Chapter 91

Chapter 91: She Must Go and Coax the God of Wealth Back Home Gan Qiongying was shocked by Duan Rong’s plan, which was indeed in line with her style. She had united with local officials… It turned out she intended to take on the Kòu Clan. Only now did Gan Qiongying realize that Duan Rong was prepared to fight to the death. Because Gan Qiongying had not responded to the two men for a long time, and they dared not speak again, their eyes were already tinged with anxious red streaks. They truly believed they were about to be abandoned. Gu Qing, who had been barely maintaining his composure, suddenly kowtowed to the ground, his voice trembling as he said, “Princess, believe us! We will surely satisfy the Princess!” Hearing the sound, Gan Qiongying snapped back to attention. She set down the tea that had already gone cold and said, “Do not worry about your families. Since I have promised to protect them, I will certainly not go back on my word.” Upon hearing this, the two looked up in pleasant surprise. Only then did Gan Qiongying see the tear stains on their faces. “Manyue!” Although Manyue did not understand the specific situation, she knew that the two young masters had forced their way into the Princess’s Main Courtyard because they needed money. Although the Princess had never summoned these two young masters for her pleasure, ever since they entered the mansion, she had sent a steady stream of high-quality medicinal herbs for them to recuperate, hired masters to teach them music and dance, and had always meticulously trained them, never shortchanging them on money. If it weren’t for the Consort recently taking charge of the household and cutting off the young masters’ funds, they wouldn’t have forced their way in. Manyue had already prepared the money in advance. Hearing Gan Qiongying’s call, she brought the money into the room. The two men held the money, tears streaming down their faces as they sobbed uncontrollably. “The plan has changed. We will go to Zhangzhou in two months,” Gan Qiongying said. “You should also take this time to recuperate further and spend more time with your families.” “Tomorrow morning, someone will take you to meet your families,” Gan Qiongying said, propping her head up with her hand. Her mind was in turmoil, and she only added, “The follow-up matters still need to be discussed. You may go for now.” The two could hardly believe it, but after a brief moment of joy, what remained was only fear. Gu Ming couldn’t help but ask, “If the Princess allows us to reunite with our families, aren’t you afraid we might run away?” “Princess… my brother and I only need one of us to go back and deliver some money.” They simply couldn’t believe that such good fortune would fall upon them. The only explanation was that they had become expendable, and Princess Duanrong was trying to get rid of them. Gan Qiongying understood his doubts and, even more, his fear. Previously, Duan Rong had forbidden them from meeting their families, and all communication had been through letters. Only by holding leverage in hand would Princess Duanrong trust their unwavering loyalty. Gan Qiongying felt a sense of lament, but she also fully understood. Struggling in desperate circumstances, Duan Rong had already staked her own life and reputation, so naturally, she would stop at nothing. Princess Duanrong was, after all, a born member of the royal family. Her views and ideas might seem extreme from the perspective of another peaceful and equal world, but everything she did was out of necessity. She had never intended to harm the innocent. Gu Ming looked at Gu Qing, then nervously swallowed. He rubbed his face, forced a smile, and began crawling toward Gan Qiongying. He crawled to Gan Qiongying’s feet, clasped her shoes with both hands, pressed his head against them, and slowly slid his hands upward. “Princess, this servant has studied music and dance for half a year. My waist is extremely flexible. I have also practiced martial arts since childhood. Although my waist is soft, it is also strong.” His eyes were still rimmed with red, yet they held an added touch of soft allure, without being overly delicate—a perfect blend of strength and tenderness, striking in its impact. He said, "Princess may test tonight how well this servant has learned." Gan Qiongying was stunned. How did things suddenly accelerate to this speed! She quickly moved her foot away, but there was no disgust or disdain in her eyes. Instead, she sighed softly, even omitting the royal self-address "ben gong," and remarked as if complaining, "Don’t get me in trouble. The Consort was already angry that I came to see you two. With the two of you smelling so fragrant, if I dare get even a hint of scent on me tonight, I probably won’t be allowed into bed." Gan Qiongying’s words were, of course, a joke meant to ease the tense atmosphere, but upon hearing them, the two brothers grew even more afraid to speak. Gu Ming’s hand froze mid-air, not daring to even blink. Seeing their bodies stiffen, Gan Qiongying smiled again and reassured them, "Go see your family without worry. The two of you still have important uses ahead." After a moment’s thought, she added some words befitting Duan Rong’s style: "I’ve trained the two of you for so long; naturally, I won’t let my resources and efforts go to waste. Your families are under the watch of my people. If you dare run, I guarantee that every last one of them—dozens in total—will die without a whole corpse, not even worthy of a mass grave." Her words were exceptionally ruthless, but upon hearing them, the two brothers suddenly relaxed. Gu Qing slumped to the floor, breathing heavily as if he had just returned from the brink of death. Gan Qiongying wasn’t afraid they would run. They were pitiful souls—the damned old witch and her clan were truly inhuman. If these two ran, so be it. Gan Qiongying never intended to send them to their deaths anyway. Kou Ningyu had lived in Zhangzhou for many years, enjoying a life like a local emperor, with deep-rooted influence. How could evidence against him be gathered so easily? That was why Gan Qiongying had the two return home first, planning to strategize further in the future. Gan Qiongying looked outside the hall—the sky had darkened completely. After asking Manyue, she realized she had been there for over two hours. Damn! She needed to hurry back! Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to explain herself later! With matters finally settled, Gan Qiongying and Manyue headed toward the bedchamber. Along the way, Gan Qiongying asked Manyue, "Do I smell of fragrance?" Manyue leaned close to Gan Qiongying, sniffing her from head to toe. "No, Princess, don’t worry." Still uneasy, Gan Qiongying said to Manyue, "Gu Ming touched my shoe. Quickly fetch me another pair to change into." As Gan Qiongying pondered how to coax Lihua later, Manyue instructed a maid nearby to fetch shoes. But as they passed through the corridor and reached the entrance of the Main Courtyard, they suddenly stopped. The room was pitch dark, the door wide open, and inside was empty. Manyue hurried forward straight to the candlestick, and soon the room was brightly lit. No one was there. Gan Qiongying hadn’t expected Lihua to still be handling official business at this hour, but upon second thought, it made sense—after all, the God of Wealth was indeed very busy. She leaned on the table and sat down, thinking she’d have a maid prepare a bowl of sweet soup to personally bring to Lihua as a peace offering. Lihua’s temper was soft; as long as he drank the sweet soup, he would forgive her. She had sent the twin brothers away—surely that counted as making amends? Just then, a maid arrived outside to report. "Princess," the maid performed a grand bow and said, "San Jiu just came to report that the Consort went out to inspect the shops and is estimated to return only by the third watch. Fearing it might disturb your rest then, he will go directly back to the Consort's residence." Manyue had just brought over the shoes. Upon hearing this, the mistress and servant exchanged a glance, their expressions changing in perfect unison. Things had escalated—the Consort had returned to his family home... bah, he had run away from home! Gan Qiongying stood up immediately. Anxious as an ant scurrying on a hot pan, she paced around while Manyue followed, only to collide when they turned in opposite directions. The shoes fell to the floor. Gan Qiongying said, "Prepare the carriage!" Conflicts must never be left overnight—she had to coax the God of Wealth back home.