The Empress Dowager had weathered countless trials in her life. She had survived the succession struggles between the previous emperor and the current one, witnessed the most depraved depths of human nature, and faced innumerable ruthless schemes. Having climbed to her present position while being stabbed in the back at every turn, she thought she had seen it all—that any remaining disturbances would merely be ripples in a pond. But nothing could have prepared her for what she now beheld.
The room still retained traces of carved balustrades and jade inlays on its walls, yet all the furniture that should have been there was gone. Only a row of bedding lay against the far wall, spacious enough to accommodate ten children with room to spare.
Currently, eight children clad in identical white gowns sat there. At the forefront stood a frighteningly thin little girl who appeared as if a gust of wind could knock her over. Despite her frailty, she remained alert, attempting to shield the larger children behind her—some nearly twice her size.
The Empress Dowager halted her advance, her lips curling in a faint, mirthless smile as she surveyed the unnaturally sterile room. "This is the first time We have learned of such... austere quarters in the palace. Who among you shall enlighten Us?"
Yu Xiang approached with a trembling palace maid in tow—evidently having already extracted information from the girl, hence her terrified state. "Your Highness, she serves in this place."
The maid hastily dropped to her knees. "M-may the Empress Dowager enjoy boundless fortune and peace!"
Seating herself on the chair Yu Xiang provided, the Empress Dowager felt her heart sink as she observed the panicked maid. She instinctively recoiled from uncovering the truth, from learning what had transpired within these walls. She already carried too many unspeakable secrets—so many that even the faintest hint of another made her soul revolt.
Yet she had no choice.
Drawing a deep, resigned breath, she straightened her spine, every muscle tensing. "Explain. In detail."
Prostrate on the floor, the maid trembled uncontrollably, her voice quaking. "These... these children were brought from outside the palace. They're... they're for Consort Yue... to cure His Majesty's illness."
"How?"
The maid visibly shuddered. "By... by drawing fresh blood from them... supplemented with... heart flesh..."
Crack! The Empress Dowager's palm struck the armrest with such force it went numb, yet she seemed not to notice. Surging to her feet, she brushed aside Yu Xiang's supporting hand and knelt before the trembling maid, her voice deceptively soft. "Repeat that. How exactly does Consort Yue administer this cure?"
The maid quaked beneath the imperial aura, unable to utter a syllable.
"Speak!"
"B-by drawing fresh blood and using heart flesh from these children..."
The Empress Dowager swayed, nearly collapsing to the floor in dismay. Yu Xiang swiftly moved to support her, guiding her back to the chair with firm gentleness before turning to command the maid in a low voice: "Continue."
Gasping rapidly, the maid dared not hesitate. "After obtaining the fresh blood and heart flesh, Consort Yue combines them with other ingredients to prepare medicine for His Majesty. He takes it three times daily... and shows marked improvement after each dose."
"How long has this been going on?"
"Since before the New Year, Your Highness."So long... a child whose heart's flesh has been taken—where is the path to survival? The Empress Dowager closed her eyes, feeling an unbearable tightness in her chest. She could accept her son being heartless, absurd, unfilial—these were human flaws. But she could not accept her son becoming... less than human.
The princes were equally stunned, unable to utter a word. This was something they had never even imagined.
The Fourth Prince was no exception. It was the first time he had clearly understood how Consort Yue treated the Emperor's illness—something she had never disclosed to him.
What frightened him even more were the words that followed.
"So many people—who sent them?"
"This servant... does not know."
The Empress Dowager let out a cold laugh. "I believe you truly don't know. But someone must. Investigate."
Yu Xiang bowed and hurried out to relay the order.
The Empress Dowager turned her gaze back to the huddled children. A ruler of the nation treating the very people he ought to protect in such a manner—she could not fathom how much this would damage the fate of Daqing!
Those intangible forces—if you are kind, they may not reward you, for kindness is humanity's duty. But if you commit evil, they will remember, and one day repay you tenfold, a hundredfold.
Her son, the current Emperor, was destroying not only himself but the very foundation of Daqing!
"Hua Zhi."
Hua Zhi, who had been standing at the back, stepped forward.
"You have more experience with children. Go and speak with them. Even if you don't ask questions, comfort them. Let them know... their suffering is over."
"Yes."
Hua Zhi did not approach immediately. First, she steadied her emotions, ensuring she did not appear too agitated. Then, she moved forward slowly but resolutely toward the little girl. When the girl grew so tense she seemed ready to bolt, Hua Zhi knelt two steps away.
With a gentle smile, Hua Zhi asked softly, "Are you protecting them?"
The girl stared at her without responding.
"Did someone once protect you like this too?"
The girl bit her lip, her eyes reddening instantly.
Hua Zhi's heart trembled. Softening her tone further, she continued, "They must have fought hard to keep you alive, didn't they? So now you want to protect others just as fiercely. You want them to survive too, don't you?"
Tears streamed silently down the girl's face. The invisible thorns she carried seemed to soften.
Hua Zhi subtly shifted closer, turning slightly to gesture toward the Empress Dowager. "Do you know who that noble lady is? She is the Empress Dowager. Do you know what that means? She is the Emperor's mother—someone even the Emperor must defer to. Before, she didn't know you were imprisoned here, so she couldn't come to save you. But now she knows. She is right here before you. You can tell her everything. She will ensure justice is done."
The girl glanced at Hua Zhi, then at the Empress Dowager, before suddenly hiding behind Hua Zhi.
Clearly, after comparison, she found the kindly smiling sister before her more reassuring.
The Empress Dowager smiled, but then tears fell unexpectedly. She had thought her heart had hardened like stone, only to realize now it was merely because she had not encountered anything that could move her—even if that something appeared so ordinary.Hua Zhi turned around quite naturally and took a step forward, gently wiping the little girl's face with her handkerchief. "Sister is asking you a question, will you answer?"
The little girl pursed her lips, glanced back at her companion before shifting slightly away, then hesitantly gave a small nod.
"Sister wants to know why they all look somewhat... sturdy?"
The little girl whispered, "I used to be sturdy too."
Hua Zhi understood instantly, "Are the others all this sturdy too?"
The little girl nodded, then looked down at her own chicken-claw-like hands. Stealing a glance at the noble sister's hands before her, she shyly hurried to hide her own hands behind her back.
PS: I know everyone's not getting enough, but let's save up - writing is tough.
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