Lotus in a Bottle - Chapter 16

Section 25

Because Tan Lian had been gravely wounded, the incident in Xiangyang was brought directly before the emperor.

After all, the safety of an imperial official was at stake. That changed the nature of the entire case.

I had still been feeling guilty for causing Tan Lian to lose the evidence, only to watch in stunned disbelief on the journey home as he recreated the entire account book from memory, word for word.

When he noticed me staring at him in astonishment, Tan Lian gave me a bashful smile and said with remarkable modesty,

“I read through the account book once at the magistrate’s office. Fortunately, my memory is fairly decent, so those criminals didn’t manage to exploit the situation.”

Me: “?”

Could anyone really be that humble and survive?

With the most crucial evidence restored, every official and wealthy merchant involved was thrown into prison. Not one escaped.

Tan Lian was promoted upon our return for his contribution to the case.

When his new official robe, embroidered with the wild-goose insignia of the fourth rank, was delivered to the Tan Family, I suddenly remembered that the original novel in my dream had begun with Tan Lian’s promotion to the fourth rank.

Did that mean I had survived the point when I was supposed to die in the original story?

A gentle breeze swept past. As I stroked the official robe in my hands, tears suddenly spilled from my eyes.

Tan Lian returned from work just in time to see me crying. His brows drew together as he hurried over, took my hands, and asked softly,

“Baoping, what’s wrong? Did someone come to the residence and say something to you while I was away today?”

I shook my head. “No one bullied me. I’m crying because I’m happy.”

Happy that I had survived. Happy that this so-called fate could be changed after all.

Tan Lian misunderstood. With a helpless expression, he gave my cheek a pinch.

“What’s there to be so happy about? If you like this, I’ll place even better things before you in the future.”

I blinked but said nothing.

Of course he would have better things. Although that dream had ended before I saw the conclusion, I suspected that Tan Lian ultimately… ascended the throne.

And he deserved the very best.

Grinning, I threw myself at him and buried my face in his embrace, breathing in his scent over and over.

“You don’t understand. I’m just happy.”

I couldn’t tell anyone about that dream, but that didn’t stop me from sharing my joy with Tan Lian.

Tan Lian indulgently wrapped his arms around me. His long lashes lowered, concealing the fleeting contemplation in his eyes.

“Mm. It doesn’t matter if I don’t understand. If Baoping is happy, then I’m happy too.”

Section 26

Freed from the fear of death and no longer obsessed with securing a divorce, Tan Lian and I began to act like true newlyweds.

I still wasn’t entirely used to it, but at least I no longer avoided his affectionate gestures.

I went along with every little trick a certain someone pulled while taking his medicine. After all, the more we kissed, the more accustomed to it I became.

Eventually, it reached the point where I would instinctively close my eyes and lean toward him whenever Tan Lian held out a hand.

“Baoping, I was actually hoping you could help me change. I can’t quite lift my arms.”

“Then why didn’t you say so earlier?!”

“Because I wanted to kiss Baoping too.”

Beauty truly led people astray. Beauty truly led people astray!

The next day, the palace sent notices to every household. All officials of the fifth rank or higher and their families were to enter the palace between five and seven that evening for an imperial banquet.

Tan Lian had always enjoyed flaunting our affection in public. In the past, however, I had been too preoccupied with staying alive to cooperate, so we had never been excessively conspicuous.

Now that I had completely stopped resisting, the sight of Lord Tan and his wife acting like a deeply devoted couple proved painful to many eyes.

Based on my many years of reading storybooks, imperial banquets were especially prone to trouble.

There could easily be one, two, three, four, or even five supporting male characters who disliked me and planned to frame me for something.

I therefore remained on high alert, watching and listening for trouble from every direction. Every detail of my etiquette and conduct was impeccable, leaving no fault for anyone to seize upon.

Tan Lian, by contrast, was astonishingly sweet and unsuspecting.

I sat with my back perfectly straight, not daring to touch even a sip of wine. Tan Lian, meanwhile, kept placing food on my plate, treating the imperial banquet as though it were a family dinner.

With everyone watching, I could hardly refuse to give my own husband face. So, under the prickling stares of the entire gathering, I smiled and ate every dish Tan Lian placed on my plate.

That naturally made everyone around us green with envy all over again.

And after several rounds of this, I somehow… ended up full.

Yet even after I’d had my fill of food, nothing happened. No one tried to pick a fight, drug me, or fake a fall so they could spill wine all over me.

Could it be that since I no longer had any scenes in the original novel, I’d effectively been handed a get-out-of-death-free card?

I was still wondering why the night had passed so peacefully when a terrified scream suddenly rang out in the distance.

Everyone hurried toward the side hall where the scream had come from, only to find a female official collapsed outside its doors.

The doors stood half-open, allowing everyone to clearly hear the ragged panting from within, along with several cries of “Tan Lian” amid the obscene, wet sounds.

Tan Lian’s face instantly turned deathly pale, though even flustered and furious, a beauty was still a beauty.

The emperor stared blankly at Tan Lian for a long moment. Only after the eunuch beside him called to him several times in a low voice did he finally snap out of it. Then, as if trying to cover his lapse, he furiously ordered the guards to storm inside and drag out the two people in the throes of passion.

Even after Gu Nanzhou was pinned down before the crowd, his filth-smeared body continued to tremble faintly.

The guard, at least, was clearheaded. The moment he saw the emperor, he began kowtowing frantically and begging for mercy, insisting over and over that Gu Nanzhou had seduced him.

Gu Nanzhou, however, seemed not to hear a word. He kept reaching for the guard’s crotch, struggling all the while and calling Tan Lian’s name with a besotted look on his face.

At this point, anyone with eyes could tell what had happened.

I discreetly sniffed the air. Beneath the nauseating stench of sweat and bodily fluids, I caught a scent that had been seared into my memory.

It was the same aphrodisiac Shen Huaihuan had been tricked into putting in my tea on our wedding night.

Only this dose was far more concentrated than the one I’d consumed, so naturally, its effects were far more terrifying.

What in the world was going on?

Who had the sheer audacity to drug the Prince Regent with something like this?

No, seriously. If they had the nerve and the means to pull this off, why not use poison? Why use an aphrodisiac?

I muttered to myself inwardly, but pretended not to have noticed anything. My face showed the same confusion and disgust as everyone else’s.

Gu Nanzhou was still plaintively calling Tan Lian’s name. Tan Lian had no choice but to step forward, though he approached the emperor rather than Gu Nanzhou.

Perhaps he was somewhat angry, for his voice sounded much colder than usual.

“Your Majesty, I may not possess the Prince Regent’s exceptional talent and learning, but neither am I willing to endure such humiliation. I ask to resign from my post. Tomorrow, I will take my wife and return to my hometown. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission.”

Naturally, the emperor was unwilling to let Tan Lian leave.

Now middle-aged and no longer as vigorous as he once was, the emperor nevertheless remained as lustful as ever. He had long coveted Tan Lian in every possible way, refraining from making a move only because Tan Lian was his subject.

In the original novel I’d read, Tan Lian’s true identity was discovered just as the emperor was about to lose patience and force himself on him. That revelation allowed Tan Lian to escape the horrific fate of becoming the emperor’s captive plaything.

Regardless, the emperor had always indulged Tan Lian.

This time was no exception.

Gu Nanzhou had clearly been set up, but who could he blame for being unlucky enough to get caught? And who could he blame for upsetting Tan Lian?

Thus, the emperor casually charged Gu Nanzhou with improper conduct in the imperial presence and sentenced him to confinement in his residence to reflect on his actions.

With Gu Nanzhou confined, the powers in his hands would naturally be gnawed away by those who had been lying in wait for just such an opportunity.

It was no exaggeration to say that Gu Nanzhou had suffered an unprecedented defeat this time.