“Oh Heaven! How did I give birth to such a thing? His mind is full of that woman Zhong Shaorong, completely disregarding whether the Fu family lives or dies!” Old Lady Fu clutched tightly at the clothes over her heart, beating her chest, “I have wronged my husband, wronged the entire Fu family, wronged my daughter-in-law, wronged my grandsons, and even more wronged my departed in-law!”

“Mother…” Fu Ruoxi crawled forward on his knees two steps, tremblingly extending his hand to try to grab Old Lady Fu’s skirt hem, but was fiercely shaken off by Old Lady Fu.

“I cannot bear to watch my sons and grandsons beheaded. I will… take the first step and go apologize to my husband and my in-laws first!”

After Old Lady Fu finished speaking, she suddenly used all her strength to crash into the wall of the Dali Temple prison. Blood immediately splattered everywhere.

“Mother!” Fu Ruoxi’s eyes widened in terror as he stumbled forward, struggling to embrace Old Lady Fu, who had fallen straight to the ground with his single arm, “Someone! Someone come! Quick, someone come! Mother! Mother… your son was wrong! Your son will listen to everything you say! Mother!”

The old nanny, keeping watch outside, heard the commotion and rushed over. Seeing the old lady covered in blood, she was so shocked she nearly collapsed to the ground, crying out loudly: “Someone! There’s been a death! Someone come!”

Soon, chaos erupted in the Dali Temple prison as people scrambled to carry Old Lady Fu out.

A jailer secretly slipped out of the Dali Temple prison and ran straight to a dark alley not far away. After bowing to a carriage guarded by the Crown Prince’s guards, he said: “Your Highness, Old Lady Fu has crashed into the wall.”

The Crown Prince, sitting in the carriage, rubbed the thumb ring on his finger, the corners of his mouth curving up: “Good… has Minister Lu arrived?”

“He’ll be here shortly.”

Only then did the Crown Prince nod, push open the carriage door, step down, and lead his men toward the Dali Temple prison.

Just as the Crown Prince stepped onto the stairs of the Dali Temple prison, he saw Lu Jin hurrying over in a rush. He paused: “Minister Lu…”

Lu Jin quickly bowed to the Crown Prince: “Your Highness!”

“Why such haste?” The Crown Prince feigned ignorance, putting on a puzzled expression.

“Reporting to Your Highness, you permitted Old Lady Fu to visit General Fu, but somehow Old Lady Fu crashed into the wall in the prison. This official hurried over to see what happened!” Lu Jin said, panting heavily.

“What?!” The Crown Prince exclaimed in shock, quickly lifting his robe’s hem and rushing inside.

Lu Jin also followed behind the Crown Prince, hurrying into the Dali Temple prison.

At this moment, the jailers had already moved Old Lady Fu outside, and a physician who had just arrived was stopping the bleeding and bandaging her wounds.

The Crown Prince stepped into the moldy, damp, and cold Dali Temple prison, hurrying toward Old Lady Fu’s direction while calling out loudly: “How is Old Lady Fu?”

The Crown Prince’s suddenly raised voice made Old Lady Fu’s fingers twitch as she closed her eyes, slowly opening them.

Today, Old Lady Fu’s visit to see Fu Ruoxi was not to persuade him, but for this very performance.

The final act of Old Lady Fu’s play was this scene with the Crown Prince and Lu Jin arriving. Only by performing this scene well in front of Lu Jin could her eldest son, youngest son, grandsons, and daughter-in-law avoid death.

Her son was trapped by love and manipulated by the Empress, so she, this old woman who refused to die, would use her life to pave the way for her descendants, at least to preserve their lives.

Therefore, Old Lady Fu forced herself to hold onto that last breath, opening her eyes and reaching toward the Crown Prince, her voice hoarse and weak: “Your Highness…”

“Old Lady!” The Crown Prince quickly stepped forward to grasp Old Lady Fu’s hand and asked the physician, “How is Old Lady Fu?”

Fu Ruoxi gripped the prison bars tightly with his single hand, trying to look outside but unable to see anything, crying and shouting: “Mother! Please, physician, save my mother! Save my mother!”

This physician was merely a common doctor who had never seen such a noble figure as the Crown Prince. Frightened, he quickly knelt, his speech becoming incoherent: “Re… reporting to Your Highness, the Crown Prince, this commoner’s medical skills are inadequate. I can only stop the bleeding but dare not make a diagnosis.”

“Quickly summon Imperial Physician Huang!” The Crown Prince turned and shouted to his guards behind him.

After the Crown Prince’s guard saluted and hurried away, Lu Jin stepped forward, unable to hide his shock at seeing Old Lady Fu covered in blood.

“Your Highness…” Old Lady Fu gripped the Crown Prince’s hand tightly, “Your Highness, this old woman has wronged Your Highness! Just now… in the cell, this old woman has questioned everything. My unfilial son… was coerced by the Middle Palace Empress using the lives of this old woman and our entire Fu family!”

“What?!” The Crown Prince exclaimed in shock.

Lu Jin’s expression also changed.

“I dare not deceive Your Highness. Before the Empress married into the palace, she had a marriage engagement with my son. Later, the Empress schemed to win the Late Emperor’s favor. Knowing my son was heartbroken and wanted to join the army, she falsely asked my son to go to the Zhong family to propose marriage. My son refused… The Empress cried and made a scene, claiming my son owed her!”

Fu Ruoxi’s hair stood on end. He knew his mother too well—by revealing all this, she was determined to destroy the Empress completely. He shouted: “Mother!”

The jailers nearby drew a sharp breath. If these matters were true, they had just heard royal scandals, and they wondered whether they should quickly withdraw to avoid trouble.

The Crown Prince ignored Fu Ruoxi’s calls, pretending to look shocked at Old Lady Fu while keeping Lu Jin’s astonished expression in his peripheral vision.

“Previously, when my son returned victorious from the northern frontier and His Majesty summoned him, after leaving His Majesty’s study… a maid from the Empress’s side encountered my son, begging him not to speak out and to follow her to save the Empress’s life! My son, feeling guilty toward the Empress because of past events, went with her. Who knew… the Empress wanted my son to lead the Anping Army to support Prince Xin’s ascension to the throne!”

Lu Jin’s hands, hidden in his wide sleeves, tightened, his eyes deepening.

“My son has always been loyal to the Great Jin and His Majesty. He advised the Empress not to act in such a manner, saying that as long as the Empress remained dutiful, he would not expose her out of old affection.”

Old Lady Fu wept profusely, then after choking back sobs, raised her head and said: “Who knew that when His Majesty’s health declined and he entrusted state affairs to Prince Liang, the Empress sent assassins to deliver a message to my son, claiming she had already poisoned this old woman, and that His Majesty’s days were numbered. The Empress demanded my son return with his army to the capital to support Prince Xin’s ascension! Otherwise, she would ensure I died without a burial place!”

Old Lady Fu’s voice rose in anger as she gripped the Crown Prince’s hand tightly, her eyes wide as she cried: “The Empress said that if my son disregarded even my life and death out of loyalty to the sovereign, then she would drag the Fu family down with her and tell the world that after my son’s victorious return from the northern frontier when His Majesty summoned him, he forced himself upon her! That the child in her womb was also my son’s, ensuring the extermination of nine generations of the Fu family! How vicious!”

In the prison cell, Fu Ruoxi heard Old Lady Fu’s words, and his eyes widened. The words were right at his throat, but he couldn’t utter a single word.

At this point, Old Lady Fu heard the agitated sound of Fu Ruoxi’s chains and was filled with hatred, her eyes bloodshot.