Seeing Concubine Shu in a sorry state, lying on the ground, Ruan Jiu bit her lip, with a hint of guilt in her eyes.
She wanted to step forward to help Concubine Shu up but was afraid that the latter would attack her again, so her outstretched arm froze in mid - air.
Suddenly, Concubine Shu seemed to have changed into a different person.
She sat on the ground, wailing loudly, “I'm a noble concubine! How dare you bully me? I'll tell His Majesty!”
She looked like a wronged child, rolling on the ground in a tantrum.
Seeing this, Ruan Jiu stood there, stunned, not knowing what to do for a moment.
After hesitating for a long time, she stepped forward cautiously and whispered soothingly, “Your servant didn't mean to offend Your Highness. Please forgive me!”
Hearing this, Concubine Shu stopped crying and sniffed.
Then she looked up at Ruan Jiu. “Since you've admitted your mistake, then atone for your sin with your life.”
“Ah?” Ruan Jiu's eyebrows twitched slightly.
What was she talking about?
However, Ruan Jiu didn't have much time to dwell on it. She just wanted to see if she could get some useful information from Concubine Shu.
So, Ruan Jiu said, “Your Highness, please calm down. Your servant was sent by General Huo to inquire about Your Highness's well - being.”
After saying that, she stared intently at Concubine Shu,
trying to catch any abnormal expressions in her eyes.
When Concubine Shu heard the words “General Huo”, her eyes looked empty, and she murmured to herself, “General Huo? Brother?”
Then, she burst into laughter. “Hahaha, he's dead. His whole family is dead!”
“How did General Huo die?” Ruan Jiu asked.
“Shh!” Concubine Shu put her finger to her lips, then looked around furtively and said, “He betrayed the country. He deserved to die! Hahaha! He deserved to die!”
Looking at Concubine Shu laughing maniacally, Ruan Jiu felt a tightness in her heart.
Had Concubine Shu really gone mad?
Ruan Jiu was a bit reluctant to give up. She stepped forward a few steps and continued to ask, “General Huo was loyal to the king and the country all his life. How could he have betrayed the country? Your Highness, please think carefully. Who framed General Huo?”
Concubine Shu stopped smiling. She curled up her body fearfully and shrank back.
She hugged her head tightly with both hands and panicked, “No one framed him! No one framed him! Don't beat me! Don't beat me!”
Concubine Shu looked so panicked that it was obvious she had suffered inhumane abuse.
Maybe it was the Queen's order that had reduced Concubine Shu to this state.
Concubine Shu laughed and cried, only repeating the same few words over and over again.
It seemed that Concubine Shu was really out of her mind. It was unlikely that Ruan Jiu could learn what had happened back then from her.
Ruan Jiu sighed helplessly. “It's good that she's mad. Being mad means she doesn't have to remember those sad things.”
After all, what happened back then was too tragic.
For those still alive, the血海 - deep hatred was like a shackle that would imprison them for a lifetime.
After saying that, Ruan Jiu took a pitying look at Concubine Shu.
Then she turned around and left.
“Wait.”
A deep voice came from behind.
Ruan Jiu stopped in her tracks, suspecting that she had misheard.
“Who are you?”
The voice sounded again.
Ruan Jiu suddenly turned around and met Concubine Shu's eyes.
She saw that Concubine Shu's eyes were no longer empty as before. Instead, there was a hint of calmness and caution.
Ruan Jiu was shocked.
Could it be...
Then she hid the surprise in her eyes and quickly stepped forward.
“Concubine Shu, do you still remember what happened back then?”
Seeing that Concubine Shu didn't answer, Ruan Jiu continued, “Do you still remember what Lady Huo said to you when she came to the palace before the whole Huo family was massacred?”
Concubine Shu still remained silent.
She just lowered her eyes slightly.
Ruan Jiu knew that Concubine Shu was worried that she was the Queen's spy.
So, Ruan Jiu said, “Back then, before Lady Huo died, she gave birth to a baby boy and entrusted him to her close friend, Jiang Yi.”
Hearing this, Concubine Shu's expression finally changed. She looked at Ruan Jiu with glistening eyes and choked, “You mean my brother's child is still alive?”
Ruan Jiu nodded seriously. “He was taken back to Qinzhou by Lady Xie and secretly raised by her. And now he already knows his true identity and is ready to find out the truth of that year and clear the Huo family's name!”
After hearing this, Concubine Shu grabbed the front of her robe and burst into tears.
It wasn't the crazy crying from before. It was more like the tightly - strung string in her heart had finally been released after all these years.
She never thought that in this world, there was still someone who shared the same Huo family blood as her!
Thank goodness that the heavens had opened their eyes and left a glimmer of hope for the Huo family to clear their grievances!
Over the years, the Queen had sent many people to test her.
In order to survive in the cold palace, she had to feign madness.
If she hadn't seen that Ruan Jiu wasn't from the palace and heard the pity in her tone, she wouldn't have taken off the mask she had worn for so many years.
“It was Gu Kexing! He framed my brother!” Concubine Shu said excitedly.
“Back then, my sister - in - law suspected that there was something fishy about my brother's death, so she sent someone to investigate secretly.
Unexpectedly, they found out that when Yizhou was besieged that year, someone had given the topographic map of Yizhou to the enemy. That's why the border defense had fallen, and my brother and one hundred thousand troops had died in vain!
After my sister - in - law learned of this, she immediately came to the palace to find me while she was still pregnant. We both thought that Gu Kexing must be behind this because at that time, Rong Qing was competing with me for the position of the Queen.
So, in order not to tip off the enemy, we decided to send someone to Yizhou to look for evidence first and then report this matter to His Majesty.
But unexpectedly, I didn't wait for a reply from the person I sent. Instead, Gu Kexing presented the letters of my brother's supposed correspondence with the enemy to His Majesty first, thus confirming the Huo family's crime of betraying the country.
I knew that my brother would never do such a thing, but I couldn't defend myself!
Then His Majesty was furious and imprisoned me in this cold palace for more than twenty years!”
There was great sadness in Concubine Shu's eyes.
Ruan Jiu frowned tightly and then asked, “Is there any evidence to prove that it was Gu Kexing who did it?”
“When Yizhou was besieged that year, one hundred thousand soldiers left a blood - written petition signed by ten thousand people. I sent my trusted servant to look for it, but unfortunately, I never received a reply. I don't even know if he's dead or alive now.”
She didn't know if the blood - written petition had fallen into Gu Kexing's hands either.
After hearing this, Ruan Jiu bit her lip. “Your Highness, please rest assured. We will definitely retrieve the blood - written petition and clear the Huo family's name!”
Concubine Shu nodded with tears in her eyes. She tightly held Ruan Jiu's hand and choked, “Good child! The Huo family is counting on you all!
You should first go to Shuozhou to find a man named Liang Jingzhuo. He grew up with me. Maybe he can help you.”
Yizhou was adjacent to Shuozhou. Back then, Concubine Shu had also first sent her trusted servant to Shuozhou to seek Liang Jingzhuo's help.
Ruan Jiu remembered Concubine Shu's words firmly and then nodded seriously.
Concubine Shu then continued, “If... if you really can't find the evidence, then make sure he hides his identity well and lives a good life...”
Ruan Jiu knew that the “he” Concubine Shu was referring to was Xie Jingchu.
After all, Xie Jingchu was the only remaining bloodline of the Huo family. Even though Concubine Shu wanted to get out of this cold palace so much, she didn't want him to lose his life for this.
Just then, an urgent voice suddenly came from the door.
“Something's wrong! Someone's coming!”