“Princess, please rise.” An’bao, his heart aching, stepped forward and made to help Feng Jiu’er to her feet.

“Imperial Father.” Feng Jiu’er shook off An’bao’s hand and looked up at Emperor Feng Qiangcang without blinking.

“Imperial Father, please release Second Imperial Brother. Release that palace maid.”

By the breath she perceived within, she had already confirmed beyond any doubt that the person being punished inside was indeed her Second Imperial Brother.

“They have committed crimes. How can I simply release them?” Emperor Feng Qiangcang looked upon the kneeling figure before him with complete indifference.

“Imperial Father, I am unharmed — and that palace maid acted without true intent. She carries within her… Imperial Father, I beg you, please release them.”

Feng Jiu’er’s eyes were red-rimmed, brimming with unshed tears. She bent forward and brought her forehead down toward the ground.

“Princess, you must not.” An’bao dropped to his knees at once, moving to prevent Feng Jiu’er from harming herself.

“The Second Imperial Prince’s offense is not deserving of death. But a wrongdoing must still be met with punishment — why must the Princess make things difficult for His Majesty?”

“An’bao, where is that palace maid? Where is she? Where is she?” Feng Jiu’er was beside herself, her voice trembling with agitation.

Seeing that An’bao remained silent, her gaze swept back to Emperor Feng Qiangcang.

“Imperial Father, I do not wish for anyone else to lose their life because of me. Imperial Father, I beg of you — release them. Imperial Father…”

Before Feng Jiu’er could finish speaking, two attendants came hurrying in from outside the hall.

Seeing that not only the Emperor but also the Princess was present — kneeling on the floor at that — the two attendants exchanged a glance with An’bao and gave a small nod.

An’bao made a subtle wave of his hand. The two attendants stepped back several paces, turned, and departed.

At the sight of this, something in Feng Jiu’er’s mind seemed to crash and shatter, and the strength went out of her entirely.

She reached out and clutched An’bao’s arm. The tears she had been holding back moments ago now slipped free without restraint.

“An’bao, what does this mean? Tell me — what does this mean?”

An’bao was torn, glancing back at Emperor Feng Qiangcang, reluctant to leave.

Emperor Feng Qiangcang looked once more at Feng Jiu’er, gave a sweep of his sleeve, and said in a level tone: “Prepare the carriage.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” An’bao bowed with perfect deference.

From within, the sound of the whipping continued to carry through. Feng Jiu’er’s mind went utterly blank; she released An’bao’s arm.

She truly could not fathom that any of this was real.

Impossible. The child in the palace maid’s womb was Imperial Father’s grandchild — no matter how hardhearted he might be, he could not possibly move against his own grandchild. It was impossible.

She must have misunderstood. This was only a punishment, not a sentence of death. She cannot have died. That was impossible.

Emperor Feng Qiangcang departed without leaving behind a single word.

An’bao looked at the retreating figure of His Majesty, then turned his gaze back to Feng Jiu’er.

“Princess, His Majesty cannot allow someone who poses a threat to you to remain alive. It is all over now. Please do not dwell on it any further.”

An’bao was at a loss — he could neither stand properly nor kneel, and so he stooped forward, doing his best to bring himself closer to Feng Jiu’er’s height.

Feng Jiu’er drew a deep breath and raised her eyes to An’bao.

“An’bao — tell me. Has Imperial Father truly put her to death? Is she… dead?”

“Yes.” An’bao gave a small nod. “Poisoned wine was administered. Her body was left intact.”

“Princess, this servant will take his leave first. Please go and look in on the Second Imperial Prince — one hundred lashes. This servant worries he may not be able to bear it.”

With those words, An’bao hurried away.

Poisoned wine administered. Her body left intact.

She was already dead — what did it matter that her body remained intact? Was she supposed to offer thanks for imperial grace?

Feng Jiu’er truly had not expected this to be how things ended.

One living life — no. Two lives in one body. Two souls, extinguished just like that.

Imperial Father — how could he be so utterly pitiless?

“Princess.” Jian Yi came forward and helped Feng Jiu’er up from the floor.

From the side hall, the rhythmic crack of the whip continued to resound. Feng Jiu’er tightened her fists, steadied herself, and walked inside.

Feng Yan was bound to an iron frame. Across the broad expanse of his back, flesh and blood had long since been torn to ruin.

A powerfully built guard, eyes fixed rigidly ahead, still held the whip in hand and brought it down hard against Feng Yan’s body.

The moment he saw Feng Jiu’er enter, the guard stationed nearby rushed forward to meet her.

“Princess, please save the Second Imperial Prince — Princess.” This man was Feng Yan’s personal guard, Gu Mingcheng. He had been no less desperate to stop all of this, yet an imperial decree could not be defied.

Feng Yan’s entire body was drenched in blood and soaked through with sweat, yet he remained conscious throughout. He clenched his jaw against the pain; the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth grew with every passing moment.

The blood did not only pool on the ground — it had splattered across the surrounding walls as well, and the scene before her was harrowing to behold.

“Stop!” After one more crack of the whip against flesh, Feng Jiu’er pressed her fists tightly together and stepped forward.

Jian Yi moved in close behind her, wary that the barbed whip might catch and injure her.

At the Princess’s word, the guard wielding the whip stilled and turned to face the newcomers.

“Princess.” He bowed his head in acknowledgment.

“Strike no more.” Feng Jiu’er gave him a brief glance, then looked back at Feng Yan.

“Princess, this is by His Majesty’s order…”

“If someone must be struck, let it be me.” Feng Jiu’er cut the guard off.

She positioned herself behind Feng Yan, took in the sight of his destroyed back, and drew a slow, steadying breath, closing her eyes.

“Come — unbind my Second Imperial Brother. If Imperial Father lays blame upon anyone, I will bear it all.”

Gu Mingcheng had been waiting for precisely this word from the Princess. He gave Feng Jiu’er a single nod, crossed to Feng Yan’s side in measured strides, and reached out to undo his bindings.

“Princess, this is by imperial decree — one hundred lashes. Not even one fewer is permitted.” A eunuch standing close by spoke up in a low, cautioning tone.

“How many lashes have been carried out?” Feng Jiu’er turned her head, fixing the eunuch with a sidelong look.

“This…” The eunuch stumbled half a step back, caught off guard by the sharpness of her gaze.

“This Princess is asking you — how many lashes have been carried out?” Feng Jiu’er kept her gaze leveled coldly upon the eunuch. “Whatever remains — let it fall on me instead.”

Feng Jiu’er turned her back to the guard who stood ready behind her, facing Feng Yan.

“If there are not enough, continue until the count is met.”

Before she had even finished speaking, Jian Yi spread his arms wide, positioning himself in front of her, his eyes trained on the guard still gripping the long whip.

The guard glanced at the eunuch. The eunuch blinked, glancing back at the guard in turn.

“This… that ought to be enough for one hundred lashes… should it not?”

“Is it not His Majesty who told you to keep count?” The guard gave the eunuch a sideways look. “You say it is enough — then it is enough.”

The guard’s voice was cold, much like the blood-soaked whip in his hand.

The eunuch swallowed, let out a small sound in his throat, drew his gaze away from the guard, and returned it to Feng Jiu’er.

“Princess, it is… it is sufficient. This servant was keeping the count just now — the one hundred lashes — they are, they are complete.”

“Good.” Feng Jiu’er turned back and gave a measured nod of satisfaction.

“Since the punishment has been carried out in full, I am taking Second Imperial Brother away with me. Imperial Father should have no objection to that, I would think?”

“Of course not.” The eunuch’s face immediately arranged itself into a broad smile. “Does the Princess wish to bring the Second Imperial Prince back to his chambers? This servant will go and fetch the Imperial Physicians at once.”

Feng Jiu’er had already turned away, too preoccupied to spare him another thought.

The eunuch took his leave; the guard holding the whip bowed his head and departed as well.

Gu Mingcheng freed Feng Yan from his bonds, steadied him, and lowered him to a sitting position on the ground. Jian Yi came forward as well, lending a hand in supporting him.