She was alone and penniless, with nowhere to go.

She had seemingly gracefully requested to leave the palace, preserving her dignity and composure.  But in reality, without support, even after leaving the palace, the house was Wei Yan’s, and the servants attending to her were also found by him.

Sometimes she wondered what the point of leaving was, yet she had to accept the man’s charity.

It wasn’t as calm as it seemed.  During that time, Liang Ying would lie awake at night, filled with resentment. The sight of food made her nauseous, and she would repeatedly curse that pair of scoundrels, wishing them a lifetime of unhappiness.

Hatred and self-pity consumed her; her soul seemed to wander perpetually in the deepest layers of hell.

But for that pitiful shred of self-respect, no matter how tormented she was at night, she would act as if nothing was wrong the moment the sun rose.

Until Xue Ning’s coronation ceremony.

It was truly magnificent, so magnificent that even years later, when people recalled it, they would still marvel at the grandeur of the occasion.

From then on, it was common knowledge how much the Emperor of Da Wei loved his new Empress.

As for the former concubine who had been impeached by the officials?  Forgetful people wouldn’t remember her.

Liang Ying felt like she would go mad.  She felt it was meaningless, yet she was so unwilling to accept it. She almost couldn’t maintain her composure, repeatedly thinking of simply ending it all.

Then Zhou Huailin appeared, bearing a betrothal gift to propose marriage.

Liang Ying didn’t have the energy to consider why this stranger wanted to marry her, nor did she care that he seemed terrifyingly unapproachable and not a good man.

Her first question was, “Are you from the capital?”  She wrote this on paper and showed it to Zhou Huailin.

“No.”

“Where are you from?”

“Junzhou.”

The man answered each question concisely, never saying more.  He later told Liang Ying he was nervous, but she didn’t really care about his taciturnity, barely remembering the details of that day.

“Will you be returning?” she continued.

“Yes, I’m currently in the capital on business and will be returning soon.”  This was probably the longest sentence Zhou Huailin had spoken.

Liang Ying’s heart suddenly felt lighter. Holding her brush, a rare glimmer appeared in her dull eyes. After pondering for a while, she thought, “Where is Junzhou?”

It didn’t really matter where it was. After Zhou Huailin described it, Liang Ying only grasped one point.

It was far from the capital.

She escaped, seizing this last lifeline, becoming Zhou Huailin’s fiancée, fleeing the capital.

Years passed. Liang Ying touched the man’s face. Five years ago, she had truly left Wei Yan, but seeing him today, Liang Ying understood that she had completely severed all ties with him.

The next day, Liang Ying woke up early.

Today was her meeting with Wenqi.

Wei Wenqi was her and Wei Yan’s child, Wei Yan’s only child. After Liang Ying left the palace, as Wei Yan’s only son, he was raised under the Empress’s care and had just been crowned Crown Prince.

When she was with Wei Yan, she thought it was because he only had her in his heart, so she was the only one in the harem with a child.

Now, she found this thought ridiculously self-centered.  An emperor couldn’t be childless, but at that time, any family producing a prince would disrupt the balance.

Only a pawn like her, without any family background, was the safest option.

Many things were unclear when one was in the midst of them. Once one stepped out, everything became clear.

Liang Ying picked up her cup, stopping herself from dwelling on it.

They were currently living in the Zhou family’s residence in the capital.  Servants were always there to clean, keeping it tidy.  Now, they were clearing the snow from the courtyard.

Around midday, a servant announced that the Crown Prince’s sedan chair had passed Dongwu Gate, meaning he was close. Liang Ying led the servants to the gate to greet him.

Although she was the Crown Prince’s mother, her current circumstances and status didn’t allow her to act as such, and the necessary etiquette couldn’t be omitted.

Soon, Wei Wenqi’s sedan chair appeared.

Liang Ying gestured for the servants to release their hold on her, watching the chair approach.

The Crown Prince hadn’t brought many attendants, and the sedan chair seemed rather ordinary compared to his status.

From a distance, Liang Ying watched the boy alight from the sedan chair.

Ten-year-old boys are naturally vibrant and radiant even without adornment, and Wenqi was clearly dressed up.  His regal appearance clashed with the unassuming sedan chair.

The Emperor doted on the Crown Prince, a fact known to the public.  As soon as Wei Wenqi was crowned, Wei Yan ordered the creation of a similar prince’s robe based on his own dragon robe.

The color, style, material, and craftsmanship were almost identical.

Wei Wenqi was wearing this robe.  The boy, already possessing an extraordinary bearing, looked even more regal in the bright yellow garment.

Liang Ying observed him without blinking.

Wenqi seemed to have grown taller. Children of that age grow quickly.  After a year apart, she found the boy’s appearance had changed significantly.

The child had a rosy complexion and bright eyes, his every movement exuding grace and confidence.

He seemed to be living well, and Liang Ying was slightly relieved.  But as this thought arose, she couldn’t help but smile wryly.  What could she do even if she wasn’t relieved? That was no longer something she could interfere with.