Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Husband! Save Me, Husband! The moment he saw who had arrived, Sima Rui was also struck speechless with shock. Within the entire Imperial City, not a single member of the imperial clan or nobility had ever looked upon Gan Qiongying’s Consort with any regard. And Lihua had always kept a low profile, never flattering any of the imperial relatives or nobles, even avoiding competition with them in business. If not for Gan Qiongying taking him to Princess Hui'an’s birthday banquet, even among the prominent families, those who knew Lihua could be counted on one hand. Yet at this very moment, this Consort who had never been respected by anyone had charged into the room with a group of people, directly confronting the Regent’s men. Moreover, Lihua had clearly adopted a strategy of overwhelming numbers. Once all these people had squeezed into the room, even if Regent Sima Rui’s men possessed heaven-defying skills, they simply could not raise their arms or wield their blades. Lihua now looked at Gan Qiongying, seeing her kneeling beside the Regent’s feet, even clinging to one of his legs. His eyelids twitched uncontrollably. At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed once more from the staircase, soon followed by a piercing wail that shattered the tense standoff. Manyue’s voice came from behind the crowd: “Princess! Princess, are you all right!” Manyue was simply too short, her view blocked by these people. They would make way for Lihua, but not for Manyue, so she couldn’t squeeze through at all. Yet upon hearing Manyue’s voice, Gan Qiongying suddenly snapped back to her senses. Knowing the situation was now under control, Gan Qiongying stealthily withdrew the hairpin she had been pressing against Sima Rui’s unmentionable area back into her sleeve. After releasing Sima Rui’s leg, she looked toward Lihua, instantly transforming as if she were a different person. Faster than a Sichuan opera face change, she opened her mouth with a mournful tone: “Husband! Save me, husband!” Gan Qiongying reached out toward Lihua’s direction, crying out, “Prince Rui wants to beat me to death, he wants to kill me!” Sima Rui was directly infuriated into laughter. Lihua had just pushed through the crowd and approached. Gan Qiongying rose from the floor, her legs numb from kneeling too long, and her rush toward Lihua was stumbling and desperate. It was as if the person who had just threatened the current Regent, aiming to destroy his manhood and even contemplating which of his Descendants’ Pouches to squeeze out, was not her at all. Gan Qiongying quickly threw herself into Lihua’s embrace, clinging tightly to him, tears streaming as she said, “I was waiting for you properly at Phoenix Tower, but you never came. I grew anxious and went out to look.” “Then I saw ‘you’ limping out the door. I thought you had run off again, unwilling to see me or forgive me!” “I chased after you, all the way into the tailor’s shop, only to realize that ‘you’ weren’t you, but Prince Rui.” “I forgot his leg was injured. When I tried to leave, Prince Rui suddenly turned hostile. Because I accidentally shot his leg at the birthday banquet, he flew into a rage out of nowhere, threatening to beat me to death and crush my skull!” This account was utterly twisted and fabricated, yet there were those who believed it. When Lihua had entered earlier, he had indeed seen the Regent clapping his hands as if to grab Gan Qiongying’s head, his expression extremely fierce and overflowing with killing intent. And Gan Qiongying’s kneeling posture on the floor had indeed made it convenient for the Regent to target her head. However, what Lihua saw was only a partial view. Beneath the Regent's broad brocade robe, Gan Qiongying's malicious hairpin was completely concealed. The reason Gan Qiongying dared to spout such nonsense was precisely because the Regent would absolutely never explain himself to Lihua. He was so arrogant; the fact that his own vital spot had been seized by a woman was utterly humiliating for him to mention. He would keep this matter buried deep within himself. For a man, face is always the most important thing. Sima Rui had truly capsized in a ditch today. It was even possible that after leaving this room, Regent Sima Rui would have all his personal guards, who had witnessed him being helplessly threatened by a woman, executed. Lihua was already in an extremely poor mood. Even without mentioning the earlier conflict with Gan Qiongying, hearing from Chen Wa's messenger that Gan Qiongying had actually run off with the Regent and even sent someone back to the Princess Manor to call for reinforcements made him feel as if something was blocking his heart, to the point where even his blood seemed unable to flow. The level of danger posed by the Regent made Lihua deeply wary. Therefore, he quickly gathered some of his people scattered throughout Yindu. Thanks to their special method of summoning, it was far easier than Gan Qiongying's people returning to call for reinforcements. These men were usually dispersed among various docks or places of hard labor, but in reality, such work was necessary to conceal their bodies, which were as strong as those of trained martial artists. Lihua had originally planned to use these people only when he faked his death to escape in the future. However, the situation today was too urgent, forcing him to mobilize them ahead of time. Fortunately, Gan Qiongying was safe. Lihua held her waist tightly, feeling Gan Qiongying trembling all over from crying, clearly terrified. Her arms clung tightly to him, almost as if she were hanging onto him. Lihua lifted and held her, looking past Gan Qiongying toward the Regent. Their eyes met. Sima Rui's face was full of dark hostility, yet he truly did not offer any explanation. He disdained explaining himself and looked down on Lihua completely. Sima Rui even felt that, no matter how hateful and deserving of death Gan Qiongying was, she was at least a princess. The object of their power struggle, however much of a puppet, was still an emperor. And what was this Consort? Just a lowly merchant. And this played right into Gan Qiongying's hands. Gan Qiongying clung tightly to Lihua, breathing in his scent—also the clean smell of soap, which made her feel very secure. Moreover, it was only now that Gan Qiongying realized she wasn't entirely unafraid. Her legs felt a bit weak. The numbness from squatting on the floor had already eased, but her legs were still somewhat weak and unable to support her, forcing her to hang onto Lihua. She whimpered with fake sobs, all thunder and no rain. Unbeknownst to them, the scents on their bodies had gradually become the same. Perhaps it was because they ate, lived, and moved about together, carrying a hint of clean, refreshing sweetness. Lihua shielded Gan Qiongying. He had changed into a loose robe while going over the accounts. Raising his arm, his wide sleeve fell, almost completely enveloping Gan Qiongying in his embrace. He met the Regent's gaze, his eyes unwavering, neither subservient nor arrogant, and without any aggression. Yet, from their depths emanated a certain darkness, like a dormant volcano or an unfathomable abyss. Neither of them spoke, yet there was an inexplicable sense of two kings avoiding direct confrontation. However, Lihua was merely a merchant. Sima Rui's frown deepened at the sight. In his view, Lihua should have been showing him utmost deference. Yet he remained silent, chin slightly raised in an air of haughty pride. Lihua, too, said nothing. No one could avoid fearing those who held power, and Lihua had always kept a respectful distance from such so-called nobles—yet he had never felt fear. Moreover, Lihua’s status was, after all, that of a Consort. While a Consort would normally bow to a prince, the Regent was an exception—a prince not of royal blood. Even with power in his hands, he could not compare in nobility to a true prince of imperial lineage. And the genuine Princess was right here, in Lihua’s arms. If it truly came down to it, Sima Rui would gain no advantage. After a moment of locking eyes with Sima Rui, Lihua lowered his head to look at Gan Qiongying. He lifted her face from where it was buried against his chest, smoothed her hair, and wiped away the dried tears on her cheeks. Then, without a word, Lihua took Gan Qiongying’s hand and slowly began walking toward the door. Sima Rui felt an intense frustration. Throughout his life, he had commanded the winds and rains in court, and in private, everyone had shown him the utmost respect. He had never faced a situation like this—one where he could neither explain his displeasure nor resort to force. His men were still awaiting his orders, but Sima Rui dared not actually command them to harm anyone. He had quickly realized, after these people entered the room, that those who had rushed in were ordinary commoners. He was the Regent, holding a blade that could stir the entire court, standing above all but one, basking in limitless glory—yet the blade in his hand was double-edged. If he truly ordered the killing of commoners here today, that double-edged sword would soon turn and wound him. Although the Kou family’s influence was vast in court, and his own people were spread throughout the government, there were always those who remained loyal to the Emperor and the court, priding themselves on their integrity and refusing to align with any faction. These were the most troublesome—mostly censors, even historians. Their brushes and their words were like blades, easily allowing them to take the moral high ground and wound anyone who dared cross the line. Thus, the Regent could only watch in stifled anger as Gan Qiongying was led away by her Consort. Today, not only had he failed to intimidate Gan Qiongying, but she had even turned the tables and threatened him instead. It was the first time he had ever tried to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice. But Sima Rui was in no hurry. The Mid-Autumn banquet was approaching soon, and he did not believe Princess Duanrong would skip the palace visit. Once inside the palace, she would be entering his cage. With Gan Lin right before Gan Qiongying’s eyes, Sima Rui had plenty of ways to make her bow in defeat. Sima Rui walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked down from above. Just then, he saw Gan Qiongying and her Consort step out the door. The Consort, who had held Gan Qiongying tightly inside the room, released her hand as soon as they exited and walked ahead on his own, limping slightly. Gan Qiongying trotted after him, twice attempting to take his hand, only to have him evade her each time. Yet Gan Qiongying wore an ingratiating smile, following behind her Consort like an eager lackey. Sima Rui narrowed his eyes. Recalling Gan Qiongying’s completely different attitude toward him compared to her Consort, an indescribable fury ignited in his chest. To bow and scrape before a lowly merchant—where was the dignity of the royal family! However, Gan Qiongying cared nothing for royal dignity. All she knew was that her god of wealth had descended on a rainbow cloud, bringing "heavenly troops and generals" to her rescue! Lihua was the first to board the carriage. Gan Qiongying, her eyes red from feigned tears, was helped up by Manyue. But the mistress and her maid exchanged a glance beside the carriage, their eyes crackling with unspoken signals, swiftly conveying their plan. Soon, Manyue retreated to the side, hiding behind the carriage as if to discuss matters with the still-shaken Chen Wa, leaving Gan Qiongying standing alone at the carriage door. Through the curtain, she called out pitifully, "Husband... my legs hurt so much, and my back aches—I can't bend over. Could you help me up?"