Chapter 179: Improper Thoughts
Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Improper Thoughts
Renshou Palace.
The Empress Dowager sat in the seat of honor. Palace attendants and eunuchs stood on both sides with their heads bowed. The room was utterly silent.
Liang Wan knelt with her gaze lowered.
The Imperial Physician wore a grave expression, taking her pulse with intense focus.
After a long moment, he rose, faced the Empress Dowager, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Liang Ji is not with child. It is merely an upset stomach."
The Empress Dowager’s expression softened slightly. She gave a faint nod. "You may leave."
The Imperial Physician withdrew as ordered.
Liang Wan’s expression remained placid. ’What an unfortunate coincidence,’ she thought, ’to run into the Empress Dowager of all people.’
"Liang Wan." The voice was ice-cold.
The Empress Dowager already disliked her. Now, while Lu Xiu was away, she had spent such a long time with Gao Qian in Taiji Palace. How could that be anything other than a secret tryst?
Liang Wan knew what was expected. She rose from her kneeling seat only to prostrate herself fully on the floor.
The Empress Dowager said, "I have truly underestimated you!"
Her tone was soft, yet bone-chillingly cold. It would not have been surprising if her next words were an order for Liang Wan’s death.
Liang Wan kowtowed, touching her forehead to the floor, before looking up. "Even an ant will cling to life. How could a person do any less?"
The Empress Dowager shot her a sideways glance and sneered. "You have no shortage of excuses! Is there anyone who doesn’t know how the Grand Commandant dotes on you? Yet you were not content. You took advantage of his absence on campaign to arrange a secret affair with the Emperor. Even after being exposed, you show no remorse. How dare you resort to such sophistry before me?"
"In the past, I might have tolerated you had you known your place. But you were restless and unfaithful, digging your own grave. I would like to see if he can rush back from a thousand miles away to save you today."
At that, Liang Wan straightened up, kneeling perfectly erect. "I have never dared to place my hopes in anyone else, nor would I ever entrust my life to any man. Whether I live or die, stay or go—that should be for me to decide!"
The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow. "Such arrogance!"
Liang Wan said, "I admit that my heart belongs to the Grand Commandant. But what of it? My ambitions will not change for anyone!"
"Besides, men have always been fickle. He may love me as deep as the ocean today, but who knows when his heart might change?"
"It is a gamble I cannot afford to take."
"Your Majesty is angry with me now, but not truly because I betrayed the Grand Commandant. It is because you have always despised me and do not wish for me to remain by his side. This is the perfect opportunity to eliminate me. Even when the Grand Commandant returns, you will have a perfectly valid reason, and he will have no cause to resent you."
The Empress Dowager sneered. "At least you’re self-aware."
Liang Wan’s expression was unchanged. "I have told Your Majesty before that I have never forgotten my station. The title of the Grand Commandant’s wife does not belong to me, and I would never dare to harbor such improper thoughts—"
"I see it not as you not daring to have improper thoughts, but rather that you aspire to climb the social ladder and become a phoenix."
"I would not dare deceive Your Majesty. My original intention was indeed to enter the palace and serve the Emperor. However, circumstances changed. As the daughter of a disgraced official, I can never become a phoenix. I only seek a place of wealth and comfort to live out my days."
The Empress Dowager eyed her. "Then tell me, why would the Master’s Mansion not be a suitable refuge?"
Liang Wan replied, "The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be broken by the wind. The Grand Commandant has very few women by his side. If I were the only one to stand out, how could I possibly come to a good end or last for long? But His Majesty is different. He is surrounded by countless beauties. One more or one less makes no difference. Furthermore, I have nothing but my face; I have no family to back me. Without the entanglement of family interests and factional struggles, I can actually live a stable life. To me, that is the wisest course of action and the path to longevity."
Having said her piece, Liang Wan kowtowed once more. "Rather than speak of feelings, it is far more reliable to speak of interests. I am willing to pledge my loyalty to Your Majesty and work for you, in exchange for your permission to remain by His Majesty’s side."
The Empress Dowager snorted. "Work for me? How arrogant. The number of people who can serve me is endless. When would it ever be your turn?"
Liang Wan nodded. "Your Majesty naturally has many capable subordinates. But some matters cannot be handled by a mere subordinate, for instance... the relationship between Your Majesty and the Emperor—"
Liang Wan raised her gaze slightly, her meaning clear.
The Empress Dowager froze for a second, then flew into a rage. "Insolence!"
Liang Wan clenched her fists, her gaze direct and unflinching. She stated plainly, "His Majesty ascended the throne as a boy, and Your Majesty ruled from behind the curtain for many years. Although he has officially governed for the past two years, you still hold the true power. The Emperor is furious but dares not speak out. If this continues, it will not only harm the relationship between mother and son but also create an opening for opportunists to sow discord and drive you apart. This could threaten the stability of the throne. If I remain by His Majesty’s side, I will not only comfort and guide him but also watch out for those with ulterior motives on your behalf."
The Empress Dowager’s fury did not subside. She eyed Liang Wan with cold eyes. "The Emperor is surrounded by countless beauties. What makes you think you are any different? How long can he possibly remain interested in you?"
Gao Qian was indeed not a man who would listen to a woman’s every word.
In the past, the women he fancied either ended up with their heads cut off or were turned into decorative objects.
’She has some beauty,’ the Empress Dowager thought, ’but not so much that a man would lose his mind at first sight.’
Liang Wan said calmly, "I dare not hide the truth from Your Majesty. The reason His Majesty has met with me so often, spending long hours in the same room, was not for carnal pleasure. He confides in me about his troubles. We have met in private several times, but we have never been intimate. If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may have someone examine me. I have just come from Taiji Palace. If I had received his favor, there would surely be evidence of it."
The Empress Dowager was taken aback. ’No wonder she was so composed earlier, even when she heard an Imperial Physician was being summoned.’
’From what I’ve heard, she and the Emperor have been involved for a long time, meeting secretly on many occasions. And that time in the side palace...’
’But they never...’
As his mother, she knew her son’s temperament better than anyone. When had he ever been able to restrain himself around a woman he desired?
He had even been willing to fall out completely with the Empress for this woman’s sake.
Then she thought of Lu Xiu. He had never shown interest in women, yet for her, he had repeatedly defied her...
The Empress Dowager’s gaze darkened as she reassessed the woman kneeling before her, so poised and unflustered.
Liang Wan’s expression was serene. She unhurriedly drew the imperial hairpin Gao Qian had given her from her sleeve and held it up with both hands. "This imperial object is a token of affection that His Majesty bestowed upon me."
The Empress Dowager glanced at it for only a moment before her eyes fixed on the Late Fragrance Jade hairpin in Liang Wan’s hair.
The dragon motif was obvious at a glance. Compared to the imperial hairpin in her hands, the jade hairpin in her hair captured her attention far more.
The Empress Dowager said, "Since they have both taken a fancy to you, why do I feel that to avoid unnecessary conflict, it would be better to simply kill you?"
Liang Wan replied, "I, however, believe that to Your Majesty, I am of far greater use alive than dead."
Liang Wan met her gaze without flinching.
"A novice at chess plays to capture pieces. An intermediate player plays for territory. A master plays to understand the game itself. When I first learned to play, I was only focused on capturing pieces and often ignored the overall strategy, so I always lost. It was only after someone guided me that I understood the root of my problem..."
Liang Wan found it difficult to continue. In her two years with Lu Xiu, he had patiently taught her so much, even showing her how to command his hidden forces without concealment...
’He was such a cold and detached man, yet he had reserved all his fiery passion for me. How could I truly remain unmoved?’
’If not for the grievances and entanglements of our past lives, I would have been willing to bear his children.’
’But a thorn remained between us, something that could never be changed.’
Liang Wan sighed silently.
’In this life, my body and heart are already his. I can give him nothing more...’