Chapter 9: I Ask You
With each step Lan Wu took forward, the pain in her feet deepened.
Her already slender frame seemed as if it could be blown over by a gust of wind.
By the time she ascended the steps, traces of blood marked the ground she had walked upon. The imperial concubines then revealed expressions that seemed both disdainful and pitying.
Chu Mingheng watched as Lan Wu approached with her head lowered. Those few steps she took, stubborn yet tinged with frailty, wronged by others yet not daring to speak, she could only inch her way slowly before him, laying her pitiful helplessness bare for all to see.
He then looked at Lan Wu’s bare, pale feet, stained with blood, her toes speckled with bits of grass.
How utterly destitute.
How utterly pitiable.
A trace of contemplation flickered in Chu Mingheng’s gaze as he looked at Lan Wu. Moments later, seeing Lan Wu about to kneel before him, he let out a light, derisive chuckle, his eyes cold and sharp, his voice slow yet commanding.
“Stand properly before me.”
Lan Wu trembled all over, her legs instantly going weak.
She swallowed hard, her soul nearly frightened out of her by Chu Mingheng’s words.
This tone was exactly the same as whenever he intended to discipline her.
Yet she knew all too well what he liked about her. Chu Mingheng enjoyed making her appear pitiful, with no choice but to beg him. Was she not pitiful enough? She was even bleeding.
As it turned out, Chu Mingheng’s words had indeed frightened many, not just Lan Wu. Among the surrounding imperial concubines and palace attendants, not a single one remained unshaken.
“Summon the Imperial Physician,” Chu Mingheng ordered the attendants behind him, then turned his gaze to the hem of Lan Wu’s robe, which she clutched tightly.
Consort Li watched Lan Wu and His Majesty with an inscrutable expression, her mind drifting to something inappropriate. When she looked up and saw Consort Shu’s unpleasant expression, her heart lightened considerably.
No one dared to speak. Even Consort Shu stood to the side, waiting. Without Chu Mingheng’s word, not a single unnecessary sound could be heard in the vast garden.
There was no need for Chu Mingheng to ask anything. Chen Kangan had already ordered people to search the shallow grass below, retrieving many sharp stones. When presented, some were still stained with Lan Wu’s blood.
“Who is responsible for this garden? Bring them out.” Seeing Lan Wu’s legs trembling as if she could no longer stand, swaying unsteadily without uttering a word, Chu Mingheng continued, his voice soft yet chilling, “Execute them by beating.”
At these words, Lan Wu pursed her lips slightly and steadied herself, standing firm.
Consort Shu’s expression changed. Although she had not personally ordered the stones to be placed, she had tacitly allowed it. His Majesty’s actions were nothing short of a slap in her face, all for a dancer he had only met once.
A mere dancer!
Lady Liu inwardly gasped, quietly retreating behind the others. The idea of adding the stones had been hers. If His Majesty ordered the palace attendants executed and they revealed her command, could she escape blame?
What ability did this dancer possess to captivate His Majesty at a single glance, making him stand up for her like this?
Subtle glances drifted toward Lan Wu. Based on His Majesty’s actions today alone, the imperial concubines in the palace would regard Lan Wu as a thorn in their side.
Lan Wu knew it herself—she had no way out.
Dealing with Consort Li alone was manageable, but Consort Shu had already set her sights on her. If she retreated now, she would die even faster. Her only way out was Chu Mingheng.
In her previous life, she had heeded Chu Mingheng’s words, refraining from initiating evil deeds and not coveting what she should not have. In this life, even if she were to go to Chu Mingheng’s side, she would not tread the same old path again. She refused to believe she could die so pitifully once more.
With this thought, Lan Wu gently lifted her head and spoke softly amidst the silence, “Your Majesty, please forgive this servant… my feet hurt…”
Lan Wu pressed her hand against the side of her leg, as if doing so could prevent herself from collapsing forward. Her voice trembled, and her entire body seemed to plead—I am so pitiful, please hold me.
Chu Mingheng naturally did not embrace her. He glanced at her for a moment before nodding slightly, signaling the palace attendants to bring a chair.
The palace attendants were not so tactless—they brought chairs for all the high-ranking imperial concubines in the pavilion.
Lan Wu sat down with ease, her bare feet hidden beneath her skirt. She now behaved properly, neither speaking out of turn nor drawing attention to herself. Only when the eunuch in charge of the garden was brought forward, pleading for mercy and kowtowing incessantly, did she slightly turn her head to glance at him.
Chu Mingheng showed no intention of changing his mind.
The imperial guards held the man down and began wielding the court rod in the garden, striking with such force that it seemed intended to beat him to death. Before long, the eunuch lay motionless.
Lan Wu had only glanced once before turning her gaze away. As her eyes swept around, she noticed the imperial concubines present had all turned pale. Not only did they dare not look at the bloody scene in the garden, but they also avoided even glancing at Chu Mingheng.
The Court Physician arrived.
With so many noble ladies present, she was momentarily unsure which one to treat. Moreover, blood had splattered from the beating in the garden. Fortunately, it was far enough away that the smell did not carry over, but it was still terrifying enough.
The Court Physician bowed respectfully, and someone guided her to a seated unfamiliar young woman.
Lan Wu extended her foot, leaning forward slightly as she whispered to her, “Thank you, Court Physician, for treating me.”
The Court Physician nearly blurted out, “Your Ladyship, you humble me,” but fortunately stopped herself in time. This was not one of the imperial concubines—clearly not yet.
She looked at Lan Wu’s feet, which had stopped bleeding. The blood had clotted, but the feet were still somewhat dirty. To treat the wounds, they naturally needed to be cleaned.
A palace attendant promptly brought a basin of clean water. Lan Wu carefully wiped her feet with a handkerchief herself, avoiding the areas around the wounds.
As she straightened up slightly, she stole a glance at Chu Mingheng, expecting him to be looking at her. To her surprise, he was merely gazing calmly ahead.
Lan Wu fidgeted with her fingers, feeling somewhat anxious.
The Court Physician tended to her wounds. These fair, delicate feet were small and soft, and the wounds marred their beauty. The injuries were on the soles and between the toes. As the saying goes, the ten fingers are connected to the heart, and the pain from the toes might be equally intense. Whenever the Court Physician applied the medicine, Lan Wu could not help but flinch.
“How is it?”
The Court Physician immediately focused all her attention to reply to the emperor’s question.
“Your Majesty, this young lady’s foot wounds are not deep, but there are quite a few of them. Her right foot is sprained and will require careful rest for some time. If she falls a few more times, this foot may be permanently damaged.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Mingheng seemed to recall something and lowered his gaze to look at Lan Wu.
“Lift your head.”
Startled, Lan Wu raised her delicate face, her hands resting at her sides, too afraid to meet Chu Mingheng’s expression at that moment.
“I ask you, have you ever considered intentionally injuring your foot?” Chu Mingheng’s light, casual question caught Lan Wu completely off guard. Instinctively, she wanted to shake her head, but a long-held premonition kept her from moving a muscle.
The Court Physician sensed the tension in the air and quickly finished wrapping Lan Wu’s injury, gathering her supplies before stepping aside efficiently.
Though many people surrounded them, each seemed oddly out of place, unable to blend into the conversation unfolding between the emperor and Lan Wu.