Fu Rou was shocked. “Your Highness?”
“Fu Siyan, you are a very reasonable person. However, in this palace, reason is not what matters. It is power. The Empress is the master of the rear palace, she can make any decision and we all have to listen to her. Since she has instructed the internal attendants to capture you, I have to obey.” She was more than happy to cooperate this time.
“Your Highness, if you do this, you are helping the Eastern Palace kill Consort Han! You will be colluding with them!” Fu Rou criticised her openly, not knowing that she had succeeded by a lucky stroke.
Concubine Yan refused to accept. “Her mother-in-law is the one that wants to kill her. I did not do anything. I am innocent.”
“You can’t do this!” Fu Rou did not give up her last bit of hope. “Where is Prince Zhou? I want to see Prince Zhou!”
Concubine Yan wanted to laugh. “I am not interfering, much less Prince Zhou.” She waved her hand and ordered Fu Rou to be dragged out.
Soon, Prince Zhou entered.
“Mother, why are you here?” He looked left and right. “I think I heard…” Fu Rou’s voice?
Concubine Yan stood up. “Of course I am waiting for you. Did you forget what day it is today?”
Prince Zhou suddenly looked slightly uncomfortable. “I did not forget. It is Grandfather’s death anniversary.”
Concubine Yan walked past Prince Zhou. “Let’s go. Accompany me to offer incense to your grandfather.”
Prince Zhou hesitated before turning to follow. There were some things that he could not say. He read history books and knew that his grandfather was cruel and extravagant. His grandfather had brought the flourishing country built by his great-grandfather to ruins. In the end, he suffered the consequence of his own actions. His grandfather’s death anniversary was the citizens’ holiday. How tragic. However, his mother was filial. On the surface, she built a temple but it was actually for her to offer joss sticks to his grandfather. On this day every year, he had to go to offer incense. He could not escape.
The snow had yet to melt completely. With a frosty look, Prince Han appeared in front of his residence. His robe was covered in mud as he rushed to get off his horse. He almost tripped over a step. The door men came to help him but was pushed away by him and they fell to the ground.
He looked up only to see a pale mourning lamp hung in front of the door. He roared, “What nonsense is this! Take them all down!”
Prince Han ran in as he passed the front hall. However, he saw the white silk hung all over the place. His eyes were red as he ran forward and pulled at it. He could not move it and he shouted. The housekeepers were stunned.
He bellowed, “Tear them down! Tear them all down! After I speak with my consort, if I still see these unlucky things, you all can get lost!” His eyes were like dried up cavities. No one dared to say anything.
Prince Han then stepped over the doorstep and walked into the main hall. In an instant, the black and white flowers as well as the black coffin filled his eyes. The sight was so piercing that he felt giddy. He could barely stand. His consort was lying in the coffin.
“Consort...consort.. don’t play around.” He stumbled in front of the coffin as he stared at her lifeless face.
He suddenly carried her out of the coffin and placed her sitting on the ground. He held her hand. “I have only gone for two days. Why didn’t you take care of your body? You are cold. Even your hands are cold. Xiu’er, go and take a hand warmer to warm on her hands.”
Xiu’er was crying. “Your Highness. Her Highness has...has passed away.”
"Don’t talk nonsense! I am back. Where can she go? Where are the beauty vitamins? Bring them over. I will personally feed them to consort. Look at my consort’s face. Not eating vitamins for a single day makes her so pale.”
Xiu’er cried out loud, “Your Highness, before Her Highness passed away, she said that being able to serve you was her greatest blessing. She wanted you to take care of yourself and live a happy and long life. She hopes that you will have many children and grandchildren.”
Prince Han fell silent for a while before tears flowed out. He shouted at Xiu’er, “Stop talking nonsense. Go and get it!”
At this moment, another person rushed in. Sheng Chumu, who had taken a hundred troops to Cangshan Mountain for training, had yet to take off his armour. Like Prince Han, his face still showed the hardships of travelling.
Prince Han’s eyes lit up. “Chumu, you came in time. Your sister is angry and is ignoring me. Help me to persuade her. I swear that I did not fool around with any other women on my trip. I didn’t even look at them. Tell your sister not to be angry at me, I will apologise to her…”
Sheng Chumu pretended not to hear as his gaze was fixed on Consort Han for a long time. He took big strides forward before falling to his knees.
Although his sister had a fiery temper, she was very kind and took care of her three younger brothers. When he was being beaten by his father, she would always rush back home from the Han Mansion to plead on his behalf. When he suffered, his sister would cry for him. When he was at the borders, his sister would always send him big and small packs of food and clothes. Compared to his parents, he was more willing to share secrets with his elder sister. His elder sister would always support him unconditionally.
But such a good elder sister had actually been given poison wine by her mother-in-law! What a joke! She did not abide by Tang Laws nor National Laws. Nothing had been investigated. Just to maintain the relationship between the Crown Prince and Prince Han, she had killed his innocent sister!
If it were a normal family, they could send her to court and deal with her for murder. But because this happened in the Royal family, his sister’s death was silent. Her death would not even cause a ripple. Their family could only cry silently and bear with it. They could only suffer this grievance and not complain a single word.
But, he hated it!
Fu Rou hugged her knees as she sat in the corner. She looked at the sky through the steel bars. Suddenly, she felt as if someone had stopped outside her prison cell. She glanced over. It was Prince Zhou.
“Is Consort Han dead?” She asked even though she already knew the answer.
“Yes.” Prince Zhou said blandly.
Tears flowed down her cheeks. “When I first came to Chang’an, she did not allow me to be together with Sheng Chumu. She forced me to be a seamstress in the Han Mansion. I once...hated her.”
“You tried your best.” Prince Zhou did not put in much effort to comfort her.
“If I had tried my best, she would still be alive. I did not try my best. I should have done better. I should have been smarter. It is because of this I failed to stop Her Majesty from making the wrong decision. In the end, I used my last chance on you and foolishly begged Concubine Yan to help.” She made a mistake.
“In that kind of situation, even if my mother and I were to help you, what will it change?” Prince Zhou was telling the truth. “Even if Prince Han rushed back in time, do you think he would be able to change the Empress’ mind? In order to protect her own son, the Empress is willing to sacrifice anyone. Even Consort Han.”
“I was ignorant. I actually hoped that Concubine Yan would save Consort Han.” Fu Rou did not listen. “Why didn’t I turn and run? Maybe I could have ran away and find someone else that would help me.”
“The Empress was the one that wanted to kill Consort Han. Don’t push the blame on my mother.” He understood that she was hurting but Concubine Yan was his mother.