Chu Qianli bit his hand hard, biting with all her might.
If her strength were not so small, she might have bitten off a piece of flesh from Feng Yexuan's hand.
The smell of blood gradually thickened, filling her mouth.
Finally, she let go and stared at the wound on his hand, somewhat dazed.
Feng Yexuan, however, was only staring at her face, not glancing at his own injury.
When her emotions had calmed down slightly, he cupped her face and whispered, "Li'er, this King was wrong. Let's start over, okay?"
Chu Qianli gave a cold laugh and pushed his hand away.
He did not restrain her by force. Chu Qianli immediately pushed herself away from his embrace, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at him coldly.
Feng Yexuan looked at the bloodstain on her lips. It was his blood, staining her lips a vivid red.
He raised his hand to wipe it away, but she pushed him away again.
"Not everything can be started over, Your Highness, do you understand?"
"This King understands. Our child..."
"He is my child, not yours! You have no right to be his father!"
Upon mentioning the child, Chu Qianli immediately became agitated.
She clutched the bedsheet beneath her, her knuckles white and her hands pale.
Feng Yexuan remained silent.
He was wrong. All the mistakes were his.
She was hurting, and his heart was no less pained than hers.
However, accustomed to his cold demeanor, even with his heart being sliced by a knife, his handsome face showed little emotion.
"Li'er..."
"Don't call me that!" Chu Qianli said angrily.
He was helpless.
Tonight, in his anger and agitation, he had lost control and nearly killed Concubine Zhen.
Now, all his emotions had completely dissipated, and he had calmed down.
At this point, dwelling on sorrow was useless. The events had already transpired and could not be undone.
Regret was futile; one could only look forward.
"What must this King do for you to forgive him?"
"If I ask you to kill Concubine Zhen to avenge my child, would you do it?"
"She is this King's mother, and this King cannot kill his mother."
"Therefore, if Your Highness cannot even fulfill my only request, how can you speak of forgiveness?"
Chu Qianli let out a cold laugh, a laugh filled with sarcasm and disdain.
"This King truly cannot kill her, but she has indeed gotten what she deserved."
Feng Yexuan looked at her cold, resolute profile and said gently, "This King will petition the Emperor to declare to the world that Concubine Zhen is no longer this King's mother. This King will then personally send her to the cold palace. Would that suffice?"
Although Chu Qianli did not speak, her fingers, still gripping the bedsheet, tightened instinctively.
Once one entered the cold palace, it was like sinking into a deep sea, and it was unlikely they could ever emerge without extraordinary circumstances.
Moreover, she was a concubine whose title as the Xuan Prince's mother had been stripped away!
Without the Xuan Prince's radiance to shield her, Concubine Zhen was nothing.
Once in the cold palace, she would never have a chance to come out again.
For Concubine Zhen, this was more painful than death.
This punishment could be considered the most severe of all!
She couldn't help but look up at him, "Are you truly willing?"
"She harmed this King's child... she deserves it."
The two of them simply gazed at each other, neither speaking for a long time.
Although the misunderstanding had been explained, the two lives that lay between them were a chasm.
How could they easily let go of such a burden?
After an unknown amount of time, Chu Qianli said faintly, "I want to see her. I want to see her suffer."
This was truly Chu Qianli's style of handling matters!
Feng Yexuan could even imagine that his own future might not be better than Concubine Zhen's.
But he... also deserved it.
"Good."
...
Concubine Zhen was locked in a side room.
Her clothes were disheveled, and her wet garments had dried, leaving behind a foul odor.
"Let this Consort out! Open the door! Quickly open the door! This Consort is Concubine Zhen, the Emperor's concubine, the Xuan Prince's mother!"
"Quickly let this Consort out! Guards! Guards! Guards! This Consort requires attendants, guards!"
No one paid her any attention.
Concubine Zhen looked at her own clothes and cried again in anger.
She had cried so many times tonight.
In all her years, she had never been so humiliated.
Even her clothes were dirty!
She didn't even have anyone to attend to her!
"Let this Consort out, let this Consort out!"
Finally, a slight commotion was heard from the courtyard.
Someone bowed from a distance, "Your Highness!"
Your Highness... it was Xuan'er, it was Xuan'er who had arrived!
Upon hearing this, Concubine Zhen's heart immediately tensed.
On one hand, she felt hope had arrived; perhaps her Xuan'er would pity her and let her out.
On the other hand, she began to feel inexplicably fearful.
She could not forget how her Xuan'er had nearly killed her tonight.
At that moment, there was no trace of warmth in his eyes, only killing intent.
It was truly terrifying!
So terrifying that just hearing his name made her heart clench instinctively.
Footsteps stopped outside the door.
Concubine Zhen instinctively moved away from the door, retreating several steps.
The door was opened.
Indeed, Feng Yexuan was the one who had arrived.
Just as Concubine Zhen was about to approach him, she unexpectedly saw that woman standing beside Feng Yexuan.
"What are you doing here?" Concubine Zhen immediately retreated, keeping her distance, her face full of wariness.
Then, she quickly looked at Feng Yexuan and began to complain tearfully, "Xuan'er, this Consort is doing all this for your own good! Don't listen to her. Don't believe a single word she says!"
"This Consort's entire heart is for you!"
Feng Yexuan remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on Chu Qianli.
His expression was as usual, habitually cold, but even Concubine Zhen could sense the caution and tenderness he showed Chu Qianli tonight.
This was a tenderness he had never shown anyone else!
Concubine Zhen immediately became jealous, "Xuan'er, don't think she's as good as you imagine. It's all her scheme!"
"Don't believe a single word she says, Xuan'er..."
Feng Yexuan, however, said calmly, "Stripping her title and sending her to the cold palace is the greatest punishment. Please... do not take her life."
"What did you say? Xuan'er... mmm—"
Concubine Zhen only saw Feng Yexuan casually wave his hand, and her acupoints seemed to be sealed.
She stumbled back several steps and fell onto a chair with a thud.
She tried to get up but found herself completely without strength at that moment.
She couldn't even crawl.
Chu Qianli remained silent, merely looking at Concubine Zhen coldly.
Feng Yexuan then turned and left, ordering someone to close the door.
He still couldn't bear to let her kill Concubine Zhen; after all, he still felt a sense of mother-son affection.
Even if she was an adoptive mother, she was still a mother.
Chu Qianli's expression was blank. After Feng Yexuan left and all footsteps faded away, she walked towards Concubine Zhen, step by step.
Concubine Zhen was so terrified that her soul almost flew away.
"You... don't come near me! Xuan'er said you're not allowed to harm this Consort's life, not allowed to... Chu Qianli, what are you holding? What is that? Don't come near! You dare! You dare! Help!"