Someone was requesting an audience.

Li Zhaoting ordered them admitted.

After a while, his expression grave as water, he commanded servants to summon several people into the inner chamber.

After the time it takes to drink tea, two doors were violently pushed and slammed open as he led people striding out quickly.

More than an hour later, though dawn had broken, there was still some darkness. Five thousand imperial guards followed the Son of Heaven to a location in the capital.

There weren’t many pedestrians on the streets yet, all looking with shock and alarm at these massive imperial city forces appearing like clouds. At the imposing mansion, guards outside came forward to pay respects. Just as they were about to enter to announce the arrival, Si Lanfeng stopped them. Several imperial guards behind him quickly stepped forward, seizing the people. The group arranged themselves on both sides, clearing a path for the Son of Heaven.

Li Zhaoting strode in with lowered eyes.

The Cold Palace

Suzhen had the imperial guards standing watch outside convey a message that she had urgent business requiring an audience with the Emperor. The leader dared not delay, quickly sending someone. Before long, they brought back one person – not Li Zhaoting, but Liang Song.

“Your Majesty, the Emperor suddenly encountered urgent business and left the palace.”

“Does Eunuch know what matter it was?”

“The Emperor left in haste without explanation. As soon as he returns, this old servant will immediately relay the message and bring the Emperor over.” The old eunuch spoke with utmost respect.

Suzhen, having seen the old eunuch’s weather-vane nature, though anxious, still smiled: “Then I’ll trouble Eunuch.”

The old eunuch, seeing her courtesy toward him, left quite satisfied.

Wuming was also thoughtful, asking: “Your Majesty, when this subordinate goes out, should I have Boss send word to Chancellor Quan? He must be worried too.”

Suzhen shook her head: “No need. Du Ruoxiu returned last night and surely brought him news. He should know I’m safe.”

Wuming nodded, about to help her inside to sleep some more, but was stopped by her.

Suzhen paced back and forth in the courtyard, anxiety burning within her. That feeling was like when she and Leng Xue first entered the capital and saw the imperial notice of complete family execution, or like that night when Lian Yu went to Wei residence to take her away, later experiencing a lifetime of pain that day…

She understood it was mainly because it concerned Little Lotus – she was becoming delirious again… But she kept walking, sometimes running to the Cold Palace gates to look out hopefully.

Above the imperial city’s eaves spread endless low, oppressive dark clouds. Five thousand guards entering and leaving the imperial city, galloping over white jade steps – what a massive display! Li Zhaoting hadn’t taken the imperial carriage today but rode a tall, vigorous black steed. The saddle and stirrups were inlaid with gold and precious stones, extremely luxurious and magnificent. Leading the army galloping between heaven and earth, he seemed to possess all worldly prosperity – yet these appearances couldn’t lift the current Son of Heaven’s spirits. He rode ahead, his left hand tightly clutching something, leaving others behind. That stern, austere figure seemed to merge with the dark, rain-threatening clouds.

Si Lanfeng had his lieutenants secure the group of people they’d just captured while anxiously catching up himself. But one person slowly reined in his horse behind them, quietly instructing his confidant: “Go to the Empress Dowager’s sleeping quarters, report the situation thus and so, and notify all the consorts…”

…

Suzhen didn’t know how long she’d waited. Walking from outside back into the courtyard, the Cold Palace gate slightly ajar, several aged former palace consorts looked at her with suspicion or curiosity. Two deranged ones angrily threw pebbles at her, cursing her as a fox spirit who’d stolen the Emperor’s favor.

Wuming, seeing Suzhen’s anxiety and feeling anxious herself, grew angry at this sight and was about to step forward to teach them a lesson!

Suzhen stopped her, instead smiling at them: “It’s my fault. Wuming, bring over some pastries to apologize to their majesties.”

Wuming: “…”

But since Suzhen had given orders, she could only comply, taking over the basket of treats the old eunuch had obsequiously sent that morning. Several consorts looked somewhat alarmed. Suzhen smiled at them again, and the two deranged women had already snatched the basket away.

Suzhen was just thinking of asking Li Zhaoting later to provide some silver to release these people from the palace when suddenly a sharp voice rang out: “His Majesty the Emperor arrives—”

Suzhen’s heart leaped as she quickly turned around. But before she could even see clearly, she was kicked to the ground by a figure rushing toward her!

This blow used seven or eight-tenths of his strength. She couldn’t withstand it and consecutively spat out two mouthfuls of fresh blood. Wuming was alarmed and about to attack the newcomer when she saw who it was and froze.

Behind him, the sword-wearing young man suddenly struck. Wuming, caught off guard, immediately had her acupoints sealed and collapsed limply. The man ordered people to seize Wuming and take her out, then silently withdrew to wait by the courtyard gate.

Inside the rooms, several women had long been frightened into tightly closing their doors.

Suzhen ignored her piercing pain. Her gaze only swept briefly over the man in imperial robes before her, quickly fixing on the bundle he cradled in his left arm.

“What is that…” she asked with a forced smile.

Li Zhaoting’s eyes were filled with blood threads, that crimson extremely bewitching, every part showing bloodthirst and cruelty, like an enraged beast in a snowy wasteland about to tear someone apart in the next moment. But strangely, a slight curve floated at the corners of his mouth.

“Why ask when you already know? I brought this bastard out of your brother’s residence.” He smiled slowly.

Suzhen also smiled: “I wonder which Six Fans Gate constable’s child it is…”

“Constable?” Li Zhaoting laughed heartily, staring at her: “When I entered, Lian Xin held this child desperately, seeing me like seeing a demon. I came suddenly – of the three thousand Six Fans Gate constables, most were out on cases. Fewer than two hundred constables remained inside. My elite troops numbered five thousand. Even if your brother and the others heard news and rushed back wanting to fight me desperately, it was useless…”

“Would a constable’s child be worth such devotion from them? Feng Suzhen, if you want more evidence, it’s not impossible. What medicine did your servants daily have the Imperial Medical Bureau brew for you after returning to the palace?” As he spoke, he suddenly pulled out something black and sticky from his chest, throwing it at her face with a “smack.”

“Do you want me to summon the Court Physician to explain why you need to take this medicine? Or do you want to use Wei Wulei’s previous mistake in diagnosing pregnancy to intimidate people into silence?”

“You were indeed no longer pure long ago. That night at the hunting grounds… it was Lian Xin, wasn’t it? Oh, I’m also foolish – why waste words with you here? Since you claim not to know this bastard, you wouldn’t mind if I smash her to death, would you?” He still smiled slightly, but his eyes brimmed with killing intent as he slowly raised what he held.

It was a red swaddling cloth. With his movement, it gradually revealed a small baby’s face.

The child’s features were still tender, clearly recently born, but completely pink and adorable with charming features. Moreover, despite being carried on this long galloping journey, she didn’t cry or fuss. Now she just blinked her eyes, seeming somewhat puzzled, but looking at Suzhen, then grinned and smiled.

This indeed had the desired effect. Heartache, fear, hatred… nearly all suppressed emotions burst forth in an instant. Suzhen struggled to her feet, staggering toward him.

“Give me back my child.” She looked at him, her voice not loud but as if using all her life’s strength.

It seemed like calm narration, seemed like humble pleading, seemed like fierce command…

Seemed like everything, yet seemed like nothing at all.

Li Zhaoting watched her whole body tremble, as if hearing all her bones rattling, all her blood rushing through.

She looked with such devotion, but clearly wasn’t looking at him – she was looking at what he held in his hands.

Her child with Lian Yu.

Li Zhaoting’s heart felt as if struck again by a mute hammer, too painful for words. He thought the pain had reached its peak when hearing Wei Chenghui’s report, but later when he personally saw the child mentioned by the other party, he thought snatching this child from Lian Xin’s hands was the ultimate pain. But now he saw her gaze.

Such deep love – he seemed to have seen it in her eyes before. She had looked at him the same way, but not so profoundly, and later never again.

He had just been deceiving himself all along.

For that person’s child to be like this, then for that person…

All his blood seemed ignited by raging fire, boiling until he wanted to howl and scream. In an instant, something surged to his head. He laughed loudly, using all his strength to dash the baby to the ground – that scene of brains and blood scattered might extinguish the fire within him…

“Good, you kill her. Li Zhaoting, because of you I’ve endured separation and death throughout my life… I’ve long grown tired of living. If she dies, I’ll immediately accompany her. Lian Yu, I’ll bring our child to you and beg your forgiveness, then leave you father and daughter forever…”

She stopped moving. The hairpin holding her hair had become askew from her violent movements and finally fell with a crash. Her eye sockets were also frighteningly red, as if about to bleed like that night, but like him, she still smiled as she spoke.

He watched her face turn deathly pale, the scars on her face splitting open, not yet healed. Her head of black hair had instantly become half silver.

Her appearance not yet aged but already ugly, not yet aged but already half white-haired.

The fire boiling throughout his body seemed grabbed hard by that hair and extinguished in several strikes.

His hands trembled violently, yet he clutched the child tightly.

“Zhaoting, this person must be killed. She’s driven a wedge between you and your most loyal minister. Let me bear this sin for you—” With a bitter laugh, someone rushed out from behind him, sword thrusting forward.

The courtyard was extremely quiet, as if only the sound of blade entering flesh then withdrawing remained. The person smiled miserably, then turned the blade toward her own neck.

Li Zhaoting was horrified, leaping up to grasp the sword…

Suzhen watched coldly as Hong Xiao’s sword was seized, nearly falling into Li Zhaoting’s embrace. She looked down at herself – fresh blood spurting from her chest. She didn’t want to be weak, didn’t want to admit defeat, didn’t want to let go of her child, but ultimately couldn’t overcome this boundless pain and fell straight to her knees.

She used all her strength for one final look at the bundle in Li Zhaoting’s hands.

This child should be saved, saved…

The child had been staring at her. Now, as if frightened by her blood-soaked appearance, she finally burst into tears with a “wah”—