TGPSAC – Chapter 100

On the surface, Chi Wan had done nothing wrong. In reality, her obliviousness was causing Yu Jiuzhou’s thoughts to run wild.

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong.

As a partner, she would help Yu Jiuzhou achieve her goals as quickly as possible. A qualified partner should also be gentle and attentive; it was only right to serve one’s own wife.

She felt she had done everything right. So what was the problem?

Yu Jiuzhou was at a loss for words. There were some things she didn’t want to say, because she wasn’t sure what Chi Wan’s attitude was toward her pregnancy.

That was why she had refused Imperial Physician Zheng’s routine pulse check a few days ago.

Ordinarily, with Qiu Lai by her side, the routine check was handled by Qiu Lai herself.

Just a few days after she might have conceived, Qiu Lai had noticed something was amiss and advised her to stop being intimate with Chi Wan.

Later, when the pulse became more distinct, it was confirmed that she was with child.

She was now one month pregnant, yet Chi Wan still hadn’t noticed. It made her wonder: what if Chi Wan wasn’t looking forward to this child’s arrival?

At one month, the pregnancy was not yet stable, so she naturally wouldn’t announce it to outsiders.

The only ones who knew were Qiu Lai and Chun Gui. Since she had forbidden them from speaking of it, they wouldn’t breathe a single word.

She wanted to see when Chi Wan would finally notice—or whether she simply hadn’t noticed, or didn’t want to notice.

How could a physician fail to realize that the person sleeping beside her was pregnant?

Hmm… no, that wasn’t right. They were sleeping in separate rooms. Plus, every time Chi Wan tried to support her, she would subtly avoid it and let Chun Gui help instead. Could that be why?

So Chi Wan thought she was rejecting her advances? But…

Yu Jiuzhou was very hesitant. She wanted Chi Wan to find out on her own, yet she kept avoiding her touch. Even for a physician, without taking a pulse, it would be difficult to diagnose a pregnancy, wouldn’t it?

In truth, all four methods of diagnosis—observation, listening, inquiry, and pulse-taking—could reveal a pregnancy. But she was in the very early stages. Most importantly, Chi Wan had no real sense that her pheromones could make another woman pregnant.

For a woman from the modern era, the only way she could imagine one woman impregnating another was through technology.

Lately, Yu Jiuzhou had been a bit too distant with her. Sleeping in separate rooms, not summoning her to bed, and even refusing her touch—this string of events made Chi Wan begin to suspect that Yu Jiuzhou was having regrets.

If that was the case, then she couldn’t pursue her so intensely.

Over the past month, Chi Wan finally decided that rather than waiting to figure out the reason, she might as well just ask.

She had to ask Yu Jiuzhou if she had done something wrong. It was also possible that Yu Jiuzhou regretted their relationship, but she would rather it be the former than the latter.

Chi Wan’s eyes sparkled as she stared at Yu Jiuzhou, waiting for an answer.

Yu Jiuzhou was silent for a long moment before lowering her gaze and saying softly, “I have not been feeling well recently.”

Not feeling well?

Chi Wan immediately stood up to take her pulse, but Yu Jiuzhou instantly regretted her words and pulled her hand back. “Qiu Lai has already examined me. I am fine.”

Qiu Lai had examined her, so she wasn’t allowed to?

She just wanted to take her pulse; it wouldn’t take much effort.

Different pulse readings indicated different physical conditions. Although it required careful assessment, they had nothing pressing to do at the moment, and it would only take her three to five minutes at most.

Chi Wan tucked her hands back into her sleeves. She felt like she was being given the cold shoulder.

It was one thing for Yu Jiuzhou to exude a chilly aura, but her actions were cold as well, and she wouldn’t even tell her what was wrong.

She carefully observed Yu Jiuzhou’s complexion. She did indeed look a bit weak and tired, as if she hadn’t slept well the previous night.

To know for sure, she needed to take her pulse and ask where she felt unwell.

After observing her, she only felt that Yu Jiuzhou had grown much weaker. Logically, this shouldn’t be the case. Although they hadn’t been cultivating their internal energy together recently, the nutritional supplements had not stopped.

Yu Jiuzhou already had internal energy in her body. Even if it was just a tiny bit, circulating it should help repair her body and improve her constitution.

Chi Wan assumed Yu Jiuzhou would practice a little. Even circulating it just once a day would be enough. By rights, Yu Jiuzhou’s body shouldn’t be weak.

Was it because she hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days? Could something have happened that she didn’t know about?

But having been rejected, Chi Wan silently lowered her hands into her sleeves, unsure of what to say.

She wanted to insist, but seeing Yu Jiuzhou’s indifferent expression, she swallowed her words.

Fine. She would wait until Yu Jiuzhou was ready to talk.

However, Chi Wan felt that the other woman probably didn’t want her diagnosis. As soon as she left the courtyard, she went to find Imperial Physician Zheng and asked her to perform a routine check.

To her surprise, Imperial Physician Zheng said she had been refused the last time she tried. Of course, the records showed that the check had been done, simply carrying over the results of the previous diagnosis.

After all, these records had to be submitted to the Imperial Medical Academy and archived.

Chi Wan wondered, she won’t even let Imperial Physician Zheng see her? What kind of problem had arisen with Yu Jiuzhou’s health?

It shouldn’t be possible. Under her meticulous care, how could any problems arise?

She still had Imperial Physician Zheng try again, but the result was another refusal.

Chi Wan racked her brain for a way to take Yu Jiuzhou’s pulse.

Sneak in at midnight? Yu Jiuzhou was surrounded by many experts and countless hidden guards. It wouldn’t be easy to slip in.

Chi Wan thought of the route her predecessor used to sneak into the inner chambers. Perhaps she could replicate it? But what if Yu Jiuzhou got angry? She began to agonize over it again.

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In the days that followed, Chi Wan thought countless times about sneaking into Yu Jiuzhou’s room at night. Whether it was to take her pulse or do something else, she was willing.

At worst, she would let Yu Jiuzhou beat her up. She just had to find out what was going on.

This state of limbo, of being left in the dark, was truly agonizing.

The more Chi Wan thought about it, the more upset she became.

The resentment in her diary grew steadily.

June 11th, served Her Highness the Grand Princess. (Wife is ignoring me.)

June 12th, served Her Highness the Grand Princess. (Wife is ignoring me.)

June 13th, served Her Highness the Grand Princess. (Wife is ignoring me.)

…

June 19th, served Her Highness the Grand Princess. (Wife is ignoring me.)

June 20th, served… I’m done serving. Chi Wan, oh, Chi Wan, you are the Fuma, a person of high status, power, and wealth. Why are you revolving around a woman all day? You can’t go on like this.

Being ignored by Yu Jiuzhou for so long had put Chi Wan in a very bad mood.

She was worried about Yu Jiuzhou’s health, but she was also angry that the other woman wouldn’t tell her anything. Whether she had done something wrong or something else had happened, what was there that couldn’t be discussed between them?

Chi Wan was furious. She wasn’t some groveling sycophant. If she had done everything right and the other person was still dismissive, she had no motivation to keep trying.

Perhaps she should just make a bold move.

She didn’t care anymore if Yu Jiuzhou got angry. She would sneak into her room and take her pulse. If it wasn’t a health issue, she would shake Yu Jiuzhou awake and demand an explanation.

If this continued, she was afraid she would suffocate from the frustration.

She was just too angry. If Yu Jiuzhou regretted their relationship, she would absolutely not cling to her. Once their goal was accomplished, she would leave Shengjing and never be an eyesore again.

But if there was a problem with Yu Jiuzhou’s health, she wasn’t a cold-hearted person. How could she possibly leave?

Chi Wan considered two possibilities. One, Yu Jiuzhou regretted it. Two, Yu Jiuzhou had a health problem and was worried about burdening her.

In the first case, she would leave without hesitation. In the second, she would definitely let Yu Jiuzhou know that such actions would make her angry.

She couldn’t quite define their relationship. It was impossible to say there were no feelings, but to say they were deeply in love… their relationship had never been clearly defined.

Normally, a relationship is established with a confession. They had never had one. If anything could be called a confession, it was more like a transaction of interests. Perhaps that was what bothered her—the lack of a clear definition, the absence of many rituals.

She was someone who valued ceremony. Without those rituals, she always felt something was missing.

Some words had never been spoken, so they hadn’t officially established their relationship.

And yet, she could accept being Yu Jiuzhou’s partner. Did she like her? Yes, she did.

Chi Wan was becoming more and more certain of her own heart. She had fallen for Yu Jiuzhou. Not only was the other woman her ideal type in every way, but feelings had also grown between them over time.

Regardless, liking was liking. She wanted Yu Jiuzhou to know how she felt, but in the current situation, she couldn’t express it.

Yu Jiuzhou was simply too cold, and it had hurt her feelings.

Chi Wan made up her mind. Today, she would ignore Yu Jiuzhou during the day, and at night, she would sneak into her room and demand an explanation, no matter what.

Therefore, at dawn, Chi Wan left the Princess’s Residence. There was much to do at the Imperial City Division, and she needed to get to work. A busy day would pass quickly.

The case of the Ministry of Revenue’s deficit had dragged on for so long because it implicated too many people, and it was very likely that the Emperor himself was involved.

Have you ever seen a corrupt emperor? Emperor Shengyuan was one.

The avaricious Emperor Shengyuan had a great deal of dirty money, much of it given as “tributes” from others.

Of the thirty-million-tael deficit, a tenth of it had ended up in Emperor Shengyuan’s hands. The proportion wasn’t large.

Which, speaking of it, was the real reason for Emperor Shengyuan’s fury.

Chi Wan arrived at the imperial palace. Emperor Shengyuan was clearly displeased.

“This deficit case has gone on for so long, yet only ten million taels have been recovered. Where did the other twenty million go? Our palace is so frugal we can’t even produce a million taels, yet those officials dared to embezzle so much of Our money. They deserve to die.”

Of course they deserved to die. In Emperor Shengyuan’s eyes, anyone who embezzled his money deserved to die, no matter who they were.

Chi Wan impassively handed a list to Emperor Shengyuan. It contained a detailed chart showing the flow of the thirty million taels.

At the same time, she said, “Your Majesty, to make up for the thirty-million-tael deficit, minting silver coins is essential. One tael of silver can be made into three to five silver coins, and one silver coin can purchase more than one tael of silver. This will minimize the consumption of silver to the greatest extent.”

One silver coin would be equivalent to a few units, and one unit would be ten copper coins, using that as a unit of conversion.

All of this was presented in the memorial. As long as Emperor Shengyuan read it, he would understand what she meant without her needing to explain further.

Of course, Emperor Shengyuan understood. He didn’t grasp the intricacies, but he understood one thing: he could use less silver to buy more things.

Once the silver coins were issued, it would greatly alleviate the problem of silver scarcity. As long as the right to mint coins remained in the hands of the central government, the problem of lacking money could also be addressed.

No matter how one looked at it, this was a good thing. As long as the common people accepted it, there would be no problem.

And the common people were the easiest to win over. The biggest worry was that someone would use the people as a shield to achieve their own goals, such as gaining the right to mint coins.

The right to mint was crucial. If the gentry and aristocratic families obtained it, they would mint their own silver coins to double their assets.

This was Emperor Shengyuan’s greatest concern. “What if someone counterfeits the coins?”

Chi Wan produced a silver coin she had prepared. “This is the first version of the silver coin. It has a unique anti-counterfeiting technique. Furthermore, a law will be established: anyone who forges the Shengyuan silver coin will have their nine familial relations executed. Under such a heavy penalty, only the most heinous criminals would dare. If any of the gentry or aristocratic families dare to reach out their hands, we will chop off their claws.”

For the initial issuance, the weight of the first version of the silver coin was actually still quite substantial. With the second and third versions, the coins would gradually shrink until one coin was equivalent to a hundred units.

With a little more time, Great Zhou could issue its own paper currency and common metal coins.

It couldn’t be helped; the people’s acceptance was limited. Some things had to be done step by step. First, they had to establish Great Zhou’s financial credibility.

Hearing Chi Wan’s words, Emperor Shengyuan was finally reassured. “Excellent.”

“However…”

Emperor Shengyuan seemed somewhat dissatisfied. “You and the Grand Princess have been consummating your marriage for some time now. Is there still no news from the Grand Princess?”

“News?”

What news?

Chi Wan was puzzled for a moment before she understood what he meant. Something flashed in her mind, but she couldn’t quite grasp it.

She could only answer the Emperor’s question first. “This subject is incompetent.”

“Hmph, then you truly are incompetent.”

Emperor Shengyuan was somewhat displeased with both Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan, and his tone was harsh.

Harsh was fine. Chi Wan didn’t care in the slightest. Although Emperor Shengyuan was actually dissatisfied with Yu Jiuzhou, he was also angry about something Chi Wan had done recently.

Emperor Shengyuan hated having his authority undermined. Now, his imperial dignity was being damaged time and again. He worried that the officials of Great Zhou would only know of Her Highness the Grand Princess, and not him, His Majesty the Emperor.

In essence, this was also why he had never appointed a crown prince—to prevent the court of Great Zhou from knowing only the heir and not the emperor.

But Emperor Shengyuan only reprimanded her with a single sentence before changing his tone. “The Grand Princess is busy with many affairs. As the Fuma, you should share her burdens. Don’t let her be so busy that she doesn’t even have time for intimacy.”

He had said enough. Emperor Shengyuan didn’t want people to think he was prying into his daughter’s private life. If word got out, he would lose all face.

Chi Wan nodded in agreement. “Your Majesty is right.”

Seeing her obedience, Emperor Shengyuan finally said, “Alright, We have no other business. As for this list and the matter of the Ministry of Revenue’s deficit, let it end here.”

If the investigation continued, the matter of Emperor Shengyuan embezzling funds from the Ministry of Revenue could no longer be hidden. No matter who the mastermind was, he would not allow the investigation to proceed.

This was the brilliance of the other party’s move—using the Emperor as a shield. How could anyone continue to investigate? Even if they found out, and the matter was publicized, what would become of the Emperor’s dignity?

Chi Wan understood Emperor Shengyuan’s meaning. If he had known this would happen, why be so greedy?

The Emperor’s personal treasury was not small, yet he still accepted bribes. It was quite shameful to speak of.

Since the Emperor had ordered the investigation to stop, Chi Wan said no more. It wasn’t her place to say anything further. Publicly, the matter would end here, but privately, the investigation had to continue.

Many things couldn’t just be stopped because a superior ordered it. Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou’s consciences wouldn’t allow it.

After leaving the palace, Chi Wan went to the Imperial City Division and did not return to the Princess’s Residence for lunch.

When it was time to leave work in the evening, she remained at the Imperial City Division. Four hours passed, and with the city-wide curfew fast approaching, she finally packed up to leave.

Just as Chi Wan stepped out of the Imperial City Division, Xia Qu came to meet her.

Seeing Xia Qu, Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. “Why are you here?”

“I came to ask when the Fuma is returning.” Xia Qu’s tone was not very friendly.

No matter how close she and Chi Wan were, she was still Her Highness the Grand Princess’s person. When the two of them were at odds, she naturally had to side with her master. The circumstances didn’t matter; her stance had to be clear.

Chi Wan walked forward without a word. After a short distance, she turned back. “Did Her Highness send you to ask?”

“Of course not.”

So she didn’t. Chi Wan felt a little disappointed. “Alright.”

Xia Qu glanced at her, and her tone inevitably softened. “Her Highness didn’t send me, but she keeps asking what time it is.”

A hint was enough. She couldn’t be too obvious, or it would be difficult to explain herself when she returned.

Chi Wan’s mood lifted considerably. Yu Jiuzhou kept checking the time; it must be because she wanted to know when she would be back.

This was her plan all along—to make Yu Jiuzhou a little anxious. It was the first time she had worked late without sending word back to the residence. If Yu Jiuzhou had any feelings for her at all, she would surely be worried.

Having gotten the answer she wanted, Chi Wan felt like she was walking on air.

She headed east and ate a bowl of lamb noodles near the pleasure quarter, casually telling Xia Qu to go home and relay the message that she was in the pleasure quarter.

After she finished her noodles, she would return to the Princess’s Residence.

Chi Wan wanted to make the Grand Princess worry. She had realized that unless she made Yu Jiuzhou anxious, she would never be able to force out the other woman’s true feelings.

However, she couldn’t take it too far. Deception was one thing, but she couldn’t actually do it.

Chi Wan only planned to have a meal near the pleasure quarter to create the illusion that she had gone there, then she would go back and see the effect.

She was very curious to see Yu Jiuzhou’s reaction upon learning she had gone to the pleasure quarter.

Perhaps she should sneak back and watch? Hiding outside, she should be able to see Yu Jiuzhou’s genuine reaction.

Sometimes, she really wished she could hear Yu Jiuzhou’s thoughts. If only she knew what she was thinking, she wouldn’t have to keep guessing like this.

Chi Wan thought to herself, if only I could hear Yu Jiuzhou’s true thoughts. She felt that to hear the other’s true feelings, she had to resort to unorthodox methods.

Standing outside the pleasure quarter, Chi Wan hesitated for a while before heading toward the Princess’s Residence.

This time, she didn’t use the main gate, but vaulted over the wall into the small courtyard.

With her current skill, she could evade some of the hidden guards, but the ones concealed near the small courtyard would be difficult to bypass.

She had to think of a way to get around them.

Xia Qu? Although Xia Qu didn’t seem to be on her side, if she asked for help, the other woman would surely be willing.

Thus, Chi Wan decided to send a message to Xia Qu, asking her to go easy on her so she could slip in unnoticed.

When Xia Qu saw the note she sent, she hesitated for a moment before redirecting the hidden guards.

Chi Wan quickly jumped in, swiftly entered the inner chambers, and slowly approached the area where Yu Jiuzhou was.

Then she heard Yu Jiuzhou say, “The Fuma still hasn’t returned?”

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