“That’s not true!” Feng Qingyin suddenly snapped back to her senses and cried out: “Old man, what are you saying?”

“You have harmed the child of His Majesty and myself — you will come to no good end!”

“This is not His Majesty’s child at all — what do you have to be pleased about?” The Grand Eunuch turned and glared at Feng Qingyin.

“If you had not been in such a rush to take my life after the late Emperor passed, I might never have suspected you.”

“You venomous woman — it must have been you who mixed a poison into the late Emperor’s medicine that conflicted with his own medication, causing him to die in his sleep!”

“His Majesty had already discovered that the medicine had been tampered with, and that was why he had me secretly held in confinement.”

“But then my apprentice heard that you had been persistently searching for me, intent on taking my life — you wicked woman, why are you so calculating and ruthless?”

The Grand Eunuch drew a long breath, turned around, and raised his eyes to look at Zhan Yuheng.

“This old servant is fortunate that His Majesty gave me this opportunity — many thanks to Your Majesty!” With those words, he kowtowed once more toward Zhan Yuheng.

“Before this, there were rumors in the rear palace that the Noble Consort Qing had been bringing several young men to her chambers in a single night — this matter was also something this old servant had been investigating.”

“And not long after, word began to spread linking the Noble Consort Qing with… Your Majesty, with you.”

“This old servant feared the matter might draw Your Majesty into it, and so had no choice but to stop and cease the investigation.”

“I did no such thing — you are slandering me!” Feng Qingyin cried out again in vehement denial.

The Grand Eunuch glanced back and let out a cold snort.

“Are you saying that the frequent disappearances of young men in the southern part of the imperial city at that time were entirely unknown to you?”

“Every young man brought into the palace ended up with no chance of surviving — a woman as vicious and ruthless as you hardly deserves to have offspring. Heaven truly shows no fairness!”

The Grand Eunuch grew so agitated that he broke into a fit of coughing, and it took several deep breaths for him to settle himself.

“That is all lies! Your Majesty, I did no such thing! They are framing me. If the child is not yours, then he is the late Emperor’s — you are the only two men I have ever known.”

Feng Qingyin struggled with all her might, trying to get to Zhan Yuheng’s side, but was powerless to do so.

The Grand Eunuch raised his eyes to look at Zhan Yuheng and gave a respectful bow.

“What else do you know — continue.” Zhan Yuheng wore an expression of complete calm and did not look at Feng Qingyin again.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Grand Eunuch bowed and raised his eyes to meet Zhan Yuheng’s gaze.

“At the time, when word came that the Noble Consort Qing was with child, I also consulted an Imperial Physician. The physician said that given the late Emperor’s poor health, the likelihood of the child being his was not great.”

“But such matters were not within our purview, and we dared not say more.”

At this, the Grand Eunuch let out a quiet sigh.

“This old servant had fallen ill and by rights should have gone before the late Emperor — yet, as it turned out… had it not been for the appearance of this unhinged and ruthless woman, the late Emperor would also still be… what a pity!”

“The Imperial Physician has also said that this old servant will not live past three months. There are things I do not wish to take with me to my grave.”

“Your Majesty — this old servant has tried to calculate everything, yet how could I have foreseen that you would end up entangled with a woman like this? She has brought dishonor upon Your Majesty — she deserves death ten thousand times over!”

“His Majesty had been drinking at the time and was taken advantage of by this woman — this matter is henceforth never to be spoken of by anyone!” Qingyun’s expression was no better than Zhan Yuheng’s.

“Understood.” The Grand Eunuch bowed and gave a respectful nod.

“Yi Lei, Er Hu — not a single word of today’s events is to leave this room. Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot!” Qingyun’s low, grave voice rang out once more.

“Yes.” The two men restraining Feng Qingyin nodded simultaneously in acknowledgment.

Qingyun withdrew his gaze from Feng Qingyin, looked back at Zhan Yuheng, and asked with a cupped-fist salute: “Your Majesty, what shall be done with this woman?”

“Lock her up. Once the cause of the late Emperor’s death has been confirmed, carry out the most severe punishment!” Zhan Yuheng said in a low, firm voice.

“No!” Feng Qingyin’s legs buckled beneath her and she collapsed to her knees. “No — Your Majesty, this is not how things happened. Do not listen to their nonsense!”

“Things truly are not as they say — do not listen to their lies!”

Yi Lei and Er Hu, receiving no word from Zhan Yuheng, immediately nodded and accepted their orders: “Yes, Your Majesty.”

No matter how loudly Feng Qingyin screamed and wailed, she was still dragged away by the two guards.

Not long after, Zhan Yuheng also departed.

Qingxiang Hall finally returned to silence.

Feng Jiu’er left Black Gorge and made her way northward, with no one at her side but Feng Yandong.

Feng Yannan, Feng Yanbei, and Feng Yanbei — three of them in total — each led a unit of elite soldiers, following along at a distance.

Feng Jiu’er had disguised herself thoroughly and even worn a skin mask over her face — and so the entire journey was free of any obstacle.

From Phoenix City to the imperial capital, this stretch of road was one Feng Jiu’er knew fairly well.

What a pity, though — the nation of Bei Mu at this time could no longer be compared to what it had once been.

Everywhere the war had swept through, things had grown desolate and bare. One could not quite call it a scene of universal suffering and misery, yet an air of sorrow pervaded everything.

For ordinary people, war was truly merciless — Feng Jiu’er could now see that with perfect clarity.

In order to avoid the war zones, Feng Jiu’er and her companions spent over an entire extra week working their way around before finally entering the imperial capital.

At this point, two armies of equal strength were locked in a standoff outside the capital at Yicheng.

Feng Jiu’er and Long Feiyan’s plan was to first get themselves settled within the imperial city.

They both believed that Di Wuya’s forces, even if they could not break through, would draw ever closer to the capital.

Outside, amidst all the chaos and turmoil of war, many people had fled out the other side of the capital to seek refuge elsewhere.

This way, for Feng Jiu’er and her companions to go around to another gate and enter the city was all the easier.

As night fell, Feng Jiu’er and Feng Yandong walked into an inn on the western side of the imperial capital.

“Welcome, honored guests!” The young waiter spotted them at once and hurried forward to greet them.

Feng Yandong and Feng Jiu’er followed the waiter to a small table in a corner and sat down.

“Honored guests, what would you like to order?” the waiter asked with a smile.

Feng Yandong looked at Feng Jiu’er and smiled faintly.

“Four bowls of steamed white rice, one catty of braised beef, a dish of greens, a pot of old hen soup, and one steamed fish.” Feng Jiu’er raised her eyes to the waiter.

“Right away!” The waiter nodded and turned to leave.

Feng Jiu’er stretched and looked at Feng Yandong, asking softly: “Dong, isn’t that too much? We probably won’t be able to finish it all.”

“It’s not too much. Whatever you can’t finish, I’ll take care of.” Feng Yandong replied with an easy smile.

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er looked at him, an eyebrow raised. “There wasn’t much decent food along the way — couldn’t help myself once we found a proper place.”

“That’s fine — you can eat. Wasting food at a time like this would really be a shame.”

Thinking back on everything she had seen along the road, Feng Jiu’er was not in the best of spirits.

Feng Yandong took out a silver needle and tested both cups of tea, then picked one up and handed it to Feng Jiu’er.

“The situation is not something you can control. Stop dwelling on it.”

Feng Jiu’er accepted the cup, took a light sip of tea, and nodded: “I know.”

Feng Yandong smiled again and said nothing more.

“Did you all hear? His Majesty is going to have one of the late Emperor’s consorts executed.” A man not far away said in a low voice.

“I heard that too.” Another man nodded. “One of the late Emperor’s consorts — I heard she has the surname Feng.”