Madman!
He was a madman!
Nanny Jiang's eyes widened in disbelief, pain coursing through her body so intensely she wished she could pass out. Her muffled cries of anguish were laced with boundless regret.
How could she ever believe that such a cruel man could genuinely love her lady? Why did she think his despicable actions in the past were just mistakes made in a moment of confusion, driven by his supposed affection for her lady?
The memories of the three women once betrothed to the Cheng Prince flashed in her mind—their tragic fates. Nanny Jiang bit down hard on the gag in her mouth, trembling from head to toe but refusing to speak.
“Ungrateful wretch!” the Cheng Prince snarled coldly.
The man pinning her down stomped hard on her ankle. She convulsed in agony, her eyes bulging as another scream tried to escape her gagged mouth. Then, her captor grabbed her other arm and twisted it sharply.
The room fell silent. Her struggles ceased as her body slumped limply to the ground.
“She’s passed out,” the assailant informed, glancing down at her crumpled figure.
The Cheng Prince looked at Nanny Jiang, sprawled on the ground like a broken doll, and said indifferently, “No need to question her further.”
“But, Your Highness, what about the princess…”
“If Rong Yue didn’t know something critical, this old hag wouldn’t rather die than speak.”
The Cheng Prince’s voice was icy as his thoughts churned. This old woman, surnamed Jiang, had been manipulated by him years ago into betraying Rong Yue during her childbirth, but her loyalty to the princess was undeniable. Beyond that one betrayal, she had refused to do anything for him in the years since, never accepting even the smallest favor or bribe.
When Rong Yue had secretly communicated with Gu Helian, this woman had kept it tightly under wraps. Now, her refusal to talk even under torture could only mean one thing: Rong Yue had uncovered something dangerous—something that could endanger her life if he found out.
The Cheng Prince’s expression darkened.
Was it the incident with Gu Helian?
Or something related to Xie Yin?
Or… something else entirely?
He couldn’t sit still. For so many years, he had successfully kept his secrets hidden. Rong Yue, that fool, had always trusted him deeply and had never suspected anything. So why now? Why had she suddenly learned things she was never supposed to know?
His face grew stormy as he glanced at Nanny Jiang’s limp form on the ground, his eyes cold as ice.
“Rong Yue cannot be allowed to stay.”
The man beside him hesitated, his expression shifting. “But, Your Highness, the princess returned tonight. Everyone in the residence knows she’s here…”
If something happened to her in the residence, it would be impossible to cover it up.
The Cheng Prince’s voice was frigid. “I’m not going to kill her outright.”
Rong Yue still had her uses. Both Song Tang Ning and Xiao Yan could be controlled through her. If reconciliation was no longer possible, then he would squeeze every last drop of value out of her before disposing of her—and all without leaving a trace in the Cheng Prince’s residence.
“Go and—” He began to issue his orders, but a sudden noise from behind the screen interrupted him.
His body tensed.
Rong Yue had returned to the residence with Xiao Yan’s people in tow. The Cheng Prince was well aware of the formidable skills of Xiao Yan’s shadow guards. To avoid alarming outsiders, he had chosen to interrogate Nanny Jiang in the Dowager Consort’s quarters, a secluded place where no servants would overhear.
But now, hearing the noise from the inner room, he stood abruptly and strode past the screen. There, he saw something that made him freeze.
The Dowager Consort, who was supposed to be unconscious, was now awake. Her complexion, once pale, was flush with a surprising vitality. Supporting herself on the edge of the bed, she was trying to stand.
“Mother?” The Cheng Prince rushed forward. “You’re awake!”
Seeing the Dowager Consort’s ruddy complexion, he reached out to help her, but she grabbed his arm with surprising strength.
Her voice was raspy. “Seventh child, stop this madness.”
The Cheng Prince froze. It had been years since the Dowager Consort had called him "Seventh child." Ever since Emperor An had ascended the throne and he had been titled a prince, he had almost forgotten his identity as the seventh prince.
He helped her sit back on the bed and forced a smile. “Mother, you must be confused from your illness. I’ve done nothing wrong. Please rest while I call for a physician—”
“I know,” she interrupted him, her voice clear despite its hoarseness. “I know that A’Yin is not Rong Yue’s child.”
The smile froze on his face.
The Dowager Consort’s eyes, once clouded by illness, were now sharp and clear. She gazed at him under the flickering light, her voice steady.
“I know he’s not her blood, but Rong Yue has treated him like her own son all these years.”
“You and that woman—your relationship is unnatural. You’ve already wronged Rong Yue once, and she’s done nothing to deserve it. She’s carried the burden of your deception for years. Now, she’s pregnant with your child, your true bloodline. You cannot harm her any further.”
Her mention of "unnatural" caused his expression to contort. He released her arm abruptly and asked coldly, “When did you find out?”
The Dowager Consort sighed. “The night you married Rong Yue. That woman came to see you…”
She could still remember that night vividly. The Cheng Prince, dressed in his crimson wedding robes, was caught in an intimate embrace with a woman in the back courtyard of the prince’s residence. At that time, she was still the Imperial Consort, and the late emperor was alive.
If their illicit relationship had been exposed, not only would the woman have been ruined, but her entire family would have been implicated. The Dowager Consort had dealt with the witnesses and covered up the scandal, thinking it would end there.
But the affair never ended.
The Dowager Consort trembled as she gripped the Cheng Prince’s arm. “No one knows the truth about your relationship or A’Yin’s origins. Rong Yue may suspect you lied to her, but she can’t do anything about it after all these years. Let her go. Let her leave with the child and put an end to this.”
“Let her go?” His expression grew colder. “Do you think she or her family would let me off that easily?”
“She wouldn’t—”
“She would!” he snapped. “Rong Yue can’t tolerate betrayal. And her niece, Song Tang Ning, is relentless in seeking vengeance. Look at the fate of the Song Marquis household. Look at the Lu family. Do you think they’d let me go if they found out I deceived Rong Yue for years?”
The Dowager Consort gripped his hand tightly. “You’re an imperial prince. Why can’t you live peacefully? Why must you pursue such ambition?”
“Peacefully?” He laughed bitterly. “What peace is there in being confined to this residence, unable to act, unable to reclaim my rightful place?”
“Enough!” he snapped, shaking off her hand. “Rong Yue’s fate is mine to decide. Mother, rest well. Don’t interfere.”
“Seventh child…” she tried to plead, but he turned and left.
Moments later, he heard a thud behind him. Turning back, he saw the Dowager Consort slumped on the floor, blood trickling from her head.
“Mother!” he cried, rushing to her side. But when he felt for her breath, he froze.
The Dowager Consort was dead.
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T/N: Spoiler alert he does not react in a normal or sane manner
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