The Night Before Leaving the Palace, Reduced to the Tyrant's Plaything - Chapter 34

Lai Sanchun was in excruciating pain, clutching his wound as he cursed at Wanyu, “Little Bitch, you must be tired of living, how dare you attack me? Tell me, where did you get that knife? Concealing weapons in the palace-what crime should that be?”

The room was too dark; he couldn’t see Wanyu clearly, and Wanyu couldn’t see him either. She gripped the dagger tightly, staring at him in silence.

Lai Sanchun, wary of the knife in Wanyu’s hand, didn’t dare approach recklessly. He took out a fire striker and lit it, seeing a deep gash running from his right forearm to his palm, with blood dripping down.

He was in agony, his face twisted as he cursed at Wanyu, “Throw the knife over, or I’ll kill you.”

Of course Wanyu wouldn’t listen. She held the dagger and faced off against him.

“Not listening, are you? Do you believe I won’t tell the emperor your secret?” Lai Sanchun threatened.

Wanyu’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t know which secret he meant, nor if he was just bluffing.

Seeing her unmoved, Lai Sanchun gritted his teeth and said, “You’re Xu Qingzhan’s mistress. The very first night you came to the Lateral Courts, he came to see you, didn’t he?”

Wanyu forced herself to keep her expression in check, but her heart panicked uncontrollably.

Lai Sanchun said Xu Qingzhan’s name with such certainty, it clearly wasn’t a wild guess. But Xu Qingzhan was always so careful-how did Lai Sanchun know?

“You won’t admit it, huh?” Lai Sanchun sneered. “It’s useless even if you don’t. As long as I tell the emperor, he’ll have people investigate you two. If there’s any connection between you, Qi Rang will find out.”

Wanyu knew he was right. Qi Rang was the kind of man who’d rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go. Even if nothing could be found, rumors alone could be enough for Xu Qingzhan to be killed.

She gripped the dagger nervously, calculating in her mind whether she could get out of bed and kill Lai Sanchun right now.

But Lai Sanchun was a man, and the difference in strength between men and women was obvious. If she failed to kill him in one blow, he’d probably overpower her.

Even if he was wounded and couldn’t restrain her, he could still escape.

If he really ran out and reported to Qi Rang, things would only get worse for both her and Xu Qingzhan.

Lai Sanchun could afford not to care, but she couldn’t take any risks.

But if she handed over the dagger, wouldn’t she be at his mercy?

“Hurry up, I’ll count to three. If you don’t listen, I’ll go straight to the emperor.”

“One!”

“Two!”

Lai Sanchun paused at two, waiting for her.

Wanyu’s palms were sweating with tension, and her heart was filled with utter despair.

“Three!”

Lai Sanchun finished counting and turned to leave.

With a clang, Wanyu threw the dagger at his feet and pressed her hands together in a plea for mercy.

Lai Sanchun bent down, picked up the dagger, and grinned at her. “Looks like I guessed right. No wonder you look down on me-you’ve latched onto that Pretty Boy Xu Qingzhan.”

Wanyu didn’t argue, gesturing again for mercy, begging him to spare her this time.

Lai Sanchun’s bulging eyes roamed over her face and body. “It’s not impossible to spare you. Do you know what I want?”

Wanyu stayed silent, goosebumps prickling her skin.

Lai Sanchun leered, “From the day you entered the Lateral Courts, I had my eye on you. I’m a eunuch, can’t break you in, but I’d like to hold you, kiss you, touch you, just to satisfy myself a little.

As long as you behave and please me, from now on, you’ll be my darling. With my protection in the Lateral Courts, you’ll have the best food and drink, and no one will dare bully you again. What do you say?”
Wanyu was so disgusted she could barely stand it. Staring at Lai Sanchun’s lecherous face, her stomach churned violently and she almost threw up.

Lai Sanchun let out a few more obscene laughs. “You think I’m disgusting, don’t you? Let me tell you, in the Lateral Courts, I am the local emperor. You can’t imagine how many women here have knelt before me, begging me to favour them. Otherwise, they can only die like stray dogs.

If you want to be a chaste and virtuous woman, you might as well slit your throat. If you don’t dare to die, if you don’t want to die, I am your only way out. Don’t even think you can escape from my grasp.”

Such arrogant words reminded Wanyu of something Xu Qingzhan had said.

Xu Qingzhan had told her that Lai Sanchun had powerful backing and couldn’t be easily killed. But what exactly was that backing?

“Aren’t you afraid that Qi Rang will find out about this?” Wanyu gestured, questioning him.

“So what if he does?” Lai Sanchun replied smugly. “I have a Pardon Token personally granted by Qi Rang. As long as I don’t rebel, Qi Rang will never touch me.”

Wanyu was deeply surprised.

Qi Rang would actually give a Pardon Token to a eunuch?

What was the story behind this?

Wanting to show off before Wanyu, Lai Sanchun deliberately began to boast, eager for her to understand his power. “This matter was originally a secret between me and Qi Rang. Qi Rang forbade me from talking about it, but I like you. I don’t see you as an outsider, so I’ll quietly tell you today.

Back then, when the Holy Empress Dowager-Qi Rang’s birth mother-was still alive, she was tormented by the late emperor’s concubines and nearly starved to death in the Cold Palace. I saved her – I even cut myself and gave her my own blood to drink. Only then did she manage to hold on long enough to see Qi Rang one last time.

Before she died, she asked Qi Rang to treat me well. After he ascended the throne, he gave me a Pardon Token and allowed me to choose where I wanted to serve.

I don’t have much ability, except that I have a weakness for beautiful women. But the women in the Forbidden City all belong to the emperor; I wouldn’t dare touch them.

But the Lateral Courts are different. The women sent here are all criminal slaves. No one cares if they live or die. And before their downfall, they were all young ladies from official families-delicate, fair-skinned, outstanding in beauty. So I requested to be assigned here.”

As he spoke, he grew a bit carried away and walked to the bedside, reaching out to touch Wanyu.

“Qi Rang thinks I know my place-that I’m not capable and won’t cause him any trouble. But I live freely in the Lateral Courts. I have at least as many women as he does, and they are no less beautiful than the Emperor’s.

Now that you’re here, you are the most beautiful among them. As long as you follow me, I’ll make you the Empress of the Lateral Courts. How about it?”

Wanyu shrank back desperately, pressing her entire body against the wall to avoid his touch.

So his backer was Qi Rang. No wonder he dared to act so brazenly in the Lateral Courts.

But Qi Rang was the emperor-was there any secret in the Forbidden City that escaped his notice?

Was it possible that Qi Rang had long known about Lai Sanchun’s actions, but simply turned a blind eye?

After all, as Lai Sanchun had said, the women in the Lateral Courts were all criminal slaves. No one cared if they lived or died.

Qi Rang, a tyrant who killed without blinking, would care even less.

If so, then Qi Rang knowingly sent her to the Lateral Courts, aware of what Lai Sanchun was doing. Had he considered that she might also become Lai Sanchun’s prey?

He said he was waiting for the day she would beg him-could it be he was waiting for her to be unable to endure Lai Sanchun’s harassment, and turn to him for help?

How cruel his heart is, how despicable his methods!