Consort Qi shook her head and sobbed softly: “I cannot sleep. Even if I return to my bedchamber, I would only lie awake with my eyes open until dawn. Elder Sister Imperial Noble Consort and Imperial Physician She both died because of me, and their deaths were too pitiful. I only hope that all their resentment and hatred will be visited upon me alone, and will not harm the child or the Seventh Prince.”

The palace maid continued: “Since Your Ladyship is thinking of the little prince in your womb, you should not harm your health through worry all the more. Did the Seventh Prince not say that after Your Ladyship gives birth, he will bring both Your Ladyship and the little prince to his princely residence? At that time, Your Ladyship will no longer need to endure these days in the deep palace.”

The paper money in her hands burned with the flames, sparking inch after inch of scorching light in the dark night.

Hearing the palace maid’s words, a trace of brightness ignited in Consort Qi’s dim eyes.

She nodded and allowed the palace maid to support her arm, slowly rising to her feet while supporting her waist.

Before they could walk toward the bedchamber, the small door on the eastern side creaked open again.

Zhu Zhaowei stood in the doorway with a gloomy expression: “Why have you come here again?”

Then he glanced at the palace maid beside her and ordered his hidden guard: “Thirty strokes of the rod, then expel her from the palace.”

The hidden guard acknowledged the order and came forward to seize the palace maid’s hand and drag her out. The palace maid was frightened pale, her knees went weak, and she collapsed kneeling on the ground, crying out to Consort Qi: “Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship, save me—”

Consort Qi was so shocked by this scene that tears spilled from her eyes. Despite how heavy her body was, she fell to her knees before Zhu Zhaowei with a thud: “Your Highness, this has nothing to do with A’Zhu. It was I who insisted on coming here. I beg Your Highness to spare A’Zhu’s life. If I lose her too, Qi’er will not have even one person to talk to in this deep palace.”

But Zhu Zhaowei made no response.

Only after the palace maid had been dragged outside the eastern door did he raise his hand slightly, stopping the hidden guard who was about to administer punishment.

The palace maid crawled and rolled back to Consort Qi’s side. Her body and face had already been scraped with bloody marks from the dragging, but she paid no heed to the pain and kept kowtowing to Zhu Zhaowei, begging for mercy.

Zhu Zhaowei looked at the tearful Consort Qi and asked: “Have you learned your lesson this time?”

Consort Qi was completely dazed. After a moment, she nodded hesitantly, “I have learned.”

Only then did Zhu Zhaowei turn around and say: “Let us go.”

The dark night was silent. The palace maid helped Consort Qi wipe away the tears on her face and was supporting her as they walked, but after only a few steps, she felt the person beside her trembling slightly.

She was startled and asked softly: “Your Ladyship, what is wrong?”

Beads of sweat as large as beans slid down from Consort Qi’s forehead. The sudden pain nearly robbed her of consciousness. Her lips trembled before she could shakily say: “It… it has come again…”

The palace maid was greatly alarmed upon hearing this. In her urgency, she could not concern herself with propriety and called out to Zhu Zhaowei ahead: “Seventh Prince!” Then she said, “Your Ladyship’s abdominal pain has flared up again. She must be bleeding once more. She cannot walk now and must immediately have Imperial Physician An come for treatment.”

Zhu Zhaowei’s expression darkened, and he barked at the hidden guard behind him: “What are you standing there for?”

The palace maid took several bamboo mats from the old palace and spread them on the ground, letting Consort Qi rest there temporarily. Before long, Imperial Physician An arrived carrying his medicine chest.

Consort Qi’s abdominal pain condition was contracted after the New Year. At first, there was only light bleeding, but by now, the pain was like being cut by knives, and even the bleeding was becoming more and more frequent.

Imperial Physician An took Consort Qi’s pulse, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

After a while, he fed Consort Qi a pain-relieving pill and bowed to Zhu Zhaowei, saying: “Your Highness, Consort Qi’s abdominal pain and bleeding have already harmed the little prince in her womb. The pregnancy has long been unstable. If this continues, I fear…”

“Save him…” Before he could finish speaking, his sleeve was grasped by Consort Qi. Her lips were pale as she lay on the palace maid’s lap, yet still spoke with calm determination: “You need not save me, but you must save him.”

Upon hearing these words, Imperial Physician An did not know what to do and looked toward Zhu Zhaowei: “Your Highness, this…”

Zhu Zhaowei said nothing.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down at Consort Qi from above.

This woman who was already eight or nine months pregnant remained slender and graceful except for her protruding abdomen, and her beautiful eyes filled with spring water remained pitiable and moving even at this moment.

But to say he was particularly fond of her—that really could not be said.

Zhu Zhaowei remembered that the first time he encountered Consort Qi was in late summer three years ago.

At that time, he had returned from Fengyang and wanted to go back to Yanhe Palace to pay respects to his mother consort, but unexpectedly heard that the long-abandoned old site of Yanhe Palace now housed a mistress and her servant.

They were beauties newly taken by his father the Emperor.

The Emperor was elderly, while the beauty and her maidservant were still in the flower of their youth. The palace was full of treacherous hearts. Presumably these two were only there to accompany the Emperor until he departed westward and they would cut their hair and leave the mortal world. Not even a proper palace maid had been assigned to serve them, and they were driven to this haunted place.

The old palace of Yanhe Palace had always enshrined Consort Cen’s memorial tablet.

Consort Cen had been gone for ten years, and except for when Zhu Zhaowei returned to the palace to pay respects, this memorial tablet was never attended to by anyone.

But on this day, when Zhu Zhaowei arrived at the old palace, he saw that on the altar table where the memorial tablet was enshrined, incense had just been lit, and even the melons and fruits were fresh.

Zhu Zhaowei was stunned for a long while, roughly guessing who had done this.

The next day, he arrived at the old palace of Yanhe Palace an hour early. After waiting a moment, he indeed saw a slender figure with a face like a crabapple pear push open the door and enter, taking incense from a basket to offer it.

This maidservant was the current Consort Qi.

Zhu Zhaowei emerged from behind the door and asked coldly: “What is the meaning of this?”

When Consort Qi saw that the person was actually an imperial prince, she was so frightened that she fell to her knees. After recovering for a moment, she timidly explained: “This servant heard that a departed consort once lived here, so I come to pay respects every day. After all, I am living in her place and receiving her charity, and I wish her peace beneath the springs.”

Zhu Zhaowei was silent for a moment, then asked: “What is your name?”

Consort Qi was actually an orphan and had no name. When she served Beauty Li as a child, Beauty Li called her A’Qi, so she said her name was A’Qi.

Zhu Zhaowei was silent again for a moment: “The character ‘Qi’ conflicts with this prince’s name.” He paused, seeing what seemed like spring water in her eyes. “From now on, you shall be called ‘Qi.'”

That year, Zhu Zhaowei had actually returned to the capital to assist the Court of Judicial Review with a canal transport case and would be staying in the capital from late summer until the following spring.

From then on, whenever he went to Yanhe Palace, fresh incense would be offered on Consort Cen’s altar table. Occasionally, when he arrived early, he could still see that little serving maid with spring water in her eyes standing gracefully by the window railing, watching him.

But when he turned his gaze toward her, she would look away.

Zhu Zhaowei had taken a consort at eighteen, and there were no shortage of concubines in his princely residence. He could see through the few parts of romantic intent hidden in such gazes.

But he did not care. He was inherently a person of cold heart and cold feelings. Moreover, at that time, Consort Qi’s face was lovely as a flower but not stunningly beautiful, her temperament was timid and unremarkable—she truly could not catch the eye of the illustrious Seventh Prince.

If not for encountering the right time.

That right time was the anniversary of Consort Cen’s death.

In the freezing cold season, Zhu Zhaowei had drunk some wine and came early to pay respects to his mother consort. Though the sky had not yet brightened, a single stick of incense in the old palace was already burning.

When Consort Qi was lighting the incense and heard movement behind her, she turned around and saw Zhu Zhaowei standing very close, watching her while reeking of alcohol.

Whether it was the effect of strong liquor or not, on this day, the spring water in her eyes reflected the candlelight and dawn colors, rippling even more abundantly.

Somehow, Zhu Zhaowei kissed her, and this kiss was less about attraction of the heart than arousal of the body.

He removed her garments and entered her roughly and unreasonably. Only when he saw her lips turn pale, her forehead seeping with sweat, her entire body shivering, did he frown and ask: “Does it hurt very much?”

Upon hearing this question, tears immediately rolled down Consort Qi’s face in an unbroken stream.

But after a moment, she shook her head and said: “No, I am only cold.”

When dawn broke, snow was falling outside, but the falling snow was silent.

Consort Qi’s face changed from pale to flushed, her entire person like a red plum blossom blooming in this endless deep palace, yet she kept her eyes tightly closed and her lips pressed together, looking as if she were generously going to her death.

Zhu Zhaowei was amused by her appearance, and from then on, this lovely image lodged itself in his heart.

But it was shallow and insignificant.

If not for the fact that she carried his child.

Imperial Physician An waited at the side for Zhu Zhaowei’s answer.

But Zhu Zhaowei shifted his gaze away from Consort Qi and looked toward the endless darkness of the night. After a long while, he said: “Is there no way to save both?”

“There is.” Imperial Physician An said, “But only if we use the method of inducing labor while both Consort Qi and the little prince are still alive. However, this method is extremely dangerous and severely damages the body. If…”

Zhu Zhaowei said: “Then go back and prepare. In a few days, we will induce labor for Consort Qi.”

Imperial Physician An hesitated again: “If during the induced labor we must make a choice…”

“Save the one in the belly.” Zhu Zhaowei said indifferently.

“Yes, this old minister knows what to do now.” He glanced at Consort Qi and shook his head almost imperceptibly. He prescribed a medicine to slow the bleeding and said, “Since Your Ladyship’s abdominal pain has improved somewhat, please return to your bedchamber to rest. This old minister will prepare some medicinal materials at the Imperial Medical Bureau, and in early July, we will induce labor for Your Ladyship.”