Chapter 195: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell
Chapter 195: Chapter 195: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell
Liang Wan watched as Bai Lu and Gu Yu half-supported, half-carried her up, her consciousness gradually fading.
She fought to remain conscious, shaking her head at Zhou Yun with great effort.
How could Zhou Yun not understand? His tone was reassuring.
"His situation is perilous right now. He can’t rest easy with you in Jinye. Your leaving removes one of his vulnerabilities. Once he’s out of trouble, how could he not come find you?"
With that, he looked away from her, waved his hand, and said in a grave voice, "Take care."
’Wait for Lu Xiu to come find me?’
Liang Wan wanted to scoff, but in the next instant, her consciousness plunged into darkness.
A carriage sped down the main road, and in the blink of an eye, all that remained was a cloud of dust and two long ruts in the dirt.
The clatter of hooves and the rumble of wheels accompanied a violent jolting that made her bones ache, as if she were about to fall apart.
Liang Wan opened her eyes to the dim light inside the carriage. She didn’t know how long she’d been unconscious, or even what time of day it was.
"Madam."
Seeing her awake, Gu Yu drew near. Her eyes were red and her lips were pursed. Like a child who had done something wrong, she didn’t quite dare to meet Liang Wan’s gaze.
At this sight, Liang Wan found it impossible to lash out.
Liang Wan shot her an irritated glare and tried to sit up to change her position, only to find she still couldn’t move.
A flame of anger shot through her.
’Gu Yu!’
Liang Wan wanted to curse, her anger ready to erupt, but not a sound came out. She still couldn’t speak.
’Not only are they stopping me from running, they’re even stopping me from crying for help?’
’How very thoughtful of him!’
Liang Wan gritted her teeth, growing even more furious.
Gu Yu glanced at her timidly as she helped her sit up. "We’ve been traveling for two nights and one day," she whispered.
’Two nights and one day?!’
Liang Wan’s eyes widened. ’Wang Tingyue and Lou Shixun must have already set out for Pingzhou.’
’Where is Lu Xiu sending me? Is it too late to go after them now?’
’If Gao Qian and the Empress Dowager find out I’m missing, the consequences—’
A chill ran through Liang Wan’s heart.
Gu Yu placed a soft cushion behind her back, sneaking a peek at her expression. "You’ll just have to bear this for a few days, Madam. Once we reach the house in Chengchuan, you’ll be given the antidote."
’Chengchuan? Are they trying to send me out of Daqi entirely?’
Liang Wan’s dark eyes fixed on Gu Yu, boring into her.
Gu Yu grew flustered under her gaze. She offered Liang Wan some water, but Liang Wan kept her lips sealed, refusing to cooperate.
Gu Yu sighed. "Madam, please don’t blame His Lordship. He was forced to do this."
Liang Wan closed her eyes, in no mood to listen. ’Whether I blame him is my business. Who is anyone else to say?’
’What I need to think about now is how to escape.’
Liang Wan was silent for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, the fiery anger was gone, replaced by a profound calm.
Liang Wan’s gaze shifted from Gu Yu’s face to the cup in her hand.
Gu Yu asked, puzzled, "Does Madam want some tea?"
Liang Wan blinked.
Gu Yu let out a sigh of relief and brought the cup over again. She had been genuinely worried that Liang Wan would refuse all food and drink.
To her surprise, Liang Wan didn’t cause a scene or struggle. Tea, pastries—she accepted everything, eating whatever she was fed. She was utterly compliant.
The carriage continued on, traveling at a frantic pace, as if they were being pursued.
Liang Wan simply sat propped up, watching the sky outside slowly brighten. By noon, she could hear the bustling sounds of a crowd.
Peeking out through the swaying curtain, she saw a street lined with shops and vendors. It was a moderately bustling town.
She glanced down at herself. They must have left in a hurry two nights ago; she was still wearing the same clothes.
Liang Wan closed her eyes, and a series of images surfaced in her mind. Digging for lotus roots in the autumn, her hands caked in foul-smelling mud. The year of the famine, when she saw someone so starved they were scooping food from a swill bucket. The writhing grubs and maggots...
And Gao Qian. Every one of his touches, everything he had done to her, made her sick to her stomach.
She deliberately dredged up every nauseating memory, every repulsive sight and experience from her past.
GAG—
Her stomach roiled, and she could no longer suppress the urge to vomit.
"Madam?!"
Gu Yu cried out, rushing forward to support her and pat her back repeatedly.
Liang Wan’s face was ashen, and she was covered in a cold sweat, looking as if she might faint at any moment.
Gu Yu’s face flushed with panic. She turned and yelled to the person outside, "Guan Song! Find a place to rest, quickly! Madam is unwell!"
The driver shot a quick glance inside and saw Liang Wan with her eyes half-closed, her face as white as a sheet. She looked half-dead.
Startled, Guan Song quickly found an inn for them to stop at.
The town wasn’t large, and the inn was small.
Most of the patrons knew each other, so even though the newcomers tried to be discreet, their speech and demeanor marked them as different. Noticing they had come from the direction of Jinye, the innkeeper was especially careful not to slight them.
The innkeeper led them to a room, catching only a glimpse of the person being carried. The fabric of her clothes was fine, and a veiled hat hid her face, but she appeared to be ill.
"Go fetch a doctor."
A heavy pouch of coins landed in the innkeeper’s arms as he met a cold, hard stare. He caught it steadily and scrambled to carry out the order.
Guan Song laid Liang Wan on the daybed, took a few steps back, and bowed. "My apologies for the offense, Madam."
Gu Yu removed her veiled hat.
Liang Wan lay there listlessly, her eyes shut.
The doctor arrived with surprising speed, a medicine box slung over his shoulder.
Guan Song left the room to stand guard at the door.
Gu Yu stood to the side and said worriedly, "My madam suddenly began vomiting nonstop. I don’t know if she might have accidentally ingested—"
Her voice trailed off. ’Could it be related to the drug...?’
The doctor, unaware of the hidden circumstances, set down his medicine box and said dismissively, "When a woman vomits, it’s usually one of two things. Either she ate something foul, or she’s with child."
’So quick to jump to conclusions?’
Gu Yu stared at the doctor with suspicion. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to go ask Guan Song at the door. Something about this doctor seemed off.
The doctor tried to ask Liang Wan about her condition, but found that she was mute. Only her eyes, which seemed to speak, blinked at him again and again.
He glanced toward the door, then looked back at the woman on the bed and lowered his voice. "You’re not mute, are you?"
Liang Wan blinked.
The doctor took a sharp breath and carefully felt for her pulse. "You’ve... been poisoned?"
Liang Wan blinked again.
Cold sweat beaded on the doctor’s brow. ’Have I stumbled upon human traffickers?’
After a brief exchange, Gu Yu returned to find the doctor performing acupuncture on Liang Wan. Miraculously, her complexion already looked much improved.
After sending the doctor off, Gu Yu and Guan Song agreed to wait until nightfall to resume their journey.
As it was time to depart, Gu Yu turned her back to pack their things.
Suddenly, she felt a sharp prick of pain. She only had time to turn her head for a glimpse before she collapsed.
Liang Wan retracted the silver needle and crouched down to search Gu Yu’s body. As expected, she found her Pouch. She opened it and checked the contents; nothing was missing.
She then took a set of men’s clothes from a bundle and changed into them with practiced speed.
Time was short, so Liang Wan went straight to the window.
She pushed open the window shutters and peeked out. It was a cluttered back courtyard where a single servant woman was chopping firewood.
’The sky is getting dark. A good time to be on the road.’
With a final glance at the unconscious Gu Yu, Liang Wan vaulted out the window without a second thought.
"Hey, what do you think you’re—"
The woman, startled to see someone climbing out of a window, let out a cry. Liang Wan scanned the area, then decisively slipped the red coral bracelet from her wrist and tossed it to her.
The stream of curses died in her throat. The woman picked up the bracelet, stood up, and glanced around. At this hour, everyone else had gone for their meal; she was the only one there.
The woman took a step back, eyeing him uneasily. "You’re a strange one, young sir. You’re not thinking of doing something to little old me, are you—"
"Take me to the post-house!"