EES - Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Your Majesty?
Empress Wude?
Liu Guanglin's first reaction was disbelief, but he could not tell whether Song Ling had truly taken Empress Wude, Ji Wanshuang, as her patron. Instinctively, he launched into a defense. "She's slandering me! None of that is true! I... I am a court official, a Clerk of the Ministry of Works appointed by His Majesty. I just submitted a Curved-Shaft Plough and an Irrigation Waterwheel. I'll be promoted soon. You can't... Ahhhhhhh!"
The shriek echoing from the dark alley made Wen Yiqiu and her maid, who were already approaching the alley entrance, pause in their steps.
Inside the alley, Liu Guanglin collapsed to the ground, clutching his hand and screaming.
An Lin, standing her ground, kept her expression unchanged, but a closer look would reveal a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Could he have fractured his bone that quickly?
An Lin glanced at the writhing Liu Guanglin, then looked down at her own hand. She wondered if she had used any underhanded force. Hadn't she just twisted his arm backward in a standard restraint?
When she usually trained under Ji Wanshuang's name, she sparred with Wang Xiuwen, whose Martial Strength Rating stood at ninety. Because her opponent was so formidable, she naturally held back to avoid injuring him. Lacking experience fighting opponents with lower ratings, she might simply have misjudged the force applied...
But it shouldn't have been that bad!
Was Liu Guanglin trying to fake an injury and pin it on me?
An Lin eyed him suspiciously as he rolled on the ground, crying out, before scrambling away from her.
Meanwhile, Song Ling, after initially staring in shock, became thoroughly excited. She clenched her fists eagerly, practically ready to wave a small flag and cheer from the sidelines.
Jumping straight into action without a word. Truly worthy of you, Your Majesty, Empress Wude, full of martial virtue!
"What happened?" Just then, two figures appeared at the mouth of the alley. Wen Yiqiu approached gracefully in her flowing robes.
"Miss Wen, you've arrived at the perfect moment!" Song Ling's eyes lit up. She immediately pointed at Liu Guanglin on the ground, gesturing wildly to explain how he had tried to strike her moments ago, only to be stopped by Ji Wanshuang. Fearing Wen Yiqiu wouldn't believe her, she produced several pieces of evidence to prove that Liu Guanglin's so-called talent and reputation as a great scholar were built entirely on plagiarizing others' poetry and prose.
After listening, Wen Yiqiu's expression hardly changed. She remained smiling gently, turned toward the disheveled Liu Guanglin cowering in the corner, and asked softly, "Young Master Liu, is that how it is?"
She seemed willing to hear him out, giving the impression she still believed him. This left Song Ling and her maid hovering nearby, words caught in their throats.
Yet at this moment, Liu Guanglin's wits finally kicked in. He saw the cold glint hidden beneath Wen Yiqiu's gentle words.
It was over. Completely over!
Despair choked him. Resentment churned within like foul water, and his eyes, overwhelmed by terror and rage, grew bloodshot and red.
That woman! He had known her longer. He had coaxed and placated her for so long, yet the moment someone exposed him, she believed them instantly. Bastard! And this transmigrator and the so-called Empress Wude, meddling in matters that didn't concern them! So petty! He had merely copied a few poems and they came rushing out, but he possessed ideas and technology from the future. He was the one who could truly drive the era forward. He refused to believe this transmigrator knew more than he did!
Liu Guanglin fought hard to hide the resentment and unwillingness in his eyes. Enduring the pain, he forced himself to stand and staggered toward Wen Yiqiu, putting on a mask of deep affection and anxiety.
"It's not like that, Yiqiu. Listen to my explanation..."
Wen Yiqiu frowned slightly.
However, just as he was about to reach her, he unexpectedly shoved past Wen Yiqiu blocking the alley entrance and bolted. The sudden push nearly sent Wen Yiqiu tumbling to the ground.
"...Hey?!" Song Ling was stunned. "He just ran off like that?? I thought he'd try to argue some more!"
Song Ling took a few steps toward him, debating whether to give chase. She glanced back at Ji Wanshuang, who gave her a slight shake of the head. Obediently, she abandoned the pursuit.
Hmph. Let him run this time. That plagiarist's hand was already fractured by Your Majesty. Next time, once she finished compiling all his remaining stolen collections, she would nail him to the pillar of shame permanently.
An Lin was not particularly surprised by Liu Guanglin's behavior. As he had moved toward Wen Yiqiu, she had already noticed his shifting toe direction, which signaled his preparation to flee.
Still, he was in Qiong'an. Where could he possibly go?
Since An Lin had already decided to remove him from the board early, letting him escape was out of the question.
An Lin knew exactly where the Shadow Guards stationed near Ji Wanshuang were positioned. She cast a glance at one hiding relatively close. The guard immediately understood, slipped away quietly, and followed Liu Guanglin.
Having accepted that Liu Guanglin had fled, Song Ling went over to speak with Wen Yiqiu. True to her expectations, Wen Yiqiu asked whose works Liu Guanglin had plagiarized. On the other side, however, Liu Guanglin found no relief after bursting out of the alley and blending into the crowd.
The moment he had run out of that alley, a plan had already formed in his mind.
He could no longer stay in Qiong'an.
That transmigrator would definitely find a way to ruin his reputation!
Originally, Liu Guanglin had intended to use Emperor Xuanming to deal with the transmigrator. After all, he had already crafted an Irrigation Waterwheel and a Curved-Shaft Plough at the Ministry of Works and presented them to the emperor. He had shown his value. He believed Emperor Xuanming knew who was more valuable.
But... the legendary devotion between Emperor Xuanming and Empress Wude was too deeply ingrained. Liu Guanglin remembered historical records noting that whenever Empress Wude intervened in affairs, Emperor Xuanming would always say one thing: "The Empress's will is Our will."
Liu Guanglin dared not gamble on it.
His final decision was to hurry back to his residence, gather his wealth, and flee Qiong'an, leaving the Kingdom of Xuan entirely.
According to his knowledge, in the early reign of Emperor Xuanming, the Central Land was not dominated solely by Xuan. Beyond the minor states, there existed a neighboring power whose strength actually surpassed Xuan's at the time. It had once posed a severe threat to Xuan, only to be conquered later by the game-breaking Emperor Xuanming and his realm. Liu Guanglin felt this country suited him perfectly. With future knowledge and literature, he would surely be highly valued. Yes, and talent: he would inform that country's ruler about Xuan's future prodigies, allowing them to recruit those talents first.
With his help, that nation might even alter history and conquer Xuan in return! And he would be the man who changed history!
By then, those three women who had humiliated him today... hmph!
Liu Guanglin's mind was racing with grand schemes. His face, twisted with resentment and anticipation, contorted into a somewhat unhinged smile as he scrambled through the crowd, following the banks of the Qing River toward his residence.
The sky had grown dark. The sun had set, and the lanterns along the Qing River shimmered in the twilight. While running, Liu Guanglin failed to watch his step. Halfway there, something tripped him suddenly.
He lost his balance completely, stumbling sideways. Directly beside him lay the Qing River. After rolling across the ground a few times, he plunged into the water with a splash.
Amid the bustling night market and lantern fair, the commotion did not carry far. Only those nearby heard a faint sound.
"Did someone fall in?"
"Where?"
"I think I heard a splash..."
Passersby drawn by the noise gathered near the riverbank, peering out over the water. They saw no sign of a drowning person struggling or calling for help. Only a black-canopied boat glided silently across the surface.
The well-meaning bystander scratched their head in confusion. "Could I have misheard?"
By the time the palace gates were about to close, Song Ling bid farewell to Wen Yiqiu, now that they had exchanged names, and returned to the Imperial Palace alongside Ji Wanshuang.
On the journey back, Song Ling's mood had noticeably lifted, and she chattered quite a bit.
"Next time you encounter a situation like this, do not rush in without thinking," Ji Wanshuang said, casting a glance at her. She had decided to warn her useful little tool. "If I had not come out with you today, had you considered what your countermeasure against Liu Guanglin would be?"
"Uh..." Song Ling choked on her words, speaking softly. "In that case, I wouldn't have agreed to go to the dark alley with him. I only felt brave enough to go because I knew Miss Ji was with me... I've learned my lesson. I won't do it again. Next time, I'll definitely hire ten burly men to ambush in the alley before making a move! Really!"
An Lin offered a half-smile. "You're not calling me Your Majesty anymore now?"
Song Ling rubbed her head, chuckling awkwardly and playing dumb. Then remembering that Ji Wanshuang had grabbed Liu Guanglin's hand on her behalf, she hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief and handed it over with both hands. "Your Majesty, please wipe your hands!"
An Lin said nothing further, casually taking the handkerchief to wipe her hands.
However, once Ji Wanshuang returned to Resting-Crane Hall, An Lin, assuming the Emperor's role, summoned Wang Xiuwen. "Xiuwen, has that Liu Guanglin been brought back by the Shadow Guards?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, he has been captured. He is currently held in the Inner Cells. Would Your Majesty wish to see him?"
"No need." An Lin waved her hand dismissively. "Have the Shadow Guards continue the interrogation exactly as I instructed last time. Keep him conscious throughout. Extract everything he knows, down to the smallest detail. The reason I called you is to investigate the people Liu Guanglin has interacted with. He likely collaborated with someone to manufacture and sell 'soap' and 'lip rouge.' Provide compensation to his partners, and seize the soap-making formula for public use. Additionally, if you uncover formulas for any other items he was working on, bring them back to Resting-Crane Hall for Song Ling to continue developing."
"This servant obeys the decree." Wang Xiuwen accepted the order without asking a single question.
An Lin naturally knew that after finishing the Curved-Shaft Plough and Irrigation Waterwheel, Liu Guanglin had continued tinkering with glass production to make money. Since Song Ling's presence had forced a change of plans and led to Liu Guanglin's early capture, the rest of the work would naturally fall to Song Ling. She would have to urge Song Ling to work diligently in the future. After all, Song Ling was currently carrying the workload of two people.
Glass was still quite useful. Setting aside distant applications, looking at immediate needs, many of her officials suffered from presbyopia and myopia. Once glass was available, crafting spectacles would boost their efficiency, allowing them to serve me better.
As for soap, she would let Song Ling figure out ways to improve it. Although An Lin often joked about why fellow transmigrators always fixated on such mundane items, soap was not without merit. If refined for mass consumption and popularized among the common folk until they adopted it, it could help prevent germs and reduce illness.
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