Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 6

Zhou Qiyue was startled. She had just turned sixteen, was a delicately raised daughter meticulously groomed by her parents, and had never been in a disagreement with anyone before. Her stepping forward now was purely driven by a kind heart.

Therefore, she was momentarily at a loss for how to refute Yun Chi.

In her confusion, she instinctively looked toward Ye Xuejin.

She had met the Grand Princess before. The Grand Princess in her memory was noble and dignified, with a transcendent, ethereal temperament, making people feel hesitant to approach, as if even a slight closeness would be an offense.

The Grand Princess now, though clad in a prisoner’s uniform, still possessed striking beauty but was as fragile as thin paper, seemingly ready to tear at a touch.

Their eyes met, and Ye Xuejin shook her head gently at Zhou Qiyue. “Thank you, but please don’t trouble yourself, Miss Zhou.”

Her voice was hoarse, but her tone was firm, rejecting the kindness.

Zhou Qiyue felt a sudden pang of sadness. She turned her head, stiffening her neck, and said, “What kind of man bullies a woman? Woman, if you have the guts, fight me.”

Elder Minister Zhou sighed, motioned for his family to sit down, and decided to wait and see what happened.

Officer Yu Lu still showed no intention of stopping the fight, and the remaining officers, seeing his inaction, also chose to stand by.

The Grand Princess Ye Xuejin’s identity was delicate, and they were all well aware of it. Though they dared not mistreat her along the way, they also dared not openly assist her, especially since Yu Lu, the leader, had not spoken. They were even more reluctant to intervene.

While others planned to watch, Yun Chi felt that this was an opportunity not to be missed. The moment she heard Zhou Qiyue’s challenge, she immediately lunged forward. “Do you think I’m afraid of you?”

Let’s fight, she thought. It’s fine if I lose. Better yet, if I get injured a little myself, it will be easier to make excuses later.

Before anyone could react, the two instantly began wrestling.

“Scum woman!”

“Mind your own business!”

“I’ll fight you to the death!”

…

“Father, are we really not going to help Little Sister?” Zhou Qishan asked worriedly.

Elder Minister Zhou shook his head. “Let her be.”

They could barely ensure their own safety now, and his daughter was still thinking of standing up for justice; it was time for her to learn a lesson.

The rest of the Zhou family men heard this and suppressed their impatience.

Madam Zhou, seeing that her husband and son had not spoken, held her shivering granddaughter tight and did not get up to stop her daughter.

“Boss, are we really not going to intervene?” Zeng Laosan sidled up to Yu Lu, feigning concern.

Inwardly, he couldn’t help but curse Yun Chi for being incompetent. She was fighting fiercely with an irrelevant person instead of the one she was supposed to beat. A true waste.

Yu Lu frowned, took a sudden step forward, and forcefully raised the whip in his hand.

Crack! Crack! The whip landed on both Yun Chi and Zhou Qiyue.

In the midst of the sharp pain, the two could no longer focus on each other and separated, scrambling to dodge the whip.

Only then did Yu Lu say in a deep voice, “I will only say this once: anyone who dares to cause trouble on the road of exile should first consult with my whip.”

The implication was clear: the prisoners were forbidden to fight among themselves, or he would personally intervene.

Zhou Qiyue, having received a few lashes, couldn’t help but wail a few times and crawled toward Madam Zhou.

Madam Zhou quickly held her close, giving her a stern look.

A hint of surprise flashed in Elder Minister Zhou’s eyes, and he signaled to his wife not to speak.

Yun Chi was also very surprised. She hadn’t expected Yu Lu to use so much force; she was in terrible pain.

Ye Xuejin touched the trauma medicine in her sleeve. Because the two still needed to continue their act, she decided not to take it out after all.

Inside the shed, silence immediately fell.

Yun Chi finally looked at Zeng Laosan, thinking, This should be enough, right?

Zeng Laosan played with the whip in his hand, his expression unchanged, feigning the role of an outsider.

Seeing that he showed no sign of suspicion, Yun Chi couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. She walked to Ye Xuejin’s side, pulled her, and moved to a corner further inside.

“What are you staring at? Hurry up and apply the medicine for me.”

Ye Xuejin looked bewildered, then pursed her lips and produced the trauma medicine.

Yun Chi sat down facing inward, rolled up her sleeve, and exposed the wounds on her arm. Several had broken the skin, showing how much force Yu Lu had used.

She was utterly speechless.

Zeng Laosan wanted to harm Ye Xuejin, but she was the one who got beaten.

Yu Lu wanted to protect Ye Xuejin, but she was also the one who got beaten.

Whom did I provoke? I’m sandwiched here like a flatbread, with neither side treating me like a person, targeting only me for bullying.

Yu Lu’s eyes deepened. He hadn’t expected Yun Chi to still dare to boss Ye Xuejin around after being whipped, but he could only go so far and felt it was inappropriate to interfere further.

The only one in the room who felt satisfied was Zeng Laosan. He took back his earlier words; this beggar wasn’t entirely useless, perhaps only half useless.

The shed became quiet again, and soon, snoring sounds began to rise.

Ye Xuejin glanced at Zhou Qiyue, who was a few steps away, and tossed the remaining trauma medicine over to her.

Zhou Qiyue had been watching them all along and reached out in time to catch the white porcelain bottle.

Just then, Yun Chi tugged on Ye Xuejin.

Zhou Qiyue’s eyes instantly showed concern, as she watched Yun Chi half-forcefully, half-carefully pull Ye Xuejin into her arms.

“Cold.”

Hearing just that single word, Ye Xuejin complied.

She didn’t feel cold because the cotton shirt Yun Chi had given her was very warm.

Similarly, Yun Chi had given the cotton shirt to her instead of wearing it herself. Ye Xuejin couldn’t possibly push her away.

Moreover, they were already married. Regardless of whether they reached the place of exile or what the future held, they were each other’s consorts. Since this person had promised never to abandon her in times of adversity, it would be ungrateful for her to keep this person at arm’s length.

Finding one reason after another for herself, Ye Xuejin nestled obediently into Yun Chi’s embrace and heavily closed her eyes.

A look of confusion crossed Zhou Qiyue’s eyes. As she was momentarily lost in thought, someone tapped her head.

Madam Zhou lowered her voice and said, “Apply the medicine properly. If you ever call me ‘Mother’ again, don’t try to stand up for others in the future.”

Zhou Qiyue opened her mouth, then silently lowered her head.

In the middle of the night, a fierce wind suddenly arose, waking everyone.

Soon, the heavy rain poured down. Although the shed was built sturdily, wind and rain still managed to seep in.

Now, everyone was unable to sleep.

Many looked toward Yu Lu, thinking that this Officer Yu truly had some foresight to bring people to build the shed. Otherwise, facing such heavy rain, many people would certainly catch a cold.

Yun Chi looked at Ye Xuejin, who had turned at some point and was now facing her, and couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows.

She had initiated holding Ye Xuejin because the late autumn night was too cold.

Ye Xuejin’s eyes held confusion for a moment, and then her hand held something new.

It was the half-steamed bun and a pill.

‘Eat quickly,’ Yun Chi mouthed, urging her.

Ye Xuejin lowered her gaze, saying nothing, but a sudden pang of bitterness struck her heart.

She suddenly felt that she really could survive. On the day she was commanded to throw the embroidered ball, seeing it finally land in the hands of a beggar covered in filth, there was a moment when she wanted to back out.

But the appearance of the Emperor, who solemnly decreed the marriage, made her realize she had no choice.

So, no matter how embarrassing or disappointing, this person was her consort.

Fortunately, after being washed clean, this person had a rather refined appearance. Although her demeanor was timid, she was not unlikable.

At that time, she thought that since there was no other path, living a life of mutual respect like this would suffice.

However, she had underestimated the Emperor’s cruelty. In the end, she not only lacked the right to despise the marriage but also had to blame herself for implicating another person.

Up to this moment, she even began to feel fortunate that the embroidered ball had landed in Yun Chi’s arms.

Perhaps her Father and Mother, knowing from the afterlife, had sent this person to her side, telling her, “I will never abandon you on this journey,” “You must trust me,” “I will help you,” and “You will surely have your injustice redressed.”

The sound of these resolute words, like tough straw, forcefully wrapped around her despair, awakening her will to live…

After eating the steamed bun, Ye Xuejin looked up and saw the smile on Yun Chi’s lips.

It was warm, like the midday sun, brightening her heart.

Yun Chi smiled silently. The anti-inflammatory medicine could indeed earn a reward every time one pill was given.

[You have gifted one anti-inflammatory pill. Please choose a reward: One dagger or ten taels of silver]

Yun Chi pondered for a moment, then chose the silver this time.

She was unlike the original owner who truly beat, verbally abused, and humiliated Ye Xuejin under Zeng Laosan’s coercion. With the warm cotton shirt and the anti-inflammatory pills, Ye Xuejin’s injuries should slowly recover, and she wouldn’t catch a cold.

In that case, as long as they endured the next thirteen days, Ye Xuejin would be able to return to the capital and continue to be the revered Grand Princess.

Her own life would also be saved.

It was now basically confirmed that Yu Lu and Zeng Laosan were on opposing sides, and neither dared to do anything openly.

Under this mutual restraint, as long as she and Ye Xuejin were careful, there shouldn’t be any major problems.

Therefore, her choice now should be to accumulate more wealth.

After all, the original owner was just a beggar. Once Ye Xuejin was exonerated, it meant that the Emperor’s lingering resentment was cleared, and it also meant there would be a better choice for the consort.

She would have to relinquish her position sooner or later, and she had to think more for herself.

“Everyone up, let’s go quickly.” Yu Lu saw that the rain had stopped and the sky was brightening, deciding to depart early.

Escorting prisoners had a regulated schedule. As long as he delivered Ye Xuejin safely to the southern frontier, his mission would be complete. Delays could bring unexpected changes, and he wanted to return to the capital sooner.

Yun Chi snapped back to reality, reached out, pushed Ye Xuejin away, and cursed, “You’re only good for warming me up, and that’s it. Why did I ever marry you? How unlucky!”

The act had to be completed fully. Just in case, she still needed to be wary of Zeng Laosan.

To save their lives, they could not let down their guard.