But Liang Jie hadn’t been idle these years either. Among the youth circles in the capital, when it came to cunning and ruthlessness in his actions, he was not inferior to others.

Liang Jie raised his head with a smile, adding a touch of mischief befitting a junior, and said, “Grandmother, Second Brother loves to play around. Please forgive him just this once. I think he won’t dare do it again next time.”

This implied that Liang Yuan was in some unspeakable place – namely, a brothel. Liang Yuan had done such things before, and Old Madam Liang knew about it.

Old Madam Liang still didn’t believe it, her gaze slowly wandering between Liang Jie’s and Liang Qiong’s faces.

Liang Qiong was very frightened by her stare.

After looking for quite a while, Old Madam Liang finally withdrew her gaze.

She had always placed earnest hopes on Luo Meixiang’s three children. Originally, although she felt the three had some petty qualities, they ultimately hadn’t experienced much and probably lacked experience. Therefore, though disappointed, she had never given up on them, always trying every means to teach them strictly, wanting them to be even more outstanding than Liang Yunshan.

But ever since Liang Zhe returned, she discovered with chagrin that the son born by that lowly woman Zhao Wanniang was actually more capable than the sons born by Luo Meixiang, which made her extremely angry.

So Old Madam Liang became even stricter in teaching Liang Yuan and Liang Jie.

Later, when Qin Shuying entered the family, she discovered that Liang Qiong was actually inferior even to that lowly woman Qin Shuying. How could Old Madam Liang swallow this insult?

Her disappointment in Liang Qiong deepened, and her constraints on Liang Qiong increased. She almost wanted to do everything Liang Qiong should do herself.

She tried every means to spread her arms protectively over Luo Meixiang and her four children, shielding them from wind and rain, yet despairingly discovered that she seemed to have done everything wrong.

The Liang Yuan and Liang Jie brothers tried to harm Qin Shuying but were counterattacked by her to the point of nearly losing their lives. Luo Meixiang was bullied by Qin Shuying and Liang Zhen with no power to fight back, and now even the household management had been seized by Qin Shuying.

They were so useless!

Even more detestable was that Liang Yunshan was also deceived by Liang Zhe, his sister, and that lowly woman Qin Shuying to the point of confusion.

She had worked so hard – what had she gained in return?

What she had gained was Liang Jie repeatedly deceiving her, and even now still concealing things from her right under her nose. Liang Qiong became increasingly timid and trembling without any aristocratic lady’s bearing, while Luo Meixiang constantly displayed the demeanor of a concubine like Concubine Zhou – where was the bearing of a noble lady?

Meixiang had been robbed of the household management, and today came crying and wailing before her, but no matter how she looked at it, she didn’t feel that crying was from resentment – it seemed more like fear.

Fear of what?

She felt that Meixiang was afraid of her?

Old Madam Liang was absolutely furious.

What was there to fear about her? Fear that she would scold her for being useless? Scold her for being unable to handle things properly?

She truly couldn’t distinguish between priorities, couldn’t tell her own people from enemies!

Shouldn’t they now be joining forces to seize back power and trample Liang Zhen and Qin Shuying into the mud so they could never rise again? During all these days she had been unconscious, not only had Meixiang failed to investigate who had harmed her, not only had she failed to find ways to reclaim the household management, but she was thinking about how to avoid being scolded by her!

It was absolutely infuriating!

Although so angry she almost wanted to hurl the teacup in her hand, Old Madam Liang ultimately endured and said gently to Liang Qiong, “Qiong’er, with your wedding approaching, how are your dowry preparations coming along?”

Liang Qiong was slightly stunned. “Grandmother, these days I’ve been embroidering my wedding dress…”

Old Madam Liang immediately interrupted her: “What is your status? Why are you embroidering wedding dresses? Are all those embroidery ladies kept just to eat for nothing?”

Liang Qiong’s shoulders shrank, and she almost wanted to flee in panic. But she didn’t dare.

Seeing Liang Qiong remain silent, Old Madam Liang took a deep breath. Really, not one, not two, not three – all of them were worrisome!

All her years of effort had been wasted!

“Alright, you may go. I’m tired as well.”

After Liang Qiong and Liang Jie withdrew, Old Madam Liang closed her eyes, sighed, and thought about many things.

She was under house arrest.

During these days, when she was lucid, she had thought about many things and finally recognized her situation clearly.

Liang Zhe and Qin Shuying were safe and sound, so he hadn’t done as she had instructed.

Why was this?

He had said back then that no matter when, no matter what happened to him, as long as she sent out the letter, the people he had left behind would act without fail.

Could it be that he had later changed his mind?

No, no…

Also, Liang Yunshan hadn’t appeared at all these days. She had asked Qinglan and Qingcao, and these two little lowly women only said that the Earl seemed very busy, but they didn’t know the details.

Today when she asked Meixiang, Meixiang stammered and couldn’t explain clearly, her gaze evasive.

Liang Yunshan – what exactly did he know?

She had never feared Liang Yunshan knowing the fact that he was born of a lowly woman. She had countless reasons to silence Liang Yunshan.

She was the legitimate mother, the rightful legitimate mother!

Old Madam Liang sat for a long time until she heard Qinglan’s voice: “Old Madam, the tea has grown cold. Let this servant change a cup for you.”

Only then did Old Madam Liang come back to her senses, open her eyes, feeling somewhat confused, and unconsciously asked, “Where is Nanny Luo?”

Qinglan answered calmly, “Nanny Luo was scared to death when Zao’er came for revenge. And Mujin too.”

Old Madam Liang started, becoming somewhat more alert. She had long known that Nanny Luo was dead, and Mujin was dead too. But why had she still asked about this matter?

She felt that she seemed to become angry more easily than before, and more prone to forgetting things.

It was all due to the drugs given by that man disguised as a woman. And also the drugs given by these two lowly women before her!

Did they think she didn’t know that the man disguised as a woman and these two lowly women were all Liang Zhe and Qin Shuying’s people?

Did they think this could make her become a fool and eventually die slowly?

Impossible!

Since they were so vicious, she, Luo Yanyan, needn’t be polite either!

A pretty face appeared in Old Madam Liang’s mind, and then her lips revealed a sinister smile.

House arrest to prevent her from going out?

If she really wanted to go out, who could stop her?

Did they think that climbing up to Emperor Delong meant they could do whatever they wanted? If she really met Emperor Delong, these jumping clowns would be killed by Emperor Delong in minutes!

They truly didn’t know their place!

Just wait and see!

Having calculated clearly, Old Madam Liang peacefully drank a sip of tea and said, “I want to go out to admire the snow. Go prepare.”

Qinglan and Qingcao went to arrange personnel.

Old Madam Liang watched their figures, then looked at the area under the bed, smiled coldly, and closed her eyes again.

Lin Yuan, do you think that becoming Empress means you’ve defeated me?

Since you’re watching me fall to this state and won’t lift a finger to help, instead letting Zhou Huaiyuan torment me like this, since you won’t let me have peace, why should I still care about you?

I don’t believe that if I reveal a bit of your secret, Zhou Huaiyuan could still spare that lowly person Liang Zhe!

I’ve said long ago – your beauty is inferior to mine, your talent is inferior to mine. How could you become the high and mighty Empress and be protected by Zhou Huaiyuan in every way?

Yet I have had to endure so many years of loneliness and suffering, and be imprisoned in disguise in this deep mansion!

We haven’t seen each other for decades. You, who weren’t very pretty to begin with – what kind of hideous state must you be in now?

Everyone in the world knows that Empress Wen doesn’t show her true face to others, is rarely seen, and even Emperor Delong rarely sees her.

Actually, that lowly woman Lin Yuan is just deeply scheming. Knowing that she’s aged and lost her beauty, Zhou Huaiyuan would certainly grow tired of her, so she learned from Lady Li who refused to see Emperor Wu of Han when she was ill.

Back then, Miss Lin Yuan of the Lin family was beautiful both inside and out, charming and clever…

Old Madam Liang suddenly laughed, a laugh both eerie and triumphant.

Whoever won’t let me have peace, I won’t let them have peace either!

When has Heaven ever spared anyone?