Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Mutual Deception

Liang Wan hurriedly explained, "Don’t misunderstand. I just wanted to see if there was any chance of it being healed."

The eunuch glanced at her, his eyes filled with an unreadable expression that was painful to see.

The hand he had raised fell back to his side. He lowered his gaze, shook his head, and turned to leave.

Liang Wan chased after him. "Wait! You still haven’t told me your name."

The eunuch gave her no chance, easily shaking her off.

Liang Wan stared at the courtyard, now empty save for the flowers and trees, feeling a little helpless.

’Forget it.’ Suddenly remembering something, she didn’t dare delay any longer and hurried toward Taiji Palace.

It was only a wall away.

The person behind the arched gate looked over again, but all he could see was a plain-colored silhouette, like a wisp of a white cloud, quickly blown away by the wind.

When he turned back, all that was left was a sigh.

Not only was he disfigured and mute, but he was also crippled.

Outside the doors of Taiji Palace, palace maids were kneeling everywhere.

When they saw someone approaching, they only dared to peek from the corners of their eyes.

The palace doors were wide open, and the faint stench of blood assaulted her nostrils. Liang Wan stood at the entrance and glanced inside. The scene was one of utter devastation—wreckage, shattered fragments, and fresh blood and corpses...

She glanced at the people kneeling on the ground. Every one of them was trembling with terror. She, too, had once been one of them.

In this situation, it was clear no one was going to announce her.

Liang Wan lifted her skirts and stepped over the threshold.

Everyone’s eyes widened in shock. The next moment, they squeezed their eyes shut and cringed, awaiting the sound they all expected—the thud of a head hitting the floor.

Liang Wan walked straight ahead, her gaze fixed forward. Her steps were steady. When she came across a body, she stepped over it. When she encountered debris, she stepped on it.

She moved as if walking on flat ground, her expression unchanged.

The entire hall was as silent as a graveyard.

Her voice was soft. "Your Majesty, where are you?"

A chill ran across her neck. The pungent smell of blood filled the air as a lock of her hair drifted to the ground.

"My Lady has arrived?" The voice was colder and more merciless than the edge of a sword.

Liang Wan’s fingertips were cold. "I have come to help Your Majesty resolve your worries and difficulties."

Gao Qian, like a soulless walking corpse, came up from behind her, his eerie gaze falling upon her face.

"Resolve my worries and difficulties? Does My Lady know what worries me, or what difficulties I face?"

Liang Wan looked at him. "Of course, I know."

As she spoke, she pulled another letter from her sleeve and handed it over, completely ignoring the cold blade at her neck.

"Your Majesty should take a look at this first."

Gao Qian’s body didn’t move an inch. He only furrowed his brow. "What is this?"

Liang Wan sighed, reached out to take the longsword from his hand, and tossed it to the ground. She took his blood-stained hand and led him toward the Dragon Chair.

She pushed Gao Qian down onto the Dragon Chair and unfolded the letter for him. It was written in black ink on white paper.

Liang Wan met his pitch-black eyes. "This is the Empress Dowager’s secret, and also the Lu Family’s greatest secret."

She clearly saw his pupils contract.

Gao Qian snatched the letter from her hand and read it hastily.

Liang Wan stood by his side and read it again along with him. It was a suicide note from Yuan Shaoyu to Lu Xiu.

"That bitch!"

After reading it, Gao Qian roared in fury, crumpling the letter tightly in his fist. His entire body was trembling.

Liang Wan watched him coldly, but her voice was incredibly gentle. "Do not be afraid, Your Majesty. I will help you."

Gao Qian clutched the letter and looked up, his eyes dark, stormy, and filled with a bloodthirsty viciousness.

Liang Wan’s heart trembled. Suppressing her fear, she knelt down, clenched her teeth, and took his hand, looking up at him. "Your Majesty must trust me."

Gao Qian looked down, narrowing his eyes at her. "How can I trust you?"

In his eyes, Liang Wan saw her own reflection—a tiny figure, humble yet sincere.

"I will help Your Majesty kill Lu Xiu. I will not let anyone threaten your throne, nor will I let Your Majesty continue to be kept in the dark by the Empress Dowager."

"As long as Lu Xiu is dead, both the immediate problem and any future threats will cease to exist."

Gao Qian seized her by the neck and demanded, "Is this letter real?"

Choked by his grip, Liang Wan’s face turned red, and tears streamed from her eyes.

"Yuan Shaoyu... served as the Minister... Your Majesty can... have someone investigate... look into the archives from those years... compare the handwriting... and you will know... if it’s real or fake..."

She spoke with extreme difficulty, as if she could stop breathing at any moment.

"The... Empress Dowager... has been searching... for this letter’s whereabouts... If Your Majesty doesn’t believe me... you can send someone to investigate."

As if his strength had failed him, Gao Qian’s hand dropped limply. Liang Wan collapsed to the floor, clutching her neck and gasping for breath.

He shook his head, muttering to himself, "...He’s not... my maternal uncle... but my... younger half-brother, from the same mother?"

"My throne... it’s actually... No, that’s not it. This throne belonged to my father, the Emperor. I am his son. This Daqi has always belonged to our Gao family! Yuan Shaoyu was a traitorous official, and Lu Xiu is the descendant of a traitorous official!"

Liang Wan, still catching her breath, struggled to her feet. "Do not worry, Your Majesty. Lu Xiu will be dead soon. I will help Your Majesty kill him. The dominion of Daqi can only belong to Your Majesty."

She paused, then added, "Once Your Majesty has verified the letter’s authenticity, you should burn it. In the future, if anyone mentions these hidden matters, they must be harboring ill intentions. Your Majesty can simply have them killed."

Gao Qian slowly nodded. "Yes. Kill all threats."

Liang Wan raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on her lips. "They think Your Majesty knows nothing. But in fact, Your Majesty is perfectly clear on everything, as if you can see it in the palm of your hand."

Gao Qian sat down, his eyes fixed forward, not looking at her. "I will issue an edict to have him stripped of his post and investigated. Then have him drawn and quartered!"

Liang Wan said urgently, "Your Majesty, you absolutely must not!"

Gao Qian’s gaze was as cold as water. "Why not?"

Liang Wan explained, "First, the Lu Family is inextricably linked to Your Majesty and is your greatest support. This matter is a scandal for the Lu Family and should not be made public. It can only be handled secretly. Otherwise, it will arouse suspicion from others, which would be detrimental to Your Majesty."

"Second, in the art of war, changing generals on the eve of battle is a great taboo. Daqi and Beizhou have not yet ceased hostilities. How can you publicly issue an edict to investigate the commanding Great General while he is facing the enemy? Wouldn’t that destroy our own morale and boost the enemy’s prestige?"

"In my opinion, I should be the one to go and kill him in secret. Then, an announcement can be made that the Great General died of a sudden illness. Your Majesty can also select a trusted individual to accompany me and secretly take control of the army. Once the war is over and the crisis is resolved, Your Majesty can issue any edict you wish to condemn him, but by then, he will already be dead."

"I believe that while Your Majesty’s own power is not yet fully established, you cannot afford to have a complete falling out with the Empress Dowager and the Lu Family. It would be better to use this opportunity to seize military authority, cultivate your own loyal followers, and free yourself from the Empress Dowager’s control sooner rather than later. After all, her thoughts are truly unpredictable. What if—"

Liang Wan didn’t finish her sentence, merely staring meaningfully at the crumpled letter.

’First, she betrayed the late Emperor. Then, she killed the powerful minister who conspired with her to usurp the throne. She stole what should have belonged to her illegitimate son and pushed her other biological son onto the throne, turning him into a puppet. Who knows if an ambitious schemer like her might not suddenly get the idea to become a female emperor herself?’

Gao Qian’s eyes turned cold, and his voice was chilling. "Who does My Lady intend to recommend this time? The Central Lang General, Wang Tingyue?"

Liang Wan was taken aback.

Seeing her silence, Gao Qian continued, "I suppose My Lady intended to say that since I spared Wang Tingyue’s life back then, he must be eternally grateful. He is alone now, with no Wang family to back him, making him a perfect tool for my use? That he would serve me with all his wisdom and loyalty?"

"Oh, right. And he is currently held in high regard by Lu Xu. If I were to employ someone valued by Lu Xu, wouldn’t that also signify my trust in the Lu Family?"

"Truly killing several birds with one stone!"

Liang Wan: "..."

Gao Qian: "I almost forgot. It seems he has admired My Lady for a long time, has he not?"

’For her sake, he once charged into this very hall with a sword, intending to kill me!’

Gao Qian narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Am I right, or am I not?"

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