Even if everyone in the world hated her and condemned her, the son she had carried for ten months and brought into this world couldn't possibly stand on the opposite side and join in the accusations. Everything she did was for him, to ensure he could stand higher than anyone else.

  But Zhou Weiqi didn’t want to see her. The usual smile that graced his face was long gone. Ever since Lady Fan said those words, he had seemed like a shadow of himself, lost in a fog so dense he couldn’t find his footing.

  He had always wondered why his mother was so relentless toward his aunt and cousins, and he’d always convinced himself that his uncle wouldn’t mind. In the past, he’d even entertained ridiculous thoughts, but he had always pushed them away.

  How could it be possible? His mother came from a noble family, was well-educated, and had conducted herself impeccably for over a decade. His aunt was so indifferent, yet his mother had continually sent gifts and supplements to the Marquis of Jinxiang’s residence, treating Han Zhi and Han Yueheng as if they were her own children. Even Han Zhi and Han Yueheng had regarded her as their mother.

  But upon closer reflection, the things Consort Fan did were indeed inexplicable. Over the past year, her actions toward Lady Fan and Han Yueheng had become increasingly excessive. He, too, had thought Han Zhi was an obstacle that needed to be dealt with once and for all, but he had wanted to do it discreetly, perfectly, ensuring neither Lady Fan nor Han Zhengqing would ever find out.

  Yet Consort Fan had acted so btantly, so recklessly, without a hint of caution.

  Now, thinking back, his aunt had been right. Because his mother and Han Zhengqing were childhood sweethearts, because of their deep bond, his mother had been so certain that killing his son would be of no consequence.

  A chill crept up from Zhou Weiqi’s feet to his head. He felt both ashamed and furious—his father was the Crown Prince, the future Emperor, the ruler of millions of Great Zhou citizens, and he himself was a descendant of the imperial family. Yet his mother... had betrayed his father! It was unforgivable. Simply unforgivable!

  Qian Ying knocked on the door outside. He wasn’t supposed to be on duty tonight, but he had noticed the unusual emotions of the Prince of Commandery and the sudden tension in the Eastern Pace. He had been worried and decided to stay.

  No matter how much he tried to persuade from outside, there was no response. He hesitated, unsure if he should summon an attendant to check inside.

  Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry for long. Consort Fan arrived, her brows furrowed as she looked at the tightly closed crimson doors, her pale lips pressed together. She called Zhou Weiqi’s name.

  Qian Ying felt conflicted. During his time helping at the Marquis of Jinxiang’s residence, he had vaguely heard about Consort Fan abducting and executing a nanny. However, he didn’t know the matter involved the Crown Prince and the Prince of Commandery. Now that Lady Fan had burned herself to death, ending it all, the situation with the Crown Prince and the Prince of Commandery had only worsened.

  The oppressive silence stretched on for what seemed like an eternity before the door finally creaked open. Zhou Weiqi stood there, his eyes bloodshot, his face expressionless, his voice hoarse. He gred coldly at Consort Fan before turning around and walking back inside.

  Consort Fan followed him in and personally shut the door, trailing behind her son to the table. She sighed softly and asked, "Are you angry with me?"

  Zhou Weiqi’s eyes were almost bulging from their sockets, filled with tears and rage. He let out a bitter ugh and retorted, "I can’t be angry with you? I shouldn’t be angry with you?!"

  He had warned her countless times not to push Han Zhi and Lady Fan into a corner, not to destroy their st shred of hope. But Consort Fan hadn’t listened. Not only had she ignored him, but her actions had become more extreme. She had shown no mercy, killing and banishing Lady Fan’s children, leaving her with no one to rely on. This had forced Lady Fan to reveal the buried past.

  Choking with emotion, Zhou Weiqi looked at his mother, his throat feeling as if it were stuffed with wet cotton, so heavy that even breathing was difficult. Unable to hold back, he burst into tears. "How do you expect me to face Father in the future?! How can I have the dignity to continue as a prince?!"

  He had never spoken to her in this tone before. Consort Fan, unaccustomed, stared at him in a daze for a long while. She raised her hand, wanting to touch his face—a gesture she hadn’t made in years. When he had been obedient and filial, she had never felt the need for such affectionate dispys.

  But Zhou Weiqi swatted her hand away forcefully, his face contorted with visible disgust. "Don’t touch me! You make me sick now!"

  He slumped into a chair, his head throbbing, utterly helpless against the whirlwind of events in the past two days. It was as if he had lost the ability to think altogether.

  Consort Fan staggered from the force of his push. Regaining her footing, she stared at him with disbelief. "You’re treating your mother like this because of a few words from that woman?! Even you are against me now—who else will believe me? How can you not believe me?!"

  Zhou Weiqi found it ughable and naturally let out a mirthless ugh. "Believe you?! Believe what? That the hairpin wasn’t yours? That the tune 'High Mountains and Flowing Water' was actually pyed by you? That Nanny Zhang wasn’t killed by you?" He looked at Consort Fan coldly, his eyes filled with disdain and loathing, though he didn’t realize it himself. "How do you expect anyone to believe you?! Aunt burned down the Marquis of Jinxiang’s residence! How much must she hate you to use her life to prove she was telling the truth?!"

  Consort Fan stood in the hall, her face alternating between pale and green, her nails digging so deeply into her palms that blood seeped out, yet she didn’t seem to feel any pain. Her delicate features twisted for a brief moment. "So what?!"

  Zhou Weiqi clenched his fists tightly, pressing them against the table as he lifted his head to gre at her coldly.

  "So what?!" Consort Fan raised her head and lifted her chin, giving Zhou Weiqi a fleeting, contemptuous gnce. She raised her voice. "Even if that wretched woman mixed lies and truth in her accusations to frame me, even if everything she said was true, you should still stand by me! Don’t forget, I am your biological mother. Our fates are intertwined—when I rise, you rise; when I fall, you fall! If I’m ruined, do you think your reputation as a prince will remain untarnished?!"

  This was precisely the point that troubled Zhou Weiqi the most. Now, Lady Fan had gone to the Crown Prince, accusing Consort Fan of having an improper retionship with Han Zhengqing in her youth. This, she cimed, was why Han Zhengqing had been so devoted to the Eastern Pace for so many years, working tirelessly for the Crown Prince.

  No man could bear such an accusation. The Crown Prince, whose health was already frail, had been so enraged by this revetion that it nearly cost him his life. He now y unconscious in bed, still unresponsive.

  Zhou Weiqi didn’t even dare imagine the Crown Prince’s fury when he woke up.