Chapter 2 — My Mother, the Crowned Queen

That was a lethal poison capable of causing violent uterine contractions in a split second, followed by a gruesome death marked by freezing blood.

Your Ladyship, please forgive this offense!

Two figures, one on the left and one on the right, seized Yun Zhuzhu by the arms and legs, brutally pinching her jaw to force the pitch-black medicinal brew down her throat. Yun Zhuzhu let out a harrowing shriek as her body convulsed violently. The efficacy of the poison took hold with merciless ferocity, and blood began to gush incessantly from beneath the mother. I could feel the space of my survival rapidly collapsing, the amniotic fluid nearly entirely dried up. With a sharp gag, a large mouthful of blood spewed from the mother’s lips. Her eyes rolled back into her head, her fingers digging desperately into the bedsheets until her fingernails snapped off entirely. No, this cannot continue; the mother can no longer endure! If I do not force my way out now, both mother and child will perish today upon this gloomy, sunless birthing bed. I gritted my teeth and surrendered all resistance. Yielding to the violent thrust of pushing force, I slid outward. Following a dizzying swirl of heaven and earth, a rush of fresh air flooded my nasal passages. I parted my lips, preparing to let out a resonant, resounding cry. Yet a coarse hand, reeking heavily of fresh blood, clamped firmly over my nose and mouth!

Ngh!

All sound was forcibly choked back down my throat as a suffocating wave of intense darkness enveloped me.

It is a female infant!

The voice of Lady Li betrayed a feverish, extreme excitement. She hoisted me upside down by my feet. Completely indifferent to the umbilical cord that was still bleeding freely, she wrapped my entire body tightly in a thick, filthy, heavy piece of fabric.

Quick! Switch the child!

Old Mother Liu moved with nimble agility as she squatted down, pressing her palms hard against the bottom of a rosewood food box. With a faint click, a heavily concealed secret compartment at the base sprang open. From within, Old Mother Liu dragged out a male infant whose complexion was bruised and purplish-blue, his breathing exceedingly faint. That was none other than the nineteenth imperial prince, born to Xue Jingrong! They intended to foist this dying male infant upon Yun Zhuzhu, while stuffing me into that airtight secret compartment to be smuggled out of the palace!

It is finished! The little princess’s mouth is covered; she cannot make a sound at all! These vicious hags operate with such practiced ruthlessness, giving people no time to react whatsoever! Yan Xunhe is still waiting outside! He has no inkling that a grand substitution has already taken place within this room!

My face turned a bruised, asphyxiated shade of blue, my chest burning with a searing pain. Yun Zhuzhu lay in a pool of blood, her consciousness entirely slipping away, devoid of even the scantest strength to cast a final glance at me. Will no one come to my rescue? Gathering the very last sliver of my residual consciousness, I hurled a frantic, desperate mental shriek toward Little Li standing just outside the door.

They are swapping the babies! They are using me to replace the male infant!

I am suffocating to death! Break down the door! Smash the door open at once!

Outside, just as Little Li was being dragged away toward the Ministry of Strict Punishments by the guards, my agonizing plea suddenly echoed directly within his mind. Summoning strength from some unknown source, he violently wrenched himself free from the iron grip of the two towering guards.

Your Majesty!

Little Li ripped the rag from his mouth and lunged forward toward Yan Xunhe, throwing his arms tightly around the emperor’s boots.

This humble servant is willing to stake the lives of his entire clan to swear an oath! They are swapping the children inside the delivery room!

Consort Yun has made no sound for ages! They are murdering people inside!

Yan Xunhe felt his heart leap violently at the sound of this piercing, wretched cry. He abruptly turned his head toward the birthing room, realizing that even the agonizing shrieks Yun Zhuzhu had uttered earlier had completely ceased. The interior was now frightfully, eerily silent. It had been far too long! The duration of this labor was excessive! If the child had already been born, why was there no sound of an infant crying? If the birth had not yet occurred, why had even the commotion of the midwives vanished entirely? A powerful, ominous intuition surged into the depths of Yan Xunhe’s heart. He shoved Grand Eunuch Hai forcefully aside and strode forward with the speed of a shooting star, rushing up the steps.

Your Majesty, that delivery room is shrouded in the ominous aura of blood!

Grand Eunuch Hai cried out in stark terror. Yan Xunhe acted as though he had heard nothing. He lifted his foot and kicked viciously against the intricately carved wooden doors. With a thunderous crash, both heavy wooden panels shattered inward. Yan Xunhe stormed into the chamber, arriving just in time to catch Lady Li and Old Mother Liu red-handed. They were in the midst of depositing the male infant beside the Consort, while shoving me directly into the secret compartment at the bottom of the food box! The entire room fell into a deathly stillness. Lady Li and Old Mother Liu maintained their hunched postures, turning their heads stiffly around. They found themselves staring directly into Yan Xunhe’s murderous, blazing eyes.

What on earth are you stuffing into that food box?!

Yan Xunhe’s voice exuded a bone-chilling frost. Old Mother Liu’s hands trembled violently, and with a heavy thud, the thick wooden plank of the secret compartment slammed shut, nearly shearing off my feet. I struggled with all my might, finally managing to scrape a small opening in the filthy rag gagging my mouth. I strained my vocal cords and let out a piercing, resounding cry.

Waa!

As the cry of the newborn infant rang out, Yan Xunhe’s gaze plunged straight down toward the bottom of the food box.

Your Majesty... this matter... this is...

Lady Li’s legs turned to jelly, and she collapsed heavily onto the floor, her teeth chattering so violently that she could not piece together a single complete sentence. Yan Xunhe had no patience whatsoever to listen to her nonsense. Reining in his temper, he drew the defensive dagger from his waist, stepped forward, and struck Old Mother Liu ruthlessly across the head. Old Mother Liu let out a miserable shriek, her skull splitting open as blood spurted forth, and she collapsed unconscious. With a furious kick, Yan Xunhe overturned the lid of the food box, gripped the edges of the hidden compartment below with both hands, and exerted every ounce of his strength to wrench it open! The secret compartment was violently snapped apart by his sheer force.