Quick Transmigration: The Supporting Female Lead is Too Arrogant - Chapter 11

The Great Qi emperor’s consort selection was an event of significant magnitude, especially given the current vacancies in the harem. Many families, hoping to elevate their status by having their daughters become consorts, and some unable to afford raising their daughters, chose to send them to the palace.

As a result, countless people flocked to Chang’an.

There were nearly a thousand candidates in the initial selection.

In the first round, half of the candidates were eliminated based on health and appearance. The second round focused on talents like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Yan Yin was only average in these areas, but as the female protagonist, she attracted attention with her beauty and presence. To stand out, Yan Yin, with her modern mindset, created a simple sand painting, impressing many and advancing to the third round.

The third round eliminated another large portion of candidates.

By the time of the third-round palace selection, nearly three hundred candidates remained. This round was about choosing those who appealed to the emperor, empress dowager, and the high-ranking consorts. Consorts could also keep an eye out for potential candidates to support. The Noble Consort had significant influence in this.

However, given the number of candidates, the selection couldn’t be completed in one day. With the emperor’s limited time, the process was divided over three days.

Surprisingly, Yan Yin was scheduled for the third day, possibly due to someone’s manipulation.

On the morning of the palace selection, Yan Qing woke up early. She did some warm-up exercises to fully wake up and loosen her body before washing and dressing. Senior Maid Qian brought the outfit selected the previous day, making the process quick and easy for Yan Qing.

Senior Maid Wan managed the palace affairs and wouldn’t accompany her. Only Senior Maid Qian and a few maids and eunuchs followed, forming a large entourage.

Yan Qing sat in her sedan chair, reading through a thick booklet listing the candidates.

After flipping through for a while, she found Yan Yin’s name in the middle of the third booklet.

Yan Qing’s eyes sparkled. As the female protagonist, why was she placed so far back? Had she offended someone?

The booklet was finalized yesterday, and Yan Qing had been unaware of this. Now, knowing the schedule, she wondered if she should move Yan Yin forward. But doing so might draw opposition, given her current reputation.

It was better to let things proceed naturally. Besides, as the protagonist, if Yan Yin truly didn’t want to enter the palace, she likely had many ways to avoid it with the golden finger (an advantage or cheat) she possessed after transmigrating.

Setting aside the booklet, Yan Qing found herself arriving at the Imperial Garden.

The selection was held in the Imperial Garden.

Ji Yechen disliked sitting in stuffy rooms. With early autumn’s cool weather, the garden, filled with various flowers and plants, was a pleasant place to be.

Yan Qing noticed that the garden had been rearranged, with a large open space in the center and a simple stage set up. Seats for the empress dowager, the emperor, and high-ranking consorts were already placed, though no one else had arrived yet, just some eunuchs busying around.

Yan Qing was the first to arrive, surprisingly early.

Senior Maid Qian explained softly, “Your Grace, you have a beautiful face, making makeup easy and quick.”

She had called Yan Qing based on her experience, but the process was indeed faster than expected, about a quarter of an hour ahead of schedule.

…

Fortunately, others seemed aware of this and quickly arrived, perhaps fearing the haughty consort’s temper. Soon after Yan Qing settled down, a eunuch announced the arrival of Consort De and Consort Xian.

“Greetings, Noble Consort,” they said respectfully, not daring to be negligent.

Given the emperor’s clear favoritism, they didn’t dare show their dissatisfaction openly.

Yan Qing nodded gracefully. “You may rise.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” they said, relieved at not being reprimanded, and quickly took their seats.

Consort Xian, smiling warmly, attempted to strike up a conversation. She looked at Yan Qing and sincerely complimented, “Your Grace looks radiant today. This outfit suits you very well.”

It was a genuine compliment, spoken with a tone that made it pleasant to hear.

Yan Qing wore a high-ranking consort’s attire, but the colors were not somber. Instead, she wore a bright yellow outfit, boldly accented with red and green embroidery.

Such eye-catching colors made her stand out immediately.

For anyone else, even slightly less fair-skinned, this outfit might not look good. But Yan Qing, with her fair skin, looked even more radiant after training, her complexion enviably flawless. Her delicate features, arched willow-like eyebrows, and big, bright eyes were captivating. Her small, dainty nose and rosy, tender lips, possibly tinted with some lip color, added to her charm. Wearing this fitted, cross-collared dress, she looked even more dazzling.

She truly outshone the flowers!

Consort Xian glanced at the flowers on the stage, vibrant dahlias and jasmine in full bloom, yet they seemed dull next to Noble Consort Yan. At least, Consort Xian found it hard to focus on the flowers.

Hearing the compliment, Yan Qing smiled demurely, appearing a bit shy. Consort Xian was surprised but then saw Yan Qing raise her chin and say naturally, “Finally, someone who speaks sensibly.”

Consort Xian: “…”

She silently closed her mouth, not daring to engage further. Dealing with this consort could be infuriating!

Knowing that Consort Yu and Consort Xie were involved in the scheme, Consort Xian still suspected they might have been provoked to death by this consort.

Consort De, however, was angered and jealously glared at her. She muttered, “It’s not you being selected. Why dress so well and steal the show?”

Yan Qing shot her a sharp look, making Consort De’s expression falter. Yan Qing slowly said, “I dress well to please myself, not others. If you don’t like it, deal with it. It’s not my fault you look ugly.”

Consort De’s malice was too obvious, so Yan Qing retaliated harshly.

Yan Qing’s meticulous dressing was partly thanks to the skilled hands of the newly arrived Senior Maid Wan, and partly because she genuinely felt more vibrant and beautiful. She believed that such beauty should not be wasted and thus dressed herself carefully.

Even if she stayed in, Yan Qing would still dress up after her martial arts training. Now, she only needed to issue orders, and everything would be taken care of.

Consort De, enraged by Yan Qing’s words, turned pale and wanted to retort. However, just as she opened her mouth, Yan Qing cut in, “If you say another word that displeases me, believe it or not, I’ll tear your mouth apart.”

Consort De: “…”

She grudgingly held her tongue.

…

After confronting the other consorts, Yan Qing felt even more refreshed. She couldn’t fight Ji Yechen directly, given he was the emperor and stronger than her. But against these women who had previously schemed against her, she had no reservations.

If it weren’t for her aversion to killing, a principle she held from her peaceful era, she would have sent them to accompany Consort Yu and Consort Xie.

After being put in their place, the other two women remained silent, waiting a few more minutes until the empress dowager and Ji Yechen finally arrived.

Consort De and Consort Xian, along with the others, promptly bowed in greeting. Yan Qing, however, remained seated, leisurely eating her iced fruit.

Despite her new resolve to survive, she remembered Ji Yechen’s decree that she needn’t bow, so she didn’t bother to move.

The empress dowager, supported as she ascended the platform, noticed Yan Qing’s radiant face, which made her heart ache with jealousy. She gripped the maid’s wrist tightly.

The maid’s face paled, biting her lip to endure the pain, but her discomfort was evident to all.

Everyone present, being astute, quickly grasped the situation. While puzzled, Consort Xian and Consort De couldn’t fathom that the empress dowager was in love with Ji Yechen, instead assuming she, like them, simply disliked Yan Qing. They became even more eager to please the empress dowager.

“Empress Dowager, you’re here. Please sit down. It’s so hot today, Shu Shuang…” Consort Xian began.

“Empress Dowager…”

The scene became lively, with everyone trying to curry favor. Ji Yechen’s temples throbbed with annoyance. “Silence,” he commanded coldly.

…

Silence fell instantly. The crowd glanced at each other nervously. Ji Yechen’s face was stern as he scanned the room, thinking how noisy these women were.

But when his eyes landed on the figure in bright yellow, his irritation faded, replaced by rare admiration.

Indeed, Yan Qing’s beauty was renowned.

Although the original owner of Yan Qing’s body had been timid, she had been well-trained in etiquette due to her mother’s influence. Her beauty, though leaning towards delicateness, was well-known, especially as the only legitimate daughter of the prime minister.

Yan Qing, being stared at, lazily lifted her eyes. Seeing it was Ji Yechen, she quickly averted her gaze, preferring to enjoy the scenery outside. The autumn breeze was refreshing, the fruit by her side was delightful, and the sunflower seeds the maid had peeled were perfect.

Ji Yechen’s eyes softened with a smile. He walked over and sat beside Yan Qing, finding her presence pleasing. Even though he merely used her, she was quiet and comfortable to be around.

The empress dowager’s face darkened. Seeing Ji Yechen’s affectionate approach and intimate seating, she felt a pang in her heart. Looking at the empty seat beside her, she whispered, “Your Majesty, your seat is here.”

“I’ll sit here,” Ji Yechen said, frowning. He turned to Jiang Wende, “Let’s get started.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Jiang Wende bowed slightly and signaled for the ceremony to begin.

A eunuch with a loud voice began to announce, “The palace selection begins! Presenting the candidates…”

With nearly a hundred candidates to review in a day, three were presented at a time to save time.

However, Ji Yechen was not known for his kind words.

The empress dowager, already in a foul mood, chose to target Yan Qing through the selection. Feeling affronted by Yan Qing’s earlier display, she picked candidates she thought would be more pleasing to Ji Yechen.

“Your Majesty, how about the young lady from the Qian family?” she asked.

Ji Yechen, lounging with his long legs stretched out and head propped on his hand, glanced lazily at the girl. “Ugly,” he said flatly.

Seeing the Qian girl’s face turn pale and her eyes well up with tears, the empress dowager felt slightly better and dismissed all three candidates with a wave of her hand.

Thus, the first few rounds passed without selecting anyone.

It wasn’t until Consort De had retained a few candidates that she noticed Yan Qing hadn’t chosen anyone yet. “Why hasn’t the Noble Consort chosen anyone? Could it be she can’t bear to see more women by the emperor’s side?”

Ji Yechen turned to Yan Qing with mild interest. Was that true?

Yan Qing paused her snacking, glanced at Consort De, and then at Ji Yechen. She was about to retort but changed her approach, smiling sweetly and coyly. “Consort De, you really understand me,” she said, looking affectionately at Ji Yechen. “Of course, I can’t bear to see more women around the emperor. After all, there are already so many in the palace.”

Consort De was taken aback, staring at her in disbelief.

Wasn’t it said that Noble Consort Yan was disdainful of the emperor, causing his anger multiple times? Why was she suddenly agreeing with her?

Ji Yechen, initially curious, found his question answered. Gazing at her beautiful, clear eyes and tender lips, he suddenly felt hot and restless, his collar seeming too tight. “If you don’t like it, we can stop the selection,” he said impulsively.

“No!” the empress dowager exclaimed, panicked and immediately opposed.

Ji Yechen’s face turned cold, and a cruel smile played on his lips. “Empress Dowager, it’s not for you to decide what I do.”

The Empress Dowager felt a chill down her spine, realizing she had overstepped. She hurriedly added, “Your Majesty, many of the selected ladies are from prominent families. If they are sent back now, it will cause an uproar among the ministers, and the censors will also protest.”

She knew the emperor well enough to know that he hated trouble. Her words hit the mark.

Ji Yechen’s face darkened. He was about to argue further when he felt a tug on his sleeve. The woman who had just claimed she didn’t want any more people by his side was now looking at him with a timid expression, her large, watery eyes blinking up at him. Her long eyelashes seemed to brush against his heart. He felt a sudden surge of tenderness he had never experienced with her before. Usually, she was always so proud and defiant.

“What is it?” he asked, his tone softening.

Yan Qing smiled innocently. “We should continue the selection. If the ministers cause a commotion, it won’t look good.”

She didn’t want to be labeled a demon consort and certainly didn’t want Ji Yechen to make a decree that would result in a flood of petitions calling for her execution by afternoon. Offending so many people at once wouldn’t be wise, even with her status as the Prime Minister’s daughter.

Ji Yechen glared at her. Wasn’t she the one who said she couldn’t bear to have more people around him? Was she just teasing him?

But then he considered that she might genuinely believe the ministers would dare to challenge him. Did she really think the imperial guards were just for show? If they dared to make a scene in the throne room, he could have them dragged out horizontally!

Ji Yechen wanted to sarcastically tell her she was overthinking it. But under her gaze, he felt an odd sense of satisfaction and nodded with an air of dignity. “As you wish.”

However, a sliver of doubt crept into his mind. This woman seemed to have changed a bit. Though it was a welcome change, he still preferred the bold and defiant woman she used to be, who always managed to amuse him.