Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Courting Death

Leaving was not a way out, but a path to her own demise. She had already decided what to do back in Jinye. Discovering Beizhou’s secret letter to Lu Xiu merely cemented her choice.

She still remembered that snowy season in Beixuan. After lunch, the Grandmaster and Lu Xiu had played chess while Cao Luyun watched from the side, and she had brewed tea for them. Lu Xiu had hesitated over his move. The Grandmaster had laughed and told her to help him, so she had grasped his hand and placed a piece on the board.

Now, wasn’t she just helping him place another piece? Surrendering the defense map of Pingzhou City was only one part of it. She had ruthlessly betrayed the very things he stood for, and under his name, no less...

Liang Wan sighed inwardly, her feet never stopping as she headed toward where he was being held. Every step she took right now seemed to bring her closer to him, but in reality, it was driving them further apart.

Wang Tingyue snapped out of his daze and turned to chase after her retreating figure. When he looked up at her, Liang Wan’s expression had returned to normal—neither sad nor happy, completely indifferent. He walked beside her in silence. The so-called holding place was only slightly worse than her own living quarters. After all, with Wang Tingyue and these soldiers around, how could they truly mistreat Lu Xiu?

As they neared the tent, Wang Tingyue was about to speak, but the person half a step ahead of him turned her head. Liang Wan came to a halt, frowned in brief thought, and said, "After we return, it would be best if Brother keeps a distance from me."

Wang Tingyue knew he needed to avoid suspicion, but how could he bear to watch her sink into the mud all alone?

"I don’t know why you chose this path, but without any backing, how long can you last? Since you call me Brother, I have a responsibility to protect you."

Liang Wan lowered her head, a sour ache in her heart. Wang Tingyue had never liked court politics, and he loathed colluding with those officials even more. He had started practicing martial arts as a child, simply refusing to be like the young men of other scholarly families who revered literature while neglecting martial arts, ending up delicate and frail. He would rather wield swords and spears all day than join them in reciting poetry to the wind and moon, composing extravagant and superficial essays.

Wang Tingyue’s expression was grave. "Historically, to secure the throne, the support of the Gate Valve Aristocratic Families has always been indispensable. However, today’s Jinye is already rotten to the core. With the Liang Family’s downfall, your sudden rise to a high position in the harem without any backing might not be a good thing. It will inevitably make you a target for many."

He spoke bluntly, and his logic was generally sound. In truth, however, the very reason she could attain this position was precisely because she had no one behind her.

Liang Wan smiled and shook her head. "If Brother truly wants to help me, then listen to my advice. From now on in Jinye, not only should we avoid being close, but it would be best if we act as enemies."

Persuading him to leave early was probably unrealistic, but keeping their distance shouldn’t be too hard. After all, what she had to do in the future would inevitably run counter to his thoughts and beliefs.

Wang Tingyue’s gaze remained steady, though he felt a swell of emotion. The more time he spent with her, the less he understood her. Liang Wan didn’t explain. He would understand in the future. She was entering the palace, but certainly not to receive Gao Qian’s favor.

Just as Liang Wan was about to take a step, she paused again. "If there ever comes a day when I truly need Brother’s help, I will definitely ask."

Wang Tingyue didn’t press the matter further and gave a gentle nod. "Alright."

Only then did Liang Wan walk toward the small tent without looking back.

The guards here were brought by Lou Shixun. Seeing Liang Wan, they lifted their chins, acting like arrogant bullies riding on their master’s power.

"Please leave, Mrs. Lu. The Great General has ordered that unless he personally conducts the interrogation, no one is allowed to visit the felon privately.

"It would be one thing if it were anyone else, but your situation is special, Mrs. Lu. Who doesn’t know about your relationship with the felon? A single night of marriage leaves a hundred nights of affection. If you were to soften your heart and let him escape, wouldn’t we be the ones left to bear the disastrous consequences?"

The guard’s gaze roamed all over her. With her full chest and slender waist, her pale neck and snowy cleavage, a seductive hue was hidden beneath her collar. Just a few glances were enough to make a man’s heart tingle with lust. Both his eyes and attitude were utterly sleazy, and a malicious smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"If you insist on reliving old romantic dreams with the felon, why don’t you service us first? If you make us happy, we might just let you in. HAHAHA—" He smacked his lips frivolously as he spoke, exchanging a deeply suggestive look with the other guard beside him.

She had always known that petty underlings were the hardest to deal with, but such foul language was completely insolent. Unfortunately for them, she was no pushover either.

Liang Wan lowered her gaze and curled her lips into a smile. "Go fetch Lou Shixun. Repeat what you just said right in front of him. I didn’t quite catch it, so let him explain it to me!"

The guard spat and curled his lip in disdain. "Who do you think you are? You’re just a bitch who climbed into a man’s bed! What’s there to flaunt? You mere— What are you doing? UGH—"

The guard’s expression changed drastically. He hadn’t taken her seriously, but she unexpectedly grabbed him by the collar. A sharp pain at his neck made him let out a bizarre HONK. Seeing this, the other guard was about to attack her, but Wang Tingyue rushed over and stepped forward first. He kicked the man down and stomped fiercely onto his back, causing the pinned man to cry out, WAAAH.

The commotion drew the attention of quite a few people. When they saw that Liang Wan was the one causing the scene, they couldn’t help but be shocked. How did this usually delicate and fragile woman suddenly change so drastically?

"Awan." Wang Tingyue saw it too. He called out to her with furrowed brows, his voice laced with a hint of tension, fearing she might accidentally kill the man.

Liang Wan remained expressionless and unmoved. The tip of her hairpin was already pressing into his skin; just a little more force, and blood would come spurting out.

The guard trembled violently. Stripped of his earlier sleaziness and arrogant swagger, he raised both hands, not daring to move a muscle. His incoherent babbling was barely discernible. "Please, spare me—" His voice even carried a hint of a sob.

"Kneel," Liang Wan ordered coldly.

The guard felt resentful, but due to the sharp prick at his neck, he had no choice but to slowly bend his knees and kneel on the ground. "This lowly one deserves death! Please, spare this lowly one..."

Liang Wan ignored him. Her eyes remained fixed on the tip of the hairpin as she traced it lightly over his skin, her gaze piercingly cold. "What are you afraid of? Don’t you know that items bestowed by the Emperor cannot be stained with blood? Shedding blood with it is a great disrespect to His Majesty and warrants beheading. So, there’s no need to be afraid. I won’t use it to pierce your throat."

"You—" The guard stared at her with wide eyes, his body completely rigid. Although her words told him not to fear, that icy gaze and airy tone gave him full-body goosebumps.

Liang Wan blinked and gave him a gentle smile. "Open your mouth."

The guard’s eyes widened in a daze. Suddenly, a fierce pain struck his neck, and a sharp scream slipped from his lips. At that exact moment, something dropped into his throat. Immediately after, his collar was released, and he swayed, nearly falling back onto his rear.

Freed from the threat, the guard’s expression twisted fiercely. He leaped to his feet and lunged forward. "You bitch, what did you feed me?!"

Liang Wan took two steps back and pulled out a silk handkerchief. "It’s nothing rare, just something to shut you up." Her voice was like stagnant water, completely devoid of ripples.

Before she even finished speaking, a severe cramp struck the guard’s abdomen. Clutching his stomach with both hands, his face turned deathly pale. Pea-sized drops of sweat rained down his forehead, and all color drained from his lips. The next moment, he collapsed to the ground, his whole body convulsing as black blood continuously spewed from the corners of his mouth.

With clear disgust, Liang Wan wiped the shaft of her hairpin, discarded the handkerchief, and slid the hairpin back into her hair. After all, she had washed this Golden Dragon Hairpin countless times.

The onlookers stared at the scene, absolutely dumbfounded.

Liang Wan didn’t even bat an eyelash. After going around in circles, she had merely returned to where she started. From now on, the only person she had was herself.

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