After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

Emperor Zhao did not speak, but simply nodded slightly.

Fang Xiaoran placed her fingertips on Emperor Zhao's pulse, and after a moment she removed her hand, her expression solemn.

It was indeed an old ailment, and now it had progressed to a critical stage with no possibility of recovery.

Seeing her expression, Emperor Zhao smiled knowingly, "What, you still don't trust me?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran immediately shook her head and explained, "This humble woman simply wanted to see if there was still a possibility of a cure."

"And what is your conclusion?" Although Emperor Zhao's condition was serious, he remained calm and unaffected by his illness.

Fang Xiaoran lowered her eyes and shook her head slightly.

Emperor Zhao's eyes were dark and unfathomable, with a faint glimmer of light, yet he smiled and said, "It's alright. I summoned you here not for medical treatment."

Not for treating illness?

This puzzled Fang Xiaoran even more. She couldn't think of any other reason why she would come to her for treatment.

Did Emperor Zhao discover the reason for Consort Ning's serious illness?

It's clear that Emperor Zhao wasn't completely heartless towards Consort Ning; at the very least, he still protected her.

The mind of an emperor is the most unpredictable. Fang Xiaoran did not know much about Emperor Zhao and dared not make any judgments. She could only remain silent and wait for him to continue.

"My illness is incurable, and my days are numbered. My only regret is your mother. Back then, I was the one who wronged her..."

Xiao Ran looked up abruptly, her fingertips trembling slightly.

She knew some of her mother's past, and thus harbored some resentment towards the man before her, but she never expected that Emperor Zhao would bring it up.

"Why bring up the past again?" Fang Xiaoran said calmly, her expression slightly somber. Although the other party was an emperor, she simply could not tolerate this matter.

If it weren't for him, perhaps her mother wouldn't have had this accident.

Whether it was Consort Ning or Shang Lingzhu who killed her mother, this person was the culprit.

Sensing the barely concealed hatred in Fang Xiaoran's eyes, Emperor Zhao smiled bitterly and said, "It seems you already know that you also harbor resentment towards me."

"This humble woman dares not," Fang Xiaoran replied calmly, her voice perfectly composed.

Unexpectedly, her attitude made Emperor Zhao laugh out loud, "You and she are so alike in temperament, no wonder you are her daughter."

Emperor Zhao's laughter echoed in the empty palace, yet it carried a hint of desolation. Suddenly, his expression changed, and a chill ran through him. "Alan's serious illness is caused by your revenge for Qiqi, isn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran's expression changed drastically, and she even subconsciously took a step back, her whole body becoming alert. This was almost an unconscious action; she shouldn't have acted this way in front of the emperor, but she couldn't control herself.

"She murdered my mother and deserves to die. Does Your Majesty intend to punish me?"

Then, Fang Xiaoran steadied herself and spoke in a humble yet assertive manner.

She didn't want to argue about this matter. Since Emperor Zhao had said this, it was obviously not just a guess. It was not hard to see from what Shang Linglan had said before that Emperor Zhao had far more information than she had imagined.

However, she was truly puzzled. She had acted extremely secretly, which should have made it difficult to detect under normal circumstances. How could Emperor Zhao have known about it? Could the so-called "dark web" be so terrifying?

Does he also know who the real culprit is who killed his mother?

"If I wanted to punish you, I wouldn't have sent you here," Emperor Zhao said calmly, his lips devoid of color.

"Then what is it that Your Majesty summoned me for? It can't just be to reminisce and talk about the past, can it?"

"You are quite bold, girl. No one has ever dared to speak to me like this before."

Emperor Zhao's face suddenly darkened, and a chilling imperial aura suddenly spread out, causing the candlelight in the bedchamber to tremble. Fang Xiaoran's back tensed, but she still looked directly into Emperor Zhao's eyes.

"Your mother was the same way back then; I could not see a trace of fear in her eyes."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "It was I who wronged her. Later, I wanted to make it up to her and even wanted to win her back. But she was very resolute and indifferent. It really surprised me that such a seemingly weak woman could be so bold and decisive."

“I even put pressure on her, threatening her with the entire Fang family and even the Bai family, but she still wouldn’t compromise…”

As Fang Xiaoran listened to Emperor Zhao's words, her fingertips dug deeply into her palms. She had never imagined that her mother would defy the emperor's power in such a way back then.

"Your mother was able to let go easily, but I am not as good as her. I couldn't forget our past love, and it was precisely because of this that she brought about her death." As Emperor Zhao said this, a touch of sorrow appeared in his eyes.

Fang Xiaoran never imagined she would see such an expression on an emperor's face.

Perhaps he was indeed deeply in love, but in the end, he only gave up Bai Qiqi for his own sake. What good is it to say he regrets it afterward? No one will stop moving forward, and no one will be trapped in an old relationship forever.

"Was my mother's death caused by Shang Lingzhu?" Fang Xiaoran had tried her best to suppress the anger in her heart, but she still couldn't hold back.

Emperor Zhao remained silent, only looking at her with a complicated expression.

Fang Xiaoran suddenly laughed, a laugh that was unusually manic. "I still can't forget the way my mother looked when she died. To protect me, she was pierced through the body with a long sword. I saw her covered in blood, and I saw a sea of ​​fire burn everything to ashes..."

"I don't care who killed my mother or what their identity is. I will take my life to avenge her."

She rarely vented her hatred; it was undoubtedly Emperor Zhao's words that ignited her anger. Of course, she also rationally knew that Emperor Zhao would not do anything to her or punish her.

He felt indebted to Bai Qiqi and regretted his actions, which is why he was so tolerant of Bai Qiqi's daughter.

It was precisely because Fang Xiaoran saw through this that she acted so recklessly.

Moreover, she was convinced that Emperor Zhao had summoned her for more than just this matter.

Those who still have value should not be easily killed; this is the source of her confidence.

"Even emperors have things they cannot do. I am deeply saddened by Qi Qi's death. If you insist on avenging her, I will not hold you accountable."

Shang Lingzhu is in charge of the "dark web," and to touch her would undoubtedly threaten the foundation of the Shang Kingdom. With Emperor Zhao's words, it is at least clear that Emperor Zhao will not try to protect her.

Of course, it's also possible that he had enough confidence in Shang Lingzhu to believe that she had no chance of successfully taking revenge.

But no matter what the situation, she will do her best.

Emperor Zhao's silence just now was enough to prove that Consort Ning was not lying; it was Shang Lingzhu who killed her mother. But since he knew it was her, why did Emperor Zhao still allow this person to live? His love was far too shallow; he couldn't even avenge his mother.

Thinking of this, Fang Xiaoran looked at Emperor Zhao and gained a new understanding.

So-called regret is really just a way to put one's mind at ease.

An emperor is still an emperor; weighing the pros and cons is the fundamental principle.

Fang Xiaoran's lips curled up slightly, but her eyes were as cold as frost. She bowed slightly and said, "This subject knows what she's doing."

"My days are numbered, and it is not advisable to reveal my serious illness. We must keep it a secret for as long as possible. I need you to come up with a solution to this matter."

"Does His Majesty mean that you should keep your body in a normal state so that others won't notice?"

This matter is not difficult, but it has its drawbacks, especially since Emperor Zhao's current condition is not optimistic. Even with the best medicine, it will be difficult to sustain his health for long.

Emperor Zhao nodded slowly, his voice unusually calm, "If you can achieve this great merit, I will grant you a pardon from death."

"This humble woman will do her best, but at most it will only last for a month or so. Even then, this humble woman will not be able to hide His Majesty's illness," Fang Xiaoran said. The pardon did not hold much appeal for her, but if Emperor Zhao fell at this moment, the court would inevitably be in turmoil, and perhaps Zhao Jin would take advantage of the situation to seize the position of crown prince.

She would do everything in her power to stop him.

Emperor Zhao smiled faintly and said, "A month or so is enough."