“Han Ziqing, everything you’ve seen with your own eyes proves it — Beiyue chose me. While you weren’t in the Northern Frontier, it was I who served by his side every single night. It was I who helped him conquer East Qin! You’re nothing but a pawn to him. If you’re smart, you’ll get out while you can!”

Bai Mengmeng’s voice rang out loud and proud, sounding exactly like a mistress of the house declaring her ownership of everything.

“Han Ziqing, Beiyue promised — once you help us conquer the western frontier, at the peace conference, he’ll publicly announce his ascension to the throne and name his empress. He said he’ll make me empress! He even said, if I don’t mind, he’ll reluctantly make you a consort — and if I’m not pleased with that, forget it entirely. He’s always just been using you, playing along!”

…

No matter how much Bai Mengmeng ranted, Ziqing said nothing, though the cold smirk at the corners of her lips only grew wider. In her entire life, she had never encountered such a shameless woman. Did she really take her for a fool? Or a three-year-old child?

Bai Mengmeng’s fantasies were truly absurd. She had to understand — even if Jun Beiyue hadn’t woken up, even if it hadn’t been him who had carried her out of the Poison Beast World and back to the capital, Ziqing still never would have believed a single word from anyone so easily!

Even if she’d genuinely been misled about Jun Beiyue, she would have gone directly to him herself to demand a clear explanation — clearing up what needed clearing, hating what needed hating, killing what needed killing!

But regardless of anything, it was certainly not going to be Bai Mengmeng who told her all this!

Who exactly did Bai Mengmeng think she was!

Ziqing watched her the way one might watch a joke unfold, the mocking curl of her lips growing wider and wider. As Bai Mengmeng kept talking, she gradually began to sense something was wrong.

Ziqing hadn’t stopped her at all — yet Bai Mengmeng’s own words gradually trailed off into silence.

Only then did Ziqing ask, with mock seriousness, “Is that all? Is there more?”

At these words, Bai Mengmeng’s brow furrowed sharply. “You…!”

Was there more?

Of course there was — she had plenty more prepared lines to deliver. But she had already said so much, and Han Ziqing had seen everything with her own eyes that day at Mingsha Mountain. Why was she reacting like this?

She wasn’t even angry. Instead, she seemed detached, almost amused, as though watching from the sidelines with contempt!

Could it be that she didn’t care? How was that even possible?

Anyone in Han Ziqing’s position at Mingsha Mountain would have been misled, would have harbored resentment!

Was the woman standing before her even human? Even female?

“Nothing more?” Ziqing asked again, with genuine seriousness.

“You… how could you…”

Bai Mengmeng found herself at a loss for words, her heart pounding wildly with guilt. Suddenly, an inexplicable sense of dread welled up inside her toward this unreadable woman, as she began to realize just how terrifying Ziqing truly was.

Just then, Ziqing suddenly released her grip. Bai Mengmeng, feeling her collar go slack, instinctively tried to step back — but there was no time.

The instant Ziqing let go, her left hand swung out viciously, landing with a heavy, muffled “thud!” This wasn’t a slap at all — it was a strike straight to the jawbone, precise and merciless!

Such a shameless woman — Ziqing might as well shatter that face of hers entirely!

The blow sent Bai Mengmeng crashing directly into a corner. Ziqing walked over, looking down at her with disdain. “Bai Mengmeng, you’ve badly underestimated this consort, and badly overestimated yourself!”

Bai Mengmeng clutched half her face, the pain radiating from behind her ear all the way to her jaw, so intense she didn’t dare even open her mouth. Seeing Ziqing approaching, she instinctively tried to retreat, only to find she’d already been backed into the corner.

Ziqing crouched down with unhurried patience.

“You… you… what do you want! Where’s Physician Gu! I want to see Physician Gu!” Bai Mengmeng managed to force out with great difficulty, the pain in her jaw so severe that even a few words nearly made it come loose entirely.

“You stabbed Beiyue, and now you want to see Physician Gu? Don’t you know he can’t stand seeing Beiyue hurt? I stabbed Beiyue once myself, and the old man still holds it against me to this day. Aren’t you afraid he’ll eat you alive?” Ziqing teased.

At these words, Bai Mengmeng finally understood everything. This woman hadn’t been misled at all — Physician Gu had failed, and she already knew the truth!

If Han Ziqing knew the truth, then what hope did she have left?

She loved Jun Beiyue so deeply — she had loved him since childhood in the military, all the way until now — even to the very end, when love turned to hatred, when that hatred grew so deep she wanted to drag him down to death with her, she had still, despite it all, loved that man.

The only reason she had agreed to Physician Gu’s scheme had been to drive Han Ziqing away from Jun Beiyue for good.

But in the end, everything had fallen apart!

Bai Mengmeng slumped to the ground, defeated, staring pleadingly at Ziqing, knowing full well in her heart that she had lost again — had lost even her final chance.

If she had known it would come to this, she wouldn’t have wanted to keep living at all!

If she had known it would come to this, she would rather have driven that blade in deeper, taking Jun Beiyue down with her!

If she had known it would come to this, she never would have agreed to Physician Gu’s plan, never would have ended up in such a wretched state!

But no amount of gold could buy back hindsight.

“Bai Mengmeng, don’t worry, I’ll certainly make sure you see Physician Gu. It’s just…”

Ziqing spoke as she slowly rose to her feet, smiling faintly, then continued, “It’s just — for that stab wound you gave Beiyue, I hold an even deeper grudge than he does. Truly. And sorry, but I really…”

The more Bai Mengmeng listened, the more something felt off. Watching Ziqing’s expression grow darker and darker, she couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine, as though the woman before her were slowly transforming into a demon.

Suddenly! Ziqing abruptly grabbed her collar again.

“What are you trying to do!”

Bai Mengmeng went pale with fear, too shocked to even try to dodge.

“Whip you.”

Ziqing said it plainly and directly. Yes — she simply wanted to whip her, without wasting any more breath on words. Just strike her, hard and mercilessly!

There had never been a moment when she felt more furious, more disgusted and repulsed by another person — she just wanted to strike her with her own hands.

The most direct method was also the most satisfying one!

As she spoke, Ziqing immediately grabbed a short whip nearby. But at that very moment, Bai Mengmeng suddenly sprang up, trying to flee!

Ziqing instantly cracked the whip out with a sharp “swish,” forcing Bai Mengmeng to dodge frantically, driving her back into the corner.

Ziqing gave her no chance to catch her breath at all. Raising the whip, she struck with pinpoint accuracy across Bai Mengmeng’s neck, the pain forcing her head down immediately!

The moment her head dropped, Ziqing struck again, sending the whip cracking savagely upward toward her head!

Watching this from the doorway, Jun Beiyue’s eyes actually widened slightly — this was the first time he’d ever seen anyone whipped like this!

This woman truly was not someone to be trifled with!

“Swish!”

The whip came down brutally against Bai Mengmeng’s head. Skull bones were hard, but a blow infused with internal energy would send the entire skull reeling with shock!

“Ahh…!”

Bai Mengmeng immediately burst into tears, clutching her throbbing head desperately, with nowhere to hide.

“That crack was for your pathetic, childish scheming. Did you think this consort was a fool? This consort is going to leave your brain permanently damaged today!”

Ziqing shouted furiously, raising the whip once more for another vicious strike. Bai Mengmeng expected another blow to the head, but this time Ziqing’s wrist twisted sharply, and the whip lashed straight across her face instead. “Crack!”

No one could say exactly how Ziqing had managed the strike, but the whip left Bai Mengmeng’s face completely ruined, split open.

“Ahh… my face! Ahh…!”

The hands clutching her head immediately flew to cover her face, her screams continuing without pause.

“That crack was for your delusional wishful thinking. Don’t think that just because you have a bit of looks, you can play the mistress. Being a mistress takes real skill — and you’re nowhere close to qualified.”

Ziqing watched coldly. Where would the third strike land?