“Sev— Imperial Prince, please step out for a moment, just for a moment.”

Feng Jiu’er’s silver needles came down atop Consort Jing’s head. The black blood overflowing from her seven orifices gradually slowed somewhat, but it was clearly still seeping out.

She had no way to dispel Consort Jing’s poison now; all she could do was fulfill a mother’s last wish.

She knew that whatever Consort Jing wanted to say must have something to do with Zhan Luori.

In truth, there had only ever been one person in Consort Jing’s heart — Zhan Luori. It had always been so.

After taking one more deep, lingering look at Consort Jing, Zhan Luori finally let go of her and strode to the door.

But just as he was about to leave, he turned back to look at Feng Jiu’er, a faint mist flickering in his eyes: “If you need to call me back, you must!”

“I know, trust me!” Jiu’er nodded firmly.

No matter what Consort Jing wanted to tell her, in Consort Jing’s final moments, she would certainly call Zhan Luori back in.

Zhan Luori left through the door and ordered everyone to withdraw, forbidding anyone from approaching this side.

He himself withdrew beyond the courtyard, refusing to let himself eavesdrop, because his mother consort did not want him to hear!

Once everyone had moved far away and the sound of footsteps had faded, Feng Jiu’er turned to Consort Jing, anxious: “Your Highness, whatever you want to say, please go ahead.”

If there was truly nothing more she could do to save her, then the only thing left was to do everything possible to fulfill her dying wish!

“Take care of my son. Miss Jiu’er, I beg you, please take good care of my Ri’er.” Consort Jing tried to sit up, as if to kneel before her.

Feng Jiu’er was startled, hurriedly holding her back down, saying urgently: “Your Highness, please don’t move recklessly!”

“Then promise me you’ll take good care of my Ri’er, will you?” Consort Jing gripped her wrist, just as tightly as before!

“I just don’t understand…”

“To save you, Ri’er was even willing to give up his own life. I know — to Ri’er, you are someone special.”

“Your Highness, you misunderstand. The Seventh Princess was only acting under the Ninth Prince’s orders, secretly protecting me all along — it wasn’t…”

“Whether or not I misunderstand, I only ask that you take good care of him — care for him for the rest of his life. Jiu’er, I beg you.”

As for the son she had borne herself, Consort Jing knew — if Feng Jiu’er weren’t so special to him, how could he have done so much for her?

Her son was by nature cold and indifferent, somewhat similar to the Ninth Prince, never showing much warmth toward others.

But she could see that his attitude toward Feng Jiu’er was different. Feng Jiu’er was the first young lady in his life he had ever been willing to draw close to on his own.

Back at the Imperial Academy, when she saw her son walking out of Feng Jiu’er’s room, she should have understood clearly then that Feng Jiu’er meant something different to her son.

But at the time, blinded by hatred, all she had wanted was to seize power and position for her son — everything else, she had not taken to heart at all.

In fact, she had not been pleased in the least that some young lady could get close to her son!

“Jiu’er, I know I have no right to ask this of you. You and I have no particular bond, but… right now, you’re the only one I can trust.”

She held Feng Jiu’er’s fingers, gripping tighter and tighter, until her hand gradually began to tremble.

“Jiu’er, I truly have no other way. I can only beg you — please take care of my child, please never abandon him, never forsake him!”

“Your Highness, you really do misunderstand…”

“I beg you!” Her body suddenly began to shake violently. The silver needle atop her head could no longer seal off her bloodline.

A great deal of black blood gushed from her seven orifices. Every time she opened her mouth, she spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yet she kept speaking, still gripping Feng Jiu’er’s hand with all her strength: “I beg you, never abandon him, never forsake him, I beg you…”

Feng Jiu’er’s heart burned with urgency — if she didn’t call Zhan Luori in soon, it might be too late.

But Consort Jing, in this state right now…

“I beg you, never abandon him, never forsake him. Promise me, Feng Jiu’er, I beg you… I beg you…”

Her body trembled even more violently. Her vision had already begun to blur, and even her pupils kept dilating and losing focus.

Only her voice remained just as clear: “I beg you, never abandon him, never forsake him. I beg you, promise me…”

Only the fingers gripping her wrist remained so tight…

“I promise you!” Feng Jiu’er finally cried out loudly. “Seventh Princess, come in quickly!”

With a bang, the door was kicked open. Zhan Luori swept in like a gust of wind, and in the blink of an eye was at the bedside, lifting the dying Consort Jing into his arms.

“Mother Consort, Mother Consort, I’m back, Mother Consort!”

Why was she trembling so violently? Why had it come to this?

Zhan Luori looked at Feng Jiu’er, but she turned her face away, standing up and stepping aside.

Seeing her like this, Zhan Luori felt as if his heart were being torn apart. In an instant, his heart turned to ash.

“Jiu’er is a… a good girl. From now on… from now on… don’t be impulsive. Listen to Jiu’er, Jiu’er…”

Consort Jing’s hazy, sorrowful gaze slowly settled on Feng Jiu’er beside her. “Jiu’er, will… take good care of you… in my place…”

After that, Consort Jing seemed to lose consciousness entirely, murmuring to herself: “I’m dying. The Death Decree won’t rest until someone is dead. I’m sorry to that good man, but if you don’t die, my son can never become Crown Prince, can never become Emperor…”

“I’m sorry, Heng’er, I’m sorry. You’re a good child. I’m sorry…”

“I’m sorry, Ri’er. You must take good care of yourself. I’m sorry…”

“Jiu’er, promise me, promise me… never abandon, never forsake…”

Her voice finally faded away completely. The hand that Zhan Luori held so tightly had no strength left in it at all.

The moment he loosened his grip, her hand slipped from his palm, falling limply onto the bed.

Zhan Luori simply stared at her in a daze, as if he had forgotten where he was, as if he had forgotten what he was doing, as if he had even forgotten what had become of the person in his arms.

The entire world seemed, in that single instant, to have been completely forgotten by him.

No one knew how much time had passed before a heart-wrenching, low howl suddenly erupted from within the room.

The roar was deafening, surging toward the clouds, only to vanish without a trace among them…

“Mother Consort—”

…

Consort Jing was gone, yet the harem remained as calm as ever, without the slightest unusual stir.

This place was too remote, too isolated — ordinarily no outsiders ever came here, and Consort Jing had never mingled with the other consorts.

So when she passed, only the maids and guards of her own courtyard kept watch over her. It wasn’t that the other consorts hadn’t received word — they simply did not wish to come, unwilling to associate themselves in any way with the late Consort Jing.

Some rumored that Consort Jing had poisoned the Crown Prince, and so had been secretly executed.

Others said that Consort Jing had had an affair with a young eunuch in the palace, and upon being discovered, had taken her own life out of guilt.

There were many versions, many of them utterly baseless and fabricated out of thin air, yet within the harem people still told them with great relish, as if they were true.

As for gossip to pass the time over tea and meals, who cared to investigate whether it was true or false?

As long as it could be brought up in conversation, it might as well be true.