Qun Qing returned to her quarters. Juan Su and the maids all withdrew, leaving an open space behind the screen.

A woman in palace dress tightly held Li Zhang. She pulled down the swaddling to reveal the infant’s face, sobbed once, then pressed her cheek against his.

This palace-dressed woman was Zheng Zhiyi. Qun Qing lightened her footsteps.

Today was the Lower Prime Festival. She had Zheng Zhiyi dress as a palace maid so she could slip out of the palace. Zheng Zhiyi’s eyes brimmed with tears. Turning her face, her once full-moon face had become thin and pale. She called out hoarsely: “Miss Qing!”

Qun Qing thought she would want to spend more time with Li Zhang, but unexpectedly Zheng Zhiyi handed the swaddling to a maid, grabbed her hand, and threw herself into her embrace.

Qun Qing held the thin and icy Zheng Zhiyi, like holding a cat. In Qun Qing’s heart, she herself was still just a young woman, yet had already become a mother. Bitterness welled up. Qun Qing patted her and said: “Were you frightened by what happened to Ruo Chan? Ruo Chan is fine now.”

Zheng Zhiyi shook her head, only sobbing.

“Crown Princess, you’ve suffered. I have tea and refreshments in my room. Come eat a little.” Qun Qing had everyone else temporarily withdraw and led Zheng Zhiyi to the inner chamber, bringing out the sweets she used to love most.

Zheng Zhiyi picked up a piece, then put it down. She suddenly stood and performed a solemn bow to Qun Qing. Qun Qing quickly helped her up. Zheng Zhiyi wiped her tears and said: “I know you’ve protected us all along. This child has a bitter fate. Even Princess Bao’an has pleaded for us mother and child, yet His Majesty’s attitude remains unclear. Li Xuan has already lost power. Since ancient times, the wives and children of deposed crown princes have never had good outcomes. I absolutely cannot drag you down anymore. Today I came to bid farewell to Miss Qing.”

“Farewell?” Qun Qing was alarmed.

“Empress Xiao once summoned me to speak. She is a natural-born empress. I think with her, Da Chen will be far better than with me.” Zheng Zhiyi choked up. “Empress Xiao said you once pleaded for me. She also tossed and turned, wanting to keep me safe. The plan now is for me to follow the example of imperial consorts from previous dynasties who accompanied green lamps and ancient Buddhas, to give up my worldly status. His Majesty naturally won’t drive us to destruction then.”

Qun Qing had already understood: “You’re going to return to the Liuli Kingdom with De Wu?”

At this, Zheng Zhiyi’s tears dried. She said: “The little monk is actually a prince of the Liuli Kingdom. He’s willing to help me take tonsure. He says the Liuli Kingdom also has grasslands, mountains, and horses. Taking tonsure doesn’t affect riding horses, and one can return to secular life after tonsure. So I think taking tonsure isn’t bad at all.”

Qun Qing choked for a moment. Zheng Zhiyi was ultimately leaving the palace, which settled one matter on her mind. But the Grand Prince’s situation was somewhat difficult: “There’s warfare recently. Even if His Majesty agrees to let you go, he probably won’t let Li Zhang leave the palace. The mountains are high and the road is far. If he’s captured by spies, it could cause an incident.”

“I naturally understand this.” Zheng Zhiyi’s eyes reddened again. She lowered her gaze for a long while, finally looking at Qun Qing. “You’ve helped me all along—I remember it in my heart. Must I be like a dodder flower, needing to entrust myself to others, drifting with the waves? Today I came to see Li Zhang once. Seeing what he looks like, my wish is fulfilled. Since entering the palace is like licking blood from a knife’s edge, how can I stop living because of this child?”

“Whether Li Zhang can come along or not, I will go to the Liuli Kingdom. I’ll remember your words—first establish myself and live well. If you ever need me in the future, please send a letter. I also want to help you, want to do everything I can to help you!”

At this moment, Juan Su hurried in to report to Qun Qing: “The physician His Majesty sent has arrived with medicinal materials and has already entered the mansion gates. She first examined Mistress Ruo Chan and will come see Madam shortly.”

This was to remind Zheng Zhiyi to leave quickly.

Qun Qing and Zheng Zhiyi finally released hands. Qun Qing set down her teacup and gave a look to the maids. The two immediately escorted Zheng Zhiyi out through the back door. She calmed her emotions, hid the teacup on the table, and removed her hairpin.

When the group entered, the quarters were completely quiet. The physician saw Qun Qing sitting on the bed with her hair loose. Qun Qing also saw clearly who had come.

This old woman had white hair and beard, carrying a medicine box in one hand and leaning on a cane with the other. She was quite elderly, which explained why Qun Qing only heard footsteps but had to wait a long time before seeing anyone.

The old physician took a deep breath. Before she could speak, she heard a cool, smiling voice from behind: “Granny Xue has come. Are you here to treat the spy or my wife? That spy has already been sent to His Majesty. I personally applied the torture. I imagine she won’t make it—no need for treatment.”

Speaking thus, Lu Huating lifted the bed curtain and sat beside Qun Qing, bringing a faint scent of blood and coldness. With a downward glance, Qun Qing glimpsed bloodstains on his fingers—clearly he had just rushed here from the torture chamber.

The old woman Li Huan sent to check on her was actually Granny Xue.

Rumor had it that Granny Xue was a medical woman who followed the Li family’s army when they conquered the realm. Like Imperial Physician Li, she came from a background as a traveling village doctor. Her medical skills were miraculous—she had saved countless souls from death. But because of her advanced age, though she was granted the title of Gold-Sleeved Physician after Da Chen was established, she had never served in the palace and was specially permitted to live out her years in comfort outside the palace.

Granny Xue tapped her cane and said to Lu Huating: “Rebellious son, your temper is still so difficult! It seems what Third Prince said was right—you’re most prone to suspicion. Third Prince heard Lord Qun was ill and specially summoned me to help nurse her body. What’s with that look? Am I here to murder your wife?” Granny Xue glanced disdainfully at the bloodstains on Lu Huating’s clothes, then softened her tone. “I just happened to encounter the injured palace maid—such a deep wound too. If not for me, her vocal cords wouldn’t have been saved!”

Qun Qing quickly thanked Granny Xue, her worried heart settling.

That Li Huan could send Granny Xue meant her choice had been correct.

Li Zhang’s wet nurse had been selected by Xiao Yunru. Xiao Yunru had made a mistake—she failed to recognize that this wet nurse was a Nan Chu spy who caused trouble from within, nearly leading to Li Zhang’s harm and spreading rumors.

Now this instigator had been captured alive and delivered to Li Huan. Thinking of his previous suspicions of Qun Qing, Li Huan felt guilt in his heart. Hearing that Qun Qing was frightened and recuperating, he bestowed medicinal materials and ordered Granny Xue to examine her in the palace, giving her full favor and face before the entire palace.

She had retreated one step, and Li Huan had also retreated one step. His summoning of Granny Xue was an apology, and even more, through an old friend’s mouth, a way to ease relations with Lu Huating.

How could Lu Huating not understand? He smiled: “Let Granny Xue examine my wife. In all of Da Chen, there’s no better physician than Granny Xue.”

Since it was a favor, Qun Qing had no reason not to give face. She obediently rolled up her sleeve and extended her arm to Granny Xue.

Granny Xue’s rough fingers rested on her pulse, pressing gently. At first her face still showed annoyance, but soon her expression became serious. After pressing for a long time, she said: “Oh my, strange, strange. A hundred poisons intertwined, yet not deep—how is this pulse reading?”

Hearing this, Qun Qing suspected she had taken the pulse incorrectly. In this life she hadn’t been wounded by the dagger and had taken care to nurse her health—how could she be poisoned? She smiled: “Granny Xue, please check again. I’ve hardly ever been sick from childhood to now.”

“You feel your body is healthy?” Granny Xue asked in return.

Qun Qing nodded. Granny Xue immediately continued: “Haven’t you been wounded by sharp objects and lost blood, greatly depleting your vital energy? Haven’t you rushed to advance, forcibly practiced martial arts, immersed yourself in ice water during the coldest winter days, or used medicine to delay your monthly cycle?”

Qun Qing’s expression froze slightly.

Images flashed through her mind—all things she had experienced when working as a spy. Or rather, only by enduring such training could one become a qualified spy. She hadn’t expected Granny Xue could detect even these things.

She smiled without changing expression: “I come from a poor family. The things Granny Xue mentioned—I’ve experienced them all to some degree. I once worked briefly as a traveling physician, going out with my teacher to see patients. My teacher said that even daily eating utensils and rest habits, if not careful, could all become poisons. Is what Granny Xue calls ‘a hundred poisons intertwined’ referring to damage accumulated from these subtle details?”

Granny Xue pondered for a while and felt the pulse again, seemingly convinced by her explanation: “What you say isn’t wrong either. After these years of chaos, among the common people there are those who drink well water and gnaw tree bark. Staying alive is already difficult—how can we demand the health of a prosperous age?”

Lu Huating listened silently and pressed: “Based on her pulse, what will happen?”

“She’s young, so nothing serious.” Granny Xue muttered. “However, a woman’s body that has suffered such wear without major nourishment will have great difficulty conceiving in the future. No wonder you’ve been married so long with no results.”

At these words, heat rushed to Qun Qing’s head. The focused look in Lu Huating’s eyes dispersed and his posture relaxed, the smile at his lips seeming utterly unconcerned.

Until Qun Qing’s calm voice sounded in his ear: “How can you blame this on me? Granny Xue should also check Lord Lu’s pulse. His health has never been good.”

Lu Huating immediately rolled up his sleeve and, squeezing beside Qun Qing, extended it to Granny Xue, smiling: “Come see where exactly I’m deficient.”

Granny Xue placed her fingers on his pulse. Meeting Lu Huating’s gaze, her face showed part shock, part embarrassment: “What’s going on with you two? Can you not consummate the marriage?”

Qun Qing was shocked—she never expected Granny Xue could even detect such things.

Lu Huating said: “It’s not my wife’s fault for refusing—it’s that I don’t know how to attend to her. Such matters shouldn’t be reported to His Majesty, should they?”

Granny Xue looked at the extremely handsome face before her, then at Qun Qing with her evasive gaze. She truly couldn’t believe how rough someone would have to be to cause such a situation. She immediately gave Lu Huating a thorough scolding: “Your head can’t only be filled with governing the country and warfare—you didn’t hit anyone, did you? Though I suppose you’re not that kind of person. I have a book in my medicine box. Take it and study the ways of husband and wife properly. You absolutely cannot continue like this!”

Granny Xue left the book and departed.

Seeing Granny Xue leave, Lu Huating set down the book. Looking at the bloodstains on his fingers, seemingly unable to tolerate them, his gaze lingered on Qun Qing’s face for a moment before he stuffed the book in her hands: “I’m going to bathe.”

After he left, Qun Qing opened a page and discovered this book was almost identical to the illustrated book she had looked at when they married.

Previously she had remained unaffected because she didn’t feel it had anything to do with her.

Now recalling Lu Huating reading the book, his complexion like pine wind reflecting on snow, the images from the book immediately entered her mind, and she suddenly felt somewhat restless.

These days she hadn’t mentioned it, and the two still slept in separate beds. Lu Huating had never overstepped boundaries. She knew he was waiting—waiting for when she wasn’t afraid—

Granny Xue’s medical skills were truly miraculous. The next day Ruo Chan could move about freely and came to see Qun Qing, though her voice was still somewhat hoarse.

Qun Qing felt tender toward her and ordered Ruo Chan to focus on recuperating, assigning two other maids to care for Li Zhang.

Without duties, time suddenly became long. When Qun Qing rose in the morning, a maid added a bowl of medicinal soup for her: “This is red ginseng soup, made according to Granny Xue’s prescription.”

Seeing her hesitate, another said: “The Minister gave silver and instructed this servant to personally buy it. It’s very expensive.”

Since money had been spent, Qun Qing picked it up and took a sip. The sour bitterness shot straight to her head—simply unbearable to swallow.

When Lu Huating got up, he saw Qun Qing endure for a long while, then take another bowl and pour him half.

“I’m afraid I’m too weak to handle the nourishment.” Her eyes held a trace of innocence.

“You’re afraid I poisoned you.” Lu Huating laughed coldly, looking at her as he picked up the bowl and took a sip, followed by a long silence in his eyes.

After a long silence, he still drank it all, showing Qun Qing the bottom of the bowl: “Since it’s life-preserving, endure it.”

Qun Qing found it amusing for a moment, smiling as she pressed her lips: “Are you that afraid of me dying?”

Lu Huating didn’t answer.

Qun Qing suddenly saw several traces of fear and coldness on his face. He held the bowl to her lips, his dark eyes carrying a sense of oppression: “At least don’t die before me.”

Qun Qing was forced to drink it all before she could forcefully move the bowl away, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. She didn’t like the feeling of being forced, but being looked at by him like this, she somehow found it hard to refuse. She cooled her face: “You should go on duty.”

Just then Juan Su knocked on the window: “My lord, today is the day of Meng Guangshen’s execution. He insists on seeing you once before he’ll accept death. His Majesty’s meaning is for you to send him on his final journey.”

Both of them froze.

Lu Huating dressed and fastened his belt himself. Looking at the bed curtains, he glimpsed a shadow threading needles. Qun Qing wore her garments, holding a sachet in her hands, her eyelashes casting a small cluster of shadows on her porcelain-white face.

Qun Qing had previously promised him she would re-embroider a sachet. Now having time, she began embroidering. Next year was the Year of the Snake. According to custom, one could wear an auspicious snake bringing good fortune. She had already drawn the pattern.

But she wasn’t embroidering with full concentration. Her mind was chaotically thinking about Meng Guangshen’s matter.

In this life, Lu Huating’s path of revenge had reached its end. The conclusion of this enmity was also tragic—surely this person’s heart was also difficult to calm.

Qun Qing’s spirit snake had only half a head embroidered when a slender hand took it away.

“I haven’t finished embroidering.” She lifted the curtain.

Lu Huating stubbornly proceeded, lowering his head to stuff this unfinished sachet with a handful of yellow vanilla, tying it to his own belt with two knots.

Lu Huating walked to the doorway when he suddenly heard a soft call from behind: “Qi Lang.”

He immediately stopped, only suspecting he had heard wrong.

Outside, daylight reflected dancing snow particles, making the empty spaces of his official robes shine brightly.

Qun Qing looked at that silhouette and continued: “After it’s finished, come back early. I’ll wait for you to eat hotpot.”

Outside it was shockingly cold. His boots left a series of prints in the snow.

From outdoors to the imperial prison, ice crystals melted into water, moistening his brow. Strangely enough, until walking before Meng Guangshen, Lu Huating thought of nothing—didn’t even feel cold. His mind was full of Qun Qing’s words.

Meng Guangshen’s hair was gray, his eye sockets sunken—already a withered husk. A pair of eyes stared eerily at Lu Huating, emitting low laughter. One inside, one outside—victory and defeat already decided, win and loss already determined.

Lu Huating’s eyes showed not a ripple. He filled the poisoned wine and passed it through the gap.

“Do you want to ask me why I had to kill you?” Meng Guangshen looked at him. “Because you’re most like me. From your birth, I saw the way you looked at people and knew that if I didn’t kill you, you would definitely kill me in the future.”

Lu Huating dusted his sleeves, seeming very unwilling to be associated with him: “Confess and sign. I’ll be merciful and leave you an intact corpse.”

“What crime have I committed?” Meng Guangshen laughed. “Defecting to the enemy and betraying the country? What is enemy, what is country? My mother, your grandmother, was the twelfth princess of the Xianbei, married into Zhong Zhou as a concubine—not even a concubine, a slave of the aristocratic family. There wasn’t an unmarked place on her body. When the family head was slightly displeased, he would break her teeth until she had only an empty gum bed. The family head was violent and drank yet received the ruler’s salary. I was so intelligent yet suffered bullying because of Xianbei bloodline. Even then I vowed that as long as I could climb up, I wouldn’t care about anyone—everyone was my stepping stone. In the end, didn’t the Lu family still rely on me to continue? Didn’t Da Chen still rely on me to establish? Originally I was one step away from becoming master of the realm. If you were smart enough, you should have worked for me, continuing our bloodline, not opposing me over trifles. You also have Xianbei blood, also have half my essence and blood. Qi Lang, do you truly not understand me?”

“Mother and siblings were all trifles, the common people I’ve seen along the way were also trifles—I don’t understand your logic.” Lu Huating looked steadily at him, his eyes tempered with cold mockery. “But I won, you lost. Accept it.”

Without waiting for him to speak, Lu Huating instructed Zhu Su: “If he doesn’t confess within half an incense stick, send him on his way. No need to report to His Majesty.”

“Qi Lang, you and I were always the same kind of person. Why speak so righteously?” Fear and hatred showed in Meng Guang’s eyes. “Don’t you want to know how your mother’s body was damaged?”

He said: “Back then Princess Changping feared the Li family’s sons. Every year when entering the palace for New Year reports, she would have dozens of wet nurses and servants enter the palace to receive rewards. That lame palace maid named Zhu Ying beside the Princess was skilled with Miao poisons. Every year she personally handed gold ingots to your mother. Your mother happily received the reward and gave thanks, not knowing the gold contained poison that harmed her body. The poison also passed through breast milk into Li Xuan’s mouth. Fortunately Li Huan had fever and vomiting. Back then Empress Ma personally nursed him, so you received all this poison.”

“You survived the disaster and then mixed with Zhu Ying’s daughter. Haha, I pity you—she’s also half a murderer. How can you face your mother’s spirit in heaven?”

Before he finished speaking, there was a crisp crash. Lu Huating smashed the wine cup against the wall, wine splashing on Meng Guangshen’s body.

Lu Huating’s eyes were pitch black, his face expressionless. After a long while he said: “Send him on his way. I’ll watch from the side.”