Chapter 141: A Private Affair in the Warm Chamber
Chapter 141: Chapter 141: A Private Affair in the Warm Chamber
After half a month, the Buddha statue was finally nearing completion.
Liang Wan was pleased. After today, she would no longer have to come to Renshou Palace.
After all, who enjoyed facing a phony smile day in and day out?
The Empress Dowager had been feeling unwell for the past two days, so instead of summoning Liang Wan in the morning, she had her come after noon.
Only two little palace maids stood at the entrance to Renshou Palace. They were so used to seeing her that they skipped the announcement entirely.
Liang Wan brushed the snow from her clothes, lowered her head, and stepped inside. The hall was silent.
She hadn’t gone far when she came face-to-face with the Chief Maid.
The maid explained that the Empress Dowager had caught a chill the night before and woken with a slight fever. She had just taken her medicine and fallen asleep, so Liang Wan shouldn’t go in and disturb her. She was to finish her work by herself in the side hall.
Liang Wan respectfully complied.
’After half a month of not budging, the Empress Dowager probably doesn’t want to see me anyway.’
The Chief Maid settled her in and then went about her business.
With no one to supervise her, Liang Wan was happy to be left alone. She couldn’t wait to finish her work and get out of there.
The walls of Renshou Palace were coated with Sichuan pepper and hung with embroidered curtains. It featured mica screens, swan-feather canopies, and cashmere carpets from the Western Regions. The air was filled with the scent of pear incense.
While a blizzard raged outside, the air in the hall was oppressively warm, and Liang Wan gradually grew drowsy.
The hand holding the needle grew heavier, and her eyelids felt weighed down.
’This isn’t right. I shouldn’t be this sleepy!’
By the time she realized something was wrong with the incense, Liang Wan had already slumped over the table. Her limbs felt as though they were filled with lead; she couldn’t muster any strength at all.
She stared at the embroidery needle between her fingers as her vision began to blur.
’Someone is trying to harm me...’
Suddenly, she was hoisted into the air, lifted from the table.
She swayed unsteadily, with no idea where she was being taken.
It wasn’t until her back pressed against something solid and a hand slipped inside her collar that the cool touch shocked her into forcing her eyes open.
A sinister, gloomy face loomed over her. His phoenix eyes were alight with lust, and a wanton smile played on his lips.
’Gao Qian?!’
"Your body is so soft, my lady."
Liang Wan tried to speak but found it an immense struggle. She could only force out a few broken syllables.
The sedative not only clouded one’s mind and weakened one’s limbs, but it also rendered one mute.
’Gao Qian had used this same trick on her before, to force her to submit.’
’But today, it’s clear someone is deliberately setting me up. Gao Qian must be a pawn in their scheme as well!’
"Why are you so silent, my lady?"
She was like a piece of uncarved jade, smooth and luminous, laid out before him, ripe for the picking.
A flicker of confusion crossed Gao Qian’s eyes.
Her eyes red with desperation, Liang Wan shook her head frantically while tightening her grip on her embroidery needle. It pierced her flesh as she tried to use the constant pain to stay conscious.
Gao Qian studied her.
The corners of her eyes glistened, slightly red, as if she were on the verge of tears. She seemed to have a thousand things to say. To him, it was the very picture of feigned resistance.
Gao Qian chuckled. "There’s no need to be afraid, my lady. I promised you this would be more than a one-night affair."
Liang Wan was speechless with rage. Ignoring his monologue, she focused all her energy on regaining control of her hand.
’If he dares to force me, I’ll stab him unconscious!’
Smiling, Gao Qian shed his outer garments. His hand slowly reached out and grasped her shoulder.
His eyes were dark and sinister. "A butterfly flitting among the flowers of Renshou Palace... You truly are a fascinating woman, my lady."
’He thinks I deliberately lured him here?!’
’...And why wouldn’t he?’
’I have been making advances toward him this whole time!’
At the thought of what would happen next—
Liang Wan’s stomach churned, and she fought the urge to throw up.
Gao Qian gently brushed her hair aside and slowly leaned in.
Liang Wan, who had been saving her strength for this one critical moment, raised her hand to strike the acupoint on the crown of his head.
"Your Majesty?"
A voice suddenly called out, drawing nearer. It was the Chief Palace Maid.
Liang Wan’s heart plummeted.
’Seducing the Emperor into debauchery in Renshou Palace... on that charge alone, I could be beaten to death on the spot.’
’Whoever set me up must truly despise me!’
The man on top of her paled, his eyes turning vicious, as if he wanted to snap her neck in two.
’He must think I’m so impatient to move into Hanguang Hall that I deliberately lured him into this tryst in Renshou Palace so we’d be discovered.’
’I can’t knock Gao Qian out now.’
Liang Wan lowered her raised hand.
Time was short. Gao Qian couldn’t be bothered with strangling her; he only had time to grab his clothes and wrap them around himself.
’If we’re seen like this, in this state, it will surely cause a scandal. Even if nothing happened, everyone will assume something did.’
’He can run, but what about me?’
’Besides, there’s no way he can escape!’
While he wasn’t looking, Liang Wan unhesitatingly drove the needle into the Baihui acupoint on her own head.
The sharp pain jolted her senses back to life.
Liang Wan scrambled to her feet and grabbed the man as he was dressing.
Gao Qian froze, turning to look at her in surprise.
With no time to explain, Liang Wan pricked the tip of her tongue with the needle right in front of him.
Pain shot through her tongue, and her mouth filled with the coppery taste of blood.
Liang Wan struggled to speak. "Your Majesty, hide! We’ve been set up!"
As soon as she spoke, she bent down to grab her clothes.
Gao Qian’s pupils constricted as he stared intently at the woman before him.
"Why should I hide for merely taking my pleasure with a woman?"
Liang Wan said urgently, "This is Renshou Palace! Surely Your Majesty doesn’t want to be caught in the wrong by the Empress Dowager."
Ignoring him, she threw on her clothes as quickly as she could.
Gao Qian’s face was grim.
Liang Wan threw him a hurried glance. With no other choice, she made a snap decision. "I will stall them. Your Majesty, find a chance to escape through the window!"
Ignoring his contorted expression, Liang Wan wasted no more words.
"Your Majesty, trust me!"
There was indeed no time to waste. The door to the side chamber had already been opened. Liang Wan rounded a large pillar and steeled herself to meet whoever was coming.
She could no longer see what the man behind the canopy intended to do.
’It was all up to fate now!’
Liang Wan took a deep breath. "Auntie, who are you looking for?"
The Chief Palace Maid was already standing before the embroidery table. She was shocked to see Liang Wan emerge suddenly from the inner chamber, her hairpin askew, her hair disheveled, and her clothes in disarray.
"And what has Liang Ji been doing?"
Liang Wan forced a smile, casually pulling her slightly open collar closed. "I felt drowsy just now, so I found a place to rest for a moment."
"Rest for a moment?"
’Could "resting for a moment" leave one looking like *this*?’
No matter how she tried to cover it up, the glisten in her eyes and her shallow breaths gave her away.
The Chief Maid’s expression turned cold, her eyes filled with suspicion.
"Liang Ji, have you seen His Majesty? I just stepped outside, and the palace attendants at the entrance said he arrived, but I haven’t seen him anywhere."
’A man and a woman, alone in a room together, and I look a mess... How can I explain this?’
’Besides, Gao Qian was just about to...’
’Gao Qian is wary of the Empress Dowager, but if he grits his teeth, he can just confess. At worst, he’ll be punished and remain under her thumb. But I can’t do that. Not only would I be barred from the palace, but I would be sentenced to death.’
’And on top of all that, Lu Xiu is now involved with me.’
’Never mind who lit the sedative—isn’t Gao Qian’s arrival a bit too coincidental?’
Liang Wan calmly shook her head. "I was asleep. I didn’t hear anyone arrive."
"Did you truly not hear, Liang Ji, or do you not dare to admit it?"
The Chief Maid sneered, wasting no more words on her. She led her attendants straight toward the inner chamber.
"Auntie, what is the meaning of this?"
Liang Wan scrambled to block her path.
The Chief Maid smiled contemptuously. "What is the meaning? Have you forgotten, Liang Ji, that this is Renshou Palace?"
With that, she gave a pointed look to the palace attendants at her side, and two of them immediately stepped forward to pull Liang Wan away.
Liang Wan squeezed her eyes shut. ’Even if Gao Qian did listen to me and escape through the window, with the heavy snow outside, he’s bound to leave footprints...’