Zhong Mansion.
"Ruo'er, you're just having bad luck," Zhong Wuyi sighed. "I thought you were finally going to make it, but then a huge mess happened in the palace..."
“Godfather, you don’t need to worry about me.” Wei Ruo was still dressed in plain clothes. “Sometimes, the more chaotic things are, the easier it is to stand out.”
“But now the Emperor is critically ill, and the eldest prince is accused of treason. Only the second prince and Prince Yan are left. I really don’t know what to do.” Zhong Wuyi glanced at Wei Ruo, his adopted son, who was almost supernaturally intelligent and might have some good suggestions. “Her Majesty the Empress asked us to find a way to bring Prince Yan back to the capital.”
"If Prince Yan isn't being held hostage in Da Ning, why would Da Ning release him so easily?"
Upon hearing Jiang Yu's name, a flicker of emotion appeared in Wei Ruo's eyes.
"Hmph!" Zhong Wuyi sneered, "The eldest prince and the second prince are not the empress's children at all. After being deceived for so many years, it is inevitable that she would feel disgusted and would rather support her stepson than the second prince."
"What my godfather said is absolutely right."
Kui Ruo spoke softly, "Father, just follow Her Majesty's instructions and find a way to bring Prince Yan back to the capital."
After Zhong Wuyi left, Wei Ruo's expression changed drastically, and she strode into the study.
Neither the eldest prince nor the second prince is the Empress's child, so who is the Empress's child?
Prince Yan was also about the same age as the two princes...
Kui Ruo suddenly paused. Could it be that Prince Yan is the Empress's child?
An hour later, Wei Ruo found Zhong Wuyi with a smile, "Father, I have thought of a way to bring back Prince Yan."
If there is even the slightest possibility that Prince Yan is the Empress's child, then we must bring Prince Yan back.
......
Inside the palace.
After giving her testimony, Consort Rong was locked up in Lingxi Palace again. The other concubines were shocked by the sudden change in the palace and stayed in their respective palaces, afraid to come out.
"Princess."
Inside Jing'an Palace, Consort An chased after her from the room, saying, "It's all so chaotic outside. Princess, you should stay in Jing'an Palace. Besides, Her Majesty the Empress specifically instructed that you stay in Jing'an Palace."
"This princess has important matters to attend to."
Gu Qingyao didn't turn her head, but paused as she was about to step out of Jing'an Palace. "Don't worry about me."
Don't worry about her, she has things she has to do.
Gu Qingyao walked straight towards Lingxi Palace, clutching a wad of white cloth tightly in her hand.
Gu Qingyao pushed open the gate of Lingxi Palace and bumped into Consort Rong, who was standing under the eaves in a daze.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Yao'er."
Consort Rong smiled gently, just like she had a few years ago, and waved to Gu Qingyao, "Yao'er, come here."
Gu Qingyao pursed her lips and walked to Consort Rong's side.
“When I was pregnant with all three of you, my belly was huge. I prayed every day that at least one of you would be a prince.” Consort Rong’s eyes began to recall. “When the time came, the old woman told me that it would be two princes and a princess.”
"The youngest one is a girl."
Consort Rong's fingertips turned white, and she was wearing her favorite robe. "I breathed a huge sigh of relief at that time, because with your elder brother around, your and Feng'er's lifelong wealth and honor were guaranteed."
Gu Qingyao listened silently, and Consort Rong did not need Gu Qingyao to give a response.
“You look so much like me. Your maternal grandmother was horrified when she first saw you and wanted me to strangle you.” Consort Rong smirked. “She said that keeping you alive would only cause great trouble.”
"But I can't bear to part with it."
"You still have times when you can't bear to part with me?" Gu Qingyao couldn't help but ask. "When you locked me in the dark dungeon and forced me to eat those disgusting things, did you ever think that I was your daughter?"
"But if it's not like this, you'll be dead."
Consort Rong's eyes were bloodshot. "Yao'er, how could a mother not love her own child?"
"You think I'll soften up by pretending to be all friendly with you now?" Gu Qingyao gave a smile that was more like a grimace. "Do you even know how big a mistake you've made!"
"I was terribly wrong."
Consort Rong frowned almost imperceptibly and covered her stomach with her hand. "Yao'er, I've been having dreams these past few nights, dreams of scenes I've never seen before."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyao's eyes widened suddenly.
"It seems you dreamed about it too."
Consort Rong smiled dreamily. She dreamt that Ling'er ascended the throne and honored her as Empress Dowager, and that her children became the most honored people in Daqing.
But she also dreamed that Ling'er began to miss Jiang Yu and started to look down on her.
In the end, each of them died a terrible death.
“I owe the Empress a lot, and I also owe you and Feng’er a lot.” A trace of black blood trickled from the corner of Consort Rong’s mouth, and the white cloth in Gu Qingyao’s hand fell to the ground; it was a white silk ribbon.
Looking at the white silk lying on the ground, Consort Rong lowered her head helplessly. In her dream, this was how they killed Jiang Yu, so her daughter wanted to kill her in the same way.
"You've been poisoned?" Gu Qingyao instinctively hugged Consort Rong's sliding body.
"How could I possibly let you bear the crime of matricide?" Intense pain shot through her limbs and bones as Consort Rong struggled to reach out and touch the face that looked exactly like hers.
"Yao'er, the Empress... the Empress never intended to kill you. As long as you... as long as you behave yourself, you can live."
"Yao'er, hurry up and go."
Having said that, Consort Rong's hand fell completely to her sides.
Ever since that dream, she knew that Yao'er would definitely come looking for her, because Yao'er hated her.
This poison was given to her by Jiang Yu. Those poisoned by it must endure excruciating pain for three full days before they finally die.
She would gradually become terrifying, and she didn't want Yao'er to see her like that.
"Run!"
As Gu Qingyao's footsteps faded into the distance, tears welled up in Consort Rong's eyes. This was the choice Jiang Yu had given her: either suffer the torment of poisoning herself, or be killed by Yao'er's own hand for a quick end.
Consort Rong's body curled up in pain, and the gates of Lingxi Palace were slammed shut. In the final moments of her life, Consort Rong had to endure excruciating pain and die alone.
At the same time, in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The teacup in Gu Qingfeng's hand fell to the ground. Gu Qingfeng bent down to pick it up, but cut his finger on a shard of porcelain, and blood flowed out.
Gu Qingfeng looked up in the direction of Lingxi Palace, as if he understood something.
"Why is the bleeding from your hand not stopping?" Gu Heng's weak voice rang out, and Gu Qingfeng withdrew his gaze. "Thank you for your concern, Father. It's just a minor injury."
Gu Qingfeng's heart clenched painfully. If he hadn't miscalculated, Yao'er had already gone to Lingxi Palace.
She... should have gotten the result she deserved, right...?
Gu Qingfeng put his bleeding finger in his mouth; the ten fingers are connected to the heart, and the taste of blood spread in his mouth.
Enough, let this mother-son bond that shouldn't have existed end here.
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