The plate of pastries, Madam Jin picked up a piece and brought it to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had intended to use chopsticks, but she no longer had much strength.
She could not hold chopsticks steady, and no matter how she tried, she could not pick up the pastry.
She was anxious, sweating profusely, so anxious she felt she might faint.
But she still tried, with the greatest effort of her life, and finally, using her fingers, she picked up the pastry.
"Ah, Ah Jiu, Mother will feed you, feed you..."
Feng Dingchu watched her.
Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, and the constant flow of tears pained Feng Dingchu's heart.
"Mother..."
"Mother will feed you, Ah Jiu, Mother will feed you, my good boy, be good, Ah Jiu, be good..."
Madam Jin bit her lip, clenched her fists, tears in her eyes, but she dared not let them fall.
She understood the Empress Dowager's predicament, but His Highness Prince Jiu... how innocent, how pitiable.
Why must heaven treat him this way?
"Ah Jiu, be good, Mother... Mother will feed you, Ah Jiu, open your mouth, be good..."
Seeing that he still did not open his mouth, the Empress Dowager grew anxious: "Ah Jiu, why... why are you not being good? You... you don't listen to Mother anymore? Ah Jiu..."
"Your Highness!" Madam Jin suddenly knelt with a thud, tears streaming down her face: "His Highness Prince Jiu will not betray you, nor the Emperor, Your Highness... Your Highness, I beg you..."
But before Madam Jin could finish speaking, Feng Dingchu opened his mouth and bit down on the pastry in the Empress Dowager's hand.
Without a moment's hesitation, he swallowed it forcefully.
"Your Highness!" Madam Jin's voice was hoarse, and she couldn't help but weep softly.
Why must it be like this?
Why?
She didn't even know the specific reason!
For so many years, she had only carried out orders, she had no idea why.
But Feng Dingchu knew.
He knew everything.
The Empress Dowager also knew.
The Empress Dowager, at this moment, understood everything clearly.
"Ah Jiu..." Only after watching her son swallow the pastry did the Empress Dowager heave a sigh of relief.
Once that breath was released, she began to cry.
"Ah Jiu, you are truly so good, you are Mother's good son..."
"Mother, do you truly acknowledge me as your son in your heart?" Feng Dingchu smiled faintly, and as he lowered his head, he forcefully swallowed the blood that welled up to his lips.
"Of course... of course you are Mother's good son, you are just... you are just too upright... Mother knows, Mother knows everything, you are the kind Ah Jiu, but Mother cannot... cannot..."
The Empress Dowager's eyes were visibly dimming at a rapid pace.
"Ah Jiu, Mother will stay with you, don't be afraid, Mother will stay with you..."
She truly could not hold on any longer, her body slumping weakly.
"Your Highness!" Madam Jin rushed forward, supporting her.
Feng Dingchu, however, rose from the ground. Seeing the Empress Dowager's fading life, there was no ripple in his eyes.
In the end, everyone must die, no one can escape it.
He turned and slowly walked back the way he came.
Madam Jin called out urgently, "Your Highness..."
But he could no longer hear her.
From where he came, he went, perhaps in the end, even he did not know where he was truly going.
Perhaps, there was no path that truly belonged to him.
Perhaps, there was no path at all...
Behind him, the mournful cries of the eunuchs could be heard: "The Empress Dowager has passed away..."
Mother, in the end, was gone.
Holding onto her last breath, she had only wanted to personally feed him the pastry, and personally... send him on his way...
Not knowing where he was going, the world before him grew increasingly blurry.
Finally, his legs gave way, and he knelt on one knee.
He opened his mouth, and a mouthful of black, turbid blood surged out violently...