Chapter 119: She Must Die

Qingluo’s eyes reddened as she wiped the corners of her eyes. "This servant knows our Princess has always been a thorn in the Empress's side, but she shouldn't have used the child to hurt the Princess."

"The child?"

Yuan Zaichun was startled, his pupils constricting sharply. Realizing something, he lowered his voice and asked, "Does the Empress know something?"

Qingluo nodded without hesitation, her tears falling as she spoke. "The Princess went to see the Empress today, but the Empress met her with nothing but mockery. Because the Empress is an elder, the Princess refused to strike back. Then, the Empress brought up our Princess’s deceased child, provoking her so much that she fainted the moment she returned to the palace..."

"Princess!"

As the words left her lips, Yuanbao’s cry of alarm rang out from the courtyard. Qingluo turned and ran toward the palace, and Yuan Zaichun and Liufu, unable to sit still, followed her inside. Upon entering, they were met with the sight of Qiao Qingyun collapsed on the floor of the main hall.

Traces of tears still stained the woman's cheeks. Yuanbao was kneeling beside Qiao Qingyun, calling out to her incessantly.

"Princess! Princess!"

"My Lady! My Lady, please wake up!"

Qingluo began to wail as well. Ignoring the traditional boundaries between men and women, Yuan Zaichun bent down and scooped Qiao Qingyun into his arms, rushing toward the bedroom.

He failed to notice the look of triumph in the eyes of Qingluo and Yuanbao as he acted on impulse. Indeed, a hero cannot resist the charms of a beauty, especially one like Qiao Qingyun.

"Quickly, fetch some hot water!"

Yuan Zaichun urged. Qingluo complied immediately, washing a hot towel and placing it on Qiao Qingyun’s forehead. Yuan Zaichun glanced at Liufu. "Go summon the imperial physician!"

"No! The Princess is terrified of imperial physicians. During those days after her miscarriage, when her health was poor, the physicians pricked her with so many needles that she is now terrified at the mere sight of them."

Hearing once again of the suffering Qiao Qingyun had endured because of the child, Yuan Zaichun’s heart softened completely, losing all ability to discern the truth. It was his fault to begin with; how could he let a frail woman bear the burden alone?

Lying on the bed, Qiao Qingyun looked deathly pale, as if a gentle breeze might blow her soul away.

"Qingyun..."

The man’s voice was heavy with sorrow. He reached out to take her small hand, calling to her repeatedly, unable to set his mind at ease. "Qingyun, wake up, won't you?"

Regardless of the commotion, Qiao Qingyun refused to open her eyes. Two hours passed, and as dusk fell, Qingluo put on a show of concern. "Your Highness, perhaps you should return. This servant will keep watch here; you cannot stay away from the Crown Prince's residence indefinitely."

"No need. I will not leave the palace today. I will stay here and watch over her."

Thinking of his debt to Qiao Qingyun, Yuan Zaichun felt a piercing pain in his heart, wishing he could take her suffering upon himself. Yet, he could only sit by her side, helpless and dazed, unable to do anything else.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Qiao Qingyun, lying on the bed, suddenly reacted. After a few coughs, she opened her eyes weakly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "Water..."

"The Princess is awake! This servant will pour you some water!"

Yuanbao was overjoyed, feigning surprise as she hurried to pour a cup. Before she could reach Qiao Qingyun, Yuan Zaichun snatched it away.

"I will do it."

He reached out, sliding his arm behind Qiao Qingyun’s frail back to support her, and gently fed her the water. After finally finishing the cup, the woman seemed to regain some clarity.

"Why is the Crown Prince still here? Leave! Leave at once! Go tell your mother that if there is a next time, I will not be so lenient!"

As she spoke, Qiao Qingyun kept pushing at Yuan Zaichun as if trying to drive him away. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, looking exactly like a small, mistreated rabbit, though her strength was minimal.

From the initial shoving to the weak, fluttering blows of her fists, Yuan Zaichun accepted them all. He pulled Qiao Qingyun into his arms and whispered soothingly, "Stop crying, stop crying. I will never make you angry again. Come back with me, will you? There is no one here to look after you; I am worried."

"I don't want to. I won't go back. My mother and my child were killed by the Empress. I want her to pay with her life! I want her to pay!"

Qiao Qingyun became agitated again, tears streaming down her face. She did not mention Yuan Zaichun in a single word, yet every syllable felt like a knife piercing his heart.

"Alright, alright. I won't take you away. But let me stay and take care of you, can I?"

As he spoke, the sincerity in the man's eyes could no longer be suppressed. As a Crown Prince, he had never felt that loving someone could be this painful. Perhaps he had loved Bu Shenglien, but he loved Qiao Qingyun even more—he loved her recklessness and impudence, her disregard for rules, her rebelliousness; he loved every single thing she did!

He didn't know when it had started, but his eyes could no longer turn away from this woman.

"You..."

Qiao Qingyun looked up at Yuan Zaichun’s face, her tears falling in torrents. Yuanbao and Qingluo very tactfully led everyone else out, and even Liufu followed.

"Qingluo."

The moment the door closed, Liufu called out, but Qingluo gave him a fierce glare. "Speak your mind and be quick about it."

Liufu paused, glanced toward the room, and asked with lingering concern, "Does the Princess really intend to forgive His Highness?"

Hearing this, the corner of Qingluo’s mouth curled into a cold sneer. "Forgive? You have no idea how much suffering and torture our Princess has endured because of your Crown Prince! That man in black, he attacked our Princess right in the abdomen. When we saved her, she was bleeding incessantly, and her stomach was bruised black and blue. Can you even imagine the pain?"

Having said that, Qingluo had no desire to speak another word to Liufu. She flicked her sleeve and turned away.

Inside the room, Yuan Zaichun was busy serving tea and water, fetching various pastries, and never uttered a single word of complaint. Such a devoted, home-loving man—surely, no one could refuse him.

"Are you tired? If you are, sleep a little longer. I am right here. If you wake up, call for me at any time."

Seeing Qiao Qingyun’s exhaustion, Yuan Zaichun coaxed her gently.

Qiao Qingyun nodded indifferently. "Do not think that because of what you are doing, I will let the Empress go. She must die; she must be buried along with my child."

*My child...*

Yuan Zaichun’s heart ached violently. It was his child, too. How could he not feel the pain? Especially since the very day he learned of the child's existence, it had been murdered by its own grandmother. This kind of agony was something only the parents could feel.

"Qingyun..."

"There is no need to say more. If you want to keep watch, then stay. I will not be grateful to you. You are just like your mother—a cruel person."

With that, she turned over and fell asleep on her own.