Year 31 of the Yuanfeng Era, Twelfth Day of the Seventh Month.

I awoke as usual, washed up, had breakfast, and read medical texts.

In the afternoon, I still reclined on the couch for a nap.

Suzhi guarded me as usual, doing needlework at the side.

This sleep was very restless. I even had a dream where I stepped into a black hole and my whole body fell downward. I suddenly woke with a start.

After waking, I felt some palpitations. It took quite a while to recover.

Suzhi helped me walk in the back courtyard.

Very strange—usually when walking, I could always hear some sounds from outside. Today was particularly quiet.

Suzhi noticed too and muttered, “Why is it so quiet?”

The afternoon passed without incident.

It was just that dinner was served somewhat late, arriving only when the sky had darkened.

After I finished eating, Suzhi helped me walk in the back courtyard again.

Still no sounds at all.

Outside the courtyard was deathly silent.

That day, Lady Liang didn’t come.

I thought it was somewhat strange. Usually she came rain or shine. Could something have detained her?

……

Year 31 of the Yuanfeng Era, Thirteenth Day of the Seventh Month.

Very strange—the fetal movements that occurred every day showed no sign of activity this morning.

Even stranger, my heartbeat and pulse were somewhat fast, and I kept breaking out in cold sweats.

Breakfast was delayed and no one brought it.

I was so hungry I felt restless and ate a few pastries to fill my stomach.

Suzhi cursed a few times, then tied a small embroidered cushion around her waist, disguising herself as a pregnant woman, and left the courtyard, saying she would go see what was happening in front.

After she left, she didn’t return even by noon, and no one brought lunch either.

Just when I was waiting anxiously, Suzhi returned carrying a food box.

I asked her what had happened in front.

Her eyes flickered somewhat as she said a thief had gotten into the Crown Prince’s residence. She needed to help the Crown Princess catch the thief and told me to take care of myself these next few days.

After speaking, she put down the food box and hurriedly left.

I felt there were holes in her story. Just as I was about to chase after her to ask clearly, the courtyard gate creaked shut.

I called to her twice. She didn’t respond.

I went to pull the door and discovered it had been locked from the outside.

Something was wrong.

I hurried to the back courtyard—there was still a small gate there.

But that small gate was also locked.

Cold sweat rushed down. I thought perhaps the Crown Prince had changed his mind at the last minute and wanted to keep me.

I told myself not to panic. Eat first. After eating my fill, I could think of a solution. There would be a way to resolve this.

After finishing the meal, I even boldly took an afternoon nap.

Waking, I began thinking of countermeasures.

Before I knew it, the sky had darkened. I heard the sound of the courtyard gate being opened.

By the time I supported my waist and walked out, the gate had been locked again, and a food box was placed behind the door.

Looking at that food box, I felt the situation might not be what I imagined.

If they truly wanted me to stay, the Crown Prince only needed one move—have someone see my pregnant state.

Not lock me up.

It seemed the Crown Prince’s residence had encountered trouble.

At midnight, I lay with eyes open staring at the bed canopy. Outside the window came the sound of the courtyard gate being opened.

I quickly lit a lamp, threw on some clothes and went out, only to see Lady Liang walking in alone.

Up close, I discovered her eyes were full of red veins.

“What happened?”

I asked, “Where’s Suzhi?”

Lady Liang’s gaze swept over my bulging lower abdomen. She sat down in the main seat. “Shen Duruo, pour me some warm water.”

Her face was ashen, her hair somewhat disheveled. After receiving the teacup, she drank it all in one gulp, then exhaled a long breath of foul air.

“Shen Duruo, something has happened to the Crown Prince’s residence.”

Within my expectations.

“What happened?”

She told me everything one by one.

Heaven and earth collapsed.

My soul scattered.

With the greatest imagination of my life, I still couldn’t imagine that such a matter had occurred in the Crown Prince’s residence.

Lady Liang lowered her head, her voice carrying a sense of complete despair.

“Shen Duruo, I’ll speak frankly with you. His Highness has now been forced into a dead end.”

My whole body trembled.

If I hadn’t dealt with that man in black before, I would definitely think Lady Liang’s words were alarmist.

But at this moment I understood—there was more than one spy lurking in the Crown Prince’s residence.

That person had used every means to lay an inescapable net.

“Do you want to live?” she asked.

I was bewildered and panicked. “What do you mean?”

“You’re carrying His Highness’s child. When the time for reckoning truly comes, you won’t escape. But if you’re willing to listen to me, you can definitely survive.”

“Listen to what?”

Lady Liang turned to look at me, the corners of her eyes lifting to form a sharp edge.

“Give birth to the child early, and you can be completely severed from us.”

I nearly fell off the chair. “What are you saying?”

“The old saying goes well: seven lives, eight doesn’t.”

Her eyes showed a ruthless light. “I’ve already found a midwife. I’ve had Suzhi prepare labor-inducing medicine. You yourself understand medicine. It’s a sure thing.”

I looked at her incredulously. “Do you know that inducing labor damages the five viscera and six bowels?”

“The five viscera and six bowels can always be nursed back to health.”

She sneered coldly. “If you die, there will be no opportunity at all.”

After speaking, she added, “Shen Duruo, I’m trying to save you and the child in your belly.”

Things had already become this urgent—would she be kind enough to save me?

Not right.

Very wrong.

I looked at her with a face full of wariness.

She smiled coldly. “At this point, I won’t hide it from you. I’m having you give birth early because I want to leave His Highness an heir.”

Leave an heir?

My heart pounded violently, blood flowing in reverse.

Under what circumstances would one need to leave an heir?

When death was certain.

“He, he wants to burn his bridges?”

“What else?”

Lady Liang sneered coldly. “Do you think after that voodoo doll was discovered, he can continue being his Crown Prince, dutifully waiting for the Emperor to pass the throne to him?”

I didn’t know.

I only knew how to treat and save people. I didn’t understand these complex power struggles, much less understand how things had suddenly reached the point of burning bridges.

“You, won’t you try to persuade him?”

“Why would I persuade him?”

Lady Liang looked at me and suddenly smiled.

“I told you before that the purpose of my life is to become Crown Princess, to ascend to the Empress’s position.”

Her voice was indescribably desolate.

“I’ve struggled for this matter for half my life. In the end, I can only watch helplessly as someone else sits in that position. The suffering I’ve endured, the grievances I’ve suffered, the tears I’ve shed… how could I be willing?”

She gently shook her head.

“If even I’m unwilling, how could he—someone born and sealed as Crown Prince—be willing?”

I couldn’t say a word.

She stood up and walked before me, her hand falling on my shoulder.

“Shen Duruo, you shouldn’t have spoken the word ‘persuade.’ You should understand better than anyone.”

Yes.

At this moment I understood.

Some people’s entire lives, even if walking on thin ice, have a shore they must reach.

My shore was treating and saving people.

His shore was ascending the throne and becoming Emperor.

Her shore was that position by his side.

Taking one step forward against the wind was still good, better than a lifetime of mediocrity and muddling through.

This was our mission in life.

Also our destiny!