Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Straight to the Point

"Awan, how could you—"

Wang Tingyue’s face instantly turned grim. Looking at the convulsing figure on the ground, he couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence. He never thought the word "murder" would ever be associated with Liang Wan, much less happen right before his eyes.

"Murder—!"

The other guard, who had been knocked dazed, struggled up from the ground like a reanimated corpse. Stumbling and tripping, he sprinted toward the main tent, screaming at the top of his lungs. His shouts pierced through the entire camp.

A crowd of soldiers stood watching from a distance, yet no one stepped forward. They had never accepted Lou Shixun to begin with, and she was the woman who had betrayed Lu Xiu. In their eyes, this was merely a dog-eat-dog spectacle. Perhaps they even hoped she and Lou Shixun would tear each other apart as viciously as possible.

Liang Wan looked at the dying man on the ground. "Does Brother think he doesn’t deserve to die?"

Wang Tingyue slowly shifted his gaze to her. Her exquisitely clear features now carried a trace of unfamiliar coldness.

Liang Wan turned to enter the tent. As she lifted the flap, she glanced back at him. "Brother, this world is far filthier and more cruel than what you’ve seen."

No matter how much Wang Su disliked him, Wang Tingyue was still a young master of the Sikong Mansion. It didn’t matter how his family treated him behind closed doors; outside, who would casually dare to provoke him? Even after Wang Su’s downfall, the worst he had witnessed was merely people sucking up to the powerful and kicking those who were down. But what she had experienced was the most sinister, the ugliest, and the darkest.

Setting aside their emotional entanglements, Lu Xiu had indeed provided her with a certain degree of protection as originally agreed. But soon, she would completely lose this shelter. The road ahead would not be easy. She could no longer afford to be weak and easily bullied.

Inside the tent, it was dead silent. The man on the straw mat lay unconscious.

In her memories, he had always been completely spotless and aloof; even the edges of his shoes were impeccably clean. He was nothing like her, who always ended up looking as wretched as possible every single time. But right now, he was still wearing the same clothes from the night before. His hair hadn’t even been tied up, and he was securely bound.

Liang Wan walked over and crouched down, half-supporting him against her shoulder. She gently stroked his face. The pure white pear blossom that had stubbornly clung to the branch had finally fallen to the dirt, trampled into nothing but ruins.

Footsteps sounded behind her, but she didn’t turn around.

"Please have someone bring some water, Brother, and a clean set of clothes. I need to help him freshen up."

"Alright."

"Also," Liang Wan turned her head slightly, "I’d like a pot of boiled water to brew some tea for him."

Wang Tingyue gave a hum of agreement and turned to leave.

The poison in the Green Peony fragrance ointment was quite peculiar; it had to be applied three times before taking effect.

These were Lu Xiu’s former subordinates, after all. It didn’t take long for a soldier to deliver the requested items. However, when facing her, his eyes were full of hatred, and he spoke with thinly veiled sarcasm.

Liang Wan reacted to none of it, keeping her head down as she untied Lu Xiu.

Watching the soldier set the things down, Wang Tingyue asked, "Do you want me to help you?"

Liang Wan looked up. "I’d appreciate it if Brother could stay outside and hold off Lou Shixun. Don’t let him barge in."

Wang Tingyue didn’t insist.

Once he left, Liang Wan finally undressed and bathed Lu Xiu. He didn’t like other people touching him. She carefully wiped over every scar on his body—big and small, old and new. It was evident that the past six months of warfare had taken a heavy mental, physical, and emotional toll on him.

After wiping him clean, she dressed him and tied up his hair, meticulously doing everything exactly as she had on the day he marched off to war. The man who had looked so wretched just moments ago had now regained his former poised elegance.

Liang Wan took a small box of fragrant powder from her pouch, waved it lightly beneath his nose for a moment, and then put it away.

Outside the tent, an infuriated Lou Shixun had been in a standoff with Wang Tingyue for quite some time. Taking one last look at the still-unconscious man, Liang Wan stood up and walked out.

The modest-sized tent was heavily surrounded, ringed by three inner and three outer layers of guards. It was surprisingly bustling. Had one not known beforehand that a condemned minister was being detained here, they might have assumed the Emperor’s carriage had arrived, given such a massive mobilization.

Wang Tingyue stubbornly blocked the entrance, refusing to budge. Lou Shixun ordered his men to drag him away, but to his dismay, Wang Tingyue easily tossed aside every man who approached. The sight infuriated Lou Shixun so much that he looked ready to beat Wang Tingyue himself.

"Wang Tingyue, do you have a death wish? You better get it through your head exactly whose orders you’re supposed to follow!"

Wang Tingyue stood as immovable as a mountain, yet he did not skip a single beat when it came to the proper tone, expression, and etiquette. "The Master ordered me to follow the Great General’s commands while away from the capital. I have not forgotten that for a single moment."

Lou Shixun grew even more enraged. "You haven’t forgotten for a single moment? The way I see it, you’ve completely forgotten it since this morning! Now get out of my way and scram!"

Wang Tingyue remained completely calm. "It’s true that I must follow your commands, but stopping the Great General right now is also in accordance with the Master’s arrangements."

Lou Shixun paused for a second before sneering. "The Master? And where exactly is the Master? You’ve got some nerve, spouting absolute nonsense in front of so many people and falsely passing on imperial decrees. I think you’re—"

"What an imposing display, Great General."

Liang Wan lifted the tent flap and lightly patted the person blocking her way. Wang Tingyue glanced back at her and stepped aside.

The man who had just been throwing around his weight as a Great General suddenly looked at her. When he caught a glimpse of that gleaming golden object, casually used to pin up her hair as if it were perfectly ordinary, he was taken aback.

The Emperor’s Dragon Hairpin. Would any ordinary person dare to use it?

The angry reprimand he had prepared died in his throat, and his words stumbled. "Liang Wan, you’re causing trouble in the military camp, and you even dared to kill my man. I advise you to quit while you’re ahead. Otherwise, don’t blame me for not holding back. Even if we take this before the Master—"

As he spoke, he threw a glance at the corpse on the ground, which was leaking dark blood. He felt a bit short of breath. He absolutely hadn’t expected someone who looked so delicate and soft to be so ruthless. Subconsciously, he took a small step back. He then remembered hearing tales of how ruthlessly she had acted in the Imperial Prison, sparing no one, not even family. A chill ran down his spine.

Liang Wan swept her gaze over the faces of the crowd. The way they looked at her was now vastly different from before.

She walked over to the corpse at a leisurely pace, gave it a cursory inspection, and then locked her eyes on Lou Shixun’s face. Her gaze was slightly cold. "From now on, anyone who insults me will meet this exact end. If you don’t believe me, feel free to try."

Lou Shixun ground his teeth in pure hatred. Her threatening tone and arrogant behavior showed absolute disregard for his authority as the Great General. "Do you believe I could make sure you never return to Jinye alive?"

"I do." Liang Wan gave a small nod. "However, if you kill this Consort, your Lou family will undoubtedly be buried with me."

Lou Shixun gasped. "’This Consort’?" he repeated, staring daggers at her.

Wang Tingyue lowered his eyes and said in a quiet voice, "She is the Left Consort of Hanguang Hall."

The crowd was dumbfounded.

Lou Shixun gulped, instinctively denying it. "No, that’s impossible."

Liang Wan shook her head and chuckled. "I didn’t intend to reveal my identity, but you happen to be terribly blind. Otherwise, why do you think the Master dared to let this Consort come here alone?"

Lou Shixun stood frozen.

Liang Wan’s expression turned serious. "Trading this Consort’s life for your entire Lou family—no matter how you calculate this deal, the Master wouldn’t lose out."

Life is like a game of chess, and a game of chess is like life; even the player is but a piece on the board. Liang Wan sighed silently. Some matters could only be resolved by using Gao Qian’s hand, but wasn’t she also being used by Gao Qian? It merely came down to who could break free from the fate of a chess piece first.

"Is it the Left Consort?"

The sudden voice rang out, clear as jade striking against stone, piercing straight into everyone’s hearts.

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