Chapter 21 – The Heat Arrives

The eldest girl of the Liu family ran to call a physician, while Liu Erniang held back her tears as she watched over her mother.

Tang Chaoyang took the widow Liu’s pulse.

She retrieved a set of acupuncture needles from her sleeve, lifted the widow’s arm, and swiftly inserted the needles one by one at the Shenmen and Neiguan acupoints.

Liu Erniang still had tears clinging to her lashes. The little girl watched Tang Chaoyang in a daze.

Tang Chaoyang said, “Don’t cry. Your mother is fine.”

Ling Gurong saw that this woman, who had been swinging a carrying pole like a warrior, actually knew medical skills as well. One truly couldn’t judge a person by appearances.

He raised his brows, hooked a stool over with his foot, and sat down, watching her with keen interest.

Tang Chaoyang focused wholeheartedly on the acupuncture.

Before long, widow Liu slowly came around.

Only then did Tang Chaoyang withdraw the needles. “Don’t get agitated. Your two daughters are safe.”

Hearing Tang Chaoyang’s steady voice, and hearing her younger daughter call for her, the unease in widow Liu’s heart finally eased for the moment.

Tang Chaoyang helped her sit up and settle onto a stool, then fed her a pill.

When widow Liu had calmed down, Tang Chaoyang finally said, “Next, what I’m going to say—you mustn’t get agitated when you hear it. Think of your two daughters.”

Widow Liu nodded slowly. Her lips were pale, her breathing weak. “Please, go ahead.”

Tang Chaoyang said, “The people from Prince Cheng’s manor have suffered a big loss this time. They won’t let you off.”

Her fingers pressed steadily on the widow’s acupoint, worried she might faint again.

She continued, “I’ll take you to the Yingtian Prefecture. You can strike the drum to bring an accusation against Prince Cheng’s manor.”

As soon as widow Liu heard they were going to the authorities to accuse Prince Cheng’s manor, her lips quivered. “No… we… we can’t.”

How could common folk like them ever hope to contend with such noble people?

Prince Cheng’s manor sounded lofty and untouchable.

During the former emperor’s reign, many government offices were practically decorative. As long as one had silver, even those who committed crimes could live well.

Ordinary people, when they had trouble, never thought of going to the yamen.

Tang Chaoyang explained, “These days, the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture is an official newly promoted when the new emperor ascended the throne. Lord Gao is an upright man, and the current Son of Heaven truly cares about the people.”

When she spoke these words, her tone was powerful and clear, her voice carrying a little louder so that the onlookers around them also heard.

Sitting grandly nearby, the emperor Ling Gurong was caught off guard to hear such praise directed at him.

The young emperor’s lips curved in a smile. This woman truly knew how to speak.

She sounded so sincere when she praised him that he felt quite comfortable all over.

Tang Chaoyang was simply used to praising her son. Now she praised the emperor just as easily—after all, who didn’t like to hear kind words?

She could have simply helped arrange for widow Liu and her daughters to leave the capital, but when someone was capable of taking action themselves, she saw no need to do everything on their behalf.

The onlooking passersby began to voice their concerns.

“Reporting to the authorities… that’s not a good idea. Who would dare provoke Prince Cheng’s manor?”

“Woman, how can you just offer such an idea? You’ll get them killed.”

“It would be better to pack up whatever you can carry and flee the capital at once.”

“What if they suffer retaliation after reporting?”

Tang Chaoyang could understand their worries. Of course she had considered that Prince Cheng’s manor might retaliate afterward.

She would never allow them to be harmed.

Tang Chaoyang did not rush widow Liu to decide.

Just then, the eldest Liu girl returned with the physician. Seeing her mother awake, she was overjoyed.

The three of them—mother and daughters—clung to each other, wanting to cry.

The physician quickly advised widow Liu not to get worked up.

He had assumed the patient was in grave danger, and had rushed over in a hurry, nearly exhausting his old bones. After taking her pulse, he prescribed medicine and instructed them to pick it up from the clinic themselves.

But widow Liu’s mind was still on Tang Chaoyang’s words. Whether or not she reported to the authorities, Prince Cheng’s manor would never spare her two daughters.

And if they fled, where could they possibly go?

She bit her lip hard. “Fine. I will report them!”

The crowd around them began to urge her not to be reckless.

Ling Gurong had, at some point, come to stand beside Tang Chaoyang. The man was quite tall.

Standing next to him, Tang Chaoyang looked delicate and small.

He lowered his voice, his tone deep. “Madam, aren’t you sending them to their deaths?”

Hearing this, Tang Chaoyang did not grow angry. Just moments ago, this man had not stood by idly but had stepped in to help, showing he at least had a conscience.

“I have a way,” she replied.

Ling Gurong’s eyesight was sharp. His gaze, sweeping over her without meaning to, caught a glimpse of the pale skin at the back of Tang Chaoyang’s neck.

That fair patch was noticeably different in color from the sallow skin of her face and the rest of her neck.

This woman was in disguise, just like he was—someone who didn’t wish to be recognized.

He was intrigued by her claim to have a way and decided to follow them to the yamen.

“We’ll go to the prefecture office and see for ourselves,” some onlookers said.

“Sigh, this is the foolishness of women. They’re likely to lose their lives over this. I once saw someone get beaten with the paddle and thrown out of the yamen.”

Their whispered gossip reached the ears of both Tang Chaoyang and Ling Gurong.

Tang Chaoyang prepared to find a carriage—widow Liu was in no condition to walk all the way there.

Ling Gurong seemed to know what she meant to do and spoke. “I have a carriage.”

He lifted a hand and pointed toward a carriage parked not far away.

The carriage was quite unremarkable. Tang Chaoyang glanced at him and did not refuse. “Many thanks.”

Widow Liu truly didn’t know how she could ever repay her two benefactors. She forced back her tears and had her two daughters kneel to express their thanks.

The two girls were sincere. Their knees hit the ground with a thud.

So much had happened that day. It was no small feat that the two children had held up this long. “Thank you, benefactors.”

Tang Chaoyang hurried to help Liu Erniang and her sister up. “I’ll accompany you to the prefecture office. Don’t worry.”

Widow Liu was ready to risk everything for her daughters.

**

In the Yingtian Prefecture office, Prefect Lord Gao had been rather idle ever since his appointment.

He sighed in vexation. The new emperor had promoted him to this post precisely to serve the people in earnest.

But the common folk, upon seeing the yamen, would scurry away to a distance.

Just a few days ago, he had finally received a complaint—about the Xiang family’s old dowry dispute with his ex-wife.

He turned to his secretary and asked, “Tell me, what can we do to convince the people to trust this office?”

The secretary thought for a moment and offered a suggestion. “My lord, perhaps we should find someone to pretend to file a case. Once people see that you truly hear grievances and render justice, they might stop avoiding us like the plague.”

The late emperor had committed too many wrongs. The previous prefects had only accepted bribes and processed cases for silver. With so many miscarriages of justice, the people dared not approach.

At that moment, they heard the sound of the drum being struck.

“Someone is here to report a case!” Prefect Gao exclaimed, delighted. He quickly picked up his official hat and donned it, his expression becoming solemn. “Come, to the court hall.”

Outside the yamen, a large crowd had already gathered.

It hadn’t been so many at first, but as Tang Chaoyang’s group walked there, word spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, and curious onlookers had followed to see.

Someone actually dared accuse Prince Cheng’s manor—what audacity.

Widow Liu and her two daughters were already kneeling in the hall.

Tang Chaoyang could only stand outside and watch. There were too many people, and it was crowded.

Her arm ended up pressed right against Ling Gurong’s.

But her attention was fully on the three kneeling figures in the hall, so she didn’t notice this small detail.

Heat radiated against her.

Ling Gurong frowned faintly. His dark eyes flicked toward two men standing nearby, who quickly pressed forward.

Without drawing attention, they subtly created a gap, separating the crowd that was pressing toward the emperor.

Ling Gurong shifted half a step aside, pulling away the arm that had been pressed against Tang Chaoyang’s.