After The Scumbag Alpha Consort Chose To Lie Flat, The Princess Rebelled - Chapter 8

Gu Xianyu sensed a bit of unnecessary movement in the room. She quickly threw off the quilt, a small knife clenched in her hand and pointed toward the place where she sensed the danger coming from.

Only to see the princess.

And the princess saw the knife in her hand.

“Consort, what are you doing?” Meng Qianyan’s gaze swept over. “Does being in the princess’s residence make you feel so unsafe? You sleep holding a blade?”

Without the slightest embarrassment, Gu Xianyu put the knife away and smiled brightly at her, looking rather pleasantly surprised by her arrival.

“Princess, why are you here? Did you come to see me?”

“…” Meng Qianyan did not know why she had wandered here either, but she felt this person was being rather full of herself. “Consort, you truly are terribly narcissistic. This palace came to check on the progress of the chili pepper breeding.”

“Oh. Come look.” Gu Xianyu climbed out of bed, slipped on a pair of pale-blue embroidered cloth shoes patterned with auspicious clouds and gold thread, and headed straight for several flowerpots by the window.

Seeing her run down wearing only thin sleeping clothes, Meng Qianyan could not help frowning. “Consort, you should put on another layer.”

“It’s fine. I’m not cold. Come look quickly.” Gu Xianyu waved at her. “Hurry.”

Meng Qianyan moved closer. Under the candlelight, several empty pots were arranged there. “You planted them?”

“I’m raising the seedlings. You can see the chili seeds. They’re the tiny little things inside the chili peppers.” Gu Xianyu pointed them out to her. “I covered them with a thin layer of soil. Underneath, I made a small warm pit to keep the temperature steady. This spot also allows ventilation, and I’ll control the humidity too. At the fastest, they can succeed in seven days.”

It was only after hearing the servants who delivered the food mention it today that Gu Xianyu realized seven days for seed breeding was still too fast, so she changed her phrasing.

“When the time comes, you’ll be able to see tiny little sprouts. Once planted, they’ll become seedlings. After I transplant them later, they’ll become just like the chili plant from before. In the future, there will be more and more.”

As Gu Xianyu spoke, her expression lit up, her whole face filled with joy.

Meng Qianyan felt a quiet, peaceful sense of pleasure as she listened to her talk about these things. The corners of her lips also lifted slightly along with Gu Xianyu’s words.

“If the consort succeeds in raising the seedlings, it will be a great merit. This palace can grant you one wish.”

“Fulfill one wish for me?” Gu Xianyu looked at her and blinked. “But it’s not my birthday.”

Meng Qianyan did not understand what making a wish had to do with birthdays.

But she smiled and said, “If this palace says you may, then you may.”

“You’re really good.” Gu Xianyu spoke from the heart. “Anything I want?”

“Naturally. Within what this palace can accomplish, whatever the consort wants is fine.”

Gu Xianyu did not know what she wanted, but she was very happy. “It will definitely succeed.”

Her ability had now risen to level one. Raising seedlings was as simple as breathing. Besides, the princess was far, far better than the second-generation base chief from her previous life. The two could not be compared at all.

For the next three days in a row, Gu Xianyu stayed in her little courtyard. She liked this peace very much.

Occasionally, however, she would look toward the courtyard gate. Sometimes, she was waiting for her meals. Sometimes, she was waiting for Meng Qianyan.

But the meals were delivered punctually every day, and the food was excellent. Every meal had meat she liked.

As for Meng Qianyan, after that sudden visit at dusk, she never came again.

Until the seventh day they had agreed on, when Gu Xianyu carried a pot of seedlings out of the courtyard.

Outside the courtyard, Silan had already been waiting for quite some time. Seeing her come out, she hurried forward. When she saw the flowerpot in Gu Xianyu’s arms, filled with large patches of tender green sprouts, even the registrar, who usually never revealed joy or anger on her face, smiled today until her eyes narrowed.

“Consort, did it succeed?”

“Naturally.” The moment Silan leaned closer, Gu Xianyu quickly turned sideways to avoid her.

Silan reacted and remembered that the consort disliked people coming near her, so she smiled repeatedly. “This subordinate was rude. Please forgive me, Consort.”

“No matter.” Gu Xianyu smiled and asked her, “Where is the princess? I’m looking for her.”

“In reply to the consort, the second young master of the Minister of Rites’ family invited Her Highness to go boating on the lake, admire the snow, and brew tea around the stove.”

Gu Xianyu froze. She lowered her head and looked at the seedlings in her arms. Her mouth opened slightly, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

“Consort.” Silan thought for a moment and explained, “The second young master of the Minister of Rites’ family and Her Highness are childhood friends. Their relationship is very good. Winter is dull, so arranging to meet like this is only ordinary.”

“Oh.” Gu Xianyu turned around, holding the seedlings.

“Consort, please wait.” Silan walked around to stand in front of her. “Does the consort dislike Second Young Master Zheng? Have you had some past grievance with him? Second Young Master Zheng is gentle, amiable, and extremely courteous. He and Her Highness share a very good relationship. Could there be some misunderstanding?”

Gu Xianyu frowned slightly. “No.”

She did not even know who that Second Young Master Zheng was.

Ah, no!

Now she knew. Second Young Master Zheng was Meng Qianyan’s childhood sweetheart, her inseparable confidant, her bamboo-horse young lord with whom she shared everything.

Seeing the consort’s expression grow darker and darker, Silan felt puzzled too.

The consort did not seem like a petty person, nor did she have any grievance with Second Young Master Zheng. So why did she dislike him so much?

Second Young Master Zheng was indeed famously good. Otherwise, Her Highness would not have been friends with him.

“Since she isn’t here, then I’ll go back first.” Gu Xianyu held her flowerpot. “Prepare the carriage. Back to the consort’s estate.”

Silan hurriedly said, “Consort, Her Highness will return soon. Will you not wait a little?”

“Did she tell me to wait?” Gu Xianyu asked.

Silan felt helpless. Even if Her Highness could foresee events like a god, she would not have known that the consort would return to the consort’s estate the moment she finished seclusion.

“She did not.”

The moment Silan’s words fell, Gu Xianyu said, “Prepare the carriage!”

“Sigh. Yes, this subordinate will go prepare the carriage.”

Silan bowed and immediately went to handle it.

After she had walked some distance, Silver One descended from the sky and stopped her.

“Sister Silan, are you really going to let her leave?”

Silan’s eyelid twitched. Standing in place, she patiently corrected her. “Silver One, that is the consort. Whether in the princess’s residence or the consort’s estate, the consort is our master. The master said she wants to leave. That is an order to us.”

“But, but Her Highness definitely wouldn’t let her go.” Silver One grew anxious. “Her Highness cares so much about the red fruits. If Second Young Master Zheng weren’t about to leave the capital with his Alpha husband, Her Highness would not have left the residence today to meet him.”

When a capital official was sent out to serve elsewhere, it would take at least three years before they could return. And whether they could even be transferred back to the capital was still uncertain.

Besides, in some time, once Her Highness’s fief was decided, Her Highness would probably leave the capital too. If she did not go meet him this time, then this playmate she had grown up with since childhood might be very difficult to see again in the future.

“Although that is possible, Her Highness is not here right now. The consort is the greatest master in the residence. Her Highness did not tell us to defy the consort’s orders, so we must obey the consort’s instructions. Silver One, you must not be as reckless as you were today in the future.” Silan warned her. “You must remember: as long as Her Highness has not grown tired of the consort, the consort is a master.”

Silver One was unhappy, but she was not someone who did not know good from bad. She nodded. “I’ll remember, Sister Silan. I’m sorry. I’ll change in the future.”

“Good girl. I left a chicken drumstick for you in the kitchen. Eat breakfast before you go to work.”

Silver One became happy again and headed straight for the kitchen.

Watching her leave, Silan could not help shaking her head and smiling. “Such a child’s temperament.”

Silan prepared everything, and Chief Administrator Jin led a team to escort the consort back to the consort’s estate.

Gu Xianyu placed the pot of chili pepper seedlings in the carriage, then held a vase containing the winter plum blossoms in her hands and swayed all the way back to the consort’s estate with the carriage.

The world was frozen with ice and snow, and the roads were uneven. The carriage did not travel smoothly, and Gu Xianyu nearly became motion sick.

After getting out of the carriage, Gu Xianyu rummaged through her sleeve pocket, took out a handkerchief, looked at it, then stuffed it into the pocket at her chest. She continued rummaging through her sleeve pocket and eventually found a silver ingot.

“Reward.” She tossed it through the air to Chief Administrator Jin.

Chief Administrator Jin was somewhat surprised. She had thought the consort would give her one copper coin, since she had seen the consort’s last reward with her own eyes.

Chief Administrator Jin held an official position. She was not a servant of the consort’s estate, nor was she a slave, so her thanks for the reward were different as well.

After receiving it, she simply bowed three times and thanked her.

Gu Xianyu had people move the chili pepper seedlings down, while she stood to the side holding the vase.

Chief Administrator Jin was afraid the people of the consort’s estate would be clumsy and damage the important item, so she personally went forward to carry it and delivered it into the consort’s estate, placing it properly.

“Consort, this item is extremely important. Please allow this subordinate to bring people to guard it.” The reason Chief Administrator Jin had led the escort, aside from protecting the consort’s safety, was also to remain here and guard the seeds.

Gu Xianyu waved indifferently. “As you wish.”

She was very, very tired now. She only wanted to return to her room and be alone.

When she was outside interacting with others, even breathing felt heavy.

She returned to her room, took out the winter plum branch that had grown rootlets, then found a new, pretty flowerpot and went to the garden to gather soil.

Xiu’an followed behind her, nagging endlessly. “Master, how can you do this sort of thing? Let this servant do it instead. Master, you are the consort. How can you dirty your hands with such crude work? Master, let this slave do it. Master!”

“Go away.” Gu Xianyu crouched on the ground with a small shovel in her hand, poking at the hard, frozen ground.

Xiu’an began complaining again. “You are the consort. The people living on this whole street are all consorts. The consorts in other households are upright, elegant, and refined beyond the dust of the world. But you…”

“Then go stay at someone else’s consort estate.”

Xiu’an was so frightened that he quickly knelt down. “That is not what this servant meant. How would this servant dare betray his master? This servant only feels wronged on your behalf.”

“Shut up. Leave. You’re so noisy.” Gu Xianyu turned back and glared at him.

Xiu’an thought about it and decided it would be better to leave first. Since the consort herself did not treat herself like a master, why should he seek hardship for himself and stay here accompanying the consort in her nonsense? It would be better to go to the kitchen and get something good to reward himself.

Gu Xianyu struggled to prepare the soil. Her body had been frightened by the cold wind, but fortunately, her ability energy was abundant and would not let her get sick because of it.

Gu Xianyu planted the winter plum into the pot, then used her ability to accelerate its growth and make it healthy and strong.

After finishing this, Gu Xianyu saw the wilted flowers in the garden and felt reluctant to leave them. Before, when she had no ability, she could only watch helplessly as they declined. She could even sense that their roots had been attacked by insects. She really did not know how the people in the consort’s estate had been caring for these flowers.

The flowers in the princess’s residence bloomed so beautifully, and the winter plum the princess had given her was beautiful too.

Gu Xianyu healed every flower in the garden one by one. Very quickly, the flowers regained their vitality, and Gu Xianyu felt as though she could not breathe.

Oh no. She had accidentally overdrawn her ability.

Xiu’an returned with his mouth shiny from eating, only to see the consort fall stiffly to the ground right in front of him.

“Ah—” Xiu’an screamed loudly in fright. “Someone come quickly! The consort is failing again!”