My Beloved Concubine Only Wants to Eat Melons

Chapter 25

As night fell, Yanshu was still feeling heartbroken over the silver coins that had flown away during the day.

Fortunately, there was finally some meat for dinner. She ate half a chicken, a whole fish, and a pot of braised beef brisket in one go, which brought her some comfort.

After dinner, she went to bathe. When she returned to her room, she saw that the emperor had arrived at some point and was engrossed in reading her newly written novel at the desk.

She could only bow in her nightgown, "This humble concubine greets Your Majesty."

In her heart, however, she scoffed. This man who had played deaf and dumb actually had the nerve to come here.

Yuwen Lan's brow twitched.

What did she mean by "had the nerve to come here"?

He had just been teasing her a little. Was her temper really so bad?

However, looking at her lowered eyes and pouting lips, he inexplicably felt a bit guilty. So he coughed and said, "I have something I want to hear your opinion on."

Yanshu was a bit curious. She couldn't help but raise her eyelids to look at him and said, "Please instruct me, Your Majesty."

Yuwen Lan said, "Someone has taken an interest in your novel and wants to publish it on the market. What do you think about that?"

Yanshu was stunned for a moment. Publish? Did this mean someone wanted to help her publish her novel?

She immediately perked up, her almond eyes wide open. "Really?"

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow, "Would I lie to you about this?"

Yanshu said, "This concubine wouldn't dare to think so. But, but how could someone take an interest in this concubine's novel? Besides you, no one else has seen what I've written."

Yuwen Lan said, "Today when I had someone deliver the manuscript to you, Zou Mozhong of the Hanlin Academy took a look. He thought it was quite good."

A scholar from the Hanlin Academy? Yanshu's eyes lit up. That was a person of great learning! For him to take an interest in her novel meant her skills must be quite high!

Yuwen Lan: "..."

She certainly had an active imagination.

He continued, "If you're willing, you can let him take a look first. He knows many book merchants, so publishing would be easy."

Yanshu nodded eagerly, "I'm willing, I'm willing! This concubine wrote it hoping people would read it, of course I'm willing."

Ah, her sleepless nights and forgotten meals hadn't been in vain. Finally, someone would see her work!

Yuwen Lan nodded, "That's good then. I'll take the manuscript to Zou Mozhong tomorrow."

"Thank you for Your Majesty's great kindness!"

Yanshu asked again, "Should this concubine choose a pen name? I can't use my real name, right?"

Tch, she had written mostly about the gossip of court officials. It wouldn't be good if the people involved saw it and came to settle accounts with her.

Yuwen Lan nodded, "That's fine. What pen name do you want to use?"

Yanshu pondered deeply for a while, then said, "How about 'Carefree Gentleman'?"

Yuwen Lan: "...That name sounds like a man's."

Yanshu said wisely, "That's the point. Nowadays, people generally believe that 'a woman with no talent is virtuous'. If they knew this novel was written by a woman, they would be prejudiced and think it wasn't well-written."

It seemed to make sense, so Yuwen Lan nodded and said, "Then we'll go with that."

He looked her over again and said, "Get into bed quickly, or you'll catch a cold."

"Yes."

Contrary to her previous listlessness, Yanshu now actively came forward to help him undress, and even crawled to the inside of the bed to pull up the covers for him, being the epitome of gentle and attentive.

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow. Publishing a novel had made the sun rise from the west?

Of course, seeing her like this also made him happy. So he pulled her into his arms, feeling the smoothness of her nightgown with his palm, and asked, "Are you this happy?"

Yanshu tried hard to suppress a wave of goosebumps and smiled, "This concubine is indeed very happy. By the way, Your Majesty, which stories will be published first?"

Yuwen Lan thought for a moment and said, "That story about the scholar and the courtesan is good, it warns people to keep their promises. The beautiful young wife... is also decent. Let's start with these two."

Yanshu quickly agreed, then tried to promote another, "The 'Hot-Blooded General and the Charming Widow' is also quite good. Why don't we publish that one too?"

Hot-Blooded General and the Charming Widow...

Wasn't that the sensual one?

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow at her, "What's the significance of that story?"

Yanshu said righteously, "That story encourages people not to give up because of temporary circumstances, but to bravely pursue true love!"

Yuwen Lan was amused and raised an eyebrow to ask, "How can you see all that in it?"

She tried hard to make it sound better, "The young widow didn't feel inferior because she had been married before. When she met the general, she bravely se... I mean, bravely pursued him. In the end, she married the general, had three children, and finally had a perfect life with a loving husband. Isn't that very meaningful?"

Yuwen Lan chuckled again, "You certainly make it sound that way."

Yanshu looked at him expectantly, "So, does Your Majesty think it's acceptable?"

"No," he flatly refused.

Yanshu was stunned, "Why not?"

Yuwen Lan coughed, "It's written too explicitly. I'm afraid it might have a bad influence on people."

Yanshu: "???"

How could this have a bad influence? The readers of novels are all adults! And she didn't write it explicitly at all. Compared to "The Plum in the Golden Vase", hers was much more innocent!

Yuwen Lan: "???"

She even knew about "The Plum in the Golden Vase"?

But thinking about it, of course she would. How else could she have written the "Charming Widow"?

Recalling the sentences he had read that night, he couldn't help but want to squeeze and pinch her...

But just at this moment, he heard her muttering in her heart, [Tch, such an amateur! This is what makes money! Missing out on a chance to get rich, could he be stupid?]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

Before he could say anything, he heard her think again, [But let's focus on the present and get these two books out first. Tch, finally someone will read what I've written, hahaha!!!]

[And the best part is that the emperor made the connection. So if anyone causes trouble in the future, I can just push it onto the emperor!!!]

Yuwen Lan: "???"

So he had become her scapegoat?

He finally couldn't help but pinch her waist and said, "Don't you think you should thank me?"

Thank him?

Yanshu was stunned, thinking how she should thank him. Should she give him a share of the manuscript fee?

Yuwen Lan: "..."

[That's impossible, he doesn't lack money! Or does he want me to offer myself to him? Tch, that wouldn't be of any use anyway...]

Yuwen Lan: "???"

The dignity of the monarch was trampled once again. He frowned and pulled her tightly into his arms.

Yanshu was startled, but seeing his displeased expression, she hurriedly said, "Your Majesty's kindness is vast, this concubine is indeed extremely grateful. But Your Majesty owns the wealth of the entire country, this concubine doesn't know how to repay you."

Yuwen Lan snorted and looked down at her, "I want you to be sincere to me."

Sincere...

Yanshu became wary. What did he mean?

Had he noticed that she had been too careless recently?

Tch, this wasn't good!

She knew that once she became his target, there was no possibility of escaping that role.

If her golden thigh became dissatisfied and kicked her away, her fate would certainly be miserable.

So, she had to firmly hold onto the emperor, her golden thigh!

Yes, be more sincere!

Yuwen Lan: "..."

Then, he saw her try hard to smile and say, "This concubine wouldn't dare to have any other thoughts about Your Majesty. I will certainly serve you faithfully before and behind... no, I mean, I will be loyal and devoted, sincere and unwavering. This concubine's heart only has Your Majesty in it!"

As she spoke, her almond eyes sparkled, trying to move him.

Yuwen Lan didn't believe her at all.

In her heart, there was money and food, but not him. Huh.

But for now, he indeed couldn't do anything to her.

Tch, sometimes being able to read minds wasn't necessarily a good thing.

He looked at her coldly and pulled her closer into his arms, saying, "Go to sleep."

Then he closed his eyes.

Yanshu responded with a "yes" and felt slightly relieved.

But...

Why was his hand on her chest?

And he wasn't moving it away.

Was he planning to leave it there all night?

How did he develop this habit after not sleeping together for a few days?

She really wanted to move his hand away, but she still needed to hold onto her golden thigh, so she had to endure it and closed her eyes as well.

Ah, making a living wasn't easy!

The person who had been silently listening: "???"

The night passed, and as dawn broke, Yuwen Lan naturally woke up.

He hurriedly checked and indeed saw the change in that place again.

His heart settled. It seemed this matter could only be resolved with her.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Yanshu open her eyes as well.

She asked him, "Oh, is Your Majesty getting up?"

Her voice still had a thick nasal tone.

Yuwen Lan made an "mm" sound, "There's a morning court session today."

He was about to get out of bed.

Little did he know that the young lady's movements were even faster than his. In a flash, she leapt out of bed and ran to the clothes rack to fetch his court robes, saying, "Let this humble servant help Your Majesty dress."

Yuwen Lan was somewhat surprised and looked her over, asking, "You're not going back to sleep?"

He saw her straining to smile as she replied, "This servant used to wake up too late. From now on, I will certainly rise early with Your Majesty."

She then called out towards the door, "Rendong, Lianxin, quickly bring in water!"

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that she had indeed developed a sense of crisis and was being so attentive.

He didn't say anything and allowed her to help him dress and wash up, feeling somewhat amused.

After finishing these tasks, he saw her smiling and asking, "Would Your Majesty like to have breakfast here?"

He replied, "No need. There's a court session this morning. I'll eat at Qianming Palace later."

Yanshu acknowledged this and escorted him to the door. She then took out the two manuscripts they had finalized yesterday and respectfully said, "Please trouble Your Majesty to give these to Lord Zou."

Yuwen Lan made a sound of acknowledgment and reached out to take them. Suddenly he said, "You..."

Yanshu immediately lowered her head obediently, in a posture of attentive listening.

However, Yuwen Lan didn't continue speaking. He only said, "Go back inside. It's cold out here." Then he boarded the imperial palanquin.

After the morning court session, the emperor handed the manuscripts to Zou Mozhong.

The scholar excitedly accepted them and immediately began reading them in the imperial study.

As he read with great interest, he couldn't help but exclaim, "This story of 'The Dashing Scholar and the Beautiful Lady' is truly intricate and surprising. I never expected this courtesan to be so loyal and righteous. Although she misjudged people at first, she was able to make a comeback later on. Her resilience and self-improvement are truly admirable!"

When he got to "The Charming Wife," he shook his head repeatedly, "This Xia Shi is simply morally corrupt! Once married, one should be devoted. How could she be so fickle? Her husband is truly pitiful. I fear even the child might not be his own!"

Yuwen Lan asked, "What does Lord Zou think of the writing?"

Zou Mozhong quickly nodded, "It's written very well. Ordinary novels rarely focus so much on female characters. This writing is truly a breath of fresh air. I imagine this 'Carefree Gentleman' must be a person of great talent."

[Ahem, it's just that the handwriting is really not that good... Perhaps this is the unique charm that attracts His Majesty?]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

But this was also true. Yanshu's handwriting was indeed not very good, barely legible. She probably hadn't practiced calligraphy properly before.

He asked again, "So do you think people would like to read these if they were published?"

Zou Mozhong was stunned for a moment, "Your Majesty means to say these two stories haven't been published yet? I thought they were already well-known works. No wonder they're so novel!"

Yuwen Lan: "..."

He said, "Indeed, they haven't been published yet. How about this - you take them to find a publisher to print them."

Zou Mozhong's eyes lit up, and he immediately replied, "I obey Your Majesty's command. It is my honor to be able to recommend such an excellent work to the public in my lifetime."

Yuwen Lan: "...Then you may go."

Ahem, if he let him stay any longer, who knows what other praises he might come up with.

He was already feeling embarrassed listening to it.

Zou Mozhong thus took his leave, but before he could step out the door, he heard the emperor add, "By the way, this 'Carefree Gentleman' is very concerned about income. If there are any profits, remember to bring them back promptly. I will pass them on to her."

Zou Mozhong paused, then quickly acknowledged.

In his heart, he marveled, [So it turns out to be a talented scholar from a poor family. How admirable!]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

Where is she poor?

As evening approached, officials were still coming and going in the imperial study where lamps had been lit.

Xiao Shunzi also quietly entered the hall and whispered something in Fu Hai's ear.

Yuwen Lan caught a glimpse of this and asked, "What's the matter?"

Fu Hai immediately reported, "Your Majesty, Li Beauty has sent someone to ask if you will be going over for dinner tonight?"

Hmm?

At these words, all the officials in the hall paused and began exchanging glances—

This was unprecedented! A consort actually inquiring if His Majesty wanted to have dinner?

It seems Li Beauty is indeed favored!

Yuwen Lan: "..."

He just thought that the girl probably wanted to taste the imperial cuisine again.

If he refused, she would be very disappointed, wouldn't she?

Feeling somewhat reluctant, he thus said, "I'll go over in a while. Tell the Imperial Kitchen to prepare."

Xiao Shunzi acknowledged and hurried out to relay the message.

Next, Yuwen Lan quickly dealt with the matters at hand and instructed several officials, "It's getting late. You should all go home for dinner."

Everyone acknowledged this, and as they took their leave, they all marveled inwardly, [After all, someone is waiting for dinner. His Majesty can't even sit still.]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

When did he become unable to sit still?

Thus, by the time he arrived at Ganlu Palace, dinner was already laid out on the table.

Yanshu led a group of palace maids in greeting, "This humble servant welcomes Your Majesty."

Her posture was perfectly correct, her face beaming like a flower, and her voice as sweet as honey.

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow. Such enthusiasm - it seems today's dishes must be very much to her liking?

He said "Rise" and came to the table, only to see common dishes like crispy fish fillets, braised ox tendon, scallion-braised sea cucumber, and cherry pork.

—A few days ago, he had issued an edict to strictly investigate corruption in the court and to clean up the palace customs as well. As a result, the imperial meals had become much simpler compared to before.

Yuwen Lan couldn't help but wonder, do these dishes make her so happy?

But he saw Yanshu following him, smiling as she said, "This servant inquired with Lord Fu earlier. These are all dishes Your Majesty enjoys, aren't they?"

Yuwen Lan was somewhat surprised. Were these really his favorites?

But he heard her thinking proudly, [How about that? Aren't I virtuous? Now I can prove that I care about you, right?]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

He finally understood. It was still because of what he said last night. She was trying hard to "please him."

He made a sound of acknowledgment, both helpless and amused, and said, "Let's eat."

Then he picked up his chopsticks.

But he saw that she hadn't sat down. Instead, she stood beside him with chopsticks in hand and said, "This servant will serve the dishes for Your Majesty."

"What would Your Majesty like to eat... Let's try these fish fillets first. The color is so golden, you can tell at a glance that they're cooked just right. They must be very crispy."

Saying this, she picked up a piece of crispy fish fillet with her chopsticks and placed it in his bowl.

Yuwen Lan obligingly picked it up and put it in his mouth. As soon as he bit down, a crisp sound burst between his lips and teeth.

Right after, he heard her thinking, [It must be very delicious, right? I wonder if it will still be crispy when it's my turn to eat QAQ.]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

After he finished the fish fillet, Yanshu extended her chopsticks towards the scallion-braised sea cucumber, "Your Majesty, please try this sea cucumber. The scallion fragrance smells rich. It should be quite good."

Yuwen Lan took a bite of the sea cucumber, and before he could swallow, he heard her thinking, [How is it? It must be tender and chewy, right? Don't eat it all, leave some for me.]

She sounded like she was already salivating.

Yuwen Lan: "..."

He nodded slightly, "Not bad."

Then he saw her place a piece of ox tendon in his dish, smiling gently as she said, "This ox tendon is cooked to perfection. It must melt in your mouth. Your Majesty, please try it."

Yuwen Lan said alright and tasted the ox tendon while listening to her inner exclamation, "Look at all that collagen in one bite, it must be especially delicious! Waa waa remember to mix the sauce with rice, that's the essence!"

She seemed to be on the verge of tears.

[And this beef soup, look how well it's been simmered, you must drink it while it's hot...]

Before he could pick up the soup spoon, he heard her think, [I haven't even had a chance to eat myself, serving you dishes first. You're the first to enjoy this treatment! I'm being so good to you! Wuwu leave some for me, don't eat it all!!!]

"..."

How could he continue eating like this?

So he simply said, "You sit down and eat too. No need to serve the dishes anymore."

But he saw her still feigning modesty, "No need, this servant will attend to Your Majesty's meal."

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow, "If you wait any longer, I'm afraid these fish fillets won't be crispy anymore."

She hurriedly curtsied and said, "This servant thanks Your Majesty."

Then she immediately sat down beside him and picked up her chopsticks to start eating.

Yuwen Lan: "..."

Yanshu hurriedly tasted a piece of crispy fish fillet first. Fortunately, the outer layer was still crispy, while the inside was soft and tender, wrapped in the savory sauce from the outside. It was truly delicious.

The scallion-braised sea cucumber was also excellent, soft and smooth with a rich scallion flavor that was exquisite.

She finally got to eat the ox tendon! It really did melt in her mouth, with a sticky collagen texture between her lips and teeth, and it was very flavorful - truly a perfect dish to eat with rice.

Then a bowl of hot beef soup, salty, savory, and rich, made all her internal organs feel comfortable.

As she ate, she mused to herself that it was indeed more comfortable to sit and eat, and that serving others was no easy task.

Yuwen Lan listened silently, thinking to himself that he also found it more comfortable to eat this way.

Finally, when the meal was finished, Yanshu remembered an urgent matter and hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, what about the story book? When will people be able to see it?"

Yuwen Lan replied, "As early as tomorrow."

In fact, from what he knew, it had already been circulating among the ministers today.

Yanshu's eyes lit up, and she immediately became excited, "As expected, Your Majesty is indeed capable! I've heard before that it's not easy to publish story books, and those book merchants all look at the author's reputation. If you don't have a reputation, no one will pay attention to you."

Yuwen Lan gave a sound of acknowledgment, accepting her compliment.

He then heard her thinking to herself, [Clinging to a powerful patron really works, I must continue.]

He couldn't help but be curious about how she planned to continue her efforts.

Soon after, dinner was finally over, and the palace servants cleared away the dishes. Yanshu coughed and said to Yuwen Lan, "It's still early, why don't I accompany Your Majesty in playing a game to aid digestion? How about arrow throwing?"

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow at her, "Want to win money again? This time I won't lose so easily."

Yanshu: "..."

Indeed, he was too skilled at arrow throwing.

Last time she had won by luck, but this time it would be much more difficult to win again.

Tsk, it's no fun to keep losing. So she rolled her eyes and said, "Oh right, today is the palace lantern lighting ceremony. Why don't I accompany Your Majesty to see the lanterns?"

See the lanterns?

Yuwen Lan was actually not very interested.

He had grown up in the palace and had seen those palace lanterns for many years.

But he heard her pleading in her mind, [Please go! In the past, I didn't dare to go out easily even when I wanted to see them. This time, with you leading the way, we can go!]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

Why did she make it sound so pitiful, not daring to even see the lanterns?

His heart softened, and he nodded, "Alright, let's see if there are any new designs this year."

He then stood up.

Yanshu was overjoyed and quickly helped him put on his brocade robe. She also put on her cloak, and they went out together.

It was warm in the palace hall, and since they hadn't gone out much today, Yanshu only realized how cold it actually was when they stepped outside. The wind was strong too!

The cold wind felt like knives cutting the face, and even taking a deep breath hurt the lungs.

Seeing Yanshu shrink entirely into her cloak, her little face immediately turning red from the cold, Yuwen Lan was about to ask if she wanted to go back.

But he heard her thinking, [Tsk tsk, this wind is so cold, it's just like the day Zhang Shengkang's master died of anger!]

Yuwen Lan: "???"

Zhang Shengkang?

Isn't that the Head of the Imperial Medical Academy?

Why did she say his master died of anger?

What was this situation?

He heard her sigh again, [Poor divine doctor, saved countless lives but couldn't see through human nature, took in such an ungrateful disciple, passed on his lifelong skills to him, and in the end was driven out of the capital!]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

Could there really be such a thing? This was the first time he had heard of it.

Before he could come to his senses, he heard her mumble again, [Tsk tsk, if that old man was still around, he might be able to cure the emperor's illness! I heard he had a set of acupuncture techniques that were very powerful, specifically for treating infertility.]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

Is, is that true?

He carefully recalled that he seemed to have indeed heard of a divine doctor in the capital before, but later his whereabouts became unknown.

He had sent people to search for him earlier, but to no avail.

Could it be Zhang Shengkang's master?

"Oh, Your Majesty, look, isn't that the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea lantern?" Yanshu suddenly pointed to a lantern under the eaves.

Yuwen Lan composed himself inconspicuously, glanced at the lantern, and said, "It's all old designs, we've had them before."

Yanshu, however, said, "This is the first time I've seen it!"

She ran to the lantern and examined it carefully for a while.

After she had looked enough, they moved on. Not long after, she exclaimed again, "This flower basket lantern is so well made, the peonies inside look real!"

Yuwen Lan looked at it and casually said, "Indeed."

But it was also an old design, and especially now that he had something on his mind, he had no interest in appreciating them.

After a few steps, he saw her excitedly go under another lantern, "Your Majesty, look quick, isn't this a revolving lantern? It's really turning, how amazing!"

Yuwen Lan found it amusing, "You've never seen a revolving lantern?"

Yanshu nodded, "In a small place like Ande, no one could make such lanterns. I remember when I was little, once the county magistrate's daughter got one from somewhere else, I wanted to get a closer look but she wouldn't let me."

These words sounded truly pitiful. Yuwen Lan instructed Fu Hai, "Take down this lantern and give it to Li Beauty."

Fu Hai quickly agreed and immediately called for people to bring a ladder to take down the lantern.

Yanshu was stunned.

Holding the revolving lantern that had just been taken down from the eaves, she asked in disbelief, "This lantern is for me?"

Wasn't it said that once these lanterns were hung up today, they couldn't be taken down at will until after the Lantern Festival?

But Yuwen Lan smiled and said, "Consider it a reward for your attentive service to me today."

Oh, is that so?

Yanshu slowly thanked the Emperor, a complex feeling welling up in her heart.

It was as if...

She was being doted on.

She could have whatever she wanted.

Yuwen Lan coughed quietly to himself. If all her wishes were as simple as this lantern, there was no harm in giving them to her.

But then he heard her muse in her mind, [So efforts really do pay off. It wasn't in vain that I got up early to help him dress, endured hunger to serve dishes. It really had a good effect!]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

She seemed to have misunderstood.

Early the next morning, Yuwen Lan returned to Qianming Palace and immediately sent someone to investigate Zhang Shengkang, the Head of the Imperial Medical Academy.

—If what Yanshu said was true, and Zhang Shengkang was indeed the divine doctor's disciple, then perhaps by starting with Zhang Shengkang, they could find traces of the divine doctor from back then.

He couldn't let Zhang Shengkang treat him, but perhaps the divine doctor had other disciples.

After a busy day, by evening, he heard a report from the Imperial Guard that Yanshu's story book had started being hand-copied and printed since yesterday. Many court officials had already read it, and everyone was praising the intricate and surprising plot. The response was intense.

Yuwen Lan asked, "Has there been anything unusual at the Linwu Marquis's mansion recently?"

The Imperial Guard reported, "The Linwu Marquis has suddenly started investigating the servants in his household, especially the maids who used to serve the former lady. Besides this, he has also sent people out of the mansion to Jiangnan, for unknown reasons."

Yuwen Lan nodded.

It seemed that in a few days, this pitiful man would know that the heir was not his own.

Tsk, as the emperor, he couldn't interfere too much. He could only help to this extent.

He asked the Imperial Guard again, "What about Wei Ruzhang? Any unusual movements?"

The Imperial Guard replied, "It's strange to say, but Wei Daren has suddenly started investigating the source of the story book. He seems quite nervous."

He should be nervous.

Yuwen Lan gave a cold smile and said, "Continue to keep an eye on them."

The Imperial Guard agreed.

Meanwhile, Yanshu, who was eating snacks in Ganlu Palace, suddenly received new gossip, [The Linwu Marquis has already realized that his son is not his own, and has started investigating the whereabouts of that rich merchant from back then.]

Yanshu: [!!! How did he find out?]

System: [He read your story book.]

Yanshu: [???]

To be honest, she had indeed considered this consequence, but she didn't expect it to be so immediate.

But anyway, helping one person is better than none. It's better to know now than to be deceived into raising someone else's son for a lifetime.

So next, she was waiting for her author's fees. Hehe, this was her first income in life, just thinking about it made her excited.

Two days later, the author's fees indeed arrived.

Twenty taels of silver for two stories, and this was just the initial payment. It was said that if the story book sold well in the future, she would continue to receive royalties.

Of course, for people like Empress Zhou and Consort Ning, these twenty taels were not even enough to fill a tooth gap, but Yanshu was very satisfied.

—This was the first sum of money she had earned with her own hands. If two stories were worth twenty taels, wouldn't ten stories be a hundred taels?

Hehe, with all the gossip in her head, writing a thousand or two thousand stories wouldn't be a problem. Even if one day she was no longer a consort, she could still make a living by just moving her pen a bit. How reassuring.

And most importantly, she had readers now!

Finally, there were people to share her gossip with!

Heaven knows how hard it was for her to keep it all to herself before. Now that she had readers to share the gossip with, even if they couldn't communicate face to face, it was still exciting!

Yanshu happily counted her money while brewing ideas for five or six more books.

But before she finished counting, she heard the system say, "New gossip, the book merchant who published your story book has disappeared."

Yanshu: [??? The book merchant disappeared? What's going on?]

System: [His wife reported to the Capital Official this morning that her husband was abducted on his way home last night, and his whereabouts are unknown.]

Yanshu: [What? Abducted on his way home? Is the security in the capital so poor? Is that bookseller very rich? Does wealth attract trouble?]

System: [It's not about money, it's somewhat related to you.]

Yanshu: [Related to me?]

She thought for a moment, [Could it be that other booksellers saw my novels selling too well and deliberately retaliated against him?]

System: [...You're overthinking it. This bookseller has some background among the booksellers in the capital, ordinary people wouldn't dare to touch him.]

Yanshu was full of questions, [Then what's going on, why is it related to me?]

As she was thinking this, she suddenly paused, [Could it be the Linwu Marquis or Wei Ruzhang?]

Hmm, but thinking about it further, the Linwu Marquis wouldn't stoop so low.

But that old man Wei...

System: [Correct, old man Wei saw his story spreading all over the streets in novels, became furious, wanted to find out who wrote the novels, but couldn't find out immediately, so he kidnapped that bookseller and is planning to torture him severely these days.]

Yanshu immediately became angry, [This old man is lawless now? Has the Capital Official found him yet?]

System: [You think the Capital Official has a system like me? They just received the case this morning and are planning to send people to search now. It's not certain if they can find him.]

This won't do!

Yanshu became anxious.

How could an ordinary person withstand severe torture for days?

Moreover, this bookseller was her business partner, and she still had other novels to publish in the future!

What if Wei killed him?

So she thought for a moment and quickly asked Rendong, "Are there any nourishing herbs or the like in the palace?"

Rendong said, "Yes, Eunuch Fu sent some when you had a fever last time, they're still here."

"Then bring them out," Yanshu said, "And go to the Imperial Kitchen to get a chicken or some bones, I'll make a pot of soup."

"Huh?" Rendong was stunned. The mistress who had never cooked before wanted to make soup?

But seeing Yanshu urge her, "Hurry up! I need it urgently."

So Rendong didn't dare to ask more and hurried to the Imperial Kitchen to get the ingredients.

Half an hour later, Yuwen Lan, who was reading memorials in the Imperial Study, heard Fu Hai report, "Your Majesty, Li Beauty has brought you some soup."

Soup?

Yuwen Lan was indeed surprised.

It was still morning, why was she bringing soup out of the blue?

Since there was nothing urgent at the moment, he said, "Let her in."

Fu Hai complied and went to invite her in from outside.

Sure enough, Yanshu came in carrying a soup pot.

"Greetings to Your Majesty," she said with a forced smile on her small face, "I was afraid you might be tired from reading memorials, so I specially made an invigorating soup for you to drink."

Yuwen Lan hadn't yet figured out what she was up to, but he nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Yanshu quickly demurred, "It's no trouble at all for me." She then placed the soup pot in front of him.

However, when the lid was lifted, both of them were stunned.

The soup inside was black and oily, and the meat was barely visible.

Yanshu: [...]

Oh no, she was in such a hurry when she left that she didn't look closely, how did it turn out this color?

Yuwen Lan frowned and asked, "What is this?"

Although he didn't care much about food, this was too strange.

It was hard not to suspect if it was poisoned.

Yanshu forced herself to say, "It's rehmannia and angelica root stewed with pork ribs. I heard it's good for nourishing the kidneys and invigorating energy, best to drink in winter."

Yuwen Lan: [...]

Alright, he of course knew she had come to ask him for something, so he pushed the soup pot aside and asked directly, "Do you have something to ask of me?"

"No, no," she said with a smile, "Actually, I received the payment for my novel this morning, so I wanted to come and thank Your Majesty."

Yuwen Lan thought, coming to say thanks for twenty taels of silver?

This doesn't seem like her style.

Then he heard her thinking to herself, [Think, how should I bring up that the bookseller has been kidnapped?]

Yuwen Lan then understood that it was about the bookseller's matter.

However... he had only just received the news, how did she know so quickly?

Just then, Yanshu coughed and said, "It's just... I wrote a new story yesterday, and I was wondering if Your Majesty could help ask that bookseller if he's still willing to publish it?"

Yuwen Lan said calmly, "As it happens, I just received news that the person has gone missing."

-- Let's see what else she knows.

But he saw her look surprised and say, "Missing? How could he just go missing? Did something happen to him?"

Yuwen Lan made a sound of assent and said, "His family has already reported to the Capital Official, and I hear the Capital Official has sent people to search for him."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard her cry out in her mind, [What use is that? The Capital Official doesn't know anything! Just searching isn't enough, the person was captured by that damned Grand Scholar!]

Yuwen Lan: ???

She even knows the culprit is Wei Ruzhang?

Then he saw her nod and say, "That's good then, I hope the Capital Official finds him quickly, and nothing bad happens to him."

Yuwen Lan didn't show any sign of suspicion, only asked her, "You're so concerned about someone you've never met?"

Yanshu said, "After all, he's my bookseller. The fact that he can publish my novels shows he has good judgment and must be a talented person."

[Of course I'm anxious! I'm still waiting to continue publishing picture books to make money!!!]

She continued, "By the way, Your Majesty, don't you think it's strange that this person suddenly disappeared right after publishing my novel? Could it be related to me?"

Yuwen Lan made a sound of acknowledgment and said, "How so?"

As he spoke, he stared at her intently, waiting for both her words and her thoughts.

Perhaps now he could finally find out how she knew all these things.

Yanshu pretended to ponder and said, "Perhaps my novel was too well-received, and someone who read the story saw themselves in it and actually wants to take revenge on me, the author, so they captured the bookseller to find out my identity."

Yuwen Lan probed further, "Then who do you think it might be?"

Yanshu thought to herself, who else could it be but your Grand Scholar Wei Ruzhang?

But outwardly she respectfully said, "I dare not speculate rashly, otherwise if I wrongly accuse someone that would be terrible. I believe the court is full of talented people who will surely solve the case."

[Damn it, I've tried my best, I can't just directly tell you the person was captured by Wei Ruzhang's men and taken to the retired farmstead at the foot of Great Green Mountain in the suburbs.]

Yuwen Lan: ???