"So that's how it is. No wonder your news hasn't reached the capital for so long, Senior Brother." Gu Liyan nodded.
However, upon closer reflection, something seems amiss, though I can't quite put my finger on it; a vague sense of unease lingers in my mind.
"Stay here and you'll see a lot of strange yet seemingly normal phenomena. The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, there are more and more unhealthy people, and the healthy are getting healthier. Can you guess why?" Mo Han asked.
"Senior brother, do you perhaps think this is the work of the Prince's Mansion?" Gu Liyan asked boldly.
"Whether the Prince's Mansion is haunted or not depends on you. You must go to the Prince's Mansion tomorrow!" Mo Han said with a serious expression.
Although Gu Liyan was extremely displeased, he could only nod in agreement, "Yes, I understand. I will visit the Prince's residence first thing tomorrow morning."
Mo Han looked at Gu Liyan as if she wanted to say something, hesitated, and finally nodded, saying, "Be careful."
The next day
Gu Liyan visited as promised, not to Wang Qi, but to Mo Han. Upon arriving at the gate of the Prince's mansion, he found the ground covered with withered yellow leaves, creating a desolate scene.
Gu Liyan frowned, puzzled. This royal mansion was already considered the most powerful in the royal city, so why did it look so dilapidated? It was as if no one lived there, as if... the Liu family in the royal city only had Liu Mengxian and Steward Lin.
Without much thought, Gu Liyan was about to knock on the door when suddenly her eyelids twitched. Looking up, she saw that the palace was shrouded in a cloud of black mist. Gu Liyan was shocked: Was this a death zone brought about by poisonous gas?!
Gu Liyan was still deeply shocked and felt a slight daze, with an urge to escape from here!
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind, "Brother Mo, what are you doing here?"
Startled, Gu Liyan quickly turned around. Wang Qi had appeared behind him at some point. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. Gu Liyan awkwardly said, "Sister Wang Qi, good morning. What are you doing here?"
Wang Qi smiled and said, "Me? I went out for my morning exercise this morning, and I didn't expect to run into Brother Mo here! Brother Mo, are you here to see me?"
Gu Liyan opened his mouth but stammered, unable to speak, "I...I am..."
"Brother Mo, don't be shy. Now that you're here, come on in!" Wang Qi smiled, took Gu Liyan's arm, and led him into the Wang Mansion.
Gu Liyan wanted to refuse, but it was too late. Wang Qi led her directly into the Prince's mansion. As soon as she entered the gate, Gu Liyan felt a chill run down her spine and was very uncomfortable. She almost had the urge to run away.
Wang Qi, however, couldn't hide her smile as she said, "Brother Mo, please take me to see my father! He'll be so happy to see you!"
Gu Liyan nodded, but felt that there was a deeper meaning to those words, though she couldn't quite figure it out.
Wang Qi led Gu Liyan into the hall, where Wang Meng sat motionless in the main seat.
Gu Liyan looked at Wang Meng with slight surprise. He was very different from the dashing and imposing man she had first met. He had lost a lot of weight, his thin face was covered with dark circles under his eyes, and his sunken eyes looked lifeless.
"Lord Wang, we meet again." Gu Liyan greeted him respectfully.
Wang Meng stared blankly, motionless and silent. Gu Liyan was about to ask a question when Wang Qi, seeing this, awkwardly smiled and said, "Father, Brother Mo is talking to you! Aren't you going to say anything?"
Wang Meng opened his mouth and mechanically said, "Sit!"
Gu Liyan watched him sit to the side with suspicion. Wang Qi squeezed next to Gu Liyan without any politeness, holding his arm as if afraid that Gu Liyan would run away.
Gu Liyan struggled a few times but couldn't break free of the restraints, so he had no choice but to let her pull him along.
Gu Liyan looked at Wang Meng and said, "Lord Wang, I heard that there is wine in your manor. All the wine that is distributed must be approved by you. My senior brother and I have not seen each other for a long time, so we would like to ask for some. I wonder if you could give it to me?"
Wang Qi quickly smiled and said, "It's just a few bottles of wine, Father won't be stingy! Right, Father?"
“Yes!” Wang Meng nodded mechanically.
Gu Liyan feigned a happy expression and said, "That would be wonderful! My senior brother is hosting a banquet today to celebrate my arrival in the royal city. I wonder if the city lord would do me the honor of joining me?"
Wang Qi hurriedly said, "My father is seriously ill, I'm afraid he can't go!"
Gu Liyan looked at Wang Qi and nodded with regret. "Oh, that's such a pity."
Wang Qi added, "But I can go! Brother Mo, if you don't mind, I can go!"
Gu Liyan shook his head. "Never mind. Since the City Lord is unwell, Sister Wang Qi, please stay and take care of your father. My senior brother and I can just have a drink and chat. Please have Sister Wang Qi take him there. I'll go back and tell my senior brother. I'll take my leave now and come back to bother you again when the City Lord is feeling better."
After saying that, Gu Liyan stood up and left.
When Wang Qi saw Gu Liyan break free of his grasp, he immediately stood up in a fit of rage, pointed at Wang Meng, and cursed, "You old bastard, couldn't you have helped me keep her here?"
“Yes, no, sorry…” Wang Meng said mechanically.
Seeing Wang Meng's clumsy behavior, Wang Qi angrily cursed, "Damn it! I should have preserved your consciousness. You've really made things worse!"
Wang Qi clenched her fists and said hatefully, "Mo Li, I must have you and make you my slave!"
Gu Liyan emerged from the Prince's mansion, his back instantly drenched in sweat. It wasn't just the atmosphere that made him uncomfortable; the relationship between Wang Qi and Wang Meng also made him quite suspicious.
Furthermore, Wang Meng's power is completely disproportionate to his current situation. Moreover, Wang Meng seems to lack his own independent thought; he is constantly being prompted to speak by Wang Qi.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
