“Mother.” Di Wuya knelt down and held Zhan Liyue in his arms.

He cast a glance at Di Wuyou, his voice ice-cold to the extreme: “What exactly happened here?”

Ever since Zhan Liyue had personally admitted that it was she who had pushed Feng Jiu’er off the cliff, neither Di Wuya nor Di Feimu had come back to see her — and neither had Di Wuyou.

“He…” Ye Luosha sat on the ground, a trace of fresh blood at the corner of her mouth. “He was the one who poisoned the Empress — with a deadly poison.”

“I struck his heart meridians, yet the Empress disregarded everything to save him.”

Ye Luosha had not expended much inner energy; her current weakness came from seeing no hope in Zhan Liyue’s face.

She feared losing this loved one; that fear made it impossible for her to rise for the moment.

“You…”

Before Di Wuya could say anything, an icy, frost-cold hand gripped his arm.

“Wuya, he is your own younger brother. Di Wuyou would not… be wrong. It must be him; he is… our Wuyou.”

“From now on, you and Mu’er must treat him well, to make up for everything he has missed all these years.”

Elder Shi withdrew both palms from the vital points on Di Wuyou’s back and sighed silently.

Di Wuyou furrowed his brow, pressed a hand over his heart, and steadied himself.

Now that he had Zhan Liyue’s inner energy protecting his body, his condition had already improved considerably.

It was simply that Zhan Liyue could not stop worrying, which was why she had continued channeling inner energy to him without pause.

“Army physician, quickly!” Di Wuya raised his eyes to look at the physician.

Two army physicians hurried over and knelt down.

One’s long fingers rested on the pulse point at Zhan Liyue’s wrist; the other’s long fingers rested on her neck.

Yet to everyone’s dismay, a moment later, both of them simultaneously shook their heads at Di Wuya.

Ye Luosha went limp and collapsed to the ground, her face completely ashen.

Di Wuyou stared at Zhan Liyue without blinking, the light in his eyes still deeply complex.

Di Feimu went over and grabbed one of the army physicians: “What does shaking your head mean? What has happened to my mother? Speak! What, exactly, has happened to my mother?”

“In response to the Second Prince: Her Majesty the Empress… the poison has penetrated too deeply, and all her heart meridians are damaged. There is truly nothing more that can be done.” The army physician shook his head and let out a soft sigh.

“Had Her Majesty the Empress not been severely poisoned yet insisted on continuing to channel energy to heal the Third Prince, matters would not have deteriorated to this extent.”

“You…”

“Mu’er.” Zhan Liyue interrupted Di Feimu.

Di Feimu looked back and released the physician.

“Mu’er, come closer.” Zhan Liyue looked at Di Feimu and smiled faintly.

Di Feimu stepped close and half-crouched down.

Zhan Liyue, her breath as thin as thread, glanced at Di Wuyou not far away, pulled her gaze back to look at Di Feimu, and then her eyes fell once again upon Di Wuya.

“From now on, the three of you brothers… must always be… at peace with one another.”

“These years, I too have grown weary. Fortunately, I have been blessed by Heaven’s… favor…” Looking once more toward Di Wuyou, Zhan Liyue’s face still carried a faint smile.

“Wuyou… has come back.”

“With Mu’er and Wuyou to support you… Wuya, your mother can now rest at ease. These years… it has been hard on Wuya as well; your mother is sorry to you.”

Zhan Liyue’s gaze wandered continuously over her three sons, smiling one moment, choking with emotion the next.

“It is your mother and your imperial father who were at fault, for failing to give you… a good life.”

The moment those words fell, Zhan Liyue closed her eyes.

“Mother.” Di Feimu leaned forward and grasped Zhan Liyue’s hand.

Zhan Liyue drew several deep breaths and slowly opened her eyes once more.

“Mu’er, promise your mother — do not quarrel with your imperial brother any longer. The one Jiu’er loves is Wuya. You… should let her go.”

“Wuya.” Zhan Liyue’s gaze came to rest on Di Wuya. “Your mother does not ask for your forgiveness. But had I not done what I did, even in death I would not…”

“…have had the face to meet the Di family’s… ancestors!”

“Jiu’er is a good girl. To be able to meet her again — you must… hold on tightly, and do not… let her slip away!”

Zhan Liyue released Di Wuya and extended her hand, looking toward Di Wuyou.

“Wuyou, I am your mother — your… birth mother.”

“When the Di family was massacred, you were barely two months old. Your mother was… helpless — unable to save you.”

“Do you know — the name ‘Wuyou’ was something I and your imperial father chose together. We both hoped… that you could… live free from sorrow and worry.”

“Yet never did I imagine…”

“Your Majesty.” Ye Luosha knelt beside Zhan Liyue. “None of this is your fault. Why do you blame yourself?”

“It was the Zhan clan that caused all of this. Though the blood of the Zhan family flows in our veins, we devoted ourselves entirely to the Di family. We have done nothing wrong!”

“Do not be anxious. I will go and bring Feng Jiu’er here. She is a divine physician; she can certainly save you.”

As Ye Luosha rose to her feet, Zhan Liyue’s voice sounded again: “Do not trouble yourself. I know my own condition.”

“When I am gone, I will still need you to watch over those… three brothers. Do not leave! Let me finish saying… what I need to say.”

Ye Luosha lowered her head to look at the white-haired woman in Di Wuya’s arms, her voice very low and heavy: “What is it you want to say? To tell Wuya to marry Feng Jiu’er — is that not so?”

“Long Feiyan not only stole Di Dingtian’s heart, she also destroyed your once-incomparable beauty — yet you never once mentioned this in front of these brothers.”

“For the sake of the Di family, you exhausted the best years of your life; for the sake of these brothers’ peace of mind, you concealed your personal grievances without a single word.”

“And now, for the sake of one who sought to kill you, you are willing to give up even your life?”

“Zhan Liyue, I tell you — the thing I regret most in this life is becoming your younger sister.”

“Had it not been for you, for your Di family, for your children, would I have lived this way?”

“I’m sorry!” Zhan Liyue looked at Ye Luosha and blinked. “Cold Star, I am sorry! It is I who… dragged you down with me.”

Ye Luosha closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, strode closer, and knelt down.

“What use is an apology?” When she touched Zhan Liyue’s ice-cold hand, Ye Luosha’s voice instantly grew hoarse.

She bit down hard on her lip, lunged forward, and clutched Zhan Liyue’s arm.

“I want you to live on and live well! I do not want your apology! I only want you to keep going.”

Inside the tent, Ye Luosha’s heart-rending cries rang out.

Even Elder Shi had never seen Ye Luosha so vulnerable.

All these years, she had acted decisively, killing without batting an eye — like a rakshasa in the dark of night.

Her very name had come from this quality.

Yet in this moment, she was like a child — a child on the verge of losing someone most dear.

She felt despair and helplessness at her own powerlessness.

“Had I believed your words, this result would never have come to pass. It is I who have wronged you!”

Ye Luosha cried out, straightened her back, released Zhan Liyue, and made room.

She turned back and fixed her gaze on Di Wuyou; a cold, low voice rose: “Aside from your mother, who would be willing to give their life for you?”

“I do not care who sent you here. If you do not call out ‘Mother’ now, I fear you will never have the chance again.”