Chapter 29 – Twined Around Her Waist

“Ah Yan, the Minister of Revenue was wailing in court today that there’s no silver left. What do you think we should do about it?”

Ling Gurong held a chess piece between his fingers and casually placed it on the board.

“The Ministry of Revenue truly is out of funds.” Fei Yan replied evenly, dropping a piece at random as well.

The two of them weren’t actually playing chess. He was simply keeping the young emperor company while he scattered pieces around.

The ruler and his minister were both preoccupied, trying to figure out how to come up with a sum of money. Everywhere needed funds.

The late emperor had practically emptied out the treasury, leaving Ling Gurong with hardly any silver.

“Old General Su—after court today, he chased after me to the imperial study, begging for provisions again.”

Ling Gurong truly wanted to sigh. What a rotten mess he’d inherited. “Ah Yan, tell me—should I just confiscate some households?”

Fei Yan lifted his brows slightly. “How many are you thinking of?”

Ling Gurong smiled. “We’ll start by raiding two, for now. I’ll leave this to you.”

Fei Yan: “…”

He had known perfectly well the emperor coming in person to his estate meant nothing good.

Fei Yan began to seriously consider which households ought to be confiscated. He couldn’t simply pick some innocent targets out of nowhere.

Ling Gurong toyed with a chess piece between his fingers, chuckling lightly. “Besides, Prince Cheng should be persuaded to contribute some silver too—he still wants to save his second son.”

Thus the monarch and his minister schemed together to scrape up funds in this unscrupulous fashion.

Dong Xinrui herself brought refreshments and knocked on the study door.

After a graceful curtsey, she smiled sweetly. “Your Majesty, how has the Empress Dowager’s health been lately?”

Ling Gurong returned the polite smile. “She is well.”

Hearing this, Dong Xinrui’s expression remained gentle. “That’s good. I have been thinking of the Empress Dowager. I will visit the palace tomorrow.”

Having said this, she did not linger to disturb them and quietly withdrew from the study.

Ling Gurong did not remain in the Chancellor’s estate long. He left, walked to the mouth of the alley, and called for his hidden guard. “Fetch the carriage. Take me to Vermilion Bird Lane.”

His muscles were wracked with pain. His body was close to convulsing beyond his control.

He was the emperor. He could not allow this weakness to be seen by others.

Only once he was inside the carriage did he collapse onto the seat, trembling all over.

The bastard behind all this was vicious beyond measure. Ling Gurong’s gaze glinted with a murderous chill.

He hadn’t eaten anything laced with poppy and gelatin these past days—and now, at last, he could feel with shocking clarity how much his life was under threat.

He was actually longing to consume it again.

The carriage raced swiftly to Vermilion Bird Lane.

**

Tang Chaoyang had just brought Fei An’an back to the general’s estate when she was told Ma Ge wished to see her.

She instructed Liu’er to take An’an to change clothes and have some snacks.

Once the servants had all left the room, Ma Ge came in to report, “Miss, two carrier pigeons arrived at the Phoenix Tree Courtyard today. They had small white cloths tied to their legs.”

The Ma brothers were considered her people now—she had arranged for them to stay in the Phoenix Tree Courtyard.

That courtyard and the house on Vermilion Bird Lane had both been properties Tang Chaoyang’s mother prepared for her daughter in advance.

A white cloth tied to the pigeon meant something had happened at Vermilion Bird Lane.

Tang Chaoyang thought for a moment. It must be Gu Yuan looking for her.

Had that stuff started acting up?

“I understand. Ready the carriage. You’re coming with me.”

Hearing her instructions, Ma Ge immediately went to prepare the carriage.

Tang Chaoyang called for Nanny Wu to come in. “Nanny, I need to go out. If I don’t make it back in time for supper, remember—first inform Grandfather at Jinhe Hall, then Grandmother at Rong’en Hall. I may not return tonight.”

If the matter proved too troublesome, she really might not be able to come back by nightfall. She would need Grandfather’s help to keep it discreet within the estate.

Nanny Wu understood.

If word got out that Miss hadn’t returned for the night, it would be disastrous for her reputation.

In Jin State, it was acceptable for a woman to be out during the day, but if she failed to return home without a good reason, her moral character would quickly be called into question.

All the more so since Tang Chaoyang was already a divorced woman. She had to be especially cautious.

After arranging everything, Tang Chaoyang hurried out of the general’s estate and headed to Vermilion Bird Lane.

In the carriage, she applied makeup to disguise herself.

About three-quarters of an hour later, Ma Ge drove the carriage into the lane.

Tang Chaoyang alighted and instructed Ma Ge to wait for her at the nearby inn.

Then she walked to the last house in the alley and knocked on the door.

Not long after, the blind old servant opened up.

“It’s me,” Tang Chaoyang said, striding into the courtyard. “Uncle Blind, what happened?”

She stopped abruptly.

Because she saw a man dressed all in black standing outside one of the rooms.

His bearing had the air of someone long accustomed to living in the shadows.

The blind old servant spoke respectfully. “Miss, a man calling himself Gu Yuan came to see you.”

“I understand.” Tang Chaoyang walked over.

The black-clad man stood beside the door. Seeing her approach, he bowed deeply and pushed the door open. “Miss Tang—my master would not allow me to enter.”

Had Tang Chaoyang not come in time, this blind old servant likely would not have survived.

If anything happened to the emperor, none of the hidden guards his master had trained would be left alive.

Inside the room, Ling Gurong refused to let any subordinate see the state he was in.

Tang Chaoyang nodded slightly. She had already guessed Gu Yuan came from some great clan. Seeing this bodyguard at the door didn’t surprise her much.

She stepped into the room, and the door closed behind her.

The bronze oil lamps were unlit, so it was dim inside.

Fortunately, dusk hadn’t yet fallen. A little daylight still filtered in.

From the darkness came the man’s stifled groans of pain.

Clothing lay scattered across the floor.

On the bed, the man’s spine was arched in spasms.

His skin gleamed with sweat as his body burned with fever—only to shiver with cold moments later.

Heat and chill assaulted him in turns.

Tang Chaoyang frowned. Gu Yuan had taken poppy too long; it was normal for withdrawal to be excruciating.

She didn’t dare approach—he was dangerous now.

At this point, he had little sanity left.

Tang Chaoyang turned to call the black-clad man in to help restrain him.

She hadn’t even finished moving when she was abruptly grabbed from behind.

The man’s arms clamped her waist, yanking her into his feverish embrace. His voice was harsh and ragged. “Give it to me!”

Tang Chaoyang understood exactly what he meant—he wanted the poppy.

The man’s solid, muscular arms coiled around her waist like snakes. The veins on the backs of his hands stood out sharply.

Ignoring the heat of the body pressed behind her, she turned her head aside to avoid his breath brushing her cheek and calmly called out, “Come in. Your master has gone mad.”