The officer left, and Feng Jiu’er stood rooted in place.

The Empress looked up at her and said softly, “Little Feng, is there some way to make my complexion look even worse?”

Feng Jiu’er let out a soft sigh and stepped over.

“Your Highness’s complexion is already poor enough — do you really need any other method?”

Feng Jiu’er supported her, helping her lie back down on the bed.

Her long fingers settled on the Empress’s pulse, her eyes meeting the Empress’s gaze.

“Your Highness, do you truly intend to send troops to save the Third Prince? Wouldn’t that be the same as opposing His Majesty?”

“Mm.” The Empress closed her eyes.

“But if His Majesty truly shows no regard for the bond between father and son, then I must act.”

“I refuse to believe that I, an Empress of such standing, can’t even protect one of my own children.”

Outside the door came the sound of knocking.

The Empress opened her eyes and glanced at Feng Jiu’er.

Feng Jiu’er turned back and said, “Come in.”

An old nanny came in carrying a bowl of porridge.

Feng Jiu’er stood, went to take the porridge, and waved a hand. “You may go — this servant will attend to the Empress.”

“This…” The old nanny leaned forward, glancing toward the bed.

“Little Feng may stay,” the Empress forced out weakly.

“Your Highness.” The old nanny knelt down.

“Your Highness, Little Feng is not, after all, a physician. This servant makes bold to hope Your Highness will let the imperial physician come in to examine you.”

“This palace has already taken medicine and feels somewhat better.” The Empress slowly waved a hand. “Go! This palace only wants some quiet.”

The old nanny had no choice but to stand.

“Yes.” She bowed with cupped hands. “Your Highness, this servant will stay right outside. If there’s anything, have Miss Little Feng come find me.”

The Empress waved her hand again, and the old nanny withdrew and left.

Feng Jiu’er strode over and knelt halfway beside the bed.

“Your Highness, eat some porridge first — the Eldest Prince might arrive at any moment.”

“I won’t eat it.” The Empress shook her head, withdrawing her gaze. “If I eat the porridge, my complexion will improve, and I won’t look poisoned anymore.”

“Little Feng, this is all your fault — you shouldn’t have given this palace your miracle pill. In just a short while I already feel much better.”

Feng Jiu’er set the porridge on the small table beside the bed and bent to support the Empress.

“Get up — drink the porridge first, or your health will truly collapse.”

“Doesn’t Your Highness just want to look unwell? This servant has a hundred ways to do that — take your pick.”

“Really?” The Empress’s face lit up with joy as she turned to meet Feng Jiu’er’s gaze.

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded in response.

The Empress finally stopped refusing and let Feng Jiu’er help her sit up.

When Feng Jiu’er turned around holding the porridge, the Empress patted the spot beside her.

“Sit.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced at the bed, then sat down sideways.

“Here.” She spooned a mouthful of porridge for the Empress.

The Empress opened her mouth and took it in.

“Little Feng, why do I feel like you haven’t even married yet? You’re lying to me, aren’t you? If you really haven’t married, why not consider my third son?”

“That boy is quite good — he’d treat you well.”

Feng Jiu’er coughed lightly and raised the spoon in her hand.

Thinking of Qiao Mu, she really wouldn’t dare!

The Empress opened her mouth again and took another spoonful of porridge.

“Won’t you consider it?” She raised an eyebrow.

Feng Jiu’er ignored her and kept feeding her the porridge.

By the time the Empress had finished the entire bowl, Feng Jiu’er set it down and turned to wipe her mouth.

“Your Highness, please stop joking! First, this servant truly does have a husband; second, is it really wise for Your Highness to trust someone you’ve only just met so completely?”

Having eaten the porridge, the Empress’s complexion had improved somewhat, and she was clearly enjoying Feng Jiu’er’s attention.

“This palace doesn’t know either whether it’s wise. In any case, I like Little Feng. If you’ve approached me with some purpose in mind, you might as well just say so.”

“Someone like me, who doesn’t even know how many more days she has left to live — even being used would be worth it.”

“So, you ask whether I truly intend to oppose His Majesty — unless there were no other choice, who would want to oppose His Majesty?”

“No matter what, I must preserve the third’s life. He’s still young, doesn’t like to fight for power, and is a good child — he still has a long road ahead.”

“But — I likely won’t live to see him marry and have children. Such is fate!”

Feng Jiu’er sighed and helped support the Empress as she lay back down.

“Is Your Highness around forty this year?”

“Little Feng, are you making fun of me?” The Empress looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

“The eldest is already thirty — am I not even forty?”

“But you look, at most, forty.” Feng Jiu’er sat again at the bedside.

“Let’s say you’re forty-five, then — you still have decades of life ahead. Why treat your own life so carelessly?”

“It seems you’ve had too many good days for too long.”

Feng Jiu’er picked up the Empress’s hand to take her pulse again.

“Your Highness probably doesn’t know this, but many people are still struggling to make a living even in their sixties, going without meals from time to time.”

“And here you are, in the prime of your life, already thinking of when to go — truly leaving without so much as a trace of cloud behind, as the saying goes.”

Feng Jiu’er set down the Empress’s hand and pressed her long finger onto an acupoint on her body.

“This will feel a bit sore — please bear with it, Your Highness.”

“This method won’t harm your health. You’ll just feel a bit dizzy and drowsy, and your complexion will turn somewhat pale.”

“But all the symptoms will fade after about half an hour.”

“Once you get through it, Your Highness’s spirits will be better than they are now.”

“Mm.” The Empress nodded.

Feng Jiu’er moved her long finger and began applying pressure.

After roughly the time it takes half a stick of incense to burn, the Empress’s complexion looked worse than before, her eyelids growing heavy, appearing half-asleep.

“Your Highness, can you still bear it?” Feng Jiu’er asked.

“Mm.” The Empress nodded without opening her eyes.

“If you have matters to attend to, go ahead. Don’t go too far — just to the side chamber.”

“All right.” Feng Jiu’er touched the Empress’s forehead and stood.

She gathered her things and walked to the other side of the large folding screen.

Soon, someone knocked on the bedchamber door.

“Your Highness, the Eldest Prince requests an audience.” The old nanny’s voice came from outside.

Receiving no response from within, she repeated herself, then pushed the door open.

A man in full military armor strode in, radiating an imposing air.

“Greetings, Mother.” He knelt not far from the bedside.

“Greetings, Your Highness the Empress.” The officer knelt behind him to the right.

“You’ve come.” The Empress’s arm stirred slightly.

Feng Jin immediately stood, stepped forward, and knelt beside the bed.

“Empress.” He took the Empress’s frail little hand in his large one. “What’s going on? How could you be poisoned within the palace?”

Feng Jin turned his head, sweeping a cold glare toward the old nanny kneeling not far off.

“Nanny Chen, what is the meaning of this?”

“Reporting to the Eldest Prince.” The old nanny looked up. “This old servant truly doesn’t know exactly when Her Highness was poisoned. The stewards are still investigating the matter.”

“Nonsense!” The Eldest Prince’s brows tightened. “Something of this magnitude, and this king wasn’t informed?”

“Reporting to the Eldest Prince,” the old nanny stammered, trembling, “it… it was Her Highness who said not to disturb you.”