Chapter 389: Liberation

"Didn't Your Highness mention anything else?"

Shen Ruolan's voice trembled slightly, as if she were somewhat flustered.

"His Highness said that Lady Xin was pregnant and should not overexert herself, so he soon sent someone to take her home to rest and recuperate."

Before Shen Ruolan could breathe a sigh of relief, Xiao Huan continued, "However, she also summoned several beauties she had brought back from the south to serve her."

"Your Highness has never mentioned me?"

"this……"

Seeing Xiao Huan's reaction, Shen Ruolan already understood the situation pretty well.

It's not just that it wasn't mentioned, it's probably that no one even thought of it.

Her status had fallen so quickly, yet she still kept saying that her brother Yuan Chao had feelings for her; this was undoubtedly a slap in the face to herself.

Shen Ruolan was lost in thought for a moment, then subconsciously touched the porcelain bottle inside through her sleeve, as if she had made up her mind.

——

"Take this outfit. When you change shifts, you can wear it and sneak out."

Chu Wan looked at the black-cloaked figure standing in front of her through the dark railing and sneered, "Even though I've come to this point, the Empress is still so wary of me."

Seeing that her identity had been exposed, the Empress simply stopped pretending and directly lifted her wide hat, saying, "Yes, even now, you still can't give up on seeing His Majesty."

"So you pretended to help me escape because you knew His Majesty wouldn't kill me. Then you would bring the guards with you, and I would escape from the prison in front of everyone. At that time, His Majesty would have no choice but to kill me."

"Ha, what a vicious heart." Chu Wan spat fiercely at the ground.

Having not bathed for many days, Chu Wan had long lost her glamorous and elegant demeanor as a noble consort. Stripped of her fine clothes and jewels, she was now filthy and dressed in rags, looking more like a beggar on the street.

"Consort Wan is overthinking things. Just because you poisoned your own sister, His Majesty will never want to see you again in his life."

"His Majesty spared your life simply because Prince Mu did not issue the imperial decree."

The Empress frowned slightly, took the handkerchief handed to her by someone beside her, and pressed it to her nose, clearly disgusted by the foul smell of sweat in the air.

"What...what did you say?!"

"Impossible! His Majesty must not want to kill me; His Majesty has softened his heart!"

"Execute them in the autumn, isn't that hard enough?"

Why don't I send someone to invite Li Yuande over and ask him how the imperial edict was drafted?

After all, he was serving me there at the time, so he probably knows the details better than I do.”

The Empress looked down at Chu Wan, who was hugging her arms and shaking her head desperately, deceiving herself. She couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Chu Wan has gained a lot of pride and glory thanks to Chu Huan over the years, and now she feels even more relieved watching from the sidelines.

"Impossible...impossible...I want to see the Emperor, I want to ask the Emperor myself!"

I won't believe a single word you all say!

The Empress chuckled softly, squatted down, and pushed the prison uniform towards her through the iron bars, her golden phoenix hairpin swaying gently in her hair: "Since you don't believe me, I'll give you a chance."

...

Chu Wan stood outside the palace, looking at the vermilion threshold, her legs slightly weak, seemingly lacking the courage to push the door open and step through.

Strangely enough, no one stopped her as she walked out of the prison; it was as if the area had been cleared out, with very few people around.

At this moment, only the Empress stood at the entrance of the grand and solemn palace. She wore a golden phoenix robe embroidered with silver auspicious clouds, and the fist-sized pearl on her head shone beautifully in the sunlight.

Although the Empress usually wears palace attire, it is not as formal as the phoenix robe.