Lotus in a Bottle - Chapter 18

Section 29

Gu Nanzhou spent the entire day taking me to see a number of “old acquaintances.”

The shattered corpse recovered by the undertaker at the charity morgue had been painstakingly stitched back together. The face belonged to one of the maidservants I had once transferred out of my courtyard.

Zhou Luoyue, the legitimate daughter of the Minister who had made trouble for me at Fengguo Temple, had somehow been violated and forced to marry an ordinary merchant as his concubine.

The Princess Royal and her family, whom I had not seen in ages, had been demoted to the most impoverished fiefdom for “committing an offense.” Her only son, Han Ming, had even had his legs broken, forever barring him from the imperial examinations.

Everyone who had set their sights on Tan Lian had met with disaster.

One or two incidents might have been coincidences. But after seeing case after case, continuing to dismiss them as such would have been nothing more than willful blindness.

Finally, Gu Nanzhou took me to a private dungeon.

It was hard to imagine that such a bloody, horrifying place could exist here in the capital, right beneath the emperor’s nose.

And there, I saw Tan Lian.

A man who had always been fastidious and loved wearing white above all else was now dressed in black, the color best suited to hiding stains.

His gentle, amiable facade had fallen away, revealing his truest self beneath it, seething with malice so dense it was almost tangible.

Several men hung before Tan Lian. Their eyes had already been gouged out, and their tongues severed.

Only ghastly black holes remained on their faces, but their familiar scent left me no room to deceive myself.

These were the deathsworn guards who had abducted me in Xiangyang.

The very men Tan Lian had repeatedly claimed he would send to prison to face justice under the law.

And the man who had gouged out their eyes and cut out their tongues was now toying with the dagger I knew so well, his face utterly devoid of the smile he had always used to conceal his true nature.

Without that smile, his beautiful appearance truly became a blade steeped in poison.

Gu Nanzhou bent close to my ear and spoke with a smile.

“Do you see now? A virtuous soul reborn through ten lifetimes? The Buddha reincarnated? Tan Lian is the most deeply hidden fiend in the entire capital.

“Why do you think he schemed to marry you?

“The Xie Family was simply the easiest for him to control. Once he has completely devoured its wealth, your death will follow.”

Without waiting for my response, Gu Nanzhou deliberately made a noise, drawing Tan Lian’s gaze toward us.

His indifferent stare slashed toward me like a frigid blade, carrying such chilling malice that my knees nearly buckled.

So those dark eyes had never held sweetness. All that had ever flowed within them was ruthless calculation, never meant for anyone else to glimpse.

The instant our eyes met, I shuddered involuntarily.

But Gu Nanzhou gave me a gentle push from behind, forcing me one step closer to Tan Lian.

“Since Lord Tan plotted against me at the palace banquet, he can hardly blame this prince for returning the favor.”

With that, Gu Nanzhou left with a booming laugh.

I remained rooted to the spot, unable to decide whether I should follow him.

Of course, I was soon spared the dilemma.

Because I could no longer leave.

Amid the blood and gore, Tan Lian sheathed his dagger and spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal.

“Baoping, come here.”