Chapter 124: I Have No Interest in Widowhood

Tan Qingjiu took a deep breath. "Neither of us is going to the other's room. We stay right here for the night."

"Oh." Shen Yingjue let out a small sound, his eyes brimming with a faint, playful smile. "They told me that when asking someone a question, if you present it as a choice, you're more likely to get the answer you want. Yet how come you never fall for it?"

Tan Qingjiu gave him a cold, indifferent glance. "Why does Prince Duan enjoy telling people he's setting a trap for them while he's actually doing it?"

"Hahaha!" Shen Yingjue burst into laughter. "Because that’s what makes it interesting, don't you think, A-Jiu?"

He blinked, stepping closer to her, inch by inch. "I heard that when Tan Yun learned you were moving into my Prince Duan’s manor, he specifically urged you to seize the opportunity to climb into my bed, make me unable to live without you, and ideally, conceive a child?"

Tan Qingjiu frowned. "How did you know that? Did you plant someone near Tan Yun?"

Shen Yingjue blinked again, and then again, before breaking into laughter. "Because I guessed! I was just trying to bluff you, but I never expected it to actually be true."

"Hahaha, A-Jiu, you really are too amusing."

Tan Qingjiu’s expression hardened. She looked at him in silence. Amusing? She didn't find it the least bit amusing; in fact, she felt a sudden urge to kill.

Sensing the shift in her gaze, Shen Yingjue gave a light cough. "Don't blame me, A-Jiu, it really was just a guess. Actually, Tan Yun's intentions aren't that hard to figure out."

"However, since Tan Yun has already said as much to you, aren't you going to seize the opportunity?"

"If you want to sneak into my bed, I’ll certainly keep the door wide open for you."

Tan Qingjiu sneered, throwing him a look. "Forget it. I have no interest in becoming a widow so early in life."

With that, she turned and walked straight into her room, not sparing him another glance. Behind her, Shen Yingjue’s laughter echoed through the hall.

Watching her retreat, Shen Yingjue leisurely returned to his own room. No sooner had he settled onto the daybed than two figures appeared before him.

"Master."

Shen Yingjue gave a low acknowledgment.

"Master, we have made all the arrangements in the palace. Everything is ready to follow your command."

Chixiao looked up at him. "However, *that person* shouldn't be able to attend the palace banquet. Why does Master insist on having the Divine Doctor Tan accompany you to put on this show?"

Shen Yingjue scoffed. "I fainted a few days ago; he must be dying to know my current condition."

"The palace banquet the day after tomorrow is the perfect opportunity."

"Precisely because everyone knows he cannot attend, no one will suspect him of making a move there."

"Even if he cannot be present, the banquet is filled with countless eyes and hands he has deployed."

"Understood."

Shen Yingjue narrowed his eyes. "Has there been any movement on his end recently?"

Chixiao replied quickly, "Likely because he knows you were once in his hands and possess too much sensitive information about him, he fears you are no longer aligned with him. Yet, because we still have hidden agents near him, he knows any move he makes will be detected. He has been abnormally quiet lately."

Shen Yingjue smiled languidly. "He is waiting."

Chixiao was puzzled. "Waiting?"

"Yes. Waiting for my poison to flare up. Waiting for me to beg him. And if I don't beg, he will wait for me to die."

Chixiao frowned. "Then, Your Highness..."

"Wait until I finish performing these current acts and settle the necessary matters; then, I will have Tan Qingjiu detoxify me."

A flicker of a smile touched Shen Yingjue’s lips as he removed the mask from his face. "After all, I can't really leave her a widow."

Back in her room, Qingdai brought in hot water. "Although you already bathed earlier, Master, you've been through so much today. It's cold tonight, so you should soak your feet before bed."

Tan Qingjiu agreed with a smile, placing her feet into the wooden basin.

Qingdai sat nearby. "Prince Duan wants you to accompany him to the palace to put on a show?"

"Why did you agree to him, Master? Even though it’s hard to get messages into Prince Duan’s manor at night, regular information can still be brought in during the day."

"Besides, if there were something truly urgent, our people could find ways to reach us without entering the manor. Why bother making a deal with the Prince?"

Tan Qingjiu smiled. "How could I not know that?"

"But sometimes, we must learn to hide our light."

"Only by masking one’s edge can one act effectively. If one is too sharp, it invites suspicion."

"If I hadn't agreed, Shen Yingjue would naturally know I have other ways of getting information into the manor. If he started investigating and actually uncovered something, wouldn't we be the ones at a disadvantage?"

"Better to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Qingdai pouted. "But the situation in the palace is complex, and you have just been betrothed to the Prince. I fear you will face many cold looks and provocations."

"What is there to fear?" Tan Qingjiu’s lips curled slightly. "You've been with me for years; you should know my ambition isn't just revenge. If it were only revenge, it would be too simple."

"I would have had to go to the palace sooner or later."

"Now that I have a legitimate status and a reason to be there, isn't that perfect?"

"Don't worry, your Master has medical skills. And not just that—my talents are such that I can thrive anywhere."

Soaking her feet, Tan Qingjiu felt a deep sense of relief and her mood lifted. She smirked. "By then, I can even expand my business into the palace."

"Business?" Qingdai blinked, looking utterly bewildered.

She was already accustomed to her Master occasionally spouting terms she couldn't quite grasp.

"It means trade."

Tan Qingjiu tilted her head. "Those masters in the palace are all wealthy, and not only are they wealthy, they have more money than they know how to spend."

"If I can establish a business within the palace and develop a client base, I will have both money and power."

Qingdai was silent for a moment. "How are you going to do that?"

"What's difficult about that? Just watch your Master when the time comes."

"It has to start with the medicine trade. Wherever there are people, there is illness. The more people, the more ailments. As long as there is sickness, there is a need for a doctor. Once you have that, the rest of the business will be easy to build."

Tan Qingjiu’s lips curved upward. "The relationship between patient and doctor is built on trust. Once you have that trust, everything else becomes much easier to achieve."