Famine and exile: I brought the Spirit Spring to save the entire Marquis's mansion.

“I know an old eunuch who has been away from the palace for many years,” Qi Bai said.

"That's great! Without further ado, bring him here quickly. Let's try to persuade that general in Ningzhou first!"

Sang Ning wrapped her robe tighter around herself, feeling like an ice sculpture, devoid of any human warmth.

"Qi Bai," Ling Zhou whispered from behind, "you're acting a bit strange lately. You seem to be overstepping your bounds. The master's orders are for us to escort the lady away."

“Lingzhou, from the moment the young master told us to follow our master, we were no longer just puppets who obeyed orders. Don’t you think our lives have begun to have meaning?”

Ling Zhou remained silent.

Qi Bai turned around, thinking about the old eunuch.

It's been a year since I last saw you. You should still be alive, right?

A sudden chill ran down his back as a long sword pierced his body.

Lingzhou...

I didn't expect you to be one too...

"Qi Bai, you've probably forgotten that only the ruthless survive long..."

"Someone come here! Someone come here!" Lin Dong shouted.

Ling Zhou ignored everyone else.

His orders were to kidnap Sang Ning.

Sang Ning was knocked unconscious and taken away by Ling Zhou.

Qi Bai covered his wound and got up.

What heartlessness? If you're heartless, why bother stabbing me in the wrong direction?

But Ling Zhou's loyalty to the Grand Princess is a fact.

How foolish!

He only got his name because he was the heir apparent; how could he give up the chance for a new life...

Now, we need to hurry and inform the owner.

……

When Sang Ning woke up again, she was in a cave.

The sky was dark.

Three clumps of firewood were lit in the cave, and she was in the center of them.

She sat up in fright, thinking she was being cremated.

Behind the firewood, Ling Zhou, dressed in black with a dark face, sat like a messenger from hell.

The firelight cast his shadow on the cave wall, making him look like a giant beast.

“I thought you were dead,” he said coldly.

Sang Ning's body was like a block of ice; if it weren't for the fact that he was still breathing, no one would have thought he was a corpse.

It's so weird.

"Oh, it's almost here, just ten more days."

She originally had more than twenty days left, but now she plans to swallow the talisman water to give herself more power.

Whether you drink the talisman before you die or drink it now, you will only live for another ten days.

She absolutely cannot fall into the hands of the Grand Princess.

She always carried a porcelain bottle of water with her, ready to drink the talisman water at any time.

Sang Ning took out a talisman.

"What is that?" Ling Zhou snatched it away.

"It's medicine, you wouldn't want me to become a corpse right now, would you?" Sang Ning said weakly.

“I have contracted a cold-related illness and need to drink talisman water every day, otherwise I will freeze to death in my dreams and never wake up.”

Ling Zhou clearly didn't believe it, so he cautiously looked at the talisman and then smelled it.

I handed it to her in the end.

"Don't try anything funny, you can't escape from my grasp."

"I know."

Sang Ning took the paper, lit it, and put it into the porcelain bottle. After it melted completely, he drank it down in one gulp.

At the same time, at Qingshan Taoist Temple.

Master Song and Master Liu, who were meditating, opened their eyes at the same time.

"The deadline has finally arrived."

"Junior brother, close the gate and lock the temple. Let's help her on her final journey!"

The two took out the talismans from under the cauldron, sat on the futons, pricked their middle fingers together, and dripped blood onto the talisman paper. A faint light emanated from their fingertips, enveloping the talisman paper.

Sang Ning felt a wave of warmth.

It spread outwards from the cold cracks in the bones.

And there is long-lost power.

She finally felt the warmth of a normal person again.

She couldn't be happy, because her life was already on a countdown.

Ling Zhou reached out and grabbed her wrist again.

My body temperature has really returned to normal.

"What disease do you have? Do you really only have ten days to live?"

"incurable disease."

Ling Zhou's expression changed slightly, seemingly showing sympathy.

Sang Ning didn't believe it.

After all, he even killed his companion of many years.

This shows how cold-blooded and ruthless they are.

She curled up on the hay and closed her eyes.

Fortunately, Ling Zhou didn't search her; she still had all her belongings, probably because he thought she was harmless.

Ling Zhou stared at her for a long time.

He could have carried her all the way to the capital in one go.

But he really wanted to figure something out.

This was the first time he had felt curious since joining the Black Armor Guard.

The Grand Princess possessed a commanding presence and an imposing aura, capable of commanding the entire army.

Sang Ning, on the other hand, looked so frail, as if she could be blown away by the wind. When she came out of the tent, she hunched over, with only her eyes showing.

He spoke without the slightest hint of harshness.

But such a woman can also command an army.

Moreover, all the generals of the Huo family army were respectful and obedient to her.

He just wanted to know how she did it.

Sang Ning was asleep, breathing evenly.

Ling Zhou also leaned against the mountain wall and fell asleep.

There seemed to be a slight fragrance in the air, yet there seemed to be none.

Ling Zhou had a dream.

He dreamt that the Grand Princess pointed a sword at him and shouted, "Traitor, die!"

That was the slogan they'd been chanting since they started training at eight years old.

This slogan seemed to be etched into his very bones, to the point that he would have nightmares if he had any disrespectful thoughts.

Sweat beaded on Ling Zhou's forehead as he tried desperately to break free from the dream, but his whole body seemed bound, and he couldn't wake up no matter what he did.

Until he felt excruciating pain.

The pain finally made him open his eyes, and what he saw was Sang Ning's smiling, harmless face.

And a gold hairpin was stuck in his chest.

Only the ruthless survive.

He forgot that one can live a long life even without desires.

His one and only act of curiosity cost him his life.

……

Hua family.

The heavily guarded Yufuyuan.

Prince Hua entered the courtyard.

Even though he was imprisoned, no one here dared to treat him poorly.

The stove inside the room was burning brightly, and the boy sat by the window, quietly carving a piece of wood in his hands.

He is truly a person as pure as ice and snow.

Prince Hua was somewhat dazed.

I vaguely remember that woman who died young.

The son looks just like his mother.

"Yan'er, stop doing this. If your grandmother finds out, she'll get angry again."

"Your father always listened to your grandmother. Was she ever satisfied with you?"

Prince Hua remained silent.

He didn't speak, and neither did the boy.

The room was silent.

In the past, Prince Hua would stay for a while and then leave.

But today, he still won't leave.

"Father, is there anything else? If not, I need to rest."

"Yan'er, your mother was killed by your grandmother."

Prince Hua finally mustered up his courage and met his son's clear eyes.

The boy's gaze remained unchanged.

"you know?"

"know."

"You..." Prince Hua seemed to be seeing this son for the first time. "How did you know? When did you find out?"

He knew, but he never asked a single question!

How many secrets does this son keep hidden in his heart?

Did he ever resent his grandmother or his useless father?

"You're ten years old, and you're drunk."

The king got drunk and said that his mother was killed by his grandmother.

Taking advantage of her weakness after childbirth, they added safflower, which could cause postpartum hemorrhage, to the nourishing soup.

Because of her lowly status, she was not worthy of her father, who came from a distinguished family.

"No wonder...no wonder you stopped being close to your grandmother after that time."

"Yan'er, do you blame your father for being useless?"

Hua Buyan shook his head.

My father also resisted.

The result of the struggle was that he got drunk and rode a horse, fell off the horse, and injured his body, making it impossible for him to have children.

He also became a prince, a position of great honor and irreplaceable status.

My father did it on purpose.

He didn't complain.

Given his father's gentle nature, this was already the greatest act of resistance he could muster.

Torn between his mother, his beloved wife, and his motherless child, he chose... to hurt himself.

She took revenge on her mother and gave her only son the best.

Even though he was born from the womb of a minor official's daughter, and even though he was considered a fool by others, he still firmly held the position of heir apparent.

"Yan'er, if it were you, and the girl you loved was killed by your grandmother, what would you do?"