Xiao Changqing stopped, staring woodenly at Xiao Changying who strode toward him.

His heart was in chaos. Looking at his confident brother before him, born into the royal family, he had rarely faced adversity. His only misfortune in life was probably that Shen Xihe hadn’t married him.

Most of this carefree life had been given to him by Xiao Changqing.

At this moment, he didn’t know if Xiao Changying, like Pingling, knew everything – if like Pingling, he outwardly showed respect while privately mocking his foolishness.

“Elder Brother, what’s wrong?” An unexplainable panic rose in Xiao Changying’s heart. Xiao Changqing had never looked at him with such complex, almost alien eyes. It frightened him. “Did Mother say something harsh? Elder Brother, His Majesty’s punishment is hard for Mother to accept, that’s why she spoke without thinking. Please don’t take offense.”

To Xiao Changqing, every word from Xiao Changying now felt jarring, the buzzing sounds like countless needles piercing his mind, causing his head to throb as if about to explode.

He raised his hand to his forehead, his voice ice-cold: “Leave!”

Xiao Changying froze. He saw the murderous intent and disgust in Xiao Changqing’s eyes, as winter’s cold water poured over him, freezing him instantly.

It was as if all his thoughts had been suddenly drained away. He didn’t know what had happened – his closest brother now looked at him like a mortal enemy.

By the time he came to his senses, Xiao Changqing had already stumbled away. He seemed to be swaying, and while Xiao Changying wanted to follow, remembering Xiao Changqing’s earlier hatred and killing intent made his feet root to the ground. “Follow him,” he ordered his men to watch Xiao Changqing while he rushed into Hanchang Hall. Seeing Mother would reveal the reason.

Xiao Changqing wandered forward like a puppet, noting people behind him. He stopped and spoke coldly: “Leave.”

He didn’t want anyone disturbing him now, didn’t want to hear anyone’s voice.

He walked increasingly off course, his mind filled with memories of the past – how for this mother, he had curried favor with His Majesty.

For this mother, he had strived to be the prince and eldest son she expected, sacrificing so many of his desires.

Because of this mother, he had lost his beloved.

He knew Qingqing didn’t want to live – even if Mother hadn’t provided those fragrances that could be made into poison, she would have found other ways. But besides the mother he deeply trusted, how could he not have noticed others?

When Qingqing collapsed in his arms, when he watched helplessly as her body grew cold, as his flesh and blood turned to bloody water flowing across the ground, he hated!

He wanted to destroy heaven and earth. He took revenge on everyone involved, not even sparing His Majesty.

Except for this mother – he was the child she had raised, he had no right to take revenge on her, could only torment himself.

He was constantly restricted by His Majesty because he had a birth mother who was wholly loyal to His Majesty.

Though she wasn’t as attentive to him as to Xiao Changying and Pingling, she still showed care and love. Apart from giving Qingqing the fragrance, she had never wronged him, and he had always respected her.

He knew His Majesty’s place in her heart. This edict would devastate her, so he had rushed here to comfort her, to tell her she would live more freely in his residence than in the palace.

He had strived to be a filial son. In this world, he couldn’t say he had done right by everyone, but to his mother, he dared say he had been faultless as a son.

Yet it turned out he had been protecting his mother’s murderer all along!

For this mother-killing enemy, he had nearly given everything.

How ridiculous!

Suddenly his chest hurt, and Xiao Changqing coughed up blood. His body went weak, fortunately bracing against a corridor pillar before he could fall.

Somehow his vision blurred, and a clear, cold zither melody rang out. This familiar tune etched in his bones made him hazily seem to see her.

He struggled to keep his eyes open several times as if truly seeing her cold figure slowly approaching. He tried to see more clearly as if she was saying something in his ear, but he couldn’t hear clearly. Finally, he couldn’t hold on and collapsed.

When he next gained consciousness, he was in Hanchang Hall. The first person he saw upon opening his eyes was the worried and anxious Xiao Changying, with an equally nervous Pingling standing beside him.

“Elder Brother, you’re awake?” Xiao Changying hurried to help Xiao Changqing up.

Xiao Changqing let him help: “Why am I here?”

“You argued with Mother, left in anger, and fainted from rage. Fortunately, the guards found you in time. It’s so cold now – what if you caught a chill?” Xiao Changying said somewhat reproachfully.

“Fainted from rage?” Xiao Changqing was confused. In recent years, he had cultivated such self-control that almost nothing could anger him.

How could he have fainted from anger?

“What did Mother say?” Xiao Changqing asked.

“You… you don’t remember?” Xiao Changying was shocked.

Xiao Changqing tried to think carefully, but some images flashed by too quickly to grasp.

Pingling was overjoyed.

“Imperial Physician—” Xiao Changying turned and called out.

Xiao Changqing tried to stop him, but it was too late – the Imperial Physician was waiting outside.

“Imperial Physician, please examine Elder Brother, he…”

“This prince is fine,” Xiao Changqing interrupted Xiao Changying.

The Imperial Physician still dutifully checked Xiao Changqing’s pulse, confirmed he was indeed fine and then left.

“Elder Brother, why didn’t you tell the Imperial Physician?” Xiao Changying pressed.

“If I told him, wouldn’t the whole palace know?” Xiao Changqing didn’t want to arouse suspicion. “I remember coming to escort Mother to Prince Xin’s residence, I just forgot the recent argument with her. This is our family matter, no need to make it bigger.”

Xiao Changying always listened to Xiao Changqing, so he accepted this.

“Fifth Brother is right. The Ninth Brother stays with the Fifth Brother. I’ll help Mother pack her things,” Pingling maintained her composure, curtsied to them, and quickly went to find Noble Consort Rong.

“Mother, Mother!” Pingling carefully rushed to the anxious Noble Consort Rong, grasping her cold hands. “Fifth Brother doesn’t remember, he doesn’t remember what he heard earlier.”

“Memory loss?” Noble Consort Rong couldn’t believe it.

“Not memory loss, he just doesn’t remember what we just said. He only remembers coming to escort you. Perhaps those words were too much for Fifth Brother to bear, that’s why he forgot,” Pingling cautioned seriously. “Mother, I observed Fifth Brother’s expression – he truly doesn’t remember. Mother, go with Fifth Brother to Prince Xin’s residence, but remember not to test him.”

Xiao Changqing was extremely intelligent. If he suddenly forgot something, he would grow suspicious. If they probed even slightly, it would certainly raise his doubts, and he might extract everything in just a few exchanges.

“Even if he truly forgot, if I go to his residence and one day he remembers…” Noble Consort Rong dared not imagine the consequences.