Suzhen really wanted to say: You came at precisely this moment to tell me this? But before she could speak, the man had already disappeared. Whether there were still some feelings in his heart, or if it was truly as he said, she couldn’t fathom.

Li Zhaoting—she would always say the same thing: she had never understood him, even after they had done that sort of thing together.

Thinking of what she had desperately suppressed these three months, she trembled with nausea and dared not think further.

She didn’t tear her heart out wailing, nor did she cry and curse for him to return. That trick didn’t work every time, and besides, after that incident, facing him, she could no longer do such hypocritical things!

She slowly returned to the temple and went to the kitchen to get medicine. The medicine was prescribed by Little Zhou—when alone, one must take good care of oneself.

After taking the medicine, she crouched by the large pool in the courtyard to watch the giant salamanders.

Did Little Lotus’s cries sound similar?

She closed her eyes, feeling those sounds that others might find somewhat frightening were like heavenly music to her.

Her head quickly became dizzy, her body cold and aching. Earlier she had forced herself to face Li Zhaoting with composure, but now she could barely hold on. She hurried back to her room, put on a thick outer robe, and wrapped herself in cotton blankets…

She had to quickly nurse her body back to health before planning to leave. Going out in this condition would mean death.

But after three days, she began to feel that each day was like a year.

Sunset clouds flew together with solitary wild ducks, while cats, dogs, birds, and fish remained within.

The former dynasty monks of Huguo Temple had long been driven away.

In this vast temple, only she remained with these few creatures—it was unbearably lonely.

Without Wuqing, Little Zhou and the others, she was too alone.

She began trying to think of solutions, but had no methods at all.

Her illness not only didn’t improve but worsened in the loneliness.

Alone and desolate, exactly as Li Zhaoting had said.

This day, she forced herself to cook and brew medicine, carrying the items back to her room, only to discover a letter placed on the table.

She found it strange—the envelope bore no name?

She opened it and immediately understood.

It was that old friend again.

These past months, besides news Wuqing brought, her knowledge of affairs inside and outside the palace came from letters this person sent through Wuqing.

He always spared no effort to inform her of his situation.

This person!

However, this fallen fellow was quite capable—unexpectedly, after Wuqing left, he could bribe the imperial guards to deliver letters inside.

She wrapped herself in the blanket and greedily read the letter. Here there were only Buddhist scriptures—text outside the scriptures, letters from friends.

Quan Feitong’s letter revealed something.

Li Zhaoting was leaning more toward military supplies. He wanted to deal with Wei Chenghui, and it was rare he could do some good deeds incidentally, but this time it looked impossible.

He also told her he was thinking of ways and would definitely help her get out of there first.

But Suzhen’s heart sank. If they didn’t provide disaster relief, how many people would die? This Great Chu, seeing Great Zhou’s disasters and chaos, clearly intended to take advantage!

But Li Zhaoting had seized political power through war, so naturally he valued border security.

Damn it!

But Miss Miao was married to Li Zhaoting, Wei had formed a marriage alliance with Zhou, and moreover, Chu and Wei already had mutual resentments due to their status as agricultural powers. If they really fought, Wei couldn’t avoid helping. Logically, Li Zhaoting should consider disaster relief—what was going on? She was shivering from cold and, disregarding her own escape, bit her finger and pondered hard.

Right!

When the snipe and clam fight, if Chu and Zhou fought while Wei watched from the sidelines, only joining later, then Wei could use Zhou to weaken Chu’s power and reap great benefits. Li Zhaoting was concerned about this. He definitely needed sufficient military supplies.

He wasn’t Lian Yu. Lian Yu put country and people first, while he…

That night, she again stayed awake until dawn. Lian Yu’s country and people were about to suffer disaster, yet she could do nothing…

The next day, she developed a fever. She didn’t cook, just ate a few bites of yesterday’s cold rice and fell into a dazed sleep. At dusk, she woke and forced herself to the kitchen to cook and brew medicine, only to discover another letter in the corridor.

Still from Quan Feitong, but this time also with a letter from Wuqing attached.

This time it was switched—Wuqing had asked this fellow to deliver the letter.

Wuqing said basically the same as Quan Feitong had before—he would find ways to rescue her, she must take good care of her illness and take medicine on time, and not think about other matters. Though Li Zhaoting currently imprisoned her, needing to contend with Wei, he still relied on him fairly heavily.

But Quan Feitong brought two pieces of news, one good and one bad.

The good news was that the military supply problem might be solved; the bad was that the Wei thief had gained another victory. He had brought Li Zhaoting a person named Ying Yan, who claimed his tribe had large mines and was willing to offer them. This way the treasury shortage could be alleviated—they could manage both disaster relief and military supplies.

Suzhen initially breathed a sigh of relief—this was good news.

However, she suddenly remembered something, gasped, her vision went black, and she nearly collapsed.

Ying Yan. Mines.

If it were just one, it might be someone else with different mines.

But these two things together…

Ying Yan was the Ying Yan she knew, Sangzhan’s mortal enemy!

The remnants of the Murong army were currently among the Sangzhan tribe!

That fellow Ying Yan was a traitor to the Sang tribe. His offering mines to the court was to regain his position in the tribe, but if the court sent troops to excavate, the Murong army would be exposed!

No, she had to notify Wuqing immediately. No, at this critical moment of interests, how could Wuqing persuade Li Zhaoting?

Having Wuqing notify the Murong army to withdraw wouldn’t work either. There were too many Murong troops—Lian Yu had divided them into small groups entering the valley to hide. Now if the large army withdrew, Li Zhaoting had already issued documents to various places. This gradual withdrawal wouldn’t be fast enough, but a mass withdrawal would immediately draw the attention of local officials, who would report to the court with unimaginable consequences!

Ask Quan Feitong for help?

No, she couldn’t explain this matter to Quan Feitong. Given Quan Feitong’s past relationship with Lian Yu… would he help?

This concerned the safety of the Murong army and the Lian family—she couldn’t take that gamble!

Besides, even if Quan Feitong would help, facing such interests, Li Zhaoting wouldn’t listen.

She immediately wrote two letters.

“Prime Minister, please help me. I must get out within three days, at any cost! I beg you.”

Wuqing’s letter had the same content.

Finally, she placed the letters in the corridor, waiting for Quan’s people to collect them.

She fell seriously ill again, her mind churning—sometimes Lian Yu’s appearance, sometimes Little Lotus’s smiling face, sometimes preventing the mine excavation with starving people everywhere, sometimes the Murong army discovered and slaughtered, blood everywhere.

Quan Feitong sent no more letters.

Next, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stay alert, taking medicine and cooking. She couldn’t collapse now—all of Lian Yu’s relatives were there!

She had to get out.

But her body was beyond her control, and she dared not let the imperial guards report her condition, fearing an imperial physician might diagnose postpartum blood deficiency. Just when she could barely hold on, this evening, the mountain suddenly had visitors.

The imperial guards came to report, and she went out to see.

In the dusk, the woman turned around, smiling slightly as she looked at her.

“Long time no see.”

“What instructions does Her Majesty the Empress have?” Suzhen asked indifferently.

Beside A Luo was Xiao Sishan, who seemed startled seeing her condition and said affectedly, “Concubine Shu, why have you become like this? Your face is almost unbearable to look at. You must take care of yourself.”

Suzhen smiled and waited for A Luo to speak.

“What does the Empress plan to do to deal with me?”

“Deal with?” A Luo shook her head, squinting at her, “You overestimate yourself. What do you have now that’s worth my dealing with?”

“Over two months now.” She touched her abdomen and smiled, “Zhaoting says this will be the future crown prince.”

“I said I came to see you, and he agreed. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you. I just wanted to see how you look now. Seeing you so miserable, how could I bear to kick you when you’re down?”

“Even more, having known each other, if you have any requests in the future—improving your food or adding clothes and cosmetics—I’ll try to arrange it all. Consider it accumulating merit for my unborn child.”

How could Suzhen not understand? She was precious now because of her child and quite pleased with herself. Today’s visit was to intimidate her!

Her talk of letting her go was only because being imprisoned here was more painful than death.

She knew that no matter what, she couldn’t beg her—she would certainly take the opportunity to humiliate her. But regarding the Murong army matter, she had to find a way to see Li Zhaoting soon to prevent the court from sending troops there. She still spoke: “I do have a favor to ask. Can you help me once?”

“I want to see Li Zhaoting once. I won’t threaten you—I have business with him. Just one meeting.”

A Luo was startled, then smiled, “Certainly, as long as you kneel and beg me, saying you seduced Lian Yu and admitting you were wrong.”

Xiao Sishan was alarmed, “Mistress, you must not be soft-hearted!”

Suzhen took a deep breath, but finally slowly knelt down and said, “I seduced Lian Yu. I was wrong.”

A Luo looked at her, the bone-deep hatred finally revealing itself bit by bit in her blood-red eyes, “You finally admit you were wrong.”

“Fine, I’ll convey your message… in thirty years.”

“I never said it would be now. But your needs for clothing and food, I can satisfy immediately. Tell the guards later.” She spoke lightly, glanced at her, and with Xiao Sishan’s support, left down the mountain amid the respectful farewells of the surrounding guards.

Suzhen supported herself on the ground—her body was weak and she needed this support to slowly get up. Many guards looked straight ahead, while several cast sympathetic glances at her.

Returning to the courtyard, not minding the dirt, she sat directly by the pool due to physical weakness, slowly watching the salamanders in the pool.

She touched her stomach, thinking of the stark contrast between A Luo’s child and Little Lotus—one destined for silk and jade, the other alone and helpless. She couldn’t help burying her head in her knees.

She had failed Little Lotus and Little Lotus’s father.

After an unknown time, the salamanders in the pool made sounds. She slowly raised her head, her vision blurred.

“Lian Yu, after death I dare not and will not see you again. If you’re at the Bridge of Helplessness, I’ll avoid it and go into the river. But even though I want to avenge you and die for you, I can’t even do that. I want to do something for your country, to eliminate all evil, I exhaust all my strength trying to protect those you love, but I could protect your brothers yet couldn’t protect your sister. Now I can’t protect any of your family members. I’m truly useless.”

“Why did you save me? If it were you, you’d definitely find a way to turn this desperate situation around…” As she spoke, blood surged up, her chest and abdomen ached terribly, and she spat out fresh blood, collapsing sideways.

In the darkness before her eyes, she suddenly saw a letter lying on the corridor steps. She put the place where her finger had been severed into her mouth and bit down hard. The pain revived her spirits, and she crawled over using hands and feet…

Night.

A Luo, who had been resting lazily on the imperial concubine chair, quickly got up hearing the announcement outside. Though diagnosed with pregnancy at the same time as the talented lady, their treatments differed greatly.

Li Zhaoting entered and, seeing the situation, quickened his steps to press her back down, reproaching, “Didn’t I say no need for ceremony in the palace? How did you forget again?”

“Not forgotten—mistress is now completely respectful to His Majesty, afraid of somehow displeasing you again,” Mei’er said quietly nearby.

Li Zhaoting glanced at her, “You girl are quite talkative.”

Mei’er was startled, “This servant doesn’t dare.”

“You should know how I treat you. Otherwise, who would you ask to see that I’d still let you see them?” Li Zhaoting sat on the couch.

Seeing his feigned angry expression, A Luo smiled. She had taught the girl to say this—Mei’er was loyal and sometimes clever, but sometimes too brainless.

Li Zhaoting had again confirmed his feelings for her.

She smiled, “Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty can rest assured—A Luo won’t make things difficult for that person anymore. Having Your Majesty’s child is already A Luo’s greatest blessing in this life.”

After all, that person in Huguo Temple was living a fate worse than death.

Li Zhaoting heard her mention this, his eyelids flickering as he asked half-jokingly, half-lovingly, “Seeing you in such condition, what did she look like?”

“Naturally envious of your concubine,” A Luo said softly, trying to please him.

Li Zhaoting’s eyelids moved again. He seemed quite pleased with her gentleness and tenderly embraced her…

Sleeping until midnight, A Luo was awakened by a eunuch rushing to report, his face full of panic, “Your Majesty, Commander Si urgently requests an audience—”

Li Zhaoting got up, knowing Si Lanfeng’s midnight request must be extremely urgent! Though he frowned, he immediately said, “Summon him!”

Soon Si Lanfeng entered, his face slightly pale. Seeing him, he said, “Your Majesty, there was a fire at Huguo Temple in the middle of the night.”

A Luo’s heart shook. Li Zhaoting shot up, grabbing his collar, “What did you say!”

An hour later, at daybreak, the side palace courtyard gates opened again.

In the room, someone sat on a stool, covered in dust and ash, half her face pale.

Soon after, a group hurried in. The leader wore dragon robes, his brow deeply furrowed, eyes showing anger. When his gaze met the person on the stool, he seemed to shudder, then stared at her silently with pressed lips.

Suzhen knew he had seen the wound on her face.

Quan Feitong had taught her the method of setting fires and secretly had several bribed guards help her by setting fires in multiple hidden places in the temple.

When other guards discovered it, Suzhen’s courtyard was already ablaze.

In the chaos, she had deliberately burned one side of her face.

She knew that returning to the imperial palace, Li Zhaoting probably wouldn’t have any romantic thoughts about her, but she still did this.

When Si Lanfeng arrived to investigate, the fire was extinguished, but upon examination, he discovered the fire wasn’t simply set by Suzhen or a kitchen accident. Multiple arson traces indicated Suzhen alone couldn’t have managed it.

Seeing Suzhen’s injuries, he was alarmed and reported to Li Zhaoting overnight.

Li Zhaoting ordered Si Lanfeng to send people to the Six Doors Bureau for Wuqing to personally investigate.

He came over himself.

His eyes held a chilling quality that made people shudder as he stared at Suzhen without speaking. After a long while, he coldly instructed Liang Song, “Summon the imperial physician immediately.”

Seeing Liang Song about to leave, he said in a deep voice, “Summon the head physician.”

Suzhen glanced at him, then slightly lowered her eyes without speaking, her palms in her sleeves soaked with cold sweat.

Soon the head physician arrived and took Suzhen’s pulse, his eyes showing shock. He tremblingly examined Suzhen’s eyelids and checked her tongue… Li Zhaoting’s face was iron-blue, “Is there anything wrong with her body, and can the facial injury be treated?”

The physician’s thinking was clearly not on the same wavelength as the Emperor’s. From the symptoms, this Concubine Shu seemed to have postpartum hemorrhage and blood deficiency, but there had been no word of Concubine Shu being pregnant in the palace, and now it had only been three months since she was banished!

He was terrified, not knowing how to respond, when Suzhen said quietly, “Your Majesty, this concubine’s injury is nothing serious. Don’t make things difficult for the physician. Otherwise, like the previous physician who diagnosed Noble Consort Wei, he might make errors from fear, which wouldn’t be good. If it can’t be treated, then it can’t be treated. The physician may speak frankly—Your Majesty is magnanimous and won’t blame you.”

Li Zhaoting had killed the physician who “misdiagnosed” the imperial heir!

Hearing this, the head physician immediately lowered his head and replied, “Thank you, Concubine Shu. Your Majesty, this lady’s body is… fine. As for the facial injury, this minister can reduce it, but for complete healing, I’m afraid…”