Hua Chun woke up and didn’t see Qing Niao anywhere. She sent for Rui’er to ask, but Rui’er only said that Qing Niao had gone out to buy some things.

“The streets are so chaotic right now, why would a girl go out shopping?” Hua Chun frowned. “Let me know the moment she gets back.”

“Yes.” Rui’er agreed and went out to wait for news.

But by dusk, Qing Niao still hadn’t returned.

“Send someone to look for her.” Hua Chun couldn’t sit still any longer. “If they can’t find her, go back to the palace and ask.”

Rui’er hurried out again, and this time she was gone for hours with no word.

Hua Chun sat restlessly, unable to close her eyes all night. By dawn, she saw Qing Niao slip back in without a sound.

“Where did you go?” Hua Chun crossed the room in a few steps and pulled her over. “We looked everywhere and couldn’t find you!”

Her face was faintly pale. Qing Niao pressed her lips together and said quietly, “I got lost.”

Huh? Hua Chun frowned and studied her for a moment. “Do you know you always look down at your shoes when you lie?”

Qing Niao startled and quickly lifted her head. “I’m not lying. I really did get lost…”

“Mistress, mistress!” Rui’er came bounding in from outside, so excited she didn’t even glance at who was in the room. “I found out — Sister Qing Niao went into the palace…”

“Ahem.” Qing Niao frowned and cut in quickly. Rui’er looked up and only then noticed her, eyes going wide. “When did you get back? I didn’t even see you…”

Hua Chun’s face darkened as she looked at Qing Niao. “You lied to me.”

“This servant…” Qing Niao gritted her teeth. “This servant has reasons she cannot help. Please, my lady, don’t ask further.”

“Trying to sacrifice yourself for the greater good?” Hua Chun’s brows knit. “Do I even need to ask what you’re planning? I can already guess.”

Qing Niao paused slightly, then lowered her head. “This servant has done nothing wrong.”

This was simply what she was meant to do.

Hua Chun was furious. She grabbed Qing Niao’s hand and tried to force open the fist she was clenching tight. “Open it.”

Rui’er watched in confusion, having no idea what was going on between the two of them. But seeing her mistress this anxious was rare, so after a moment’s thought, she stepped out and left the two of them alone.

Unable to resist, Qing Niao slowly let her hand fall open. Hua Chun looked down and nearly fainted.

The dark, bruised patch on her palm was a mess of raw, torn flesh. There was no telling what had been done to it.

“Did you mutilate yourself?!” Hua Chun’s eyes went wide.

Qing Niao shook her head. “I had a ritual performed. Master Zhili said all the yin energy on my body comes from this spot, so he simply cut it away.”

Damn it! Hua Chun couldn’t stay composed anymore, her eyes reddening instantly with panic. “Doesn’t it hurt?!”

“This bit of flesh has no feeling left. It doesn’t hurt.” Qing Niao looked at her and smiled faintly. “It’s only that… this servant feels her life may not be much longer now.”

“…” Hua Chun stared at her, eyes wide.

“Don’t be upset. This servant is going against fate as it is — to have lived this long already counts as mercy from the King of Hell.” Qing Niao said, “My life hangs on the fingertips of Black and White Impermanence now. Who knows when they’ll come to collect it. Once I’m gone, the Great Liang will surely see favorable weather and peace return, the nation prosperous and the people at ease.”

“Bah!” Hua Chun choked out. “You’re still alive and well and you’re already deciding you’re about to die — what’s that about? Who needs ‘the nation prosperous and the people at ease’? If you’re really so afraid your fate will affect Great Liang, then let’s just leave the country!”

“Do you think this is the modern era?” Qing Niao let out a helpless laugh. “Just hop on a plane and go? You’re pregnant — there’s no way you could travel that far with me. If anyone leaves, it should be me alone.”

“No!” Hua Chun pouted and started to act unreasonable, just as she had countless times before, tugging at Qing Niao’s sleeve and looking up at her pitifully. “You’re my only family here. If we leave, we leave together!”

“How could that be…” Qing Niao sighed. “You still have your imperial son, you still have His Majesty, you still have good days ahead of you. Why tie yourself to me?”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have any of what I have now,” Hua Chun said earnestly. “There’s no reason that when things are going well for me, you run into trouble and I just stand by and watch, is there?”

Qing Niao had no answer, only sighed. “Please go rest properly. Look at those bloodshot eyes — did you not sleep well last night?”

“Mm.” Hua Chun nodded, holding onto her. “Sleep with me.”

“…Alright.” Qing Niao nodded, warmed the blankets, helped Hua Chun lie down inside them, then lay down beside her, letting Hua Chun hold onto her arm.

Hua Chun was tough as nails on the outside, while Qing Niao had always been the gentle one. But in the moments when it was just the two of them, Hua Chun became more docile and clingy than anyone, like a little kitten.

Outside, the clamor was loud, but Qing Niao paid it no mind. She let down the bed curtains and settled in to sleep beside Hua Chun.

“Your Majesty, your health matters, but the fate of Great Liang’s throne matters even more!” Outside Zichen Hall knelt a row of old ministers, each holding a memorial in hand, all of them saying the same thing: that Noble Consort De should be deposed to pray for the nation’s blessing.

Word had spread the day before that a ritual had been performed in the palace, but instead of any improvement, the emperor’s illness had only worsened — he had been lying in bed unconscious the whole time.

The doors stayed firmly shut. Eunuch Qin, sweating profusely, could see this crowd was about to break through, and hastily sent someone to summon the Marquis of Gongyu.

By the time He Chang’an rushed over, a group of ministers had already forced their way into Zichen Hall. Seeing the emperor lying pale-faced on the dragon bed, they all drew a sharp breath and then broke into a clamor of discussion.

Yuwen Jie had only been resting, not unconscious, and he found the noisy crowd deeply irritating. He barked out at once, “Silence, all of you!”

The old ministers startled, their faces awkward for a moment, but seizing the chance while the emperor was lucid, they quickly said, “Everyone under heaven now knows it is the demon in the harem causing this disaster, bringing suffering to the people and calamity after calamity. To settle the hearts of the people, we beg Your Majesty to deal with Noble Consort De!”

“She’s carrying my child, and you still call yourselves men?” The emperor opened his bloodshot eyes and erupted in fury. “Instead of properly handling disaster relief, you’d rather pin everything on a woman?”

Everyone froze. Someone in the back muttered, “But isn’t it uncertain whether the child in Noble Consort De’s womb is even an imperial heir?”

Furious enough that his head throbbed, Yuwen Jie beckoned Eunuch Qin over with a flick of his hand. The eunuch rushed to his side. “Your Majesty?”

“Throw this pack of old fools out of here for me. If they disturb my rest again, fifty strokes of the rod for every one of them!”

Everyone present drew a sharp breath, and even Eunuch Qin was clearly startled. He forced an awkward smile and bowed toward the group of old ministers. “His Majesty has just taken his medicine and needs to rest. Please, gentlemen, take your leave.”

With a wave of his sleeve, the ministers filed out, holding back their anger. Someone couldn’t help muttering, “This is truly history repeating itself — the fall of a dynasty at the hands of a wicked consort! With His Majesty shielding Noble Consort De like this, public fury won’t be so easily quelled. Something terrible is bound to happen sooner or later!”