Madam Gu of the Manor

The grand hall fell into utter silence. Zhou Yao lowered her head and glanced at the ministers who usually had good relations with Qi Yanhan, only to see them all hanging their heads, pretending to know nothing.

Truly, the world was going to the dogs. At a critical moment like this, Qi Yanhan was indeed a troublesome man...

She steeled herself and spoke up: "I am sure my husband did not intend to be late; he must have been delayed by certain matters. After all, today's banquet at the palace is a rare joyous occasion. How about this—before the foreign envoys enter the hall, allow me to present my congratulatory gift first, to celebrate in advance our Great Han's victory without a single battle."

A practiced, confident smile curved at the corner of Zhou Yao's lips. Before the Emperor could respond, a eunuch's shrill voice sounded from beyond the hall: "Chancellor Qi has arrived."

The Emperor cast a cold glance toward the entrance, let out a light snort, and did not press Zhou Yao further. She could only remain kneeling in the hall, maintaining her posture of respectful greeting.

"Cough, cough, cough..." The man at the door had not even entered, yet his weak cough echoed through from outside. Zhou Yao fixed her gaze on the Emperor's face, subtly studying his expression.

To be honest, such an act would be unthinkable for anyone else, but Zhou Yao did not care anymore. After all, a barefoot man fears not a shoe-wearer. Qi Yanhan had truly gotten her into deep trouble this time. Setting aside the matter of the Suzhou officials, simply arriving late today and causing the Emperor to blame her was enough for her to extort a heavy price from Qi Yanhan.

The newcomer strolled leisurely into the hall from the outer chamber. Compared to yesterday, Qi Yanhan's complexion seemed worse today, making it appear as though he had just recovered from a serious illness.

Come to think of it, dealing with the Crown Prince's side last night must have taken considerable effort.

"I have come late today, please forgive me, Your Majesty. On my way here, I happened to encounter the foreign envoys. They seemed curious about our great nation and kept pressing me for Your Majesty's intentions, so as to better tailor their gifts," Qi Yanhan said with a casual demeanor, completely devoid of the fear a person normally displays in the face of the Emperor's wrath. Instead, his relaxed manner seemed as if he were strolling through his own garden.

Qi Yanhan put on this sickly appearance before everyone today; the crowd would surely have all sorts of private speculations. Had the two of them not forged a pact, Zhou Yao would have sneered at him twice over.

The Emperor on the dais seemed intrigued. The rustling of his golden-threaded dragon embroidered robes and the faint, crisp clattering of the beaded ornaments on his crown echoed distinctly through the hall, so his words were clearly audible when he spoke.

"Since the foreign envoys are already waiting outside the hall, there is no need to delay further." He waved a hand and said coldly to Zhou Yao, "No need to present the gift. Wait outside with the others later."

Before Zhou Yao could speak, Qi Yanhan helped her rise before the eyes of all present and said, "Yao'er, get up from the ground. Now that I am here, I will not let you suffer any grievances." His manner was relaxed, paying no heed to the others still performing their ceremonial bows in the hall.

Those who had been watching the spectacle on the sidelines now dared not look at the Emperor's face, fearing they might draw trouble to themselves. They expected the Emperor to fly into a rage, but instead, Senior Eunuch Gao beside him bent over and said in a thin voice, "Then please, all the lords and ladies, move to the garden."

...

Once the Emperor left, everyone also filed out of the hall. When Qi Yanhan glanced at Zhou Yao, she sensed something was amiss.

"Your Highness's righteous words today shall be remembered. I hope Your Highness will not forget our original oath."

Zhou Yao made no reply.

Considering their past cooperation, she nodded slightly.

The silver earned from the street stall, when roughly calculated, should be enough to buy materials for making glass. Tonight was the palace banquet; by the time it ended, it would likely be close to curfew. Better to visit the market tomorrow.

As she pondered this, she failed to notice a faint figure shifting by the window not far away.

The man hidden behind the hall pressed his ear against the window, wishing he could press his whole body even closer to catch every word they said.

Before Zhou Yao could recover her wits, Duyun had already apprehended the man. But since they were within the palace grounds and could not afford to make a scene, Duyun was sent to take the man back for interrogation. Qi Yanhan glanced sideways at Zhou Yao; seeing no reaction from her, he said softly to Duyun, "Take him away first. Do not frighten the princess."

With the man's hands firmly bound behind his back, Duyun replied, "Yes."

"If you still have matters to attend to, I will head to the garden first," Zhou Yao said. She considered a moment, and when Qi Yanhan did not answer, she prepared to turn and leave. She had just taken two steps back when Qi Yanhan spoke.

His eyelids lifted slightly as he looked toward the place where Duyun had left, as if momentarily startled, and said, "Your Highness was not at the residence last night, and today's attire is not the set I had the embroiderers rush to make the day before yesterday... Is all well?"

Zhou Yao nodded to indicate she was fine, and was about to head out when she heard Qi Yanhan's sinister voice from within the room: "If Your Highness ever encounters trouble from the Crown Prince again, you are welcome to confide in me. I would be glad to resolve your worries."

She let out a light snort and paid no heed to the remark, for Qi Yanhan's own situation was hardly secure; how could he possibly spare the time to look after her?

Today's banquet ended early. Darkness had only just fallen, and it was still some time until curfew.

She had not intended to pass through the garden, but she unexpectedly overheard others' conversation.

One woman said, "It was said that foreign envoys were coming, but in truth, it was just a maid from the envoys' side who came to offer greetings. Honestly, I even took out my family heirlooms to wear, planning to show off at this palace banquet."

"This is only a small banquet, after all. In social circles, how many people truly care about what items are laid out or what dishes are served? You are too naive."

"Me, naive? Look at the Ninth Princess—even after marrying into the Qi family, she still acts like such a coward. Wearing clothes that shabby and daring to come, not even afraid others will mock her!"

The woman beside her changed color at once and immediately sensed something wrong. She shoved the speaker hard with her elbow, signaling her to lower her voice. The other woman still seemed unconvinced and was about to argue further when she noticed Zhou Yao standing not far away and promptly shut her mouth.

Though her status on the surface was noble, she remained utterly ignored.

At the end of the day, it was because Zhou Yao herself was not strong enough. She had neither wealth nor power in hand; otherwise, how could anyone dare to gossip before her very face?

"Miss Li seems quite fond of spreading palace gossip. How about this—tonight, I will have a eunuch report to the Li mansion, telling Grand Servant Li that his daughter likes the palace and does not wish to return, and would rather stay here as a caged songbird. I shall order the servants to cut out the young lady's tongue. How does that sound?"

A gentle smile lingered at the corners of Zhou Yao's mouth. When she said this, it did not sound like a threat, but rather like casual chat between girlfriends.

"Forgive us, Your Highness! Forgive us! We know we are wrong... Please spare our lives!"

The two women collapsed to the ground in fright. Zhou Yao cast a warning glance at them and said with a smile, "I have no desire to take lives today. Since I am still in a good mood, get out of my sight quickly."

She raised her eyes and watched the two women hurry toward the palace gate.

The group of wives and young ladies who had gathered by the entrance broke off their chatter, and upon noticing someone, parted to clear the middle of the path.

The warm golden lanterns carried by the palace attendants illuminated the palace walls in the deep night. The person surrounded by the crowd in the middle happened to lift her eyes at the same moment. Though the distance was far, Zhou Yao was struck by that person's bearing.

Even from afar, the woman looked dignified and noble. Though adorned with precious jewels and jade all over, she did not appear vulgar in the least; rather, her stunning beauty made one overlook the gold and silver ornaments.

The fabric of her garments shimmered faintly with a lustrous sheen in the firelight, clearly woven with golden and silver threads. Such a lavish display instantly reminded Zhou Yao of what the two eunuchs had mentioned earlier at the palace—Madam Gu of the manor.

Zhou Yao paid it no mind and went straight to board the carriage sent by the Qi family to fetch her. The person she expected to be sitting inside was not there. She lifted the curtain and looked out, but saw no sign of Qi Yanhan either.

"Your Highness, shall we return to the residence now?" A servant trotted over to the window and asked, his gaze darting around nervously.

"Where is Qi Yanhan? Isn't he coming back with me?"

A hint of concern she had not noticed herself crept into her voice as she spoke to the servant, unable to stop herself from worrying whether the Emperor had given Qi Yanhan a hard time.

"Lord Qi came by earlier and instructed me to escort you back to the residence first. He was probably held up by something. Your Highness, how about... we leave now?" The servant asked this, and before Zhou Yao could answer, he trotted toward the front of the carriage, took the reins, and drove the carriage straight out.

No sooner had the carriage left the palace gates and traveled a short distance, before the eaves of the Qi Manor even came into sight, than Zhou Yao heard a loud thud from the front of the carriage, as if something heavy had fallen heavily to the ground, reaching her ears.