Zhang Jing respectfully reported, “The Supervisor saw Jade Concubine bringing a midnight snack here. According to palace rules, concubines should not meet with princes late at night, so the Supervisor had Jade Concubine return and ordered me to bring the snack.”
Wei Shu’s desire quickly cooled upon realizing it was Gu Lianchang. This eunuch always thwarted his plans, and he vowed that if he ascended to the throne, he would punish him severely.
Suppressing his anger, Wei Shu commanded, “Withdraw!”
As Zhang Jing retreated, Wei Shu’s frustration lingered. One day.
In the quiet room, Gu Lianchang lightly touched Ruan Ning’s neck, moving downward: “I just helped you out of another crisis. How will you thank me?”
Ruan Ning opened her eyes, confusion evident: “My Lord…”
Gu Lianchang suppressed his unusual feelings and replied coldly, “There are ways to eliminate Wei Shu. The simplest is for the Imperial Concubine to meet with an accident and for you to leave the palace indefinitely, but you must hide your identity and never be seen again.”
“
He could arrange for her to stay outside the palace, keeping her hidden, and eventually abandon her to her fate.
Ruan Ning didn’t like this method. It was no different from how Wei Shu treated the original owner, and might even be worse. As the emperor would die soon, Wei Shu’s perverted preferences would disappear. At least the emperor was a man, which was better than a eunuch.
“Are there any other methods?” she asked boldly. If he said no, she would seek refuge with Wei Shu.
Gu Lianchang sensed her calculations and suddenly grabbed her chin: “The Imperial Concubine must have heard of my narrow-minded and vengeful reputation? If you change your mind midway, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” He had already made numerous concessions to her; otherwise, she would have died without an intact corpse.
It hurt a bit, but his tone was terrifying. Ruan Ning cowered but realized she couldn’t be submissive. Even if she angered him and was killed now, it would be better than enduring humiliation and control, only to anger him later.
She suppressed her inner fear and tried to speak steadily: “Since this is a transaction, both parties must offer equivalent chips for it to have value. Your method is something the Crown Prince could also do. Why should I trade with you?”
Gu Lianchang let go of his hand, feeling somewhat surprised.
He had originally thought she chose him over Wei Shu due to her moral boundaries. However, it became clear that she disliked having to hide her identity because of Wei Shu. This woman’s moral bottom line was much lower than he had imagined, paradoxically becoming another form of attraction, as he had been trying to eliminate his sense of shame.
People without shame usually live better. Driven by complex emotions, Gu Lianchang decided to offer her a better opportunity: “I can elevate you to a position that even the Crown Prince cannot covet – the Empress position.”
Wei Shu and the Prince of Jin were not good collaborators, so they would need to choose another prince to inherit the throne. The remaining princes had weak maternal backgrounds, making it beneficial to support an Empress now and adopt that prince.
Moreover, if she became Empress, Wei Shu would be unable to openly harass her, and he could openly see her.
“Empress? Someone like me, with no family background, can become Empress?” Ruan Ning’s eyes brightened, then she became suspicious. “I… can become Empress?”
“If I say you can, then you can,” Gu Lianchang replied, raising an eyebrow. “Are you satisfied with this chip?”
If she were Empress, Wei Shu would become her legitimate son.
In the future, she could order him around instead of being suppressed under his power, unable to resist or call for help.
Ruan Ning’s face lit up. “This plan is good. Thank you, My Lord!” She thought about the death eunuch, wondering how heavy he wanted to weigh himself, but a blush began to spread across her cheeks, gradually affecting her ears and neck.
Gu Lianchang took a deep breath. Exquisite and pure as jade, even the fading blush on her skin was mesmerizing.
He reluctantly let go of her hand, fetched a thin brush, and brought over a stack of small white porcelain dishes filled with various colors of pigments dissolved in water. Gu Lianchang dipped the brush, embraced her in his lap, and started painting on her exposed skin.
The brush tip was barely a millimeter wide and smooth, causing Ruan Ning to tremble at its touch. As it moved, her trembling intensified. Wherever the brush went, a tingling sensation mixed with fear overwhelmed her, consuming her entirely.
A delicate peony took shape, half-blooming with layered petals quivering on the snow-white surface, a small red stamen forming its heart.
Gu Lianchang’s brush tip stopped, motionless for a long time. He had finally found the perfect canvas.
He retrieved an exquisite jade box and opened it, revealing a row of gleaming silver needles.
The silver light caught Ruan Ning’s attention, jolting her from her daze. She panicked and stammered, “You, you’re not planning to tattoo me, are you?”
Gu Lianchang hesitated. In the past, the needle would have pierced without mercy, but he questioned whether such perfect skin should be marred by a permanent design.
Ruan Ning grew more terrified. She could barely tolerate ear piercing, let alone a tattoo. “Don’t tattoo, it’ll hurt,” she said, teary-eyed. “It’ll leave needle marks and won’t look good…”
Gu Lianchang’s silver needle remained suspended.
Suddenly, a light knock came from outside: “Master, Prince Jin requests an audience.”
Why the urgency? He had just sent someone to express intentions of collaboration, and Gu Lianchang hadn’t responded. Typically, negotiations took time, so why was he coming personally so late at night?
Gu Lianchang blew out the candle and said coldly, “Let him come in.”
The screen closest to him broke in half, causing several others to tilt and fall. The Prince of Jin was startled, vaguely seeing a strangely shaped figure behind the screen. Before he could see clearly, Gu Lianchang sliced through the damaged screen and quickly gathered the remaining pieces.
“My apologies for the momentary carelessness, Your Highness,” Gu Lianchang said, his tone softer than before.
The Prince of Jin replied hurriedly, “It’s nothing, nothing. Master Gu, I came to discuss something – before my father suddenly fell ill, he told me he wanted to make me crown prince, and my mother was present to testify.”
“I know,” Gu Lianchang said indifferently.
The Emperor had made this announcement with witnesses present, but he fell into a coma that very night, and the palace upheaval followed. Everything seemed too coincidental, suggesting a deliberate act.
“What, Master Gu knows?” The Prince of Jin was shocked. Wasn’t this supposed to be a secret known only to him and his mother?
Gu Lianchang hummed carelessly, moving his hands toward Ruan Ning’s neck, feeling provoked by her mockery of his disability.
He pressed down with unresolvable anger, but at that instant, Ruan Ning opened her mouth and took his index finger inside.
Author’s note: I’m writing this with my life, it’s killing me!
Chapter 85: The Eunuch and the Empress Dowager
Warm and moist, the lilac-like tongue gently bit and sucked, intoxicating in sweetness and making one forget their anger.
Gu Lianchang realized his body was betraying him. It responded with unwarranted passion at Ruan Ning’s slightest provocation.
