When Qin WuZhen saw this, he only narrowed his eyes even more. “So you still have the compassion of a mother? Did you not try to take away a child’s life from their mother before? Why did you not put yourself in the Empress’s place if your plan succeeded?!” the Emperor asked, but without waiting for an answer, he continued. “Not only the Empress would lose the child she had painstakingly protected and raised, even this Empire will lose its Crown Prince!”

“This lady knows her wrong! But the first prince is innocent! He didn’t know anything. Everything is planned by this lady!” Concubine Xing still pleaded for her son’s life. By now, Qin ChenJi was already crying. If he could turn back time, he would not try to harm Qin YiJun again just so he won’t see his mother being humiliated like this.

Qin WuZhen’s expression did not change as he continued to stare at Concubine Xing. His gaze was still cold and ruthless. But when it landed on Qin ChenJi, he felt his heart wavered at the sight of his son crying. Despite all his anger, this boy was still his own flesh and blood. He had watched him grow up. In the end, his heart still softened for his son.

“Considering that Qin ChenJi is still young, Zhen will not have him killed. Instead, Zhen will strip him of his prince status and have him sent away from the palace into your family’s home. As for you,” Qin WuZhen coldly glared at Concubine Xing. “Harming the Crown Prince is a capital offense that warrants death by thousand cut. But as you have said, the heaven is merciful and as the Son of Heaven, Zhen will simply send you to the cold palace. You will spend the rest of your life there, never stepping out until you drew the last of your breath. Guards! Bring them away!”

The two mother and son is separated. The former first prince, now known as Xing ChenJi was sent to his maternal family, out of the Imperial Palace. It was the same as if he had been chased away, giving the Xing family a bad reputation. When being compared to the Li family who is now rising up to their prominence, the people of Qin Empire cannot help but be envious of the young Li FangMing while disdaining the former first prince. The two children are always being spoken in a discussion as the difference was like heaven and earth.

Though Concubine Xing is unwilling at first, to actually been let off with their life intact is more than she could ask for. It is just that this grievance is something she wanted to settle no matter what in the future. Her life in the cold palace was a lonely one. She only has few servants which are those whom she brought from outside the palace when she first entered the harem. They are loyal to the Xing family and would continue to stay with her through thick and thin. She spent her time planning her revenge in silence, hoping that the chance will come one day.

Then, her chance finally came after two years. Because she is reduced to a mere female attendant, she had been called attendant Xing by the rest of the servant. She does not even have the right to be addressed as ‘Lady’ despite being a noble born before entering the palace. This was also part of her punishment. It was also due to this that attendant Xing could disguise herself as a servant and went out of the cold palace. When she first tried, she never went far but each time she went out, she would increase her distance from the cold palace.

After two months, she managed to go all the way to the Empress’s palace. She then spends another three months to observe the inner working of the Empress’s palace. She wondered if it was too peaceful for the past two years or because no one recognizes her anymore but the guards around the palace had become lax. Even when she secretly joined the servants, they only called her as sister, thinking that she was a fellow servant.

With this, she suddenly saw a path for her revenge. Attendant Xing first procured a deadly poison. She had one of her loyal servant to sneak out of the palace in order to get said poison. It took the servant a while, but she did manage to get it.

After getting the poison in her hand, attendant Xing spent the next few days trying to find the chance to pour the poison in the Empress’s meal. For someone driven by revenge, attendant Xing is unexpectedly patient despite her target is very close at hand. Soon, her patience paid off. She was finally selected as the poison tester for the Empress’s meal one night.

That night, the Empress was having her meal with the Crown Prince, Qin YiJun. Attendant Xing carried the tray of meals along with other servants. She made sure to keep her head low so that the Empress wouldn’t recognize her. ‘The little prince has grown up well these past two years. If he also died tonight then I can say that you have paid your debt along with the interest, isn’t that right, My Empress?’ her eyes glints with evil thought as she continued to act normal.

When the time for her to test the food for poison had come, attendant Xing slowly approached the table. Her heart was beating loudly against her ribcage and she wondered if the Empress would be able to hear it. She tested every dish on the table and before she took a step back, she made sure to sprinkle the poison over the meal before bowing to the Empress and the Crown Prince. They waited for a while and only when nothing happened to her did the Empress dismiss her.

As she walked out of the door, attendant Xing have a wide smile on her face, knowing that her revenge was a success. And if it was possible, her smile would’ve widened even more when she heard the sound of ceramic falling to the floor and the scream that filled the area and the courtyard was thrown into chaos.

She turned around and saw that the Crown Prince was shaking the Empress who had fallen to the floor, tears streaming down on the young boy’s face. ‘It’s too bad that bastard didn’t eat the food that has been poisoned… But with you dead, the entire grievance between us is cleared. This is your payment for barring my path to be the future Empress,’ was all attendant Xing could think of before she was held down by several guards. As the poison tester, she knew that once the Empress fell, she would be the first suspect. It can be said that she have already submitted her life to death the moment she pleads for her son two years ago. Which was why she was willing to go as far as to assassinate the Empress in order to get back at her for stealing what she thought was hers.