When a "Sea King" is Bound to a System [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 61.1

Jiang Yan spent her days in Zhaoyang Palace, seemingly oblivious to the turbulent undercurrents outside. Her only interest was in teasing Baili Qi and occasionally summoning a crowd of beauties to play games with her.

On the twentieth of April, after nearly a month of cloudy weather, the sky cleared. Qin Ji came to Zhaoyang Palace to see Jiang Yan. The moment he entered the palace, he saw palace maids and eunuchs sprawled on the floor, and Jiang Yan holding a wine bottle, looking blissfully happy.

Qin Ji’s smile froze on his face, and his eyes immediately darkened.

Su Yi retained a sliver of clarity. Hearing the movement, she looked up and was met with Qin Ji’s terrifying face. She was so frightened that her soul nearly left her body. She immediately got up and knelt down, trembling as she said, “I did not know His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would grace us with his presence and failed to receive you. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

“What is going on here?” Qin Ji said, almost gritting his teeth. He walked over, carried Jiang Yan to the bed, and coldly scanned the palace maids and eunuchs on the floor.

“Drag all of them out and dispose of them. Throw the bodies out to feed the dogs.”

Su Yi shuddered, breaking out in a cold sweat, because she didn’t know if the people the Crown Prince was referring to included her.

Even in her drunken state, Jiang Yan knew the person beside her was not one of her favorites. She frowned, opened her eyes, and upon seeing Qin Ji’s face, her sobriety instantly returned, and she became exceptionally clear-headed.

She had originally created this opportunity for Baili Qi to leave, but she hadn’t controlled herself and drank too much. It was all Su Yi’s fault for bringing such delicious plum wine.

Su Yi kept her head down, not daring to breathe loudly, vaguely feeling another scorching gaze burn her. Her heart turned to ashes.

She was absolutely doomed.

The King of Hell was already beckoning to her.

Ignoring her dizziness, Jiang Yan climbed out of bed, looking at the guards who were carrying people out, and shouted, “What are you doing?!”

The guards paused and looked at Qin Ji.

Qin Ji flashed a gentle smile, reached out, and touched Jiang Yan’s forehead. “Yan’er, they are wicked things who corrupt their master. Brother will take care of them for you.”

Jiang Yan’s heart instantly chilled. These were the very people he had sent to her, telling them to serve her well. Now, merely for drinking wine with her once, he was going to kill them.

Why did he send them in the first place?

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Jiang Yan’s back, and her fear of Qin Ji deepened.

This man was deeply cunning and capricious. If he truly ascended the throne, there was no telling what would happen. She had always kept a low profile, staying indoors, thinking that this way she could protect herself and the people in Zhaoyang Palace. Now it seemed her thinking was too naïve.

No matter how much she tried to reduce her presence, Qin Ji would not let her go.

He was a lunatic.

“Crown Prince Brother, they did nothing wrong. I forced them. Please spare them.”

She knelt on the ground and bowed to Qin Ji, her attitude sincere and her expression serious. Qin Ji looked at her and felt a pang of displeasure. He still preferred the girl who would sweetly flirt with him.

“Yan’er, they are just ordinary beauties. Crown Prince Brother has many more choices. Just tell me what you want, and I will immediately send someone to bring them.”

“No, I want them!”

Jiang Yan’s attitude was firm, contradicting Qin Ji for the first time.

By now, the drunken palace maids and eunuchs had also woken up. Even though they weren’t clear about the situation, they knew it was nothing good. They knelt at the doorway, shivering.

The snow that had fallen earlier hadn’t completely melted. Even with the sun out, it was still cold. Dressed in thin clothes, their faces quickly turned pale and their lips blue.

Qin Ji’s eyes were dark and deep. He stared at Jiang Yan without speaking. He had always believed he adored this little sister and granted her every request. Now, however, she was arguing with him over a few insignificant servants. Had he spoiled her too much?

Jiang Yan was actually very uneasy. She understood how ruthless Qin Ji could be. In just the past two months, he had killed hundreds of officials, large and small, who opposed his new policies. It wouldn’t be difficult for him to find an excuse to kill her, would it?

The more she thought about it, the more alarmed she became. Jiang Yan was no longer just sweating on her back; her whole body had turned cold. If she hadn’t been able to control herself, she probably would have been trembling uncontrollably, just like the palace maids and eunuchs kneeling at the door.

Qin Ji stared for a long time but didn’t see the fear he had imagined on Jiang Yan’s face. His already dark eyes grew even more shadowed, and his voice was gloomy: “The Ninth Princess pleaded for you this time. I will spare you all for now. If you fail to understand your place and do this again, you won’t be so lucky next time.”

Although the words were commonplace, to Jiang Yan, they sounded like the whispering of a demon, sending a shiver through her.

This was a blatant threat, both to her and her servants.

“Yan’er, if you’re not feeling well, rest properly. Don’t drink so much wine again.”

Qin Ji reached out and stroked Jiang Yan’s hair, his actions extremely gentle, completely different from a moment ago.

Jiang Yan didn’t even know how he managed to switch his mood so quickly. Such powerful emotional control was something she definitely couldn’t do.

Jiang Yan acknowledged him, pulled the blanket over herself, and kept her eyes lowered the entire time. Qin Ji watched her for a moment, then tucked her into bed.

“Yan’er, Brother has some matters to attend to, so I’m leaving now. If anything happens, send someone to find me. Brother is always here.”

He said this with such warmth and deep affection that if Jiang Yan didn’t know his true nature, she would have been touched.

“Farewell, Crown Prince Brother.” Jiang Yan still kept her head down, avoiding any eye contact with Qin Ji.

Qin Ji was clearly unhappy when he left, and the cold light in his eyes extended to all the palace servants. The timid ones were already weak-kneed and could barely remain kneeling without leaning on the person next to them.

After Qin Ji left, Jiang Yan sighed in relief, but at the same time, she was calculating how long this peace would last.

No one knew how long the King of Qin’s body would hold up. If Qin Ji ascended the throne, what awaited her was self-evident.

Furthermore, he was such a meticulous person, yet he didn’t ask a single word about Baili Qi’s absence. Did he consider her insignificant, or did he monitor the movements of everyone in the palace, which is why he didn’t need to ask?

Cold sweat broke out on Jiang Yan’s back again, but her mind became clearer. She couldn’t sit and wait for death. There were only two paths before her: either gain enough power to challenge Qin Ji after he ascended the throne, or prevent him from ascending.

But the State of Qin had no one more suitable to be the Crown Prince than him. Even if she interfered, the effect would likely be minimal.

So, she could only find a way to protect herself in these few short months, to make it so Qin Ji couldn’t touch her.

This was also very difficult for Jiang Yan, as she had no maternal clan to rely on. She had to depend entirely on herself for everything.

Later in the evening, Baili Qi returned. When Jiang Yan heard footsteps, she closed her eyes, pretending to be fast asleep.

Baili Qi entered with a chill about her but didn’t approach Jiang Yan. Instead, she stood a distance away, gazing at her for a moment. Only after the coldness had completely dissipated did she approach, reached out to cover Jiang Yan properly with the blanket, and tucked the hand that was outside back in.

Baili Qi had a gauze bandage wrapped around her neck, with faint bloodstains visible. She expressionlessly tore off the gauze that was stuck to the wound and replaced it with a new one.

Finding herself bored these days, Jiang Yan had called for the imperial physicians to treat Baili Qi. All the physicians had said that the throat had been injured for too long and couldn’t be healed. Just as they were about to give up, a very young physician volunteered to try.

Jiang Yan had disagreed with letting Baili Qi be a guinea pig. The method was too dangerous. What if the throat wasn’t healed and it affected her ability to eat and breathe?

Baili Qi, however, insisted on trying. Having been mute for so many years, if there was a chance to recover, she naturally wanted to try. How much worse could the result be?

Jiang Yan couldn’t argue with her and allowed the young physician to treat her. It had been four months now. The incision wound was gradually healing, but the effect wasn’t very noticeable.

Baili Qi had only planned to appease her old subordinates in Nan Yue during this trip out, but she hadn’t expected to be followed. She had to exert some effort to shake off her pursuers, and the wound cracked open during the fight.

At the time, she wasn’t worried about her identity being exposed, but that Jiang Yan absolutely couldn’t see the wound.

Fortunately, Jiang Yan was sleeping. She could change the gauze without being noticed.

Jiang Yan watched all her actions through the curtain, sighing inwardly. Although the blackening value had dropped to fifty recently, Baili Qi still refused to be honest with her. Every time she went out, she chose a time when Jiang Yan was asleep, so Jiang Yan could only pretend to be drunk to create an opportunity for her.

Didn’t she ever think that if she woke up early and didn’t see her, she might become suspicious?

With so many problems piling up, Jiang Yan’s already drunk mind became even more muddled. She watched Baili Qi’s figure and drifted off to sleep.

The King of Qin lay on his couch, watching the sun stream in through the window, and lamented, “If I were healthy, I could go out for a walk too.”

Wan’erong, who was heavily pregnant, sat beside him and poured him a cup of tea. “Your Majesty, didn’t the Imperial Physician say that as long as you rest well, you will definitely recover?”

The King of Qin’s lips were pale, with faint dark circles under his eyes. He looked haggard, as if he had aged ten years.

“Those old fellows are just saying nice things to deceive me. I know my own body. I just hope I can see our child born. Then I will die without regrets.”

Wan’erong’s expression froze, then she lowered her head and forced a smile. “You definitely will. Your Majesty, please don’t speak such disheartening words.”

The King of Qin also smiled faintly but didn’t say anything, squinting at the sunlight outside the window.

Wan’erong sat beside him, her eyes filled with complex shock, with a hidden pain.

In the beginning, she approached the King of Qin only to kill him. Now that her plan was nearing completion, why wasn’t she happy at all? Instead, hearing him say that made her feel suffocated.

Wasn’t this exactly what she wanted? Why did she feel so miserable?

“Your Majesty, I will go and see if the soup on the stove is ready.”

She quickly curtsied and withdrew. The King of Qin’s gaze followed her retreating figure, gradually turning profound.

The incense in this room seemed to have been changed, smelling much lighter. He still preferred the original scent—strong and bright, like Mei’er ten years ago.

Wan’erong walked out and stood on the steps, unmoving for a long time. Finally, a tear dropped onto her hand. She fearfully wiped it away with a handkerchief. After taking a few deep breaths, her eyes became determined again.

Wan’erong, remember your identity, remember your mission. The enemy who destroyed your country and family is not worthy of sympathy, nor is he worthy of… love.

A gust of wind blew, scattering the peach blossoms in the courtyard. Wan’erong’s face, more delicate than the flowers, curved into a smile. She adjusted her composure and walked back inside.

Jiang Yan sat in the courtyard, watching the falling peach blossoms, and lamented how quickly time passed. It was almost May already.

Due to the unusual weather this year, the peach blossoms, which typically bloomed in March and fell in April, had been delayed by a month. It looked like they might retain their remaining blooms until May.

Since that day, Baili Qi hadn’t gone out again and had stayed by Jiang Yan’s side. Furthermore, she seemed to have adapted well to her identity as a palace maid. She occasionally helped Su Yi with small chores she could manage, and Su Yi’s opinion of her had improved considerably. At least she no longer glared at her.

Jiang Yan took advantage of the fact that she didn’t get sunburned and sat without any protective measures, exposing her entire face to the sun, which only made her complexion fairer.

After Qin Ji left, she had been thinking of countermeasures, but after all this time, she hadn’t come up with anything conclusive. So, she decided to sunbathe while the weather was nice, hoping to dry out the ‘water’ in her brain so she wouldn’t be so clueless.

Su Yi held a fan to shield Jiang Yan’s face. “Princess, sunbathing your face like this will damage it.”

A flash of inspiration struck Jiang Yan’s mind. She instantly sat up from the lounge chair, and her stagnant brain began to whir rapidly.

Qin Ji was only nice to her because of this face. If her face was ruined, wouldn’t Qin Ji stop bothering her?

“Su Yi, go fetch a dagger.”

Su Yi was confused. “Princess, what do you need a dagger for?”

“Stop talking nonsense! Just do as I say!”

Jiang Yan had finally made up her mind and wanted to act quickly, not wanting to waste time until her courage failed.

After all, slashing one’s face with a knife was no joke. First and foremost, she wouldn’t be able to bear the pain.

Su Yi brought the dagger. Jiang Yan hesitated for a moment, then held the blade up to her cheek. Su Yi screamed in fright.

“Princess, what are you doing?!”

Jiang Yan ignored her. She closed her eyes, hardened her heart, and prepared to strike herself fiercely.

“No… Don’t!”

A rough, hoarse voice sounded, and the dagger in Jiang Yan’s hand was instantly knocked away. The sharp blade nicked her face, only drawing a little blood.

Jiang Yan opened her eyes and saw Baili Qi’s face, and her eyes, which held a mix of shock and fear.

“Was that you speaking just now?” Jiang Yan glanced at the gauze on her neck, unsure.

Baili Qi nodded, then picked up the dagger on the ground and handed it to Su Yi, signaling her to take it away. Su Yi was still badly shaken, standing frozen in place, holding the dagger in a daze.

Jiang Yan touched Baili Qi’s neck, her eyes shining with surprise. “Say something else.”

Baili Qi tried but still couldn’t produce a sound. Her eyes gradually dimmed from surprise, and Jiang Yan quickly comforted her.

“It’s okay. This proves you can make sounds; it’s just a matter of time. You probably spoke out of urgency just now. We’ll take it slow from now on. You’ll definitely be able to do it.”

After speaking, she felt something was off. A flicker of slyness crossed her eyes. She leaned close to Baili Qi’s ear and whispered, “So, you were worried just now, worried enough to make you speak unconsciously, right?”

The heat from Jiang Yan’s breath made Baili Qi uncomfortable. She tilted her head away from Jiang Yan’s lips but didn’t deny what Jiang Yan said.

Jiang Yan looked at her flushed ears, curled the corner of her lips, and deliberately leaned closer, resting her chin on Baili Qi’s shoulder. Her voice was soft and sweet: “If it’s a yes, then it is. What’s there to be shy about? I’m very happy that you worry about me.”

Baili Qi turned her face, and it accidentally brushed against Jiang Yan’s. She felt a tingling sensation in her heart, and her cheeks also flushed.

Jiang Yan was in high spirits. She stretched out both hands. “I’m tired from sunbathing. Carry me back.”

Baili Qi mouthed the words: Can’t you walk yourself?

Jiang Yan pouted and sweetly whined, “I don’t want to walk myself. I’m still a sixteen-year-old baby and need Qi Qi to carry me.”

Baili Qi looked away, her face and the area around her eyes turning red. Her beautiful features became even more dazzling, making Jiang Yan’s heart flutter.

Indeed, beautiful people, even when silent, were breathtakingly gorgeous.

Baili Qi didn’t say anything more. She reached out and embraced Jiang Yan, not in a princess carry, but in the posture of carrying a child. They were face-to-face. Jiang Yan only had to lean down slightly to kiss her.

“I want to kiss you.” Jiang Yan said this as if possessed.

Afterward, her mind cleared a little. She tightly wrapped her arms around Baili Qi’s neck. She was afraid that Baili Qi would drop her for saying such a brazen thing.

Baili Qi didn’t say anything. Once the initial shyness passed, she tilted her head up to look at Jiang Yan. That posture was clearly soliciting a kiss.

How could Jiang Yan resist any longer? She lowered her head and captured those lips that looked so soft and delicious, repeatedly licking and nibbling. The kiss lasted a full keri (quarter hour) all the way from the courtyard to the sleeping chamber.

Su Yi, who had dealt with the dagger, turned around and saw the two kissing passionately. She was so shocked her hair stood on end. She hid behind a pillar and, like a coward, watched the whole thing.

Jiang Yan knew she was there, but she was caught up in the moment and didn’t care. Baili Qi was thinner-skinned than her. After the kiss, she looked away, and every part of her neck not covered by the gauze was crimson.

“Are you shy?” Jiang Yan asked, panting slightly, still holding onto her neck.

Baili Qi placed her on a chair and turned to leave. Jiang Yan lazily leaned on the table, watching her fleeing back, her eyes brimming with amusement.

Such a pure beauty was truly endearing. She wished she could grab her and kiss her for another half hour.

To avoid being noticed by Baili Qi, Su Yi kept rotating behind the pillar. When Baili Qi finally left, she let out a sigh of relief, only to hear Jiang Yan’s devilish voice in her ear.

“You’ve got some nerve, spying on this Princess’s intimacy?”

Su Yi jumped in fright. When she turned and saw Jiang Yan, she immediately hugged her waist and started to cry, looking incredibly wronged.

“Princess, didn’t you say I was your favorite? Why did you kiss Baili Qi? Am I not your favorite anymore?”

Jiang Yan didn’t think she was that much of a scumbag. After recalling, it seemed she had genuinely said something like that. She chuckled awkwardly, “Of course, you are. But this Princess is a Princess, after all. How can I only favor one person? In the future, Zhaoyang Palace will welcome new people. Are you going to be jealous of every single one of them? Be good, little Su Su. You must have a broad mind.”

Su Yi thought about it and realized it was true. The Princess wasn’t hers alone; she wasn’t her property. It was normal for her to be kind to others.

“Then I want the same as Baili Qi. You have to kiss me too.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Her smile froze for two seconds. Jiang Yan made a final struggle. “Wouldn’t that be inappropriate? Shouldn’t you be saying something like, ‘If what you give me is the same as what you give others, then I’d rather not have it’?”

“It’s alright, Princess. I don’t mind if it’s the same,” Su Yi said, being remarkably understanding.

Jiang Yan looked at her eager eyes, tapped her index and middle fingers on her own lips, then pressed the two fingers onto Su Yi’s lips, her eyes teasing. “How about that, you little temptress?”

Su Yi’s face blushed, and her voice was as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz: “Th-that’s fine.”

Jiang Yan leaned on the table, sporting a mischievous smile, unaware that someone was standing at the doorway, having witnessed her entire interaction.

The expression on Baili Qi’s face shifted from happy to icy cold in an instant.

She thought Jiang Yan treated her differently, which made her heart flutter. She hadn’t expected Jiang Yan to simply treat her as one of her many favored servants, meant only to alleviate her boredom.

How naïve! How could she believe the words from this woman’s mouth? She was clearly luring her into a trap, and she had walked right into it without even realizing it, willingly falling into her scheme.

During dinner that evening, Jiang Yan placed a piece of braised pork in Baili Qi’s bowl. Baili Qi coldly glanced at it and didn’t eat it. She even sat farther away, as if an entire galaxy separated her from Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan was confused and teased, “What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?”