Chapter 61: The Choice Between Stabbing or Shooting an Arrow

This slight chill transformed into a bone-chilling cold the following morning when he saw Prince Cheng.

In the dim light of dawn, Prince Cheng quietly followed his wet nurse into the palace. His gold-embroidered robes were so luxurious they were almost blinding.

Fangru's gaze lingered on him for a moment. The truth she had just learned yesterday pierced her heart like an ice pick. This was Gu Zhou's child with his mistress, a living testament to her betrayal.

But when the child obediently looked up at her, the dependence filling his clear eyes still softened her heart.

He stepped across the threshold, his wide brocade sleeves slipping slightly, revealing several glaring bruises on his wrists.

Was she beaten again? Fangru suppressed her surging emotions and casually told the wet nurse to leave.

Once only the two of them were left in the hall, she gently took Prince Cheng's small hand and sat down on the soft couch by the window.

"Let Cai Nu take a look, shall we?"

The child nodded timidly.

Fangru gently rolled up his sleeve, and despite being prepared, the sight before her still made her gasp for breath.

On the child's delicate arms, layers of old and new scars overlapped, including freshly left fingerprints and bruises tinged with blue-purple. The most shocking sight was a scabbed scratch that snaked across the child's fragile skin like an ugly centipede.

Fangru's fingertips trembled slightly.

"Mother said... said Cheng'er was naughty." The child's voice was barely audible, and his dark, grape-like eyes were filled with fear that was beyond his years.

"Why...?" she asked softly.

Prince Cheng's large eyes quickly filled with tears, his small mouth trembled, and he suddenly threw himself into her arms, sobbing and saying intermittently, "Cheng'er doesn't want Mother anymore... Mother said Cheng'er is a bastard, that Cheng'er's existence is a mistake... Cheng'er wants to be with Lady Cai..."

At that moment, Fangru's heart was gripped tightly.

Recalling those moments in my seven reincarnations when I was powerless to protect my loved ones, a cold rage burned in my chest.

Just then, a trusted palace maid quietly reported that the Empress Dowager would be passing by Taiye Pond on her way to the Buddhist hall today.

Fangru looked down at the trembling little body in her arms, and a clear plan took shape in her mind.

She was unwilling to directly beg Zhou Ling for favors; that man's intentions were too deep, and the price to pay was too high.

But she could leverage his influence and the Empress Dowager's anger over the prince's true parentage to play a strategic game.

She deliberately chose the most conspicuous spot by the Taiye Pond. Not only was the view wide enough for the Empress Dowager to see everything, but more importantly, the water depth was just right—not enough to actually endanger her life, yet enough to create a commotion.

When Consort Zhi appeared not far away, Fangru slowly stepped forward, a faint smile on her lips.

"Wang Yuan." She softly uttered this long-forgotten name, her voice not loud, but it was like a thunderclap in the other person's ear.

Consort Zhi froze abruptly, then forced herself to remain calm: "Shen Fangru, what nonsense are you spouting!"

“Whether I’m lying or not, you know best in your heart.” Fangru took a step forward unhurriedly, her gaze sweeping over the dazzling jewels in her hair. “Your attire is much more valuable than when you were raised in the countryside by Gu Zhou. It’s a pity…” She shook her head gently, “No matter how precious the jewelry is, it can’t hide the humility in your bones.”

Consort Zhi's face turned deathly pale instantly. She subconsciously glanced around and lowered her voice, "Don't you dare make false accusations! His Majesty has shown me deep affection and loyalty, and Cheng'er is a gift from His Majesty..."

"Deep affection and loyalty?" Fangru chuckled softly. "Wang Yuan, are you lying to me, or to yourself?"

She took another step closer, lowering her voice even further, "If His Majesty truly loved you, would he allow you to live in the most remote Xianglan Palace? And rarely summon you, even once a month? Do you know whose palace His Majesty spent the night in last night?"

In fact, since Zhou Ling stormed out of Yilan Palace that day, he hasn't set foot in the inner palace for half a month.

Seeing Consort Zhi's slightly trembling lips, Fangru continued slowly and deliberately, "His Majesty is raising Cheng'er only to quell the gossip in court about his 'homosexuality.' Although His Majesty doesn't care about his own bloodline, he still needs a prince to maintain appearances. Don't you think so?"

"You...you're talking nonsense!" Consort Zhi's voice began to tremble, and her eyes flickered uncertainly.

"Whether I'm lying or not, you know in your heart." Fangru's gaze suddenly sharpened. "You used to use every means to steal my marriage, and now in this palace, you've learned to use your power to bully others? Such shamelessness truly makes me look at you in a new light. It's a pity that you will always just be a mistress who can't see the light of day."

She paused deliberately, and seeing the anger rising in his eyes, she slowly said, "Tonight, when I'm by His Majesty's bedside, I'll tell you in detail what you did to Cheng'er. Guess how this 'deeply affectionate' His Majesty will deal with someone who 'scratched' his reputation? At that time, forget about your position as a Noble Consort, and you won't even be able to see Cheng'er again!"

These words completely shattered Consort Zhi's defenses.

She suddenly reached out and shoved Fangru: "You bitch!"

In that instant, Fangru precisely spotted the Empress Dowager's entourage in the distance. She leaned back and, just as she was about to fall into the water, let out a piercing cry for help: "Help! Your Highness, I know I was wrong!"

The icy pool water instantly enveloped her, and she struggled in the water at just the right moment, appearing both terrified and certain that she wouldn't actually be in danger.

When she was rescued ashore by the palace servants, she was soaking wet and disheveled, her thin clothes clinging to her body, making her look even more pitiful.

The Empress Dowager rushed over upon hearing the noise and saw this scene: Fangru was lying on the ground trembling, while Consort Zhi was still standing there, in the position of pushing someone, her face full of lingering anger.

"Outrageous!" the Empress Dowager roared, her majestic voice echoing by the pond. "How dare you plot against a palace concubine in broad daylight!"

Fangru raised her pale face, tears streaming down her cheeks, each word spoken with perfect precision: "Your Majesty, please understand... The Noble Consort wants to kill me because I knew the secret that she was once Gu Zhou's mistress... I... I will never dare to speak out again..."

A cold glint flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes.

She had already thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of Prince Cheng and Consort Zhi.

Zhou Ling has personally acknowledged that the death row inmate's bastard child, so she can't touch him for the time being. But does this mistress that Gu Zhou keeps deserve to cause trouble in this nine-layered palace?

"Take Consort Zhi to the Cold Palace and await further orders!"

Fangru leaned on the palace maid's shoulder, her gaze calmly sweeping over Consort Zhi, who was being dragged away by the palace servants.

The once arrogant imperial concubine was now disheveled, her hairpins and ornaments scattered, her eyes filled with shock, anger, and resentment.

Feeling her clothes being gently tugged, Fangru lowered her eyes and met the uneasy gaze of Prince Shangcheng.

She gently stroked the child's head, feeling the little hand tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, as if she were the only piece of driftwood in this deep palace.

After Prince Cheng was taken away by his wet nurse, Fangru returned to Yilan Palace and settled in properly.

She leaned against the window alone, gazing at the shimmering waves of Taiye Pond, a cold smile playing on her lips.

She calculated this perfectly.

This would allow Wang Yuan to experience constant anxiety, while also providing a legitimate reason to protect Cheng'er under her wing. More importantly, the emperor, who hadn't set foot in Yilan Palace for half a month after arguing with her about the prince's lineage, should also be getting restless.

She naturally didn't want to see him.

My heart still aches when I think of his cold eyes during that argument.

But that string of Buddhist prayer beads... to find it, we can't avoid that man.

"That saves me the trouble of finding an excuse to see him," she scoffed.

Falling into the water and being frightened, feeling weak and unwell—what a perfect excuse! It satisfies both propriety and allows for a perfectly legitimate refusal to serve the emperor in bed.

A breeze blew through the waterside pavilion, ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead.

She suddenly covered her mouth and coughed lightly twice, remembering that she had not yet taken the medicine sent by the Imperial Hospital.

Having just soaked in the pool water in early autumn, I was indeed feeling a bit dizzy.

After drinking the medicine, she was about to lie down on her side to fully convincingly portray her as sickly when the palace door silently slid open.

Zhou Lingjing stood quietly in the shadows under the corridor, the moonlight casting a cool, silvery edge on his dark robe.

He didn't come in immediately, but just stared at her intently from a distance that was neither too close nor too far. His gaze was unfathomable, which made her heart tighten for no reason.

"Get dressed. Follow me."

There were no unexpected inquiries, and no consideration whatsoever for her "ill body".

A chill crept up Fangru's back.

“Your Majesty,” she lowered her eyelashes, deliberately adding a weak tremor to her voice, “I just fell into the water, and I am truly exhausted…”

He suddenly stepped closer and said, "Since you have the strength to scheme against the Imperial Concubine, you should also have the strength to bear the consequences."

These words were like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in her heart.

It turns out he knew everything; his visit wasn't out of concern, but to accuse him.

So be it.

A bitter, self-deprecating feeling welled up inside her; she shouldn't have had any expectations of him in the first place.

But where was he going to take her in the dead of night?

She silently rose, mechanically dressed herself, and followed him into the deep night.

On the empty palace path, only the sound of two people's footsteps echoed in the silence.

Finally, he stopped in front of a secluded palace.

Inside, the lights were bright, and the outlines of the weapons displayed in a menacing manner could be vaguely seen.

Fangru gazed at the unfamiliar scene, her heart turning cold.

Li Zuo, the commander of the Imperial Guards, stood solemnly among them, dressed in a smart and tidy outfit.

On the weapon rack beside him, bows and arrows and short swords were neatly arranged, and the air was filled with the cold, hard scent of leather and metal.

“From this day forward,” Zhou Ling’s voice broke the silence, calm and clear, “Li Zuo will teach you archery, horsemanship, and swordsmanship.”

Fangru looked up in surprise and met his unfathomable eyes.

“Since you are unwilling to speak to me,” he said slowly, each word like an ice bead hitting my heart, “you would rather jump into the Taiye Pond and frame the Consort by harming yourself, so I will grant you your ‘self-reliance’.”

He strode up to her, and the imposing presence he exuded made her instinctively want to back away.

"Unwilling to seek my protection? Then learn to wield the knife yourself. In my view, relying on self-deception to bring down your opponents is not a skill."

He stared at Fangru's stubborn eyes, his face as cold as frost, but his knuckles under his wide sleeves were already white from clenching his fists.

Jump into Taiye Pond? Frame the Imperial Concubine? Next time, will he swallow gold? Or take poison?

He hated that she would rather jump into the Taiye Pond, and that she would rather go to great lengths to frame the Imperial Concubine than say a single kind word to him.

In her heart, was he really that unreliable? Did she really have to humiliate herself in such a resolute way?

She was willing to risk her life for Gu Zhou.

Since she insisted on being stubborn, he would let her be stubborn to her heart's content.

Fangru, however, said that his drastic measures were only to force her to admit defeat.

This training session was nothing more than another form of humiliation.

Thinking of the string of Buddhist prayer beads she had to find, she swallowed back the words of rebuttal that were about to come to her lips and silently walked toward the heavy longbow.

It was cold and heavy to the touch, and she could barely hold it.

Zhou Ling stood on the steps, coldly watching her awkwardly and laboriously draw back the bowstring, her posture stiff.

"Insufficient strength, weak lower body." He commented casually, then instructed Li Zuo, "Starting tomorrow, lift a 20-jin stone weight for half an hour every morning, and practice shooting 30 more arrows."

Fangru cursed inwardly:

Zhou Ling, you heartless tyrant! You deserve to be secretly mocked by your courtiers for your homosexuality!

Twenty pounds of stone lock? Why not let that jade unicorn in the imperial study weigh me down?

She was secretly enjoying composing when she suddenly felt a cool breeze at her temple.

Zhou Ling had moved closer to her without her noticing, his fingertips twirling her loose strands of hair: "You're cursing so fiercely... why not save your energy and think about how to beg me?"

Instead of backing away, he took advantage of her bow-drawing posture and completely covered her from behind.

With his left hand, he gripped her fingers as she held the bow, weaving them one by one between her fingers, while his right arm encircled her waist and held her hand as she drew the bowstring.

“Since you still have the mind to complain…” He slowly drew the bowstring taut, his Adam’s apple brushing against the back of her sweaty neck, “Why not channel all that spirit into the arrow?”

After a few arrows, he took the opportunity to whisper in her ear: "Before hitting the bullseye... I will stay with my beloved concubine like this, practicing one arrow at a time."

Fangru raised the longbow with trembling hands, wishing she could throw the murder weapon at his feet.

In the end, she could only bite her lips tightly, letting the cold sweat on her forehead soak her stray hairs.

For several days in a row, Zhou Ling's "teaching" became increasingly out of line.

When Fangru was exhausted and panting while leaning on her sword, he would approach her from behind and gently nibble at her sweaty nape with his teeth.

When holding her hand and drawing the sword, I always deliberately resist her, moving slowly and gently with the sword swing.

That day, she was kneeling on one knee adjusting her wristband when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her from behind.

He even licked and kissed her earlobe in that position: "If I can't hit the target again... then I'll have to shoot you?"

Fangru bit her lip hard.

In order to find the Buddhist prayer beads, she had no choice but to allow these intimate acts to become part of her training.

The next few days were like torture for Fangru.

Every day when she returned to Yilan Palace, her arms ached so much that she could barely lift them, and her fingertips were red and swollen from being rubbed by the bowstring.

That night, feeling she had reached her limit and was pondering how to soften her stance, Zhou Ling's voice rang out first:

"The assessment will be held tomorrow."

He casually tossed a light bow into her arms, startling her so much that she almost missed catching it.

"If we fail, we'll double the training the day after tomorrow."

Fangru bit her lip and tried shooting an arrow, but the arrow went limply off the target.

Before she knew it, Zhou Ling had silently appeared behind her.

"It's off." Warm breath brushed against her ear, his right hand steadily supported her trembling wrist, while his left hand firmly gripped her waist, pulling her into his arms.

The bowstring twanged, and the arrow missed the target again.

Fangru could clearly feel the deep vibrations coming from his chest.

"It seems..." He not only didn't let go, but tightened his arms around her waist and pressed his tongue against her earlobe, "You need to practice more tomorrow."

Fangru finally crumbled, letting the longbow slip from her fingers.

"Your Majesty..." her voice choked with sobs, "I admit defeat."

"That's it?" He pinched her chin, the pressure from his fingertips revealing his dissatisfaction.

Fangru picked up a short blade from the weapon rack, gently placed it in his palm, and guided his hand to her heart, deliberately making the action look like it was caused by panic.

As their clothes rubbed against each other, they could feel each other's heartbeats gradually quickening.

“Your Majesty,” she looked up, her eyes flushed with a peach-blossom-like red, “why don’t you just give me a quick death?” Her soft body pressed subtly against his chest, “Should I stab you… or shoot an arrow?”

The last few words were uttered in breathy whispers, landing on his slightly moving Adam's apple.

Zhou Ling's eyes suddenly darkened.

Before the sharp sound of the short blade hitting the ground had even faded, he had already pressed her onto the weapon rack.

The overturned quiver spilled its contents across the ground, the arrows clashing and making a rustling sound.

"Since my beloved consort has listed the options..." As he leaned down, the ambergris scent enveloped him like a net, and the sound of his fingertips tearing through the silk was exceptionally clear. "How could I possibly disappoint you?"