niang said with a smile, ruffling Shisong’s hair.

Shisong took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Nonsense. We’ve only been apart for a day.”

Shi Lan, being more observant, noticed the forced smile and asked softly, “Shisong, are you unhappy?”

At those words, Shisong’s smile vanished completely. Shi Niang’s expression sharpened as she asked quickly, “What happened?”

Shisong sighed again. “It’s nothing, really. I just made the Military Counselor angry.”

At the mention of the “Military Counselor,” not only did Shi Niang and Shi Lan look at her, but even Yu Lu and the others turned their heads. On the way back, they had heard from Shushi that the Princess had found a strategist named Qi Mingyan, whom Her Highness held in high regard.

Shi Niang subconsciously glanced at Yun Chi, who was lost in thought nearby, and asked carefully, “How did you offend the Military Counselor? Did she punish you? Did Her Highness?”

Was this counselor easy to get along with? How exactly did the Princess value her?

Shisong didn’t catch the subtext; she answered literally. “I don’t know the reason. Anyway, I just made her angry. She didn’t blame me, and the Princess didn’t blame me either.”

Shi Niang and Shi Lan exchanged a look.

They shouldn’t have held such high expectations for Shisong. This girl was too simple-minded; if they didn’t ask a very specific question, she would never get to the point.

Shi Niang thought for a moment and tried a different approach. “If you don’t know the reason, why do you think you made her angry?”

Shisong replied honestly, “Because the Military Counselor looked unhappy, and she told me to watch my manners.”

Shi Niang asked again, “How were you not watching your manners?”

“I don’t know. But since she said it, I must have been lacking them.”

Shi Niang let out a soft breath, trying to stay calm. Forget it, she thought. I shouldn’t have asked.

Seeing Shi Niang lose her patience, Shi Lan took Shisong’s arm and said patiently, “It seems the Military Counselor didn’t tell you the reason either. In that case, don’t overthink it. Just try to be happy.”