Court Lady

Grand Prince Liang was sitting dejectedly in prison. He heard that Du He was going to be beheaded and knew that his punishment was about to come. All of a sudden, a slender body appeared on the outside of the bars. In his distracted state, he thought that it was Lu Yingying and hurried to lift his head. However, he was disappointed. 

“Your Highness, your consort was the one who asked me to come.” Fu Rou was the one that came.

Grand Prince Liang’s eyes shot open. He got up to stand in front of Fu Rou. “Lu Yingying was the one that asked you to come?”

Fu Rou retrieved a jade bracelet. “I have evidence.”

Grand Prince Liang took it and saw that it was the bracelet his mother gave to Lu Yingying. A complicated look appeared on his face.

Fu Rou said, “Your consort is very worried about you.”

“She is worried about me?” Grand Prince Liang lifted his face as he glared fiercely. “Is she wondering if I am dead yet? If I am dead, she can live happily with that bastard of hers! Dream on! Tell that bitch that even if I become a ghost, I will bother her everyday and make her life no better than death!” 

With all his might, he threw the jade bracelet on the ground and shattered the bracelet.

Fu Rou glanced coldly at him. “Your Highness, what right do you have to hate your consort?”

Grand Prince Liang called out, “She betrayed me and hurt me. Is it wrong for me to hate her?”

“May I know how many people you have betrayed and hurt in your life?” Fu Rou was straightforward and strict. “I bet even Your Highness won’t be able to count the exact number. Those girls who gave you their hearts but had been abandoned by you once you were done playing with them. Those girls that you stole from their parents and abused until they died pitifully. Those men, who were loyal to you, wanting to protect you but were ordered by you to dress up as foreigners and forced to brutally fight each other for your amusement. Do you still remember their names, Your Highness?”

Grand Prince Liang was annoyed. “Shut up!”

“I don’t agree with Lu Yingying’s kind heartedness. I believe in karma and anyone who has done evil should be punished. Your Highness has hurt so many people and even Lu Yingying was your victim before. Why didn't she just leave after escaping and instead come back to suffer?” Fu Rou sighed, “She said that you managed to escape the palace but returned to the Liang Residence to look for her and that is why you got captured. She could imagine your pain and disappointment when you could not find her because she believes that you have changed. She believed that you are now willing to believe in the good of the world. If she were to abandon you now, it would mean that she has lied to you. But that is not true. She said that she truly wants to live a happy life with you and become a good wife. Since she has chosen this road, she will walk with you all the way. Even if it reaches the end, her life would be worth it.”

Lu Yingying’s strange reasoning was what made Fu Rou agree to come on her behalf.

“She wanted me to tell you the truth. On the day that Chang’an was in chaos, she was tricked into leaving. She had to think of many ways in order to escape and never thought of betraying you.”

Grand Prince Liang only half-believed her. “Even until now, you want to trick me. Do you think I am a fool? I won’t believe anyone! The only way for me to believe her is if she comes by herself and sits with me in prison and follows me to the depths of hell! If I can’t live, she can forget about living as well! Does she have the courage? Does she?!”

Fu Rou sighed once again, “To tell you the truth, she has already done that. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the internal attendants managing this place. They should know.”

Grand Prince Liang suddenly stomped crazily on the shattered jade bracelet. “Imperial Father has passed on and Mother has joined the temple. There is no one that cares about me! I am finally going to get what I deserve. Aren’t you all happy? All of you just want me to die! I am a prince of Great Tang. I am the Grand Emperor’s favourite son! You want me to die? I want your life!” He reached out his hand through the fence to strangle Fu Rou.

Yang Bo had accompanied Fu Rou here. He had originally planned on keeping a look out at a distance but as he saw Grand Prince Liang strangle Fu Rou, he rushed over to save her. 

Fu Rou managed to get out of Grand Prince Liang’s hold as her eyes filled with disappointment. “In the end, she was the one that wrongly believed in you.”

“Let’s hurry and leave. If we alert too many people, I won’t be able to handle it.” Yang Bo urged, “Grand Prince Liang knows that his end is near and his mind is no longer thinking clearly. You won’t be able to get through to him.”

Fu Rou looked at Grand Prince Liang, who was shouting and throwing a fuss, and turned to leave. However, as soon as she left, Grand Prince Liang called the internal attendant guarding him over.

“Did you hear about Consort Liang surrendering?” He had to confirm.

“Yes, the entire palace is talking about it. They are saying that Consort Liang is devoted to you and is willing to suffer along with you.” The internal attendant answered truthfully.

Grand Prince Liang froze for a moment. “Go and get a brush and paper for me.”

 

Lian Yan’er looked at the sign outside Fu Shui’s villa. For some reason, she felt uneasy. Yan Zifang did not say much as he led her inside. They walked through a bamboo forest and up onto a spacious viewing platform.

Fu Shui walked towards them and smiled lightly, looking friendly. “Lady Lian, please have a seat.”

Although Lian Yan’er sat, she remained alert. She did not even touch the wine that Fu Shui handed over to her.

“Are you afraid of me?” Fu Shui took a sip of the wine.

“I have seen many men, what is there to be afraid of? Don’t beat around the bush, what do you want to ask me?” Lian Yan’er knew that Yan Zifang was also under orders.

“I only have one question.” Then he shall be direct. “In the beginning, you told Yan Zifang that after Sheng Chujun and Sheng Chumu fell out, you personally saw Sheng Chujun barge into Sheng Chumu’s room to take the letter written for Prince Zhao. Were you telling the truth?”

Lian Yan’er frowned, “Of course I was telling the truth.”

“That means that Sheng Chumu and Sheng Chujun set up a trap and even hid it from you. They even acted out a fight in front of you?” The corner of his mouth seemed to turn up in a slight smirk.

Lian Yan’er only thought that the man in front of her was hostile. “How would I know? Anyway, I told you everything that I saw at Duke Lu’s Residence.” She was slightly nervous and lifted the cup of wine to take a sip. “You can’t possibly think that I colluded with Sheng Chumu to trick you right?”

“No, you did not lie to us.” Fu Shui suddenly ordered, “Bring him over.”

A man wearing commoner clothes was brought onto the viewing platform. Fu Shui asked the man, “Was Sheng Chumu the person that asked you to tail Lian Yan’er?”

That man summoned his courage, “I have already fallen into your hands. If you want to kill me or tear off my skin, just do it. Don’t think of…” Fu Shui lifted his hand and broke the guy’s neck.

Lian Yan’er jumped up in shock as fear crept into her eyes. Yan Zifang did not say anything as he looked on coldly.

“I heard that the previous top courtesan from Swallow House had fallen for a man and chosen to leave the scene. Where has your man gone?” Fu Shui turned the wine cup. “Being able to stay with the person you like and lead a stable life is such a blessing. What a pity, I don’t have this fortune. Lady Lian, neither do you.”

Lian Yan’er slowly stepped backward. “What do you want?”

“As soon as you went to Sheng Chumu’s side, he had started to suspect you. He even made use of you to make us believe that Sheng Chujun was siding with the Crown Prince. This resulted in Prince Han receiving the news and that is why he managed to escape the ambush. You are the reason why our plan did not succeed.” 

He has always been looking for the reason. Now, he was going to deal with it even if it was too late.

“How would I know that Sheng Chumu was suspecting me? Moreover, haven’t you all already won? Neither the Crown Prince nor Prince Han is any match for Prince Zhou.” She looked at Yan Zifang before looking at Fu Shui. She decided to stay further away from these two men as she backed off towards the other side of the viewing platform.

Fu Shui remained seated. “Our victory was too narrow. It taught me a lesson. That is to make sure everything is in place. For example, the possibility that our agent becomes our opponent’s agent. I have to put an end to it.”

Lian Yan’er suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach as she choked and blood spurted out from her mouth. At the same time, blood started to flow out from her eyes, ears and nose.

Yan Zifang was shocked and hurried to support her. “Lian Yan’er! Lian Yan’er!”

Lian Yan’er’s gaze fell onto the wine cup on the stone table. She fell weakly into Yan Zifang’s arms. Using her last breath, she said, “Don’t tell him. I don’t want him to be upset…”

Yan Zifang was stunned for a moment before he used his palms to close her blood-stained eyes. He glared furiously at Fu Shui, “Why did you have to kill her? Since Sheng Chumu was the one that saw through her, we can just let her leave Chang’an. Wasn’t that what you promised?”

“I promised to consider. But after thinking about it, killing her was the safest option. Previously, Sheng Chumu used her and made the Eastern Palace suffer. Today, Sheng Chumu used her once again to tail her to this place. If my men were not alert and did not discover him, we would have fallen into Sheng Chumu’s trap. Although this woman no longer has any use to us, she is still useful to Sheng Chumu. Letting her live would bring us problems sooner or later.”

Yan Zifang’s rage continued. “She is the woman my good friend loves!”

Fu Shui’s gaze turned sharp. “I will kill whoever ruins my plan. It doesn’t matter if she is Ma Haihu’s lover. Even if she is the Emperor’s lover, I will kill her!”

Yan Zifang did not yield. “What if it is your lover?”

Fu Shui froze. Yan Zifang forced him, “If it was the person you love, would you kill her?”

Fu Shui’s expression was frigid. “Everyone is selfish. What is love? I don’t believe in it and will never have someone I love. You are asking the wrong person.”

Yan Zifang did not say more and he walked off.

This was not the ending that he wanted. He had discarded his morality, became a noble and rose the ranks. Yet, he had cut off his good friend’s chance at happiness. The so-called power was not in his hands. He was just a knife in Fu Shui’s hands. He thought that having an official position could help him get rid of his pirate identity. He thought that he could be an upright man. However, he finally realised that he was the most upright when he was a pirate. Now, he was living like a rat in a dark gutter. He was even worse than Grand Prince Liang, who knew how to repent.

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