Two secrets in exchange for three conditions!

Consort Yiqing was certainly no fool, but this time, she wasn’t being clever at all. Those two secrets were things Jun Beiyue had longed for even in his dreams and still couldn’t obtain — while the three conditions she demanded were merely matters of whether Jun Beiyue chose to nod his head or not.

At present, in Da Zhou, though Jun Beiyue was only a prince by title, his power rivaled that of the emperor himself. Any crime, no matter how monstrous — collusion with the enemy included — with or without evidence, he could pin on someone or absolve them entirely, purely at his own discretion.

As for the affair at the Three Western Cities, the Western Chu emperor was no fool — of course he knew the true mastermind behind it all was Jun Beiyue. But when it came to giving Western Chu an explanation, did it really matter who got pushed forward to take the blame? Whether it was Jun Beichen, or some other scapegoat found through a convenient excuse — either way, it was entirely Jun Beiyue’s call to make.

As for the third condition — guaranteeing wealth and status for her and her son for the rest of their lives — that, too, was an extremely easy thing to grant.

“Jun Beiyue, this consort isn’t overestimating herself. What I’m asking for isn’t much at all — you’d do well to think it over carefully.”

With that, Consort Yiqing turned to leave, full of dignity and resolve.

Ziqing remained expressionless. Jun Beiyue watched with growing amusement, and even as Consort Yiqing’s foot crossed the threshold of the gate, he still hadn’t said a word!

Consort Yiqing’s feet trembled, and so did her heart. She paused, then steeled herself and threw all caution to the wind. “Jun Beiyue, you’d best think this through quickly — there’s no shortage of people who’d love to know these two secrets!”

Put kindly, this was a reminder, a nudge to hurry. Put bluntly, it was a threat.

Jun Beiyue’s eyes narrowed sharply, and he was just about to speak, when Ziqing said instead, “Consort Yiqing, those two secrets of yours are indeed hard to come by, but don’t you think the conditions you’re asking for are a bit excessive?”

Consort Yiqing had been desperate for either of the couple to say anything at all. The moment Ziqing spoke, she spun back around at once, her voice turning cold. “Excessive? How is it excessive? These three conditions are nothing to the two of you — a mere trifle! This is the first time in my whole life I’ve made such a losing bargain!”

Seeing Consort Yiqing’s hypocritical display, Ziqing felt utterly disgusted. She turned her head away to look at the steaming tea instead, if only to keep herself from having to speak.

“Consort Yiqing, you want me to guarantee your and your son’s wealth and status for life. That, I truly… find difficult to do,” Ziqing said flatly.

“Ha, the Jun clan’s empire is vast beyond measure — sparing a mere fraction of it for my son and me, how could that possibly be difficult?” Consort Yiqing sneered.

“This has nothing to do with the Jun clan’s wealth or empire. This princess consort simply feels…” Ziqing said, her gaze finally drifting slowly back to Consort Yiqing’s face as she continued, “guaranteeing lifelong wealth and status to someone I despise to the very core — that truly is a disgusting thing to do. I can’t do it.”

The moment those words left her mouth, Consort Yiqing’s face turned livid. She pointed at Ziqing, shouting in fury, “Han Ziqing, you!”

“Someone — see our guest out!” Ziqing said coldly, not even bothering to signal Jun Beiyue, and rose to leave before Consort Yiqing could even react.

Jun Beiyue couldn’t help but laugh, and without asking a single question, rose to follow her out.

Consort Yiqing’s face went ashen with shock. She had imagined many possible outcomes — she’d even imagined Han Ziqing making all kinds of difficulties for her — but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined this outcome!

Han Ziqing had actually said such a thing, and then simply walked away!

“No!”

Consort Yiqing suddenly cried out, hurrying after them. Jun Beiyue and Han Ziqing couldn’t just leave like this!

If they left, who else could she possibly beg?

She had already refused both Chu Tiange and the Empress of Eastern Qin — she couldn’t afford to wait any longer! People like Chu Tiange and the Empress of Eastern Qin were the type who, if they couldn’t have something, would rather destroy it entirely!

If she didn’t secure Jun Beiyue’s protection, she and Jun Beichen were absolutely doomed.

“No, Han Ziqing, I’ll tell you the secret — just guarantee that my son and I won’t die! I don’t want anything else!”

“Jun Beiyue! Beiyue! For the sake of Chen’er having grown up alongside you, show mercy — a great man doesn’t dwell on the faults of a lesser one! I’m willing to tell you everything I know!”

“Han Ziqing, don’t go, please come back! Come back!”

…

No matter how Consort Yiqing begged, no matter how she cried out, Ziqing and Jun Beiyue continued walking leisurely inward, one after the other, neither of them stopping.

Finally, Consort Yiqing could bear it no longer, and with a heavy thud, dropped to her knees!

“Han Ziqing, I’m begging you — I’m begging you, please!”

She had once relied on holding these secrets to lord it over them, then had settled for negotiating an exchange — and now here she was, reduced to begging outright!

“Han Ziqing, wait, please — I’m begging you! I’m begging you! Begging you!”

Consort Yiqing cried out, putting particular weight on the word “beg.” At that moment, Ziqing finally stopped in her tracks. Consort Yiqing froze for a moment, then, overjoyed, hurried to plead further. “Princess Consort Yao, please, I beg you — you’re as magnanimous as a bodhisattva, please save my son and me!”

Ziqing gazed silently at Consort Yiqing, now as pitiful as a beaten dog, and couldn’t help recalling that night when Jun Beiyue had first brought her to Prince Yao’s estate as his consort — before she’d even had a chance to sit down, she’d been summoned into the palace!

The moment she’d arrived at Consort Yiqing’s palace hall, before she’d even fully stepped through the door, a hidden needle had already come flying at her. Back then, she hadn’t even known who Consort Yiqing was, and yet she’d been targeted like that.

And then there was the autumn hunt — Consort Yiqing again, colluding not only with Western Jing to obtain wild wolves, but also with Chu Tiange, nearly costing both her and Jun Beiyue their lives!

Of course, none of that even compared to the Charm Incense now lodged in her body — a gift courtesy of Consort Yiqing. The reason she had lost her chastity in a daze was entirely because Consort Yiqing had drugged Jun Beiyue!

If Consort Yiqing had never done any of this in the first place, perhaps everything would be completely different now.

Ziqing had just said it herself — Consort Yiqing’s three conditions were simply too much to ask. Guaranteeing lifelong wealth and status for someone like this — impossible.

“I can let you off — on this one condition alone: either you speak, or… you leave. I’ll count to three. Answer me,” Ziqing said flatly.

Before Consort Yiqing could even fully process this, Jun Beiyue beside her began to laugh, rubbing his chin with amusement. This woman… was truly the type who never forgot a grudge and always settled her scores.

She had left Consort Yiqing exactly one path — a very narrow one — leaving her all alone. Never mind wealth and status; not even Jun Beichen’s life would be spared.

That was what those words truly meant.

How on earth was Consort Yiqing supposed to answer that?

It was, in effect, offering her two paths: the first, to save herself; the second, to die alongside her son.

“One… two…” Ziqing wasn’t deliberately buying her time — the moment Consort Yiqing had come knocking at their door herself, she had already forfeited all initiative. Ziqing knew Consort Yiqing had no way out.

“Three!”

“No! I’ll talk!”

Consort Yiqing had no choice. She could only save herself. A woman who had survived so many years of scheming in the harem — while not as clever as Ziqing, holding two major bargaining chips shouldn’t have brought her to such an end.

This battle, Ziqing had won beautifully.

At last, Ziqing turned back around and said flatly, “Then speak.”