Long Feiyan’s death back then had to have been a conspiracy — there was no way her uncle had suddenly fallen ill with some strange disease, and there was no way her grandfather had suddenly become completely useless.
So the Long family had been exiled to the frontier all these years. She had lived in a haze of madness and foolishness, and had never thought to ask.
Because of her stupor, and because the Long family had clearly been framed, no one would ever have brought it up in front of her.
She truly had not known — that in a place she could not see, her grandfather and uncle had gone on bearing all of this.
Seeing Feng Jiu’er kneeling on the ground, Empress Rong smiled with even greater satisfaction.
What was there to be stubborn about? In the end, had she not still been forced to kneel before her?
“Do you know how your mother died back then?”
Feng Jiu’er said nothing, only pressed her palms tighter together.
“Well, this consort also very much wanted to kill her with her own hands — but she had a strong life, escaping calamity again and again. In that final battle, one hundred thousand troops were held right in this consort’s hands, and your mother was depending on those hundred thousand soldiers to save her life.”
Ha. That woman had truly been a fool, actually believing she would send troops to the rescue. How naive!
“This consort appointed her as the vanguard, and she was stupid enough to die for it — going on about how military orders are absolute law. Ha! She actually went and took the vanguard position.”
“What a pity I was not on the battlefield and could not finish her off personally. But then again, it was precisely because I refused to send troops that your mother ended up trapped in enemy lines.”
“Does that mean… my mother did not die of illness?” Feng Jiu’er’s heart lurched. She had never expected that at a moment like this, she would hear so many secrets she had never known.
“You fool! Ha ha ha, you are just as much a fool as your mother!”
Empress Rong laughed all the more openly. In the past she had watched the woman’s mother die in battle; now, she was about to watch this Feng Jiu’er — the very image of Long Feiyan — be cut down.
What pleasure. Such utter pleasure!
“This consort refused to send troops — is that so unreasonable to say? And what did His Majesty do about it? Ha, His Majesty did not dare say a single word.”
“In fact, to salvage this consort’s reputation and preserve the reverence the people had for this consort, His Majesty ordered everyone in the Long family and the Feng family who knew the truth to say that Long Feiyan had died of illness.”
“Ha ha ha, Feng Jiu’er, do you understand now? Your mother was not killed directly by this consort, but she died because of this consort. This consort is your enemy. Ha ha!”
Now that the enemy stands right before you, yet you cannot touch a single hair on her head — and in a moment this very enemy will joyfully watch you be beheaded. Is that not despair? Is that not agony? Does it not make you want to kill?
The fury in Feng Jiu’er’s eyes was the very remedy for Empress Rong’s displeasure.
The more furious she was, the more delighted Empress Rong became — so delighted she nearly rose to her feet and danced.
Feng Jiu’er was indeed glaring at her, glaring hard at this enemy who had indirectly caused her mother’s death.
Yet the fire in her eyes gradually dimmed. Slowly, the girl’s entire bearing grew calm.
“You are truly pitiable.” She said it suddenly, lightly.
Empress Rong wondered if she had seen and heard wrong. This wretched girl had just learned all of this — how could she remain so composed?
And she called her pitiable? What a joke. What did she have to pity? Was the girl speaking of herself?
Feng Jiu’er let out a cold laugh. “Ha. I do very much want to kill you — but you being alive is not necessarily any happier than being dead.”
“What did you say?” Empress Rong’s palm tensed, and fury ignited in her eyes at once.
She called whom pitiable? What right did she have to say she was unhappy to be alive?
She did not know just how happy she was right now — watching the child of the woman she hated most about to be executed. Why should she be unhappy?
“Nanmen Rong. Back then, you were suffocating with resentment, weren’t you? Because my mother was more beautiful than you, more brilliant than you, more capable than you — you were suffocating, weren’t you?”
“Feng Jiu’er, are you seeking death?”
Empress Rong shot to her feet, snatched a guard’s longsword with a sharp rasp of steel, and strode forward with long strides.
She was fewer than ten paces from Feng Jiu’er, the sword tip leveled at Jiu’er’s exquisite face.
Jiu’er let her hands hang at her sides. Even kneeling, her gaze held not the slightest trace of fear as she met the Empress’s eyes.
“What’s wrong? Did I see through what’s in your heart? Does it hurt? Does it make you feel hollow and wretched?”
Feng Jiu’er truly had no fear of death. Her hands were locked in iron chains, the tip of Empress Rong’s sword was right before her face, and still she dared speak such provocations.
This wretched girl — should one call her extraordinarily bold, or simply ignorant of death?
Empress Rong stepped forward two more paces, closing the distance between herself and Jiu’er.
Feng Jiu’er did not spare so much as a glance at the sword in her hand. Her face still wore that cold smile — contemptuous, even scornful.
“My mother must have been a hundred times more beautiful than you, brilliant with talent and grace, surpassing you in both looks and skill by far.”
“You hated her like this because you were always being trampled under her feet, weren’t you? And now, you have feelings for the Ninth Imperial Uncle — yet the Ninth Imperial Uncle would rather be with Long Feiyan’s daughter than spare you a single glance. You are furious. You are in despair. You wish you could kill every person connected to Long Feiyan. Isn’t that right?”
“You——”
“But what use is it even if you kill everyone? Whenever His Majesty speaks of my mother, his eyes are full of tenderness. Even His Majesty loved my mother so dearly.”
“And you? If not for that little bit of military power you hold in your hands, what man would bother to look at you twice? Old and ugly — what point is there in you being alive?”
“Feng Jiu’er, you are seeking death! This consort will destroy you right now! This consort will destroy you!”
Empress Rong burned with rage. Gripping the sword, unable even to wait for the executioner’s blade, she thrust straight at Feng Jiu’er’s face.
Jiu’er’s eyes darkened. With a sharp crack that no one had noticed, she flung away the iron chains that had bound her wrists.
But just as Feng Jiu’er was about to seize the initiative and take Empress Rong hostage, a figure suddenly burst out from among the guards.
That person let out a fierce shout that drew Empress Rong’s attention, and in the same instant drove the sword in their hand straight toward Empress Rong.
There was a spy hidden among the guards!
“Assassin!” The guards all cried out at once, drawing their swords and rushing forward at full speed.
The Empress was startled by the figure behind her and spun around at once, lifting her sword to meet the threat.
But no one had anticipated it — in that instant, a sharp silver needle landed at her neck. Feng Jiu’er, who moments ago had been kneeling on the ground with chained hands, leapt to her feet and pressed the silver needle against the Empress’s throat.
“Stand down!” Jiu’er roared, swiftly striking Empress Rong’s vital pressure point. “Anyone who dares come closer, and I kill Nanmen Rong!”
The guards fell into chaos. One by one they encircled the three of them, yet none dared rush forward to attempt a rescue.
The major pressure point on Nanmen Rong’s shoulder was struck, and her upper body stiffened at once — her arms went limp, too weak to even lift.
“Feng Jiu’er, how dare you show such disrespect to this consort, this consort will——Ah! Feng Jiu’er, what are you doing?! How dare you! You actually dare! Ah… Stop! Feng Jiu’er, stop this instant, stop!”
A piercing scream rang out and shattered the air across the entire execution ground.