Space time in disorder: Tears of the Emperor

Transaction

The carriage was cramped, barely a meter wide, with a small round table in the middle stacked with bamboo slips. However, Chen Xing's attention quickly shifted to the man sitting across from her. With sharp eyes and hawk-like eyebrows, he exuded a chilling aura.

Instinctively, Chen Xing tried to move away and get off the carriage, but it suddenly started moving, causing her to lose her balance and fall forward into the man's arms.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized, sitting up and finding her footing. She took a moment to observe the man again. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, she was no longer afraid. Her focus was on completing her mission, and if she accidentally died and returned to the present, there was nothing she could do about it.

Ying Zheng had just left his mother's palace, feeling incredibly upset. He wanted to kill someone, especially his mother's lover, but he couldn't afford to offend his mother before ascending the throne. Trying to suppress his anger, he dozed off in the carriage, hoping to rid his mind of the distressing scenes he had just witnessed.

The evening sun streamed through the window, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart. Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt, and he heard a soothing voice, as refreshing as a clear spring, inexplicably easing the irritation in his heart. Surprisingly, he agreed to her request.

As the carriage resumed its journey, Chen Xing lost her balance once again and fell onto him. If it were any other woman trying to gain his attention with such a ploy, he would have ordered her to be forcibly removed or killed. But this time, he remained silent and even wished that she would stay in his arms a little longer. There was a fresh and pure fragrance emanating from her, akin to the scent of a forest, making him feel at ease.

Chen Xing carefully observed Ying Zheng, and he, too, observed her, but neither of them spoke.

After a while, as Chen Xing noticed the gradually fading hostility from him, she smiled and said, "Thank you, sir."

As the saying goes, one should not strike someone who smiles. Even during this short journey to Xianyang City, it wouldn't hurt to establish a good rapport with the other person.

After speaking, she observed his reaction attentively. He tugged at the corner of his mouth and then tossed something towards her. Chen Xing caught it and opened her hand to find a flatbread.

Thanking him once again, she began to eat it bite by bite, the only sound in the carriage being the soft crunching. After finishing it, she felt more comfortable in her stomach and more at ease. Seeing him sitting there, pretending to sleep and clearly uninterested in conversing with her, she decided to remain quiet and simply observe him.

As she continued to watch, she couldn't help but think of the handsome man she had met on the Mediterranean beach. If she hadn't been tasked with this mission, she would be on a delightful date with him right now. It had been almost a year since her last date.

The more she pondered, the angrier she became, and her resentment grew stronger. "Ah... Damn Owen, he must have deliberately played this trick on me. I hope he never finds love."

Unbeknownst to her, the words slipped out of her mouth.

The man sitting across from her cast a disapproving glance, his gaze becoming even more chilling. It was then that Chen Xing realized what she had said and quickly explained, "I wasn't talking about you. I was referring to a worthless friend of mine. He's a workaholic, forcing his subordinates to work overtime even during their vacations, like a tyrant."

After she finished speaking, she noticed that the man's gaze became even more intimidating.

She turned to the driver and asked, "Young man, how much longer until we reach Xianyang City?"

"We're almost there, miss," the driver replied.

Feeling slightly relieved, Chen Xing closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.

Ying Zheng had encountered many women with ulterior motives towards him. Usually, he could see through their intentions at a glance, as enemy nations were not shy about using beauty as a weapon. But today, this woman was different. Her attire, words, and demeanor were all peculiar. Although he couldn't reject her approach in his heart, his rationality warned him that there was something suspicious about her identity and that he should keep his distance.

The air was thick with her presence, and even with his eyes closed, Ying Zheng could sense her gaze upon him. His intuition told him that she was dangerous and that he should maintain his distance. With these thoughts in mind and the carriage swaying gently, he eventually drifted off to sleep.

Unaware of how long she had dozed, Chen Xing felt a push on her shoulder. She rubbed her eyes and saw the driver's face in front of her.

"We've arrived in Xianyang City, miss," the driver informed her.

Chen Xing woke up, checked her smartwatch's hidden function that only she could see, and confirmed that it was just after midnight. The curfew hadn't begun yet, and she had half an hour to find a place to stay.

She bowed to the driver and the man in the carriage. "Thank you for your kindness."

Saying that, she took out a gold earring shaped like a four-leaf clover from her pocket and handed it over. "This is your reward."

The driver hesitated and looked at the man in the carriage.

"This is genuine gold. You can have someone verify it," Chen Xing said, thinking that perhaps they believed it wasn't enough. "I don't know the prices here, but I believe this amount of gold should cover the fare."

After all, in modern times, taking a taxi for tens of kilometers would only cost a few grams of gold.

The man in the carriage didn't say anything, but he reached out and accepted the reward.

"Farewell," Chen Xing said as she saw him take the reward. She hopped off the carriage and waved before walking away.

...

"Master, why did you let her go like that?" the driver, Meng Tian, asked with doubt. It didn't seem like something his master would do.

Ying Zheng tossed the earring to Meng Tian. "Investigate the origin of this craftsmanship."

"But didn't you say she was harmless?" Meng Tian questioned in return.

Meng Tian wiped the sweat off his forehead and cautiously replied, "She may be harmless as a spy, but she happened to block your path back to the city and couldn't produce a teleportation symbol. No matter how you look at it, it's suspicious. Besides, I don't think she's from Qin, but I can't determine which country she's from."

"She's just a woman. She won't cause much trouble," Ying Zheng responded. "Furthermore, she has already paid her fare. Investigate her, and if there are no issues, pay no further attention to her."

"Understood," Meng Tian acknowledged before driving the carriage back to the palace.

As the carriage began moving again, they heard someone shouting, "Wait, sir!"

Ignoring it, Meng Tian continued driving forward. To his surprise, the woman ran even faster and quickly caught up to the carriage. Helpless, he could only pull on the reins and stop once more.

"What else do you want, miss?" Meng Tian asked as the woman panted, sweat dripping from her forehead.

"I would like to make another arrangement with you, sir," she hurriedly stated. Meng Tian furrowed his brow, feeling as though the woman was taking advantage of them. He gestured for nearby hidden guards to apprehend her.

"Allow her to enter," the man inside suddenly commanded.

Meng Tian was taken aback but dismissed the guards once more. He lifted the curtain and allowed Chen Xing to enter.

Chen Xing climbed back into the carriage.

Ying Zheng looked up and saw that the blush on the woman's face had not yet faded. Her complexion was clear, her eyes bright, and the perspiration made her fragrance even more alluring.

His gaze darkened.

"What kind of arrangement do you propose, miss?" he inquired.

Chen Xing raised her head and suddenly felt that the man in front of her was not as intimidating as before. At least, he was willing to help her this time. She had just disembarked from the carriage and intended to find an inn, but after inquiring at several places, they all required proof of identity with a symbol. If she continued wandering the streets, she would undoubtedly be arrested, and without proof of identity, escape would be impossible. Thus, she had to seek assistance once again.

"Sir, could you provide me with a place to stay for a month? I will pay the rent," Chen Xing proposed her idea. With one month's time, she would surely find a way to resolve her identity issue, which was of utmost importance.

"According to the laws of Da Qin, harboring someone without a symbol is an offense punishable by association," the man in the carriage explained slowly. "I cannot accommodate you."

Sweat reappeared on Chen Xing's face, and she thought, Must I go to prison on my very first day in Qin?

Meng Tian couldn't comprehend why his master had allowed her in, but from his words, it seemed he didn't want to keep her either. He gestured for the woman to disembark from the carriage.

Chen Xing remained motionless. She looked at the dark circles under his eyes and had a sudden realization. "Sir, are you troubled by sleep issues recently?"

Ying Zheng hadn't been sleeping well, and he had a headache. When he heard her inquiry, he asked, "Do you have a solution?"

"I have learned some massage techniques that can improve sleep quality," Chen Xing offered, leaning forward. "Allow me to give you a massage, sir."

Seeing that the man didn't decline, Chen Xing gathered her courage and began applying pressure to his acupoints. After about five minutes, she stopped and asked, "Do you feel better, sir?"

Ying Zheng nodded and replied, "It's somewhat effective. Now, tell me about your arrangement."

"Please provide me with a place to stay for a month. During this time, I will give you free massages," Chen Xing presented her proposal. "After one month, I'll leave on my own, and we'll have no further connection."

"Arrange a place for her," Ying Zheng instructed.

"Yes," Meng Tian acknowledged. He drove the carriage into an alley and stopped in front of a house. He escorted Chen Xing inside and explained the situation to the maid before taking his leave.

"Why did the master allow her to stay?" Meng Tian wondered, perplexed.

"This woman possesses medical skills, which may prove useful. Keep her until we verify her identity. If she turns out to be an enemy spy, eliminate her," Ying Zheng stated.

"Understood," Meng Tian replied, feeling relieved. He had been concerned that his master would be tempted by this woman of unknown origin. Although he knew his master had no interest in women, he couldn't help but worry. Hidden tactics like this were harder to guard against than overt assassins.