novelraw Chapter 195 : The Empress's Distraction
Chapter 195 : The Empress's Distraction
On a sultry summer night, the outdoors was stifling.
The entire world seemed transformed into a sauna, where even standing still caused sweat to bead on one's forehead.
Yet the woman called Yan Lin possessed an ability to make people feel calm and settled.
As she conversed with Shen Han, the surrounding crowd lost their earlier agitation.
After watching Yan Lin, Shen Han, and the others enter the old residence, the young and middle-aged men led by Du Hao with the big gold chain finally gathered to gossip.
"What's going on? Did you hear what Yu Yu just said?"
"How could we not hear? Ah, you don't know, this is an old story."
"That Alpha surnamed Tang came here from the Free Federation, whether for work or travel I can't remember clearly. Aunt Lin liked her very much, almost falling out with her family over it."
"Really? Is Uncle Sun Yu Yu's real father then?"
The last speaker was immediately smacked on the head by a companion.
"Idiot! Of course he is! Yu Yu is angry because Aunt Lin has never forgotten that Tang woman."
"You know why Aunt Lin won't agree to the demolition? She's afraid that if she moves somewhere else, one day that Tang woman will come to White Light City and not be able to find her."
Shen Han, who had already entered the house, naturally couldn't hear the men's discussion outside.
At this moment, she was curiously examining the layout of the residence.
The interior furnishings weren't as old as they appeared from outside, with an antique flavor that made it seem like a small pure land amidst the bustling city.
What surprised Shen Han was that there was even a medicinal herb garden inside the house.
"That's where she transplanted medicinal herbs back then. I thought it would be a shame to destroy it, so I kept it."
Yan Lin led Shen Han through the courtyard, heading straight for the innermost living room.
She didn't say much, but two out of every three sentences were related to Tang Yucai.
Shen Han felt uneasy inside, feeling she had learned many things she shouldn't know.
But she maintained a calm exterior, striving to keep the proper demeanor of a junior.
As they approached the living room, Fang Yue stopped.
She knew she wasn't suitable to participate in the upcoming discussion, so without waiting to be dismissed, she remained in the courtyard.
Sun Yu clearly wouldn't be as self-aware as Fang Yue.
His face still showed displeasure at Shen Han's visit as he stepped over the threshold ahead of her.
However, before his foot could land steadily, the collar of his shirt was grabbed from behind.
Yan Lin's voice came softly: "Little Yu, have you finished your homework?"
"If you have, go back to your room and do the review questions again."
Hearing this, Sun Yu's head, which had been held high a moment ago, visibly drooped at an observable speed.
He turned silently, glared at Shen Han, then obediently went back to his room to do exercises.
Upon reaching the living room, Shen Han dispensed with further pleasantries and directly inquired about information regarding the auction and the Dragon Horn Ginseng.
Discussing this matter, Yan Lin's expression became somewhat solemn.
She frowned slightly and said: "When I first received news of the Dragon Horn Ginseng auction item, I planned to use all my resources to buy it privately."
"But strangely, the auction organizers have never budged. There's government intervention and power struggles between various factions, making it difficult to infiltrate."
At this point, she looked at Shen Han somewhat apologetically: "If you want to obtain that ginseng, I'm afraid you'll have to compete at the auction."
After their conversation, Shen Han had a more detailed understanding of the situation she would face.
If it could be a fair and just bidding process, she wouldn't be worried at all.
After all, even if the herb's price was pushed sky-high, it wouldn't be a problem for her wife.
What concerned her was the possibility of unexpected events at this auction.
As things stood, all procedures seemed to be on the right track.
But often it's these situations where no problems are apparent that, once issues erupt, make it very difficult to respond correctly in the shortest time.
Of course, Shen Han wouldn't directly express these worries to Yan Lin.
Because saying them wouldn't solve the immediate problem.
Moreover, this person before her was likely Gu Qianqiu's number one love rival, no doubt about it.
Although Shen Han thought she seemed like a good person, she didn't dare get too close, lest she offend both empresses at home simultaneously, making her future life miserable!
After sitting a while longer, Shen Han stood up to leave.
"Please wait a moment." After a brief silence, Yan Lin still asked the question she very much wanted to know, "Is she doing well now?"
Shen Han thought to herself: Teacher Tang is doing great, spoiled to no end by the former empress!
But such words would be hurtful to Aunt Lin.
So Shen Han answered impartially: "Teacher Tang is doing well, in good health. When she has free time, she just tends to her medicinal herbs."
Yan Lin looked up at the gentle and polite young woman before her.
From her demeanor, she had already gotten the answer she held in her heart.
Indeed, how could that person not be doing well, being with the empress wife she adored most, and now having such a trustworthy son-in-law?
After answering her question, Shen Han couldn't contain her curiosity and asked softly: "Aunt Lin, what kind of relationship do you have with Teacher Tang?"
Yan Lin smiled and shook her head: "Don't overthink it. We're just old friends who've been through life and death together."
After exchanging contact information, Shen Han left with Fang Yue.
As soon as she returned to her hotel, she immediately took out her encrypted phone, eager to message Gu Junwan.
[Wife! Extra! Extra!]
[You know what? I met a friend of Teacher Tang's today, and the situation was unbelievable! Do you want to know the details?]
Both texts were followed by a "shocked tiger" emoji.
Gu Junwan's reply came quickly and directly: [Is it Yan Lin?]
Seeing these four characters, Shen Han's eyes bulged out immediately.
[Eh? You know about it, wife?]
[Look at this mess, I thought Teacher Tang had only told me in secret.]
When Gu Junwan received Shen Han's message, she was still participating in a video conference in her hotel suite.
The participants were reporting their work progress one by one, only needing the Empress's guidance when they encountered problems they couldn't temporarily overcome.
Gu Junwan reached out to mute her microphone, continuing to reply to her Alpha while listening to her subordinates' reports.
[Teacher Tang did indeed only tell you secretly. I know because Mother told me.]
[Otherwise, do you think Teacher Tang wasn't allowed to participate in this operation just because Mother was worried she might get hurt?]
Shen Han: [Sitting up startled from a death dream, the clown turns out to be myself!]
Seeing the text her Alpha sent, Gu Junwan was first slightly stunned, then couldn't help but laugh softly.
Seeing this, the officials participating in the video conference were all shocked.
The one giving the report even started to stutter, his thoughts becoming somewhat disjointed.
Earlier, when Gu Junwan muted her microphone and picked up her phone to read, the officials had thought she was dealing with some urgent matter.
Now it seemed the Empress wasn't discussing work with the person on the other end of the phone!
The Empress actually getting distracted during work hours? This was something the officials had never dared to imagine before.
However, this side of the Empress didn't make people feel she was slack.
On the contrary, after this little interlude, the officials suddenly felt the Empress had gained more human touch, which was quite nice.
Feeling that her current state was affecting the meeting participants, Gu Junwan decided not to continue chatting with Shen Han.
She first sent an adorably cute apologetic emoji, then began to reply.
[I'm still in a meeting now. I'll video call you later.]
[Is it convenient for you to receive calls at your hotel? I remember you're sharing a standard room with two people.]
Shen Han replied instantly: [It's fine! We booked a business room. I'll go to the separate meeting room to receive the call later.]
Finally, she added: [Go ahead and get busy, wife. I'll wait for you.]
After putting down her private phone, Gu Junwan seamlessly rejoined the meeting, pointing out two errors the reporting official had made earlier due to his stuttering.
With this, the officials didn't dare let their thoughts wander anymore.
Everyone concentrated, refocusing their attention on the current work report.
After the meeting ended, Xu Zhao entered carrying freshly squeezed fruit juice.
Gu Junwan gestured for her assistant to sit down, and after accepting the juice, she immediately asked: "Can the identities of the delegation members with Takeda Tatsuya be verified?"
"Where did they stay after arriving in the border city of the Jiying Empire? What are their movements?"
Xu Zhao reported one by one: "There are 25 members in the delegation. The highest-ranking leader is a cabinet minister named Kitahara Tei, belonging to the Yin Country Prime Minister's faction."
"The hotel where the delegation is staying isn't too far from us. Their movements are regular, spending most of their time in the hotel. But since they've booked the entire floor of their hotel, it's very difficult for our people to carry out detailed investigations-"
After hearing her assistant's words, Gu Junwan remained silent for a long while.
Her beautiful and delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, her back lightly resting against the chair, her entire body motionless.
Xu Zhao knew her Empress was replaying various pieces of information in her mind.
She deliberately slowed her breathing, afraid of making any noise that might disrupt the other's train of thought.
Gu Junwan's golden eyes fell unfocused on empty space, as if looking through the void at her opponent.
The room's lighting was very soft, but reflected in her pupils, the light appeared particularly sharp.
This state of absolute silence lasted a full ten minutes.
At some point, Gu Junwan finally withdrew her gaze.
She unscrewed her pen cap and began drawing a simple analysis diagram on the paper spread out on the desk.
"After returning to Yin Country, Takeda Tatsuya has been cautiously hiding in his residence. His sudden dispatch here must be for an important task, one that only he can accomplish."
"He excels at misdirection. Perhaps the cabinet minister in the hotel is just there to attract attention. When everyone focuses on the cabinet minister, Takeda Tatsuya will become the shadow that disappears under the spotlight."
At this point, Gu Junwan drew a circle on the paper, encircling the hotel where the Yin Country delegation was staying, then continued: "I suspect Takeda Tatsuya may no longer be there."
"Have the intelligence personnel execute Operation 'Shake the Mountain to Scare the Tiger' tonight. Don't bother with the cabinet minister; focus on confirming whether there are still traces of Takeda Tatsuya in the delegation!"