In that dream, the moment the jailer called her name, she immediately stood up and rushed over.

This time, her hesitation instead allowed Elder Zhang to bow to her first, saying respectfully: “Miss.”

“What are you standing there dazed for?”

Seeing Luo Wanqing remain motionless, Yao Zelan couldn’t wait any longer. She pulled her up and said happily, “Hurry up and go.”

Luo Wanqing couldn’t speak. Looking at the person standing respectfully at the door, she felt as if she were walking toward a tiger’s den.

Every detail from the dream replayed in her mind. When Luo Wanqing stood before Elder Zhang, she felt her whole body trembling slightly.

Yao Zelan, who was pulling her along, noticed her abnormality and turned back in confusion: “Wanqing, what’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

Luo Wanqing forced herself to calm down, raised her eyes to look at Elder Zhang, suppressed all her fear, and tentatively responded using the same words from her dream: “Elder Zhang, did Shaoyan send you? Where is he?”

“The young master is busy with affairs and cannot spare the time. He specially ordered this old servant to come visit Miss and Madam.” Elder Zhang smiled and bowed to Yao Zelan, uttering the same sentence as in Luo Wanqing’s dream word for word. Then he looked at Luo Wanqing: “And to pass along a message to Miss. I hope Miss will be prepared.”

Hearing these words, Luo Wanqing looked up in shock.

Elder Zhang didn’t hesitate. Every one of his movements was within Luo Wanqing’s expectations. He repeated every detail from the dream. First, he took out a golden bottle that fit perfectly in his palm, then produced a completely black dagger. He held the two objects, one in each hand, and presented them to Luo Wanqing.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Yao Zelan sensed something was wrong and became suspicious.

Elder Zhang paid no attention to Yao Zelan. He only looked at Luo Wanqing, his eyes carrying some pity, and sighed: “The young master says he has done his best regarding the master’s case, but the evidence is ironclad, and he is powerless to change the situation. Now the Luo family’s judgment has been passed—the master has been sentenced to death, and the rest of the family members will be exiled. The only thing the young master can do for Miss now is to give Miss more choices. This bottle contains deadly poison that kills upon contact with blood, causing no pain.”

As the same words from her dream emerged, Yao Zelan’s eyes widened, but Luo Wanqing gradually calmed down.

Elder Zhang extended the dagger toward Luo Wanqing and continued: “Or you can choose this dagger, which cuts through iron like mud. Miss can carry it for self-defense.”

Luo Wanqing said nothing. She quietly looked at these two items, feeling only that the world was absurd.

Yao Zelan reacted and spoke anxiously: “Elder Zhang, what does this mean? Is Shaoyan abandoning us? Elder Zhang, tell Shaoyan to come here. The Luo family didn’t do these things—we still have room to turn things around! Tell him to come…”

“Miss.”

Elder Zhang completely ignored Yao Zelan. He looked at Luo Wanqing, who remained silent and was calm to an almost eerie degree, speaking earnestly: “Don’t be too heartbroken. The young master has you in his heart. He’s giving you these things for your good. He asked me to convey a message to you…”

“In his heart, although we haven’t married, he already considers me his wife.”

Luo Wanqing spoke directly. Elder Zhang was stunned, then saw the delicate woman before him raise her eyes, which seemed to contain suppressed fire, as she asked through gritted teeth: “The road to the frontier is long and arduous, and he hopes I will preserve my chastity for him?”

“Ah… yes!” Elder Zhang nodded in shock and asked in confusion: “How did you know?”

How did she know?

Terror completely engulfed her. She finally believed this wasn’t a dream. She couldn’t help but grip her sleeve tightly, controlling her overly intense emotions.

In that dream, she had believed those words, taken that bottle of poison, walked thousands of miles, and spent her entire life trapped in Lingnan, waiting for him with her life!

Waiting until her family was destroyed, waiting until she was riddled with illness, remaining in the world like a vengeful ghost, day and night, waiting for news that Jiang Shaoyan had met a terrible end!

But she could never wait for it.

She never managed to wait for it in her entire lifetime, couldn’t even leave Lingnan to see him one more time.

“I want to see him!”

Fear and anger surged together, and her obsession burst forth.

Elder Zhang smiled helplessly, trying to continue placating her: “Miss, if the young master could come to see you, he would have come already. It’s just that he truly is busy with affairs…”

Before he could finish speaking, Luo Wanqing suddenly reached out and snatched the dagger from Elder Zhang’s hands.

Everyone was shocked. The jailers instantly drew their swords, but before they could speak, they saw Luo Wanqing draw the dagger and press it against her own throat, distancing herself from those around her and shouting: “Let me see him!”

“Miss.”

Seeing her threatening her own life, Elder Zhang wasn’t afraid. Like looking at a child, he said helplessly, “Don’t throw a tantrum. Put down the dagger.”

As he spoke, Elder Zhang even pushed the bottle of poison forward a bit, saying gently, “If you want to seek death, use this. It won’t hurt.”

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

Hearing this, Yao Zelan reacted and shouted angrily, then turned to look at Luo Wanqing cautiously: “Wanqing, don’t be impulsive. He’s just a man. You still have your parents. Don’t do anything foolish. Give me the dagger.”

“Go tell him—”

Luo Wanqing ignored Yao Zelan and stared at the calmly composed Elder Zhang, speaking through gritted teeth: “Jiang Shaoyan was saved by my Luo family five years ago. My Luo family treated him as a son-in-law, never showing him the slightest neglect. He and I are betrothed through a matchmaker’s arrangement. Now that my Luo family’s judgment hasn’t been finalized, in terms of emotion and reason, public and private matters, he should come to see me. If he doesn’t come, I’ll consider that he has transferred his affections elsewhere and feels guilty, too ashamed to face me. Today, I will kill myself here to expose his shamelessness and ingratitude. The hundreds of people present can all bear witness,” she suddenly raised her voice, “In the future, in court records and history books, Jiang Shaoyan will be stained with my blood, Luo Wanqing’s blood. Don’t think he can remain clean!”

Hearing these words, Elder Zhang’s expression changed dramatically.

Others couldn’t understand, but he knew clearly.

If Jiang Shaoyan were an ordinary person, Luo Wanqing’s words would naturally carry no weight. They could even be said to lack logic.

But it so happened that Jiang Shaoyan was a prince.

This matter had already been sent to the Eastern Capital, and many high-ranking officials in Jiangnan already knew about it. Saying that Jiang Shaoyan couldn’t see Luo Wanqing was inexcusable, no matter how you looked at it. Moreover, Jiang Shaoyan and Zheng Biyue had indeed already met, and they might even marry in the future. If Luo Wanqing died here today because she couldn’t see Jiang Shaoyan, this would be a massive stain that political enemies would use to frantically attack the Jiang and Zheng families.

After all, the Luo family had shown kindness to him—this was indisputable, and even His Majesty already knew about it.

Elder Zhang thought briefly and realized he couldn’t make this decision. He hurriedly said, “Miss, please calm down. I’ll go find the young master right away to ask if there’s any other way for him to come in and see you.”

As soon as these words left his mouth, Luo Wanqing’s heart sank, knowing she had gambled correctly using the information from her dream.

“I’ll only give you half an hour.”

Luo Wanqing raised her head slightly. As the blade pressed against her throat, blood flowed down. Elder Zhang’s expression changed slightly as he heard Luo Wanqing lower her voice and warn in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Half an hour. If he doesn’t come, I will stain him with my death!”

Elder Zhang was shocked. He looked up incredulously, not understanding how the usually gentle Luo Wanqing had suddenly become so aggressive.

Looking at the woman before him, whose determined expression carried a hint of madness, he swallowed hard. After a long while, he finally nodded hastily: “Yes, this old servant will go request the young master immediately.”

With that, Elder Zhang greeted the nearby jailer and hurriedly turned to leave.

Once Elder Zhang left, Luo Wanqing relaxed. Yao Zelan hurried forward and grabbed Luo Wanqing’s hand holding the dagger, saying urgently: “What are you doing? Even if you’re angry with him, you can’t joke with your own life!”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing paused. She looked up at her mother, whose eyes held both blame and worry, remembering how she had died in her arms in the dream. Her lips trembled.

After a long while, she finally spoke hoarsely: “I’m sorry, Mother, but I must see him.”

She had to see him.

Whether it was real or fake, she had to see him.

If it was fake, she needed to ask for clarification.

If it was real… if it was real…

A flash of ruthlessness passed through Luo Wanqing’s eyes. She gripped the dagger in her hand and ground her teeth hatefully—she would kill him with her own hands!

Hearing her words, Yao Zelan didn’t notice her complex emotions and only sighed: “You child…”

She seemed to want to scold her, but thinking of how devoted her daughter usually was to Jiang Shaoyan, she must be extremely heartbroken now. Not daring to add salt to the wound, she could only say with disappointment: “No matter what, you can’t do anything foolish, understand?”

Luo Wanqing didn’t respond and pressed her lips together. Yao Zelan wanted to say more when she saw Elder Zhang hurrying back.

“Miss,” Elder Zhang’s face showed joy as he said happily, “Please come this way.”

Hearing this, Yao Zelan was stunned and somewhat incredulous: “You asked and got an answer already?”

After speaking, Yao Zelan suddenly realized and said angrily: “Jiang Shaoyan is here?!”

“Madam…” Elder Zhang smiled awkwardly, seeming to think about how to explain to the furious Yao Zelan. However, Luo Wanqing was very calm. She raised her hand to hold down Yao Zelan and said flatly: “Mother, don’t be angry.”

With that, she turned to look at the jailer and said calmly: “Open the door.”

The jailer looked at Elder Zhang, who nodded to him. The jailer hesitated for a moment, seeming to remember his superior’s orders, and finally opened the prison door for Luo Wanqing.

Luo Wanqing closed the dagger, turned to look at Yao Zelan, and after reassuring her with “Mother, don’t worry, I’ll go ask for clarification and come back,” she took the dagger and followed Elder Zhang away.

The jailers seemed to have received word early and didn’t interfere with them. Elder Zhang led the way while explaining, “The young master just arrived. I told him he couldn’t come, but unexpectedly, the young master finally handled his affairs and rushed over to see you. You must not disappoint his intentions or misunderstand him…”

Luo Wanqing didn’t listen to these words. After all, they were lies. She might have believed them before, but not now.

Full of flaws… no, it was all perfunctory.

But the her in the dream had believed this perfunctory treatment.

“Miss, we’ve arrived.”

Elder Zhang stopped ahead. Luo Wanqing halted and looked up to see a small room with an open door ahead.

Someone was sitting in the room—she could see the corner of their clothing.

“The young master is already waiting inside for you. This old servant won’t go in. Please.”

Luo Wanqing said nothing. She gripped the dagger tightly, took a deep breath, and finally stepped forward.

Entering the room, she felt cold wind carrying a cool fragrance sweeping toward her, brushing past her nose.

Following the scent, she raised her eyes. Behind a long table, a young man sat in a grand chair, wearing lake-blue brocade robes. His hair was half-bound with a jade crown, and his scholarly features, as if outlined in ink wash, were lowered as he looked at the teapot held in his scholarly hands.

Tea water poured from the pot, creating white mist in the air.

“Miss.”

With the sound of flowing water, he slowly raised his head. A pair of gentle and calm eyes, like a lake surface on an early autumn morning covered with mist, reflected her image as he called softly from afar: “You’ve come.”