Chapter 101

Chapter 101: How Did It Come to This Hearing Lihua say this, Gan Qiongying stood on the carriage and saw the smile in his eyes. Knowing he wasn’t angry or refusing to go home with her, she finally relaxed completely. As long as the God of Wealth wasn’t throwing a tantrum, Gan Qiongying was fine with anything. After a whole day of chaos, Gan Qiongying truly didn’t want to deal with any more trouble. Since crossing over, Gan Qiongying felt that every day had been far too thrilling. After washing up in the evening, before Gan Qiongying and Lihua could settle down to sleep, Manyue brought over a bowl of ginseng soup. She winked at Gan Qiongying, then said to Lihua, “This is a tonic soup the Princess ordered me to specially bring from the Princess Manor. It’s been simmered for several hours and uses century-old mountain ginseng. The Consort must drink it, so as not to disappoint the Princess’s heartfelt concern.” As she spoke, Manyue brought the reheated bowl of ginseng soup to Lihua, her eyes fixed on the bowl. Watching Lihua drink it, her smile grew wider and wider. Gan Qiongying covered her forehead, her expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. She never expected that in such a chaotic situation, Manyue had still kept the ginseng soup. Truly, a big money-grubber is always surrounded by little money-grubbers. Manyue was definitely going to earn that monthly allowance. Lihua naturally wouldn’t disappoint Gan Qiongying’s kindness. He drank the ginseng soup clean, and only then did Manyue happily take the bowl away. The monthly allowance was finally secured! After drinking, they rinsed their mouths again and lay down on the bed. Lihua faced Gan Qiongying, one arm draped over her waist. Gan Qiongying actually felt a bit uncomfortable with them facing each other. But she didn’t dare say anything, especially since she had just managed to placate the God of Wealth. Even if Lihua asked her to do the splits now, Gan Qiongying would grit her teeth and give it a try. The two of them didn’t speak much, just quietly facing each other. Gan Qiongying didn’t even ask about the people Lihua had brought with him today. They were both gentle and kind-hearted, standing just before each other’s boundaries, neither attempting to test the other’s limits, leaving enough space for one another. Lihua’s gaze wasn’t sharp, but his presence was particularly strong, lingering on Gan Qiongying’s face until she began to feel a bit embarrassed. What was so interesting about staring at the same face for so long? Anyone would feel awkward being stared at like that. Gan Qiongying quickly glanced at Lihua, thought for a moment, and then leaned forward, burying her face in his chest to avoid his gaze. Unbeknownst to her, this evasive move looked exactly like throwing herself into his arms. And Lihua was clearly waiting for Gan Qiongying to do just that. He immediately tightened his arms, pulling her warmly and affectionately into his embrace. Once she was securely held, every breath Gan Qiongying took was filled with Lihua’s scent. It was very distinctive—a mix of soap and something uniquely Lihua, an indescribable… human scent? In any case, it was special, something that made her feel at ease just by smelling it. Gan Qiongying had originally planned to sort through the events of the past few days in her mind and think about her next steps. But buried in Lihua’s embrace like this, held tightly, she felt like an infant returning to the womb, overflowing with a sense of security. If there was anything in this world that could give a person a stronger sense of security than money, it was the God of Wealth who could create infinite wealth. Gan Qiongying slept an extravagantly luxurious sleep, surrounded by "mountains of gold and silver." Then she had a dream. It had been many days since Gan Qiongying last dreamed. Ever since she last burned paper offerings for Duan Rong... for herself, and resolved to flee with Gan Lin, she hadn't had such a chaotic dream. This time, Gan Qiongying experienced the entire dream from a first-person perspective. Perhaps it was because her earlier confrontation with Regent Sima Rui had agitated her, so the dream was filled entirely with Sima Rui. Gan Qiongying dreamed that "she" was waiting for Sima Rui's arrival in a pavilion outside the city. When Sima Rui arrived, his expression was extremely impatient, and the look he gave her was filled with utter contempt. In the dream, "she" seemed to want to please him, offering him many gifts. Sima Rui even threw some away right in front of her. One was a white jade horse of exceptional quality, clearly priceless. After taking it in his hand, Sima Rui wore an ambiguous smile, toyed with it for a moment, then pretended to accidentally drop it on the ground. The ingratiating smile on "her" face in the dream quickly vanished. But that wasn't all. Not long after, "she" arranged to meet Sima Rui again. In all sorts of places. Inns, taverns, brothels, and private residences outside the city—in many, many places, "she" would prepare various novel things, waiting for Sima Rui and trying in every way to please him. Most of the time, Sima Rui wouldn't show up. When he did, he always wore that same condescending, arrogant expression. His disdain and disgust were always plain on his face, yet "she" acted as if blind, persistently drawing closer. Gan Qiongying didn't need to analyze it; she naturally understood why "she" was doing this. Yet even in the dream, Gan Qiongying felt the absurdity of it all had crossed a line. The final meeting with Sima Rui in the dream took place on a flower boat. From the first-person perspective of the dream, Gan Qiongying saw Sima Rui arrive upon invitation, clearly feeling her own grief, indignation, helplessness, disgust, and resolve. She, a dignified Princess, personally held a wine pot, pouring wine for Sima Rui. They drank from the same pot, and as the wine warmed them, the effects of the drug began to take hold. It was an aphrodisiac. From the first-person perspective, watching the Regent drink, Gan Qiongying's mind was in turmoil. Watching "herself" drink with the resolve of taking poison, she felt like a volcano about to erupt. Why was this happening! Ah! How could it come to this! But the dream didn't end there. Gan Qiongying watched as "she," face flushed and breathing heavily, was clearly under the full influence of the drug. Sima Rui had collapsed onto the table, his face filled with shock—unable to believe he had fallen into a trap, and even more astonished that Princess Duanrong had the audacity to drug him! The swaying flower boat drifted along the water. Gan Qiongying watched as "she" crawled over to Sima Rui and then climbed on top of him. The aesthetic of this scene was no less jarring than when Gan Qiongying had mistakenly witnessed the Old Shopkeeper kneeling between Sima Rui's legs, fastening his bindings. As the belt loosened, Sima Rui's physique was rather impressive. But that wasn't the point. The point was that what "she" intended to do was utterly horrifying to Gan Qiongying. "She" wanted to conceive Sima Rui's child. "She" believed that as long as she had Sima Rui's child, she could use it as leverage. "She" was currently being impeached by censors in the court, all because a local official she had connections with was severely corrupt, and some of the embezzled funds had been sent to Princess Duanrong's residence. The Emperor could not help her, because even the Emperor had to obey the Empress Dowager. "She" was surrounded by enemies on all sides, and that sense of despair made Gan Qiongying, who empathized deeply, feel a sharp pain in her chest. In the dream, "she" absolutely refused to be defeated here; she had to find a way to seek help. In the dream, "she" learned that there was a concubine in Sima Rui's household who had become pregnant with his child and was especially valued by him. However, she eventually miscarried, and Sima Rui fell into a deep depression for many days, refusing to eat or drink. In the end, he even buried her with the rites befitting a princess to console her family. Thus, "she" concluded that Sima Rui cherished his offspring deeply. Moreover, the Regent wielded immense power in the court. If he were willing to help, "her" problems could be easily resolved. But the most important thing wasn't just that. If "she" could harness the Regent's influence, she might just be able to stand against the Kòu Clan! It had to be said, this was an utterly vile and desperate plan! In the dream, "she" staked everything on this gamble, yet she remained a pitiful fool in the dark. Regent Sima Rui would never oppose the Empress Dowager, because he was her illegitimate son. But how could "she" in the dream possibly know that? So, "she" had no way out and was willing to sacrifice herself. All for the sake of forging a path to contend with the Kòu Clan and save her beloved Changshengnu. In the dream, "she" was like a phoenix, pouring out all her heart's blood and innards, transforming them into flames, all to allow one person to be reborn from the ashes. In the end, of course, she did not succeed. And the point of failure was rather bizarre.