Chapter 99

Chapter 99: Deliberate Torment

“Mmmph…” In the night, Meng Yang’s eyes were full of hate as Meng Yang stared at Sheng Zhi Wan.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not fear her at all. Stroking Meng Yang’s hair, Sheng Zhi Wan spoke in a gentle voice. “Don’t worry. This pond is only for raising flowers and plants. Even the deepest part cannot drown you. Don’t you like being sick the most? Then of course I will fulfill you.”

Those warm, delicate fingers slid down her long hair to her neck.

Meng Yang felt her hairs rise in waves. Fear made her want to scream, but with her jaw out of place, all that came out was a muffled sound.

“Concubine Meng, my patience is limited.” Sheng Zhi Wan’s soft voice suddenly turned cold.

Meng Yang met Sheng Zhi Wan’s expressionless eyes and abruptly remembered how Sheng Zhi Wan had swung her blade at Qi Shu Xian yesterday. Meng Yang’s body trembled.

In this situation, Meng Yang could not call for help. Qing Xing, the only person Meng Yang had brought, was also pinned down by Sheng Zhi Wan’s people.

After a long time, Meng Yang squeezed her eyes shut and finally swallowed the hatred back. With tears, Meng Yang nodded, then lifted her foot and stepped down into the pond.

The freezing water soaked through her shoes at once, and the cold climbed up from the soles of her feet.

Meng Yang stared at the pitch-black water ahead and did not dare step farther.

“Concubine Meng, did you think wetting your feet was enough?” Sheng Zhi Wan’s voice sounded like an evil ghost urging her on.

Meng Yang dug her nails into her palm and forced herself forward, step by step, until the water rose past her calves, then her waist.

Only then did Sheng Zhi Wan smile in satisfaction. Sheng Zhi Wan yawned lazily. “Very good. Concubine Meng will stand here. When Heir Apparent finishes, I will naturally let Concubine Meng come out.”

Ting Lan feared Sheng Zhi Wan might get cold and said, “Princess, please return to rest first. When things end here, the servants can also set Concubine Meng’s jaw back into place.”

Sheng Zhi Wan thought for a moment and nodded. “All right.”

Sheng Zhi Wan then looked at Meng Yang, who glared with hatred from the water, and said with a smile, “Oh, perhaps Concubine Meng is thinking about complaining to Heir Apparent afterward? Then you must think it through. Which is the bigger matter – that I, as the principal wife, made a concubine stand in a pond, or that a concubine dared to write letters and join forces with bandits to kidnap a princess of the court?”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s smile carried hidden meaning.

Meng Yang stared at Sheng Zhi Wan in disbelief. [What was Sheng Zhi Wan talking about? How did Sheng Zhi Wan know about the letters? The mountain bandits were all dead, and Zhang Da Hu had been among them, hadn’t he?]

Whether from fear or from the cold, Meng Yang’s body began to shake uncontrollably. Meng Yang desperately wanted to ask what Sheng Zhi Wan meant, but Sheng Zhi Wan did not look at her again and simply turned away.

That night, Qi Shu Xian had tasted it and wanted more.

Huan Zhu’s body seemed to hold a strange pull. After Qi Shu Xian took her once, Qi Shu Xian still wanted her again, and again, until Qi Shu Xian was completely drained and finally shoved her off him.

Looking at the mess on the floor, Qi Shu Xian’s expression stiffened for a moment.

But compared to Qi Shu Xian, Huan Zhu was in far worse condition. Bruises covered her from head to toe, and in some hidden places, the swelling and redness were so severe it was hard to look at.

Qi Shu Xian frowned and said, “I will have someone send medicine later, but if you dare speak of today, I will not spare you. Do you understand?”

Huan Zhu answered in a hoarse voice, “This concubine understood.”

Qi Shu Xian then straightened his clothes and left Ning Xiang Garden.

In the deep night, Qi Shu Xian did not notice the figure soaking in the flower pond not far away.

Meng Yang’s whole body was already cold through. Only after Qi Shu Xian’s figure disappeared from sight did Qing Xing, finally freed, help Meng Yang climb back onto the bank.

An Zhi fixed Meng Yang’s jaw back into place with a look of disgust.

Meng Yang could not help crying out in pain, but before she could make any real sound, a slap landed hard across her face.

An Zhi smiled and said, “Concubine Meng, please forgive this servant. It is late, and this servant truly does not want you to make too much noise and disturb Heir Apparent. Right?” An Zhi then looked at Qing Xing and said, “Your concubine accidentally fell into the flower pond tonight and caught a chill. Hurry back, and in the future, don’t be so careless.”

Ting Lan could not help laughing.

Meng Yang was furious and freezing, and her entire body shook. How outrageous. Two lowly maids actually dared to flaunt themselves in front of her.

Meng Yang wanted to raise her hand at once and smash An Zhi and Ting Lan’s faces, but Sheng Zhi Wan’s words rang in her ears. Compared to this torment, Meng Yang feared what Sheng Zhi Wan had said even more. Meng Yang trembled and forced the hatred down.

“Go back!” Meng Yang snapped as Meng Yang dug her fingers into Qing Xing’s flesh.

Qing Xing winced but did not dare say a single word.

The next day, Meng Yang truly developed a high fever again.

When Qi Shu Xian learned of it, Qi Shu Xian personally brought a physician over.

Meng Yang was wrapped in several thick quilts and still trembled with cold. A slender wrist reached out from behind the embroidered curtain.

As soon as the physician took her pulse, the physician frowned and said with displeasure, “External cold invaded, and the cold sank inside. Concubine, did you go somewhere damp and chilly again? Otherwise, in just one day, you would never catch such a severe chill!”

The physician had seen many inner-court women’s tricks to win favor. When the physician took her pulse yesterday, the physician had already sensed something off, but the physician had not said it in order to preserve the household’s face. The physician had not expected that after just one day, she would use the same trick again.

The physician stood and said, “Heir Apparent should invite someone else. I may have medical skill, but I cannot endure someone deliberately causing trouble again and again.”