By then, Ning Qingchao had completely lost his former majesty.
He wore plain cloth garments, his hair was graying, and his face and arms were gaunt as kindling. Deep wrinkles filled every corner around his brows and eyes.
That was only natural. After losing to the Bureau of Military Affairs, he had effectively lost the throne. Then, dragging his already frail body, he fled all the way from Qi State to Yongding City, only to be tossed into the depths of the palace like discarded rubbish. It would have been strange if his complexion had improved.
Ning Qingchao sat in the middle of the main hall, as though he had long been waiting for Ning Wanjun's arrival. A towering Buddha statue stood behind him, lending a trace of tranquility to the desolate scene.
Ning Wanjun frowned slightly.
She had thought her father would weep bitterly, panic, or even angrily berate her, but... there was nothing.
That calm demeanor was not what she had wanted to see.
"You've come," Ning Qingchao spoke first.
Ning Wanjun gave a cold laugh. "You should understand why I'm here, shouldn't you?" She swept her gaze around the hall. "Where are all your consorts?"
"Most of them have left. The food here cannot support so many people," Ning Qingchao answered quietly. "The only ones remaining are three palace maids, two court Attendants, Consort Ming, and Ning Weiyuan. Do you want me to call them here?"
Ning Wanjun's fist suddenly clenched tight.
She strode forward, went straight up to him, grabbed his collar, and violently hauled him to his feet!
"How can you act as though nothing happened!? Don't you feel even the slightest remorse for what you did to Mother? Eunuch Li told me everything. She did not die of illness at all—she died because of