Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 55

Regarding the selection of a messenger to the Southern Marquis’ estate, Grand Tutor Qin was momentarily uncertain about whom to recommend. 

Yan Huisheng suggested, “Why not send Qin Feng?” 

“Your Highness, do you think my son can handle such an important task?” Grand Tutor Qin was taken aback and quickly shook his head. “His temperament is not steady. I fear he’ll mess it up.” 

“I trust Qin Feng, and so should you,” Yan Huisheng said with a faint smile. “It’s settled then.” 

The Grand Tutor, unable to counter further, reluctantly agreed. “Very well. Since Zhou Gu left for Jiangning, my son has been restless, as if he’s grown weeds. Letting him take on this task might make him happy.” 

He added, “When I return home, I will give him strict instructions. When he reports to the Eastern Palace, Your Highness must also impress upon him the gravity of this mission. The Southern Marquis is a major supporter of the First Prince. If we can leverage Ning Chi to topple the Southern Marquis and bring his estate into our camp, the First Prince will lose a significant ally and will no longer pose a serious threat.” 

Yan Huisheng nodded. 

The two continued their discussion until a servant entered to report, “Your Highness, the Empress is here.” 

Grand Tutor Qin paused mid-sentence and looked at Yan Huisheng, who seemed slightly surprised. He rose and went out to greet her. 

The Empress was a dignified beauty whose regal bearing had only grown more pronounced with age. Upon seeing Grand Tutor Qin, she smiled. “Have I interrupted your discussion with the Crown Prince?” 

“Your Majesty,” Grand Tutor Qin quickly replied with a bow, “not at all. We’ve just finished. I was about to take my leave.” 

The Empress nodded gracefully. “I came to discuss some matters with the Crown Prince. Since your discussion is concluded, I won’t keep you. Take care, Grand Tutor.” 

Grand Tutor Qin bowed again and exited the Eastern Palace. 

Once he had left, the Empress’ smile disappeared as she turned her gaze to Yan Huisheng. 

Yan Huisheng knew that his mother would not visit the Eastern Palace without a pressing reason. Normally, she would wait until he paid his respects at the Phoenix Pavilion to discuss matters. Bowing slightly, he said, “Mother, let us talk in the study.” 

The Empress nodded and followed him. Once the door was closed and guards were stationed outside, ensuring privacy, the Empress wasted no time. 

She asked, “Where is the dagger Zhang Chengming crafted for you?” 

Yan Huisheng was momentarily taken aback. “Why does Mother ask about it?” 

“Just answer me. Where is the dagger?” The Empress’ gaze bore into him. 

“I gave it away,” he replied. 

“That dagger is incredibly important. Who did you give it to?” 

“To the person who saved me during the assassination attempt in Jiangning,” Yan Huisheng explained. 

The Empress froze. “It was a woman?” 

“Yes,” Yan Huisheng said, surprised. “How do you know?” 

The Empress sat down heavily, her expression dark. “How do I know? Because I agreed to a deal with the Queen of Southern Chu. In exchange for their support of your cause, I was to eliminate someone. But when I sent someone to carry out the task, they discovered that the target had your dagger and hesitated, returning to report to me instead.” 

Yan Huisheng’s expression shifted, his tone urgent. “Mother, did you kill that person?” 

Seeing his reaction, the Empress’ frustration bubbled over. “No, I didn’t. The assassin recognized your dagger and held back, reporting the matter to me. I thought it strange. That dagger was Zhang Chengming’s final masterpiece, and you cherished it deeply. How could it end up with someone else? That’s why I came to ask you.” 

She sighed helplessly. “Why did it have to be her who saved you?” 

Yan Huisheng exhaled in relief. “It’s good she wasn’t killed. Was she injured?” 

This time, the Empress’ expression shifted. “Crown Prince, why are you so concerned about her?” 

Realizing his emotions were too overt, Yan Huisheng steadied himself and said, “Mother, she saved my life. Without her, those two assassins would have killed me, I didn’t have the strength to escape. A life-saving debt outweighs all else. No matter how much I care about her, it is not excessive.” 

The Empress was momentarily at a loss for words. After a long pause, she finally said, “That may be true, but as for the Queen of Southern Chu…” 

“Has Mother investigated why the Queen of Southern Chu wants her dead? A remote vassal state of Southern Chu, a woman in a small place like Jiangning, what enmity could the Queen have with her?” 

“This… I don’t know either. The Queen of Southern Chu approached me first, claiming she understood your current situation. She said that the Emperor has been restricting you in many ways, but if I were to kill this person for her, she would persuade the Southern Chu kingdom to support you. You must understand, a vassal state like Southern Chu holds significant sway in Da Liang. Their support would greatly benefit you, and even the Emperor would be less inclined to suppress you so harshly.” 

Yan Huisheng nodded. He could see his mother’s efforts on his behalf. “I’ve been searching for her, but I didn’t know her identity. I didn’t expect Mother to encounter her first. Could you tell me her name and where she lives? She saved my life, and I cannot let the Queen of Southern Chu succeed in killing her. Once I know her identity, I will also investigate why the Queen of Southern Chu wants her dead.” 

“You don’t know who she is?” The Empress was surprised. 

“I was in a hurry to escape that day. I didn’t ask. I thought she would be easy to find, but to this day, I haven’t located her.” 

The Empress nodded. “She is the seventh daughter of Su Xu, the Prefect of Jiangning. Her name seems to be Su…” She paused, suddenly alarmed. “Isn’t the Prefect’s illegitimate daughter, who is engaged to Zhou Gu, named Su Rong?” 

Yan Huisheng’s expression changed. For a long moment, he said nothing. Finally, under the Empress’ probing gaze, he nodded slightly. “That is her name.” 

The Empress, seeing him confirm this, also fell silent for a long time. 

Some things in this world are strangely coincidental. The person the Queen of Southern Chu wanted dead was Su Rong, the one who saved Yan Huisheng was Su Rong, and the one engaged to Zhou Gu was also Su Rong. 

The study fell into a heavy silence. 

After a long while, the Empress broke the quiet, tentatively asking, “You wish to find her to repay your debt of gratitude? How do you plan to repay her for saving your life?” 

Yan Huisheng remained silent. 

The Empress, a seasoned observer, immediately sensed something was off. Her expression darkened, and she probed further. “You’ve only met her once. You’re not…” 

“Mother, I am.” Yan Huisheng met her gaze and admitted it without hesitation. 

The Empress’ face turned pale. “But it was just one encounter…” 

Yan Huisheng fell silent briefly. “Since returning to the capital, I’ve regretted not asking her name that day.” 

That one sentence made the Empress’ heart sink. 

Given his status as the Crown Prince, repaying a life-saving debt shouldn’t have consumed him so deeply. The fact that it did meant that she had left a mark on his heart. But why did it have to be Su Rong, the person the Queen of Southern Chu wanted dead, the one engaged to Zhou Gu? 

The Empress looked at Yan Huisheng and said, “You are the Crown Prince. Even if she’s in your heart, it doesn’t mean you can’t let her go.” 

Yan Huisheng chuckled softly. “Mother, do you think I’m the type to let go easily once I’ve set my heart on someone?” 

If that were the case, he wouldn’t have remained unattached all these years. He had no interest in the women bestowed upon him by the palace, including Qin Luan. Everyone praised Qin Luan’s virtues, but he didn’t see it.