Chapter 214 3/3

Li Qingzhi took out paper and brush and began practicing calligraphy to calm his chaotic thoughts.

The palace was in turmoil right now. It was too early to say anything definitive, and he couldn’t do anything for the time being except wait quietly for news from the palace.

After practicing calligraphy for a while, Li Qingzhi still couldn’t calm his mind. He took a deep breath and decided to go for a walk.

Walking could also help calm one’s mind, aiding in making decisions.

In the palace.

The emperor had not yet woken up, and a group of imperial doctor was attending to him.

Lü Qingxi should have stayed by the emperor’s side, but he didn’t because Concubine Liu had gone mad.

She wasn’t truly mad, but the usually gentle and elegant Concubine Liu was now causing a scene.

When Lü Qingxi arrived at Concubine Liu’s palace, he found her smashing things: “That bastard Qi Jun! I told him long ago to eradicate the problem at its root, but he wouldn’t do it!”

“That woman killed my daughter, and now her son has killed my son!”

“I should have killed that little brat long ago!”

“Qi Jun deserves to die from anger! He deserves it!”

No one was inside Concubine Liu’s palace, and her trusted aides guarded the outside. Besides Lü Qingxi, no one else could hear her words.

Lü Qingxi said helplessly, “Your Grace, you shouldn’t say such things…”

“Everything I say is true! Qi Jun is no good! We suffered so much following him. You were severely injured by that poisonous woman, and my child was killed by that same woman. And what did Qi Jun do? He kept that woman’s son alive, and now that son has harmed my An’an!” Concubine Liu believed that the one who threw the hot charcoal at Qi An was someone from Prince Yan’s faction.

In reality, Qi An was not yet dead.

But he was so young, and the charcoal had surrounded his entire body… His face was disfigured, and according to the imperial doctor, he wouldn’t live much longer.

Concubine Liu was older than the emperor. She knew how hard it had been for him and understood that he was a soft-hearted man, so she could empathize with him on many things.

But now, she couldn’t take it anymore!

“It might have been Prince Jin who did it,” Lü Qingxi said.

“Even if it was Prince Jin, why didn’t Qi Jun get rid of him? Prince Jin and his son are both no good. Why didn’t Qi Jun kill them?” Concubine Liu screamed.

Years ago, watching her daughter die before her eyes had almost driven Concubine Liu to collapse.

Now, after raising a child for a year and a half, caring for him personally, she couldn’t bear it when something happened to him.

Lü Qingxi also couldn’t bear it. Given the current situation… once the emperor died, his own fate would be grim!

He didn’t want to die, nor did he want to lose his current power.

“Why was it my An’an who got hurt instead of Qi Jun?”

“Prince Yan, Prince Jin, I won’t let them get away with this. I won’t spare any of them!”

“I will kill them! I must kill them!”

“They all deserve to die!”

Concubine Liu had liked the emperor in her early years. After all, living in the palace, he was the only normal man around.

She naturally became Qi Jun’s woman.

Later, the old emperor arranged a marriage for Qi Jun, and she didn’t complain, watching Qi Jun marry and his wife give birth to a daughter.

But that was just the beginning!

The favored Concubine of the old emperor sent women to Qi Jun, and after the old emperor reprimanded Qi Jun a few times, Qi Jun let that woman get pregnant!

That woman often troubled Concubine Liu, relying on the support of the favored Concubine of the old emperor!

Qi Jun’s wife, the late empress, wasn’t kind either, and Concubine Liu suffered many losses at her hands.

Indeed, Qi Jun liked her the most, but her days in the palace were not good, and her daughter was killed!

At some point, her affection for Qi Jun faded, but after so many years together, feelings still existed.

She cared for Qi Jun like a younger brother.

They had been through so much together, they were inseparable.

But now…

Concubine Liu ranted for a long time. Lü Qingxi initially tried to persuade her, but eventually, he gave up.

Finally, Concubine Liu stopped.

She asked Lü Qingxi, “How is the emperor?”

Lü Qingxi replied, “He is still unconscious.”

Tears streamed down Concubine Liu’s face. She said, “Go and take care of him. Make sure nothing happens to him. I was just talking nonsense…”

She was only venting; she didn’t truly wish for Qi Jun to die.

She hoped Qi Jun would be fine. After all, she had raised him herself.

But Qi An had been hurt. Qi An was brought into the palace after she and Lü Qingxi had discussed it. If they hadn’t done this, Qi An would be happily growing up with his parents now.

She had harmed Qi An.

She wished it was Qi Jun who had been hurt, not Qi An. She even wished it was herself instead of Qi An.

She would rather be burned to death than see Qi An hurt.

This child called her “mother” and regarded her as his real mother.

When the child’s nails grew long, she impulsively trimmed them, accidentally cutting his finger. Though his finger bled and he cried in pain, he didn’t blame her but clung to her, calling “mother,” wanting her to comfort him.

This child considered her the most important person, relying on her completely.

Why was it the child who got hurt and not her?

Lü Qingxi indeed needed to look after the emperor, so he hurriedly left.

After Lü Qingxi left, Concubine Liu called for someone to bring the child to her.

She had been afraid to see the child, but now… she wanted to be with her child.

The imperial doctor had applied medicine to Qi An and given him some medication, but Qi An’s face was disfigured and he likely wouldn’t survive. Even if he did, he would be blind…

No, according to the imperial doctor, the child wouldn’t survive!

Qi An was so young; why did he have to suffer like this?

And as for herself… why did she have to stay in the palace?

If she had no ties to the emperor, she might already have many children and grandchildren by now!

Concubine Liu thought for a moment and called her trusted aide: “I want to leave the palace.”

“Your Grace?” Concubine Liu’s trusted aide was startled.

Concubine Liu, holding the weakly breathing child in her arms, repeated, “I want to leave the palace.”

She wanted to take the child to see the world outside the palace, and she wanted to see it herself.

Concubine Liu had real power, and for years, she had been managing the palace.

She left the palace quickly, without Lü Qingxi even knowing about it.

After leaving the palace, she sent her people far away, walking alone on the street with the child in her arms, looking dazed.

Her mind was blank, and she kept murmuring, “An’an, mother is sorry. An’an, you must be in so much pain. It’s all mother’s fault. Once I’ve avenged you, I will stay with you forever…”

As Li Qingzhi was walking, he heard a woman in her forties nearby saying some disturbing things.

He looked over and saw that the woman was dressed simply, and the swaddling cloth around the child she held bore patterns he had designed for the Jin Ye Embroidery Workshop.

This woman should be from a wealthy family, but her mental state seemed unstable.

Li Qingzhi could sense that someone was following the woman but keeping their distance, likely to protect her.

Li Qingzhi knew he couldn’t intervene in all the world’s tragedies, but the child in the woman’s arms was still alive, making faint sounds.

It was a child!

Li Qingzhi walked forward and said, “Madam, what’s wrong with your child? I am a doctor and can take a look for you…”