Wei Dongling scanned the haggard and emaciated faces one by one but didn't find the face of Concubine Xue, the birth mother of the deposed crown prince.
Suddenly, a disheveled woman on the ground crawled towards her desperately, grabbed her calf and shook it violently, crying out, "Your Highness! Princess Fifth! I beg you! I know I was wrong! Please ask the Emperor to let me out!"
Wei Dongling took a closer look. Wasn't this Concubine Xue? Goodness! Her hair was in a mess and her makeup was in disarray. She was so ugly that one could hardly recognize her!
Seeing that Wei Dongling ignored her, Concubine Xue kowtowed and wailed, "Princess Fifth! I beg you! There are rats on the ground! Such big rats! I dare not sleep for a moment! Please ask the Emperor to let me out! I promise! I'll never harm you again! I swear to God!"
As Concubine Xue tearfully pleaded, she tightly clutched Wei Dongling's clean jade-embroidered shoes with her dirty hands.
Wei Dongling took a step back in disgust, but Concubine Xue quickly grabbed her ankle and refused to let go.
Cheng Hao stepped forward and kicked Concubine Xue, causing her to roll on the ground several times. Only then did she get up in a sorry state. Seeing Cheng Hao's mercilessness towards the woman, the dirty women lying in the corner gasped in horror and didn't dare to say a word.
The air in the room was so stuffy that it was hard to breathe. Wei Dongling waved her hand to drive away the musty smell and looked at Concubine Xue on the ground, frowning and coldly saying, "Concubine Xue, isn't this end exactly what you deserve?"
Concubine Xue lay prostrate on the ground, sobbing. She murmured in a low voice, "I'm the birth mother of the Fourth Prince! How can you treat me like this?"
Wei Dongling laughed mockingly, "So for all these years, you've been running amok in the harem and showing off your power just because you're the mother of the Fourth Prince? I wonder how many people you and your son have secretly killed! Concubine Xue, aren't you afraid that those innocent people you've killed will come back to haunt you in the dead of night?"
Concubine Xue stared fixedly at Wei Dongling. Her disheveled face was full of exhaustion.
Wei Dongling sneered, "I guess you don't care at all! You don't care whether the refugees in the disaster - stricken areas live or die, whether the maid Qiao Yue lives or dies, or whether the many lives burned to death in the fire at Jingyang Palace all those years ago live or die... Because in your eyes, none of these matter, right?"
Concubine Xue trembled all over and roared, "The great fire at Jingyang Palace and Concubine Chen's tragic death have nothing to do with me!"
Wei Dongling laughed heartily, "Really? Do you dare to say you weren't an accomplice? Do you dare to say your hands are clean? Do you think I'll believe you? Do you think my father, the Emperor, will believe you?"
Concubine Xue gritted her teeth and roared coldly, "Concubine Chen was a seductress who bewitched the Emperor! She deserved to die!"
Wei Dongling's face darkened. Without saying a word, she stepped forward and slapped Concubine Xue hard across the face, making her already extremely disheveled face red and swollen. Wei Dongling roared angrily, "If you dare to say another word against my mother, I'll have your tongue cut out!"
Wei Dongling's outburst of anger made some of the women watching in the room tremble with fear. They didn't even dare to look in this direction.
Concubine Xue was stunned by the slap. After a while, instead of getting angry, she laughed, "I just added fuel to the fire back then! If you have the guts, go and avenge your mother on Zhao Ji. What are you showing off in front of me? What if I scold your mother? Do you really dare to do something to me? I'm the birth mother of the Fourth Prince. Once my son returns to the capital, he'll surely take me out. Then you'll see if I won't complain about you to the Emperor!"
Wei Dongling looked coldly at the almost crazy Concubine Xue, patted the dust on her skirt, and said softly, "Yesterday, the Fourth Prince, Murong Jingyu, hanged himself on You Mountain. You'll never see him again in your life."
Concubine Xue was struck like a thunderbolt. She was stunned for a long time and then roared, "It's impossible! My Yu'er would never do such a thing! You're lying! You're trying to deceive me!"
Wei Dongling smiled faintly, "I've come here specifically to tell you this, Concubine Xue. I hope you'll mourn properly." With that, she turned around and left with Cheng Hao.
Concubine Xue knelt on the ground, quickly opened the dilapidated wooden door, and roared at Wei Dongling, "Don't go! Explain it to me clearly! Come back!" She tried to chase after them but tripped over the threshold and fell to the ground. It took her a long time to struggle to her feet. Watching their departing backs, Concubine Xue couldn't help covering her face and crying.
Wei Dongling sighed silently. There was nothing more devastating to Concubine Xue's mind than telling her this news.
Concubine Xue would probably never be able to stand up again in her life.
Wei Dongling and Cheng Hao walked back along the corridor. Suddenly, she felt someone following them. She quickly turned around and saw a pale and timid woman peeping at her carefully from afar. When she saw Wei Dongling looking back, she seemed to be startled and took two steps back, then turned around and ran away in a hurry.
Cheng Hao glanced at Wei Dongling and wanted to chase after her, but Wei Dongling waved her hand and said, "I still have things to do. It's not suitable to stay here for long." With that, she lightly leaped onto the eaves and walked quickly. Cheng Hao quickly followed.
It took them a long time to find a somewhat familiar courtyard according to their memory.
The door was suddenly opened. Granny Sun, the white - haired and bearded maid beside Lady He, was greatly startled. Staring at the man and woman at the door, she asked tremblingly, "Who are you? What do you want?"
Wei Dongling stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Granny Sun, I'm Wei Dongling. We've met before!"
Granny Sun looked at Wei Dongling's vaguely familiar face. Her eyes gradually lit up, and she exclaimed in surprise, "You're Miss Wei, our young mistress! Come in quickly!"
Wei Dongling said embarrassedly, "We... we haven't gotten married yet..."
Granny Sun didn't even notice her words. She rushed into the back room in a hurry and exclaimed happily, "Madam! Miss Wei, our young mistress, is here!"
Wei Dongling asked Cheng Hao to guard at the door and followed Granny Sun into the inner room.
Lady He was awakened by Granny Sun's call. She quickly sat up and put on her clothes, then couldn't help coughing.
Wei Dongling stood at the door, bowed, and said with a gentle smile, "Lady He, how have you been?"
Lady He was so excited that she coughed for a while. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "Miss Wei, I'm so glad to see you again."
Wei Dongling stepped forward, grabbed Lady He's cold hand, and asked softly, "Lady He, what's wrong with you? Why are you coughing so badly?"
Granny Sun sighed helplessly, "She caught a cold last month and has been bedridden ever since. There's no sign of improvement. The people of that despicable Emperor don't care at all!"
Wei Dongling took a closer look. Lady He's already pale face was indeed thinner than the last time she saw her.
But Lady He didn't care about this. She quickly grabbed Wei Dongling's hand and asked, "Miss Wei, how is my Zixi... recently?"