Feng Jin pushed Ling Mohan slightly, signaling him to stop scaring Lu Shi. Lu Shi was an honest man, and Ling Mohan's teasing might just frighten him away completely.
Ling Mohan was truly wicked, full of schemes. Feng Jin wondered how Lu Shi had endured by his side for so many years; it must have been quite arduous.
Lu Shi was immensely grateful for Feng Jin's intervention, to the point where he almost prostrated himself.
"To Madam Shao, I have already checked. Liu Meng Han still has a breath, but she appears dazed and doesn't speak, just staring at the window..."
Lu Shi reported Liu Meng Han's current state to Feng Jin. Looking at Liu Meng Han, it seemed she wasn't far from death.
"Lu Shi, you take your men and guard the outside. I'll go in first."
Feng Jin tightened her grip on the basket and stepped inside. After taking a couple of steps, she sensed something was amiss and turned to look at Ling Mohan, who was following closely behind.
"It's not appropriate for you to go in. You'd better wait here. I'll come out when I'm done."
Without waiting for Ling Mohan's agreement, Feng Jin made the decision herself, pushing Ling Mohan aside and walking in alone.
Liu Meng Han, lying lifelessly on the bed, sensed someone enter. Her eyeballs rolled, and her gaze finally landed on Feng Jin at the doorway. Her long-held calmness suddenly turned to agitation.
She twisted her body, attempting to sit up, but found herself without any strength. Even the slightest movement sent piercing pain through her, making her bones ache.
"Don't waste your energy. Your body is very weak, and you cannot sit up. Just lie down and rest. If you bother yourself less, you'll be a little more comfortable."
Feng Jin advised kindly. She placed the basket by Liu Meng Han's side and lifted the cotton quilt. A baby's face, bruised and purple, was revealed to them.
"This... this is..."
Liu Meng Han was startled by the child's horrifying appearance, her heart pounding. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
"This is your child. He has passed away. Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Dowager, in her kindness, has permitted me to bring the child out of the palace. After you depart, the child will be buried with you, so that mother and son may be reunited."
"Child... I... my child..."
Liu Meng Han looked at the child's face closely, her heart feeling as if it were being torn apart. Her child, born after ten months of arduous pregnancy, had passed away before she could even hold him.
It was all her fault, her doing, that had killed the child...
Liu Meng Han could no longer suppress her emotions and began to cry aloud. Her agitation was so intense that she couldn't catch her breath and immediately struggled to breathe.
Fortunately, Feng Jin noticed Liu Meng Han's distress and quickly administered acupuncture to stabilize her temporarily.
"If you want to look at your child more, you need to calm your emotions. If you continue to be so agitated, your life will be over immediately!"
Feng Jin's tone was stern, carrying a clear warning. Liu Meng Han's current condition was no different from that of an eighty-year-old woman; even breathing normally was a luxury. If her emotions continued to be so turbulent, she could suffocate and die.
"I... I understand..." Liu Meng Han replied weakly. In the little time she had left, she wanted to look at her child properly.
She had endured for so long just to see her child, to resolve the obsession in her heart. Now that she could be buried with her child, she was already content and had no further regrets, able to close her eyes peacefully.
"Child... was the child peaceful when he passed? Did he suffer?"
The mere thought of her child suffering because of her caused her heart unbearable pain, as if a piece of flesh had been gouged out.
"Before the child's poison took effect, I gave him medicine. He passed away peacefully, without suffering at all."
"That's good... that's good..."
Liu Meng Han lowered her head, gazing at the child, murmuring continuously. Looking at the child now, she felt immense satisfaction.
Her entire life had been filled with schemes, and in the end, she herself had become a pawn. Now, on the brink of death, looking back at her past actions, they seemed utterly meaningless. After a lifetime of struggle, she could take nothing with her, leaving alone on her journey.
And she had caused her child to suffer alongside her. If she had another chance, she would never live such a life again. She wanted to live for herself...
"Can you give me some of that medicine? I want to taste how bitter the medicine my child took was..."
This was the only thing a mother could do for her child. The road to the underworld was lonely and cold; how could she let her child go alone?
Feng Jin produced a red porcelain bottle and placed it by Liu Meng Han's side. "This medicine is extremely poisonous. After taking it, there will be no pain, and you will pass away within fifteen minutes."
"You need to think carefully. Once you take this medicine, there is no room for regret. With your current body, you can hold on for at least another day. Are you sure you don't want to attend to any matters you are concerned about? It would be better than leaving with regrets."
"My life has been meaningless. My greatest regret is not giving birth to this child healthy and strong. Now that my child is gone, and the road to the underworld is so cold, he is so young. How can I bear... bear to let him go all alone? I... I must go quickly to accompany him..."
Liu Meng Han's heart was now incredibly calm, and all her resentment had dissipated. She reached for the porcelain bottle by her pillow, poured out a pill, and swallowed it without hesitation.
Gathering all her strength, she held the child, who had long since grown cold in the cradle, in her arms and gently kissed his forehead. "Why are you so cold? Mother will warm you."
Feng Jin could not bear to witness such a scene. Her nose tingled, and tears uncontrollably fell. She turned away directly, unable to watch any longer.
"Wait for me, Mother... Mother is coming to accompany you. I won't let anyone bully you again."
Liu Meng Han hugged the child tightly, a look of contentment on her face. Her gaze finally fell on Feng Jin's retreating back. "I entrust the aftermath for myself and the child to you..."
"Rest assured, I will make proper arrangements for you and your son." After saying this, Feng Jin walked out. Liu Meng Han did not have much time left; she should be allowed to look at her child for a while longer.