Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 92

At the mines.

Zhou Qiyue looked at her eldest brother, Zhou Qishan. Seeing his wife, Qi Mingyan, brought him no joy; instead, his brow was furrowed, worry hiding deep in his eyes. She then turned her gaze to Qi Mingyan.

Qi Mingyan’s expression remained unchanged, as if she hadn’t seen Zhou Qishan at all. Zhou Qiyue withdrew her gaze in confusion. She used to think her brother and sister-in-law were simply dignified people who respected etiquette and maintained a polite distance in public. Now, knowing the truth and observing them, she realized they never looked like a loving couple at all.

…

“Follow me.” Old Imperial Censor Zhou walked straight ahead, signaling for everyone to keep up. This was not the place for conversation, nor where the women belonged.

“Mingyan, did Her Highness send you?” Once they were a safe distance away, the old Censor turned around. Since his daughter-in-law was with his daughter, she must have met the Eldest Princess. Coming to the mines this early meant the Princess had likely given orders.

“Precisely.” Qi Mingyan did not waste time. “Her Highness ordered me to find everyone and bring you to the women’s quarters.”

Old Censor Zhou hesitated. “Did Her Highness have any other instructions?”

They had been at the mines for three days. Aside from seeing a manager and a few guards on the first day, they had been left alone. Indeed, the mines were strangely unmanaged; the laborers were happy to work without being prodded, but the Zhou men didn’t dare relax, fearing a trap.

Qi Mingyan looked at the old man and said sharply, “Her Highness gave no other orders, only that we must go and return quickly.”

The old Censor nodded. “Then let us go see Her Highness at once.”

“Father!” Zhou Qishan shouted. Everyone turned to look. He steadied himself and said, “Father, take the others and wait ahead. I need a few words with Mingyan.”

“There is nothing that cannot be said in front of others. Do not delay,” Qi Mingyan cut in.

Zhou Qishan gritted his teeth. “Qi Mingyan, I am asking about a private matter.”

Qi Mingyan remained indifferent. “We have already divorced. I have no private matters with you.”

“Ahem, we will wait ahead. You haven’t seen each other in a while; speak properly,” Old Censor Zhou said, coughing twice. Family scandals should not be aired in public.

To his surprise, Qi Mingyan walked directly to him and said decisively, “The situation is urgent. I hope you do not neglect public duty for private affairs. I shall go ahead to report to Her Highness.” She turned and left without even calling him “Father.”

“Sister-in-law!” Zhou Qiyue stomped her foot in anxiety. “Father, you are truly muddled! Nothing is more important than Her Highness’s orders.”

The old Censor froze, then realized she was right and urged everyone to catch up. Zhou Qishan, however, blocked the way with a frown. “Father, Mingyan is no longer of one mind with our family. Beware of a trap.”

The old man tugged at his beard, silent for a moment, then shook his head. “Regardless of Mingyan, you should trust your sister.”

Zhou Qishan lifted his chin. “Qiyue has always only listened to Qi Mingyan. She doesn’t even respect me as her brother.”

“Qishan!” the old Censor barked. He didn’t believe his daughter-in-law would lie about such things, nor that his daughter would help deceive him.

Zhou Qishan remained stubborn. “In short, I do not trust Qi Mingyan.”

Ahead, Zhou Qiyue quickly caught up to Qi Mingyan. “Sister-in-law, are we not waiting for Father and Brother?”

Qi Mingyan glanced at her. “If you no longer wish to serve Her Highness, you may stay here with them.”

Zhou Qiyue instinctively wanted to grab her and ask for clarification, but she suddenly remembered Qi Mingyan’s words from the night before: Think thrice before acting. She slowly let go. She had never wavered in her loyalty to the Princess. But why did staying behind mean she no longer wished to serve?

Seeing the girl follow obediently, Qi Mingyan’s tone softened. “Xiao Yue, remember: everything must be done according to Her Highness’s orders first.”

The same words as yesterday, but with a different weight. Zhou Qiyue’s heart jumped; she didn’t dare stop. Her brother was being defiant, and her father was being foolishly indulgent.

“But… didn’t you say Her Highness wanted us to bring everyone back?” Zhou Qiyue understood partly, but not fully. If only the two of them returned, they would be putting the orders first, but they wouldn’t have completed the mission.

Qi Mingyan didn’t slow her pace. “Xiao Yue, Her Highness is not solely relying on the Zhou family.”

The Princess had told her last night that she would summon the six guards from the exile escort, along with several talented young maids. At worst, there were the dozen women in the huts who had just tasted blood and were full of killing intent. Not to mention the divine weapons and the “Immortal methods.”

Qi Mingyan had originally thought the Princess wanted the Zhou men for extra security, but the moment she saw them, she realized the truth. The Princess was testing them. She was measuring the Zhou family’s loyalty and efficiency—and even testing Qi Mingyan’s own ability to lead them. The Princess had seen the friction between Qi Mingyan and the Zhous long ago.

Realizing this, Qi Mingyan felt a chill of fear but also a surge of resolve. A commander who was cold and wise enough to calculate the human heart was the only one who could offer hope in a chaotic world.

Zhou Qiyue also realized the truth. If they had stayed to argue with her brother, they wouldn’t have just delayed the mission; they would have been discarded by the Princess as useless.

The two women rounded a corner and stopped abruptly. Two figures stood there.

“Subordinate pays respects to Your Highness and the Consort,” Qi Mingyan said, surprised, and knelt. Zhou Qiyue followed. Why were the Princess and Consort here?

“Rise. It is good that you are unharmed,” Ye Xuejin said gently.

Qi Mingyan’s calm face showed a flicker of emotion. “Was Your Highness worried for us?”

Ye Xuejin smiled slightly. “Did Mingyan not say that if you weren’t back in an hour, you would need support?”

Qi Mingyan bit her lip. It hadn’t even been an hour. She had meant that if they were late, things had gone wrong and the Princess should move to Plan B. She never expected the Princess and Consort to personally come as backup.

“Come with me to meet the enemy,” Ye Xuejin said.

“Yes.” Qi Mingyan smiled. Her heart felt warm. The Princess wasn’t just a cold calculator of hearts; she truly cared. This was a leader worth following to the death.

Beside them, Yun Chi looked at the empty path behind the two women and then at Ye Xuejin. She realized she would never be able to guess the full “answer key” to this woman’s mind. But she loved it. It wasn’t just attraction; it was pure admiration.

“Consort?” Ye Xuejin squeezed Yun Chi’s hand, her eyes asking why she was staring.

Yun Chi laughed. “It’s nothing. Are we not heading back?”

“We will wait for Yu Lu here,” Ye Xuejin said. “There is no need to disturb the other women.” The women at the huts were brave, but they were weak and lacked experience. She wouldn’t risk them yet.

A quarter-hour later, a group of galloping horses arrived.

“Your Highness, I missed you to death!” Shushi was the first to jump down. Ten Mei, Ten Zhu, Ten Ju, and Ten Song followed, surrounding Ye Xuejin. Yu Lu and the five guards knelt respectfully three steps away.

Ye Xuejin nodded and introduced Qi Mingyan to the group. Then, she gave her orders: “No matter how many come from the yamen, as long as they are within thirty feet of me, the Immortal can disarm them. We have armor that is impervious to blades and divine weapons in hand. Do you have the confidence to face the enemy with the Consort and me?”

Her voice was clear and steady, giving everyone immense courage.

“We are willing to follow Your Highness and the Consort!”

Yun Chi followed the cue. According to the number of people, she summoned bulletproof vests, electric batons, and sleeve crossbows.

Once everyone was armored, Yu Lu, the guards, Shushi, and Ten Song—the ones skilled in close combat—stood in the center of the road with batons, flanking Yun Chi and Ye Xuejin. Qi Mingyan, Zhou Qiyue, and the other three maids equipped their sleeve crossbows and vanished into the bushes along the roadside.