Shortly after Mo Qu left, Que’er fell silent. He entered through the door and bowed, “Young Master, everything is arranged.”
“Good.” Yan Huo took me out the back door to a tavern with few customers. He ordered a private room and had Mo Qu stand guard outside.
A pot of plum wine and two white porcelain cups were brought in. I drank mine in one gulp, while he stared at the clear brew in his cup, looking hesitant.
I understood his reluctance; the Emperor of Xi Liang, Yan Huo, could not drink alcohol and would get drunk immediately. I had once given him the nickname: “One-Cup Drunk.” This was no exaggeration; even a small sip would make him drunk, which was why he rarely drank.
Of course, after ascending the throne, the emperor had to drink at times. To maintain his dignity, the imperial physicians likely developed a medicine to prevent him from getting drunk, which he would take before drinking. However, this time he hadn’t anticipated drinking with me and probably hadn’t taken any anti-intoxication medicine.
I was cautious with the word “drunk.” Yan Huo was clever; if I encouraged him to drink, he might become suspicious. It was better to let him drink willingly.
I said, “Oh, I almost forgot you can’t drink. No matter, just watch me.” I poured myself another cup and drank it, murmuring, “Why do you—” I sighed, “Clearly, being sober is not as good as being drunk. Everyone is drunk, so why should I stay awake?”
Yan Huo, don’t blame me for calculating against you. Have you ever been truly sincere with me? Thinking too clearly can feel unsettling.
He saw me hesitating to speak and grabbed my hand, saying passionately, “Thirteen, why did you marry An Jin? Why didn’t you wait for me to come back?”
This question left me somewhat at a loss.
“Maybe it’s—” I frowned, thinking carefully. “Probably—because of age?”
“You know, for a girl to reach almost twenty without getting married creates a lot of pressure.”
He was stunned.
“Of course, An Jin is also a good choice,” I added. “Although he’s a bit fickle, at least we grew up together and know each other well. Isn’t that better than marrying someone you only know superficially?”
Yan Or was speechless, frowning and turning his head, grabbing the white porcelain cup on the table and drinking it down in one gulp, likely treating the wine as tea.
I was surprised. We hadn’t used our full strength yet, and he had already complied. He was unaware of what he was drinking, his brown pupils misty, locked on my eyes: “Thirteen, some things are not as simple as you think.”
Before he could finish, his expression became confused, a flush spreading across his face as he softly collapsed. He was thoroughly drunk, seemingly about to tell me something important. His words were eerily similar to those from the Eastern Palace, which was suspicious, but I had no time to think more. After scanning the surroundings to ensure no one was around, I quickly began to search. Important items would be kept close to the body. I reached inside his clothes, thoroughly searching, only to find a dragon-patterned jade pendant.
Although valuable, it didn’t look like a confidential item. I was perplexed—could it be hidden in his shoes?
After some internal struggle, my eyes caught a jade ring on his hand. This blue jade ring had a unique design, with a slender body but a large lotus flower mounted on the base, creating a sense of incongruity.
I had seen similar rings on Su Hui’s hand, though hers featured a peony flower. If I remembered correctly, Su Xi also had an identical ring. As for Su Quan, I hadn’t paid particular attention. Could the peony be a symbol of the Su family?
These similar jade rings didn’t prove anything—perhaps they just liked carving flowers on jade. I carefully placed Yan Or’s hand on a small table and felt a tiny protrusion on the right side of the lotus flower. My heart stirred, and I pressed it.
The jade lotus flower suddenly opened, revealing an exquisite small seal, carved with a bow and arrow, featuring a “Liang” character in the upper right corner. Undoubtedly, this was exactly what I was looking for.
I quickly took out the ink pad and pressed the lotus seal deep into the ink, capturing its outline. After confirming no traces were left on the jade seal, I put away the ink pad, restored the ring, and placed Yan Or’s hand back by his side, preparing to call Mo Qu, who was at the door, for sobering medicine.
Just as I reached the door, I heard a familiar voice—it was Su Hui.
“An Dage, are you here to find the madam? The madam just entered with the Emperor of Western Liang to drink and catch up… An Dage, please don’t misunderstand the madam!”
An Jin was here too. Should I escape through the window? No, that was not feasible. This was the third floor!
What was going on? An Jin’s arrival was one thing, but why was Su Hui here too? I glanced back at Yan Or, who was red-faced and slumped on the table. Could he have arranged this scene?
But that didn’t make sense. I proposed the drinking, so he shouldn’t have anticipated this. With Yan Or’s methods, he wouldn’t resort to such a tasteless trick.
Feeling somewhat sad for misunderstood intentions, I walked around Su Hui, looking dejected and contrite as I approached An Jin: “Husband, I shouldn’t have drunk with His Majesty and even got him drunk.”
An Jin seemed both amused and annoyed as he coldly dragged me away without a word. I looked worried, imagining the punishment awaiting me at home. I caught a glimpse of Su Hui’s gloating smile, which made me gnash my teeth in anger.
As we arrived home, all the servants and workers pretended not to see anything. I looked around for help, but no one paid me any attention while An Jin thrust me into the room and signaled to Que’er. She quickly took Yuan Xiang away, and the others in the small courtyard dispersed.
An ominous feeling washed over me as An Jin slammed the door and began to undress. I swallowed nervously and held up the ink pad. “H-husband, I-I succeeded—”
He seemed not to hear me, instead removing his belt and testing its flexibility with satisfaction.
Panicked, I exclaimed, “What are you doing? According to the Secret Department’s rules, corporal punishment is prohibited!”
He smiled slightly. “Where did such a rule come from?”
“I made it up,” I replied, my eyes fixed on the belt, imagining what he might do with it.
After various unpleasant imaginings, I was finally defeated by my inner fear and lunged forward, hugging his waist and wailing, “Spare me, good sir—”
Chapter Forty-Six: Yan Or Stratagem
“Speak.” “…I was wrong.” “Wrong about what?” “I shouldn’t have acted rashly—good sir, it’s so cold.” I shivered, attempting a seductive smile, but it probably looked distorted, as he made a disgusted expression. “Stop it.”
Embarrassed, I looked down. “An Jin! You’re going too far! Is this how you treat your wife?”
“Aren’t you my subordinate Bai Yuan Xiang?” He scratched me hard, making me scream and beg, “No—Umm—It hurts so much…”
“You’re going too far!” Once I calmed down a bit, I argued again. “Is this how you treat a subordinate?”
An Jin’s expression was malicious, and with another scratch, I screamed repeatedly, twisting my body in frustration.
“Aren’t you my wife, Xiao Yao?”
I blushed, glaring at him through teary eyes. “You bully—Dad! Mom! Big brother!—Yuan Xiang—” I called out pitifully.
He covered my mouth. “One more sound and I’ll seal your mute acupoint!” Yuan Xiang seemed to hear my call, responding excitedly, probably thinking I wanted to play.
I nodded desperately, and he finally let go.
I sighed deeply, dejected: “I was truly terribly wrong.”
I shouldn’t have rashly sought out Yan Or or devised a plan to avenge the Fifth Princess, thinking my cleverness could contribute to the country… As I spoke, I glanced at him, and he looked half-amused.
