Chapter 39: Deadly Cold Blade
Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Deadly Cold Blade
She knew very well that for her own safety, it was best to stay indoors. But it had already been four days with absolutely no news, and her limited patience was clearly running out.
Liang Wan made up her mind and headed for the outer room. Unexpectedly, just as she reached the threshold, the door opened.
The maid’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise at seeing Liang Wan right there. "My Lady, Lord Lu has sent someone to pick you up."
As usual, the maid didn’t say another word, simply lowering her eyes submissively and leading her out the door.
The painted pillars of the pavilion were veiled in a gauze-like morning light, coating everything in a pale golden halo. There were only a few maids responsible for cleaning under the corridor. The SWISH SWISH of their sweeping made the courtyard full of flowers and trees seem unusually quiet.
This was the first time Liang Wan had stepped out of the pavilion since she started staying here days ago. She wondered how frantically the people outside were searching for her, and where she was being taken now.
The carriage traveled west. Swaying gently along the way, the time passed tolerably enough. Liang Wan peered out through the carriage curtains—this was the road leading to the Imperial City. After quite a while, the carriage finally stopped.
When she finally saw clearly where they had arrived, the color drained from her face, and a wave of panic washed over her. It was Dali Temple Prison! She never expected Lu Xiu to send her here.
Suppressing her shock and doubt, Liang Wan stepped out of the carriage. She glanced at the man walking toward her: dressed in green, carrying a cold blade, and with rugged features, he was a stern-faced guard.
"Lord Lu is waiting for you inside." He stood perfectly straight, his chiseled face utterly freezing. He only glanced at her when he spoke.
Despite it being their very first meeting, his disgust was undisguised. Liang Wan felt somewhat baffled, unable to recall any grudges she might have with him.
It was broad daylight outside, but the interior of the prison was dark and gloomy. A stench of decay and rust hung in the cold, damp air. She followed the guard, not daring to look around, walking with her head down. The deeper they went, the quieter it became. Only occasionally did she hear a moan or two from the prisoners.
Even so, her heart was gripped tightly in her chest.
The guard finally stopped when they reached a clean, spacious room.
Unlike his usual white robes, Lu Xiu was dressed in a deep purple gauze official uniform, his hair secured with a hair tie and a golden crown. His breathtakingly handsome face bore a rare expression of heroic majesty.
As Liang Wan entered, she saw him sitting idly, leaning against his seat. His head was turned, gazing out the only small light-permitting window on the wall. His indifferent and icy brow was filled with sheer boredom. Hearing the noise at the door, he lazily glanced over, looking quite impatient.
Liang Wan’s heart tightened. She hurriedly lifted her skirt and walked in. "My Lord."
Propping up his head with one hand, Lu Xiu stared fixedly at her, scrutinizing her inch by inch from head to toe. In his brocade robes and jade belt, he appeared noble and elegant. He exuded a clear radiance like moonlight, yet carried a faint, brooding melancholy that somehow perfectly matched the ghastly chill of the prison.
Under his intense gaze, Liang Wan felt extremely uncomfortable, as if someone would rush forward at any second to tie her up.
"I do not know what He Yi My Lord has in bringing me here?" Her pitch-black eyes were misted with a thin layer of moisture from nervousness.
Lu Xiu raised an eyebrow. "This is exactly where you were supposed to be!"
"Is My Lord asking me to pay for Zhang Shi’s life with my own?" Her lips turned pale, and her stubborn, watery eyes were filled with indignation.
Lu Xiu merely glanced at her, then lowered his eyelashes and chuckled, shaking his head. "You really haven’t grown at all!"
His laughter left Liang Wan feeling slightly bewildered. Just as she was about to speak, footsteps sounded behind her.
"Grand Commandant, the person has been brought."
When Lu Xiu looked up again, his smile had vanished. He simply gave a slight nod.
Liang Wan turned her head and saw the Prison Minister step aside. Behind him, two prison guards escorted a prisoner forward. The man had disheveled hair and wore heavy iron shackles on his wrists and ankles.
When ordered to kneel, the prisoner refused. A prison guard stepped up and kicked him hard. The prisoner cried out in pain and crashed to his knees. He raised his head resentfully, revealing a scarred face and cold, vicious eyes.
"How dare a lowly wretch like you show me such disrespect!"
The prisoner did not appear defeated by his dire circumstances; he remained just as arrogant and overbearing as ever. Startled, Liang Wan took two steps forward, her eyes wide as she tried to get a clear look at the kneeling man, terrified that her eyes were playing tricks on her and she was mistaking him for someone else.
"Wang Su?!"
Chancellor Cao had actually made a move against him!
Liang Wan’s eyes grew hot. On the way here, she hadn’t completely ruled out this possibility, but she also knew very well that Wang Su’s power in the court was not to be underestimated. Otherwise, Chancellor Cao wouldn’t have fallen into his hands in her past life. Bringing him down was no easy feat, and she had even prepared herself for failure.
But now, Wang Su was truly kneeling before her. The scene she had fantasized about countless times had finally become reality. Liang Wan wanted to both laugh and cry.
Seeing Liang Wan, Wang Su tilted his head back and gave a chilling smile, then shifted his gaze to Lu Xiu.
"I never imagined our Grand Commandant was such a hopeless romantic, willing to wade into these muddy waters for a mere woman!" Wang Su let out a harsh laugh, his eyes brimming with mockery.
Lu Xiu’s unfathomable eyes were pitch black. He curled his lips slightly into a smile but did not answer.
Liang Wan could only see the man she loathed with every fiber of her being. She grabbed Wang Su by the collar, the corners of her eyes turning red. "Was it you who killed my Awen, and murdered my Father? Was it?!"
Only then did Wang Su look at her. He sneered disdainfully, his eyes completely unbothered. "The Imperial Tutor and the Sacrificial Officer were filled with useless academic brilliance, but unfortunately lacked the eyes to assess the political climate. Their tragic ends were entirely their own doing. They have no one else to blame!"
These words were undoubtedly a knife plunged straight into her heart. Liang Wan tightened her grip on his collar. "I will make you pay in blood!"
Wang Su didn’t take her seriously at all. He just tilted his face up toward Lu Xiu, speaking with absolute confidence. "I demand to see the Emperor!"
Lu Xiu acted as if he hadn’t heard a word. He merely watched the delicate woman before him with keen interest. She only reached his shoulders, her soft, slender waist was frail enough to snap, and her small, pale, pointed face featured a pair of bloodshot eyes.
Finding the scene amusing, Lu Xiu reached back and drew the longsword from the guard beside him. With a loud CLANG, he tossed it at her feet. A hint of playfulness flickered in his cold eyes. "Kill him. Show me."
His casual, unbothered tone made it sound as if he were discussing the weather rather than murder.
Liang Wan shoved Wang Su aside and bent down to pick it up. The gleaming longsword radiated a freezing glint.
Those who had previously been dismissive suddenly panicked upon seeing her holding the longsword. Not to mention that Wang Su was a major state criminal; even now, the Emperor had not yet issued a decree for his execution. If Wang Su were to simply die here, every single person in the Dali Temple Prison would undoubtedly suffer the direst of consequences!
"Grand Commandant, this... this is absolutely forbidden! If the Emperor finds out, this lowly official will not be able to explain it. When it’s time for his formal interrogation, what will I do if I cannot present the prisoner—"
The Prison Minister was like an ant on a hot griddle, sweating profusely from sheer panic.
Liang Wan glanced at Lu Xiu. He remained utterly relaxed and composed, acting like a man both deaf and blind, completely oblivious to the Prison Minister’s desperate pleas.
Lu Xiu narrowed his eyes. "Didn’t you want revenge? Take it!"
Meeting his gaze, Liang Wan seemed to see the Master Lu from her past life, sitting leisurely in his seat, watching the tyrant slaughter people—an embodiment of cold-blooded cruelty.
Liang Wan’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the longsword.
Seeing the tip of the sword pointed squarely at him, Wang Su finally realized the danger and his expression twisted in fear. "Lu Xiu, you have a lot of nerve! How dare you—"
SQUELCH. The sharp blade pierced straight through his chest. Flesh and skin tore with an ear-piercing sound, and bright red blood snaked its way down the longsword.
His eyes bulging wide, Wang Su slumped to the ground.
Her hands and feet were ice-cold. With bloodshot eyes, Liang Wan slowly turned her head back. "Does My Lord find this amusing?"