Seeing that things were not unfolding as he had imagined, Wanyan Liang nearly vomited blood in frustration. His expression then twisted into sothing vicious:
“Now you want
to leave? Fine. But I’m afraid you’ll soon be kneeling, begging for
to return. Hmph! Since you’re so ungrateful, my terms have just gotten steeper. If you want to save your husband, you alone won’t be enough—bring your sister along. Only when both of you have served
well will I even consider it!”
Wanyan Liang dared to act so brazenly for three reasons:
First, he knew this was a shaful matter for Gebi, and as a woman, her instincts would drive her to conceal it.
Second, he had just received word that, due to her pleas on behalf of Tang Kuo Bian, Emperor Emperor Xizong had forbidden Gebi from entering the palace. Even if she wanted to complain to the emperor, she couldn’t.
Third, the removal of Prince Changsheng was already a foregone conclusion. Soon, he would launch his coup, overthrow Emperor Xizong, and take the throne. A re princess was hardly worth his concern.
The re thought of possessing both the gentle, elegant elder sister and the fiery, vivacious younger one sent an uncontrollable tremor of excitent through Wanyan Liang.
Outside the door, Wanyan Ping could endure no more. With an angry cry, she drew her sword and charged inside.
Clang!
One of Wanyan Liang’s four elite guards, Tudan Alichuhu, appeared before his master, deflecting Wanyan Ping’s strike with his blade.
Her wrist aching from the impact, Wanyan Ping knew she was no match for him. She could only glare hatefully at Wanyan Liang: “You beast in human clothing!”
Gebi’s brow furrowed. She raised her voice sharply: “Guards!”
Soon, a large group of Tang Kuo Manor’s guards rushed in. Gebi pointed at Wanyan Liang: “Throw him out.”
Wanyan Liang burst into laughter: “No need to trouble your n—I’ll leave on my own. Just rember my conditions. Bring your sister next ti! Hahahaha—”
As he swaggered away, Wanyan Ping trembled with rage, repeatedly trying to lunge at him, only for her sister to subtly restrain her.
“Sister, you’re just letting him go like that?” Once Gebi dismissed the servants and guards, leaving only the two sisters in the hall, Wanyan Ping couldn’t help but ask.
Gebi sighed: “Wanyan Liang travels with his four elite guards, each a master among ten thousand. Outside, an entire contingent of his royal guards stands ready. Even if we fought, we wouldn’t be able to stop him. Provoking him further would only put us in greater danger.”
Wanyan Ping knew she was right, but the humiliation burned in her chest. Two imperial princesses, forced into such disgrace by a re collateral prince—what kind of world was this?
“It’s all because our brother is weak and incompetent, favoring such vile n!” Wanyan Ping spat bitterly.
Gebi’s expression darkened with sorrow: “Our brother has always had a passive, indecisive nature, but in recent years, it’s grown worse. He no longer cares for family ties—not even blood relations.”
“All he cares about is that throne, terrified soone might threaten him. First, Prince Wei was unjustly executed—fine, let that pass. But Prince Changsheng was completely innocent, and now even brother-in-law…” The more she spoke, the angrier she beca.
To most in the capital, recent events were a bewildering ss. Only a handful of schers understood the truth. To the sisters, it seed the emperor had executed Prince Wei himself, then pinned the bla on Prince Changsheng. The only explanation was that Emperor Xizong, consud by paranoia over his throne, had turned against his own kin—sons, brothers, none were spared.
The weight of this realization left the sisters in heavy silence.
After a long pause, Wanyan Ping finally spoke again, hesitantly broaching the earlier topic: “Sister… what Wanyan Liang said earlier… was it true?”
Gebi nodded: “It was.”
“What?!” Wanyan Ping felt as though thunder had struck her ears. The thought of her admired brother-in-law betraying his wife for power, of her beloved sister suffering under that beast’s defilent, made the world seem to lose all color.
Noticing her sister’s ashen face, Gebi realized the misunderstanding and quickly pulled her down to sit: “Ping’er, it’s not what you think. Listen…” She then recounted the events of that night in detail.
When she heard how her brother-in-law had substituted a courtesan to deceive Wanyan Liang, turning the tables and making him suffer a crushing loss, Wanyan Ping’s expression shifted through a myriad of emotions: “So… Wanyan Liang never touched you, and instead, his own wife slept with brother-in-law?”
Gebi’s cheeks flushed as she nodded. Gentle and kind by nature, she would never have agreed to such a ruthless sche—were it not for avenging her husband.
“Brother-in-law is amazing!” Wanyan Ping’s eyes sparkled with excitent. “That b*stard Wanyan Liang nearly made
explode with rage earlier. Brother-in-law just gave him the perfect payback!”
Raised in the imperial family, Wanyan Ping was no stranger to palace intrigues. Unlike most won, she didn’t find it shocking that the man she admired had slept with another woman—especially when that woman was the wife of a beast like Wanyan Liang!
Gebi hadn’t expected such a reaction from her sister and could only laugh awkwardly in response.
Suddenly, Wanyan Ping’s expression shifted again, hesitation clouding her features. Noticing this, Gebi asked softly: “Ping’er, what’s wrong?”
“Sister… there’s sothing I’ve kept buried in my heart. I don’t know if I should say it.” The mory of what she had witnessed that morning made her restless.
Gebi smiled gently, taking her hand: “Ping’er, you and your brother-in-law are the closest people in the world to . What couldn’t you say?”
Wanyan Ping clenched her teeth: “Fine. Since you ntioned brother-in-law… I have to ask. Have you done sothing to betray him?”
Gebi’s face paled.
She thought of the ti she had spent living with Song Qingshu. At first, she hadn’t known his true identity—but after discovering it, they had continued as husband and wife. Though she had told herself it was all for the sake of avenging her husband, lately, she had co to a painful realization:
Her body had already betrayed her husband. And now, perhaps even her heart was beginning to as well.
With a quiet sigh, she admitted: “Yes. I have done sothing to betray him.”
Hearing her confession, Wanyan Ping’s expression twisted with conflict: “Sister, how could you be so reckless? Brother-in-law has always treated you so well. Why would you do such a thing? And of all people… why a rebel, an enemy of our Great Jin Dynasty?”
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