What is the greatest tragedy for a woman?

It's nothing more than placing all your emotions and energy on a man, and then confidently thinking, "I've given so much to him, he certainly won't let me down, right?"

In reality, such people often end up being abandoned.

Moreover, Zhou Lin's last remaining affection for Consort Wan depends solely on whether she is still of use to him.

Consort Wan was not born into a noble family; she only had the Empress Dowager behind her. The incident with Zhou Ziqi also clearly demonstrates that the Empress Dowager and Zhou Lin were actually two opposing forces.

Therefore, Consort Wan is at best a spy placed by Zhou Lin beside the Empress Dowager. A minor, dispensable figure.

Her presence was even less significant than that of Su Tiyue, the daughter of the Minister of Revenue. Therefore, when he learned that Consort Wan wanted to kill Su Tiyue, he was furious and slapped Consort Wan hard.

At this moment, Consort Wan had not yet gotten up from the ground. She covered her face and cried, "That little vixen from Tingyu Tower, I don't know what kind of seductive tricks she used, but she actually bewitched you all so much that you can't walk straight? Your Highness, you must not be fooled by her. Her gentle and weak appearance is obviously an act. Master Xiao has already fallen for her trick. You must be careful of her."

Zhou Lin hoped that Su Tiyue could use some methods to seduce him, but unfortunately, she was simply unwilling.

Every time Su Tiyue saw him, she would either hide or run away, wishing she could stay as far away from him as possible.

On the contrary, Zhou Lin always tried to talk to her more.

However, after Consort Wan's outburst, Su Tiyue gave Zhou Lin an even more unfriendly look.

Zhou Lin grew angrier the more he thought about it, and angrily retorted, "But that person did nothing wrong, and has never acted in any way that would be considered improper in front of me. And yet you, without authorization, almost took their life!"

"Yes, she did nothing wrong, she did nothing wrong! Am I wrong? Your Highness, ask yourself honestly, am I wrong?"

Consort Wan cried out hoarsely, "I just don't want other women around you, I just love you too much... Is that wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lin frowned, his face showing a look of disgust and disdain.

Her words were filled with coldness and sarcasm: "You are my imperial brother's woman. We were wrong from the very beginning. How dare you say you made no mistakes at all? Hmm?"

Zhou Lin slowly walked up to Consort Wan, then squatted down, gripped her chin tightly with his fingers, and said viciously, word by word, "You were the one who offered yourself to me in the first place, how come... Your Highness has forgotten? Or did I beg you to sleep with me?"

"You! What do you mean by that?" Her eyes were bloodshot, and she had long since lost the dignity and propriety that a concubine should have.

"What I mean is, since you've chosen to be my woman, then behave yourself and behave. Do whatever I tell you to do. Consort Wan, my patience with you has reached its limit. If you act on your own again and harm her in the slightest, not only will that eunuch surnamed Xiao not tolerate you... but I will also lose patience with you, understand?"

As Zhou Lin spoke, his fingers, which were gripping her chin, slowly moved downwards until they gripped her slender neck.

With continued force, his fingers nearly snapped her neck. She hurriedly stretched out her hands and struggled to pry Zhou Lin's fingers off.

But how can a woman's strength match that of a man who has been leading troops into battle for many years?

Consort Wan felt the air around her decreasing little by little, and a suffocating feeling came over her. At this moment, she was afraid that her feelings for Zhou Lin were fading.

It must have been fear that outweighed disappointment.

She nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down her face. Her throat was being choked, but to save her life, she managed to utter a tiny sound: "Your Highness, please... let me go."

"From now on... I'll do whatever you say..."

Consort Wan, who had always been arrogant and domineering, now looked desolate and wretched, her face, once adorned with exquisite makeup.

She felt as lowly as dust in front of the man she loved.

Zhou Lin slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly released his fingers.

Consort Wan gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls.

For her, life in the harem was never truly peaceful. During the late emperor's reign, although she enjoyed his favor, every night she was tormented to the point of almost being unable to sleep.

And now? Even though the late emperor is gone, her life hasn't improved at all.

The man she thought she could rely on for the rest of her life changed his mind early on.

After what happened last night, Consort Wan knew that she had definitely angered Xiao Heye. If she didn't have Zhou Lin's protection, her path in the harem would probably come to an end.

Therefore, even though she now knew Zhou Lin's intentions, she dared not remain confused any longer and lose the Prince of Huainan as her lifeline.

Inside the magnificent palace, only endless sighs and lamentations remained.

Consort Wan looked up, watching Zhou Lin walk steadily away. As he reached the door, she asked, unwilling to give up, "Is Your Highness's affection for her genuine or feigned? Is he truly interested, or... is it just for his own purposes?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lin pondered for a moment, then simply said, "All I've ever sought in my life is power. Sincerity?... Do you think I have it?"

"..."

At this point, Zhou Lin completely disappeared from her sight.

Consort Wan's enthusiasm and sincerity ultimately came to naught.

But Consort Wan, deeply entangled in the situation, still did not want to give up. She always felt that in Zhou Lin's eyes, she was different from other women, after all, they had an unforgettable past together.

Clinging to this sliver of possibility, she still fantasized that one day Zhou Lin would turn back to her.

Then, they will have a fresh start.