A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 100

Arrival at Liao State

Honey Trap

The carriage departed discreetly before dawn. Once they passed the Border, they would disguise themselves as Western Region merchants, and upon reaching Liao State, would infiltrate the imperial palace under the guise of dance maidens.

            

Inside the carriage, Jiang Chenyu sat beside Concubine Sheng. She had no desire for conversation—quiet and solemn.

Concubine Sheng glanced at her, produced a small vial, and said, “This is an Ancient Persian Medicine I obtained. A woman who takes it will have a waist slim as a palm within half a month, and her chest will become exceptionally full.”

Jiang Chenyu watched her gesturing as she spoke, eyes wide. Could it really be that dramatic?

            

“That look on your face—do you not believe me? You’re already flawless, but what we need is to make him unable to resist you. A pretty face alone isn’t enough. That old dog has seen everything. Better to be safe.”

“I’ll take it.” Jiang Chenyu looked at the jade-white little vial and made up her mind. As long as she could bring Ah Tang back, she would do anything.

The focus of a dance maiden could only fall on one person. If all three of them dressed as dance maidens, it would only confuse the eye—no one would know where to look. Besides, none of the three knew martial arts, so it made no difference who went. Jiang Chenyu was naturally a better choice than the Heir’s Wife. A job requiring this kind of sacrifice couldn’t be handed to an outsider like Concubine Sheng. It had to be either the wife or the older sister. But Shen Yunshu’s temperament wasn’t the kind to steal a man’s soul—it was the kind to lock it down. So naturally, it fell to Jiang Chenyu.

            

For over a month in that carriage, Jiang Chenyu barely stepped out. Concubine Sheng taught her dance techniques the entire time. The movements were secondary—the key was the eyes. A single glance that could steal half a man’s soul. Jiang Chenyu was naturally bewitching and alluring; she had simply kept her expression too proper in daily life. Now, with just a little practice, she could achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Every night after taking that little brown pill, her whole body felt swollen—hot and tight, genuinely uncomfortable. But compared to what Ah Tang was enduring, this small torment was nothing. She only hoped Ah Tang could hold on.

Inside Liao State territory.

            

Jiang Ning, face covered in stubble, handed the travel pass to the general guarding the city.

“What’s all this in the back?” A soldier barked, poking at the carriage covers.

Everyone bowed and smiled apologetically. The soldier circled around and stopped in front of Jiang Chenyu’s carriage. Just as he was about to lift the curtain, Jiang Ning stopped him.

            

“Officer, the person inside has been reserved by a high official in the city. Once she’s seen, she loses her value. If the distinguished guest complains afterward, we’ll all lose our heads.” She said this while slipping two small pieces of gold to the soldier.

“Oh, reserved by a distinguished guest. You must mean that one?” The soldier pulled his hand back, looked at the gold in his palm, and grinned.

“Officer, you truly are well-informed. Nothing escapes you.” Jiang Ning flattered him along those lines. In truth, who knew who he was referring to.

            

The soldier gave her a knowing look and waved the convoy through the city gates with a grand gesture. Jiang Ning tactfully offered some local specialties and sent the man off grinning from ear to ear.

She also managed to gather some useful intelligence along the way. Shen Yunshu, dressed in men’s attire, followed behind Jiang Ning and was greatly reassured by how effective she was.

The group hollered and sang as they made their way into the city. The locals here were mostly tall and powerfully built. Even though they had adjusted their appearances, it was still obvious they were not from around here.

            

“What’re you selling, friend?” A man in a wide, flowery robe asked in awkward Chinese.

“Some novel goods from foreign lands—spices and pepper you rarely see here, vegetable seeds, trinkets and curios, exotic foods, and a feather-woven garment for the right buyer,” Jiang Ning replied in equally awkward Chinese, chatting warmly with the man.

“Ooh, those are rare indeed. Should fetch a good price in our Liao State.” The man browsed the commotion but had no real intention of buying.

            

They had arrived in Liao State, but getting into the imperial palace would not be so easy. There were still about ten days left before the deadline Liao State had set. They had to infiltrate before Ah Tang was executed.

If the deadline passed and Great Qian still made no move, Ah Tang would likely be publicly beheaded—paraded before the crowds to see this Great Qian general humiliated and degraded, to appease the fury of their military defeat.

The very thought made Jiang Chenyu frantic with anxiety. The worst-case scenario: as long as Ah Tang was still alive, that was enough. No matter what state she was in, she would bring her home, and from then on, they would live in seclusion and have nothing to do with the world.

            

“Time for the dance.” After securing lodging and parking the carriages, they organized the musicians. They needed to attract the attention of the local nobility as quickly as possible—ideally, to be presented directly to the Emperor of Liao State.

The street they were on was already the closest they could get to the imperial palace. Any closer was impossible. Because of the military defeat, the city’s atmosphere was rather subdued.

For their purposes, though, this was ideal—it made them easier to notice.

            

Aside from stepping out at night to stretch her legs, Jiang Chenyu had barely left the carriage.

Her fingers were pale as scallion whites, the knuckles tinged with tender pink. A string of gold-and-jade beads glittered on her wrist, her nails painted vivid red. Just from a pair of slender, exquisite hands, one could guess that their owner was surely a stunningly beautiful woman.

The curtain lifted, and a veiled woman stepped down slowly. An exquisite jade hairpin inlaid with dazzling rubies lent her entire presence a dewy, radiant allure. A pair of lively, bewitching peach-blossom eyes, their corners flushed pink beneath long, slanted lashes, gazed out—not merely alluring, but with a soul-stealing aggressiveness that made people afraid to look up for a second glance, fearing their very life force would be drained away.

            

A golden dance gown, brilliant as solid gold, layered and flowing in the wind, set the jeweled bells on her body tinkling with a clear, resonant chime that lingered in the air.

By now, a crowd had surrounded the caravan, and the street came alive. People clustered in groups of three and five, whispering among themselves. Bold men couldn’t tear their eyes away. She didn’t even need to remove her veil—this alone was enough to set blood racing.

Though Liao State had an open culture, seeing a woman bare her arms and waist on the street was virtually unheard of. The half-cupped golden bodice, with its gem-studded gold tassels resting neatly at her waist, was covered in jewels and pearls, yet none of it could steal a fraction of the beauty’s charm. Even women in the crowd forgot to urge their husbands home, staring at this woman who seemed both demoness and fairy, forgetting to breathe.

            

When Jiang Ning saw that waist—no thicker than half her own—and that impossible-to-look-at soft/bosom, she froze on the spot. She had never known a woman could look like this. She was a woman herself, after all.

She blushed and looked away, then realized that wasn’t right—she needed to get a blanket.

“Let me get you a blanket,” she said hastily.

            

Jiang Chenyu caught her arm and whispered, “What blanket? Dance maidens dress like this.”

She had done a lot of mental preparation too, but as long as she remembered that Ah Tang was waiting for her, she had no room for other thoughts.

“Even if dance maidens dress like this, you seem a little… different,” Jiang Ning stammered.

            

“Isn’t it the same as them?” Jiang Chenyu gestured to the four accompanying dance maidens behind her.

“But you’re more likely to attract bees and butterflies¹.” She didn’t dare mention Jiang Chenyu’s heaven-defying curves.

“Hah—I’m counting on it!” She was here precisely to attract bees and butterflies.

            

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