Quick Transmigration: The Supporting Female Lead is Too Arrogant - Chapter 9

A month had passed since Yan Qing arrived at the harem.

Yan Qing gave herself a day off on the first day of the month. After more than twenty days of martial arts training and building a foundation, she was exhausted.

When she mentioned resting, Zhu Yin immediately agreed, very cheerfully, unlike the strictness during training.

This left Yan Qing puzzled.

Zhu Yin explained, “We used to have two days off each month during training.”

Yan Qing: “…”

She slept in that morning.

The palace staff attending to her were personally selected by Ji Yechen, obedient and well-trained, having long since learned to cater to his whims.

Even though it was the first day of the month, a day to greet the Empress Dowager, none of them disturbed her, as she had instructed them to let her wake up naturally.

At the early hour of Mao (5:00 AM to 7:00 AM), the palace awoke from the night’s stillness. All the palace staff began their duties, managing the palace with meticulous care.

The concubines rose early, dressing meticulously to greet the Empress Dowager.

Except for Lingyun Palace, which remained silent.

In the sleeping quarters, surrounded by curtains, it was impossible to distinguish day from night.

Inside the curtains, ice blocks were placed to cool the air.

A delicate girl slept soundly on the bed, her cheeks flushed. A red mark on her left cheek was slowly fading, and her nostrils flared slightly with each breath. Her small mouth was tightly closed, making no sound. A thin blanket covered her abdomen, and the sleeves of her nightclothes were rolled up, revealing her fair wrists and ankles.

Despite the martial arts training, her muscles had increased slightly, but the fat had reduced, making her limbs appear more slender. She also took care to avoid the sun, making her skin even fairer.

Yan Qing woke up naturally, thanks to her body clock.

Seeing it was still early, she closed her eyes again, trying to sleep more.

This time, she slept until the sun was high.

She woke up again because she was hungry.

Yan Qing cleared her throat, and she immediately heard the palace staff entering.

Two senior maids, Maid Wan and Maid Qian, approached. One opened the curtain while the other asked softly, “Your Grace, are you awake?”

“Yes,” Yan Qing nodded gently.

Immediately, a group of palace maids entered to attend to her.

Yan Qing, used to this routine, squinted, still not fully awake.

After she was dressed, a lively young girl appeared. Since she didn’t plan to go out that day, she dressed as she would have in her maiden days, though with slightly more luxurious colors.

Leaving the sleeping quarters, she saw Qing Shan at the door, reminding her, “Your Grace, breakfast is ready.”

Yan Qing went to eat.

However, just after finishing, Maid Qian hesitated before speaking, “Your Grace.”

“Yes?”

Maid Qian took a deep breath and said, “Today is the day to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. She sent a senior maid to fetch you, and she has been waiting for quite some time.”

They had been holding her back from coming over.

Under normal circumstances, who would dare treat the Empress Dowager this way?

Therefore, the senior maid had been fuming with anger.

Yan Qing, now fully awake and having eaten her fill, nodded calmly. She instructed the staff to clear away the leftover food and have the senior maid brought in.

“Greetings, Noble Consort.” The elderly senior maid, dressed in a plain yet high-quality palace uniform, had a face lined with wrinkles. Her stern expression, pursed lips, and half-closed eyes gave her an unapproachable demeanor. Her voice was sharp and unpleasant. “This old servant’s surname was Zhang. The Empress Dowager granted me the surname Jiang out of her favor, so people respectfully call me Senior Maid Jiang.”

It was clear she was someone very close to the Empress Dowager.

Yan Qing nodded understandingly. “Senior Maid Jiang, what brings you here?”

Senior Maid Jiang looked at her with disdain and raised her voice. “Today is the first day of the month, the day when everyone in the palace pays respects to the Empress Dowager. You, Noble Consort, were the only one absent.”

Yan Qing looked at her apologetically. “I’m really sorry. I’ve been so exhausted lately that I forgot.”

She had truly forgotten.

Recently, she had been busy with various tasks and physical training. When she finally had some free time, her first thought was to rest.

Senior Maid Jiang didn’t want to hear excuses. She coldly said, “The Empress Dowager has ordered that since you are unfamiliar with the palace rules, this old servant is to stay and teach you.”

Yan Qing replied, “Very well.”

Senior Maid Jiang was momentarily taken aback, then quickly corrected herself, “Good. Since you are willing, let’s start with your posture.”

Yan Qing stood up obediently.

She knew she was in the wrong here, so she complied.

She stood in a perfect posture.

Senior Maid Jiang scrutinized her from head to toe, then gritted her teeth. “Walk a few steps.”

Yan Qing walked as instructed.

“Sit down.”

After a quarter of an hour, as Yan Qing started to show signs of fatigue, Senior Maid Jiang, her face dark, said, “Your posture and etiquette are fine, but to ensure you learn properly, the Empress Dowager has ordered that I stay in Lingyun Palace for a while.”

Yan Qing smiled and nodded. “That’s fine.”

It didn’t matter to her. After all, besides Zhu Yin, no one in the palace was truly hers.

Thanks to the original Yan Qing, who had been meticulous about this. When Yan Qing’s mother died, she was still young but remembered why her mother had been depressed. The people who had harmed her mother had been avenged by her father, but she remained very particular about rules, learning palace etiquette diligently.

Today, Ji Yechen had come over out of sheer boredom. Hearing reports about the situation here piqued his interest, so he decided to visit.

Though an emperor, he delegated all state affairs to his ministers, indulging in eating, drinking, and entertainment daily, embodying the image of a thoroughly incompetent ruler.

“Nothing to do today?” Ji Yechen asked knowingly after sitting down, noticing Yan Qing quietly sitting on the couch.

Yan Qing glanced at him gloomily and pointed at Senior Maid Jiang. “She won’t let me do anything.”

Training in martial arts was criticized to death. Even a little enjoyment would earn her hours of nonstop nagging.

Senior Maid Jiang looked stern. “This old servant is doing it for your own good.”

“Pfft,” Yan Qing scoffed. “Then for your own good, you should talk less. It might save you from getting thrown in a sack!”

“Your Grace!” Senior Maid Jiang said in a stern voice, “As a Noble Consort…”

“Shut up!” Ji Yechen, initially holding back laughter, was now annoyed by her nagging voice. His sharp command silenced her immediately. He then turned to Jiang Wende. “Serve the meal.”

It was already noon, time for lunch. He had come intending to eat with her.

Jiang Wende left, leaving only Senior Maid Jiang, Ji Yechen, and Yan Qing in the room. Senior Maid Jiang stared at the two of them, determined to be an intrusive presence. The Empress Dowager had instructed her to disrupt their interactions as much as possible, though Senior Maid Jiang didn’t fully understand why. Nevertheless, she followed orders meticulously.

Having been here for a day, she was finally seeing the emperor, who usually avoided women.

Senior Maid Jiang found it odd. The Noble Consort seemed oblivious, not seizing the opportunity to curry favor with the emperor, just sitting there playing with her fingers. Normally, this would ensure the emperor never returned.

But Ji Yechen was not a normal person.

He disliked noise, so the quiet atmosphere here suited him. He leaned back against the cushions, half-closing his eyes, feeling comfortable.

Senior Maid Jiang, who had been waiting for a chance to speak, couldn’t utter a word. Her expression grew increasingly strange.

Was this really how concubines and the emperor interacted?

…

The lunch was quickly served. The dishes were small, delicate, and visually appealing, making one feel hungry even in the early summer heat.

It was the beginning of summer, and Yan Qing signaled to Zhu Yin. Soon, several basins of ice were placed around them, with palace maids fanning the cool air towards the dining table, ensuring they wouldn’t feel hot while eating.

Yesterday, this setup had earned Yan Qing a scolding, making her meal sweaty despite the ice blocks, entirely out of anger.

With the ice blocks in place now, Yan Qing smiled brightly. “Your Majesty, isn’t it cooler this way?”

The cold air from the ice was directed downward. Yan Qing had modified the ice containers to be hollow, allowing the cold air and melting water to be funneled. The former was fanned towards them, while the latter collected in basins without dirtying the floor.

It was a clever arrangement. Ji Yechen also found it agreeable. Seeing Yan Qing’s rare act of attentiveness, he looked at her in surprise. Her delicate face seemed to be asking for praise.

Her lively expression softened his demeanor. Though he hadn’t intended to respond, he couldn’t help but nod. “Hmm, very good. You’re quite clever. What reward would you like?”

“More ice blocks,” Yan Qing said immediately, glancing triumphantly at Senior Maid Jiang and raising her eyebrows.

Senior Maid Jiang stiffened and instinctively said, “Your Majesty, that would be too wasteful. As a Noble Consort, you should set an example for the harem…”

Before she could finish, an object flew towards her. Her eyes widened as she recognized it as a bowl just before it hit her head.

The bowl shattered on impact, and the pieces clattered to the floor. Senior Maid Jiang was so shocked she couldn’t even scream. Blood trickled down her forehead, finally snapping her out of her stupor. She collapsed to her knees, the fragments digging into her skin, causing her face to twitch in pain. Her throat emitted a wheezing sound as she fell sideways.

Already elderly, the shock and subsequent fall made her faint.

Yan Qing watched, dumbfounded, her gaze fixed on Ji Yechen’s long, slender fingers. They were beautiful, yet frightening.

The owner of those hands calmly picked up a new bowl and resumed eating.

Seeing her frozen in place, he raised an eyebrow and asked in a deep voice, “Not hungry?”

Yan Qing pressed a hand to her racing heart and slowly shook her head. She picked up her chopsticks, though her hand still trembled slightly.

Jiang Wende swiftly had the mess cleaned up, taking less than a minute.

Yan Qing had thought of using Ji Yechen to deal with the troublesome maid, but hadn’t expected it to be so quick.

Recalling her memories and the novel’s plot, she wasn’t surprised. This man was a royal madman, accustomed to life and death. Killing was as natural to him as eating and drinking, especially when someone angered him.

The dining room was quiet, each focused on their meal.

After they finished, Ji Yechen spoke slowly. “I helped you. Now it’s your turn to repay me.”

Yan Qing looked puzzled. “What?”

Ji Yechen didn’t explain, but not long after he left, an edict was issued that shocked all of Chang’an and the entire Great Qi: “The Noble Consort is excused from all ceremonial greetings due to her health.”

A single imperial edict perfectly displayed Yan Qing to everyone.

The entire court and harem were like an oil pot with drops of water, boiling over.

*****

Prime Minister Yan listened to the edict, watching as his colleagues came to congratulate him, but he felt no joy—only unease.

He knew his own daughter. What was the emperor planning?

After sending off the congratulatory visitors, Prime Minister Yan’s face turned grim.

His attendant, Uncle Zhou, hesitated before speaking, “The emperor doesn’t seem to be acting out of affection. With his methods, he could control the harem easily. There’s no reason to cause such a stir.”

Prime Minister Yan nodded solemnly, holding his tea cup without drinking, his eyes suddenly brightening. “Isn’t it time for the selection of new concubines? Summon Yan Yin back. With her help, Qing’er should fare better in the palace.”

Yan Yin was his illegitimate daughter, and while their father-daughter relationship wasn’t deep, Prime Minister Yan had always favored his legitimate eldest daughter. The other daughters were given material wealth but were otherwise neglected. He would sacrifice their marriages if necessary, but he couldn’t bring himself to marry them off to old men as concubines.

Being a concubine of the emperor was an excellent prospect.

Uncle Zhou nodded and left to carry out the order.

Shortly afterward, Zi Yun came in from outside, carrying a tray and saying earnestly, “Master, this is ginseng soup I specially made. Please try it.”

The Noble Consort had told her to take good care of the master, her only concern, so Zi Yun diligently followed this instruction.

Prime Minister Yan looked at Zi Yun, thinking of his daughter. His expression softened as he nodded. “Leave it there.”

“Yes.” Zi Yun put down the ginseng soup and left. As she stepped out of the hall, her eyes turned red. She had heard the rumors. People were already starting to call her mistress a temptress who had bewitched the emperor.

She felt aggrieved for her mistress. She hadn’t done anything, and Emperor Ji Yechen didn’t treat her like someone he loved. It seemed he was using her as a scapegoat.

The thought chilled Zi Yun. She hugged herself and was about to return to her room when she remembered something. In the last communication with the young master of the Song family, her mistress mentioned that he had only half a year left in his term and would soon return. Now, counting the time, there were only a few months left. When Young Master Song returned, she would ask him for help. The Song family was powerful enough to rescue her mistress from the harem!