Confrontation

A flicker of guilt crossed Lady Qi's face, and her eyes shifted evasively.

She avoided answering.

Instead, she urged him, "Where's the antidote? Hurry up and hand it over!"

Seeing that she would not even bother to hide it, Qi Yunheng felt his heart turn as cold as a winter blizzard.

Ha.

All those sleepless nights in the Jin Kingdom, thinking of her, worrying about her, had been for nothing.

He had feared that without him there, others would humiliate and bully her.

So he had endured countless hardships to escape the Jin Kingdom and return to protect her, to secure a place for her.

He had even made her the most honored woman in Southern Zhao.

And what had she done?

She offered him nothing but mockery, cold words, and indifferent stares.

She had never shown him the slightest concern.

When others misunderstood him, she had never spoken a word in his defense.

He might not care.

But he was still human, and his heart could still hurt, could still ache.

"Hah!"

At last, utterly disheartened, he said, "You'll have to ask that precious son of yours! After all, he personally brought it for This King to eat..."

Qi Shi did not believe him at all.

"Stop trying to fool me," she demanded aggressively. "Yunqin is only eight. What could he possibly know? Where would he get poison?"

Qi Yunheng sneered. "Didn't that lover of yours give it to him?"

Smack!

The moment the words left his mouth, a slap landed across his face.

A vivid red handprint stood out starkly on his cheek, showing just how hard she had struck him.

But Qi Yunheng seemed unable to feel the pain.

He lowered his eyes in self-mockery.

Qi Shi felt not the slightest guilt.

Having her shameful affair exposed so bluntly left her face twisted with anger.

She should have hated everything about Southern Zhao.

Yet she had fallen for the King of Southern Zhao's eldest son.

Her own son's Elder Imperial Brother.

Mortified and furious, she shouted, "You and your father ruined my entire life! What right do you have to judge me? What right?"

If the King of Southern Zhao had not forcibly abducted her, she could have grown old with the man she loved and lived a happy, fulfilling life.

But the King of Southern Zhao had destroyed it all. All of it!

"Who you love is none of my concern, Mother. I only spared my Eldest Imperial Brother and eighth brother for your sake."

Qi Yunheng said coldly, "But they should never, ever have plotted against This King."

"And now, there is no reason to let them remain!"

Qi Shi looked at his cold expression, which increasingly resembled that of the King of Southern Zhao she despised, and felt a surge of revulsion.

"You demon!" she cursed. "Your Emperor Father's filthy blood really does run through your veins. You're a devil, just like him!"

"I regret it so much. I should never have given birth to a demon like you!"

Qi Yunheng froze, his pupils contracting as a flicker of hurt crossed his eyes.

He had never imagined that she loathed him this much.

He wanted to ask her, too.

Why had she brought him into this world?

No one liked him.

His father did not like him, nor did his brothers or sisters.

Even the mother who had borne and raised him did not like him.

She had carried him for ten months before giving birth to him.

How could she not like him?

Shing!

Qi Shi's heart lurched when she saw him draw a dagger.

Her earlier arrogance vanished, and she backed away repeatedly. "Y-you, what are you doing?"

Slash!

Qi Yunheng cut straight across his left arm, letting the blood stream down it.

He looked at Lady Qi.

His gaze was earnest. "Mother... look. I'll drain away all that man's blood from my body. Then I won't have his blood anymore."

"This King isn't a demon..."

"Please don't be afraid of This King. Don't hate This King..."

Qi Yunheng walked toward her, one step at a time.

Qi Shi kept retreating in terror. "Y-you, stay away! You're not my son!"

"I didn't give birth to you! You demon, you're not my son!"

Hearing the cries from outside the hall, Uncle Fu hurried in.

He saw blood covering the floor and rushed toward Qi Yunheng. "Master!"

When he saw the knife wound on his arm, nearly half a foot long,

he asked in anguish, "Master... what are you doing?"

Qi Yunheng raised his eyes.

He answered obediently, "Uncle Fu, I have his blood in me. Mother doesn't like it."

"If I drain all the blood away, Mother will like me-"

"Ugh!"

Qi Shi suddenly snatched the dagger from his hand and plunged it into his chest!

"Master!"

Uncle Fu cried out anxiously.

He looked at Lady Qi, but did not know how to intervene.

He knew how much his master valued Qi Shi.

He dared not hurt her lightly.

"Ah!"

Qi Shi seemed frightened by what she had done as well. She abruptly released the dagger and stumbled backward.

Qi Yunheng stared blankly at her. "Do you truly hate This King that much?"

He did not move any closer.

His eyes were filled with disappointment and sorrow.

Suddenly, he demanded, "What have I done wrong? Why are you so cruel to me?"

"Why? Why?"

Qi Shi's eyes shifted evasively.

"I-I didn't mean it," she said guiltily. "I never wanted to hurt you..."

A flicker of mockery crossed Qi Yunheng's eyes.

He turned his back on her.

"Guards!" he called toward the doors. "Take her away!"

"No."

He corrected himself. "Take her out of the palace. This King never wants to see her again!"

"From now on, nothing connected to her is to appear in the palace. And never let her appear before This King again!"

"Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy!"

The moment Lady Qi heard that he was sending her out of the palace, she panicked. "I won't leave! I'm your mother. Are you going to abandon me?"

Qi Yunheng sneered. "Not anymore!"

Then he signaled to the guards behind her. "Take her away!"

Qi Shi struggled. "Don't touch me! I am the Empress Dowager of Southern Zhao!"

But the guards ignored her and seized her, dragging her away.

Seeing this, Lady Qi raised her head and turned her curses on Qi Yunheng. "Zhao Yunheng! You heartless wretch! I gave birth to you and raised you, and this is how you treat me?! You demon! You're not human!"

Qi Yunheng's eyes dimmed.

He did not turn back to look at her.

Yet the pain in his heart would not stop.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the eighth prince lying unconscious on the floor.

Another surge of anger rose within him.

He turned to the man beside him. "Uncle Fu, have him thrown out of the palace as well!"

Seeing his pallid face and how he still had to concern himself with those wretched people, Uncle Fu looked deeply distressed.

"Master, I'll give those orders in a moment..." he urged. "Please let me dress your wounds first!"

The wound on his arm was already deep, and he had lost so much blood. Now there was another wound in his chest...

Only over the three years since returning to Southern Zhao had he slowly managed to nurse his master back to somewhat better health.

Now he had lost so much blood all at once. There was no telling how long it would take him to recover.

Qi Yunheng suddenly grew defiant. "No. Dress the wounds after all the blood has drained out. This King doesn't want that man's blood in him!"

The corner of Uncle Fu's eye twitched.

"Forgive me, Master!"

With that, Uncle Fu knocked him unconscious with a chop of his hand.

If they waited until all his blood drained away, he would be dead.

He sighed.

How could ties of blood ever be severed so easily?