Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Given my excessive agitation and the fact that my belly had been puffed up for several days, Xiao Lan decided to move us back to Fenghuan Palace for a while to soothe me.

It said that, in any case, Anping wouldn’t actually be bullied to death by Princess Anning.

But I was different; my belly truly felt like it might explode from rage.

Already furious at Anping for her lack of backbone, I listened to Xiao Lan and left her side in a bit of a huff.

I simply thought that what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over, and that I should calm my mood first.

But I never imagined that when I saw Anping again, she would be dead!

Anping died on the eve of the Start of Summer, during the Duanwu Festival.

Speaking of which, this was yet another matter that made me explode with rage.

On the day of the festival, a banquet was held in the palace. Calamus and mugwort hung everywhere, and the atmosphere was incredibly lively.

Previously, the wedding date for Sun Hanzhou and Anping had been drafted by the Directorate of Astrology and set for the end of the year.

I knew that Anping’s constant tolerance was solely for the sake of leaving the palace smoothly; she didn’t want to cause any complications.

But when disaster strikes, it cannot be avoided through mere endurance.

She shouldn’t have placed her hopes on others either.

On the day of the palace banquet, Sun Hanzhou was not on duty in the palace, but he was kept there by Princess Anning.

That’s right, Princess Anning.

The high-born Princess Anning had initially looked down on a lowly guard like Sun Hanzhou.

It was through the process of bullying Anping that she gradually developed an interest in the handsome Sun Hanzhou.

She had discovered that Sun Hanzhou was truly devoted to Anping.

Thus, she began to deliberately seek him out, summoning him after he finished his shift and commanding him to personally teach her archery.

Anning’s actions were clearly intended to provoke Anping.

When Sun Hanzhou was ordered to teach her archery, Anping was often right there watching.

She would sit upright in a chair, saying nothing.

Sun Hanzhou, busy dealing with Princess Anning’s numerous interrogations, had no opportunity to speak with her either.

In fact, the two of them hadn’t seen each other for a long time since the day he requested her hand in marriage at the Martial Examination.

Anping lived in Princess Anning’s Jingyi Palace, which was very close to Consort Shu’s palace. Sun Hanzhou was a guard stationed outside; unless summoned by a princess, he had no chance of coming here normally.

Moreover, Anping was surrounded by Princess Anning’s people, and her every move was watched.

Consequently, for Sun Hanzhou to see Anping, he actually needed Princess Anning to act as a bridge.

So, on the day of the palace banquet, he allowed himself to be assigned by Princess Anning to follow among the attendants of the two princesses.

Later, while Princess Anning wasn’t paying attention, he quietly pulled Anping away from the banquet.

At this time, songs and dances filled the air at the banquet, and the wine was flowing freely.

Princess Anping followed Sun Hanzhou to a corner of a side hall. Seeing no one around after entering, she immediately hugged him and began to cry.

Sun Hanzhou’s heart ached for her. He pulled her into his arms and offered her a great deal of comfort.

He naturally knew that Anping’s situation was dire and that she was frequently bullied by Princess Anning.

But like me, he could do nothing except feel anger and heartache.

Even his words of comfort were whispered, for fear of being overheard.

The two people hiding in the side hall had no idea that disaster was about to strike.

It wasn’t until the hour of the pig, around a quarter to ten at night, that the door to the side hall was suddenly pushed open in the darkness.

Sun Hanzhou sensed something was wrong and immediately covered Anping’s mouth with his hand.

The people who entered the side hall were Consort Shu, who had left the banquet early, and a general from Beiliang who held great military power.

The general was Consort Shu’s cousin, surnamed Wei.

After entering the room, they actually embraced and engaged in a brazen, illicit tryst.

That wasn’t even the most fatal part. After they finished, Consort Shu lazily remarked to her cousin that King Liang had become increasingly senile lately and was completely subservient to Concubine Zhen. However, she said it didn’t matter; Concubine Zhen was merely a beauty she had scouted for King Liang-a woman with looks but no brains, a fool.

If she behaved, she could continue to be a mere plaything.

If she didn’t, Consort Shu would never give her the chance to give birth to a royal bloodline alive.

Consort Shu also mentioned that since the Deposed Queen threw herself into the well and two other sons of King Liang died young, the one with the best hope of inheriting the throne now was their Yan’er.

The Fifth Prince, Liang Yan, was the child of Consort Shu and her cousin!

In the darkness, Anping felt Sun Hanzhou’s hand trembling.

A general with military power and a favored consort who controlled the inner palace-once this foul affair was exposed, he and Anping were destined to die without a place for burial.

After a long while, Consort Shu and General Wei finally showed signs of leaving.

As the door to the side hall closed, Sun Hanzhou grabbed Anping’s hand, wanting to leave quickly.

But they underestimated the alertness of Consort Shu and General Wei.

It was unclear when the two had discovered someone was in the side hall, but Consort Shu left first while General Wei stayed behind to handle the aftermath.

Sun Hanzhou led Anping, but they hadn’t even made it out of the Inner Garden.

Because his pace was too fast, Anping lost her footing and fell while stepping onto the stairs of a corridor.

At that moment, General Wei, who was pursuing them from behind, was only a few steps away.

The night was thick, and no lamps had been lit in the side hall. Sun Hanzhou knew that General Wei had not yet seen his or Anping’s faces clearly.

However, in just a few more steps, he would see them.

At this life-or-death moment, the Young Guard Sun, who was supposedly devoted to Anping, hesitated for a single instant as he reached out toward the fallen Anping.

In that lone instant, Anping’s hand was already in his palm.

Unfortunately, before their grip could tighten, the young guard saw General Wei’s pursuing figure. Without another look at Anping, he let go of her hand and turned to flee.