Chapter 154 Interrogation of Liang Chunrong

Ruizhu obeyed the order, walked to the door, lifted the curtain, and called out, "The Queen has ordered, bring him in."

As soon as he finished speaking, two eunuchs escorted a woman into the hall and forced her to kneel down.

The woman was soaked all over, with water dripping down her temples. She looked in a miserable state. The Xiangyunsha material was clinging to her body, and her snow-white skin was faintly visible.

This girl is the third daughter of the Liang family, Liang Chunrong.

Liang Chunrong knelt on the hard bluestone floor and couldn't help but look up slightly.

The imperial concubine was seen sitting on the edge of the kang, holding a colorful porcelain tea bowl and taking a sip, as if she was completely unaware that there was another person in the room.

Sunlight streamed in from the window behind her and fell on her, making her look as majestic and elegant as a statue of a goddess.

Liang Chunrong lowered her head, her eyes rolling around in her sockets.

Just now, she was waiting at Qinglianxie according to the previous intelligence.

After a while, she heard footsteps. She was overjoyed and without even looking at anything, she ran out from the side of the road, pretending to sprain her ankle, and stumbled into the pond beside her.

The water in the pool of Qinglian Pavilion is very shallow, barely above a person's knees, so there is no risk of drowning if someone falls into it. However, the water used in the pool is spring water drawn from a nearby mountain, and even in midsummer, it is still icy cold.

Liang Chunrong sat in the pool, enduring the dampness and coldness while pretending to be shy and delicate, hoping to gain the emperor's pity and favor.

Her action was extremely risky. If she was not careful and angered the king, even the prime minister's family would not be able to protect her.

However, Liang Chunrong was still willing.

It wasn't all for the sake of showing off in the palace. When she first met the emperor today, she was captivated by his godlike handsome face and his domineering demeanor.

If she could entrust her life to a man like this, then her life as a woman would not be in vain.

From the moment she met Lu Haozhi, Liang Chunrong no longer sought favors for the Liang Mansion or anyone else.

She just sat in the pool for a long while, but she didn't hear the emperor's words. The footsteps came closer and then gradually faded away. Instead, a steady female voice came down from above her head, "Miss Liang San, what are you doing?"

Liang Chunrong was suddenly startled and looked up quickly.

This sight was not a big deal, she was almost scared to death, and could only say in a trembling voice, "Aunt Zangxiu... I, I..."

The person standing in the corridor and watching quietly was Zang Xiu, the head maid beside the Empress Dowager!

Zang Xiu didn't even look at her, but just waved her hand and said, "Help Miss Liang San up and send her to where she should go."

Immediately, several eunuchs jumped into the water and pulled Liang Chunrong up with all their might.

Liang Chunrong soaked in the cold water for a while. When she stood up, her body began to tremble involuntarily when the wind blew.

She was both shocked and frightened, and trembling, she asked, "Aunt Zangxiu...where are you sending me...I, I just slipped and fell into the water."

Zang Xiu ignored her words, her face full of coldness and solemnity. "Of course I will send you to the person who can handle this matter. Tell her whatever you want to say."

As he said this, he waved his hand.

The eunuch who grabbed her dragged her forward without saying a word.

She staggered through several courtyards, her muscles and bones aching as if they were all gone, before she stopped in a small courtyard.

The eunuch holding her asked the palace maid at the gate, "Could you please go in and tell her that the person the queen mentioned has been brought here?"

The palace maid frowned and said, "Wait a while. Your Majesty is busy right now. You haven't finished asking the question yet."

The eunuch smiled and said, "Our queen has really become a very busy person now. Even for a case, she has to wait in line."

The palace maid sneered, "What can we do? There are just too many restless creatures!"

Liang Chunrong listened to their insinuations and slander, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Although she was a concubine's daughter, the servants in the Liang Mansion still had to address her respectfully as "Miss", but now, in the mouths of these two people, she became something shameful.

Just as she was about to explode, she suddenly saw the curtain lifted and a young woman came out, looking distraught.

Liang Chunrong recognized her immediately. This was Zheng Fangchu, the third daughter of the Duke of Anguo's Mansion and the wife-to-be of Prince Meng!

Seeing her like this, it seemed like she had been severely punished, and Liang Chunrong felt more and more uneasy.

This Concubine Meng, firstly, did not consider the face of the Anguo Mansion, and secondly, did not care about the relationship between the two families. She could be so cruel to such a delicate and weak woman, which shows how ruthless she is.

So, how will she deal with herself?

Before Liang Chunrong could think about it, she was taken in and made to kneel on the ground.

Meng Yan was not in a hurry to make a decision. She drank her tea slowly, put down the teacup, and turned to Ruizhu who was standing beside her and said, "Who is watching over the princess now? I'm not here, so don't let her act naughty."

Ruizhu smiled and replied, "Don't worry, your majesty. The two wet nurses and the palace maids are with us. Nothing will go wrong."

Meng Yan hummed, then continued, "Many young ladies from various families have come to this flower viewing banquet. I've spotted two who are about the same age as the princess. They both have good looks and good personalities. I'll ask the Empress Dowager someday to invite them to the palace to be the princess's study companions. She's also of that age."

Ruizhu smiled and said, "Your Majesty has a good eye for people, and those she likes are naturally good."

Liang Chunrong knelt on the hard bluestone floor tiles, her wet clothes wrapped tightly around her body, listening to the trivial gossip of the imperial concubine and the palace maids. After just a cup of tea, she could no longer hold on.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, what have I done wrong? Why are you bringing me here?"

After all, she was much bolder than Zheng Fangchu. Unable to bear it any longer, she planned to pretend to be ignorant, relying on the fact that no one knew about her previous plan.

Meng Yan raised her eyes and glanced at her without saying a word.

Ruizhu immediately scolded her harshly, "How rude! You dare to ask questions before the Queen even speaks!"

Liang Chunrong wasn't afraid of these palace maids and eunuchs. Having spoken, her words flowed much more fluently. "So what? I'm the Third Young Lady of the Liang Mansion, not a concubine in the palace, much less a maid or servant. May I ask the Imperial Concubine, why are you detaining me here? Is this how guests are treated in the Imperial Palace?"

Meng Yan had waited all this time just to throw her off balance. Seeing that she had spoken first, she slowly said, "Well, the Liang family is indeed a good family, and each daughter they have educated is more outstanding than the other. That's why Third Miss Liang would engage in such romantic activities as encountering men halfway and seducing them with wet clothes. I wonder if Third Miss Liang knows the four words of propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame?"