Perhaps it was the humble nature ingrained in his bones that haunted him.

If he were not the Prince of Liaonan, what would he possess now that would still belong to him?

Feng Shuo closed his eyes, the words of his mother echoing in his ears once more:

“The wife of Yan Nu is the one who will walk through life with him. You must treat her well. I hope you both can walk a smooth road together for a lifetime. But if you ever wade through muddy waters, Yan Nu must carry her and not let her suffer. If Yan Nu falls into the mud, do not fear; she will help you stand up. A couple supports each other through life like this.”

“There are many good girls in the world, but there are also many deceitful ones. Yan Nu must learn to distinguish clearly and not mistake the wrong person.”

He had committed too many sins in his life, treading through a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood to reach this point.

Feng Shuo no longer hoped to meet such a person.

However, someone who has stayed in darkness for too long will yearn for the feeling of being bathed in sunlight.

He didn’t know if she was the right person, but being by her side brought him moments of peace.

After so many years, she was the only one for whom he had developed some unutterable romantic feelings.

“Knock knock—”

The sound of knocking interrupted Feng Shuo’s thoughts.

He spoke in a low voice, “What is it?”

Xing Yao replied, “My lord, the Grand Empress Dowager has sent someone to summon you to her.”

Feng Shuo was slightly taken aback, and then the gloom in his brow lifted, even a hint of joy appearing in his eyes.

The Grand Empress Dowager occasionally had moments of clarity, and only during such times would she take the initiative to request to see him.

All the unpleasantness of the day dissipated at that moment.

Feng Shuo took a few steps forward and opened the door, calling out, “Xi Zi!”

Fu Xi hurried over, “Your Highness.”

Feng Shuo strode briskly, instructing as he walked, “Have the kitchen prepare the dishes the Empress Dowager likes best. I will deliver them myself.”

Fu Xi had to jog to keep up with Feng Shuo’s pace, thinking that the Empress Dowager must be feeling better, and his face was filled with joy as he hurried to prepare.

---

Feng Shuo entered the Grand Empress Dowager’s courtyard, holding a bowl of sweet steamed custard.

The maids in the courtyard all knelt silently to pay their respects, clearly indicating that the courtyard’s owner preferred peace and quiet.

As he entered, the Grand Empress Dowager was reclining on a soft couch reading, with maids nearby giving leg massages and shoulder rubs.

Fang Qing was kneeling under the couch, her expression one of despair.

Feng Shuo was somewhat worried that this might be a dream, and he softly called out, “Mother…”

To his surprise, just as he uttered those words, a cup of hot tea came flying toward him.

He turned his face to dodge, but half of his shoulder was still drenched in scalding tea.

The teacup smashed on the ground, shattering into pieces.

The Grand Empress Dowager slammed the table, glaring coldly at Feng Shuo: “You have such audacity! You dare to touch my people?”

The tea poured on him was boiling hot, but Feng Shuo’s heart had already turned cold.

Meeting the Grand Empress Dowager’s icy gaze, he finally realized that his mother had not regained her senses; she had merely learned about the situation with the head maid, Fang Qing, and had summoned him over because of that.

The Grand Empress Dowager sat on the soft couch, her face still filled with anger, while the maids who had been kneeling to attend to her were trembling in fear.

“Your Highness…” Aunt Song, startled by the Grand Empress Dowager’s action of throwing the teacup, regained her composure only to find her eyes welling up.

This mother and son were clearly the closest people in the world, yet they had turned against each other like enemies.

Feng Shuo glanced at Fang Qing, who was kneeling before the Empress Dowager.

The calm look in his eyes frightened Fang Qing so much that she trembled like a leaf in the wind.

He didn’t respond to the Grand Empress Dowager’s words but moved forward as if nothing had happened, handing over the sweet steamed custard he had brought, “Mother, I’ve brought your favorite dessert.”

The Grand Empress Dowager disdainfully waved her sleeve, knocking the bowl, filled with red beans, crushed almonds, and raisins, onto the floor.

The sound of the jade bowl hitting the ground was crisp.

The entire room fell into a deathly silence; everyone dared not even breathe.

Fang Qing’s face turned as pale as paper, and she couldn’t stop trembling on the ground.

She hadn’t meant to report; she had been beaten the previous night and hadn’t been able to come and serve the Empress Dowager.

But upon arriving today, the Grand Empress Dowager had discovered her secret.

She didn’t speak the truth to have the Grand Empress Dowager punish Feng Shuo; she just wanted to make Feng Shuo see the Grand Empress Dowager’s importance toward her, to let him know she wasn’t an insignificant presence.

But she never expected the Grand Empress Dowager to treat Feng Shuo like this.

Aunt Song, fearing that Feng Shuo and the Grand Empress Dowager would grow estranged, hurriedly said, “Your Highness, please don’t hold it against the Grand Empress Dowager…”

Feng Shuo didn’t rush to respond to Aunt Song’s words, nor did he look at the pale-faced Fang Qing kneeling on the ground.

He simply cast a faint glance at the other maids, who didn’t know how to react, and his entire demeanor turned grim: “You all leave.”

Although the maids usually served the Grand Empress Dowager, they also knew who the real master of the mansion was.

Upon hearing his words, they felt as if they had been granted a great pardon and quickly retreated.

Seeing this, the Grand Empress Dowager’s strikingly beautiful face was filled with fury: “You all have rebelled!”

“Your Majesty, this is Yan Nu, your Yan Nu…” Aunt Song was in tears.

Upon hearing the term “Yan Nu,” the Grand Empress Dowager’s expression momentarily dulled, but then she was quickly overwhelmed by sharp ridicule: “The offspring of that lowly woman, yet the late emperor had me raise this wretched child? I am the Empress of the nation, Why did he let me raise someone’s child?!”

Feng Shuo had heard many curses in his life.

When he dealt with those ministers back then, he had heard words much sharper and more unpleasant than these.

But today, every word felt like a steel needle piercing his heart.

This was his mother. his real mother.

In order to survive in the cannibalistic palace and protect him, she had pretended to be another woman in front of the late emperor, using the most malicious words to curse herself and her son… which eventually drove her to madness.

It felt like something was stuck in his throat, and the pain left him hoarse.

Feng Shuo couldn’t stay another moment; before leaving, he said, “Mother, I’ll get someone to attend to you.”

After saying this, he bowed and was about to leave when suddenly the Empress Dowager shot up, raising her hand to slap him: “You scoundrel!”

Feng Shuo’s face turned to the side from the force of the blow.

The Grand Empress Dowager’s well-manicured nails were sharp, leaving a cut just below his eye, quickly seeping with tiny beads of blood.

Seeing the bloodstain, the Grand Empress Dowager looked at her hand, and her entire body stiffened.

Something blurred her vision, and after blinking, she realized she was in tears.

The Grand Empress Dowager felt a sudden sharp pain in her head and a tightness in her chest, nearly unable to stand: “Mama Song, I’m in pain…”

“Mother…” Feng Shuo was startled and rushed to support her, but as soon as he touched her hand, she pushed him away with force.

The Grand Empress Dowager collapsed back onto the soft couch, one hand tightly clutching her chest, her face extremely pale: “Mama Song…”

Feng Shuo looked at his hand that had been pushed away by the Grand Empress Dowager, suppressing the surge of sorrow within him, and shouted toward the door: “Quick, call the doctor!”

Someone outside had already gone to fetch the doctor.

The Grand Empress Dowager pointed at Feng Shuo and, with great effort, said to Aunt Song: “Let him go…”

Aunt Song supported the Grand Empress Dowager, and seeing the situation, could only tearfully say to Feng Shuo, “Your Highness, you should go back. This old servant will take care of Her Majesty here.”

Feng Shuo glanced at his mother, who was tormented by her headache, his eyes reddening.

For the first time in his life, he realized that no matter how much power he held, it meant nothing.

His mother didn’t recognize him anymore…

At that moment, he felt as if he had turned back into the boy who had nothing and could only pray for a shred of mercy from the heavens.

Feng Shuo didn’t know how he managed to walk out of the courtyard.

Xing Yao quickly dragged Fang Qing out as well.

Her hairpin had come loose, her cloak in disarray as she knelt at Feng Shuo’s feet, weeping bitterly: “Your Highness, I know I was wrong. Please show mercy; I promise I will serve Her Majesty well from now on and never have any other thoughts…”

Feng Shuo didn’t even glance at her, his voice cold as ice: “Drag her away and beat her to death!”

Fang Qing, filled with regret and fear, crawled back toward the Grand Empress Dowager’s room, crying out: “Your Majesty, save me—”

Before she could finish her plea, her mouth was covered and she was dragged away.

Feng Shuo didn’t turn back once; his chest felt tight.

The autumn wind blew, scattering the dry leaves from the branches, swirling them down to his feet.

After leaving the mansion, Xing Yao wanted to continue following him, but Feng Shuo dismissed him: “Step back; I want to walk alone.”

Feng Shuo was skilled in martial arts and could take down the enemy commander amidst hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Xing Yao wasn’t worried about his safety.

Understanding his order and that he wanted to be alone, he quietly retreated.

Feng Shuo walked aimlessly, his feet feeling as if they were weighed down by lead.

He initially intended to get drunk at the Lai Fu Tavern, but upon seeing a lovely figure busy in the small shop, he was startled to find himself at Jiang Yanyi’s place.

The tables and chairs Jiang Yanyi had ordered were delivered today, and she was currently cleaning the table with Qiu Kui.

When she turned around and saw Feng Shuo standing at the door, she was taken aback.

However… the great general seemed a bit disheveled.

What happened to make him look so lost?

Out of politeness, Jiang Yanyi greeted him, “General.”

Feng Shuo lifted his gaze to meet hers.

She stood at the entrance, wearing an apron tied around her waist, her sleeves rolled up to reveal her fair, jade-like wrists, with bright eyes and a lively smile.

Sunlight poured down on her from above, making her appear as if she had stepped out of a painting.

He stared at her, his lips pressed tightly together, remaining silent for a long time.

Jiang Yanyi felt uneasy under his gaze. “What’s wrong?”

Feng Shuo moved his dry lips: “I want to sit here for a while.”

He used “I” instead of “this prince.”

Jiang Yanyi was taken aback.

Seeing that he really didn’t seem well, she guessed that he must have encountered something distressing and quickly stepped aside: “Please have a seat.”

Recalling their last encounter at the Lai Fu Tavern, he also seemed to be drinking away his sorrows.

Jiang Yanyi suddenly felt a pang of empathy—could it be that he had been hurt by that girl again?

In her past life, she had seen many instances like this; after a heartbreak, people would go to a barbecue stall or hot pot restaurant to eat while crying, hoping to drown their sorrows in a couple of bottles of beer.

Once they finished eating and crying, the heart-wrenching pain would pass.

Unfortunately, the copper pot she had commissioned still hadn’t arrived, or she could have made him a heartbreak hot pot.

As Jiang Yanyi wiped the table, she subtly observed Feng Shuo.

He sat quietly, his eyes half-lowered, resembling a statue.

A scratch under his eye was stained with dried blood, leaving a slight blemish on his otherwise flawless face, making him appear even more pitiful.

He emanated a sense of profound loneliness, as if he was the only person left in this world.

How terribly sad.

After finishing wiping the table, Jiang Yanyi thought for a moment and called out: “General, please sit for a while. I’ll go to the back courtyard to get some things and will attend to you shortly.”

To her surprise, upon hearing her words, Feng Shuo suddenly lifted his head: “I’ll help you.”

Jiang Yanyi was startled; how could she allow him to help?

She quickly replied, “No need, no need!”

But Feng Shuo had already stood up and walked toward the back courtyard.

Qiu Kui was trying to move the large pickled vegetable jar in the yard; when she saw Feng Shuo enter, she immediately ran to hide in the kitchen.

Feng Shuo effortlessly lifted the half-person-high pickled vegetable jar with one hand, slightly tilting his head to ask Jiang Yanyi: “Where should I move it?”

At that moment, as he tilted his head, he noticed the yellow talismans stuck to the courtyard wall.

The pomegranates he had picked last night were piled on the ground, with the topmost one having three incense sticks inserted into it.

Feng Shuo’s eyelids twitched: “What is this?”