Noble Consort Jing’s gaze as it fell upon her child was so tender — more gentle, in this moment, than it had ever been at any other time.

“Ri’er, all these years — have you ever resented Imperial Mother?”

She held his hand. This too was the first time in all these years that mother and son had sat together so close and spoken like this.

In the past, the child had never liked physical contact with anyone — even she, his own Imperial Mother, had been held at a distance.

But today, Noble Consort Jing held his hand, and he showed not even the slightest inclination to resist.

Noble Consort Jing was a little surprised. She had already prepared herself to be turned away.

She simply truly could not bear it — could not bear to part from her child, could not bear to let him take away the last fragments of warmth he had given her in this life.

“Ri’er…”

“Your son knows everything now.” Zhan Luori returned the grip and held her hand in his.

As it turned out, his Imperial Mother’s hands were so cold — without any strength, and with almost no warmth at all.

Mother and son had depended on each other for survival all these years, and yet only now, in this moment, did he finally know.

“Imperial Mother, I’m sorry. Your son… all these years, I am sorry for what I have put you through!” Zhan Luori pulled her into his embrace.

His Imperial Mother’s frame was so slight, so frail — yet he had never taken notice.

He held her tightly, a warmth rising in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Imperial Mother. I’m sorry. Your son knows everything now. Your son knows!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

But Noble Consort Jing only stared, stunned. This was the first time, since Ri’er had grown old enough to understand the world, that he had ever embraced her on his own.

It was her own severity toward him, her endless demands, and her coldness that had caused what should have been the most intimate bond between mother and son to grow more and more distant with each passing year.

She had thought the child no longer needed her, no longer loved her. Only now did she understand — her child still held her in his heart.

“Ri’er…” Noble Consort Jing held Zhan Luori tight. This, too, was the first time she had ever embraced her child with such complete and unrestrained abandon.

“Ri’er, Ri’er!” Those eyes, which had long since run dry of tears, now let fall two glistening drops in silence.

“Ri’er, it is Imperial Mother who has wronged you. It is Imperial Mother who lacked the courage — and because of that, you bore twenty years of hardship.”

“Ri’er, do you hate Imperial Mother? You should hate her, shouldn’t you?”

It was she — she who had dressed her clearly dashingly handsome Ri’er in crimson feminine attire, all to conceal his identity as an imperial prince, all to guard against the fate of being poisoned or even slaughtered that might otherwise await him.

In the palace, the imperial princes had died or fallen ill one after another. Only her Ri’er had managed to survive in good health all these years.

And the reason for all of it was simply that the identity Ri’er presented to the outside world was that of a princess, not a prince.

Only a princess had the standing to live well within the inner palace — for a princess could never lay claim to the Crown Prince’s position, and so could never compete for it.

Only a princess could avoid the Empress’s venomous reach, for the Empress would not even deign to move against a princess.

And yet he was a prince — a tall, fine-looking young man!

As a young child, he had not yet understood the distinction between men and women. When his Imperial Mother dressed him in women’s clothing, he wore it without question. When his Imperial Mother told him to tell others he was a girl, he told everyone that he was a princess.

But gradually, he grew up. He began to realize he was not like other girls.

Once, by accident, he caught sight of the bodies of brothers-in-arms within the military camp, and discovered that his own body was the same as theirs.

He went back and asked his Imperial Mother, and was met only with fury, only with anger — only to be told that he was a princess, and that none of this could ever be revealed to anyone, nor could anyone ever be allowed to see his body.

And then, that year, he encountered Ninth Imperial Uncle. From then on, the Seventh Imperial Princess became the one among all the princesses and princes who could be closest to Ninth Imperial Uncle.

It was Ninth Imperial Uncle who told him that he was not a young woman — he was a man.

It was also Ninth Imperial Uncle who told him that since Noble Consort Jing had him living as a princess, then he should continue being his princess.

It was also Ninth Imperial Uncle who told him that the inner palace was a treacherous place, and that only by growing strong enough would he have the standing to live well within it.

So he not only took the Guardian General of the Nation as his shifu, but throughout all these years, he had also been training under Ninth Imperial Uncle.

Ninth Imperial Uncle’s guidance was exceedingly rigorous — and what he taught was even more practical and formidable than his shifu’s instruction.

He had always applied himself with great dedication, for he had always believed what Ninth Imperial Uncle told him: that only by becoming strong enough would he have the standing to live well, and the standing to protect those he wished to protect.

Zhan Luori shook his head. “Before, there was some unhappiness. Now, I understand. I understand you, Imperial Mother. Truly.”

But Noble Consort Jing drew back from his embrace, gripping his arm, suddenly uneasy. “You… what do you know?”

Zhan Luori had no wish to raise the things that would wound her heart — and yet they had to be spoken.

“I know…” Zhan Luori clenched his fist, drew a deep breath, and then said carefully, “I know that I had another elder imperial brother — one who was truly born of you.”

“Ah… don’t say it, don’t say it! Ah…”

Noble Consort Jing suddenly let out a harrowing cry, clutching her own head, wailing in agony.

Zhan Luori had known that this would surely strike a blow to her — only he had not expected her to be so utterly undone by it!

“Imperial Mother, Imperial Mother, please don’t — Imperial Mother…”

“Ah… don’t say it, don’t say it, ah, ah, ah…” Noble Consort Jing could not compose herself at all. She kept clutching her own head, screaming uncontrollably.

The people waiting outside were frantic with alarm, yet none dared to rush in without warning — until, from within, came Zhan Luori’s panicked cry: “Jiu’er, Jiu’er — come in!”

A man’s voice! Why was there a low and deep male voice coming from within? Why?

The guards and palace maids were frightened out of their wits. They wished to enter, but dared not.

Feng Jiu’er thrust open the chamber door. As Hongying tried to follow her in, she swung her palm and pulled the door shut behind her.

“No one is permitted to enter except Feng Jiu’er!” The male voice within was filled with blind, uncontrolled panic.

The Seventh Imperial Princess… so even he had lost his composure!

But no matter what, the Seventh Imperial Princess’s commands were ones Hongying had always followed without fail.

She stepped forward and stood before the door, blocking everyone who tried to force their way in.

Only Feng Jiu’er, the moment Zhan Luori’s panicked cry rang out, had already rushed inside.

Noble Consort Jing was still screaming, and the sound was so heartbreakingly desolate.

“Pin her down — don’t let her hurt herself!” The just-entering Feng Jiu’er took in the scene at a glance and issued the command at once.

It was as though the words snapped Zhan Luori back to himself — he seized Noble Consort Jing’s two hands and held her down against the bed.

At the corner of Noble Consort Jing’s lips, a trickle of blood had appeared — and the color of that blood was… black!

“Jiu’er, Jiu’er, Imperial Mother has been poisoned — take a look at her, quickly!”

“I see it!” Feng Jiu’er withdrew her silver needles and, with the greatest speed she could muster, sealed off Noble Consort Jing’s heart meridian.

“Hongying, send someone to…”

“No!” Noble Consort Jing, who had just been in a state of wild hysteria, suddenly went cold and still. She seized Feng Jiu’er’s wrist, stopping her from alerting those outside.

She parted her lips, and then suddenly let out a cold laugh. “I have no wish to live. No one can expect to stop me.”