Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 104

Watching the young girl lose herself in joy, Qi Mingyan let a soft smile play on her lips before turning to head back into her room.

“Still staring at it like a fool? You didn’t even say thank you.” Seeing Shisong only caring for her precious blade, Shi Niang shook her head in exasperation and walked over to give her a playful swat on the back of the head.

“Ah! Thank you, Military Counselor—where did she go?” Shisong snapped back to reality, looking up only to find Qi Mingyan nowhere in sight.

Shi Niang couldn’t help but chuckle. “Stop looking; she went inside ages ago.” She poked Shisong’s forehead. “The Counselor wasn’t angry with you. Does she look like someone holding a grudge?”

To Shi Niang, it didn’t seem like Qi Mingyan was angry at all; in fact, she seemed to treat Shisong quite well. Shisong covered her forehead, her mouth hanging open, but she found no words. She didn’t quite understand why the Counselor had been upset, nor why she had stopped being so. But regardless, it was a good thing; the Counselor was still kind to her.

Tracing her name on the scabbard, Shisong beamed. “Shi Niang, I’m going to sleep.”

Shi Niang smiled, bid goodnight to Yu Lu and the others, and retired as well. Outside, a sudden silence fell, and the night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, Yun Chi woke groarily to the sound of a door opening. She reached out, finding the spot beside her cold; Ye Xuejin must have just stepped out. By the time Yun Chi had finished dressing and washing up, Ye Xuejin returned. Shushi followed behind her, placed breakfast on the table, and quietly exited.

“Consort, eat quickly,” Ye Xuejin said, sitting at the table and looking softly at Yun Chi.

“Mm.”

They ate their breakfast in peaceful silence. When Ye Xuejin set down her chopsticks, she looked directly at Yun Chi. “Consort, we must visit Mingyan before we depart.”

It took Yun Chi a moment to realize what they were going for. Ye Xuejin had explained it to her last night—before they slept, they had cooperated to earn a significant amount of “rewards” from the system.

Soon, everyone gathered outside. They watched as Yun Chi and Ye Xuejin entered Qi Mingyan’s room, staying for a short while before emerging. Qi Mingyan stood behind them, cupping her hands in a far-off salute as she watched the group depart.

Afterward, she turned her attention to the twelve noblewomen left behind. Though the women said nothing and tried to remain composed, the emotions in their eyes were plain to see: frustration and a sense of loss.

Qi Mingyan gestured for Lu Shang to step forward. “What are your orders, Counselor?”

“Follow me inside to collect some items,” Qi Mingyan said calmly.

Lu Shang followed her in and saw two strange-looking backpacks on the floor. Qi Mingyan had her take one while she carried the other. Once outside, she set the bags at her feet and looked at the women.

“I know there is resentment in your hearts,” Qi Mingyan said, her voice measured. “I know you are holding your breath, wanting to prove your worth. I know this, and so does Her Highness.”

The women’s expressions shifted, moved by her words but still tinged with regret. So what if they know? We’re still the ones staying behind.

Qi Mingyan observed their faces and suddenly smiled. “Come forward and receive your weapons.”

Weapons? The women were stunned. They approached, full of confusion.

“These are repeating crossbows,” Qi Mingyan explained. “They can fire ten bolts in rapid succession. Each bolt has a range of over a hundred meters, with power no less than that of a heavy siege crossbow. Her Highness specifically entreated the immortal to bestow these divine artifacts upon you. She hopes you will become a hidden strike force—one that remains unseen until the most critical moment.”

Qi Mingyan’s voice was like a clear spring, sounding like divine music to the women’s ears. The Princess and the Counselor didn’t think they were weak! They were being entrusted with a heavy responsibility! The Princess had even asked the immortal for artifacts on their behalf!

They were the Princess’s secret battalion—the hidden backbone!

The surprise was so sudden that they forgot to speak. They received the repeating crossbows in a daze, standing in place and staring at Qi Mingyan as if fearing they had misheard. Qi Mingyan’s smile remained as her tone grew even gentler. “Come, I shall practice with you. If there is anything you do not understand, feel free to ask.”

Just moments ago, the Princess and the Consort had shown her how to use them. The women finally snapped out of their shock and crowded around Qi Mingyan to learn.

On the other side, the main group had reached the official highway. Following the previous night’s plan, they deployed into their positions. Occasionally, travelers would pass by, but they were so intimidated by the group’s “death-defying” aura that they didn’t dare approach, taking long detours to avoid them.

As noon approached, a fast horse came galloping toward them.

“Your Highness, Governor-Secretary Zhu Yan has led his men out of the city. By my rough count, there are about a thousand of them,” Yu Lu reported, dismounting and kneeling on one knee.

Ye Xuejin’s eyes sharpened. A thousand men? Master Zhu certainly showed them a great deal of “respect.”

“Rise. Wait with me,” she ordered.

The group fell silent again, everyone on high alert—except for Shi Niang and a few other girls. They noticed that Shizhu was missing. They hadn’t seen her since the morning assembly. Suddenly, they exchanged knowing glances, their faces filled with anticipation.

When the sun reached its zenith, the people they were waiting for finally appeared. On the road a hundred meters away, soldiers in iron armor appeared, a black mass that seemed to stretch forever.

“My Lord, there are people blocking the road ahead,” the adjutant whispered.

Zhu Yan shot his strategist a look, thinking to himself that he wasn’t blind. Before he could decide whether to charge or when to move, he saw two female figures—one in red and one in blue—leading the way, walking toward them first.

Zhu Yan immediately commanded, “Archers, ready!”

He didn’t believe in “immortal manifestations,” but it was a fact that Old Zhang and Commander Chen had vanished, along with dozens of guards and city soldiers—leaving neither bodies nor traces. Having controlled Yangzhou City from the shadows for years, he was not a reckless man. After receiving the imperial decree, he had questioned the gate guards thoroughly.

From that, he confirmed two things: the exiles possessed an artifact that could topple enemies at a touch, and their opponents lost their weapons and armor the moment they charged. Because of this, Zhu Yan had brought a full thousand men. His life was precious, and his lifestyle was luxurious; he couldn’t afford a single mistake.

As the exile group drew closer, Zhu Yan slowly raised his hand. He felt a surge of excitement; while crushing ants might not be a challenge, the feeling of absolute power was intoxicating. Seeing his hand rise, the soldiers drew their bows to full tension.

At that moment, following Ye Xuejin’s prior instructions, Yu Lu shouted at the top of his lungs, “Governor-Secretary Zhu, wait! Look at the war flag behind you!”

As the words left his mouth, a sharp arrow whistled through the air, piercing the forehead of the flag-bearer. Zhu Yan was horrified, reflexively pulling his reins to retreat.

“An ambush!”

The arrow had come from the front left. Even the exile group looked surprised—who was helping them? Or had the immortal acted?

Then, Yu Lu shouted again, “Governor-Secretary Zhu, Her Highness gives you only three breaths. If you do not lower your arrows, you are next!”

“Three!” “Two!”

“Lower the arrows!” Zhu Yan barked, frowning as he signaled his strategist. The strategist understood, discreetly making hand signals to the rear. Unseen by the exiles, dozens of soldiers began to slip away, circling around to search the area to the left.

Only then did Zhu Yan steady his nerves, shouting, “This official is here on imperial decree to capture rebels! Surrender now!”

On the exiles’ side, everyone waited for Ye Xuejin’s command. She smiled faintly; this Governor-Secretary was indeed terrified of death. Just as Mingyan had analyzed, men like Zhu Yan—who lived like local kings in high positions—valued their lives above all else. Otherwise, his first instinct wouldn’t have been to retreat, nor would he have been so easily shaken.

This made things simple.

Ye Xuejin looked at Yun Chi with a glint of interest. “Consort, are you willing to step forward with me?”

Yun Chi nodded. “Of course.”

Ye Xuejin’s smile deepened as she took Yun Chi’s hand and walked forward.

“Your Highness!” “Everyone stay in position.”

Ye Xuejin didn’t look back. She gave the order calmly and continued walking. Zhu Yan’s face darkened, his heart racing with tension. He didn’t dare move, fearing the arrow from the shadows would find his own head. After all, the flag-bearer had been wearing a helmet, yet it had been pierced clean through. He had a bright future ahead of him and refused to gamble with his life.

But as he watched the red and blue figures approach, his panic only intensified.

“Stop!” Zhu Yan gritted his teeth and raised his hand again.