Gu Lianchang suppressed his unusual feelings and replied coldly, “There are ways to eliminate Wei Shu. The simplest is for the Imperial Concubine to meet with an accident and for you to leave the palace indefinitely, but you must hide your identity and never be seen again.”
“
He could arrange for her to stay outside the palace, keeping her hidden, and eventually abandon her to her fate.
Ruan Ning didn’t like this method. It was no different from how Wei Shu treated the original owner, and might even be worse. As the emperor would die soon, Wei Shu’s perverted preferences would disappear. At least the emperor was a man, which was better than a eunuch.
“Are there any other methods?” she asked boldly. If he said no, she would seek refuge with Wei Shu.
Gu Lianchang sensed her calculations and suddenly grabbed her chin: “The Imperial Concubine must have heard of my narrow-minded and vengeful reputation? If you change your mind midway, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” He had already made numerous concessions to her; otherwise, she would have died without an intact corpse.
It hurt a bit, but his tone was terrifying. Ruan Ning cowered but realized she couldn’t be submissive. Even if she angered him and was killed now, it would be better than enduring humiliation and control, only to anger him later.
She suppressed her inner fear and tried to speak steadily: “Since this is a transaction, both parties must offer equivalent chips for it to have value. Your method is something the Crown Prince could also do. Why should I trade with you?”
Gu Lianchang let go of his hand, feeling somewhat surprised.
He had originally thought she chose him over Wei Shu due to her moral boundaries. However, it became clear that she disliked having to hide her identity because of Wei Shu. This woman’s moral bottom line was much lower than he had imagined, paradoxically becoming another form of attraction, as he had been trying to eliminate his sense of shame.
People without shame usually live better. Driven by complex emotions, Gu Lianchang decided to offer her a better opportunity: “I can elevate you to a position that even the Crown Prince cannot covet – the Empress position.”
