Chapter 70: How Dare You Lay a Hand on Me

“I… I don’t want to!” Lan Wu dared not let him leave now. Earlier, he had said he would investigate thoroughly, and there was no telling what might be uncovered. Although no one could suspect that she knew Consort Rou was intolerant to Anluo fruit and had deliberately acted upon it, if Chu Mingheng truly intended to get to the bottom of this and expose Zhang Mu, wouldn’t all her efforts have been in vain?

Thinking of this, she wrapped her arms around Chu Mingheng, unwilling to let him go.

“What do you mean, ‘don’t want to’?” Chu Mingheng’s expression cooled slightly as he grasped her wrist, preventing her from fidgeting in the Imperial Carriage. “Don’t want to move into Yilan Hall, or don’t want me to leave?”

Lan Wu quieted down, carefully pondering his words in her mind. Her fingers gently scratched his palm, her eyes soft as water as she whispered softly into his ear, “Your Majesty, don’t go… Didn’t we agree that we would… tie it up…”

Receiving such a response from Lan Wu, Chu Mingheng’s slightly indifferent gaze shifted downward, landing on her smooth, unblemished wrist.

Lan Wu practiced dance, her fingers slender and long, her nails glossy and full. Even without polish, they resembled peach blossoms or pink jade. That section of her wrist was soft and fragile; if bound with a red cord, the contrast of red and white would be striking enough to catch the eye.

Chu Mingheng’s earlier remark about tying her up had been nothing more than a jest, never expecting that Lan Wu would be so… eager?

“Even drunk like this, you still remember that.” Chu Mingheng’s fingers lightly pressed against Lan Wu’s wrist, holding her hand as his thumb slowly caressed the delicate skin. He spoke casually, “If you had done something wrong, I would have taught you a lesson properly. But since you haven’t, why would I tie you up?”

Lan Wu fell unusually silent, her drunkenness almost entirely dispelled, her heart racing with anxiety and fear.

She stole a glance at Chu Mingheng’s eyes, wondering if his words were meant to trick her.

Only if she had done something wrong would he tie her up…

She believed the “gift” she had given Consort Rou was well-deserved—Consort Rou was not innocent. Didn’t Chu Mingheng know that Rong Shu Yi’s pregnancy was fake? Could he be unaware that it was Consort Rou’s doing?

Impossible.

His silence on the matter seemed like he was plotting something.

But Lan Wu couldn’t wait. She was no saint, having already proven with her death in her previous life that she could only rely on herself. Chu Mingheng might want her to remain pure, but that had become impossible the moment she danced for him again at the Longevity Festival. She wanted everyone who had harmed her in her past life to pay the price.

Having sorted through these thoughts, Lan Wu gently pushed him away, lowering her head slightly, her voice muffled. “Very well, then. Your Majesty may go to the Imperial Study. This concubine will not wait for you.”

How did she end up getting angry first after all that talking?

Chu Mingheng found it somewhat novel. Lan Wu was truly a strange imperial concubine—afraid of him at first, then seducing him, and after becoming his concubine, acting recklessly, emboldened by his favor… Yet, he simply couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with her.

“Awu, tell me, have you—”

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty…” Chen Kangan hurried over from behind, his voice tinged with urgency.

Chu Mingheng cut off his unfinished words and ordered the Imperial Carriage to stop. He looked beyond the curtain, his tone calm and unhurried. “What is it?”

Chen Kangan hurriedly reported, “Your Majesty, someone from Zhaoyun Hall has come, saying Consort Rou’s condition has taken a sudden turn for the worse. It looks like she’s about to—about to pass. The Imperial Physician is inside Zhaoyun Hall, but the situation is still unclear.”

Inside the Imperial Carriage, Lan Wu was now completely sober. She clutched at her dress, lightly pursing her lips, her reaction somewhat resembling that of someone frightened.

In truth, Lan Wu was indeed a bit surprised.

She had instructed Zhang Mu to add a bit of Anluo Fruit juice to Consort Rou’s meals, fearing that Consort Rou, being prideful, might not eat much of the novel fruit in public. Thus, she had taken precautions. But she never expected that Consort Rou would be on the verge of death because of it.

She felt somewhat annoyed. Consort Rou could die any other day, but not today. Today was her birthday. If Consort Rou really died, word would spread, and the entire court might say her fate was ill-omened, that she had brought misfortune upon Consort Rou.

Outside the Imperial Carriage, Chen Kangan, who had been waiting, heard no response from the Emperor for a long time. Just as he was about to say something more, His Majesty spoke: “Change course, to Zhaoyun Hall.”

The entourage hurriedly made their way to Zhaoyun Hall.

Lan Wu followed beside Chu Mingheng. As they entered, she saw the hall brightly lit with candles, and several imperial concubines had already arrived.

She was about to ascend the steps when she noticed Chu Mingheng come to a halt, as if remembering something.

He turned slightly and spoke to those below: “Someone, escort Zhen Shuyi back to her palace.”

Lan Wu stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at Chu Mingheng, caught off guard by his command. Before anyone around could react, she was the first to open her mouth in disbelief, speaking slowly yet urgently, her words unclear:

“Your Majesty, this concubine… this concubine also wants to see… This concubine will go with you, is that not allowed?”

“Please don’t send this concubine away…”

Seeing her somewhat distressed reaction, Chu Mingheng was about to say something when Consort Li’s greeting sounded from behind.

Consort Li had just received the imperial decree allowing her to handle palace affairs alongside Consort Shu, and now she carried herself with a certain air of authority. Naturally, this air was not directed at the Emperor but rather subtly cast toward Lan Wu, her eyes filled with mockery. She bowed slightly to the Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, the Imperial Physician says Sister Rou’s condition is very grave. She is still murmuring your name.”

In front of others, Chu Mingheng could not say much, but he also could not bear to see Lan Wu upset. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek, whispering soothingly, yet with a tone that brooked no resistance: “A’Wu, be good and go back first.”

With that, he turned and ascended the steps.

Lan Wu remained frozen in place until she saw Chu Mingheng’s figure disappear inside the hall doors. Suddenly, it seemed as if she saw that day in her previous life when Chu Mingheng had also left just like this, walking away until his figure slowly vanished from her sight.

Her heart felt as if it were boiling over with anger. Resentment and bitterness overwhelmed her so much that she didn’t even notice when Consort Li stood before her.

Consort Li circled around her with gleeful malice, her voice soft yet sharp as a blade, piercing straight into Lan Wu’s heart.

“Dear Sister Zhen, perhaps you simply lack the fortune… unworthy of this title. Consort Rou just happened to fall ill on your birthday, and His Majesty sent you away.” Consort Li lightly covered her lips, her eyes harboring malice. “You should just go back early, preferably to wherever you crawled out from. Someone as lowly as you should forever grovel on the ground, never able to rise in this lifetime.”

Lan Wu couldn’t hold back upon hearing the last sentence, reaching out to slap Consort Li across the face with a sharp, resounding crack.

The slap left everyone present stunned, each nearly forgetting how to react. Even Lian Xi, who had been by Lan Wu’s side, drew in a sharp breath.

After striking, Lan Wu’s own eyes flared with anger first. As Consort Li turned to retaliate, Lan Wu’s voice turned cold and low: “Try laying a hand on me.”