Anning dashed frantically straight into the Qingzheng Hall.
Prince Jin was dealing with state affairs in the hall when he heard the noise and looked up.
He was shocked by what he saw.
Anning was running so hard that she was covered in sweat and gasping for breath, tears streaming down her face.
Because she ran so fast, she lost many of her hairpins, and her clothes were sowhat disheveled, looking particularly wretched.
Prince Jin saw Anning’s eyes red and swollen from crying, her hair damp from sweat sticking to her face, and her lips bitten forcefully by herself. Crying so fiercely, her lips had beco dry, and after biting them, a bead of blood oozed out.
Seeing Anning like this made Prince Jin’s heart twist with pain.
At the sa ti, even in such a disheveled state, she was still bewitchingly beautiful, stirring so emotions within Prince Jin.
He stood tall and elegant, walking over to Anning’s side, stretching out his hand to brush her hair, and patiently untangling it strand by strand: "What’s happened? Weren’t you reminiscing with your mother and younger brother? Why are you crying so hard?"
"Your Majesty."
Anning burst into tears, throwing herself directly into Prince Jin’s arms: "My mother and they, they... And the King of Lu is so wicked."
"Alright, alright, they are wicked."
Prince Jin consoled Anning for a while, then he helped her sit down and called for a Palace Attendant to bring so tea, suggesting Anning drink so water to calm her excited emotions.
"Now tell , what exactly happened?"
After Anning stopped crying, Prince Jin gently inquired.
Anning set down the teacup: "King Lu wants to seduce Your Majesty, trying to disrupt Jin Country’s court orders, giving Lu Country an opportunity to take advantage. This ti, because I fell ill, they all beca angry, saying I shouldn’t have fallen ill, and they even ntioned that the great drought in Jin Country is a good opportunity for Lu Country. I shouldn’t have allowed Your Majesty to manage the disaster. Instead, I should lead Your Majesty to seek pleasures and ignore state affairs, causing Jin Country to fall into chaos."
Anning said this much and lowered her head, beginning to cry again: "Your Majesty, the common people live such hard lives, I didn’t know before, but from the journey from Lu Country to Jin Country, I’ve seen quite a bit. Even in normal tis without disasters, the people can’t have enough food or warm clothes, let alone such a great catastrophe. I don’t know how many families have to sell their sons and daughters or even resort to cannibalism. In such tis, if I were to add insult to injury, would I still be human?"
Prince Jin’s expression turned grim, and he stared at Anning without a word.
Anning covered her face, whimpering quietly for a while: "Although I’m not a good person, I wouldn’t commit such sins."
"It’s alright, is this really worth crying over?"
Prince Jin’s voice was sowhat chilly, with a hint of hoarseness.
Anning looked up, her face covered in tears, grabbing Prince Jin’s hand.
Prince Jin frowned slightly but did not shake off Anning.
"My mother also told that if I don’t obey and seduce Your Majesty, the Xie Family will be in danger in Lu Country."
Anning looked up at Prince Jin with trust in her eyes: "Your Majesty is so powerful, isn’t there so way you can save my family? I don’t want to do bad things, but I don’t want my family to be threatened either. My little nephew is still so young, what if King Lu kills him?"
Anning unleashed her skill fully as an actress, adding even more drama to her performance.
She shuddered imperceptibly: "Your Majesty, King Lu is very cruel, not at all like you. I’m all alone in Jin Country, without support or anyone to talk to. You’re the only one I can rely on. If you don’t help , I don’t know what to do. I can’t just watch my family suffer and do nothing, but I can’t seduce you either. Caught like this, if Your Majesty won’t help , I’ll have no choice but to take my life."
"Do you truly prefer death to harming ?"
Prince Jin looked at Anning, his eyes like a deep, inscrutable cold pool, brewing unknown emotions.
His voice was low and captivating.
Anning sobbed and nodded: "Your Majesty has treated so well, how could I bear to hurt you? I would rather die myself than make things difficult for you."
Prince Jin laughed.
His laughter was low and husky as well.
He stood up, pulling Anning to her feet simultaneously.
He walked slowly with Anning from Qingzheng Hall, heading north until they reached a small hill piled up in the Royal Palace Garden.
There was a pavilion on the hill; Prince Jin often liked to bring Anning here to enjoy the view.
From here, one could look down upon the entire Yang City, see the sunrise in the early morning, and in the evening, witness the sunset dyeing the city’s large and small buildings and all the streets red.
Anning actually liked this place too.
But this ti Prince Jin brought her here, and Anning felt uncertain, with a foreboding premonition.
Standing in the pavilion, Prince Jin pointed to the bottom of the rockery: "If you jump down from here, I will believe your words."
Anning looked down at the high rockery, at the tiny trees and flowers below, feeling dizzy.
She looked at Prince Jin with difficulty.
Prince Jin raised his eyebrows: "Are you afraid?"
Anning felt even more troubled: "I... don’t want to jump down. I’ve been beautiful since I was young, and I’ve stayed beautiful as I grew up. If I jump down and die, it will be very ugly. I don’t want Your Majesty to see in an ugly state."
She rubbed her fingers, looking at Prince Jin with a particularly coy expression: "Your Majesty, could I drink poison instead? Preferably the kind that doesn’t hurt too much. That way of dying is a bit more graceful."
"Is it really just because you don’t want to fall and look bad?"
Prince Jin touched Anning’s head, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"Uh-huh."
Anning nodded vigorously: "I’m speaking the truth, but Your Majesty doesn’t believe , so I... I still dare not jump. If it really cos to that point, I will drink the poison."
Prince Jin whistled softly, and in no ti, a shadowy figure ran over, holding a porcelain bottle in his hand.
Prince Jin took it and handed it to Anning: "Drink."
This ti Anning decisively opened the bottle and poured the contents into her mouth.
After drinking, she threw the bottle to the ground: "Your Majesty, the dicine is too bitter..."
Before she could finish speaking, Anning’s body slumped softly to the ground.
Prince Jin caught Anning in his arms; the coldness and gentleness previously seen in his expression were gone.
His face was a mix of complex emotions, looking down at Anning’s face, exquisitely beautiful to the extre: "Such a sensible girl. Tell , how should I deal with you?"
Prince Jin carried Anning down the rockery, his face expressionless, inscrutable to anyone.
After walking so distance, Prince Jin ran into Madam Xie and Xie Anchang.
The two of them looked anxiously at Prince Jin: "Your Majesty, the Noble Consort, she’s... she’s a bit upset. She didn’t offend you, did she?"
Prince Jin looked down at Anning in his arms: "She indeed offended ; now she’s taken poison."
"Ah!"
Madam Xie, seeing the lifeless Anning in Prince Jin’s arms, scread in fright, trembling and collapsing to the ground: "Is she... is she dead?"
Xie Anchang was also terrified.
But he didn’t crumple; his legs were weak, but he still managed to stand.
"Your Majesty, even if my sister offended Your Majesty, it was not intentional. How could Your Majesty be so heartless?"
Prince Jin’s piercing gaze swept over Xie Anchang, and his eyes full of killing intent truly terrified Xie Anchang, scared to the point of almost wetting himself.
Prince Jin said coldly: "Soone, throw them out."
He carried Anning into Qingzheng Hall, tenderly and carefully placing her on the bed.
He sat by the bed himself, fingertips gliding over Anning’s face: "Should I call you foolish, or should I praise your cleverness?"
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