A Scummy Alpha Emperor Transmigrated and Marked the Powerful Prime Minister - Chapter 27

Gao Linghan watched as the carriage and the donkey cart parted ways. She hurriedly stood up from the cart.

“Where are they going?”

Guang Qing ignored her completely and drove straight away, letting her shouts fade into the distance. Sensing Gao Linghan trying to stand up out of the corner of her eye, Guang Qing accelerated. Caught off guard, Gao Linghan tumbled back onto the cart.

“Ling Guangqing!”

At the sound of that name, Guang Qing paused, her already expressionless face turning even stiffer.

“My name is Guang Qing.”

Seeing she was truly angry, Gao Linghan immediately flashed a smile. “Oh, whatever your surname is, you’re still my cousin.”

Guang Qing gave her a side-eye. “Get off.”

“What? We haven’t arrived yet.”

Guang Qing rose nimbly and drew her blade, slicing the ropes connecting the wooden cart to the donkey. She leaped onto the donkey’s back and rode away.

Gao Linghan: “? Guang Qing!”

Watching Guang Qing disappear, she stood up while rubbing her rear, shouting indignantly, “Ling Guangqing! Ling Guangqing! Go ahead and leave then!”

After shouting, she stood there dumbfounded. Her home wasn’t close; if she walked back from here, who knew how long it would take!

She really had to tell her mother to earn more money and buy a house closer to the palace. She had money—money given to her by her maternal grandparents—but her mother was a scholar with her own principles and refused to use their wealth. Her sister had entered the palace as a female official. Although there were many children in the family, only she and her sister were born of her mother, so the money naturally ended up in her hands.

Guang Qing should have been living a luxury life just like her, but after a falling out with the family, she entered the Grand Chancellor’s manor. Though she followed the Grand Chancellor, she held no official rank, didn’t sit for exams, and didn’t join the military. Accomplished in neither letters nor martial arts, when would she ever be able to avenge her aunt?

The Ling family, for all its faults, held a baronial title. If Guang Qing didn’t take it, the title would eventually fall to her. It was a pity her cousin was so stubborn. If it were her, she wouldn’t leave without turning the Ling household upside down—or her name wasn’t Gao. Not only would she cause a ruckus, but if pushed too far, she’d drag all nine generations down to the underworld together.

Gao Linghan was lamenting when a cold wind blew past. She hurriedly wrapped her cloak tighter. “Master Jia, did you forget there was still me on the donkey cart?”

She struggled down from the cart, shrinking into herself. After glancing around and realizing that going back now might mean a beating from her mother, she decided to visit the entertainment district.

“Tsk, I still don’t know Master Jia’s real name. Next time we meet, I’ll definitely take her to see the top courtesans.”

In the carriage, Lin Jiayue felt an itch in her nose. She felt like someone was talking about her. she poked her head out the window—no one there.

“Where are we going now?”

“To eat.”

Hearing Lu Siling’s cold response, Lin Jiayue snorted. She wanted to know where they were eating. Hateful woman, she thought, gnashing her teeth. Bai Heng mimicked her, gnashing his teeth too—looking adorable and not at all threatening.

The carriage stopped in front of a dough drop soup shop. The old lady inside wasn’t surprised to see such a luxury carriage stop; she simply greeted them with a smile. Lin Jiayue opened the door and hopped down. Seeing her, the old lady froze, peering into the carriage. It seemed she recognized Lu Siling and was only surprised because of Lin Jiayue.

“Does the Grand Chancellor eat here often?” Lin Jiayue reached out to help, but Lu Siling bypassed her hand and stepped down on the stool herself.

She wasn’t embarrassed; she retracted her hand with a smile and spoke to the old lady. “Grandma, is this your shop?”

The lady looked at her, processed the question for a moment, and nodded.

“What’s good to eat?”

In response, the old lady pointed to the characters on a wooden board by the door. The ink was faded, but the handwriting was beautiful. There were only two items: Green Vegetable Dough Drop Soup and Mutton Paomo.

Lin Jiayue raised an eyebrow and counted the heads. “One bowl of each for everyone.”

The old lady didn’t move, instead looking hesitantly at Lu Siling. Only when Lu Siling nodded did she go to cook. Lin Jiayue tilted her head in confusion.

The group found seats. Lin Jiayue and Lu Siling shared a table. There were only two tables in total; the tall, large guards crowded around a single one-square-meter table. But with the Emperor and Grand Chancellor at one table, no one else dared sit with them unless they were another Grand Secretary.

Lin Jiayue glanced at the old lady and whispered, “Is she unable to speak?”

It was strange for the Grand Chancellor to come to a place like this. It was basically a stall made from a pushcart with two tables. Dough drop soup was five cents a bowl, and mutton paomo was ten. Lin Jiayue didn’t have much concept of prices, but looking at the environment, no official would ever eat here. Yet Lu Siling looked very familiar with the place and the old lady.

“Mhm,” Lu Siling replied coldly.

Lin Jiayue found Lu Siling’s attitude fascinating. Despite the coldness, she was at least answering every question. Before, she might ask ten things and not get a single reply.

“You come here often?”

“Mhm.”

Lin Jiayue’s eyes were brighter than Bai Heng’s; she seemed genuinely excited about the old lady’s cooking. Lu Siling had brought her here simply because she usually didn’t eat at her manor—she either ate at the palace or didn’t eat at all. If she did go out, it was only to this stall.

Usually, forget this stall, her colleagues wouldn’t even come to this neighborhood. This was effectively a slum in the capital. Noble families would only think the air here was filthy.

However, Lin Jiayue’s reaction surprised her. Toward an old woman in coarse clothes with flour on her hands, she could sweetly call her “Grandma.” She could sit at such a crude table without any restraint, waiting for a meal that was humble to the point of being meager.

If it were anyone else from the slums, she wouldn’t be surprised; the children here all called the lady “Nanny Mute.” But the person before her was the young Emperor—the supreme ruler of the Great Zhou, who had been raised in luxury and would have a team of physicians for a mere scratch.

A person like that showed no sign of disdain here, nor a haughty posture. Instead, she spoke warmly. Lu Siling had been watching her closely; she could tell Lin Jiayue wasn’t faking it. Even if they tried to hide it, the bone-deep arrogance of those born into noble families was impossible to fully mask from her eyes.

Unless the young Emperor was a master actor. But then again, the “dog Emperor” of the past had faked stupidity so well she hadn’t noticed. If the Emperor hadn’t proactively revealed her wit, she’d still be in the dark. So what was so strange about her faking this? She wanted to see how the dog Emperor would act once the food arrived.

Nanny Mute was old now. The dough drops were still edible, but the mutton soup was hit or miss. If not for the neighbors constantly supporting her, the stall would have closed long ago. Soon, Nanny Mute would pass away, and her only lingering hope in this world would be gone.

Lu Siling looked at Nanny Mute’s busy back, her eyes slightly reddened. Birth, old age, sickness, and death were things she could not prevent. Nanny Mute was dying of old age; technically it was a blessing, for she had suffered much in her life.

Lin Jiayue keenly noticed Lu Siling’s mood shift—a sense of sadness and a hint of helplessness.

“Sister, what are you thinking about?”

It took Lu Siling a moment to realize the Emperor was addressing her. Lin Jiayue used “Grand Chancellor” and “Teacher Lu” in different scenarios for different meanings; she also used “Teacher Lu” when she wanted to act close. But she had called her “Sister” once? No, it was “Good Sister.”

Just thinking of those words made Lu Siling’s hand curl. The sound of the dog Emperor acting spoiled seemed to linger in her ear. But this was the first time she’d called her “Sister” so solemnly.

Lu Siling stiffened her body and remained silent, just watching her quietly. What is the dog Emperor doing now?

When Lu Siling didn’t speak, Lin Jiayue quickly understood why. “Does Sister not like me calling her that? If Sister doesn’t like it, your younger sister won’t call you that anymore. After all, I’m just not liked by Sister. If I made Sister unhappy because of this, it would be my sin. Sister…”

“Enough.” Lu Siling’s head hurt from the barrage of “Sister this, Sister that.” The people at the next table were dumbfounded.

Wait, is this how the Grand Chancellor and the Emperor interact in private? It was their first time seeing their Lady left speechless; it was thrilling. After seeing this, if they told their friends, no one would believe them. But wait—now that they’d heard this, would the Lady kill them to keep the secret?

In the next second, seven hawk-eyed girls simultaneously picked up their tiny table and moved it rapidly to the corner to signal they had heard absolutely nothing.

Lu Siling: “…”

It’s all the dog Emperor’s fault!

However, the dog Emperor was beaming, finding it all very fun. “So, does Sister want me to call her Sister, or does Sister not want me to call her Sister? If Sister doesn’t want me to, then my heart…”

“Call me that.” The Grand Chancellor was sparing with her words, but Lin Jiayue got the answer she wanted.

The smile on Lin Jiayue’s face widened into a look of admiration. “I knew Sister was brilliant. After all, in public, whether I call you Teacher Lu or Grand Chancellor, people will be suspicious. But if we call each other sisters, there’s no problem.”

She put on a “you’re so amazing” look that seemed almost real. Lu Siling watched her silently. Dog Emperor, you really know how to find an excuse.

“Why is Sister looking at me like that? Could it be that I’m especially beautiful today?” Lin Jiayue bared her “smug dog teeth,” making the fire in Lu Siling’s heart flicker. For some reason, the dog Emperor could always easily provoke her.

Luckily, Nanny Mute arrived with the food. There was a large poached egg on top of the dough drops—like a fried egg, likely made by cracking it into a iron ladle and boiling it. Lu Siling’s face softened. “Nanny, why the egg again?”

She’d even given one to the dog Emperor. Why did she get an egg? It wasn’t just about the egg; Nanny Mute usually only kept two eggs waiting for her arrival. Now, one of those two was given to Lin Jiayue. Dog Emperor. Not only is she a chatterbox, she’s stealing my eggs.

Nanny Mute made a few gestures. Lin Jiayue raised an eyebrow. “Thank you, Grandma. The soup smells so good; it must taste even better.” She made a few hand gestures back. Nanny Mute’s eyes lit up; she gestured a bit more before leaving.

“You know sign language?” Lu Siling’s gaze was strange. The young Emperor was ignored as a child and had only begun her education when taken into the Eastern Palace; she couldn’t have been taught before. Her investigation showed no one around Lin Jiayue knew sign language; she would have known such a distinct trait.

Lin Jiayue poked at the dough drops. They were steaming hot, so she wasn’t in a hurry. “A little.” She wasn’t lying; she knew a bit. She had studied it after reading about a lawyer who specialized in cases for the disabled, thinking that if she met a client who couldn’t speak, she wouldn’t miss key evidence due to communication issues. Sadly, she transmigrated before graduating.

Lu Siling watched her with an inquiring gaze. Lin Jiayue pretended not to notice and started eating. It was okay—not terrible, not great. The salt used likely wasn’t refined; there was a slight bitterness to the dough.

Seeing her eating with such gusto, Lu Siling took a bite too, her brow furrowing slightly before she ate in silence. She knew Nanny Mute hadn’t used the refined salt she’d sent. Refined salt wasn’t as precious as before; any decent family could afford it if they were careful. But Nanny Mute was a creature of habit and extreme thrift.

Lin Jiayue ate quietly but very quickly. Her enthusiastic eating style was strangely appetizing. Lu Siling looked at her, and before she knew it, her own bowl was empty too.

The mutton soup arrived then, with two pieces of flatbread. Lu Siling didn’t eat; Lin Jiayue finished hers and looked at her with clear eyes full of expectation. “Sister, are you going to eat more?”

Lu Siling silently pushed the mutton soup toward her. The young Emperor suddenly gave her a feeling of being… easy to raise. Nanny Mute’s mutton soup was made from bones bought at the butcher; it tasted alright but was very gamey. She didn’t particularly like it.

Back in the Eastern Palace, the late Emperor couldn’t always look after her. Her daily food and clothes followed the standard of a common eunuch—edible, with occasional grease. Even so, she didn’t like Nanny Mute’s mutton soup, yet the young Emperor was eating it happily. The Emperor had grown up with the best of everything; how could she be used to this?

Was she just a big eater? But according to reports from the Imperial Kitchen, the young Emperor’s appetite was poor and she was a picky eater. Lu Siling used to manage her very strictly—eating and resting had to follow a schedule. She thought she was doing it for her own good, but the Emperor had long since harbored a grudge.

However, can a person’s appetite change so drastically overnight? Other things can be faked, but appetite—you either eat or you go hungry. Therefore, the young Emperor was a person who could restrain all her desires to achieve her goal. Such a person… was truly terrifying.

A flash of wariness crossed Lu Siling’s eyes. A person who can completely restrain their desires is formidable, let alone when that person is the Emperor.

Lin Jiayue suddenly felt a chill. She instinctively looked at Lu Siling. There was only one person around her who constantly radiated cold air like a refrigerator, and that was Lu Siling.