Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 42

Su Rong sighed. “So, the marriage my mother arranged with the Duke Protector’s family wasn’t for my protection, but rather to secure a good marriage for me? After all, a minor illegitimate daughter from Jiangning County, no matter how much she stretches, couldn’t possibly reach the level of a legitimate son from a first-class noble family like the Duke Protector’s.” 

Lady Lan nodded. “We’ve investigated Lord Su thoroughly, but your mother remains a mystery. Her identity must be extraordinary, yet for some reason, she was willing to become his concubine.” 

“There must have been a compelling reason,” Su Rong said. She couldn’t believe her mother married her father out of love. She had early memories, and from what she could recall, her father never shared a bed with her mother, even when he stayed at her mother’s Warm Fragrance Pavilion. He would sleep on the footstool instead. 

Lady Lan’s expression grew serious. “She even dared to defy the Duke Protector’s family. Who exactly is she?” 

“Someone we can’t afford to provoke,” Su Rong said, taking another swig of wine. “You know my father has abilities. Why do you think he’s been stuck in this small place like Jiangning County all these years? To protect me. He can’t move. If he leaves Jiangning, he probably won’t be able to protect me anymore.” 

Lady Lan was shocked. “So Lord Su knows?” 

“Of course he knows. He’s not stupid. How could he not know who he brought into his household? Even though I don’t remember much about my mother, I know one thing—she hated dragging others down with her. Since she willingly became my father’s concubine and stayed put in the prefect’s residence, she must have told him enough to keep him from getting caught up in her affairs.” 

Lady Lan immediately said, “Then why not ask Lord Su?” 

“Because he plays dumb,” Su Rong said helplessly. “Every time I bring up my mother, he looks heartbroken. Even the engagement with the Duke Protector’s family—he claims not to know how it came about and pushes everything onto my mother. I’ve given up. As his child, I shouldn’t make things difficult for him. That’s filial piety, isn’t it?” 

“Does the madam know?” 

“Probably not. Or maybe she knows a little but pretends not to. Who knows?” Su Rong thought the whole family was a bit off, so it wasn’t surprising that she turned out unusual as well. 

“But you’ve kept your troubles hidden well all these years. Lord Su doesn’t know about the assassination attempts, does he? If that’s true, he believes he’s protecting you, without realizing you’re far from safe,” Lady Lan sighed again. 

“Not necessarily,” Su Rong said. “After I burned down the Warm Fragrance Pavilion, no one ever sneaked into the Lord’s residence to kill me again. The assassins that came for me afterward always ambushed me outside. He probably knows something about what happened back then. After all, even though the bones in the pavilion were reduced to ashes, traces can still be found if you investigate carefully. But he’s never asked me about it. Maybe he’s afraid that if he does, I’ll start questioning him in return.” 

Lady Lan nodded, thinking hard but unable to unravel the mystery. She sighed. “We’ve been stuck in this small place, Jiangning, for too long. Over the years, you’ve kept us from moving, so we couldn’t go out and follow the leads. That’s why we still know nothing. You’ve spent a lot of money and effort on us, made us learn countless things. Was it all in vain?” 

“Not entirely,” Su Rong smiled. “I’ve been waiting to come of age to see whether this marriage with the Duke Protector’s family will happen. If it doesn’t, I’ll have one plan; if it does, I’ll have another. At least that way, we won’t take unnecessary detours.” 

“So, is it happening or not?” 

“I want it to happen,” Su Rong put down the empty wine jar and revealed the purpose of her visit. “I don’t want to let Zhou Gu go. Starting this month, prepare to open our shops in the capital. Also, use them to quickly establish an information network.” 

Lady Lan’s eyes lit up instantly. “Finally, we’re not stuck in Jiangning anymore!” She rubbed her hands together. “You know, everyone’s been waiting for years.” 

Su Rong nodded. “I know.” 

Lady Lan grew excited. “I’ll call everyone tonight to discuss it. We can finalize the plan tomorrow. Will you come to review it?” 

Su Rong shook her head. “I don’t have time. You handle it yourselves. I need to accompany my fiancé.” 

Lady Lan: “…” 

After a moment, she calmed down. “Zhou Gu just arrived in Jiangning. You’ve only spent two days with him. How could you like him already?” 

“A little,” Su Rong said softly after finishing another jar of wine. “Charming people make it hard to let go. I want to marry him.” 

Hearing that, Lady Lan immediately marked Zhou Gu as a key figure. “What about him? How does he feel about you? Does he want to marry you?” 

Su Rong seemed a bit frustrated. “He doesn’t seem thrilled, but he’s not completely against it either.” 

Lady Lan gave serious advice. “Then you need to be proactive and use some tactics. Young masters from noble families, especially those accustomed to palace life, have seen countless beauties since childhood. You need to make him fall for you so that he won’t marry anyone else. Otherwise, men from such prestigious families are often too proud. If he’s not a soft-hearted one, even his elders might not be able to make him comply.” 

Seeing Su Rong deep in thought, she added, “This kind of thing happens often. Some grooms run away before the wedding. Some refuse to marry, no matter how much they’re beaten or punished. Unless he’s willing, it’ll be hard.” 

Su Rong asked, “What tactics should I use?” 

Lady Lan looked troubled. “I don’t know. Just the usual tricks women use to seduce men. First, you need to learn what he likes and then cater to his preferences. Step by step.” 

Su Rong nodded thoughtfully. “Got it. I’m leaving now. Give me two more jars to take with me.” 

“You drank and broke two jars, drank another one, and now you want to take two more? That’s five hundred taels gone in one night! These wines are hard to make, with thirty-six processes. Outside Jiangning, a jar costs two hundred taels, and it’s not easy to find. We’ll need money everywhere once we leave Jiangning, so we should save up.” 

Su Rong looked at her. “Didn’t you just say I should cater to his preferences? Zhou Gu seems to like this Drunken Delight wine. I’m bringing it to him.” 

Lady Lan couldn’t argue with that and reluctantly handed over two more jars. “Be careful on the way. Need me to escort you?” 

“No need. Just give me a set of golden needles.” 

Lady Lan quickly fetched a set of golden needles. Su Rong took them, thinking that if she’d had them earlier, she could’ve killed that man and buried him under the osmanthus tree in the Laughing Guest Tavern’s backyard. He was lucky. 

With the golden needles in hand, Su Rong left the wine shop, carrying two jars of wine.