Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 75

“Oh, alright.” Yun Chi’s mind was in a whirl again, and she complied without conscious thought.

She closed her eyes, her fingers—alternating between passive and active—unfastening the buttons one by one. From the collar to the waist, her fingers trembled so violently she almost lost control of them, yet she could still feel that silk-like, slightly scalding touch.

Suddenly, she snapped her eyes open, her gaze flickering with confusion and shock.

Before her, Ye Xuejin’s eyes were tightly shut. Tears fell rapidly, streaming silently into her hair. Yun Chi’s lips trembled; she wanted nothing more than to slap herself. With a pang of heartache, she pulled the woman into a firm embrace, tenderly and carefully kissing away the tears at the corners of those eyes.

Inside the cramped, warm wooden hut, the two clung to each other. One wept with restrained endurance, while the other kissed with gentle sorrow.

“Just cry. You’ll feel better if you let it out,” Yun Chi murmured, her own voice breaking. She felt a sharp, agonizing pain in her chest, mixed with a nameless resentment—resentment at her own helplessness and her inability to change what had already happened.

Ye Xuejin tilted her head back, her breath trembling uncontrollably, yet she still refused to make a sound. Her eyes were filled with a broken, mournful sorrow.

After a long silence, she finally opened her eyes. Her rims were red as she spoke, “Prince Consort, not only is my heart base and calculating, but my body is also wretched. Someone like me… are you still willing?”

Each word was like an invisible blade stabbing into Yun Chi’s heart, shattering it with pain.

“Don’t say such foolish things. The Ye Xuejin I know is not base at all, let alone wretched.”

Ye Xuejin stared straight at her, her gaze hollow and desolate. She seemed unable to hear the words, as if she were retreating into herself. Yun Chi went silent. Since verbal expressions were useless, she chose another way.

She slipped directly beneath the quilts.

Ye Xuejin’s eyes narrowed as a flush instantly stained her cheeks, spreading to her ears until her entire body felt burning hot. She couldn’t help but grasp Yun Chi’s hair. Her chest felt as if it were being flooded by layers of seawater, waves surging within. Under those light, bird-like kisses, she felt as if she were being cherished by a deity.

Her deity was so soft-hearted, so kind, and so gentle.

Under the covers, Yun Chi kissed her inch by inch—kissing the scars left behind because the injuries had been too severe and hadn’t been treated in time. They were crisscrossed, covering her chest and abdomen.

Gradually, Yun Chi’s nose grew sore. Her kisses became slower and deeper. Like a devout believer, she used her kisses and her sincerity to treat the most sacred treasure in the world, valuing it above all else.

“Prince Consort…” Ye Xuejin finally broke into uncontrollable sobs.

“Don’t cry anymore,” Yun Chi said, peeking her head out to wipe the tears from the princess’s eyes. “The soundproofing in this hut is terrible. If the people next door hear you, they’ll think I’m bullying their Highness again.”

Ye Xuejin’s sobbing paused, and she pressed her lips together. Yun Chi reached out, tucking a few stray hairs wet with tears behind her ear. She gently stroked her temple, offering comfort in her own way.

Only when Ye Xuejin stopped crying did Yun Chi ask with concern, “Does it hurt?”

Ye Xuejin shook her head, her voice hoarse. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” It had hurt at first, but later, it had gone numb.

Yun Chi kissed the reddened corner of her eye. “Was it the Emperor?”

Ye Xuejin gazed back at her softly. “Do you remember when I said that County Princess Yi was only ‘acting’ in command of the Caozhou Guard?”

In her late father’s final edict, the Caozhou Guard was to obey only the person holding the Secret Seal. Although County Princess Yi had the edict, she lacked the seal, so she was merely a temporary overseer.

Yun Chi understood. “The Emperor thinks the Secret Seal is on you?”

No wonder he had used torture to interrogate her. It was no surprise Ye Xuejin died early in the original story; with such heavy injuries, combined with a lack of food and water and the abuse from others, no one could have survived.

Fortunately, in a moment of soft-heartedness, Yun Chi had helped Shushi bring that steamed bun. Ye Xuejin had then used the jade pendant hidden in the bun to trade for a bottle of golden sore ointment. And luckily, because of that, Yun Chi had gained her “Golden Finger” (system), which provided anti-inflammatory medicine and food.

Even so, the Emperor had sent Old Man Zeng in the open and the Mu brothers in the shadows; he truly left her no way out. In the end, he even sent a hundred men to intercept and kill them openly. He was barely human.

Moreover, this exile route—half plains and half mountains—was designed to grind one’s will on the plains and take one’s life in the mountains. The Emperor had clearly made thorough preparations, intending for Ye Xuejin not to survive past autumn.

Yun Chi clenched her fists in hindsight. She had been too naive before, choosing only to believe in the female lead and the original plot, without realizing that a key point driving the original story was Ye Xuejin’s death.

“The Secret Seal is indeed on my person,” Ye Xuejin said, baring her shoulder.

On the back of her right shoulder was a deep red, elongated birthmark. The edges were clear, about five or six centimeters long, standing out vividly against her fair skin.

Yun Chi was surprised. “This is the Secret Seal?”

Seeing Ye Xuejin nod, she asked in confusion, “How does this command the Caozhou Guard?”

Ye Xuejin lay back down and pulled the quilt over herself. “The so-called Secret Seal to command the guard only requires the holder to state where the mark is located.”

The Caozhou Guard has two Deputy Envoys, Left and Right, each possessing half of a poem. One side deciphers the word for “Door”, and the other deciphers “Moon”. Combined, they form the word for “Shoulder”.

“Both of them were death warriors trained by my late father. They possess the courage of a thousand men and are fiercely loyal. Their orders are that if someone comes to take command, the two will combine their poem halves to verify if the location of the Secret Seal matches what the claimant says.”

Yun Chi couldn’t help but sigh. “Your father really went to great lengths.” It was a bit bizarre, though. It would have been much simpler to just pass the throne to Ye Xuejin. She couldn’t understand what the old Emperor was thinking.

“Your Highness?” Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Zhou Qiyue’s voice.

The two exchanged a look. Ye Xuejin asked in a low voice, “What is it?”

“Nothing… is Your Highness alright?” Zhou Qiyue’s voice sounded anxious. She had likely heard the crying from earlier. Although brief, the wooden walls were indeed thin. The mother and daughter had hesitated but ultimately couldn’t help their worry.

“I am fine. Go back to rest early.”

Only then did Zhou Qiyue withdraw.

Yun Chi said thoughtfully, “It seems this place really isn’t suitable.”

Ye Xuejin didn’t follow. “Suitable for what?”

Yun Chi smiled. “Not suitable for a wedding night. It would be too embarrassing if the neighbors heard.”

At this, Ye Xuejin’s ears turned red again. She gave Yun Chi a look that was half-rebuke, half-resentment, then turned her back, pulled her clothes together, and fastened her buttons.

Yun Chi’s heart softened. “Go to sleep,” she said softly.

Ye Xuejin gave a soft “Mm.” Her deity was willing to stay—it was wonderful.

After a night of good dreams, the sound of gongs rang out as dawn broke. After washing up, Yun Chi put away all the items in the room and led Ye Xuejin out by the hand. After the previous night, the distance between them seemed to have closed significantly; they looked at each other with mutual smiles.

Outside the huts, the female family members quickly finished packing and came out—about a dozen people, young and old.

In the distance, deep in the shadows of the trees, Sima Chen asked in confusion, “Lord Zhu, should we really not warn Old Man Zhang? What if he makes things difficult for the eldest princess and her people?”

The eldest princess’s group was aided by some “immortal” and possessed extraordinary means. Old Man Zhang, on the other hand, was naturally tyrannical and loved nothing more than tormenting newcomers. Prisoners who went through his “training” usually lost a layer of skin if they didn’t die outright. If they clashed, wouldn’t there be trouble?

“What do you know? Just watch,” the Yangzhou Chief Secretary, Zhu Yan, glared at Sima Chen. He gazed darkly at the women in front of the huts.

Old Man Zhang was his “pathfinder.” It was better if he caused trouble. If a mess was made, whoever caused it would have to deal with the fallout. Old Man Zhang was old anyway; it was time for him to show his final loyalty.

Zhu Yan never believed in “immortals.” Today, he wanted to see if this Princess Peace and Quiet (Anhe) truly had divine protection—and if she was truly invincible to blades and spears.

On the other side, the man they called Old Man Zhang—Lord Zhang, the overseer of this copper mine—gestured to several bailiffs. “Go in and take a look.”

He had heard that firelight had burned in these two rooms all night. In such cold weather, they hadn’t come out to beg for extra quilts. Something unusual was definitely happening. He wanted to see who dared to pull stunts under his nose and secretly help the new prisoners.

“By what right do you—” Zhou Qiyue started to speak, but her arm was pulled by Old Madam Zhou.

“Xiaoyue,” Old Madam Zhou frowned, signaling her daughter to be quiet. They had just arrived and didn’t know the situation. As prisoners sent for labor, they had no right to block government officials.

Lord Zhang snorted coldly, not bothering to argue yet. Soon, the bailiffs emerged. One group carried a heap of items, while the other came out empty-handed.

“My Lord, the things in here are quite complete!”

“My Lord, there is nothing in this other room.”

Lord Zhang’s gaze fell upon Old Madam Zhou and her daughter. “Speak. Who gave these things to you?”

Yun Chi instinctively gripped Ye Xuejin’s hand. Fortunately, there was nothing in their room; she had swept everything into her storage before leaving. Unfortunately, the gongs had been too sudden. When the door opened, the men were already waiting. She hadn’t had time to check the arrangement of items in the neighboring room, and since she couldn’t see or visualize their exact positions, she couldn’t “collect” them.

This was trouble. How could they explain so many modern items?

Ye Xuejin seemed to sense her worry and squeezed Yun Chi’s hand, gesturing for her to stay calm.

Old Madam Zhou shook her head at her daughter, her voice steady. “No one gave them to us.”

Lord Zhang stroked his goatee, looking at Old Madam Zhou sinisterly. “If no one gave them to you, then they were stolen. What is the penalty for stealing at this mine?”

A clever young bailiff rushed to answer, “Stealing this much property is punishable by death!”

Lord Zhang nodded with satisfaction. “You all heard him. Get to work.”

At this, Zhou Qiyue finally snapped. “We didn’t steal anything! These things were bestowed upon us by an immortal!”

Lord Zhang sneered. “Ridiculous. What immortal?”

“How can there be no immortal? Have you ever seen such a small, exquisite iron stove? Have any of you seen such a transparent water bucket? You won’t see such ingenious objects in your entire lives! Only a deity could bestow such fine things!” Zhou Qiyue retorted in a burst of anger, her tone defiant.

Lord Zhang finally glanced at the items on the ground. They did look rare, but these people were from the capital. Perhaps the capital had such things, or perhaps they had accomplices nearby.

“Do not take this official for a three-year-old child. An immortal, you say? Why don’t you have your immortal bestow something else for us to see? Truly hilarious.”

Zhou Qiyue instinctively looked at Ye Xuejin.

Ye Xuejin gave a slight nod, a calculating glint in her eyes. The survivor from the city gate incident would eventually bring news back to the capital, and the people at the gate had seen it too. It was better to push the boat with the current and start making moves early.

Seeing the signal, Zhou Qiyue stamped her foot excitedly. “Fine! Then watch closely! All of you, watch closely!” She paused, then threw her hands high into the air in an exaggerated gesture, shouting toward the sky:

“O Immortal, I beg you, bestow upon us a divine object!”