Quick Transmigration: The Supporting Female Lead is Too Arrogant - Chapter 21

Ji Yecheng didn’t touch Yan Qing.

He just lay on the bed, and after a while, the sound of his steady breathing filled the room.

Yan Qing turned her head, seeing him with his eyes closed. Only then did she notice that his eyelashes were quite long, though not curled. His eyes were still noticeable when closed. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and his brow shape was pleasing, with a full forehead and a high, straight nose. Beneath it were tightly pressed thin lips, looking as if he had many worries. Even lying down, his face was much thinner than when she first met him.

Feeling the heat from his body, Yan Qing awkwardly tried to move her leg.

But wherever he had pressed her pressure point, her legs were soft and powerless, forcing her to lie still.

Yan Qing sighed inwardly and looked at the beautiful canopy above, slowly closing her eyes.

Calm down.

No need to be angry; there was no way to resist. Next, just work hard on practicing martial arts.

No, just keep causing trouble.

She didn’t believe that the court officials of Great Qian could tolerate such a troublesome and useless imperial consort.

Holding onto this hopeful thought, Yan Qing felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her, slowly closing her eyes.

Her breathing became steady, and the sound of light breaths filled the room. The man beside her slowly opened his eyes, his gaze dark and stormy as he stared at the person in front of him.

As if sensing the gaze, the person sleeping uneasily furrowed her brows and moved her head slightly.

Ji Yecheng’s breath caught, then he closed his eyes again. But his upper body suddenly leaned forward, gently touching her cheek.

Just for a moment, then he quickly returned to his position, not moving again.

During this time, his eyes didn’t open, but his cheeks revealed a faint blush.

Yan Qing felt an itch on her cheek, scrunching her nose and instinctively rubbing against the fabric beside her.

The soft fabric didn’t hurt her, but instead relieved the itch on her face.

Yan Qing fell back into a deep sleep.

The man’s breathing beside her grew more profound.

These days he was very tired, too tired to speak.

It turned out that fighting wits with those ministers wasn’t something he liked, but the person beside him needed his protection, so he willingly endured it.

Ji Yecheng’s lips moved, his brow slowly relaxing, his expression becoming comfortable.

Having someone to protect, his chest felt full of warmth, no longer empty, and the world no longer seemed so dull.

…

Three days later, Empress Dowager Jiang was sent to a nunnery dedicated to the royal family.

This place was originally used by previous emperors to house the concubines without children.

Though they were nominally the stepmothers of the reigning emperor, they had no real use and lived a simple life. They were well-fed and clothed, but lived on vegetarian food, following Buddhist rites, and their lives were poor. Going there was a torment for Empress Dowager Jiang.

Before leaving, the Phoenix Seal ended up in Yan Qing’s hands.

But she quickly returned it to the Taiji Palace.

Managing the harem was too troublesome, and she wasn’t interested.

The concubines, seeing her action, all had bright eyes, hoping to be chosen by the Emperor to manage the harem, but it didn’t happen. Ji Yecheng, seeing Yan Qing’s disinterest, didn’t give the Phoenix Seal to anyone else. Instead, he had Jiang Wende temporarily oversee the harem.

“The Emperor, the consort is still young. She won’t like managing these things. In two years, she’ll understand the importance of the Phoenix Seal.” Jiang Wende, holding the box containing the Phoenix Seal, cautiously flattered the Emperor.

“I know.” Ji Yecheng looked at the returned Phoenix Seal with indifference, his eyes filled with doting as he shook his head, “The special tribute rice from Mijin should be given to the consort first. Let her have some fun for a while.”

Once she became the Empress, she wouldn’t be able to refuse the Phoenix Seal.

Ji Yecheng’s eyes darkened, recalling his impulsive actions that day. If it weren’t for wanting to wait until their wedding night to consummate the marriage, he wouldn’t have let her go so easily.

Thinking of this, he felt regret.

Jiang Wende quickly nodded, “Yes, yes! Then what about this side…”

Oh dear, the Emperor’s temper had been very good recently. Even such a request hadn’t angered him. And the special tribute rice was specifically for the Emperor’s use, soft, sweet, and delicious. In previous reigns, even the concubines who wanted to taste this rice could only get a little as a reward from the Emperor before being favored. Due to its scarcity, not every concubine had the chance.

This rice was very delicate, but not only was it delicious, it also left a lingering fragrance in the mouth for a time.

Ji Yecheng was saving from his own food supply for her.

Of course, Yan Qing didn’t know this. She just thought the rice quality seemed to have improved and no one told her specifically. But it was much tastier, and she started eating half a bowl more at meals, her face becoming a bit fuller again.

Every time she looked at the little girl in the mirror, she thought she was pretty and cute. After all, she was only seventeen, still a minor in modern terms.

…

With the fall of Empress Dowager Jiang, the harem seemed to settle down completely, so quiet that it didn’t even seem like a harem.

Even someone like Yan Qing, who didn’t go out much, noticed the changes in the harem. And in the front court, with the Jiang family gone from Chang’an, the public perception of Yan Qing shifted from seeing her as a bewitching consort to one of sympathy.

Oh dear, as a consort being targeted by the Empress Dowager, truly pitiful.

For a time, those who wanted her out of the harem kept silent.

From the news Prime Minister Yan sent, many colleagues had come to visit and apologize for their previous actions.

For a long time, the Minister’s residence was very lively.

In the letter, Prime Minister Yan seriously mentioned that he had intended to take advantage of this opportunity to bring her out of the harem. But the Emperor’s decisive and strong actions quickly resolved the matter, killing many wrongdoers, and now everyone was behaving themselves, not daring to do anything.

Prime Minister Yan was clever, knowing she didn’t like the palace and wanted to leave. Unfortunately, Ji Yecheng, who seemed indifferent and enjoyed luxury, turned out to be quite capable, forcefully suppressing the opposition and identifying the troublemakers one by one.

To achieve this required not only decisiveness but also useful people in his hands.

Maybe Ji Yecheng wasn’t as she thought, just an indifferent emperor.

But that had nothing to do with Yan Qing. She was busy figuring out how to make Ji Yecheng hate her, or how to make the court officials intolerant.

After thinking it over, she came up with a plan: extravagance.

However, no matter what she did, Ji Yecheng was very accommodating. Slowly, Yan Qing realized that Ji Yecheng’s indulgence towards her was to an extreme.

No matter what she did, even if she destroyed all the flowers in the imperial garden or had a small pond dug in a main path to raise fish and shrimp, the palace people feared her immensely, and Ji Yecheng didn’t react at all.

He even specially had people bring in the best fish from afar for her when she started digging the pond, proudly asking, “Do you like them?”

Yan Qing was at her wit’s end. She decided to take the most extreme measure she could think of: digging a pond on the only clean path from the harem to the Taiji Palace and the imperial garden. If this spread, it would be seen as her jealousy, blocking other concubines from seeing the Emperor, leading to sure opposition against her.

She had intended to do it herself. Early that morning, she came over to see if the pond she had dug was in the right place. If not, she would expand it until the path was impassable, ensuring strong opposition.

But just as she arrived, Ji Yecheng came over with a bunch of things, leading to the current scene.

…

The man pointed at the pile of various live fish in the water, having traveled long distances. They looked weak but still alive, arriving quickly despite the ancient, inconvenient transportation.

Yan Qing guessed that a lot of resources had been wasted on these, feeling uneasy but pressing on with her plan.

She noticed the palace maids around her stealing glances at his tall, handsome figure, then lowering their heads, blushing.

Yan Qing thought these maids were probably thinking: The Emperor is so handsome and imposing, different from ordinary men. When young girls fall in love, they always think the person they like is better than everyone else and can’t see anyone else.

Ji Yecheng’s methods were old-fashioned but very effective for many girls, making them feel cherished. Yan Qing’s heart skipped a beat at his gesture, looking at the various fish, some beautiful, some ugly, and some looking delicious.

But she still sneered, her rough voice full of disdain, “I don’t want them anymore. You’ve touched them.”

Ji Yecheng didn’t get angry. As long as it wasn’t infidelity, he could tolerate her little tantrums. He bent slightly, seriously asking, “Then what do you want?”

Yan Qing’s eyes sparkled, and she pointed at the small pond she had dug. Her pretty face full of arrogance, “I want it to be seawater. Bring me salt!”

Salt was expensive in ancient times.

Ordinary people rarely bought salt; many used the flavors from various dishes instead because ancient salt-making techniques were not very advanced.

Only the nobles had salt at every meal, but even that salt varied in quality.

Jiang Wende was startled by her request but Ji Yecheng agreed without hesitation, “Prepare it.”

“Yes.” Jiang Wende hurried away.

He soon returned with the salt, but it was the lowest quality used for palace servants’ meals.

Yan Qing took one look and decisively said, “Not this. It’s too dirty.”

Ji Yecheng’s temple throbbed, silently looking at the muddy pond. Though it seemed clean on the surface, it was just muddy water.

His gaze sharpened, looking at the woman deliberately finding fault, and he sneered, “Bring the fine salt.”

“Yes.” Jiang Wende painfully went to get it.

As soon as he brought it, Yan Qing instructed, “Pour it in.”

“Yes.” The palace people answered, pouring the four or five pounds of fine white salt into the water.

The sound of pouring salt was followed by the stirring of the water with a stick, turning it cloudy.

There were gasps of pain, seeing the muddy pond filled with expensive salt, feeling it was a waste.

Even if the salt wasn’t theirs, they felt the pain. This was too wasteful, just throwing salt away!

But they were just small palace people, not daring to say or do anything.

Yan Qing felt the same pain, but when she peeked at Ji Yecheng’s expression and saw his deep, unfathomable eyes, she quickly averted her gaze and forced herself to say, “Keep stirring until the salt dissolves.”

“Yes.” The two eunuchs continued stirring the pond water with their sticks.

Ji Yecheng asked coldly, “Are you satisfied now?”

Yan Qing smiled at him, and just as his eyes brightened, she said, “Not satisfied. Now that the seawater is made, what about the creatures in the sea?” Yan Qing stepped forward, looking at Ji Yecheng, and asked, “When can you get me sea creatures that can live in this saltwater?”

“Are you challenging me again?” Each demand harder than the last, Ji Yecheng finally understood her intent.

She was challenging him, but differently from before. Before, she just kept provoking him, now she was trying to make him give up.

Did she still hope to leave the palace?

Yan Qing’s eyes sparkled, her clear and bright eyes like crystal gems, making her face look like a delicate doll. Only one thing was off, her voice was too rough and hoarse.

Speaking, she raised her face to look at him, determined and stubborn, “Yes, I’m challenging you. Isn’t it that you won’t let me leave? But if you can’t satisfy my requests, what right do you have to keep me here? Just because you’re the emperor?”

Ji Yecheng’s lips curled, his face colder but also more indulgent and fond, “Consort, rest assured, I can do it.” Then he told Jiang Wende, “Find Master Lin.”

The coast was far from Chang’an, needing a highly skilled person.

Jiang Wende nodded but this time didn’t go himself, instead telling a young eunuch.

Ji Yecheng didn’t care as long as the job was done.

Seeing him agree, Yan Qing felt uneasy, but remembering her plan, she bit her lip and coldly smiled, turning around. The cold autumn wind made her shiver, her long eyelashes trembling, but she insisted, “If even one dies, I don’t want any of them.”

The man behind her seemed to sense her unease, stepping forward and pulling her into his arms. Just as she was about to resist, he whispered in her ear, “I told you, I’ll satisfy all your requests!”

Yan Qing, in this life, only I can satisfy all your desires.

Even if you like Song Yu, he can only flee to Mobei, not daring to face you.

Yan Qing sneered, feeling no warmth from his broad chest, she pried his arm away and walked forward without looking back.

Leaving the man behind, his expression unchanged, watching her retreating figure.

Jiang Wende whispered, “Emperor?”

Ji Yecheng lowered his eyes, “Send the fox fur from my private stash to her. It’s getting cold.”

“Yes.” Jiang Wende thought he shouldn’t have hoped the Emperor would be angry at the consort.

Poor Emperor!

…

The little eunuchs carrying various fish looked bewildered, “What do we do with this?”

Jiang Wende clutched his chest, “What else? Take it to the imperial kitchen.”

“Yes.” The eunuchs hurried away.

Jiang Wende glanced at the Emperor, then at the consort, and finally followed the consort.

He caught up, “Your Highness, wait!”

Hearing the noise, Yan Qing stopped, seeing the chubby eunuch panting, “Your Highness, I must say something. If I don’t, I’ll feel suffocated.”

Yan Qing’s heart raced, guessing he was about to scold her.

She tightened her hands, waiting for the rebuke.

But the sharp voice said, “Your Highness, I don’t blame you. I know you’re kind, but why do you oppose the Emperor? Do you know what he goes through for your demands?”

“I don’t know.” Yan Qing’s hoarse voice said, avoiding Jiang Wende’s gaze.

As a modern person, she hadn’t thought of this. His words reminded her, making her regret her earlier demands.

While she was torn, Jiang Wende said, “Just now, those things the Emperor sent cost the lives of ten sweat-blood horses and twenty people traveling day and night from all over the country. If you must trouble the Emperor, find another way.”

Jiang Wende knelt, “Your Highness, I’ve said my piece. Punish me if you must.”

He had only known because the Emperor had accidentally knocked over a memorial he picked up.

Many in the palace didn’t know the outside situation due to the ancient lack of information.

Jiang Wende had been resentful of her constant bullying of the Emperor, and this event pushed him to speak out.

Yan Qing naturally didn’t punish him, instead grateful for his reminder. She said, “Thank you, Eunuch. Please tell the Emperor my earlier request is void. Don’t send people for sea creatures.”

“Yes.” Jiang Wende gratefully nodded, quickly leaving, “I will go now.”

“Mm.” Yan Qing watched him waddle away, sighing.

Such demands were too extravagant, risking lives. Next time, it might cost lives, and she couldn’t bear that.

She needed a new plan.

Yan Qing’s face tightened, thoughtfully walking to Lingyun Palace.

What did ancient emperors and ministers detest besides a troublesome, wasteful consort?

Yan Qing couldn’t think of anything, so she said, “To the library.”

The harem had a library.

Yan Qing changed direction, followed by her entourage.

****

The library had various books, not just women’s guides but also classics, scores, chess manuals, and folk tales.

Yan Qing had people find all the books on consorts’ histories and took them back to Lingyun Palace to study.

She was sure she could find a way to make the ministers want her out of the palace!

Meanwhile, hearing Yan Qing had withdrawn her request, Ji Yecheng showed no reaction.

To him, as an emperor, he should have whatever he wanted. If he couldn’t, what was the point of being emperor?

Fortunately, Ji Yecheng’s needs were simple. No one could step on him, and he had good food and entertainment every day. That was enough.

But recently, he had someone on top of him. This person was special. After almost losing her, Ji Yecheng couldn’t do anything but let her bully him.

Even handling the court affairs he hated for her.

Like the two men at the table now.

One, handsome and stern, seriously reading memorials, showing subtle signs of dislike and annoyance.

The other, the scholarly and handsome Fu Rong, also corrected memorials, but only dealing with unimportant matters now.

Because of the consort’s issue affecting many, even after clearing the rumors, some still stubbornly believed she was harmful, bewitching the Emperor.

So Ji Yecheng decided to manage the country properly, silencing the critics.

Not because of Yan Qing, he became more diligent, but because of her, he began to care for the country.

If it were before, he wouldn’t have cared even if the country was in ruins.

At least before its downfall, no one dared to touch him.

Times had changed. Ji Yecheng sighed inwardly, resignedly picking up his red pen, his expression softening as he approved memorials.

Fu Rong suddenly said, “Emperor, there’s a memorial suggesting another consort selection since no one has conceived.”

“Who?” Ji Yecheng asked.

Fu Rong looked at the memorial’s author, “It’s Minister Zhang from Chaozhou.”

Ji Yecheng said, “Issue a decree that all unmarried women in his family within three generations over thirteen must be married within half a year, or the government will intervene.”

In Great Qian, women over twenty-four who hadn’t married had to pay a high tax called the single tax, but it was rarely used because most girls were engaged at thirteen, married by fifteen, at most eighteen or nineteen.

Anyone over thirty who hadn’t married would be matched by the government, and the remaining bachelors were undesirable.

Ji Yecheng’s move advanced the single tax timeline significantly, ensuring Zhang’s family had no suitable women left for him to marry and stopped his ambitions of becoming the Emperor’s father-in-law.

It was also a warning to others with similar thoughts.

Fu Rong marveled at Ji Yecheng’s harsh yet effective methods, understanding why this formidable man would change for a woman.

He found it hard to believe, but it was true.

The more Ji Yecheng changed, the more curious Fu Rong became about this consort.

He had once seen her from afar in the imperial garden pavilion, but his poor eyesight from reading by dim light had prevented him from seeing her clearly.

After the Emperor approached, Fu Rong left due to his status and didn’t see the consort again.

Although he knew she was stunning, enough to change the Emperor, he remained curious.

When would the Emperor take over all memorials because of her?

…

While Fu Rong daydreamed, footsteps approached.

He straightened up, seeing Ji Yecheng also sitting up, his expression becoming dignified and handsome.

Fu Rong wondered, then saw a vibrant red figure enter.

The woman was slender, her skin so fair it seemed to glow. Her hair was in a simple bun, most of it loose, highlighting her exquisite face.

Her eyes sparkled, her lips like cherry blossoms, and her slim yet not weak figure, in a red palace gown, was stunning.

Fu Rong’s eyes showed amazement, his mind providing the answer: This was the consort who had captivated the Emperor!

Sure enough, the eunuchs quickly knelt, “Greetings to the noble consort.”

Fu Rong followed suit.

Ji Yecheng lightly coughed, “Why are you here?”

From his tone, one might think he disliked her presence.

The consort frowned slightly, her gaze on the memorials before them, her rough voice saying, “I’m just looking.”

Three words, and Fu Rong was shocked. This voice didn’t match her appearance.

Curiosity overwhelmed him as he knelt, sneaking glances. Why did such a beautiful woman have such a voice?

But as he stole a glance, he felt a chill, realizing his mistake.

Next, Ji Yecheng ordered, “Get out!”

“Yes.” Fu Rong quickly left.

…

With the unfamiliar scholar gone, Yan Qing blinked, took a deep breath, and casually sat at the scholar’s place, picking up a memorial. It read: 【Emperor, how are you?】

Ancient documents lacked punctuation. A small memorial, barely held in one hand, had only four words and a signature.

Yan Qing’s mouth twitched, suppressing a laugh, then opened another memorial. It read: 【It’s windy and rainy in Wu, how is Chang’an?】

This was one Fu Rong had corrected, with red writing beside it: 【Chang’an is fine】

“Pfft!” Yan Qing couldn’t hold back her laughter.

Ji Yecheng, maintaining his imperial dignity, kept a straight face but secretly watched her.

Seeing her laugh, he grew curious. What was so funny about the simple greetings in the memorials?

Yan Qing, feeling better, found a solution to anger the court officials, all her worries gone. She tossed the memorial at Ji Yecheng, “Look at this.”

Ji Yecheng read it, finding nothing unusual. Such greetings were common.

Yan Qing added, “Doesn’t this sound ridiculous? What’s the weather in Chang’an to him?”

Ji Yecheng seriously nodded, “Yes.”

Yan Qing, encouraged, continued, “Sending these trivial greetings wastes resources. Just four words on this paper…” She tossed the first memorial too, “What’s the point of this? It’s a waste of effort, right?”

Ji Yecheng listened, feeling increasingly happy. Watching her lively and animated, he felt a sense of peace, even though it was noisy.

Especially since her voice was rough and unpleasant.

But coming from her, it was different, and Ji Yecheng’s mood improved, nodding along.

Until she noticed him only nodding and threw a hard memorial cover at his forehead.

“Bang!” It hit Ji Yecheng’s forehead.

The sudden pain made him gasp, caught off guard by his fascination with her voice, unable to react.

The surrounding eunuchs and maids knelt, terrified, “Calm down, Emperor!”

Even Zhu Yin, shocked by her mistress’s boldness, stayed silent.

Her Highness was… getting bolder!

As the memorial fell, Ji Yecheng’s face darkened. His hand, now bloody, made everyone’s faces pale, wishing to disappear.

“You…”

Ji Yecheng was about to scold, but the woman, seeing the blood, shrank back, feeling guilty and defensive, “I talked here for so long, you only nodded. What use is nodding? Of course, I’d be angry! Isn’t it okay?”

Ji Yecheng sneered, gritting his teeth, “I am the Emperor! The ruler of this nation!”

Seeing his eyes turn fierce, the woman bit her lip, stubbornly saying, “So what? Want to hit back? Go ahead!”

She had only intended to hit his shoulder, but her anger led to a stronger throw, hitting his forehead instead.

Ji Yecheng took a deep breath, calming himself, telling himself it was his fault for not listening. Repeatedly, until he could gently ask, “Alright, what was your problem?”

Yan Qing: “…Wait, I forgot!”

Darn it, his sudden good temper made her forget her anger and her argument, leaving her speechless.

Ji Yecheng let Jiang Wende wipe his forehead, the wound burning. Hearing her words, his temple throbbed, “Your… uncle!”