After Transmigrating Into A Love-Brained Scumbag Villain - Chapter 18

Before Zhao Shangrong could open her mouth to explain that she had no intention of doing anything that would wrong the princess consort, Wang Yaoshuang could not wait to ask, “Your Highness, did something happen?”

Zhao Shangrong said, both embarrassed and confused, “Cough. I was just about to have Bihe ask clearly.”

Wang Yaoshuang looked at the twenty or so maidservants standing properly inside the hall. She discovered that they were different from the maidservants outside. There was no panic or fear on their faces. Their eyes were also filled with confusion, but because His Highness and the princess consort were both in front of them, they did not dare whisper among themselves casually.

Only then did her heart settle slightly.

Seeing that Wang Yaoshuang’s complexion was poor, and that she was still being supported by Jiumo, Zhao Shangrong quickly patted the half of the couch beside her that was empty and said, “Princess Consort, don’t stand. Come sit with me!”

Wang Yaoshuang tightened the fist hidden beneath her sleeve, then lightly patted Jiumo, having her help her sit down beside Zhao Shangrong.

Bihe soon returned. On her face, which had always lacked much expression, there was a rare, extremely complicated look.

“Did you ask clearly?”

Bihe answered truthfully, “This servant gathered the maidservants here under Your Highness’s order, but there was some misunderstanding when word was passed among the maidservants. Some maidservants thought His Highness was gravely ill and needed to drink virgin blood to recover. The maidservants were afraid, which is why they became so terrified.”

As soon as these words were spoken, not only did Zhao Shangrong freeze, even Wang Yaoshuang and the maidservants who had already been inside the hall were a little stunned.

Wang Yaoshuang said, “Right now, the most important thing is to calm the maidservants down first.”

Zhao Shangrong felt very wronged. This was just an extremely ordinary interview. Who knew these people’s imaginations would be so wild?

Being scolded by the princess consort like this made her feel rather aggrieved. She asked resentfully, “Is the princess consort reprimanding me?”

Wang Yaoshuang shivered. After realizing that she was not teaching her own maidservants how to behave, but speaking to His Highness, her heart turned cold. She hurriedly said, “This concubine…”

With Bihe’s words as proof, Zhao Shangrong was full of confidence and nodded with a profound expression. “Exactly!”

Wang Yaoshuang had come here precisely to find out what kind of trouble His Highness was causing.

Although Bihe was an “old servant” of the prince’s manor, she had not yet officially begun helping at the princess consort’s side. Her prestige was not enough, and she could not suppress these maidservants.

Zhao Shangrong: “…”

After coming back to herself, Wang Yaoshuang looked at His Highness. “A vampire?”

Zhao Shangrong gave a soft “Mm” and instructed Bihe, “Tell them to stop crying. The noise is giving me a headache!”

She had heard of ghosts that sucked people’s essence and harmed lives, but ghosts that sucked blood were rather rare.

Zhao Shangrong was both angry and amused. “How did I become a vampire?”

After they went out, Wang Yaoshuang said to Zhao Shangrong again, “Next time, Your Highness should clearly state the reason for summoning them. That way, such a misunderstanding will not happen again.”

Bihe said, “In order to let this servant focus on assisting the princess consort, His Highness plans to find new maidservants who can serve close at hand.”

Wang Yaoshuang stared at His Highness with a look that said, “Is that so?”

Zhao Shangrong: “…”

Ah, no, that was not the point!

She felt so guilty and embarrassed that she did not dare look directly into Wang Yaoshuang’s eyes.

Wang Yaoshuang had Jiumo go with Bihe to explain, so that Bihe would not lack persuasiveness alone.

Unexpectedly, His Highness did not blame her, nor did she scold back. Instead, she angrily ordered, “Who exactly spread the rumor that I wanted to drink human blood? Find that person for me. Have her recite ‘Do not believe rumors and do not spread rumors’ a thousand times, and take her to the entrance of the Middle Study. Whenever someone passes by, she must say it once until she has said it a thousand times!”

She asked, “Why did Your Highness summon all the maidservants?”

At this point, Wang Yaoshuang, who now knew she had misunderstood terribly, could finally relax.

Wang Yaoshuang: “?”

His Highness’s way of punishing people was rather perverse—cough, rather novel.

Since there was no imagined bloodshed, Wang Yaoshuang’s suspended heart could finally return to her stomach.

Although there had been a huge misunderstanding, the interviews could not be interrupted just like that. Otherwise, Zhao Shangrong would have gone through all this trouble for nothing.

But the princess consort was sitting right beside her. If the princess consort saw through her real purpose of wanting to look at pretty young ladies, where could she put her face?

Wang Yaoshuang spoke at the right time. “I wonder whether Your Highness has already chosen which people to use?”

Zhao Shangrong was still angry with her!

But ignoring her words would seem too petty, so she could only say gloomily, “No!”

Wang Yaoshuang knew she had displeased His Highness, so she took the initiative to atone for it. “If Your Highness does not know how to choose, why not let this concubine help Your Highness choose?”

Zhao Shangrong glanced at her and pretended to be reserved. “Then you choose. But let me state this first: my standards are very high and very picky.”

What Wang Yaoshuang was feeling at this moment was unknown. She merely smiled and nodded. “There are methods to choosing people who will serve.”

“First, the maidservants have all been trained and each normally performs her own duty. There are maidservants from the tailoring courtyard responsible for weaving and making clothes for Your Highness; maidservants from the laundry courtyard responsible for washing clothes; maidservants from the fragrance courtyard who usually prepare incense and fragrant powders… and maidservants from the miscellaneous courtyard responsible for cleaning and other chores.”

“Second, since they are to serve Your Highness, they must naturally be careful and skillful, down-to-earth, not too scheming, and able to keep their mouths shut.”

Zhao Shangrong nodded and asked, “And finally?”

Wang Yaoshuang’s gaze was meaningful. “Finally, they must naturally have outstanding appearances, possess a special skill, and be able to please Your Highness.”

Zhao Shangrong felt that these words sounded a little strange, like an emperor selecting concubines. But after listening, there seemed to be nothing wrong with them. After all, she had said she was very picky. If someone could not satisfy her, of course she would be picky about everything.

Wang Yaoshuang flipped through the roster and had the maidservants enter in batches according to the courtyard they belonged to and their duties. Then, from among them, she selected more than thirty outstanding ones.

Zhao Shangrong looked troubled.

It was too hard to choose. Every young lady was beautiful in her own unique way, pleasing to the eye. Their voices were also pleasant, making her heart bloom with joy.

She wished there were a director from Sisters Who Make Waves here right now, so the director could divide these young ladies into groups, create performance programs, and ultimately have everyone in the prince’s manor vote for seven of them to form a group…

As the saying went, only children made choices.

Just as Zhao Shangrong was about to open her mouth and keep everyone, she heard Wang Yaoshuang ponder briefly before instructing Bihe, “Have all these people return to their respective courtyards and continue their own duties.”

Zhao Shangrong: “?”

Had she heard wrong?

She had thought this was a promotion round. She had not expected it to be an elimination round.

Even a Sisters Who Make Waves director could not play like the princess consort!

It was not just Zhao Shangrong. Even the maidservants below looked completely confused.

“P-Princess Consort…” Zhao Shangrong began.

Wang Yaoshuang said, “This concubine understands Your Highness’s meaning. Since these maidservants are the best in their respective duties, they must shoulder the responsibility of guiding and leading the other maidservants. Moreover, their appearances cannot be considered outstanding, so I imagine they do not meet Your Highness’s requirements.”

Zhao Shangrong: “…”

These looks still did not count as outstanding?

What was going on with the princess consort’s sense of beauty?

The heavens gave her such bright eyes, so it would be such a pity if they were blind.

She turned sideways and held Wang Yaoshuang’s face in both hands. Gazing into her eyes, she asked tentatively, “Princess Consort, do you know how beautiful you are?”

The hall instantly fell so silent one could hear a pin drop.

Wang Yaoshuang felt her heartbeat stop for an instant, then suddenly beat rapidly at an abnormal rhythm.

The blood in her heart seemed to have smelled the fragrance of flowers. It surged toward her cheeks and ears, slowly blooming into pale pink peach blossoms.

“This concubine… knows.” Wang Yaoshuang nodded by the slightest, almost imperceptible degree.

Zhao Shangrong frowned. So she was not blind. Since she knew she was good-looking, that meant there was nothing wrong with her aesthetics!

However, the princess consort’s face was so soft. Soft and smooth. Up close, Zhao Shangrong could even smell a very faint scent from the astragalus and codonopsis contained in the medicinal soups Wang Yaoshuang had taken for years.

Zhao Shangrong thought Wang Yaoshuang would not notice her rubbing her face. In reality, when her fingers brushed past Wang Yaoshuang’s earlobe, goosebumps rose all over Wang Yaoshuang’s body.

“Your Highness.” Wang Yaoshuang was worried that if His Highness kept touching her like this, she would rub off all her rouge and powder.

Zhao Shangrong was startled to realize that she was actually touching Wang Yaoshuang so freely. She immediately withdrew her hands and wailed inwardly, Princess Consort, listen to my explanation! I wasn’t trying to molest you!

In order to hide her flushed face and racing heart, Wang Yaoshuang pretended to lower her head and flip through the maidservants’ roster.

She had to transfer away all the beautiful maidservants. What if one day His Highness became abnormal again? If this group of beautiful women were placed right in front of her, would they not easily be wiped out all at once?

Zhao Shangrong suddenly sneezed. She wanted to cry but had no tears. The princess consort must be scolding me. She must hate me to death!

Author’s Note:

Princess Consort: For everyone’s faces, I have sacrificed too much!

His Highness: ＼(〇O〇)／