Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Familiar at First Sight

Liang Wan watched the jailers lead the prisoner away.

To her, Feng Qingyue was no longer of any use. Staying alive in the Imperial Prison might not necessarily be a blessing.

The Prison Chief gathered his belongings and took Liang Wan to see the He Family’s Madam and Liang Jing.

Other than locking them up, Gao Qian had not ordered anyone to torture them. Perhaps he wanted to use this to control her.

They were locked in the same cell, sitting in a corner and leaning against each other on rotten straw mats. It was freezing to stay in such a gloomy place for long. But this was already the best treatment in the entire Imperial Prison.

The clearest sounds in the prison were of two kinds: the occasional ghostly wails and the slowly approaching footsteps. In such a place, the fear of the unknown wore down a person’s state of mind far more than those agonizing screams.

Through the wooden bars, Liang Wan saw the two staring blankly at her. She could clearly see their expressions relax when they realized it was her, the terror in their eyes vanishing instantly.

Liang Jing’s hair was a mess, her face smeared with ash. She stumbled and crawled forward, reaching both hands through the bars as if trying to grab onto something.

Her red eyes were brimming with tears. "Awan, are you here to take us out? Explain it to them properly. I am the heir’s wife! Mother and I are your family, not rumor-mongers, and certainly not Zhou Country spies! We’ve been trapped here for days, and I don’t even know how Chang Heng is doing. Has he been implicated by me? He must be terrified with me not returning for so long. Hurry and save us..."

She spoke incredibly fast, consumed by anxiety, and began to choke with sobs by the end.

Chang Heng was Sister’s child; it was only natural for her to worry. Sister only had this one child, but the Princely Heir was different. He had other women and offspring.

Liang Wan merely watched her cry, remaining silent.

The He Family’s Madam glanced at Liang Wan, then scrambled to her feet, patting Liang Jing’s back and comforting her in a hoarse voice.

Liang Wan continued to just watch.

After a long while, the He Family’s Madam looked up, tears shimmering in her eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, "Direct whatever resentment you have at me! Your Sister is innocent. She doesn’t know anything. Chang Heng is still young; he can’t be without a mother!"

A sour, aching pain began to spread from an unknown part of her body, reaching all the way to the depths of her eyes, bringing a surge of warmth. Liang Wan swallowed silently.

The He Family’s Madam choked back a sob and continued, "Since you’ve chosen to be with him and you know about the destiny poem, you must also know about the broken engagement. But some things aren’t as simple as you think! We are in no position to match the Lu Family! Everything I did was for your own good, yet not only do you fail to understand my painstaking efforts, you repeatedly disobey me. Fine, let that be. I will pay for my own sins, but you shouldn’t have—

"Regardless of whether that poem truly dictates your destiny or not, it’s a fact that you’ve caused people’s deaths! You’ve harmed them one after another! So many people have been dragged into this sunless place because of you, not knowing if they’ll live or die. How can your conscience be at peace?

"Stop making these mistakes!"

Liang Wan felt a little breathless. She turned her head, gazing down the bottomless corridor, and slowly inhaled. Looking back, she said coldly, "His Majesty locked everyone here just to ask a few questions. As long as you cooperate properly, His Majesty will not make things difficult for you."

The He Family’s Madam hadn’t expected her to be so impenetrable. She said sternly, "Never mind the others, but your Sister knows absolutely nothing! Even if I was the one who spread those rumors, go tell His Majesty to let Ajing return. I will stay here—kill me or carve me up, do as you please!"

Sister, who was usually so strong-willed, was already sobbing uncontrollably. In all her life, this was the first time Liang Wan had seen her weeping so hysterically, utterly consumed by grief and indignation.

The He Family’s Madam kept pleading. "Direct whatever hatred or anger you have at me! Ajing is innocent, and Chang Heng is your nephew! You even held him when he was just born. How can you let him lose his mother at such a young age?"

With tearful eyes, the He Family’s Madam glared at her, seemingly trying her hardest to awaken her conscience.

Expressionless, Liang Wan turned to the Prison Chief. "Seeing that they are fine, I am relieved. Let’s go."

The Prison Chief nodded slightly. "This way, Madam."

Without casting another glance in that direction, Liang Wan gracefully walked back.

"Stop right there! Stop, you unfilial daughter! Will you only be satisfied when you’ve killed everyone? Aren’t you afraid of retribution? How did I give birth to such a debt collector like you? I really shouldn’t have given birth to you! Why did I give birth to you back then? What a sin! Why did I have to give birth to you—"

The hoarse, crying screams were hysterical. The Imperial Prison was never short of agonizing shrieks. Liang Wan simply pretended not to hear.

The Prison Chief quietly stole a glance at her exquisite, fairy-like profile, thinking that anyone who could remain so calm while their own mother and sister were locked in such a place was truly a cold-blooded freak.

That pang of pain followed Liang Wan like a shadow all the way out of the Imperial Prison.

Outside the Imperial Prison, the spring sunlight was bright and beautiful. An eunuch was already waiting at the entrance. As soon as he saw her, he walked up to greet her with a pleasant expression.

"Madam, His Majesty summons you."

Liang Wan’s expression remained unchanged. She obediently followed him to see Gao Qian.

It was still the West Hall of Taiji Palace.

The eunuch opened the door, then bowed and stepped aside. Lowering his head, he said, "Madam, His Majesty is waiting for you inside."

Looking straight ahead, Liang Wan stepped inside alone.

The once dazzling and luxurious palace now resembled a slumbering imperial tomb. There was not a single flicker of candlelight, nor a single person in sight. It was empty, echoing only with her footsteps. The wisps of light filtering through the windows only accentuated the feeling that a beast was hiding in some dark corner, spying on her.

He hadn’t told her to stop, so she could only continue walking inward.

Just as Liang Wan’s right foot stepped onto the carpet of the inner hall, a large net suddenly descended from above, trapping her from head to toe. Immediately after, a strange fragrance enveloped her from behind.

"I have waited for you for a long time, Madam."

A warm and alluring breath brushed against her ear.

Liang Wan’s hands and feet turned ice-cold. She stood completely stiff, as if struck by a paralyzing spell. If it weren’t for her past experiences, she would have cried out in alarm long ago. However, aside from a heart pounding wildly in her chest, her face remained just as indifferent as when she had first entered.

Resting his head on her shoulder, Gao Qian stared at her slightly curled eyelashes and spoke in a faint, eerie voice, "You have worked hard these past few days, Madam. I wonder how you would like me to reward you?"

Without even blinking, Liang Wan replied, "It is nothing compared to Your Majesty waiting for me."

Gao Qian closed his eyes and chuckled softly. "Why don’t you ask me why I netted you, Madam?"

Liang Wan said, "Your Majesty must be trying to give me a surprise."

Gao Qian opened his eyes and gazed intently at her. "You are very different from before, Madam."

"Before?"

"Have you forgotten, Madam? The first time I saw you, I mentioned that I seemed to have met you before."

Liang Wan smiled. "I remember it was at the Duke Wei Mansion. To be honest with Your Majesty, I also feel like I’ve met Your Majesty before."

"Oh?"

"Mm, and I surely must have died for Your Majesty!"

At her words, Gao Qian smiled even more happily. "Are you not afraid, Madam?"

"Compared to death, I am more afraid of not being able to help Your Majesty."

"If only you had been this sensible and accommodating sooner, Madam!"

"It is not too late now."

"You are right, Madam. There is still time for everything!"

With that said, he swept her up into a horizontal embrace and walked toward the expansive dragon bed.

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