Lotus in a Bottle - Chapter 22

Section 36

Whether I wanted to or not, I still ended up learning about Tan Lian’s current situation from Shen Huaihuan.

Not long ago, Tan Lian’s true identity had been exposed because of an almost too-coincidental accident, and he had officially been welcomed back into the imperial family.

After the woman once hailed as the realm’s greatest beauty died of melancholy, the emperor fell gravely ill and rarely appeared in public except at banquets.

Now that he had learned that although the woman he loved had married another man, her child was of his own blood, the emperor was so overjoyed that he seemed to regain some of his former vitality.

The sickly emperor returned to court for the sole purpose of backing Tan Lian.

All the princes’ previous fighting, both open and covert, had become a joke. Tan Lian was now undoubtedly the strongest contender for the throne.

But the emperor’s favoritism alone was not enough. If Tan Lian wanted to ascend the throne, his consort could not be an ordinary merchant’s daughter.

The emperor wanted to arrange another marriage for him to bolster his position, and Tan Lian naturally had no reason to refuse.

Shen Huaihuan happened to overhear this. He had no interest in the throne, so his attention landed somewhere entirely unexpected.

He privately went to question Tan Lian, only to receive the answer, “Baoping is no longer a member of the Tan Family.”

“I’m so clever! Even though Brother Tan… Oh, I should call him Imperial Elder Brother Lian now. Anyway, even though he didn’t say it outright, I understood what he meant. And just to make absolutely sure, I even asked him another question.

“I asked if that meant I could come see you and start treating you well. He said yes!”

For a long moment, I couldn’t process what I’d just heard.

I felt like the first thing I should have been shocked by was the fact that Shen Huaihuan liked me.

But the first thought that sprang into my mind was instead-

Tan Lian, you heartless Black-Hearted Lotus!

Section 37

With Shen Huaihuan constantly glued to my side, I couldn’t avoid hearing news about Tan Lian even though I never deliberately asked.

As the prince with the greatest sense of his own limitations, Shen Huaihuan had already settled on his goal in life.

“I just want to be an idle prince who helps his fief prosper and grow wealthy. Of course… marrying a woman I love is important too.”

That was why, whenever Tan Lian’s possible succession came up, Shen Huaihuan showed not the slightest hint of jealousy or resentment. Instead, he seemed almost proud by association.

Me: “…”

That was probably for the best. A simple soul like him was bound to be blessed with good fortune.

When tensions in the capital reached their peak and the other princes, unwilling to accept defeat, began stirring up trouble, some people did remember me-the now largely forgotten “original wife of Tan Lian.”

However, every hand that reached toward the Xie Family was dealt with cleanly by the covert guards protecting Shen Huaihuan.

As for Tan Lian, perhaps now that he held such power and status, he felt the Xie Family was no longer of any use to him. He paid no attention whatsoever to what happened on our side.

Even when Shen Huaihuan went to complain to him, Tan Lian merely brushed him off with an indifferent remark.

“Is that so? Then be more careful, Third Brother.”

As time passed, everyone came to assume that Tan Lian and I no longer shared even a shred of affection. Eventually, even those secretly watching the Xie Family disappeared.

And just like that, the Xie Family quietly withdrew from the battle for the throne.

All the while, I pretended to know nothing.

I didn’t know that several factions had tailed me for a long time. I didn’t know about the malicious rumors circulating in the streets over why Tan Lian and I had divorced.

Nor did I know that my parents were still supporting Tan Lian financially-and that Tan Lian accepted every last coin without hesitation.

…We were grasshoppers tied to the same rope, after all. If Tan Lian failed, the Xie Family certainly wouldn’t come out unscathed.

After consoling myself with that thought, I pulled three more consecutive all-nighters and developed ten new products for sale.

Someone reacted in alarm, wondering why the new products seemed to carry the bitter chill of the dead of winter.

I turned my head and softly whistled.

Don’t ask. If you must, it was because I couldn’t suppress my urge to murder that Black-Hearted Lotus.