After Transmigrating As The Scumbag Alpha In An Ancient Pregnant-And-Run Novel - Chapter 17

Prince Chuxiang’s manor leaked like a sieve. Even after so many people had been dealt with, among those remaining, there were still informants from outside.

However, the moment the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review arrived at Prince Chuxiang’s manor, there was no longer any need for informants to report back. The news from inside the manor had already spread.

Today’s hottest topic in Shangdu City—the joke that was Prince Chuxiang’s manor.

To the noble and aristocratic families, for a household to be managed into such a state was naturally a joke.

But even more people laughed at Shen Liunian. So what if a merchant’s daughter had become a princess consort? Something unpresentable would always be unpresentable. She could not even manage her own household properly.

The lord of the household managed outside affairs. How could she be troubled by miscellaneous matters at home? The principal wife managed the household finances, and naturally, all matters large and small within the home should be handled by the Princess Consort.

For the prince’s manor to have servants stealing from and betraying their master, and for the prince to have to invite the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to handle it—how was that not the Princess Consort’s incompetence?

In truth, Prince Chuxiang and the Princess Consort had only been married for half a year. It was also rumored that the two were at odds, and the Princess Consort had never been allowed to take charge of the main courtyard. Where was she supposed to manage the prince’s manor from?

Some people were simply used to blaming the mistakes of Qianyuan on Kunze, or else on Heyuan.

Whether Kunze or Heyuan, they were all the wives of Qianyuan. To the world, the mistakes of Qianyuan always had some understandable reason behind them.

Yun Chenghuai had only just arrived and did not understand much about ancient matters, but Shen Liunian was very clear about what kinds of rumors would appear in Shangdu City.

“Young Mistress, rumors have already started spreading through the capital.” After Beizhu returned, she had been serving beside Shen Liunian the whole time.

Only when Yun Chenghuai went to wash up did she find an opportunity to report what was happening outside.

Shen Liunian had already finished washing and grooming. She leaned against the beauty couch, covered with a thick beast-fur blanket.

Hearing Beizhu’s report, her voice carried a trace of mockery. “Yun the dog was already the laughingstock of the entire capital. Now there’s just one more ignorant and incompetent Princess Consort added to the joke. What does it matter?”

Prince Chuxiang marrying a merchant’s daughter, Prince Chuxiang being grounded—over the past half year, most of Shangdu City’s after-meal gossip had been provided by Yun Chenghuai. What did it matter if one useless Princess Consort was added to it?

“But… Young Mistress, with your talent, you absolutely should not be treated like this.” The moment Beizhu spoke of this, she felt indignant.

Given their young mistress’s performance in the northwest, she would have achieved great things in the future. Yet now, she could only be trapped in Shangdu City, mocked by everyone, with a dog of a prince by her side bullying her.

Shen Liunian glanced at her maid. “Did you see Li Zhaoxian?”

“No.” Beizhu shook her head. “When I went, only one young lady was left at the inn. She asked me to tell Young Mistress that the wind will rise tonight, and that Young Mistress should not sleep too deeply.”

“Tonight?” Shen Liunian frowned. Starting from today, she would be sleeping in the main courtyard, and Yun Chenghuai was staying overnight.

Even if they did not sleep together, if Shen Liunian made any movement, it was not as if Yun Chenghuai were deaf.

“Yes. Supposedly, the Crown Princess discovered traces of Young Noble Zhaoxian.”

The Crown Princess of Southern Qin, Yun Chengji, was publicly acknowledged as Southern Qin’s most outstanding imperial daughter. She was wise, decisive, intelligent, and virtuous. In terms of ability and character, if she could succeed the throne, she would definitely be a wise ruler of her generation.

Unfortunately, her health was poor, and from time to time, she had to recuperate from illness. That was what had caused the succession struggle in Southern Qin’s court, as well as the increasingly fierce factional disputes.

Factional conflict was a method the Emperor used to balance the court. So-called imperial statecraft. But when the court had to rely on factional conflict for balance, how could one speak of political clarity and harmony?

If Crown Princess Yun Chengji’s health were good, Southern Qin would absolutely not be in its current state.

Since Yun Chengji had discovered traces of Northern Qi’s Crown Princess, Li Zhaoxian, she definitely would not let the matter rest.

Then if Li Zhaoxian’s people came to meet Shen Liunian, would that not drag her into the water?

Seeking a tiger’s skin truly was unwise. If Yun Chengji discovered that she had contact with Northern Qi’s Crown Princess, then in Shangdu City, no matter what plans she had, they would all come to nothing.

Shen Liunian’s thoughts drifted far away, her brows faintly furrowing.

When Yun Chenghuai entered the room, she noticed Shen Liunian’s state at once. She took a few steps forward and asked, “Madam, did something happen?”

When she had come out after washing up, no one had noticed her. She had heard at least some of the conversation between Shen Liunian and her servants.

Her sister, Yun Chengji, had discovered traces of Northern Qi’s Crown Princess? This part had not been written in the novel.

Then could Northern Qi’s Crown Princess still meet Shen Liunian? A real world was different from a novel. The world changed in an instant. She could not rely entirely on the plot of the novel.

The novel’s plot could only point her in the general direction, and it was changing at every moment. After all, from the moment she arrived in this world, some things had already begun to change.

Shen Liunian’s thoughts were interrupted by her, and her voice was cold. “Nothing.”

Yun Chenghuai did not expect Shen Liunian to tell her anything. One day of getting along naturally could not compare to half a year of vicious treatment.

She smiled without minding it. “Is Madam worried that there’s no one usable in the prince’s manor?”

Shen Liunian picked up the small bowl beside her and slowly drank the soup inside. Only after a long while did she say, “The Shen family’s servants have already taken over the various positions in the prince’s manor. Tomorrow, the servant brokerage will bring people over. In a few days, the prince’s manor will return to normal.”

Before the Imperial Household Department sent people over, she would have the servant brokerage bring servants here first. The contracts of those servants would all be in her hands, making them much easier to manage than servants from the Imperial Household Department. At that time, Prince Chuxiang’s manor could barely be considered as stable as an iron bucket.

Naturally, Shen Liunian would hold those servant contracts in her own hands. At that point, the inner courtyard of the prince’s manor would be entirely under her control.

The front courtyard consisted of the prince’s manor officials, guards, and manor soldiers. It was difficult for people from the rear courtyard to interfere, but buying them off was still possible.

Now that Yun Chengji had discovered traces of Li Zhaoxian, Shen Liunian was afraid it would be very difficult for her to leave Southern Qin. Moreover, cooperating with the Crown Princess of Northern Qi was undoubtedly seeking a tiger’s skin. At that time, whether the northwest wanted to choose a side or not, it would have to.

Now that the situation had changed drastically, should she still proceed according to the original plan?

If Li Zhaoxian’s people came to find her tonight and were discovered, she would not be able to explain herself no matter what she said.

Shen Liunian’s gaze landed on Yun Chenghuai. Originally, she had intended to drive Yun the dog away, but in order not to give Li Zhaoxian’s people an opportunity, she would probably have to keep Yun the dog here.

As for Yun the dog herself—oh no, Yun Chenghuai—when she saw Shen Liunian thoughtfully sizing her up, she had some ideas in her heart, but not many.

“The matters of the prince’s manor have troubled Madam,” Yun Chenghuai said, pretending to be refined and courteous.

Her outward persona depended entirely on herself. When she was happy, she was a polite and cultured person. When she was unhappy, everyone could go crazy together.

When she wanted to pretend, she could pretend and knew how to pretend. When she did not want to pretend, she focused on being straightforward. She had no fixed persona. Everything depended on her mood.

Yun Chenghuai had simply matured too early. She had lost her shelter far too soon and had lived under another person’s roof. If she did not stand up for herself, what else could she do?

Therefore, after learning that she had transmigrated and sorting out her own situation, she quickly made her response.

Today’s opening had gone smoothly. She was in a good mood, and she knew very well that the greatest contributor was Shen Liunian. She had to hold tightly onto this thigh. She could not let the other woman shake her off.

So she looked a little fawning as she half-squatted in front of Shen Liunian. “Shall I massage Madam?”

She blinked, her pure and innocent little expression making Shen Liunian lose focus for a moment.

For Qianyuan and Kunze, there was a powerful attraction between them. As Yun Chenghuai approached, the scent of citrus and agarwood rushed toward Shen Liunian, fresh and sweet with a hint of depth.

Shen Liunian shifted her legs back uncomfortably. Yun the dog’s mark was still on her body. Just this closeness alone made her heart tremble slightly, and the back of her neck began to heat.