Chapter 184

Chapter 184 Concubine Lu looked troubled. "Sister Xie's idea is good, but I was hoping to beg the Prince to go easy on Ping'an. Even if my pleas could get me an audience with Ping'an, it wouldn't do any good..." Before she could finish, Concubine Lu seemed to realize something, and her expression changed drastically. Her lips gradually turned pale, and her voice grew softer and softer: "Sister Xie means... Ping'an can't get out of the dungeon?" Consort Xie's meaning was clearly to suggest she go see Ping'an one last time directly, rather than make futile struggles. Concubine Lu wasn't stupid. Once she understood, she also grasped the implication behind Xie Run's words. Prince Jing wanted Ping'an's life. He wanted Ping'an to die bearing the weight of guilt! She forced a smile. "Maybe... there's still a chance?" Xie Run looked down at her, thinking of Fang Yuan'er's schemes, and sighed. "If you want to see her, go early." If you go too late, I'm afraid there won't be a chance. Concubine Lu still refused to give up, but she carefully considered Xie Run's advice. After pondering for a long while, Concubine Lu agreed: "I'll listen to Sister Xie. I'll go see Ping'an first... Maybe Ping'an will have evidence on her?" Even though she knew it was impossible. If there really was evidence, Ping'an wouldn't have been at a loss for words and thrown directly into the dungeon. Xie Run watched Concubine Lu's retreating figure and couldn't help but sigh. Once the figure disappeared, Dantao asked, "Master sighed—do you think Concubine Lu shouldn't have gone to plead?" "No. I'm just worried." Xie Run's eyes churned with emotion. "When Fang Yuan'er makes a move, she must be aiming to put Wan Linlang to death. But the person who died this time isn't weighty enough..." "But if someone truly weighty were to meet with misfortune... Ping'an would die without a doubt!" If someone of importance died, how could Prince Jing not take his anger out on this girl whose guilt was already proven? When Dantao heard the words "weighty enough," she immediately thought of the Fourth Young Master in Concubine An's courtyard. Her eyes flew wide open, and she whispered, "This... it can't be, right?" Xie Run said, "I'm not sure either. Let's wait and see—news will come soon..." Concubine Lu ultimately heeded Xie Run's advice and braced herself to go to the front courtyard to request an audience with Prince Jing. Following Xie Run's guidance, she did not plead for Ping'an's leniency. She only wept about their sisterly bond and asked to see Ping'an once—if she could get some useful information from Ping'an's mouth, all the better. Prince Jing granted her request. Led by the guards, Concubine Lu passed through the narrow passage and saw Ping'an, covered in wounds and barely breathing. Her chest felt inexplicably heavy. Hearing the noise, Ping'an struggled to open her eyes. Through the faint light, she gradually made out Concubine Lu's face, and a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes. She said numbly, "Why are you here?" Concubine Lu let out a light snort. "Same as you—born with a streak of servility, unwilling to rest until you've sold your life for that person." Concubine Lu had always enjoyed making snide remarks about Ping'an's loyalty to Concubine An. Ping'an had always just listened in silence. Concubine Lu found it boring, then suddenly said, "I know you're not afraid of death." "But now the evidence is conclusive. All the proof points to you. If you can't produce evidence to clear your name, you'll die without a doubt!" "If you die bearing the crime of harming the Fifth Young Master, do you think she'll come out clean?" "Right now she hides in her room all day, anxious and uneasy, terrified that the Prince will take his anger out on her because of you." In the past, Concubine Lu would have taken the opportunity to sow discord. But seeing Ping'an half-dead, she suddenly felt those words weren't worth saying anymore. Ping'an was silent for a moment before saying, "I have no evidence, but I didn't do it, and I will never admit to it!" Concubine Lu was frustrated beyond measure and gritted her teeth. "What good does just refusing to admit it do?!" "You need to produce evidence proving someone else framed you!" "Even if you can't find evidence, if you can find a flaw left behind by whoever set you up, that would prove your innocence too?!" Anyone could shout that they were wronged! Did it help? No! Ping'an fell silent again. Concubine Lu was about to die of anger. She laughed in fury instead: "I understand now." "You probably only have your mistress in your heart. You're prepared to die rather than surrender, aren't you?" Seeing Ping'an's expression, Concubine Lu knew she had guessed right. She didn't even know what expression to make at Ping'an anymore. "Stupid! Stubborn!" "Do you think that just because you die, this matter won't implicate Concubine An?" "You're her person. If you die in the dungeon, put nicely it's dying rather than surrendering; put unpleasantly, it's dying without confessing your crimes—an even greater offense!" "What makes you think the Prince won't take his anger out on her?" Speaking ill of the Prince in front of the Prince's own men made Concubine Lu a bit uneasy. She couldn't help glancing at Jing Wu in the shadows. Seeing that Jing Wu showed no expression, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Ping'an finally took Concubine Lu's words to heart, but her voice was hoarse and faint. "I can't find evidence... The other party planned this for a long time. They never gave me a chance to explain." "The only flaw is probably the person who met with Yuezhi and instructed her to put in the tapioca powder." "That person wasn't me, so it must have been someone else disguised as me..." During her time in the dungeon, Ping'an had carefully studied the loopholes in this case. After much deliberation, there was only one way to break the deadlock. "Unless we can find the person who disguised themselves as me to meet with Yuezhi, otherwise... I can't explain this away." Concubine Lu fell into silence as well. Since the other side had dared to set up this scheme, they must have already arranged the whereabouts of the impersonator—there was no way they would let them be found. So this was still a dead end. Concubine Lu couldn't help but say angrily, "Everyone knows you're innocent! If you can't explain it away, then go beg, go cry... at least put up a fight, instead of resigning yourself to fate like a dead fish!" "Do you think that by stubbornly refusing to confess, you're showing loyalty to Concubine An?! In truth, you're the one harming her!" Ping'an said in a hoarse voice, "You're right." And then, there was nothing more. The dynamic between the two had always been like this, and Concubine Lu had nothing more to say either. She took a deep breath. "While you're in the dungeon, think carefully about the loopholes in this matter... I'll do my best to plead with the Prince." Before coming, Concubine Lu had still held onto hope, wanting to ask Prince Jing to release Ping'an. But after arriving, she had clearly realized that Consort Xie was right. Unless evidence was found, no matter who came to plead, Prince Jing would not let Ping'an go. Now the only thing she could do was beg Prince Jing to let Ping'an live a little longer, or go search for evidence to give Ping'an a sliver of hope. Concubine Lu came in a hurry, and left in a hurry. The dungeon returned to darkness. A gloomy, terrifying atmosphere enveloped Ping'an. Ping'an sat there in a daze. Even as rats came and went all around her, crawling over her body, she showed no reaction at all. She had actually taken Concubine Lu's words to heart. Just as Concubine Lu understood Ping'an and Concubine An, Ping'an also understood Concubine Lu very well. She knew that Concubine Lu had come to the dungeon for her sake, and that she must have expended considerable effort to obtain this opportunity. Concubine Lu's words lingered in Ping'an's ears. She pondered for a moment and murmured, "Rather die than surrender—that's nothing but stubborn resistance... The Prince will still take his anger out on my mistress." "I am innocent, and my mistress is innocent too. If I die, so be it, but I cannot harm my mistress..." She murmured for a long time, until silence fell all around once more. Ping'an bit her finger and silently wrote a few characters on the ground. After a moment, she untied her sash, wrapped it around one of the dungeon's pillars, and looped it around her own neck.