Chapter 63

Chapter 63

It was already difficult for Yinzhen to spend a night outside the palace, so he soon allowed Geng Shuning to return to the hot spring manor.

When she arrived at the east wing courtyard, it was already late into the night.

Qiao He silently helped Geng Shuning bathe and change, then knelt before her to confess her sins.

Geng Shuning had always disliked people kneeling before her, preferring a more relaxed and approachable demeanor. As a result, Qiao He often felt more like a personal assistant than a servant in front of her.

But Geng Shuning's head still ached slightly from the cup of wine laced with aphrodisiacs, and her chest felt sore where it rubbed against her clothes. That bastard had been too rough with her, indulging in his desires without restraint.

Even her buttocks were swollen from the slap he had given her, before he pulled her against the window sill and pressed her there.

The pain and discomfort made Geng Shuning realize that her kindness toward others could sometimes lead to her own downfall.

In this world, in the Qing Dynasty, she could stick to her limits, but she could never afford to be a good person.

She asked Qiao He, her face expressionless, "I've told you before that the secret guards are divided into internal and external groups, working in shifts to ensure that at least six people are guarding me at all times. How did you arrange it?"

Qiao He bowed her head, her voice hoarse. "I have given the orders, my lady. However... the manor has been quiet, and everyone has become a little lax. Sometimes, they don't watch as closely. It is all my fault, and I ask for punishment."

Geng Shuning, out of Qiao He's sight, secretly grabbed her collar and rubbed her chest, deep in thought.

"Logically, there should be rewards and punishments for you secret guards. I haven't mistreated you, so why the laxity?"

"If you don't want to serve me, just say so. I won't stand in the way of your futures."

Qiao He straightened up, hesitating as she looked at Geng Shuning.

Geng Shuning raised an eyebrow. "If this happens again, I might not survive. Speak your mind. Whatever you say today, you are forgiven."

Qiao He lowered her head and spoke the truth.

"In the past, we were all servants of the emperor. A single mistake could cost us our heads, so no one dared to joke with their lives."

"But... ever since the Nine Guard was assigned to serve my lady by the emperor, you have never summoned us collectively, nor admonished us. You don't even require us to serve you closely. For the Nine Guard, it feels like we've lost our sense of belonging."

"When people's hearts are unsettled, they naturally don't perform their duties as diligently. We thought nothing major would happen... but we ended up harming you and ourselves. It is our own fault."

Geng Shuning, gripping her clothes tightly, heard the unspoken words in Qiao He's explanation.

It wasn't just the Nine Guard who were unsettled; it was her. She had never treated the Nine Guard as her own people.

In her heart, they were guards assigned by Yinzhen to watch over her, and they were on the opposing side.

She had no clear direction for her future. Though she wanted to make a difference in this world, leaving the palace seemed to sap her motivation.

Her arrival in this time was irreversible. Leaving the palace felt like both an achievement and a loss.

She knew the palace was a dangerous place, yet her relationship with the emperor remained ambiguous, and she couldn't bring herself to leave entirely.

Ultimately, it was her own indecision and self-doubt that had led to her suffering.

After a moment of silence, Geng Shuning stepped forward and helped Qiao He to her feet.

"I understand. Since you have all been punished, I'll give you three days to recover."

She also needed three days to decide her next steps.

She patted Qiao He's shoulder. "In three days, bring everyone to the east wing courtyard. I have something to say."

Qiao He looked up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Are you going to give us a lecture, ma'am?"

Geng Shuning tilted her head and smiled lightly, though her gaze remained unfocused.

"There will be both rewards and punishments. Your days won't be easy from now on. Are you afraid?"

Qiao He smiled faintly, her pale face showing little emotion.

"As long as you know what you want, ma'am, and are willing to take us in, we will go through fire and water for you, without hesitation!"

After Geng Shuning lay down, Qiao He retreated with a smile.

As soon as she turned, her expression reverted to the cold detachment of a secret guard.

With another step, the previous stagger was gone. Though her face was paler, her steps were firm and swift.

From the east wing courtyard, she made her way to the rock garden behind the main residence, where someone was already waiting for her.

Qiao He whispered her orders. "Quickly report tonight's events to the emperor. Have Lin Main Officer keep the estate under control. Keep an eye on everything within a thirty-mile radius. My lady might try to run at any time."

"For the next three days, all secret guards are to be on high alert. No matter what, don't let my lady be alone at any time."

The shadow kneeled in response, turned, and disappeared silently into the night.

*

Three days later, Geng Shuning rose early in the morning.

Qiao He and another female guard named Qingfang, both tense, attended to her as they always did, meticulously and thoughtfully.

Qiao He smiled and probed. "Today you're going to give us a lecture. Should we put on more serious makeup?"

Geng Shuning lazily shook her head. "No need. It's cold enough as it is; just apply some lip color."

Qiao He and Qingfang exchanged glances and smiled in response.

Geng Shuning simply closed her eyes, letting Qingfang comb her hair.

After breakfast, Qingfang reported at just the right moment. "Everyone is gathered, ma'am. Would you like to go now?"

Geng Shuning stood up and yawned. "No need. Have them go to the courtyard, form three teams, hold a standing posture for an hour, then run twenty laps around the estate."

"After that, go to the nearby mountain and cut wood. Each person needs to get thirty logs that are big enough to hug, split them in half, plant half of them three inches into the ground, and soak the other half in water."

Qingfang’s confusion was evident. "But my lady, aren't you going to give a lecture?"

Geng Shuning gave her a cool glance. "You can eat only after finishing these tasks. Make sure they're supervised. The team that finishes first will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver. The last team won't be allowed to have lunch or dinner."

"Tell the kitchen to prepare plenty of light saltwater with some honey. Make sure there’s plenty of water."

Qingfang’s confusion deepened, and she instinctively asked, "But if we're all busy, who will serve you, ma'am?"

"Qingfang." Geng Shuning interrupted softly, looking at her calmly, and also glanced at Qiao He.

"If you can’t follow my orders, leave now. I don't need subordinates who challenge me, only absolute obedience."

Qingfang and Qiao He exchanged a nervous glance and bowed their heads.

Geng Shuning rose and walked out, her voice as icy as the winter air.

"I'm going to the West Courtyard to pray for blessings. Even if I were to run, I wouldn't pick such a cold day to do so. Don't assume I'm as clear-headed as you all."

Qiao He: "..." So why did they keep watch day and night for three whole days?

But at this moment, both Qiao He and Qingfang felt that the master was telling the truth, and there was a strange sense of relief in their hearts.

Geng Shuning's commands required a lot of physical effort, which wasn't easy even for the secret guards.

*

Each command, if taken separately, wasn't much for those with martial skills.

But one after the other, with no breaks, and the threat of skipped meals keeping everyone on edge, by the time they finished, it was already time to light the lamps.

When Geng Shuning appeared in the courtyard, several of them still had steam coming off their heads, all looking worn out, and some even sat down on the ground despite the cold.

Upon seeing Geng Shuning, they all hurriedly helped each other to their feet and bowed to her.

"Greetings, Master!"

Geng Shuning sat on the meiren shoulder chair under the veranda, looking at them casually. "Tired?"

Qiao He led the group of thirty to reply in unison, "Not tired."

Geng Shuning nodded. "Good. If anyone lies to me, all of you will be ordered to jump like frogs, five laps around the courtyard."

Everyone: "..."

If their lives weren't in Geng Shuning's hands, they would have rebelled right then and there.

But for secret guards who had struggled through blood and sea, there was only one path—obedience.

After they finished the exhausting frog jumps and stood before Geng Shuning, many of them were shaking.

Geng Shuning asked again, "Tired?"

This time, no one dared to be careless, and they all bowed their heads to reply in unison—

"Tired!"

Geng Shuning smiled. "Good, being tired is the point. If you have complaints about the master but don't speak up, leading to the master being kidnapped, you will be punished!"

"Five more laps of frog jumps."

Everyone: "..."

After finishing the jumps again, it was already deep into the night, and no one could stand up.

Even Qiao He, who had endured beatings but still served her, couldn't make it to Geng Shuning's presence.

Geng Shuning waved at the attendants who had been serving her. "Carry them back. Make sure the breakfast is plentiful tomorrow morning; don't let them go hungry."

"After eating, continue with the stance training. This time, don't stand on the ground, stand on the wooden stakes you just planted."

"Carry the water-soaked wood for twenty laps, frog jumps for ten laps, sit-ups for one hundred, push-ups for two hundred, and the last ten will skip lunch and dinner."

"Oh, if anyone doesn't understand, come to me later for illustrations. Anyone who doesn't perform the exercises correctly will have to redo them."

Everyone: "..." What exactly is she trying to achieve?

If this continues, it won't take many days before they all collapse. How can they protect their master then?

Qiao He, at a loss, sent a maidservant to ask Lin Commander to arrange for guards outside the estate and report the situation to the imperial court.

*

Yinzhen, who was busy organizing secret reports from Henan and Shanxi, became interested upon hearing the news.

"She didn’t say a single harsh word to the Nine Guards?"

Su Peisheng was also surprised. "No beating, no punishment, and even rewards, just pushing them to their limits."

He wondered if she was trying to exhaust the energy of the secret guards so that when no one was watching, she could find a way to escape.

After all, this ancestor had been dreaming of going far away to enjoy freedom for quite some time.

Yinzhen smiled and shook his head, "She won't."

That little fox was clever. If she could legitimately exhaust people, in such cold weather, she would be most reluctant to let herself suffer from the cold.

He was quite interested and instructed, "Have Lin Fu report the situation there three times a day. I want to know what exactly she is up to."

*

With the emperor's order, Lin Fu, along with a few secret guards who took pleasure in others' misfortune, kept watch with a telescope nearby, witnessing their former colleagues enduring unbearable torment every day.

After three days, half of them were down.

Geng Shuning had already arranged for doctors, making them drink warm tonic soup, and had a maidservant press on them with a club-like wooden stick.

She was serious about the big stick.

The secret guards, who had survived countless life-and-death situations and wouldn't flinch at being sliced by a knife, couldn't withstand this wooden stick. The agonized screams made Lin Fu shudder involuntarily.

"Sss… This lady is ruthless! Others boil frogs in warm water; she slices meat with a slow knife!"

After five days, they were all down.

The agonized screams in the yard were continuous, and Lin Fu, shuddering, swore in his heart that he would never offend this ancestor again.

*

Geng Shuning still didn't stop torturing the Nine Guards and summoned everyone to the east yard early in the morning.

This time, she gave them a speech, with just three sentences—

"Since none of you have fallen behind, I will assume that from now on, you are all my people, and each will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver!"

"I have tested your potential. From now on, the three teams will train separately. One team will train during the day, one team will guard the estate, and one team will serve by my side."

"The first to exceed their limits will be rewarded with one thousand taels of silver, the second with eight hundred, and so on. Anyone who hasn't pushed beyond their limits after a year will have one thousand taels deducted and will wash the socks of all Nine Guards for a year."

"Do you understand?"

Everyone knelt down, "We understand."

Geng Shuning cleared her ears, "I still can’t hear you!"

They shouted louder, "We understand!"

Geng Shuning continued to clear her ears, "I, still, can’t, hear, you!"

Qiao He, leading the thirty secret guards with all their might, almost roared in a thunderous tide—

"Yes, Lady!"

The sound echoed far beyond the estate, startling Lin Fu.

What’s wrong with the Ninth Prince’s guards? They don’t sound like secret guards anymore; it’s more like the drills from a military camp on the outskirts of the capital.

As Lin Fu silently criticized in his mind, Geng Shuning smiled and instructed the maidservants to bring the promised silver, using it as a reward after the discipline.

With a gentle smile, she handed out the silver one by one, her voice soft yet commanding, “There’s only one rule here: absolute obedience. As long as you follow this rule, I don’t care who you belong to; I’ll protect you all.

“But if you dare to defy me, I won’t care who you belong to either; there’s only one way out—death, with no second chance.”

Although her voice was as sweet as when she was a female official, Qiao He shivered, feeling a genuine sense of fear and respect, as if she were standing before the Emperor himself.

*

Lin Fu hadn’t understood what Geng Shuning was up to, but by the end of February, it suddenly clicked.

The Nine Guards coming in and out had gained a more imposing presence, and no more news was leaking out from the estate.

When Lin Fu sent people to investigate, they were warned with arrows before they even reached the door.

At night, when they tried to sneak over the walls, his men were knocked out and thrown back outside.

He was greatly shocked and immediately went back to check his records from the past two months.

The Nine Guards were made up of new secret guards trained by the Imperial Guard, along with some female guards who weren’t considered very formidable.

Two months ago, they could barely hold their own against the Imperial Guard secret guards, and Qiao He and Qingfang were still taking orders from him.

But now, his best light-footed men were easily discovered, and Qiao He and Qingfang no longer received his secret letters.

He didn’t understand. Could it be that just by standing in stances, running laps, and jumping around, she had completely transformed the Ninth Prince’s guards?

*

He didn’t understand, but Yinzhen did, especially after Geng Shuning had Qiao He submit a report.

It detailed the importance of unified training with ironclad discipline and orders that must be followed.

The Nine Guards lacked a sense of belonging? She gave it back to them. Absolute obedience was enough for them to understand who the boss was.

Betraying and being lazy? The silver dangled in front of them every day, the fear of being laughed at if they fell behind, and the loss of silver was enough to keep them on their toes.

Geng Shuning couldn’t bring herself to treat her guards like slaves, but adopting a militarized management style from her previous life, combined with her natural status advantage, was enough to manage thirty people.

Yinzhen’s eyes sparkled with admiration. Just these methods to unlock their full potential and strict discipline were enough to create an elite force in the army capable of rivaling the Dzungars.

He was even more eager to rush to the estate, pry open that clever little fox’s mouth, and ask her how many more surprises she had hidden in her dreams that he didn’t know about.

He also wanted to know, now that she had taken control of the Nine Guards, had she decided to stay?

But after careful consideration, he suppressed his impulse.

“Send a copy of the confession from those who attacked earlier to that little ancestor,” Yinzhen instructed Su Peisheng with a proud smile.

“Send a fast horse to bring the Fourteenth Prince here! And have Tuoheqi come see me as well!”

After arranging everything at the military camp outside the city and the infantry office, he could rest assured on his trip down to the south, where he would have plenty of time to pry open that clever little fox’s mouth.

*

Geng Shuning got the confession she wanted with the letter she sent.

Unsurprisingly, she discovered that the ones colluding with the Ninth Prince Yunxiang from the palace were Consort Xi and Tong Siya.

These two had always seen her as an easy target ever since she arrived from her previous life, and that impression wasn’t likely to change.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Tong Guowei's son but Tong Guowei himself who was behind the actions at the estate. The old fox showed no mercy, willing to ruin a woman's life without hesitation.

During her time at the estate, Geng Shuning had been spending her days in the kitchen, using the pretext of developing new food recipes to honor the Empress Dowager. She managed to create some interesting chemical reactions.

On March 1st, Geng Jia De Jin was escorted to the capital and immediately imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison. The Ministry of Punishments was not allowed to intervene, and the charges against him were withheld.

On March 6th, Yinzhen summoned Geng Jia De Jin in court.

As the prefect of Henan, Geng Jia De Jin directly presented evidence of corruption and bribery by the Governor and Provincial Governor of Henan, as well as their collusion with Longkodo to murder an imperial envoy and the former prefect.

The Emperor made an immediate decision in court, stripping Longkodo of his position as an imperial guard and sending him to the imperial mausoleum.

Tong Guowei, his father, was reprimanded for his failure in educating his son, stripped of his title as Grand Scholar, demoted to Duke of the Imperial Clan, and ordered to reflect at home.

The Governor and Provincial Governor of Henan were stripped of their official ranks, their families were executed, and two clans were implicated.

Simultaneously, the Emperor issued an edict, appointing Geng Jia De Jin as the Governor of Henan to clean up the officialdom there and promote the trial implementation of the "fire consumption" fund in Henan.

Although officials like Li Guangdi had distanced themselves early on, they did not escape unscathed.

Using the pretext of rampant corruption and collusion outside the capital, the Emperor revoked the right of the cabinet to approve edicts, ordering the establishment of a small cabinet in the Southern Study.

Twelve Manchu and Han ministers from the six departments and three Grand Scholars entered the small cabinet to discuss urgent military and political matters. They were ultimately confirmed through secret memorials by ministers secretly appointed by the Emperor and jointly submitted to the imperial court to assist in handling state affairs.

Amidst the turmoil in the court, Yinzhen decisively consolidated imperial power. At this time, Geng Shuning, armed with her newly developed recipes, entered the palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager using a pass from the Cining Palace.

*

On the fifteenth day of the third month, in the Fengxian Hall, which enshrined the two empresses of the Tong family, blood-red characters suddenly appeared on the tablets of Empress Dowager Xiaokang and Empress Dowager Xiaoyi —

"Bloodline sin."

The eunuchs guarding the Fengxian Hall were so frightened that they urinated in their pants.

The blood-red characters appeared at night, and several young eunuchs screamed and ran away in panic, alerting the on-duty attendants.

Before the court could suppress the incident, blood-red characters also appeared under the everlasting lamps dedicated to the imperial Tong family queens at Tanzhe Temple, where the imperial relatives vied to light the first incense of the month.

"Lacking in merit."

While the palace news didn't spread immediately, the blood-red characters at Tanzhe Temple were witnessed by too many people to keep hidden.

Then, in the afternoon when the sun was hottest, blood-red characters also appeared on the newly replaced plaque of the Duke of Tong's mansion.

"Disloyal and unfilial."

The entire capital was in an uproar, and the news from the palace could no longer be hidden. The blood-red characters appeared mysteriously and disappeared mysteriously.

The retired emperor, who had been ill and had intended to intervene, now fell silent.

In the Qingyuan Study, he raged, "Investigate carefully for me! Anyone who dares to play ghosts and gods, humiliating the imperial family, will have their nine clans exterminated!"

However, after several days of investigation, there were too many people entering and leaving the palace, Tanzhe Temple, and the Tong mansion daily, leaving no clues.

Astronomers from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, shamans, and masters from Buddhist temples inspected the sites but found no traces, as if... Heaven had placed the sins of the Tong family on the two empresses.

When it came to matters of ghosts and gods, in a world that believed in Buddhism and Taoism, no one, from the emperor to the people, dared to take it lightly.

The Emperor issued an edict that the entire Tong clan was forbidden from entering the palace for three years, to observe fasting and pray for forgiveness for their misdeeds.

The retired emperor also had to issue an edict, sending Tong Siya to an imperial convent and the Tong Guifei, who had always protected Tong Siya, to a chapel for three years, forbidding her from leaving.

*

On March 27th, the Emperor traveled south of the Yangtze River and ordered the Crown Prince to oversee the country. Prince Yinzhi of Cheng, Prince Yunxiang of Nine, and Prince Yin'e of Dun accompanied him.

Geng Shuning wore a eunuch robe, her head lowered, closely following Zhao Song. Together with Xiao Chengzi, they assisted Zhao Song.

In truth, it was Xiao Chengzi and Zhao Song who were serving Geng Shuning as they stepped onto the dragon boat and entered the Emperor's private chambers.

As soon as Geng Shuning entered, she saw a large table filled with her favorite dishes and two pots of clear-scented wine.

Yinzhen was sitting nearby playing chess. Hearing someone enter, he looked up and smiled.

"I didn't know you were practicing shamanism in your dreams as well, saving me a lot of effort."

Geng Shuning smiled modestly. "I can't deserve Your Majesty's praise. It's just a small trick. Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to take revenge on the Tong family."

Consort Xi, being the mother of the third prince, was untouchable for now. The Tong family had harmed her repeatedly, and this vengeance was unbearable.

The liquid, extracted from apple peels and soaked in tree sap, was colorless with a faint plant scent. When heated, it turned blood red.

In the hall where incense was burning, the non-toxic fresh scent was ignored by everyone. Plants were also planted in front of the Tong family's screen wall, and being outdoors, it was even less noticeable.

The difficult part was applying the liquid to the right places and timing the heating correctly. If the liquid was exposed to the air for too long, it would oxidize and not change color.

They hadn't seen or spoken to each other for three months, relying only on Qiao He and Lin Fu to keep them connected.

The items were sent into the palace by Geng Shuning along with her food recipes. Lin Fu handled the task. They cleverly staged a deception in the capital, even fooling the Retired Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

Yinzhen got up and led Geng Shuning to sit at the round table, pouring her a cup of wine, teasing—

"Before I left the capital, Mother retreated to the grand chapel to copy scriptures. Don't you feel sorry for her?"

Geng Shuning hadn't drunk wine for a long time and sipped it with her eyes half-closed, humming softly, "Clearly, you don't understand the Empress Dowager. She went to the grand chapel because she was afraid someone would see her secretly laughing."

Yinzhen paused, then laughed, realizing it was entirely possible.

Mother had always harbored resentment toward the Tong family. The incident where she was taken away by Empress Dowager Xiaoyi was a thorn in Mother's heart.

Given the Tong family's downfall, Mother would likely laugh in her sleep.

He actually didn't have much impression of Empress Dowager Xiaoyi anymore. Compared to the cold imperial mother, his birth mother had been relatively close to him.

However, Yinzhen couldn't bear seeing Geng Shuning so smug. Seeing she had finished her wine, he suddenly grabbed her hand holding the wine pot and pulled her into his arms.

He kissed her lips lightly, "Not leaving anymore?"

He had always been uneasy because Geng Shuning was like a solitary beast, untouched by the world, and unreachable in her heart.

He was always afraid she would be blown away like a breeze into Zhuang Zhou's dream, never to be seen again, which was why he had always pressed her.

But from Geng Shuning's actions with the Nine Guards and her blatant use of the Imperial Guard, Yinzhen could feel her change without a word.

Compared to before, she was much more at peace, which gave him a lot of joy.

Geng Shuning naturally kissed him back, "I promised to stay and won't deceive you."

There was no real need to leave. She liked this man, and there was still some training to be done.

She wasn't a woman who only wanted freedom and could endure a hard life. She was greedy for more.

*

Although they had been apart for half a year, their understanding was stronger than ever, comprehending each other's thoughts with just a glance.

Yinzhen's eyes suddenly darkened, as he fiercely gripped Geng Shuning's neck and forcefully kissed her, not letting up until she was breathless and pushed him away, only then did he pull back slightly.

But his forehead remained pressed against hers, and his hand moved up from the hem of his imperial robe, reaching the soft sash. His fingers hooked onto it gently and pulled it outward.

Yinzhen's voice, hoarse from the alcohol, said, "I've been celibate since last February, shouldn't we settle this account properly?"

Geng Shuning rolled her eyes, her small hand mischievously drawing circles on the dragon robe, and chuckled.

"The one who said to write it off was you, yet the one who keeps bringing it up is also you."

Her delicate hand slid down like a playful fish, slipping into the dragon robe, not to be outdone.

She teased, her voice soft and playful, "Tell me, am I on the imperial boat, or a pirate ship?"

Yinzhen: "..."

He took a deep breath, and with the source of temptation being threatened, he didn't dare to throw out harsh words anymore.

He scooped her up and carried her inside, murmuring, "Then I’ll take care of you, little thief!"

Geng Shuning stubbornly retorted, "Why am I a thief?"

She was thrown into the fragrant golden quilt, and a towering figure pressed down on her, followed by a heated, gritted whisper.

"You’ve wormed your way into my heart, keeping me awake every night, and you’ve dirtied my bedclothes more times than I can count—so you’re not a thief?"

Geng Shuning let out a soft hum and shivered, wondering if Yinzhen could get any cornier.