Chapter Twenty-Four: Putting Zhao Jiuyuan in His Place

Su Chengyun had urged Lin Zhaoyan to drink quite a lot. A wave of heat surged through her body as the alcohol took hold, leaving her head feeling heavy and dazed.

How uncomfortable.

It was strange; she had never been such a lightweight before. However, she could not believe that anyone would dare to pull any tricks at today’s welcoming banquet. After all, the event was held in honor of her own military achievements; if she were to suffer any mishap, it would inevitably draw unwanted attention.

Seeing that several guests had already excused themselves under the guise of sobering up, Lin Zhaoyan found a moment when Su Chengyun was preoccupied and took her leave as well.

Stepping out of the Qingfeng Pavilion, the night breeze brushed against her, and Lin Zhaoyan shuddered, instantly snapping into focus.

She walked away from the pavilion alone. She had only taken a few wobbly steps when a palace maid carrying a food tray hurried toward her with her head down, nearly colliding with her. Lin Zhaoyan side-stepped with agility, brushing past the maid.

The maid, however, let go of the tray. The wine pot hit the ground, and the liquid splashed onto Lin Zhaoyan’s clothes.

Seriously? Was that necessary? She had clearly dodged her! Lin Zhaoyan sneered, struck speechless.

The maid immediately knelt to beg for mercy, kowtowing incessantly. An elderly nursemaid hurried over and scolded the girl, "You wretched creature! You’ve offended a noble—do you have any idea what’s coming to you?"

The maid trembled, doing nothing but pleading for forgiveness, her forehead quickly becoming bloodied from the impact against the floor.

"Enough. It was just a spilled pot of wine. Stop kowtowing; you’ll kill yourself if you keep going," Lin Zhaoyan said coldly, stopping the maid’s movements.

The maid couldn’t help but shrink back at her words. The General’s tone was terrifying; she was scared.

"General, please forgive us. This girl is new and doesn’t know the rules... Your clothes are soaked, General. Why don’t I take you to change into something clean?" the nursemaid asked with an eager, fawning expression—her ulterior motives as clear as day.

*Lin Zhaoyan thought: ...Is this trick not getting a bit old?*

She rubbed her temples. "Fine. Let's go."

Lin Zhaoyan wanted to see exactly who was going to such great lengths.

The nursemaid led her through a maze of small, winding paths. Lin Zhaoyan remained silent, following her closely. The nursemaid, feeling the need to over-explain, stammered, "The palace paths are crowded with people due to the banquet; the back paths are much faster to reach the Qimu Hall."

"Qimu Hall is the closest palace to Qingfeng Pavilion, always reserved for female guests to change their attire during banquets in case of emergencies."

"Oh," Lin Zhaoyan murmured. She hadn't asked, but the woman was certainly talkative.

The nursemaid gripped her sleeves, growing increasingly uneasy. *Why isn't General Zhaoran asking any questions? Is she completely devoid of caution?*

Things were going too smoothly; it was almost frightening. Still, as long as she fulfilled the Noble Consort’s orders, that was all that mattered. Thinking this, the nursemaid quickened her pace.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind them: "Isn't this General Zhaoran?"

Lin Zhaoyan turned around. Upon seeing who it was, she frowned. "Zhao..."

"I never change my name, and I never hide my identity—it is I, Zhao Jiuyuan!" Zhao Jiuyuan snapped his fan shut with a flourish and sauntered over to Lin Zhaoyan’s side, using the fan to lift her chin in a lewd gesture.

"General, you aren't at the banquet—in such a hurry, where are you headed?" Zhao Jiuyuan eyed her with a smirk. "I happen to know a few secluded spots. Why don't you come with me and have a look?"

The nursemaid stood to the side, flustered. *Oh no, how did he manage to intercept her!*

Lin Zhaoyan smiled, a look that swept across her face like a spring breeze over snow, causing the surrounding scenery to pale in comparison. Zhao Jiuyuan was momentarily dazed, his movements freezing.

In the next second, Lin Zhaoyan grabbed his forearm, pivoted, and used her shoulder to force his arm out of its socket. The fan clattered to the ground, followed immediately by a scream from Zhao Jiuyuan that pierced the night sky.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" Zhao Jiuyuan wailed, cradling his right arm. "Why—why can't I move my arm!"

Lin Zhaoyan smiled gently and patted his shoulder, causing Zhao Jiuyuan to shudder in agony.

"A gift for our meeting. No need to thank me," Lin Zhaoyan said, her smile becoming even more radiant, bright and uninhibited as the midday sun.

Tears streamed down Zhao Jiuyuan’s face as he clumsily picked up his fan with his good hand. "I won't let you get away with this!" he shouted.

"If you want the Emperor to know you were molesting a decorated official, go ahead and make a scene," Lin Zhaoyan’s smile vanished, turning icy. "If you don't want anyone to know, then keep quiet and endure it. Physician Xia Wan is highly skilled and keeps her mouth shut; you can go to her for treatment."

After saying this, Lin Zhaoyan looked at the nursemaid and asked coldly, "Are we not going?"

The nursemaid broke into a cold sweat. "Ah, yes, let's go..."

If she were caught by this General while doing what she was supposed to do next, wouldn't her fate be even worse than Young Master Zhao's? What was she to do?

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, and she quickened her pace, desperate to finish the task and flee. She wished more than anything that Lin Zhaoyan would say she wanted to turn back, but the General simply followed behind her, her face cold and her pace steady.

*It’s like being followed by the Grim Reaper!*

The nursemaid’s scalp tingled. She scurried along as if her feet were greased. Once she led Lin Zhaoyan into a room, she retrieved the clothes already prepared in the cupboard and, not daring to utter a single word, turned and fled.

Lin Zhaoyan sighed to herself, "Am I really that scary?" She thought she was quite amiable, actually.

The room was filled with the scent of an unfamiliar incense, sweet and intoxicating. The nursemaid had prepared a water-blue, chest-high ruqun embroidered with silver-white magnolias—exquisitely crafted.

There wasn't a single palace servant in sight; the silence was chilling. Lin Zhaoyan lowered her gaze, tracing the pattern of the magnolia flowers. She extinguished the incense, and the room no longer felt so heavy and suffocating.

Lin Zhaoyan furrowed her brows, even more perplexed. Such an obvious ploy—anyone with even a shred of caution wouldn't fall for it. Was the mastermind behind this simply stupid, or was there another trap waiting?

She waited for a long time, but no one appeared. Just as she was about to open the door to look elsewhere, a tall figure collapsed into her arms.

It was Li Xianjin.

*Is tonight’s affair an arrangement by the Noble Consort? Is she trying to set me up with Li Xianjin?*

Lin Zhaoyan narrowed her long, phoenix-like eyes, her gaze turning cold.

Li Xianjin was clearly intoxicated. He leaned weakly against her shoulders, but upon realizing it was Lin Zhaoyan, he struggled to stand up.

"General... General Lin, why are you here?" Li Xianjin struggled to his feet, but his legs gave way, and he stumbled as if he were about to fall again.

Lin Zhaoyan helped him sit down. "Why are you here, Master Li?"

"I think... I drank the wrong thing..." Li Xianjin’s eyes were hazy, his hands fumbling blindly at his collar. In just a few moments, his robes were in disarray.

Lin Zhaoyan clenched her fist, ready to strike him at any moment. "What does that mean, Master Li?"

Li Xianjin shook his head, as if struggling to maintain his senses. "It’s the Noble Consort! It was my sister’s arrangement!"

Lin Zhaoyan relaxed her fist and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Master Li?"