Chapter 214: Chapter 214: No Way Out

Departing in such a rush last night meant they were short on supplies, making setting up camp quite a strenuous ordeal. Even so, Lou Shixun nitpicked at every turn. To someone like him, a military camp was simply too harsh of an environment. Liang Wan watched all of this without an ounce of surprise. Most young masters from scholarly families were exactly like Lou Shixun and Liang Zhang: extravagant, pleasure-seeking, and utterly incompetent. There were a few with genuine talent and capability, but sadly, barely any of them had survived.

While Lou Shixun was still barking orders and complaining outside the main tent, Liang Wan was already soaking her sore, weary body in a bathtub. When Lu Xiu was in command of the army, she had been willing to endure some hardships. Now that Lou Shixun had taken over, there was no longer any need to make herself suffer.

"Madam, these were purchased in Ye Yang. I haven’t worn them yet."

The newcomer, her eyes red, awkwardly set down the clean clothes and stood off to the side with her head bowed, only daring to peek at Liang Wan from the corner of her eye.

It was Lou Shixun’s concubine, Wei Ji.

They had no grudges against each other, and Liang Wan didn’t strictly need anyone to serve her. She lifted her eyelids slightly, glancing at the reluctant woman. "You can go back tonight."

Wei Ji looked up in surprise. Her uncertain gaze suddenly fixed on a particular spot. She immediately flushed crimson and hastily lowered her head in embarrassment. "I didn’t mean to offend—"

Liang Wan cast her eyes down. Across her snow-white body bloomed faint red marks, the lingering traces of intimacy.

"It’s fine," she said.

Everyone knew she was Lu Xiu’s concubine. Soon enough, the news of her betraying him would spread across the world as well.

Liang Wan stood up, dried herself off, and dressed. As Wei Ji was helping her style her hair, someone outside the tent announced his arrival. She had planned to seek out Wang Tingyue a little later, but he clearly couldn’t wait and had come looking for her first.

Liang Wan sighed softly and turned her face toward Wei Ji. "Go back and rest."

Wei Ji hesitated for a moment before looking up and boldly asking, "Tonight, may I have a maidservant deliver dinner? I wish to stay and serve the Great General during his meal."

Regardless of how Lou Shixun treated Wei Ji, the fact that she gave up a stable, comfortable life to travel thousands of miles with the army proved her feelings were genuine. Liang Wan lowered her gaze and nodded.

Wei Ji thanked her profusely.

After Wei Ji left, Liang Wan was in no rush to go outside. Her eyes fell on the small table in front of her, where two hairpins lay: one jade, one gold. It seemed as though she were facing two different paths, but in reality, only one was viable. Liang Wan picked up one of them and pinned up her hair.

Wei Ji had a similar figure to hers, so the extravagantly layered, wide-sleeved dress fit her perfectly. It complemented her chosen hairpin exceptionally well, reflecting the consistent style of the Imperial Family and the scholarly families. It was opulent and eye-catching.

Liang Wan picked up the nearby Pouch and walked out, leaving the other hairpin lying all alone on the table.

After midday, the sunlight was slightly blinding.

Wang Tingyue, full of questions, waited patiently outside the tent. Upon hearing a sound, he turned around and was instantly taken aback, dazzled by the brilliant colors before him.

The name "Awan" caught squarely in his throat.

Since childhood, he had always known she was beautiful. But her beauty had been clean and pure, like a blooming flower in spring or a high, bright moon on an autumn night. Now, however, her glamorous, alluring appearance made her almost unrecognizable. More importantly, the hairpin in her hair carved an invisible chasm between them, separating her from the rest of the world and making it impossible to ever get close to her again.

Wang Tingyue felt a tearing pain in his chest. His feet felt too heavy to take a single step forward. She didn’t have to choose him. She didn’t have to leave with Lu Xiu. She could have married absolutely anyone else. Why did it have to be that man?

He lowered his head, his heart aching fiercely.

Liang Wan stopped two steps away, her voice light and detached. "Brother, I am now the Left Consort, personally appointed by His Majesty."

Wang Tingyue’s head snapped up, staring fixedly at the woman in front of him.

"Weren’t you curious why I came here holding the Golden Dragon Hairpin? This is the answer," she said with a faint smile, her eyes sparkling as if she were completely blind to the deathly pallor on his face.

Moving into Hanguang Hall was no empty talk. Gao Qian had written the imperial edict of her ennoblement right in front of her, and it was currently sitting inside Hanguang Hall. Whether she returned or not, it would be announced to the world. Gao Qian had always been heavily suspicious. The title seemed like a reward, but it was actually a threat.

Liang Wan reined in her smile, her tone calm. "Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

Wang Tingyue’s throat felt tight and dry as he stared at her in a daze. "...Why? Why did things turn out like this? You were forced into this, weren’t you?"

Liang Wan tilted her head and thought about it. Forced? She had always wanted to enter the palace. This was simply her getting exactly what she wanted. She shook her head and looked at him. "No, I did it willingly."

Wang Tingyue choked back a sob. "How could it possibly be willing? You could never like—"

"Brother," Liang Wan interrupted, "I want to go see him. Come with me."

The man who had stood tall just moments ago now looked utterly defeated. Wang Tingyue stood in silence for a long time before weakly nodding. "Alright."

The place where Lu Xiu was detained was quite far from her quarters. As they walked, they drew sidelong glances from everyone they passed, and almost no one offered them a friendly look. The more loyal these soldiers were to Lu Xiu, the more they resented and despised her betrayal. It was completely normal and entirely unsurprising.

The man walking ahead of her suddenly stopped. He turned around, glanced at their surroundings, and leaned down to meet her eyes with absolute seriousness.

"Awan, don’t return to Jinye, and don’t enter the palace. While we are still in Pingzhou, you two need to leave together. Run as far away as you can. Go wherever you want. These soldiers will definitely turn a blind eye and won’t actually stop you. The few men Lou Shixun brought along aren’t nearly enough to pose a real threat. But once you return to Jinye, it will be too late to escape."

He stared into her eyes without blinking, his gaze devoid of fear or hesitation, filled only with pity and profound care for her. His tone was so resolute, entirely disregarding the consequences he would face for letting them go.

Wang Tingyue didn’t know what those consequences would be, but she knew all too well.

Liang Wan lowered her head and pressed her lips together before looking back at him. "Brother, before you left Jinye, did you visit Renshou Palace?"

A flash of surprise crossed Wang Tingyue’s determined eyes. He didn’t answer aloud, but his silence was answer enough.

Liang Wan nodded slightly. "Yes, Brother, you can risk your own life for my sake, completely disregarding your own survival. But what about all these other people?"

She understood Gao Qian’s temperament far too well. Lu Xiu could neither return to Jinye nor escape. His only possible outcome was death. Only when Lu Xiu was dead would Gao Qian truly feel at ease, and only then would this matter genuinely be settled.

"Fine, I could be selfish. I could ignore your fate and the lives of everyone else here, and just leave with him," she continued. Pausing for a moment, she asked, "But where would we go? I am the Emperor’s concubine, and he is a condemned traitor. Where could we possibly go? Could we live incognito for the rest of our lives?"

Liang Wan laughed at her own words. "Don’t you know what kind of world we live in, Brother? He wouldn’t even need to issue an imperial decree. Hordes of people would stumble over each other to capture us and claim the reward. The ’rest of our lives’—how long would that be? A few days? A dozen days? Or a few months?"

She paused, her eyes growing faintly misty as she looked at him. Smiling, she asked, "Besides, how do you know he would even be willing?"

Wang Tingyue froze.

She was right. Even he himself wouldn’t be willing to live like that, let alone someone as proud and aloof as Lu Xiu.

Liang Wan let out a soft, almost imperceptible sigh. She stepped around him and continued walking forward. "Furthermore, I’m not willing, either."

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