After Transmigrating Into A Love-Brained Scumbag Villain - Chapter 16

Zhao Shangrong and Wang Yaoshuang had no idea that instead of seeing a joke, everyone had been force-fed a mouthful of dog food by the two of them.

After they set out on the return journey, Zhao Shangrong let go of her hand.

Only belatedly did Wang Yaoshuang realize that His Highness had once again held her hand in an even more intimate manner in full view of everyone.

“His Highness was probably just putting on an act for the occasion, right?” Wang Yaoshuang thought in a daze.

Zhao Shangrong suddenly said, “I only found out after hearing someone mention it today. So the princess consort actually has a twin younger sister?”

Wang Yaoshuang gave a soft “Mm,” then answered with a mixture of truth and falsehood. “My younger sister, Xiaoshuang, studies under Doctor Liu Su. She often follows Doctor Liu out to give lectures. This time, when Your Highness accompanied this concubine back home, she was unable to make it.”

In reality, her younger sister was indeed a student of Doctor Liu and often followed her teacher out to lecture. But after learning that Wang Yaoshuang was going to marry the Prince of Yingchuan, she had hurried back.

According to the memories of her previous life, her younger sister had been in Jiankang during this period. However, unlike in her previous life, back then, she had met her younger sister on the day of her return visit. This time, His Highness had accompanied her home, but her younger sister had not appeared.

After learning the sisters’ names, Zhao Shangrong suddenly remembered a poem by Han Cong that she had once read while typesetting a Tang poetry book. One line read, “Flattened grass rejoices after new rain; singing branches grieve amid morning frost.”

But the line from his poetry that had left the deepest impression on her was: “In leisure, I watch bamboo shadows shake frost; drunk, I cherish pine sounds and sleep beneath the moon.”

Zhao Shangrong asked curiously, “Do you have any other sisters named Mingshuang?”

Wang Yaoshuang did not continue asking and simply thought she might be overthinking.

Wang Yaoshuang had people openly carry the three hundred thousand coins into the prince’s manor, then said to Chief Clerk Chen, “I am fortunate to have married His Highness as princess consort and to assist His Highness in managing the manor as the inner wife. This is all because of His Highness’s affection and the trust of the Chief Clerk and the other officials. From now on, please give me much guidance.”

The male lead’s woman—why would she care?

Chief Clerk Chen: “…”

Because of this, Wang Yaoshuang could understand their difficulties and gave them subsidies. They sincerely thanked her.

However, since Zhao Shangrong had already said that she would hand all manor affairs to Wang Yaoshuang to handle, she naturally would not interfere in these matters.

She vaguely remembered that one of the male lead’s harem members was a Zhaorong named Mingshuang. Seeing that both Wang Yaoshuang and Wang Xiaoshuang had “shuang” in their names, she had casually asked.

Today, Chief Clerk Chen had privately muttered that His Highness had handed the prince’s manor over to Wang Yaoshuang to manage, and they had even echoed him. Thinking back now, they felt deeply ashamed.

Zhao Shangrong did not seem to care much whether such a person existed or not. She said casually, “I just suddenly thought of it.”

The Chief Clerk Chen waiting at the prince’s manor gate saw that the relationship between His Highness and the princess consort had progressed so rapidly, and he felt both gratified and uneasy.

Although Wang Yaoshuang did not know His Highness’s intentions, since His Highness had allowed her to take control of the prince’s manor’s authority, then for the sake of the more than thirteen hundred lives in the manor and the tens of thousands of commoners in Yu Province, she would inevitably go against Chief Clerk Chen’s ambitions.

Wang Yaoshuang froze for a moment. As if thinking of something, her heart began to pound. “No… no, there isn’t.”

Zhao Shangrong answered without hesitation, “Hm? I don’t care.”

Not only the Wang sisters’ names, even the Prince of Yingchuan’s name might have come from Han Cong’s line: “The autumn wind shifts the pounding-block rhythm; spring blossoms alter the mirror’s reflection.”

Almost everyone received the money distributed by the princess consort, and the lifeless prince’s manor finally began to show new vitality.

As for whether her parents had also flipped through Han Cong’s poetry collection when naming her?

No, they had not.

Chief Clerk Chen came from the noble Chen clan and had the backing of an aristocratic family. Naturally, he would not be bought off by such small favors. But most of the officials in the prince’s manor came from humble backgrounds and held low official ranks. The salaries issued by the court were barely enough to support their families. Wanting to live with a little less hardship was impossible.

The female lead was too generous. If it were Zhao Shangrong, she would not have been willing.

He strode forward and asked, “Your Highness, Princess Consort, did everything go smoothly today?”

Zhao Shangrong witnessed Wang Yaoshuang’s entire series of moves and was immediately filled with admiration.

Zhao Shangrong received his signal, but the frequency did not match.

Your Highness, this subordinate asked you to win over Wang Ru so that Wang Ru would suggest before His Majesty that you be allowed to go to your fief. Did you do it or not?

Zhao Shangrong was still outside the situation, but Wang Yaoshuang understood what he meant.

She carefully tested, “Where did Your Highness hear this name?”

She paused, then said, “The officials have worked hard to share His Highness’s burdens. His Highness is considerate of them and asked me to allocate some silver to supplement their household expenses…”

Wang Yaoshuang still hesitated briefly before placing her hand on Zhao Shangrong’s slightly cool hand.

The male lead could take a harem if he wanted, but why did he have to take Wang Yaoshuang?

With her frail body, if she entered a man-eating place like the imperial harem, even if she had the heart to participate in palace intrigue, her physical strength and energy might not keep up. She would be a guaranteed loser in a palace-fighting plot!

Zhao Shangrong wanted to advise Wang Yaoshuang not to engage in “female competition,” but thinking of her own position, it seemed that aside from the status of princess consort, she could not give Wang Yaoshuang anything. What right did she have to persuade Wang Yaoshuang to give up the powerful male lead, who also happened to be the protagonist?

However, during this return visit, Wang Yaoshuang’s mother had also taught her quite a few methods for winning people’s hearts.

“Your Highness… cares a lot about the person with that name?” Beneath her sleeve, Wang Yaoshuang’s fingertips twisted the threads at her cuff over and over.

With great self-awareness, Zhao Shangrong put away those unrealistic thoughts.

Aside from these officials, some stewards, maidservants, and private retainers in the prince’s manor also received reward money.

Oh, she had forgotten that Wang Yaoshuang was also one of the male lead’s women…

Thinking of this, Zhao Shangrong suddenly felt a little sour.

After this incident, they no longer had any objections to the princess consort managing affairs.

Chief Clerk Chen glanced at His Highness, hoping she would bring good news.

She had asked her parents before. The reason they had given her this name was because back then, when they opened a shop, city management officers had come to rectify the appearance of the commercial street. They required them to remove the advertisements and piled-up goods in front of the shop. While her mother was cleaning things up, her water broke. After giving birth to her, they named her “Shangrong.”

Later, when her classmates discussed the meanings of their names, she was afraid of being laughed at, so she picked that line from Han Cong’s poem.

After returning to the prince’s manor, Zhao Shangrong thought that at the Wang family’s residence, Wang Yaoshuang had been helped on and off the carriage by her. If Zhao Shangrong did not do the same after returning, would people think she had only been putting on an act in front of the Wang family?

She steeled herself and decided to carry this etiquette through to the end.

“Chief Clerk Chen, do you have something to do? Then go handle your work.”

“Thank you for your concern, Chief Clerk Chen. Today’s visit went very smoothly.” Wang Yaoshuang smiled faintly.

Chief Clerk Chen had operated in the prince’s manor for many years and was deeply trusted by His Highness. He was also an official appointed by the court. If she wanted to take authority from him, it would likely not be easy.

If Wang Yaoshuang squandered both her own dowry and the prince’s manor’s assets, that was fine too. It would make it easier for Zhao Shangrong to go as a poor bachelor and beg the emperor for help.

She would be so poor she could not even support herself. Surely the emperor would not suspect that she had the ability to rebel or betray the country, right?

Just then, people from the palace came again.

In the morning, Grand Consort Yun’s letter had still been full of sincere emotion, saying she missed Zhao Shangrong. Now, the letter was filled only with blame and fury.

Why won’t you come see me?

I already said I missed you. Don’t you miss me?

You unfilial thing. Why don’t you just die?

Zhao Shangrong’s temples throbbed.

Why was this “plot-mandated death flag” haunting her like a ghost?

Grand Consort Yun was acting like she had split personalities. Zhao Shangrong had better hide from her!

“Your Highness…” Wang Yaoshuang, who had heard the contents of the letter, looked at Zhao Shangrong with some worry.

She had not expected that after Grand Consort Yun went mad, she would say such hurtful words.

In truth, she could somewhat understand why the Prince of Yingchuan had entered the palace in her previous life. Grand Consort Yun’s desire to control the Prince of Yingchuan was too strong.

When she was well, she loved the Prince of Yingchuan very much. But when her illness flared, she truly tormented people.

Living with a mother like Grand Consort Yun, who treated her child as her possession, and would curse, beat, scold, or even cruelly ruin the child’s appearance the moment the child disobeyed her, it was no wonder the Prince of Yingchuan’s temper had become so violent and strange.

Zhao Shangrong tossed the letter behind her, then simply flopped onto the mat. “Go tell Mother that I am unwell and feel like I’m about to die. Didn’t she hope I would die? Her wish is coming true.”

She then beckoned to Wang Yaoshuang. “Princess Consort, after I die, wrap my corpse in this straw mat and take it to Mother to apologize on my behalf!”

Wang Yaoshuang: “…”

Palace maid: “…”

No, Your Highness, your acting still needs some work!

Wang Yaoshuang wanted to laugh but could not. Thinking that if this matter spread, His Highness’s reputation would probably become even worse, she had no choice but to cooperate from the standpoint of a princess consort and help His Highness finish this play, even if she did not want to.

She instructed Jiumo, “His Highness’s head ailment has flared up. Hurry and find the Assistant Court Physician.”

The palace maid could tell His Highness was pretending, but His Highness had indeed fainted frequently these past few days. She could not speak rashly, so she could only awkwardly return to the palace and truthfully report what she had seen to her mistress.

As soon as the palace maid left, Zhao Shangrong climbed back up.

Seeing Wang Yaoshuang staring steadily at her, she explained, “Princess Consort, don’t worry. I’m fine.”

Wang Yaoshuang: “…”

I wasn’t worried.

She said, “Your Highness, just now… you truly frightened this concubine.”

Zhao Shangrong sighed. “Although it was unbecoming of a refined person, I had no choice!”

She also knew that her actions just now had completely collapsed the Prince of Yingchuan’s aloof character setting.

But as the saying went, one had to use magic to defeat magic.

To deal with a lunatic, one could only be even more lunatic and unreasonable than the other party.

Wang Yaoshuang said, “Then this concubine will have the Assistant Court Physician not come.”

Zhao Shangrong stopped her. “Let him come examine you and see whether your body has improved after drinking medicine for so long.”

Wang Yaoshuang opened her mouth. The words reached her lips, but she swallowed them back.

This body of hers…

She did not expect to live longer than in her previous life. She only hoped to complete her wish while she was still alive. That way, she would not have wasted Heaven’s gift of letting her live again.

Zhao Shangrong’s commotion was indeed frightening. The one in the palace temporarily settled down and did not demand that His Highness enter the palace again.

The emperor once again ordered people to send many precious medicinal herbs to the prince’s manor.

When Zhao Shangrong heard that the person delivering the herbs was Fan Ye, she immediately lay down on the bed and began moaning despite not being ill.

The kitchen courtyard happened to have finished decocting the medicinal soups for Zhao Shangrong and Wang Yaoshuang. After Wang Yaoshuang finished drinking her own, she learned that Fan Ye had arrived and personally brought His Highness’s medicinal soup to her.

Wang Yaoshuang asked, “Minister Fan, why have you personally come to deliver the medicinal herbs?”

Fan Ye smiled slightly and said, “His Majesty learned that His Highness’s head ailment had flared up and ordered the Imperial Pharmacy to prepare precious medicinal herbs and send them over. The Imperial Pharmacy is under the jurisdiction of the Court of Ceremonies, so personally supervising the delivery is also part of this official’s duty.”

“Then I have troubled Minister Fan. His Highness is still ill and cannot get out of bed to personally welcome you. Please forgive us. If Minister Fan does not mind, you may come in with me.”

Fan Ye shamelessly followed her inside, but he could not enter the inner room. He could only speak with Zhao Shangrong from behind the curtain.

“Why does His Highness’s head ailment repeatedly flare up?”

Zhao Shangrong: “…”

Because it’s Schrödinger’s head ailment!

Wang Yaoshuang answered in Zhao Shangrong’s place. “The Assistant Court Physician is searching through medical texts to trace its source and cause.”

Fan Ye said, “Let the imperial physicians help as well. Only once the cause is clear can the right medicine be prescribed.”

“I don’t need it.” Zhao Shangrong raised her hand and tugged Wang Yaoshuang’s sleeve, pretending to be weak. “Princess Consort… medicine.”

“This concubine will feed Your Highness.”

“Princess Consort, I have something to say… when saying ‘Your Highness,’ don’t say only ‘Highness,’ especially not ‘Big Turtle.’”

“…”

Fan Ye, who had been left out, understood that this was His Highness’s order to leave, so he took the initiative to say farewell first.

As he left, he heard the princess consort ask His Highness, “Why did Your Highness not invite Minister Fan to sit for a while longer?”

His Highness muttered to the princess consort, “People with beards are ugly. If such an ugly person keeps wandering in front of me all day, my head ailment probably won’t recover.”

In reality, Fan Ye was the emperor’s trusted subordinate and was paying so much attention to her affairs, so she felt something strange was going on and was unwilling to have too much contact with him.

Fan Ye, who had been indirectly called “ugly”: “…”

He stroked his glossy beard. His Highness must be jealous that his beard grew so well!

Once Fan Ye left, Zhao Shangrong had the prince’s manor gates shut, declaring that she needed to recuperate and would not see any guests.

Wang Yaoshuang looked at His Highness, who was energetically causing trouble, and sighed. She advised, “Your Highness, drink the medicine first. If you do not drink it now, it will get cold.”

Zhao Shangrong had not forgotten what Wang Yaoshuang had said earlier. She said, “Princess Consort, feed me!”

Wang Yaoshuang’s body stiffened.

Wasn’t that just acting in front of Fan Ye?

His Highness was serious?

Author’s Note:

Princess Consort: Shocked for eight hundred years. So His Highness was actually this kind of His Highness?!

His Highness: Hehe, didn’t expect it, did you? I’m done pretending. I’m going to slack off!