Chapter 330: Chapter 331: A Snake Trying to Swallow an Elephant
When Lady Liang learned that Hua Jieyu had given birth prematurely, she felt both relieved and frustrated.
She was relieved that the child in Hua Jieyu’s womb was still alive, meaning she wouldn’t be accused of murdering an imperial heir.
And her frustration, naturally, was for the very same reason. Why was the child still alive? Why couldn’t she have just had a miscarriage?!
Wiping away her tears, Lady Liang said.
"I heard that Princess Consort Zhao had disappeared, so I went to gossip about it in front of Hua Jieyu. Your Majesty should know, the scar on my head was caused by Princess Consort Zhao. It’s impossible for me not to hold a grudge, but I was just trying to upset Hua Jieyu. I never thought of actually doing anything to her."
The Emperor saw she was beating around the bush, clearly unwilling to confess honestly.
He said coolly, "I will ask you one last time. Do you know where Princess Consort Zhao is? If you still refuse to answer truthfully, I will have no choice but to hand you over to Prince Zhao. You should know what kind of man he is. You’d best think clearly before you answer."
Lady Liang could no longer cry.
She stared at the Emperor in disbelief, unable to fathom that this man would actually hand her over to Prince Zhao.
’Prince Zhao is a madman!’
’If I really fall into his hands, I’ll be skinned alive, even if I don’t die.’
Lady Liang hurriedly begged.
"Your Majesty, spare my life! I really don’t know anything! I beg you, please don’t hand me over to Prince Zhao."
The Emperor didn’t want to hear any more of her lies and gave a cold command.
"Send word to Prince Zhao. Tell him to come to the Imperial Palace at once. Say that I have someone here who knows where Princess Consort Zhao is."
Zuo Ji accepted the order and left.
At this, Lady Liang was utterly panicked.
She crawled on her knees to the Emperor’s feet, grabbing the hem of his robes and pleading.
"Everything I’ve said is the truth! I really don’t know where Princess Consort Zhao is! Even if Prince Zhao comes, I still won’t know! I beg you, don’t hand me over. I am your concubine, after all! Can you really bear to see me humiliated by another man?"
The Emperor looked down at her, his expression serene.
"You are merely an object sent from Xiliang. In my eyes, you are no different from any other tribute."
Lady Liang’s body stiffened, and her expression became one of utter humiliation.
The Emperor continued, "If you had been content to know your place, I wouldn’t have minded letting you live out your life in peace. But you wouldn’t leave well enough alone and insisted on stirring up trouble. Since that’s the case, you must be prepared to bear the consequences."
After a moment of stunned silence, Lady Liang actually began to laugh, a terribly bleak smile on her face.
"’Wouldn’t leave well enough alone?’ So in Your Majesty’s eyes, this tormented, living-hell of a life I lead is actually considered ’good’?"
It wasn’t that the Emperor didn’t know how Lady Liang was faring in the palace.
True, her life wasn’t wonderful, but it was by no means terrible.
At the very least, she never lacked for food, clothing, or other necessities.
If only she could have been more at ease, ignored the gazes of those around her, and stopped comparing herself to the other concubines, she could have actually lived quite well in the rear palaces.
But alas...
Her greed knew no bounds.
The Emperor said faintly.
"You simply have never seen someone who is truly living a life worse than death."
With that, he didn’t want to look at her for another second. He shook off her hand and strode away.
No matter how Lady Liang cried and begged behind him, he never once glanced back.
Witnessing this, Zuo Ji silently clicked his tongue. ’Lady Liang’s background and status are clearly far superior to Hua Jieyu’s, yet the Emperor’s attitude toward Hua Jieyu is so much better than his attitude toward Lady Liang.’
’Lady Liang really... ’
’...was dealt a good hand and played it terribly.’
Li Ji had been searching the entire world for her. When he heard the Emperor had a clue to finding Hua Manman, he vaulted onto his horse without a second thought and galloped straight for the Imperial Palace.
He rushed to Hanzhang Hall at lightning speed and demanded the moment he entered.
"Where is the person?"
Having received the Emperor’s instructions, Zuo Ji immediately led Prince Zhao toward the Left Attendant Hall.
Inside the Left Attendant Hall, Li Ji saw Lady Liang.
Zuo Ji whispered, "She is the one the Saint spoke of."
The moment Lady Liang saw Prince Zhao, her pupils trembled violently. Her expression turned to one of extreme terror, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
She kept shrinking back. "Don’t come any closer."
Li Ji walked toward her, his face devoid of expression.
His steps were neither fast nor slow, yet each one seemed to land on Lady Liang’s heart, causing it to pound violently.
She had only ever heard of Prince Zhao’s ferocious reputation. Only now, at this very moment, did she witness his true nature firsthand.
He was completely different from the lazy, unrestrained man she had seen before.
The real him was vicious and cruel, like a beast just released from its cage, exuding a savage aura that felt like it could skin a person alive and tear them bone from bone.
Lady Liang was scared to death.
"I really don’t know anything!"
Li Ji grabbed her neck with one hand and lifted her clean off the ground.
Lady Liang’s feet were forced off the floor.
Her neck was clamped tight, and she couldn’t breathe.
The pain was unbearable, and she struggled and resisted with all her might.
But it was useless.
Before Prince Zhao, her meager strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree.
Even with all her might, she couldn’t move him an inch.
As her brain was starved of oxygen, Lady Liang’s mind grew hazy. Involuntary tears welled in the corners of her eyes, and her face turned from pale to blue.
She could feel death approaching.
’No, I don’t want to die.’
’I am the Desert Pearl, the most beautiful woman in the Western Liang Country.’
’I refuse to die silently in a foreign land like this, with no one ever knowing.’
Lady Liang opened her mouth and forced out a hoarse sound.
"I’ll talk..."
After another moment, just as she was about to pass out, Li Ji finally released his grip.
Lady Liang collapsed onto the ground in a wretched heap.
She clutched her throat, gasping for air.
The massive influx of fresh air into her lungs made her choke and cough violently.
Li Ji watched her coldly.
"You have one last chance."
Lady Liang shivered.
She knew Prince Zhao was warning her. If she still refused to tell the truth, he would really kill her.
This man always did what he said he would do.
Lady Liang had never been more afraid of him than at this moment.
She spoke with difficulty.
"The person who kidnapped Princess Consort Zhao was Xiao Hong."
Li Ji knew of Xiao Hong. The man was the Young General of the Western Liang Country. They had crossed paths on the battlefield.
"Isn’t he supposed to be in the Western Liang Country? Why would he come to Great Zhou?"
Lady Liang took another moment to catch her breath before speaking.
"Ever since Xiliang was defeated, Xiao Hong has been unable to accept it. He wants to start another war with Great Zhou.
But the Western Liang Country’s people are destitute after several consecutive years of war.
Neither my uncle nor the ministers at court want to fight anymore.
So Xiao Hong came to Great Zhou himself, hoping to find an opportunity to restart the war.
He had someone secretly contact me, hoping I would help him.
He’s my older cousin. We were close since we were children, so he thought I would agree to help."
Li Ji narrowed his eyes, keenly grasping the key point.
"You are in the rear palaces. How did Xiao Hong contact you? Is someone secretly helping you pass messages?"
