Transmigrated into the Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Prime Minister - Chapter 68

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, slicing through the gray sky.

Looking at the woman in the dark-red fitted attire before her, Qi Zhenshu also felt a bit surprised.

“Sister Yan.” Qi Zhenshu greeted Qin Feiyan.

More surprising to Qi Zhenshu than Qin Feiyan was the other person in the private room.

She turned slightly, bowed to the woman sitting on the other side, bent her waist, and respectfully saluted, saying, “Commandery Princess.”

The Commandery Princess Changning was wearing a moon-colored brocade long dress, her face still half-covered by a veil. She sat gracefully by the bed.

There was no one else in the private room besides the two of them, and Qi Zhenshu guessed they must be traveling together.

“There’s no need for Scholar Qi to be so formal.” Commandery Princess Changning put down the book in her hand, raised her hand slightly, and her tone was faint, as if she lacked spirit.

Qi Zhenshu did not bother them further and found the bed closest to the door to put down her book box and baggage.

“I said just now at the dock that someone looked like Xiao Sheng, and it really is her.” Qin Feiyan glanced at her belongings, her smile bright, “Are you going to Qingzhou for the imperial examination?”

Qin Feiyan was naturally active and not good at studying. Her father pressured her to study for a few years, and after barely learning to recognize the characters, she never went back. Therefore, she didn’t know much about the imperial examinations.

Seeing Qi Zhenshu carrying a book box and heading to Qingzhou, she simply assumed she was going to take the exam there.

“To study at the Egret Academy in Qingzhou,” Qi Zhenshu replied concisely.

With Commandery Princess Changning present, Qi Zhenshu couldn’t help but be a little reserved when speaking.

“Oh, so that’s it.” Qin Feiyan nodded.

She and the Commandery Princess were also going to Egret Academy, but constrained by her current identity, she didn’t mention it.

Qin Feiyan was suddenly called over by her father last night. He spoke to her solemnly about a new assignment: she was to serve as a bodyguard for someone for six months, starting tomorrow.

Qin Feiyan had taken on this kind of bodyguard work many times, so she didn’t pay too much attention until she saw Commandery Princess Changning in the carriage today. Then she remembered that her father’s expression had been a little too profound when he spoke to her yesterday.

Being the bodyguard for Commandery Princess Changning was indeed not easy.

Especially after learning that she was the only one providing protection on the journey from Binhe County to Qingzhou, without even an extra maid, Qin Feiyan became even more highly vigilant.

However, more uncomfortable than the need for high alertness was the interaction between the two of them.

From the moment she knew Commandery Princess Changning’s true identity, Qin Feiyan had dismissed all inappropriate thoughts. But after returning to Binhe County, she would occasionally recall that little ripple in her heart.

She had thought that she would never see the Commandery Princess again, and over time, those feelings of excitement would fade.

But unexpectedly, they had intersected again. Qin Feiyan felt that her little presumptuous feelings were showing signs of rekindling, like ashes stubbornly trying to flare up again.

However, thoughts were just thoughts; Qin Feiyan knew her place.

The Commandery Princess Changning’s status was evident. For her, thinking too much about some things was futile.

The boat had set sail, and for a long time, no new passengers appeared in the private room. Qin Feiyan was worried about how she would spend the journey alone with the Commandery Princess.

Qi Zhenshu’s appearance was like a godsend, breaking her awkward situation and delighting Qin Feiyan.

“I seemed to see Xiao Sheng at the dock just now. Did she come to see you off?” Qin Feiyan found a topic to continue chatting with her.

“Mhm.” Qi Zhenshu’s lips curved slightly.

Commandery Princess Changning watched the two converse, also taking in her happy expression. She concluded that Qi Zhenshu and Lu Sheng had a deep relationship.

The Qin family and the Lu family were related by marriage, so she didn’t treat Qi Zhenshu as an outsider and spoke to her, “Is the child in her arms your daughter?”

“Yes.” Speaking of her daughter, Qi Zhenshu’s smile did not diminish, “Her name is Tangtang, and she is four years old this year.”

“That truly is enviable,” Qin Feiyan said with a smile.

Qi Zhenshu usually didn’t like to discuss others’ private matters, but as the topic came up, she continued, “Sister Yan probably won’t be enviable for much longer. I heard from my aunt that your mother is already busy arranging for you to meet young women.”

Hearing this, Qin Feiyan instinctively glanced at the Commandery Princess opposite her. Seeing that she was looking down at her book, seemingly oblivious to their conversation, she inwardly scolded herself for being foolish, wondering why she looked at her for no reason.

Qin Feiyan quickly withdrew her gaze, extinguished the last flicker of hope, and said with a smile, “I have met a few.”

The Commandery Princess Changning’s hand paused as she flipped the page. She closed the book she was holding and leaned against the cabin wall, closing her eyes to rest.

Reading on a boat did make one dizzy.

Hearing the lightness in Qin Feiyan’s tone, Qi Zhenshu guessed there must be someone she liked among those she met, so she said, “Sister Yan’s happy day is approaching.”

“I’ll take that as a good omen,” Qin Feiyan laughed heartily.

When her mother had introduced prospects to her, she hadn’t paid much attention due to her conflicting feelings. Now that she had completely cleared her mind, she felt that after these six months, she would go home and properly try things out with the young woman she found agreeable the other day.

She blamed herself for having traveled the country with the escort agency for so many years, never prioritizing getting married, resulting in her being twenty-three and still single, completely inexperienced in matters of the heart. This caused her to dwell on a small matter that arose from rescuing someone, unable to forget it for a long time.

The two chatted for a while longer, mostly Qin Feiyan recounting interesting anecdotes from her travels, and Qi Zhenshu listening with interest to her tales of local customs and curiosities.

After a good while, Qi Zhenshu inadvertently noticed that Commandery Princess Changning’s face was pale and her brows were furrowed, so she quickly motioned to Qin Feiyan.

Qin Feiyan didn’t dare to look at Commandery Princess Changning much, and was surprised that the person had suddenly taken ill. She hurriedly rounded the side table and went to the Commandery Princess’s side, calling out, “Commandery Princess?”

Commandery Princess Changning opened her eyes, which held a sense of authority, “What is it?”

This condescending look from a person of higher status startled Qin Feiyan. She lowered her eyebrows and head, and respectfully asked, “Commandery Princess, are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine.” Hearing her words, Commandery Princess Changning uttered two faint words and closed her sharp eyes again.

Qin Feiyan was from a common background, her family had no servants, and she had never waited on anyone. She knew about hierarchy but didn’t feel it deeply. Her cold reaction spurred a feeling of being unwelcome, and she didn’t want to ask further.

She wanted to turn and leave, but she felt it was improper.

This person was her employer now; she couldn’t just abandon her.

Qin Feiyan stopped and carefully observed her complexion. After a while, she noticed something.

“Commandery Princess, are you seasick?” Qin Feiyan asked again, bracing herself.

“Mhm.” A soft sound through her nose, without even opening her eyes.

She wasn’t usually seasick, but she had caught a slight cold from the rain last night, had a bit of a headache upon waking up, and then read for a while on the boat, which made her head feel dizzy.

Finding the reason made things easier. Qin Feiyan squatted by the Commandery Princess’s bed and softly said, “Pardon the intrusion.”

She took hold of the Commandery Princess’s wrist, and through the clothing, found the Neiguan acupoint and pressed it.

Commandery Princess Changning suddenly opened her eyes, intending to withdraw her hand, but Qin Feiyan practiced martial arts year-round, and the strength in her hand was more than double hers. How could she pull free? She just glared at her coldly, her eyes harboring chill.

“Let go!”

Qin Feiyan wisely let go and respectfully said, “Pressing the Neiguan acupoint can relieve seasickness, which is where I just pressed. You can try it yourself.”

The intimidating aura subtly dissipated, but her expression remained cold, “Thank you.”

The inherent arrogance of this person made her retain an air of imposing majesty even when saying thank you.

In those brief moments, Qin Feiyan profoundly realized that the person before her was not a common wealthy young lady or an official’s daughter she usually saw, but a high-and-mighty member of the Imperial family, a Heavenly Noble.

“Commandery Princess, there’s no need to be polite. You paid me a commission, and protecting your safety is what I should do.” Recognizing her own status more clearly, Qin Feiyan’s attitude became even more humble.

She took the teapot, went out to pour fresh hot water, and also took some salted preserved plums from Qi Zhenshu to place on the small table beside her, then left the cabin door and stood outside the cabin, like a typical guard.

Commandery Princess Changning saw her actions but didn’t say anything more. She simply closed her eyes and continued to rest.

Perhaps it was due to her shared understanding with Lu Sheng, but even someone as slow as Qi Zhenshu faintly sensed the subtle atmosphere between the two.

She took a book from her book box and went to the distant deck.

Binhe County.

Lu Zheng knew that Qi Zhenshu had left for Binzhou today, so she invited Lu Sheng to come home for a meal.

While picking vegetables, Lu Zheng saw her looking listless and smiled teasingly, “You’re so distracted after only being separated for one day?”

Her thoughts having been exposed, Lu Sheng’s face reddened. She complained discontentedly, “Big Sister, why are you making fun of me!”

Lu Sheng didn’t feel it when she returned from the dock, but when she got home and saw the empty study, she felt a void in her heart.

Seeing the white clothes hanging in the courtyard reminded her of Qi Zhenshu, looking at the seat she usually sat in reminded her of Qi Zhenshu. Whenever she had a moment of leisure, she would still think of Qi Zhenshu.

When cooking lunch, she even made enough for an extra person before remembering that she was no longer home.

Having lived for over twenty years, this was the first time she truly experienced what it was like to long for someone day and night and to be constantly worried about them.

Thinking that Qi Zhenshu would be in Qingzhou for five or six months, Lu Sheng felt that the days were passing agonizingly slowly.

“You’ve already thought about it, so why fear others mentioning it?” Lu Zheng said with a smile, then slightly softened her expression and said earnestly, “You’ll have to get used to days like this.”

“Huh?” Lu Sheng was confused.

“After passing the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination will be next March,” Lu Zheng placed the vegetables in her hand on the stove and explained to her, “When the results are released in September, she will have to set off for the capital.”

With Qi Zhenshu’s scholarly knowledge, Lu Zheng felt that the provincial examination should be easily manageable, so once that was over, she would naturally continue on to the capital.

If Lu Sheng didn’t follow her, the two might be separated for a long time.

If Qi Zhenshu successfully passed the metropolitan examination, she would have to wait for the palace examination in April. Being able to participate in the palace examination meant that an official career was virtually guaranteed.

As long as no major mistakes were made, even if she didn’t achieve one of the top three ranks, the Imperial Court would arrange an assignment for her.

However, assignments appointed by the Imperial Court were either in the capital or posted elsewhere.

To prevent officials from engaging in favoritism or factionalism, the Imperial Court would not transfer officials posted elsewhere back to their places of origin to serve.

Therefore, if Qi Zhenshu became an official, she would essentially not return to Binhe County.

In Lu Zheng’s view, Lu Sheng could stay in Binhe County with the child initially, but once Qi Zhenshu’s transfer order came, it would be best for her to move and live with her.

After all, a couple should live together for a lasting relationship.

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