After The Scumbag Alpha Consort Chose To Lie Flat, The Princess Rebelled - Chapter 12

Although Meng Qianyan did not personally engage in farming, that did not mean she could not tell one crop from another. On the contrary, she had read widely, was quick-minded and eager to learn, and had dabbled in all kinds of local gazetteers and travel accounts by famous people.

“If the consort truly has such talent, then I have picked up a bargain.” Meng Qianyan painted a winter plum blooming in the corner of a wall. Silan glanced at it and found it strangely familiar.

Silan smiled. “The consort is an odd talent. I wonder how Gold Sixteen’s investigation is going.”

Silver One suddenly knocked outside the door. “Your Highness! Your Highness! Gold Sixteen is back.”

Silan smiled again. “Speak of her and she arrives.”

“Quickly, let her in.” Meng Qianyan also smiled faintly, but a trace of unease rose in her heart.

Perhaps she was about to uncover the consort’s true face. She did not know whether the real consort was truly as she appeared now—pure, kind, and harmless.

Gold Sixteen had rushed back covered in travel dust, her whole person several shades darker.

Her clothes had been changed into clean ones, but her hair was still somewhat messy. Clearly, after returning, she had only changed clothes before coming straight here.

“Your Highness!” She was just about to salute when Meng Qianyan interrupted her.

“Speak directly.” Meng Qianyan’s gaze locked onto her.

Gold Sixteen nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. This subordinate went to the consort’s hometown, Qinghe County. The local customs there are simple and honest…”

“Get to the point.” Meng Qianyan interrupted her again.

“There is nothing unusual about the consort’s identity. However… the consort suffered disaster in her childhood. While moving with her Alpha mother, they encountered mountain bandits. Her whole family was killed by the bandits. Only the consort and an old carriage driver survived. After that, the consort stayed with a distant cousin’s family. The consort and her younger female cousin…”

“Stop hesitating. Just say it directly.” It was rare for Meng Qianyan to become somewhat impatient. She did not give Silan a look this time, but asked herself.

Gold Sixteen said, “The consort and her younger female cousin were already engaged. It was originally agreed that after the consort passed the imperial examinations and obtained an official title, she would return and marry her cousin.”

“So that is how it is—” Countless thoughts passed through Meng Qianyan’s mind. No wonder the consort had been unwilling to marry a princess. It turned out she already had a marriage arrangement at home.

Silver One was furious. “What? How dare the consort be engaged to someone else? Isn’t that the crime of deceiving the sovereign?”

“Silver One.” Silan felt somewhat helpless. “Speak less.”

The consort’s engagement had come first, while His Majesty had bestowed the marriage later without asking for the details.

But no one could say the emperor was at fault.

Meng Qianyan waved her hand, dismissing everyone. “Gold Sixteen, stay. This palace still has questions for you.”

“Yes.”

After everyone else left, only Meng Qianyan and Gold Sixteen remained in the room.

Meng Qianyan asked her, “Has the consort ever had contact with foreign lands?”

“We found no such thing. The consort was born in Qinghe County, and until she entered the capital to take the imperial examinations, she never went anywhere else.”

Meng Qianyan thought that the consort’s knowledge of the red fruits might have come from the Second Prince’s side.

But why had the consort told her these things?

Whose person was the consort now, exactly?

“What do you think of that cousin?”

Gold Sixteen pressed her lips together, somewhat afraid to speak.

“Say what you have to say. If you keep acting so affected, this palace will have Silan discipline you properly.”

Gold Sixteen felt as though the wound on her back, which had not yet fully healed, was about to ache again.

“In reply to Your Highness, this subordinate feels that Miss Yue’er is very good. She is kind and warmhearted, a rare good young lady.”

“You think very highly of her. Did you have contact with her?” Meng Qianyan asked again. She sat in the armchair, her eyes slightly lowered, her expression difficult to read.

Gold Sixteen was a little embarrassed and smiled. “I did. This subordinate accidentally fell into a river and was fished out by Miss Yue’er. This subordinate promised her that once I become rich and noble, I will repay Miss Yue’er’s life-saving grace with half my wealth.”

“Heh. You are quite generous.” Meng Qianyan was amused by her. “Miss Yue’er is an Omega?”

“Ah? Miss Yue’er is the same as this subordinate. She is a Beta.”

Meng Qianyan was somewhat surprised, and in an instant, she understood why Gu Xianyu had been taken in by a distant relative.

“They only have this one female Beta in their family?” Meng Qianyan asked.

“Exactly.”

“No wonder.” Meng Qianyan thought it over. So that family had wanted to keep an Alpha as a matrilocal wife.

They simply had not expected Gu Xianyu to be so impressive that she passed the imperial examinations as the top scholar, and was even personally selected as a consort.

Gold Sixteen said, “That family is very sensible. After learning that the consort had become a consort, they immediately changed their tune and no longer mentioned the previous marriage agreement. Back in the hometown, they have already begun making arrangements to choose a matrilocal wife for Miss Yue’er.”

“Does the consort have feelings for her?”

Gold Sixteen scratched her head. “This… this subordinate does not know. Outsiders would not know something like that either, Your Highness. This subordinate has no way to investigate it.”

Meng Qianyan was choked by her words. “Forget it. You may leave.”

“Yes.” Gold Sixteen was very happy, because she had not received a new task. That meant she could rest properly for a while.

The study quieted.

Meng Qianyan suddenly realized that she had not looked at Silver One’s booklets for several days.

She wondered what the consort had been doing lately. Fiddling with that transplanted branch of plum blossoms?

Useless thing. What rare treasures did the princess’s residence not have? Only she would treat a single branch of winter plum like a precious treasure.

Meng Qianyan lowered her head and saw the painting of proud, cold plum blossoms on her desk that she had not yet finished. Her fingers curled slightly, then she grabbed the painting, crumpled it up, and threw it into the wastebasket.

“Silan.”

“This subordinate is here. What are Your Highness’s orders?” Silan pushed the door open and came in.

“The beef sent over earlier—what did the consort say?”

“In reply to Your Highness, the consort liked it very much. She used the beef to make many strange and novel dishes and ate them for several days in a row.”

Meng Qianyan fell silent for a while. Just when Silan thought she would not speak again, Meng Qianyan suddenly asked, “What day is it today?”

Silan immediately understood.

“In reply to Your Highness, today is the twenty-fifth. There are still five days until the consort’s day to attend you in bed.”

“Silan.”

“This subordinate is here.”

“You are speaking too much.”

“Yes, Your Highness. This subordinate deserves death.”

Meng Qianyan frowned faintly. She had heard Silan laughing, but she was not such a harsh master. Since the people under her had found a little amusement, she would let them enjoy it.

Another five days passed.

Just as before, Gu Xianyu unwillingly came to the princess’s residence.

This time, she truly was very unwilling. After the consort’s estate had been reorganized, she was now living very comfortably there. She could do whatever she wanted and eat whatever she wanted. Aside from Xiu’an occasionally being a little noisy by her ear, she truly felt this world was especially wonderful.

However, this time, in coming to the princess’s residence, she had also set herself a small goal: hold Her Highness’s hand for one minute.

Because no one had been controlling her, she had secretly infused the winter plum with ability energy again, causing her ability to run a little low once more. If it dropped any further, she might once again perform an on-the-spot coma.

So she controlled her ability and restrained the part of her heart that wanted to accelerate the growth of everything.

Once she completed this small goal, she would be able to accumulate more ability energy. Then, perhaps she could nourish the winter plum’s consciousness into existence. After that, she would be able to talk to the winter plum.

Before, she had also wanted to get a little closer to Her Highness the Princess and talk with her, because she had discovered that only when she spoke with the princess did she not get stuck and nervous.

But the princess had her own companions. She would not always stay with her.

Only the plants she raised herself would never leave her.

So she decided to give up on the princess and properly raise her Little Five.

Little Five was the name she had given that winter plum branch.

Ever since Chief Administrator Jin had accompanied her back to the consort’s estate last time, she had settled down there. Now, she was also going to accompany Gu Xianyu back to the princess’s residence, under the pleasant name of “escorting” her.

When Chief Administrator Jin saw her carrying a potted flower into the carriage, she thought for a moment and still opened her mouth to stop her.

“Consort, why not leave the flower in the estate?”

Gu Xianyu did not want to leave it behind, but she was also afraid her own words would not be effective, so she had learned to use authority against authority.

“This was given to me by the princess.”

Chief Administrator Jin thought this over and, sure enough, no longer dared stop her. She obediently stepped aside and said with the utmost respect, “Consort, please board the carriage!”