Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 73

Zhou Gu furrowed his brows as he took the letter from Zhou Xi. The Crown Prince had just written to him recently, why was he sending another letter so soon? Since when did His Highness miss him this much? Most likely, it had to do with the woman he was looking for. 

Taking a deep breath, he unsealed the letter and read through its contents. As expected, it was about the situation in Jiangning. The Crown Prince had finally taken action against Jiang Sheng. Within a few days, the entire Jiangning Prefecture would be accused of crimes, and preparations were already in place to have Lord Su, Su Rong’s father, promoted to the position of Prefect of Jiangning. 

The second piece of news was even more telling, the person the Crown Prince had been searching for had been found. Zhou Gu let out a breath and tucked the letter into his robe. 

After a moment’s hesitation, he decided that Su Xu’s promotion was something Su Rong should know about. After all, it directly concerned her family. 

He turned to Su Rong and spoke calmly, “When the Crown Prince sends letters this frequently, it’s usually not just to ask how I’m doing. He was attacked during his time in Jiangning, and he’s been investigating who was behind it. Now, he has enough evidence to act, and it appears that the prefect, Jiang Sheng, was involved. That means the attack might have been Jiang Sheng’s way of proving his loyalty to the Eldest Prince. Since that’s the case, he has to be dealt with. His entire family will likely be sentenced.” 

Su Rong clicked her tongue, unsurprised. Assassinating the Crown Prince? That’s treason. The punishment is extermination of the entire family. 

She thought of Jiang Sheng’s family and sneered inwardly. For years, they had controlled Jiangning, abusing their power and making life difficult for her father. And now, they were doomed. This is what happens when you bet on the wrong side. 

A thought suddenly struck her. “What about Jiang Xing? He’s from a branch family. Will he be implicated too?” 

Zhou Gu nodded. “He will.” 

Su Rong hesitated. “But Jiang Xing is very talented. He’s just like his father and has been preparing for the upcoming autumn examinations. If he gets dragged down by the Jiang family’s crimes, it would be such a waste. More than losing his future, his life would be over.” 

Zhou Gu’s gaze darkened. “Attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince is an unforgivable crime. The punishment is the extermination of nine generations. I don’t think leniency is an option.” 

Su Rong frowned, thinking of how Jiang Xing had always kept a low profile, unlike the main Jiang family. It felt unfair. “He’s different from them. His family has never taken part in Jiang Sheng’s power games.” 

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she quickly clarified, “I’m not saying I can’t bear to see him punished. But it just feels like such a waste. His family has always kept to themselves. They’ve never been involved in Jiang Sheng’s corruption.” 

She met his gaze seriously. “Is there really no way to save Jiang Xing and his family?” 

Zhou Gu considered for a moment before answering. “If his family cooperates, there’s a chance. His father could expose more of Jiang Sheng’s crimes, proving that they were not involved and are willing to cut ties with him. But the key is that they must act before the situation worsens.” 

Su Rong sat up straight, determination flashing in her eyes. “Then I’ll arrange a meeting with Jiang Xing. Let him decide for himself. If he agrees, we won’t have let your effort go to waste. But if he chooses loyalty to Jiang Sheng, then I won’t ask you again.” 

Zhou Gu studied her for a moment before nodding. “Fine.” 

He wasn’t the type to be petty. Even if Jiang Xing harbored feelings for Su Rong, he had never acted inappropriately. At worst, he had sulked a few times when Zhou Gu was around, but that was no crime. And if he could bring another talent under the Crown Prince’s banner, it was a gain for the empire. 

Decision made, Su Rong’s eyes gleamed with determination. She, too, couldn’t wait to see Jiang Sheng’s house of cards come crashing down. 

Su Rong arranged to meet Jiang Xing for lunch at Tavern at noon, under the pretense of sharing a meal of their famous drunken goose. 

She chose not to inform her father or Su Xingze about this matter. After all, it was a significant and sensitive issue, and Zhou Gu had only told her because he trusted her. Besides, her father’s promotion was at stake, and Su Rong thought it was best for things to unfold as they were. If her father found out about the promotion too soon, he might resist leaving Jiangning. But becoming the prefect of Jiangning would at least ensure that no one could easily step over him anymore. 

Zhou Gu watched as Su Rong got up and said, “Let’s go.” He had thought he could spend a rare day resting indoors, but it seemed she had other plans. Not that he minded, the tavern was one of his preferred places anyway. 

Together, they left the residence. Before long, Su Xingze got word of their departure and let out a sigh. As expected, Zhou Gu can’t sit still. And if he’s up to something, Su Rong is bound to follow. 

Upon arriving at tavern, Su Rong and Zhou Gu settled into a private room facing the street. Zhou Gu chose the seat by the window. Sipping his tea, he idly watched the busy street below, observing the stream of people coming and going. Midway through his drink, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a figure being escorted through the street by a group of guards, dressed in fine robes. He paused, his gaze sharpening as he recognized a face he would know anywhere. 

Frowning, Zhou Gu muttered under his breath, “What’s he doing in Jiangning?” 

“Who?” Su Rong asked, following his gaze. 

“That’s Xie Lin.” 

“Xie Lin?” Su Rong looked puzzled, then realization dawned. “Oh! The little prince from Rui’an Manor? What’s he doing here? Just passing through?” 

Zhou Gu shook his head. “Who knows.” 

Su Rong speculated, “Do you think he’s here to chase after you for a fight?” 

Zhou Gu let out a short laugh. “He wouldn’t dare. He couldn’t beat me in the capital, does he think he can suddenly defeat me just because we’re in Jiangning?” 

Su Rong thought about it and nodded in agreement. “That’s true.” 

She turned to pour herself more tea when Zhou Gu suddenly remembered something. Right before he left the capital, he had run into Xie Lin. They had made an impromptu truce, and in an attempt to maintain his dignity, Zhou Gu had boasted about how beautiful and clever his fiancée was. He had even mischievously suggested that Xie Lin should also find himself a wife from a humble background so they could be mocked together. 

Hiding the smirk that threatened to surface, Zhou Gu looked at Su Rong and said earnestly, “Xiao Qi, you must protect me well.” 

Su Rong was caught off guard. “…” 

Usually, Zhou Gu just called her by her name. It was the first time he had addressed her as “Xiao Qi.” For a moment, even she was stunned. She shot him a sidelong glance and saw that he was playing it cool, as if he had just casually let it slip. Suppressing the slight flutter in her chest, she quickly refocused and nodded. 

TNOTE: Xiao Qi is nickname for Su Rong Xiao meaning little and Qi seven as Su Rong is the seventh child in the Lord’s household. 

At that moment, the door to the private room creaked open. Jiang Xing stepped inside, clearly expecting to see only Su Rong. But when his gaze landed on Zhou Gu sitting next to her, he stopped in his tracks, adjusting his posture as if to compose himself. He clasped his hands and greeted them politely, “Brother Zhou, I did not expect to see you here.” 

“It’s been a while, Brother Jiang,” Zhou Gu responded with a faint smile. 

Still momentarily caught off guard, Jiang Xing hesitated. He was used to hearing Su family members refer to Su Rong by her name, but this was the first time he had heard Zhou Gu, a supposed outsider, call her Xiao Qi. He was momentarily stunned. 

Su Rong also hesitated, unused to hearing Zhou Gu call her that. She glanced at him, but he met her eyes with a look of sincerity. 

Suppressing the tiny ripple of emotion in her heart, she turned back to Jiang Xing. “I asked you here because I need to talk to you.” 

Jiang Xing’s confusion deepened. “Me?” 

Little did he know that this conversation would decide the fate of his entire family.