When a "Sea King" is Bound to a System [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 59.1

Su Yi remained strong, standing at the doorway and watching Qin Ji leave. Only when his figure could no longer be seen did she finally relax, nearly collapsing to her knees.

The Crown Prince’s face was terrifying when he left; she had barely managed to hold on and prevent herself from confessing everything.

After calming herself for a moment, Su Yi walked to the bed with a composed expression. “Princess, the Crown Prince has left.”

Jiang Yan immediately threw off the covers and sat up, taking deep breaths. The close proximity had been quite awkward, especially since she had accidentally touched his chest. That made the situation even more embarrassing.

The light was so dim, yet she could feel Baili Qi’s gaze, as if she wanted to devour her. Thankfully, they couldn’t see each other clearly, or she would have truly needed to find a hole to crawl into.

Su Yi looked at Jiang Yan’s flushed face and asked, puzzled, “Princess, are you feeling unwell?”

Jiang Yan waved her hand, signaling that she was fine. Such a situation could be easily broken by recruiting a few more beauties.

The maids in Zhaoyang Hall were all personally selected by Qin Ji. Their appearances were merely decent, far from those in the Eastern Palace, and Jiang Yan really couldn’t get interested in them.

Although she hadn’t seen Baili Qi’s complete face, the way those eyes stared straight at her always gave her the strange sensation that her soul was being captured.

Based on this peculiar feeling, Jiang Yan decided to recruit a few more young and beautiful maids to help distract her attention.

Wasn’t this identity meant for her to frolic in a sea of beautiful people? Otherwise, what was the point of being this princess?

The thought of being surrounded by beauties and having them both left and right made her a little excited.

Jiang Yan covered her burning cheeks, called Su Yi over, and whispered a few words to her.

“Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?” Su Yi was not only shocked but also a little jealous. “We already have so many maids in the palace. Allocating more people might cause dissatisfaction among the other consorts and princesses.”

“Who cares if they’re dissatisfied? What does it have to do with me? Just tell Crown Prince Brother, and he will agree.”

Su Yi hesitated, glanced at Baili Qi on the bed, and then turned to leave.

Instead of letting the Princess waste her time on this unknown assassin, it was better to let her play with maids whose backgrounds were known.

Compared to favoring maids, what she couldn’t tolerate more was the Princess being misled by an assassin and doing something irreparable.

Once the Princess lost interest in that assassin, she could be handed over to the Crown Prince. No matter what, Su Yi would not allow the Princess to fall into danger.

Jiang Yan got off the bed, straightened her wrinkled clothes, and said to Baili Qi, “Although you are a maid, you are currently injured. I am specifically allowing you to sleep in my bed. After your injury heals, you will move to the maid’s quarters and live with them.”

This should count as an attempt to show favor, right? Why isn’t the Blackening Value dropping?

Jiang Yan waited for a long time, but the system was silent. Baili Qi merely gave her a brief glance, then looked up at the bed’s canopy with cold and indifferent eyes.

My efforts were misplaced!

She should have just moved her to the maid’s room directly; at least she could have slept soundly.

Su Yi returned about half an hour after leaving. Jiang Yan was leaning against the window, with a brazier in front of her, holding a book and pretending to read.

In truth, she had been eagerly anticipating Su Yi bringing back pretty girls, so much so that she didn’t even realize the book was upside down.

Su Yi came in, facing the cold wind, her cheeks flushed with cold. Upon seeing this, Jiang Yan quickly said, “Come here quickly and warm yourself by the fire. You must be freezing.”

She touched Su Yi’s frozen red face, feeling quite concerned. “Oh my, your face is ice cold. You must be severely chilled.”

A hint of shyness flashed in Su Yi’s eyes, and her cheeks turned even redder.

“Princess, I’m fine.”

“How can you be fine? You’re frozen like this.”

She then looked toward the door and noticed only Su Yi was there. Did that mean she failed?

At this thought, Jiang Yan’s enthusiasm was extinguished like a dying flame in the wind.

Su Yi sensed her low spirits and deliberately asked, “Princess, are you upset that I didn’t bring the maids back for you?”

“What are you saying? You are the person I love most. How could I blame you?”

This was her only resource; how could she not hold onto it?

Su Yi was amused by her words and smiled. “The Crown Prince said he would personally bring the people over once he is finished with his tasks.”

“Did Crown Prince Brother really say that?!” Jiang Yan was excited again.

“Yes, Your Highness was afraid that the existing palace maids might not catch your eye, so he went to select them personally for you.”

“I knew Crown Prince Brother was the best! He’s the best brother in the world!” Jiang Yan stood up, nearly dropping the book into the brazier.

With beautiful girls coming, she could live in this palace until the end of time.

Baili Qi listened to the conversation between the mistress and her servant, frowning. As expected, the Qin Royal Family is utterly scandalous, she thought.

Jiang Yan was excited for about ten minutes. Afterward, a flash of insight struck her, and she looked at Baili Qi on the bed. If Qin Ji came, wouldn’t Baili Qi be exposed?

“Su Yi, did the Crown Prince say when he would arrive?”

She needed to hide Baili Qi before that, or she would lose her own life instead of getting beauties.

“He said around the end of the Shen hour.” (Approx. 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM)

After Su Yi spoke, she also remembered the extra person in the hall. She glanced at Baili Qi and then turned back to Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan walked to the bedside and said to Baili Qi, “Do you mind if I remove your veil?”

Baili Qi certainly minded. As soon as Jiang Yan spoke, her eyes shot over like knives.

Jiang Yan nervously rubbed her nose and explained, “The main reason is that your veil is too conspicuous. If Crown Prince Brother sees it, we’ll both be finished.”

Baili Qi continued to stare at her coldly. Having no choice, Jiang Yan chose a compromise.

“Then why don’t you go sleep in the maid’s room? Don’t come out before the Crown Prince leaves. Is that okay?”

If it were anyone else, Jiang Yan wouldn’t be so polite; she would just throw them out. But this person was her mission target, and she was afraid that a harsh tone would displease her, causing the Blackening Value to increase instead of decrease.

In short, it was one word: humble.

Extremely humble.

Baili Qi said nothing, simply got up and put on her shoes. It seemed she agreed to Jiang Yan’s suggestion.

Jiang Yan immediately asked Su Yi to find a clean set of clothes for her. Baili Qi looked at her with a slightly puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong? Do you want to wear my clothes?”

Baili Qi withdrew her gaze and frowned slightly.

This Princess doesn’t seem very intelligent. Doesn’t she know I regard her as an enemy?

Of course, Jiang Yan knew, but she wasn’t worried; she even felt a little excited.

The script this time was an enemies-to-lovers story of hereditary hatred. She intended to turn the want to kill into falling in love and reduce Baili Qi’s Blackening Value to below fifty during her recovery period.

It would be difficult, but wasn’t it also a great challenge?

Thinking this, Jiang Yan walked up to Baili Qi and, under her guarded gaze, tied up her hair.

“This is easier to manage. Otherwise, your hair won’t be combable once your injury heals.”

Baili Qi’s eyes held confusion, bewilderment, and a few hints of indifference. Upon hearing Su Yi’s footsteps, she lowered her eyelids, her long lashes concealing her emotions.

“Princess, there is no one this tall in our palace. This is the largest clothing we have.”

The largest garment was still a little small on Baili Qi, but thankfully she was flat-chested, so it wasn’t too noticeable.

Jiang Yan glanced at the two mounds on her own chest and mused, It seems flat chests are better for wearing clothes; you don’t have to worry about anything.

Baili Qi happened to sweep her gaze over and, upon seeing her action, her eyes darkened.

Is she complaining that my chest is small, or is she showing off?

A Princess of Qin, indeed. How superficial!

Jiang Yan was unaware of this unwarranted blame. She personally helped Baili Qi straighten her clothes, took her to the maids’ living area, and selected a prime spot for her.

“Bear with it for now. I’ll bring you back once the Crown Prince has left.”

Baili Qi said nothing, sitting on the bed with a pale face, her posture upright and her eyes coolly detached.

Jiang Yan returned to the main hall, and soon after, Qin Ji arrived. He was followed by about twenty people, a mighty procession entering the courtyard, which made Jiang Yan beam with joy.

“Yan’er, I’ve brought the people you wanted. Do you want to choose a few from them, or keep all of them?”

Qin Ji walked in, his handsome face bearing a gentle smile, looking like a doting older brother.

Jiang Yan feigned shyness and whispered, “I only mentioned it casually to Su Yi. I didn’t expect her to act on her own and bother Crown Prince Brother. Since Crown Prince Brother has brought everyone, I won’t disappoint your kindness.”

Her meaning was clear: keep all of them.

Only children make choices; adults want everything.

As a mature adult, Jiang Yan wanted them all, a different one for each of the seven days of the week.

A subtle shift occurred in Qin Ji’s eyes. He said to the dozen or so people standing outside the door, “From now on, you are to serve the Ninth Princess well. Did you hear that clearly?”

The dozen or so people replied in unison, “Your servants obey the decree.”

Jiang Yan: “???” How come there seems to be a man’s voice?

Qin Ji glanced at her from the corner of his eye and said to the two eunuchs mixed in the group, “The two of you, step forward and greet the Ninth Princess.”

The two eunuchs were fair-skinned and handsome, with clean complexions. One had slanted eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, and the other had willow-leaf eyebrows and phoenix eyes—both were of the “young heartthrob” type.

“Your servant, Ying Shi.” (Warbler Hour)

“Your servant, Huai Xu.” (Sophora Sequence)

“Greetings to the Ninth Princess.”

Jiang Yan didn’t know whether to cry or laugh, but with Qin Ji still there, she could only act delighted and have them step back into line.

“Yan’er, are you satisfied with the people I selected for you?”

Qin Ji leaned in, his pair of clear, beautiful eyes fixed on her.

Jiang Yan subtly retreated a step, revealing a perfect smile. “Satisfied, of course, I am satisfied. Crown Prince Brother has gone to such trouble to select people for me. Your sister is extremely grateful. Why don’t you stay for dinner tonight?”

“Sounds good,” Qin Ji replied readily.

Jiang Yan: “…” I was just being polite; don’t take it seriously!

Qin Ji sat down without needing to be asked and looked around, implying something. “Is there something missing in your hall?”

Jiang Yan’s heart sank, but she maintained her previous composure and slowly sat down. “What does Crown Prince Brother mean? I don’t quite understand.”

“When I came earlier, I felt a peculiar, indefinable scent lingering in your hall. Now that I’ve returned, it’s gone. Yan’er, have you changed your incense?”

When the topic of scent came up, Jiang Yan was more certain that Qin Ji might already know about Baili Qi’s presence.

She had previously deduced Baili Qi’s presence in the hall due to the smell of blood on her. Qin Ji, being so cautious, must have discovered some clues; otherwise, he wouldn’t ask this.

Why didn’t he expose her? Instead, he chose to inform her this way. What was his motive?

The more Jiang Yan thought about it, the more she felt that her brother was not as simple as he appeared.

“Crown Prince Brother might have mistaken it. I have always used sandalwood incense and have never changed it.”

Qin Ji knew she wouldn’t admit it, so he simply made his point, just enough to let her know that her actions weren’t flawless.

Although their Royal Father didn’t visit often, he occasionally came to sit down, and he was not so easy to fool. If she wanted to keep the person, she needed to make proper arrangements.

Because of Qin Ji’s words, Jiang Yan’s excitement and thrill vanished completely.

I was having a good day. Why did you have to bring this up?

I feel awful.

Qin Ji finished what he had to say without any psychological burden and continued to talk with Jiang Yan about various trivial matters.

She finally managed to endure until dinner time. Jiang Yan thought Qin Ji would leave after eating, but he ate slowly and showed no signs of leaving afterward.

“Yan’er, why are you looking at me like that?”

Jiang Yan realized she had been staring too intently, which the other party had noticed. She quickly retracted her gaze and gave a nervous laugh. “I just think Crown Prince Brother is handsome, so I looked a couple more times.”

While saying more leads to more mistakes, flattery is always safe.

Qin Ji curved his lips and leaned over to ask Jiang Yan, “Since you think I’m handsome, then do you want to be Crown Prince Brother’s Crown Princess?”

Jiang Yan: !!!

She suddenly performed a tactical lean-back, nearly falling off the chair.

“Crown Prince Brother, don’t joke like that. We are siblings by birth.”

After talking for a while, Jiang Yan was increasingly unable to figure Qin Ji out. She felt that beneath his handsome exterior, he hid a manipulative heart. His casual words could easily cause others to break down.

The previous conversation about Baili Qi was one thing, but what was this nonsense?

If he wasn’t coldly indifferent to his other sisters, Jiang Yan would suspect he had a sister complex.

Qin Ji saw her turning pale with shock and laughed softly, seemingly in a very good mood.

So what if we are siblings? There is a precedent for this in Qin family history. However, for the time being, he needed to be restrained and not scare this little thing.

“I was just joking, did I scare you?”

Jiang Yan placed her hand over her heart, calming her breath, and said somewhat angrily, “It’s not funny at all, okay? Don’t make jokes like that again.”

“Alright, whatever you say.” Qin Ji’s face still held a smile, making it impossible to tell which of his words were true and which were false.

As night deepened, Jiang Yan, worried about Baili Qi still in the maid’s room, gave Qin Ji a hint to leave.

“Crown Prince Brother, aren’t you going back to rest?”

Qin Ji stood up and tapped her forehead. “Kicking your brother out so early? Are you that eager to enjoy the company of beauties?”

“No, I am quite proper, okay?” Jiang Yan countered.

“That’s best. Even though they are pure and innocent, you must not become too indulgent. Be mindful of your health.”

Jiang Yan felt that this was not something a brother should say to his sister, but she offered a few perfunctory replies. Not until Qin Ji had left did she finally sigh with relief, slumping onto the table like a deflated ball.

“Su Yi, go bring Baili Qi back.”

“Who is Baili Qi?” Su Yi still didn’t know Baili Qi’s name.

Jiang Yan thought about it and decided to go herself, to show more sincerity.

The maid’s room was a communal sleeping area. Apart from Su Yi, all the maids in Zhaoyang Hall slept there. The environment was, to say the least, extremely poor.

Before Jiang Yan even walked in, she heard a chaotic mix of sounds, several different laughs intertwined, seemingly mocking something.

“I wonder what she looks like, hiding behind that veil, acting all high and mighty.”

“It might not be arrogance. Maybe she’s ugly and afraid of scaring people, so she covers her face.”

“But we’ve never seen her before. She suddenly appeared in our room. Could she be a thief?”

“Does a thief look like her? A face as cold as a dead person’s. Most likely, she was discarded by the Princess and had nowhere else to go.”

The four or five people talking burst into laughter, and the remaining five or six stood nearby watching the spectacle, their eyes full of scorn and disdain.

Baili Qi hadn’t paid them any mind the entire time, sitting coldly on the bed, looking exactly the same as when Jiang Yan left.

Yin Xiu, the most outspoken of all the maids, who was hailed as the “boss,” felt slighted when Baili Qi ignored her. She stepped forward to lift her veil.

“What kind of ghoul are you? Being all mysterious!”

Just as Yin Xiu’s hand was about to touch the veil, Baili Qi grabbed her hand and squeezed lightly. Yin Xiu let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

“Bitch, how dare you strike me! Do you know who I am?!”

Jiang Yan couldn’t listen anymore. She kicked the door open and asked faintly, “Who are you?”

Yin Xiu’s legs went soft. Ignoring the pain, she knelt on the ground, weeping and complaining.

“Princess, please uphold justice for me! This b—… person, appeared in our room out of nowhere and attacked us, trying to break my arm.”

“Oh, is that so?” Jiang Yan walked closer, looking at her with a half-smile.

Yin Xiu panicked internally, gritting her teeth. “It’s absolutely true. She was the one who struck first. If you don’t believe me, you can ask them.”

The maids chimed in, supporting Yin Xiu. Yin Xiu secretly felt triumphant and glanced at Baili Qi, her eyes full of malice.

Little bitch, watch me destroy you!

Jiang Yan looked at Baili Qi and asked, “Is that what they say happened?”

Baili Qi released Yin Xiu’s hand, her expression cold and indifferent.

It was then that Jiang Yan remembered Baili Qi couldn’t speak; she had forgotten again.

Cursing herself silently, Jiang Yan reached out her hand to her. “Let’s go. I’m here to take you back.”

Baili Qi looked at her, her eyes once again filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Jiang Yan took her hand without a second thought and said to Su Yi, “You handle this here. Send the person who took advantage of their position and distorted the truth to Xinzheku. They have a lot of work there, which will keep her from talking too much.”

Yin Xiu never expected this outcome. She cried and threw herself in front of Su Yi, frantically begging for mercy.

“Miss Su Yi, please say a few words to the Princess for your servant. Your servant will never dare to do this again, never again!”

Su Yi looked down at her, devoid of any pity. “Pack your things and go. Don’t make me say it a second time.”

She turned and quickly caught up with Jiang Yan and Baili Qi, feeling a turmoil of emotions.

Why is the Princess so good to this assassin? She came to pick her up personally and even lost her temper for her. What kind of magic does she possess?

Jiang Yan’s thoughts were simple: she only wanted to reduce Baili Qi’s Blackening Value. As long as she could make her let go of her hatred, a little humility was nothing.

She didn’t notice that after walking a long distance, their hands were still clasped together. Baili Qi couldn’t understand Jiang Yan’s intentions and was deep in thought the entire way, also unaware of this.

Su Yi walked closer and said to Jiang Yan, “Princess, are your hands cold? Your servant brought a hand warmer.”

Hearing this, Baili Qi abruptly shook off Jiang Yan’s hand, her expression dark and uncertain.

Jiang Yan looked at her rejected hand, sighed inwardly, took the hand warmer from Su Yi, and slowly walked back.