Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 43

Su Rong returned to the inn without any trouble. The journey back had been smooth, she didn’t encounter anyone trying to kill her this time. 

The inn was quiet, with only the occasional creak of wooden beams breaking the silence. Su Rong tiptoed down the hall toward her room. 

As she passed by Zhou Gu’s door, it suddenly swung open. 

There he stood, dressed in plain undergarments, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. 

“Where did you sneak off to?” he asked, his tone mild but his gaze sharp. 

Su Rong’s heart skipped a beat in surprise. She looked up at him, thinking to herself: It’s easy to slip out unnoticed, but sneaking back in? Not so much. 

If Zhou Gu had been completely unaware of her coming and going, it would’ve meant he wasn’t vigilant at all, which would be a disgrace, considering he’d trained in martial arts since childhood. 

Resigning herself to being caught, she rubbed her nose sheepishly and stopped in her tracks. Holding out the wine jar she carried, she offered it to him. 

“Went to buy wine,” she said simply. 

Zhou Gu raised an eyebrow. “Drunken Blaze? That’s a strong liquor. Can you even handle it?” 

Su Rong blinked, saying nothing. 

Zhou Gu took a step closer, leaning in slightly. “You reek of alcohol. How much did you drink?” 

“One jar,” Su Rong answered truthfully. 

In reality, it had been a jar and a half. The first half-jar she’d poured out as an offering to the earth god after encountering an assassin. 

Zhou Gu chuckled. “Impressive. You drank a whole jar by yourself and still came back without a wobble. I underestimated you.” 

He glanced at the two jars of wine she carried. “So… you brought these back to keep drinking?” 

Su Rong shook her head. “They’re for you.” 

Zhou Gu took the jars from her, his expression softening slightly. “At least you’ve got some sense.” 

Still, he couldn’t help but scold her. “You’re a young lady, wandering around at night like that is reckless. Just because you know a bit of martial arts doesn’t mean you’re invincible. Or do you think Jiangning County’s security is so perfect that people leave their doors unlocked at night?” 

Su Rong shook her head with a smile, feeling warm inside despite the scolding. “It’s not that perfect yet. I just took a walk because I couldn’t sleep after napping too much during the day. It won’t happen again.” 

Zhou Gu made a sound of acknowledgment before asking, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask. Why are there no beggars in Jiangning? Not even a single raggedly dressed person?” 

“Oh, that.” Su Rong smiled. “It’s thanks to my father’s governance. Anyone who enters Jiangning without a penny to their name can go to the government’s relief station and do ten days of work. After those ten days, they receive wages to start a small business or settle down. There are also follow-up policies to support them, which is why there are no beggars.” 

Zhou Gu was intrigued. “But where does the government get the money for all this? Running a relief station and implementing those policies must require a lot of silver.” 

Su Rong nodded. “From tax revenue, donations from wealthy families, and contributions from those who’ve been helped. Every year, former beggars who’ve settled down pay a small relocation fee as part of their taxes. It all adds up. If you’re interested, you can talk to my father when we return. He’d be happy to explain in detail.” 

Zhou Gu pieced things together. “So that’s why Jiangning is prosperous but doesn’t send much tax revenue to the imperial court.” 

He frowned thoughtfully. “I heard that His Majesty once sent officials to investigate your father. They couldn’t find a single tael of embezzled silver and ended up laughing in disbelief. It seems they must have learned about these policies. But if they’re so effective, why hasn’t the entire Liang Kingdom adopted them? On my way here, I saw beggars everywhere. It’s strange that people don’t know Jiangning is so well-governed.” 

Su Rong chuckled. “Because Jiangning can’t be copied.” 

“Why not?” Zhou Gu was puzzled. 

“Because Jiangning has someone unique.” Su Rong’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “The top scholar from the third year of Zhengde’s reign, Xie Yuan. He’s a brilliant man, but he dislikes politics. He traveled the world for years before settling in Jiangning, where he and my father hit it off. Together, they devised those policies. 

“At first, it was tough going. But after more than ten years of persistence, the results are what you see today. Jiangning’s prosperity is thanks to Xie Yuan’s vision and my father’s dedication.” 

Zhou Gu nodded slowly, taking it all in. “So that’s the secret behind Jiangning’s success.” 

Zhou Gu suddenly realized, “Ah, Xie Yuan! I know of him. So he’s been in Jiangning all this time? Back when I was studying at the Eastern Palace, Tutor Qin often praised him. Said he was a man of immense talent, though it was a pity he never entered the court or accepted any noble titles.” 

“Bringing prosperity to the people isn’t a waste, is it?” Su Rong asked with a faint smile. 

“Not at all,” Zhou Gu said firmly. “Where is he now? Can you take me to meet him tomorrow?” 

“He was invited to Yunshan Academy last month to give lectures,” Su Rong explained, shaking her head. “But he should return in time for my coming-of-age ceremony.” 

Zhou Gu’s brow lifted slightly. “He’s coming back specifically for your ceremony? He must care a lot about you.” 

“Of course. Uncle Xie never married. He treats me like his own daughter,” Su Rong said with a yawn, starting to look tired. 

Noticing her weariness, Zhou Gu waved her off. “It’s late. Go get some rest.” 

Su Rong nodded, murmured a soft “Goodnight,” and returned to her room. 

Zhou Gu watched her disappear behind her door, then closed his own. He placed the jars of wine on the table and lit the lamp. 

Staring at the wine jars, Zhou Gu couldn’t help but muse: She slipped out without me noticing and returned just as quietly. If I hadn’t left my window open and caught a whiff of that strong wine, I wouldn’t have heard her footsteps and caught her sneaking back in. 

It irked him to think that the guards of the Duke Protector’s household hadn’t noticed a thing. They weren’t top-tier martial artists, but they were skilled enough to handle ten men at once. Yet not one of them had noticed Su Rong’s departure. 

Useless bunch. 

He then thought about his fiancée’s skills. If she marries into the Duke Protector’s household, it’ll be too easy for her to climb over the walls and sneak out. 

Her agility piqued his curiosity. Where did she learn to move like that? 

And then there was the wine, Drunken Blaze wasn’t cheap. One jar cost a hundred taels of silver, yet she not only drank some herself but also bought two more for him. 

Seems she’s not short on money. 

No longer feeling drowsy, Zhou Gu decided to crack open a jar. He took a seat by the window and started drinking. 

The first jar went down smoothly. The wine was indeed as good as its reputation claimed. 

Without hesitation, he opened the second jar. 

By the time he finished both jars, Zhou Gu was well and truly drunk. Swaying slightly, he made his way to bed and collapsed into a deep sleep. 

Meanwhile, Su Rong finished her bath and returned to her room, only to catch the lingering scent of wine wafting through the walls. 

She chuckled quietly to herself. 

But as the amusement faded from her lips, her gaze sharpened. She reached for her bedside lamp, adjusting the wick to brighten the flame. 

In the flickering light, Su Rong pulled out the dagger she had been examining earlier. 

Tilting it in the firelight, she finally spotted something, an intricate mark etched onto the blade. 

It was faint, only visible when illuminated by candlelight. 

Her eyes narrowed. “A hidden mark?” 

Leaning closer, she studied the symbol. 

“Echo?” she murmured, tracing the engraving with her fingertips. 

“What does that mean?” 

Puzzling over it for a few moments, Su Rong eventually gave up. She sheathed the dagger, snuffed out the lamp, and climbed into bed. 

Whatever the mark meant, it wasn’t something she could figure out tonight. 

As she drifted off to sleep, one thing was certain, there would be more revelations ahead.