After The Scumbag Alpha Consort Chose To Lie Flat, The Princess Rebelled - Chapter 6

Gu Xianyu did not know how long she had slept. All she knew was that when she woke again, she had finally gone from sitting to lying down.

The clothes on her body had been changed, the room she was sleeping in had been changed, and even the person keeping watch beside her had changed.

“Consort.” Silan hurriedly leaned closer. “Consort, you’re awake. How do you feel?”

“Pain.” Gu Xianyu slowly sat up. Silan wanted to help her, but Gu Xianyu avoided her. “No need. I’ll do it myself, slowly.”

She sat up and discovered that a little ability energy had gathered in her body, and the toxins inside her had disappeared too.

But her body was still very weak, and the deeper hidden illness in her body had not yet been resolved.

Gu Xianyu sat there thinking for quite a while. She could not understand why the toxins had been cleared, but the illness she had been born with had not. Could it be that an acquired ability could not deal with an innate hidden illness?

Or was the hidden illness too severe, and her current ability level was not enough?

Her ability was only at level one right now, which was why clearing just a bit of poison had nearly cost her life.

If she had the level-seven ability from her previous life, she would already be lively enough to get out of bed and hoe the weeds.

“Cough, cough…” The moment Gu Xianyu began coughing, a cup of water was handed to her lips.

Silan looked at her with concern. “Consort, drink some water to moisten your throat.”

Gu Xianyu accepted it and slowly drank. Her throat felt much more comfortable. Then she turned to look at the other people in the room.

Silan quickly said, “Her Highness kept watch over you for a day and a night. This morning, after learning that you were all right, Her Highness finally went back to rest.”

“Oh.” Gu Xianyu wanted to test whether her ability energy had been replenished because she had touched Meng Qianyan.

But now the princess was not here, so she might have to wait a little longer.

“Consort, Her Highness will come shortly.” Seeing that she seemed a little disappointed, Silan added, “Her Highness watched over you for a day and a night. When she left, she also instructed the maids to report to her immediately if you woke.”

“Tell her for what? Let her rest properly.” Gu Xianyu finished the little bit of tea left in the cup, then handed it back to Silan. “Another cup, please. Thank you.”

Although she had been born in the apocalypse, the old base chief had been different from everyone else. He had not treated her as a tool who only knew how to produce grain. The old base chief had taught her how to be human and taught her manners.

Only after the second base chief took power had she been locked in a cage and forced to produce grain day and night.

But she remembered that when she was little and fell sick with a fever, the old base chief had also watched over her worriedly for a long time.

Perhaps he had treated her so well because of her ability, but the old base chief had been gentle like a mother. Although it had been brief, the memory was deep.

Now the princess was treating her this well too. Perhaps it was also because she could breed chili peppers, but that could not deny the fact that the princess really had taken care of her for a day and a night.

“Her Highness is concerned about the consort, so naturally, she must come take a look,” Silan said, seizing the chance to speak well of her master.

Gu Xianyu was very easy to coax. If someone treated her even slightly well, she would feel that this person was the most trustworthy person under heaven, someone worth giving everything to.

Just like in her previous life, when she had been locked in a cage by the second base chief and made into a tool, it had later been the ordinary civilians who, when the third base chief came to power, raised the idea of respecting human rights and made the third base chief release her.

No matter what reasons they had, during that period of time, they had treated her as a person.

Later, even though she knew she would definitely die if she stayed behind, she still wanted to stay and try.

Unfortunately, the people who respected her and the people she protected were not the same group.

Although they were all ordinary people, the old base chief had forgotten to tell her that people were different from one another.

Only after being locked in a cage had she understood that truth. When she was released, she had once again felt that there were still more good people than bad in the world.

Only after dying once did she learn that good people and bad people were like the monsters outside a door. Before opening it, she would never know whether it was a harmless mutant plant waiting for her, or a zombie or mutant beast that could take her life.

Gu Xianyu accepted the second cup of water Silan handed over. This time, she drank less urgently.

Just as her cup of water was empty again, voices came from outside.

“Greetings to Her Highness the Princess.”

“Rise. Wait outside.”

“Yes.”

Meng Qianyan walked over with all the grace and etiquette of an imperial princess. When she saw that Gu Xianyu’s complexion was flushed and had regained some color, the corner of her lips lifted slightly. “Is the consort feeling better?”

“Princess.” Gu Xianyu looked at her eagerly. “Princess, my hand hurts a little.”

“Your hand hurts?” Meng Qianyan frowned. “Silan, go call Yun—”

“Princess.” Gu Xianyu interrupted her. “Can you help me take a look?”

She stretched her hand over and gazed at Meng Qianyan with eyes full of expectation, looking very much as though if Meng Qianyan refused to look at her hand, she could start crying on the spot.

“This palace is not a physician. How am I supposed to examine you?” Meng Qianyan said this, but she still took a step forward.

Gu Xianyu tried hard to sniff, but only caught a faint medicinal scent.

“Your Highness, why aren’t you fragrant anymore?” Gu Xianyu was stunned. She raised her head and looked at her in panic. “Where’s the bamboo scent? That cold, clear kind, a little like mint, the kind that goes straight to your head.”

Meng Qianyan suddenly let out a cold laugh and spoke faintly. “It seems this palace has been too pleasant to you these past two days. You dare be so impudent?”

“…My hand hurts.” Gu Xianyu did not know what she had said wrong. Every time she said Meng Qianyan smelled good, Meng Qianyan got angry. This time, she said Meng Qianyan did not smell good anymore, and Meng Qianyan still got angry.

As expected of a princess. Her thoughts were as hard to guess as the emperor’s.

Meng Qianyan suddenly raised her hand and pinched hard into Gu Xianyu’s palm. “Does it still hurt? This palace will treat it for you.”

The pinch hurt Gu Xianyu badly, but in the next second, she discovered that at the spot where her palm touched Meng Qianyan, she could briefly absorb a faint trace of ability energy.

She abruptly raised her head, completely forgetting the pain in her palm, and looked at Meng Qianyan with disbelief and overflowing joy.

Meng Qianyan had been waiting to hear her beg for mercy. Instead, when she lowered her head, she saw that secretly delighted, lecherous expression on Gu Xianyu’s face, and a surge of anger rose inside her.

She flung Gu Xianyu’s hand away and scolded, “Consort, you truly are impudent!”

Then she swept her sleeve and turned to leave.

Gu Xianyu could no longer care about anything else. Now that she had verified that touching Meng Qianyan could replenish her ability, her heart was almost bursting with joy.

In that case, she could obtain an endless stream of replenished ability energy. Maybe in the future, she could rise back to the peak rank she had reached in her previous life. If she dared to dream a little more, she might even break past her previous level seven and reach level eight or nine!

Gu Xianyu lay back down on the bed and happily kicked her legs. “This is way too wonderful. All I need to do is hold hands.”

Although the energy was faint, if she touched a little more and held on a little longer, sooner or later, filling up her ability energy was only a matter of time.

Early the next morning, the princess saw the booklet submitted that day on the desk in her study.

—The consort said, “As long as I can hold Her Highness’s hand, I’ll be happy.”

—The consort also said, “In this life, I will never leave or abandon Her Highness the Princess.”

—The consort tossed and turned, muttering under her breath. It seemed like she was humming a little tune, but the melody was difficult to identify.

—The consort did not sleep all night. She sighed four times, laughed wildly three times, and recited Her Highness’s name ninety-nine times. She drank water three times, got up once in the night, and touched the red fruits four times.

—The consort fell asleep in the morning. In her dream, she recited Her Highness’s name three times and laughed loudly four times.

—Recorded by Silver One

“What nonsense is this?” After Meng Qianyan finished reading, she casually crumpled it into a ball and threw it onto the cleaned inkstone.

A short while later, she picked up the paper ball again, opened it, and read it from beginning to end once more.

After confirming it, she knew she had not been dreaming.

“Impudent!” Meng Qianyan crumpled the paper again and threw it into the brazier.

When she suddenly shouted “impudent,” Silan, who was guarding outside, originally wanted to go in and check. But after thinking for a moment, she withdrew the step she had taken.

Recently, the word “impudent” had practically become the consort’s exclusive term.

Since Her Highness had only said those two words, it must have been the booklet Silver One and Silver Two submitted that had angered her.

Silan could see it very clearly. If anyone else provoked Her Highness to say the word “impudent,” they would basically be dealt with in the next second.

Only the consort had received the word “impudent” again and again, yet remained perfectly unharmed.

No matter what, the consort was still a master whose name was recorded on the imperial jade register.

It would be better for Silan to be careful. When the princess had not explicitly said to punish the consort, Silan absolutely could not act rashly.

At other times, she could guess her master’s thoughts and help solve her master’s worries. But in this kind of situation, there seemed to be no need for her to run out and show off.

Sure enough, after a while, there was no more movement in the study.

A while later, the little birds under the eaves flew away with their mother, and Her Highness came out of the study with the same elegant bearing as usual.

“How is the consort today?” Meng Qianyan asked expressionlessly, as though she were only asking casually.

Silan hurriedly said, “This subordinate sent someone over to wait on her this morning. Half an hour ago, the maid came to report that Miss Yun had gone to examine her. The consort was somewhat resistant, but Miss Yun said that if the consort did not cooperate, she would knock her unconscious and examine her that way. The consort was angry but did not dare speak. She bit a handkerchief and let Miss Yun take her pulse.”

“Just tell me the result.” Meng Qianyan’s expression chilled a little. “There is no need to say all those irrelevant, messy things. This palace is a princess, not her old nursemaid.”

“Yes. This subordinate knows her mistake. The consort is fine.”

“Fine? Can she get up and move around?” Meng Qianyan now somewhat disliked that Silan was being too concise. She did not mention the important information, yet had poured out a string of unimportant details like beans from a sack.

Silan said, “She needs quiet rest and must not overwork herself. After all, the consort herself is already weak and sickly.”

Meng Qianyan nodded lightly. “Send people to serve her properly. She dislikes people getting close, so have the servants pay more attention to that as well.”

Meng Qianyan spoke as she walked. She was preparing to eat in the garden. It was winter now, and the rooms were cold to the bone. Outside, however, there was some warm sunlight. Moving around outside would be much more comfortable.

She had always liked taking breakfast outside in the sun.

“Your Highness, Silver Three and Silver Four have sent word back. They discovered something at the Second Prince’s side.”

Meng Qianyan stopped. In front of her happened to be winter plum blossoms blooming beautifully. She asked casually, “Related to the consort?”

“Yes.” Silan raised her hand, and the attendant guards following them all withdrew. The maids also stepped away. “Your Highness, the Second Prince sent someone to contact the consort again yesterday. Silver Three also discovered that the consort took the initiative to contact the Second Prince the day before the wedding.”

“Continue.” Meng Qianyan raised her hand and toyed with the winter plum blossom. The petals trembled against her fingertips. “What did the consort do?”

“The consort took the initiative to contact the Second Prince the day before the wedding, preparing to cooperate with the Second Prince’s people from inside and outside to… make Your Highness conceive as soon as possible.”

“Impudent.” Meng Qianyan’s fingers tightened slightly, and the beautiful flower was plucked off by her.

Silan said, “On the wedding day, the consort suddenly fainted and did not have time to drug you. Then, on the wedding night, she was directly knocked down by Silver One. Without the internal cooperation, the outsiders naturally could not get in either.”

“Heh. Even with internal cooperation, does she think this palace’s princess residence is made of paper?”

“Yes. No matter what, the schemes of the consort and the Second Prince were never going to succeed.” Silan smiled, but very quickly, she revealed a puzzled expression and looked as though she wanted to speak but hesitated.

Meng Qianyan glanced at her. “Speak plainly.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Before the consort came to the princess’s residence this time, the Second Prince sent someone to contact her again. The plan was the same as before, but the consort refused. Not only that, she even had that person take a message back, telling the Second Prince that she would no longer play with him in the future.”

“Play?” Meng Qianyan froze. “The consort’s exact words?”

“Yes. The consort’s exact words. The servant who reported it relayed everything truthfully, and it made the Second Prince fly into a rage. He only calmed down after having quite a few people beaten with boards.”

“Heh. That does sound like something she would say. Do we know why?” Meng Qianyan was somewhat curious. According to the information she had received, Gu Xianyu had initially learned that the emperor had bestowed this marriage on her, saw that her future was hopeless, and had fought desperately to climb onto the Second Prince’s large ship.

Why had she suddenly turned against him now?

“Silver Three and Silver Four still have not found out what caused the consort to cut ties with the Second Prince. But supposedly, it was because the consort disliked that the Second Prince had too many advisors. Whenever they gathered together, it was noisy and… smelly.”

“…”

Meng Qianyan fell silent for a long time, then snapped off a branch of winter plum and handed it to Silan. “Send this to the consort’s room. It is a gift from this palace.”

Winter plum was noble and aloof. Scholars and poets often compared themselves to the elegance of cold plum blossoms.

But Meng Qianyan’s gesture carried a trace of hidden mockery. A true gentleman naturally possessed noble integrity and unyielding character, but judging from the consort’s previous words and actions, she could not be considered a gentleman. She could not even be considered an ordinary petty person. At most, she was a sleazy petty person.

The consort had just woken up when she heard someone announce from outside that Registrar Silan, who served by the princess’s side, had arrived.

Gu Xianyu rubbed her eyes and said hoarsely, “Enter.”

“Consort.” Silan entered and first gave a salute, then had someone bring over the winter plum branch. “This is a cold-defying winter plum bestowed by the princess.”

Gu Xianyu’s eyes lit up, and even her tone became much livelier.

“For me?”

“Indeed.” Silan felt that Her Highness the Princess’s warning had probably gone to waste. The consort did not seem to have understood the deeper meaning at all.