Chapter 63 — What Must Be Buried.
Back in Madam's office, the room had returned to its usual stillness.
She sat alone behind her desk, posture composed, expression carefully controlled. The brief disturbance from earlier had already been sealed away behind practiced calm.
Then—A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," she said evenly.
The door opened.
A Hanshen Ge guard stepped in first.
"Madam," the guard reported quickly, bowing. "The royal guards are here. They say something has been sent to you from the palace."
For the first time that day, Madam moved without hesitation.
She rose from her seat at once. Royal guards.
Whatever was delivered to her was not ordinary.
She stepped forward calmly, smoothing the sleeves of her robe before approaching the doorway. In moments like this, status mattered.
They were men of the palace. She was nothing more than the owner of a gisaeng house. And she understood her place in their eyes.
She exited the office and stopped just outside the door.
"Good day, honored sirs," she greeted politely, lowering her head in a respectful bow. "May I ask what brings you here?"
The royal guards looked at her.
Their gazes carried open disdain. Some measured her from head to toe as though assessing something unworthy of their time.
Madam did not react. She had long grown accustomed to such looks.
One of the guards stepped forward slightly.
"We were instructed to deliver this," he said plainly.
Behind him, two others carried three large wooden boxes. Together, they placed them carefully at the threshold of her office.
The sound of wood touching floor echoed faintly in the corridor. Madam's eyes lowered to the boxes.
They were sealed. Officially marked. She lifted her gaze again.
"May I ask," she said calmly, "by whose order these were sent?"
The guards exchanged brief glances. Then the same man replied, his tone unchanged:
"You will know once you open them."
There was no further explanation. No courtesy. No additional instructions.
Without waiting for her response, they turned on their heels and departed down the corridor in steady formation, their footsteps fading quickly.
The Hanshen Ge guard who had led them bowed nervously before retreating as well.
.The three sealed boxes sat before Madam.
Quiet. Immovable.
Her expression did not change—but her eyes darkened slightly as she regarded them.
She knew whatever lay inside was no ordinary gift.
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Madam stood alone for a moment, her gaze resting on the three sealed boxes still at her doorstep. Then, without hesitation, She stepped forward and unlocked the first box.
Inside—gold.
Stacks upon stacks of it. Carefully arranged. Bars gleaming under the light, their shine almost blinding. Not a small gesture. Not a token gift.
Madam's gaze lingered on the contents of the box. For a brief moment, her fingers stilled.
Not at the gold—
But at what it represented.
Then, slowly, she closed the lid.
A heavy silence settled over her. She closed her eyes to calm herself down.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and moved to the second box.
No different.
More than enough to silence complaints. More than enough to rewrite records.
By the third, The message was clear.
But this one held something different. Atop the shining bars lay a single envelope. Madam's fingers paused briefly before she reached in and lifted it out.
The paper was fine. The seal unmistakable. Her eyes lowered as she broke the seal and unfolded the letter. The handwriting was neat, confident.
The letter was from the Third Prince.
She read.
DEAR Madam,
I trust this compensation is sufficient for the inconvenience caused this morning.
What happened was… unfortunate.
It would be best if this matter remains buried. I believe Madam understands what must be done.
As for the girl Jianhe—she now belongs to me.
For a long moment, there was no expression on her face.
No emotion surfaced—only a quiet, unnatural stillness.
But the hand holding the letter folded slightly, crunching it a bit.
Then, calmly, she stretched the letter back into its original shape, folded it, then placed it inside the envelope, returned it to the box from which she had taken it, and closed the lid.
Without a word, she called for two guards. They entered quickly.
"Take these boxes into my office," she instructed.
The guards obeyed immediately, lifting the heavy containers and carrying them inside one by one.
Once they were secured within her office, she turned to one of them.
"Summon the head guard."
"Yes, Madam."
The guards withdrew, leaving her alone with the boxes. The room felt smaller now—
heavier.
As soon as the door closed, Madam moved swiftly to her desk.
She pulled out a sheet of official paper—clean and untouched. From a hidden compartment, she retrieved a small vial of specially prepared ink. The liquid was dark, nearly black, and carried a subtle sheen under the light.
She dipped the brush. Without hesitation, she began writing.
Her strokes were steady. Precise. Controlled.
When finished, she set the brush down and carefully sealed the letter.
Moments later, the head of the guards Ji An entered.
"Di Ah, I heard you called for me. What do you need?"
Madam rose and handed him the sealed letter.
"Deliver this immediately to the Queen," she said evenly.
Ji An accepted it. His expression tightened slightly at the urgency in her voice
"What's in it?" he asked.
"It is not something you need to concern yourself with," Madam replied evenly..
"Di Ah... " He hesitated. "If Madam requires anything… this subordinate will be at your disposal."
He paused, as if wanting to say more, but chose not to. Then he turned and left, disappearing without a trace.
Madam remained standing in the center of her office. The three boxes of gold sat quietly before her.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, at the Ji household.
The carriage rolled through the estate gates and came to a smooth stop within the inner courtyard.
Ji Wanghao stepped down first, his expression composed, unreadable as ever. Chen Ye followed behind him, her eyes swollen from crying, her steps unsteady.
The moment his feet touched the ground, his legal wife approached quickly.
"Husband, what happened?" she asked gently, concern evident in her voice.
Ji Wanghao pressed his fingers lightly to his temple.
"I have a headache," he replied flatly. "I am going to my study. Do not disturb me."
He paused, then glanced toward Chen Ye, who was still silently weeping beside the carriage.
"Take care of her."
Without waiting for a response, he walked straight toward the main residence.
His wife did not argue. She nodded and moved toward Chen Ye, offering her a steadying hand. Though she felt uneasy about the situation, she could not help but feel a trace of sympathy for the younger woman.
Under her guidance, Chen Ye was led away toward her courtyard. Inside the estate, Ji Wanghao entered his study.
The moment he stepped in, he closed the door softly behind him. The quiet click of the latch sounded unusually heavy.
The room was quiet for a moment. Then—
He walked to the center of the room and spoke in a lowered voice.
"I have already carried out His Highness the Third Prince's instructions," he said calmly. "Now… please release my son."
From the shadows of the room stood a man in royal palace uniform.
His posture was straight, his presence commanding. The embroidery on his robe marked his rank clearly.
He was the General of the Northern Garrison of Great Liang.
General Zhao Xun.
His expression was firm, his eyes sharp.
"Good," Zhao Xun replied evenly. "Your son will be returned to you tonight."
He reached into his sleeve and produced a small object, handing it forward.
"And take this."
Ji Wanghao hesitated only briefly before stepping forward and accepting it carefully. Even in his own study, his movements were cautious.
"What is this?" he asked, though a faint tension had already crept into his voice.
"A compensation for the trouble caused," Zhao Xun said. "A gesture of goodwill from His Highness the Third Prince."
Ji Wanghao lowered his gaze slightly.
"I cannot accept something so valuable," he replied quickly. "His Highness should not trouble himself on my account."
Zhao Xun's expression did not soften.
"It is no trouble," he said plainly. "And you have no choice but to accept it."
The silence that followed was thick.
After a moment, Ji Wanghao bowed his head slightly.
"Then… please convey my gratitude to His Highness."
"I will," Zhao Xun answered.
Without another word, the general turned and left the study. His movements were swift and silent, and within moments he had disappeared from the Ji household entirely.
Ji Wanghao remained standing in the center of the room.
For a long time, he did not move.
Then, slowly, he looked down at the object in his hand.
It was not a letter. It was a map.
His fingers tightened around the map.A reward… that left no room for refusal.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he unfolded it. And when he saw what it revealed—
His breath stilled. It was a detailed map.
A route.
And marked clearly upon it— A gold mine.
For the first time that day, Ji Wanghao's composure cracked ever so slightly.
The air turned heavy.
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Ji An arrived at the palace without delay.
Moving with practiced precision, he avoided the main corridors and entered through a quieter passage known only to trusted personnel.
His steps were steady and fast, his posture disciplined. Soon, he reached the Queen's private quarters.
The attendants outside did not stop him. Recognizing him, they bowed slightly and allowed him entry.
Inside, the Queen sat beneath the soft glow of lantern light, reviewing documents at a low table.
Ji An stopped several steps away, dropped to one knee, and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty," he said respectfully, "Di Ah—asked me to deliver this letter to you personally."
The Queen lifted her gaze.
Seeing him, she seemed slightly surprised, but her expression remained composed.
"Ji An… you are here," the Queen said softly. "A letter? What is it?"
"I do not know, Your Majesty."
"You don't know?" She paused.
"Bring it here."
Ji An did as he was told, stepping foward he handed her the letter.
"Thank you, Ji An. You may go."
Ji An bowed again. The moment permission was granted, he withdrew silently, leaving the chamber as quietly as he had entered.
The doors closed. The chamber grew still.
Only then did the Queen break the seal. She unfolded the letter and read it carefully.
The content was brief.
Yet its meaning carried immense weight.
Your Highness, The Left Prime Minister is now aligned with the Third Prince.
Her eyes moved across the lines without haste. Not a single flicker of emotion crossed her face. No widening of the eyes. No tightening of her lips.
When she finished reading, she folded the letter with deliberate precision.
Standing, she walked toward the lamp set within a recessed alcove along the wall. The flame burned steadily, casting a warm glow across the chamber.
Without hesitation, she held the letter to the fire.
The paper caught immediately, the edges curling as flames consumed it. She remained there, watching calmly as the words disappeared into ash.
Until nothing remained.
Only the steady burn of the lamp.
The Queen turned away, her expression unchanged.
The chamber returned to stillness—yet the weight of the message lingered in the air, unseen but unmistakable.