Wang Runlian felt as though she was about to explode from anger.
When Steward Li was alive, she had to endure his arrogance.
Now that he was dead, she had to endure Commander Gao’s oppression. And the cause of it all was this imposter.
Couldn’t he obediently play the role of a stand-in?
Why insist on tossing himself about, dreaming of becoming a golden phoenix?
Did he even check his own fortune to see if he had the life for it?
She stood at the entrance of the bath chamber, her face cold as frost.
From any angle, Wei Ran clearly understood that the person who posed the greatest threat to him right now wasn’t Gao Ming, but Wang Runlian. Gao Ming feared death and had scruples, but Wang Runlian was different. She had become Prince Min’s confidante using her tricks, not her brains.
She did things based entirely on her mood, and it wasn’t impossible that one day, on a whim, she might poison his food.
Wei Ran wouldn’t tolerate such an unstable threat by his side.
He looked at Wang Runlian with a mocking smile and said, “Madam Wang, come here. Do a strip dance for me first and open my eyes a bit.”
Though Wang Runlian forced a smile, her face was already contorted with hatred. “Fine, if the Prince Heir likes it, serving you in bed wouldn’t be impossible either. I only ask that you help me put that bastard Gao Ming in his place. I’ve had enough of his arrogance.”
She approached while gracefully removing her outer garments.
“Of course, of course.”
As Wang Runlian reached the bath, her scarlet-nailed hand rested on Wei Ran’s shoulder, and she whispered softly with a fragrant breath, “Why don’t we join forces to get rid of Gao Ming? Then, the Prince’s Residence will be ours to command. If His Highness is willing, this concubine…” She feigned charm and placed Wei Ran’s hand on her chest.
Wei Ran squinted his eyes, exerting force with his hand, yet Wang Runlian suddenly roared fiercely, “You dog! Go to hell!”
She pulled out the golden hairpin from her head and fiercely stabbed at Wei Ran’s neck, her face twisted with a triumphant grin.
At that moment, Wei Ran abruptly rose, grabbing her wrist and stabbing her with a dagger.
The blade pierced her artery, blood spraying violently.
Wei Ran shoved her aside coldly and said, “I’ve been guarding against you from the start. Next life, make sure you don’t get kicked in the head by a donkey. With your pathetic acting skills, you wouldn’t even qualify as an extra, yet you wanted to fool me?” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Wang Runlian staggered back, clutching her neck in disbelief, before collapsing heavily onto the floor.
Her eyes shifted from panic and fear to emptiness.
Even until her last breath, Wang Runlian couldn’t figure out where Wei Ran’s dagger had come from.
Wei Ran wiped his body dry, got dressed, and dragged Wang Runlian’s body out of the bath chamber. Her body still twitched occasionally, leaving a trail of blood along the way.
A maid in a blue blouse happened to pass by and was so frightened she screamed.
Wei Ran recognized her.
She was Qingyi, a maid from Liangzhou, timid by nature but, like Baixue, arrogant because of having shared skinship with the real Prince Heir. Just as he was considering whether to kill her as well, Gao Ming rushed out from the room.
“What’s going on? Qingyi, why are you screaming like a ghost…” Before he could finish, he saw Wei Ran dragging Wang Runlian’s corpse, smiling eerily while waving at him. “Commander Gao, Wang Runlian tried to kill me out of spite and was killed by me instead. I don’t know her well. Find a place to bury her.”
Gao Ming felt a strong sense of unease.
Of Prince Min’s three confidants in Chang’an City, two were now dead, both at the hands of this stand-in. Would he be next? But if he died now, the situation would spiral completely out of control.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Gao Ming broke out in cold sweat.
“Prince Heir, what exactly do you intend to do?” Wei Ran frowned, “What do I intend to do? What could I possibly do? I am Prince Min’s heir. Wang Runlian, that wretched servant, committed the grave crime of assaulting and attempting to murder her master. Shouldn’t I, as her master, be allowed to kill her?”
Gao Ming was visibly uneasy.
“About last night, where I abandoned you and fled… I hope His Highness will put in a good word for me with His Majesty. As a condition, from now on, the Prince’s Residence is yours to command.”
Wei Ran laughed heartily. “Commander Gao, you’re exaggerating. We keep each other’s secrets and take what we each need.”
Wei Ran added, “But remember your words today. From now on, everything in the Prince’s Residence is subject to me. Including you, Commander Gao. You will obey my orders.”
Gao Ming stared at him for a long while, his cheeks puffing out.
Finally, he cupped his fists coldly and said, “Yes, Prince Heir.”
At this point, Gao Ming could no longer control the situation and could only compromise again. All he could do now was wait for Prince Min’s reply. There was nothing else he could do.
In Liangzhou, at Prince Min’s Residence, which was dozens of times larger than the one in Chang’an City and rivaled the imperial palace itself, the residence backed onto Emerald Bamboo Mountain and contained White Lotus Lake. Pavilions, towers, vermilion walls, and green tiles filled the place with extravagant luxury worthy of the noblest house.
Beside White Lotus Lake, Wei Wuji removed the letter tied to the hawk’s claw and read it carefully. He was a man in his early forties, with the physique of an ox and the demeanor of a fierce tiger, his cheeks weathered, his temples streaked with gray, his eyes sharp like a hawk’s, filled with a wolf’s vigilance.
Seated beside him on a soft chair was a beautiful woman with noble elegance. Though she appeared around thirty, she was in fact nearing forty, her excellent upkeep giving her a youthful and captivating appearance.
She was Wen Jingshu, the primary wife of Prince Min.
Wei Wuji read the letter with a playful smile. “What an interesting little fellow. You’ve successfully piqued this prince’s interest.” Wen Jingshu asked gently, “Prince, is there trouble from the capital?”
Wei Wuji handed her the letter. “See for yourself.”
After reading it, Wen Jingshu’s eyes widened slightly, and her usually gentle and elegant face showed a hint of coldness. “What an imposter, daring to kill Steward Li. Doesn’t he know Steward Li was mine? He’s been given wealth and honor as a stand-in, yet he dares to break free of our control. Truly arrogant.”
A handsome young man of seventeen or eighteen handed his fishing rod to a maid and quickly approached. “Mother, why be upset over such a thing? Fatty Li was just a servant. Dead is dead. Just send another steward over. If necessary, just kill that stand-in and find another one.”
This young man, striking and dashing, bore a seventy percent resemblance to the Wei Ran in the capital. He was the true legitimate son of Prince Min—Wei Ran, sharing the same name and surname as the fake heir in Chang’an City. Prince Min had three sons, the first two were born of concubines, only the third was born of Wen Jingshu.
Wen Jingshu lovingly patted the real Prince Heir’s head, her tone gently reproachful. “Foolish child, that stand-in was someone your father spent a year finding. It wouldn’t be easy to find another. How could you say ‘kill’ so casually?”
Wei Wuji clasped his hands behind his back, looking with interest at the lake. “I’m rather intrigued by that fellow. Chang’an is a stagnant pond anyway. If my son, known throughout Northern Liang as domineering and notorious, suddenly changed his personality after becoming a hostage in the capital, wouldn’t that be strange? Let him stir up some trouble. Maybe it will yield unexpected results. He’s just a street brat. He can’t cause much of a stir. I find him amusing.”
Wen Jingshu frowned. “We still shouldn’t take him lightly. There must be someone in the capital overseeing things. Li Qingtian is incompetent, Gao Ming is a mere mercenary, and as for Wang Runlian…” She glanced at Wei Wuji and snorted softly.
Wei Wuji forced a dry laugh and turned his head away. Wen Jingshu snorted. “As for Wang Runlian, a whore from a brothel, shortsighted and witless, she can’t be entrusted with such a heavy responsibility.” She turned to a breathtakingly beautiful young woman beside her. “Though there are many in the Prince’s Residence who could take this responsibility, the one I trust most is still Jin’er.”
Jin’er—the adopted daughter of Prince Min’s consort.