Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 89

Qi Mingyan raised her eyes. “I heard that the exile party encountered an assassination attempt outside Yangzhou. Your Highness led the resistance and nearly annihilated the enemy, but allowed one fish to slip through the net.”

Hearing this, Ye Xuejin knew her question had been redundant. Qi Mingyan was indeed exceptionally brilliant; with just a few hints, she had already guessed her thoughts.

“Correct. The true test will come in two days. By then, news from the Capital should also arrive.”

“And what Your Highness must do,” Qi Mingyan added, “is to seize as much control over Yangzhou City as possible within these two days.”

Ye Xuejin smiled silently. “Mingyan is absolutely right. In your opinion, how should this Princess act to gain control over Yangzhou within two days?”

Her eyes were filled with approval, no longer hiding her admiration.

Qi Mingyan smiled back—a smile of modest respect—yet her voice remained calm and steady. “The true person in charge of Yangzhou is the Chief Secretary, Zhu Yan. He is a local native. After passing the provincial examinations, he returned home to serve as a minor official and became the Chief Secretary in just a few years. During his decade-plus tenure, three Governors of Yangzhou have come and gone. Of the first two, one died of illness and the other perished in a bandit attack. The current Governor Zhou has served the longest, yet he holds the least power.”

In the Kingdom of Dashao, a provincial Governor was a high-ranking official of the Third Rank, appointed solely by the Imperial Court—either dispatched from the Capital or transferred from another province. A local native like Zhu Yan could never, under normal circumstances, become the Governor of Yangzhou.

Governor Zhou was from the Capital and had previously served as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. This was a common career path: Capital officials would spend a few years in the provinces to build their resumes, and as long as they achieved some political merit, they were usually promoted. For instance, had nothing gone wrong, Governor Zhou would have returned to the Capital as one of the Six Ministers, a major leap in status.

The problem was that Governor Zhou could no longer leave—or rather, he could not leave alive. He could either continue to live as a figurehead or meet the same end as his two predecessors.

Qi Mingyan had arrived in Yangzhou a few days before the exile party and quickly noticed something amiss. The local people praised Chief Secretary Zhu to the heavens while cursing Governor Zhou whenever his name was mentioned.

This was highly illogical. In any jurisdiction, it was unnatural for the highest official to bear all the infamy while his subordinate enjoyed all the glory, especially for such a situation to persist for years. Thus, she had investigated diligently to uncover these details.

Ye Xuejin caught the hidden meaning. “I also felt something was wrong when I first arrived, but my information was not as detailed as yours. Regardless, I agree that the key to breaking this deadlock lies with this Chief Secretary Zhu. Continue.”

Qi Mingyan nodded. “Zhu Yan originally drew no attention. The turning point was twelve years ago. That year, Southern Jiang suffered days of heavy rain, and Yangzhou faced an unprecedented flood. The Governor at the time failed to manage the waters, and the court’s disaster relief was delayed, leaving the people displaced. It was then that Zhu Yan stepped forward, claiming to be a Messenger of the Immortals. He said an Immortal had entered his dreams and taught him a strategy for water management…”

Zhu Yan’s strategy involved building a dam unlike any seen before. To do so, he spent his entire family fortune and led the people to complete the “Immortal Jiang Dam.” Since its completion, neither Yangzhou nor the surrounding Southern Jiang region had suffered a flood.

Because of this, Zhu Yan was promoted to Chief Secretary. He was not only revered by the people as a divine messenger but also quickly became the true ruler of Yangzhou.

At this point, Qi Mingyan paused. “If Your Highness can eliminate Zhu Yan within two days, you can take control of Yangzhou.”

Ye Xuejin asked, “Does Mingyan have a strategy?”

Qi Mingyan admitted candidly, “I am dull-witted; the plan I have devised currently has only a fifty-fifty chance of success.”

“What do you mean by ‘currently’?”

Qi Mingyan hesitated for a moment, then stood up and knelt. “Forgive my audacity, but may I ask… does Your Highness truly have the protection of an Immortal?”

Ye Xuejin couldn’t help but take Yun Chi’s hand, her voice calm and steady. “Rise. This Princess does indeed have the favor of a deity.”

Her deity was right by her side, and also in her heart.

Qi Mingyan’s eyes lit up. After rising, her speaking pace quickened. “Then, the fifty-fifty chance becomes an eighty percent certainty. I wonder to what extent Your Highness currently enjoys the Immortal’s favor…”

Originally, if the Immortal’s protection were a ruse, they would have had to control the forces at the mine while simultaneously finding evidence of Zhu Yan’s corruption and extravagance under Governor Zhou’s name—a double-pronged gamble with only half a chance of winning.

But if the Immortal was real, it became much easier. They only needed to display a few divine methods to build momentum, doubling their effectiveness and raising the odds to eighty percent.

Ye Xuejin’s admiration for Qi Mingyan grew even deeper, and she decided to reveal her hand. “I shall not hide it from you. The Immortal can help me summon wind and rain, and fetch objects from thin air. Given this, what are the odds?”

“Then it is a hundred percent certainty,” Qi Mingyan said, her eyes sparkling with fervor.

Ye Xuejin curled her lips into a smile. “Since Mingyan is so confident, I shall leave the following matters to you. Can I trust you?”

“I shall not fail my mission.”

“Tomorrow morning, take Xiao Yue and go find the Zhou family…”

Ye Xuejin explained the quantities and functions of the stun batons and bulletproof vests, and shared her own plans. Qi Mingyan listened, but eventually showed a look of hesitation, as if she wanted to say something but held back.

Ye Xuejin observed her subtly. “Is there some inconvenience, Mingyan?”

Qi Mingyan shook her head, her expression becoming firm. “None. Please rest assured, Your Highness.” With that, she took her leave.

“Wait a minute!” Yun Chi, who had been listening all this time, was stuck on one point. As Qi Mingyan was about to leave, she couldn’t help but ask, “How much do you know about the ‘Immortal Jiang Dam’?”

Qi Mingyan paused. “To answer the Consort: it is said the dam is built on a magnificent scale, integrating diversion, flood discharge, and silt prevention. It has truly benefited the local people.”

Zhu Yan’s achievements were real, which was how he had transformed from an obscure clerk into the Chief Secretary. However, he should not have let his ambition swell until he usurped the Governor’s power and turned himself into the local tyrant of Yangzhou—even preying on the villagers for personal gain under the Governor’s banner.

Yun Chi looked thoughtful. After Qi Mingyan left, she unconsciously knit her brows.

Seeing this, Ye Xuejin asked softly, “Consort, is something wrong?”

Yun Chi shook her head, though her brows remained furrowed. Yangzhou’s geography was roughly equivalent to modern-day Sichuan, and that “Immortal Jiang Dam” sounded suspiciously identical to the Dujiangyan irrigation system.

However, Dujiangyan was built during the Warring States period. Although Dashao was a dynasty in a novel, the people here were real in this world; it wasn’t out of the question for ancient people to devise such a hydraulic project. She hoped she was just overthinking it.

“It’s nothing. Let’s continue.”

The two sat back at the table. Compressed biscuits were handed over one after another, and Yun Chi gradually sensed a growing chaos within her storage space.

With wind, rain, thunder, and lightning all stored inside, how could it not be chaotic? She even felt like the storage space might explode at any moment.

“That’s enough,” Yun Chi stopped just in time. Storing three of each should be sufficient. If she continued, she was truly afraid something would happen to the space.

“Thank you for your trouble, Consort. Let us rest early as well.” Ye Xuejin stood up and checked her palm. She had removed the gauze during the day; the wound wasn’t deep and had already scabbed over, so she wasn’t afraid of getting it wet.

After washing up and lying in bed, Yun Chi thought about the conversation they’d just had. She turned on her side to face Ye Xuejin. “What are your plans next?”

She had prepared the “answer key,” but that turned out to be just the appetizer. She was still only half-understanding the things Ye Xuejin and Qi Mingyan had discussed later. This wouldn’t do—as the most important link in the plan, she had to understand everything in advance.

Ye Xuejin also turned to her side, meeting her gaze. “No other plans for now. We shall adapt as the situation changes.”

Yun Chi: “…” Well, ‘adapt as the situation changes’ indeed.

“Then if you think of anything, remember to tell me beforehand so I can prepare.”

Ye Xuejin chuckled softly. “Very well. This Princess shall tell the Consort everything, holding nothing back.”

Her deity was not only willing to stay but was becoming increasingly invested in her affairs. How fortunate she was…

Looking at the smile on Ye Xuejin’s lips, Yun Chi’s breathing faltered. This woman… her smile is too alluring.

Driven by some unknown impulse, she blurted out, “You look really beautiful when you smile.”