After The Scumbag Alpha Consort Chose To Lie Flat, The Princess Rebelled - Chapter 4

Holding a pot of chili peppers in her arms, Gu Xianyu was led by Silan to a side room.

“Not… sleeping with her anymore?” Gu Xianyu asked Silan.

Silan fell silent for a moment, lowering her eyes and keeping her expression carefully composed. “The consort fell while admiring the flowers today and cannot attend Her Highness in bed. Her Highness has already sent someone to reply to the instruction matron. The consort may rest well here.”

Gu Xianyu understood. She nodded repeatedly, so cheerful that it showed. “Help me thank the princess. I’ll take good care of the chili peppers!”

“This subordinate will pass the consort’s words on. The night is deep, so the consort should rest early. If you need anything, simply instruct the maids and young servants keeping night watch.”

Gu Xianyu nodded, then carried the chili plant inside.

There was not the slightest trace of her usual pickiness about cleanliness. She held that chili plant as though she were holding a precious treasure.

Silan paid special attention to her. Seeing Gu Xianyu carrying such a heavy potted plant while still walking lightly, with none of her previous sickly appearance at all, Silan quickly went to report to Meng Qianyan.

However, Meng Qianyan had run into a little trouble at the moment.

The instruction matron had arrived with two eunuchs and two palace maids. They held record books in their hands and stood with lowered heads behind the matron.

“Sixth Princess, this servant came under the instructions of the Imperial Grandfather. According to the rules, today is the day you should summon the consort to attend you in bed.”

Meng Qianyan chuckled lightly. “The consort’s body is weak. Half a month ago, during the wedding night, she fainted to the point of near death. If I torment her again, I might as well finish her off with one stroke of the blade.”

“Then please invite a male attendant into the residence and settle the matter early, Your Highness, so that we may return and report to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

Silan’s heart sank. The Imperial Grandfather’s nephew from his natal family was the Second Prince’s father-consort. The Imperial Grandfather and the late Empress had been at odds for many years, and now the Imperial Grandfather had even reached his hands into the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace and the Sixth Princess’s residence.

“Impudent.”

The moment Meng Qianyan spoke, Silver One entered from outside. With one hand, she seized the instruction matron, then kicked the bend of her knee, forcing her to kneel on the ground.

The eunuchs and palace maids behind her were so frightened that they dropped to their knees with a thud as well.

The instruction matron struggled to straighten her back. “Is Your Highness intending to disrespect the Imperial Grandfather?!”

“How would this palace dare disrespect the Imperial Grandfather? A vicious slave like you dares to speak such slander?”

Silan stepped forward and slapped her twice. “For sowing discord among the imperial family, cutting out your tongue would not be excessive. If you dare show disrespect to Her Highness again, you will be offending an imperial child and descendant of the dragon. That crime deserves death!”

The instruction matron still wanted to speak, but Silver One forcibly pressed her down.

“Enough, Silver One,” Meng Qianyan said. “No matter what, she is an old servant who has attended the Imperial Grandfather for years. Though her ambitions have grown somewhat, after serving the Imperial Grandfather for so long, even without merit, there has still been hard work. Send the matron back.”

Silver One dragged her out, holding her by the legs and dragging her face-first along the ground.

The eunuchs and palace maids were terrified. Holding their things, they followed in a sorry, dust-covered state.

At last, the room quieted.

Meng Qianyan’s expression was as calm as usual, but Silan was somewhat overcome with anger.

“Your Highness, these old slaves have gone too far.”

“They merely gained a bit of confidence to throw their weight around from the people behind them.”

“I wonder when His Majesty will bestow your fief. It would be better if Your Highness could go to your fief sooner.”

“Imperial Mother naturally has her own plans. This palace only needs to wait in peace.” In truth, Meng Qianyan had already made calculations in her heart. Her eldest brother, the Crown Prince, was now powerful. The Crown Princess’s father was the head of the Liu family, and he was also the world-famous Grand Tutor. Most of the civil officials in court were his students.

The Crown Prince already had the support of the court officials. Imperial Mother was not old yet, and the Crown Prince had already grown up. Imperial Mother would not watch him dominate alone.

Over the years, her partiality toward the Second Prince had already made her intention to balance the Crown Prince very obvious.

Meng Qianyan was the Crown Prince’s full younger sister. She was a natural member of the Crown Prince’s faction. Her fief would not be anywhere good.

She could only hope Imperial Mother still had a few scraps of affection for her as a daughter and would not exile her to some remote, bitterly cold place.

“Heh.” Meng Qianyan laughed again, laughing at herself for still having a trace of naïveté even at this point.

“The map.”

Hearing this, Silan quickly brought over the map, spread it open, and placed it on the desk.

“Silan, where do you think this palace’s fief will most likely be?”

Silan lowered her eyes. “This subordinate does not dare make wild guesses.”

“This palace dares.” Meng Qianyan placed the teacup in her hand onto a remote spot. “Just watch.”

When Silan saw that place, half her heart went cold. “Donghuang Youliao. Such a savage and uncultivated land. How can Your Highness, with your precious body, go there?”

“If I do not go to my fief, I will be trapped in the capital. If I do go to my fief, then I will no longer be able to assist Crown Prince Brother.”

“Your Highness!” Silan’s words were full of grief. “Your Highness has given so much for the Eastern Palace. Is the Crown Prince truly going to sit by and do nothing?”

“Do something?” Meng Qianyan laughed. “Why do you think General Wu used his military achievements to exchange for a bestowed marriage three years ago?”

Meng Qianyan had once had another bestowed marriage. Young General Wu Hongxuan had used all his military achievements to exchange for it at the victory banquet.

No one had asked for her opinion at all. The Crown Prince had used her to make a deal with Wu Hongxuan.

Unfortunately, Wu Hongxuan had gone missing on the battlefield half a year ago. Several of the Wu family’s concubine-born children, eager to fight over the family assets, had declared his death early.

Because of that, her marriage had been canceled.

Some time ago, Jin and Zhao went to war. Because of Wu Hongxuan’s disappearance, Jin lost.

The court officials proposed using a political marriage to resolve the conflict and avoid ceding land and paying reparations. At this critical juncture, the Crown Prince feared that his younger sister would be chosen. Not only would he lose an ally, he would also become the first Crown Prince whose full-blooded younger sister was sent off for a marriage alliance. His reputation would suffer as well.

So the Crown Prince once again acted on his own, requesting a bestowed marriage for her from Imperial Mother. This time, the candidate had changed from the son of a powerful official to a scholar born from a poor family.

The consort was sickly, easy to control, and had no family background. She could suddenly drop dead anytime, anywhere.

“Your Highness.” Silan felt deeply upset. She was clearly an imperial princess. She should have lived a life surrounded by adoration. How had she ended up in this situation?

“Enough, Silan. Donghuang is not bad either. Though it is a little bitterly cold, it has already been civilized for three years. As a fief, it can be slowly managed. If we went elsewhere, the noble families and powerful clans would have roots tangled everywhere. We might not end up with anything good either. It may be better to go to Donghuang instead.”

Silan sighed inwardly. If the Empress were still alive, if the Empress’s maternal family had not fallen, why would Her Highness ever have to suffer being bullied like this?

“How is the consort? Does she have any complaints about this palace’s arrangements?” Meng Qianyan suddenly asked her.

Silan carefully recalled Gu Xianyu’s words and actions, then finally said with some hesitation, “The consort seems somewhat different from before. This subordinate does not dare speak rashly.”

“This palace also feels that the consort is somewhat different.” Meng Qianyan’s fingertip landed on the tabletop, tapping lightly.

Silan understood that this was Her Highness thinking something over.

“Have Gold Sixteen make a trip to the consort’s hometown and investigate. Then send Silver Three and Silver Four to keep watch on the Second Prince’s side.”

“Yes.” Silan nodded, then thought for a moment and asked, “What about the consort’s side…?”

“Have Silver One and Silver Two follow her.”

“Your Highness, Silver One is your guard.” Silan hesitated a little. “Among all the guards, Silver One has the best martial arts.”

“Do as this palace says.” Meng Qianyan did not particularly like being contradicted, but she was not a tyrannical person who insisted on having her own way in everything, so she explained, “At present, breeding seeds is more important.”

If her fief truly was assigned to that bitterly cold land, the consort’s red fruits might become tremendously useful.

The consort she had placed such high hopes on was currently hugging the chili plant and staring at it nonstop.

There was a tiny bit of ability inside her body now. She wanted to try and see whether she could accelerate its growth.

But she was also afraid that this ability, which had appeared so suddenly, would vanish completely once she used it up.

Gu Xianyu stood up and paced back and forth in the room. Every now and then, she leaned close to the chili plant to look at it and smell the scent of the peppers.

She really wanted hotpot. Beef-tallow hotpot would be best.

Unfortunately, cattle in this world were national-level protected animals. Killing an ox meant paying with your life. If you did not want to pay with your life, you had to spend silver to redeem the crime—one thousand taels.

Diners who ate beef would also go to prison, anywhere from three to five years, and all their property would be confiscated too.

It was extremely strict.

But who could blame this era when cattle were the greatest productive force? One ox could bring half a village’s fields to life. Cattle were also difficult to breed, and strong oxen were even more precious. They were worth more than ordinary slaves.

“I really want to eat beef. Braised spicy beef brisket, stir-fried beef tripe, beef-tallow hotpot. Slurp…” Gu Xianyu touched the chili pepper plant and tried releasing a tiny bit of her ability. Then she discovered that the chili plant visibly grew stronger and more robust.

On the roof, Silver One heard her words and nearly lost her grip on the brush.

Silver Two asked quietly, “Has the consort always been like this?”

“She has become increasingly deranged recently.” Silver One’s brush moved like flying dragons and dancing snakes, writing down every single sentence.

Gu Xianyu suddenly raised her head. Why did she keep feeling as though something was secretly staring at her?

Unfortunately, her ability was too low right now, so she could not sense it clearly. In the past, if mutant beasts rioted from far away, she would have noticed it immediately.

“Sigh.” She had been born after the apocalypse. She had possessed an ability from the moment she was born. The old base chief had once told her that people in the past had all been ordinary people, and abilities had only appeared after the apocalypse began. Back then, she had never been able to understand those ordinary people. Now that she had come to an unfamiliar era, lost her ability, and gained a frail body, she had spent half a month still unable to fully adapt.

Now that her ability had suddenly awakened, she had a feeling that she had finally truly come back to life.

Unfortunately, there was still too little ability energy. Using it casually consumed almost all of it.

Gu Xianyu looked at the plump, beautiful chili peppers. She felt fortunate that her ability could still be used. But in the very next second, she began to worry again. This world had no crystal cores. How was she supposed to replenish her ability?

Gu Xianyu carried the potted chili plant to the table, took off her outer robe, and lay on the soft bed. With both hands tucked behind her head, she began thinking about why her ability had suddenly awakened today.

She thought for a very, very long time. By the time Silver One and Silver Two were taking turns resting on the roof, Gu Xianyu suddenly sat up.

“I get it!” Gu Xianyu slapped her thigh, climbed out of bed in great excitement, and entertained herself by dancing a cha-cha with herself, even humming and mumbling her own background music.

Silver Two was suddenly shoved awake by Silver One.

“Look! The consort is possessed.” Silver One was good in every way except for one thing: she was timid and afraid of ghosts. So no matter when she carried out night missions, she always needed someone accompanying her.

Silver Two lay over the crack in the roof and looked down. The consort was standing in place, twisting around as though she were shaking in a sieve, while making “awoo, awoo” noises with her mouth.

“This… should this be recorded too?” Silver One was so frightened she almost wanted to cry. “The consort is really terrifying.”

Silver Two was also a little scared. Before coming here, no one had told her the consort was like this. She would rather go to the Second Prince’s side and monitor him visiting brothels.

After Gu Xianyu had entertained herself enough, she crawled back into bed, planning to experiment again tomorrow and see whether getting close to Her Highness the Princess could accumulate ability energy.

Only, she had not expected that in the latter half of the night, she would suddenly begin to heat up. Her entire body stung with pain from top to bottom, and her throat felt as though it were about to burst into flames.

Gu Xianyu wanted to drink a sip of water, but she could not even sit up.