Seeing this, the Noble Consort clicked her tongue. A flicker of admiration rose for the young girl.
If it were some pampered child, she would’ve long since broken into sobs. Yet even with her lips bitten bloody, this girl did not release the cup.
“You’ve got some endurance, child.”
She stood and walked to Quan Heng, lifting her chin again. The long nail scraped across her cheek like a blade.
“Holding it in your hands is too easy. Let’s add one to your head, shall we?”
With that, she pulled out the hairpin from Quan Heng’s bun, letting her long dark hair cascade down like a waterfall.
Then she ordered her maid, “Cang Yue, bring another cup of hot tea and place it on Miss Quan’s head. If she dares spill a drop, the Ministry of Justice will add another punishment for Quan Ye!”
“Yes, Niang Niang,” Cang Yue answered and quickly returned with a steaming cup.
Seeing this, Ziyun turned pale with fright and lunged forward, knocking the cup from Cang Yue’s hand.
“No! That tea is scalding—if it spills on my lady’s face, she’ll be disfigured!”
Seeing that Ziyun dared to overturn the teacup, the Noble Consort flew into a rage.
“Her brother dared to knock my son off his horse! If anything happens to him, your entire Quan family will be implicated! She’s only getting disfigured—isn’t that nothing?”
The Noble Consort pointed at Ziyun. “And you! Just a mere servant, yet you dare be insolent in my presence and destroy such precious teaware? Someone come—hold her down and give her fifty strokes!”
Upon hearing this, Quan Heng finally spilled the tea in her hands. She looked at the Noble Consort in shock and cried out bitterly, “Niang Niang, Ziyun only acted out of loyalty to protect her mistress! If you’re upset over the teacup, I’ll replace it. But why must you punish her so harshly? Fifty strokes—she won’t survive!”
Ziyun had already broken into tears. Quan Heng’s heart ached at the sight and, disregarding everything, threw herself forward to shield Ziyun with her own body, refusing to let the palace staff drag her away.
Seeing this, the Noble Consort’s fury surged.
Ever since the death of the late Empress, no one had dared challenge her. Now even a mere court official’s daughter dared oppose her—an outrageous insult!
“Fine! If you insist on protecting her, then you’ll be punished with her!”
At her word, the eunuchs surged forward. One held Quan Heng down while the others raised their rods high, ready to strike.
In that critical moment, a voice shouted from the doorway: “Enough! Stop at once!”
Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Wen Zheng rushing in, his face dark with anger.
Quan Heng’s heart skipped a beat.
Then, a wave of emotion surged forth.
She hadn’t cried while standing in the sun as punishment. She hadn’t cried while holding the scalding tea. But now, with just one word from him, her walls collapsed.
In the blink of an eye, tears streamed down her face.
Some of the eunuchs were so startled they dropped their rods. Others hesitated, looking to the Noble Consort, who was also frozen in surprise.
Earlier that day, during the royal hunt, all the princes had attended—except for him. He had been sent to an imperial villa outside the capital by the Emperor.
But then, his informants told him Quan Ye had been arrested and Quan Heng summoned to the palace. He knew something was wrong.
Despite hurrying back, he was still a step too late.
Now, seeing Quan Heng’s pale face and her red, blistered hands, his heart felt like it was being sliced open.
He rushed forward, gently taking her hands and blowing on them.
Quan Heng had been avoiding him these days, not wanting to see him. But today, in her direst moment, he appeared like a god from the heavens to save her—her heart couldn’t help but soften.
“Does it hurt?”
Tears fell from her eyes. “It hurts.”
Just those two words shattered Wen Zheng’s heart.
He stepped in front of her, eyes burning red, and shouted angrily, “Noble Consort! Ah Heng is a noble-born lady. She’s committed no crime, yet you used private punishment on her. That’s a violation of palace rules!”
The Noble Consort laughed in rage. “Wen Zheng, Wen Zheng… I’ve heard the rumors that you’ve fallen for the eldest daughter of the Yongning Marquis’ household. I thought it was nonsense. But now I see—it’s true.”
She looked him up and down, sneering, “You, someone so cold and heartless, know what love is? You actually want to protect someone? What a joke!”
Wen Zheng turned away, unwilling to argue further.
Ah Heng’s injuries were serious. If not treated immediately, she might be scarred for life. He couldn’t waste time here.
Today’s humiliation—he would repay it a thousandfold.
He scooped up Quan Heng in his arms and strode out of the hall.
The Noble Consort, furious at being ignored, charged forward, shouting, “Wen Zheng! Don’t forget—I am your foster mother! Is this how you treat your foster mother?!”
Wen Zheng stopped and turned, holding Quan Heng tightly in his arms, eyes cold as ice.
“You’re not worthy to be my foster mother. All these years, have you ever fulfilled even a sliver of a mother’s duty? And as for my mother’s death—true, she acted rashly, but didn’t you also have a hand in it?”
The Noble Consort stared at him in shock.
At the time of the late Empress’s death, Wen Zheng had only been a boy. She’d assumed he knew nothing.
But now she saw—he knew everything. And he had hated her in silence all these years.
“T-Then your younger brother… You can’t just abandon him, can you? Don’t forget, you and he were once so close! It was you who pushed him down the stairs and ruined his leg—that’s why he’s a cripple now!”
Speaking of the Second Prince, the Noble Consort broke into sobs.
“He used to be such a cheerful boy. He looked up to you like his own brother. And you… you pushed him, destroyed his dreams—he’ll never ride or fight in battle again. It’s all your fault!”
Wen Zheng sneered, “And who’s to blame for that? Noble Consort—this is karma for what you did to my mother. A debt from the mother, repaid by the child!”
Back then, if it hadn’t been for his brother blocking him, he might’ve had time to save his mother.
Even if the Empress didn’t love him, she was still his birth mother. It was the Noble Consort and her son who had ruined him, and now they still had the audacity to entangle themselves with him.
He hadn’t understood before, but now that he had emotions like a normal person, all he felt was endless fury.
After speaking, he turned to leave. The Noble Consort tried to stop him and even stepped forward to grab his sleeve. “Wen Zheng! Qian’er has been waiting all these years for a single apology from you. But not only did you not give one, now you’re even shielding the person who harmed him. You’re heartless!”
“Quan Ye knocked Qian’er off his horse, injuring his already wounded leg and banging his head! So what if I punished Quan Ye’s sister a little? You’re his own elder brother, yet you’re helping an outsider instead of him!”
Wen Zheng frowned, stepped back a few paces, and pulled his sleeve free from her grip. Without saying a word, he carried Quan Heng and strode out of the hall.
Behind him, the Noble Consort’s shrill, furious curses rang out, mixed with faint sobs, sounding especially pitiful.
Quan Heng felt conflicted.
Though she didn’t know exactly what had transpired between Wen Zheng’s family and the Noble Consort’s, just listening to a few lines of their exchange made it clear that a deep, blood-drenched hatred existed between them.
She sighed inwardly. Even though they were no longer as close as before and didn’t confide in each other like they once had, she still couldn’t help but worry about him.
“Ah Zheng, are you alright?”
Was he sad? Was he hurt?
That was what she really wanted to ask, but in the end, the words stuck in her throat.
Back in the imperial garden, she had said they’d never meet again in this life. She had been so harsh and said such hurtful things.
Now, just meeting his gaze took all her courage. To speak words of concern—it was simply too difficult.
Wen Zheng let out a long sigh. “I’m fine. But you—why did you recklessly come into the palace like this? That Noble Consort is not someone to deal with lightly. If she sends someone for you again, just refuse. I’ll shield you from anything. You don’t have to worry.”
As they spoke, they reached the palace gates. Wen Zheng lifted Quan Heng into a waiting carriage and, after making sure she was seated properly, took out a bottle of medicinal powder from his robe and tucked it into her hands.
“This is a secret wound medicine from the palace. It’s very effective for healing. Be sure to apply it daily.”
Quan Heng accepted the bottle and whispered, head lowered, “Thank you.”
Wen Zheng suppressed the urge to apply the medicine for her himself, then stepped out of the carriage and gave instructions to a nearby young eunuch.
“Kang Yun, take her back to the Yongning Marquis Estate. Make sure she’s safe.”
With that, he turned and strode away.
Quan Heng instinctively wanted to stop him. She lifted the curtain and opened her mouth in his direction.
But in the end, all the words caught in her throat.
Forget it.
She had already said they would never meet again in this life. What more was there to say?
Better to remain the most familiar strangers to each other.
She let down the curtain and sat back in the carriage.
Kang Yun, the eunuch, sighed softly.
As the Crown Prince’s personal attendant, he had witnessed everything. He could tell His Highness truly cared for this girl from the Yongning Marquis Estate. Seeing how things had turned out between them pained him, and he couldn’t help but speak up.
“Lady Quan, His Highness rushed back today from the imperial manor in the outskirts at full gallop. He didn’t even rest before charging into the Noble Consort’s hall—all for your sake. If I may, please show some understanding for His Highness.”
He glanced at Quan Heng’s expression and added, “These days, His Highness hasn’t been eating or sleeping well. He’s grown visibly thinner.”
Quan Heng pressed her lips together.
No wonder she had thought he looked unwell when she saw him.
But what could she do? They were destined to be enemies in this life. That they had even fallen in love once was already enough. There was no need to ask for more.
Still, thinking of how he had barged into the hall to rescue her just now, her heart softened. She asked, “Then… what exactly has he been going through lately, to look so troubled? I suppose… it’s not just because of me?”
Unexpectedly, as soon as she said this, Kang Yun’s expression changed—visibly panicked.
“That’s enough, Lady Quan. Some things are best left unasked. Please sit tight. I’ll take you home now.”
Hearing this, Quan Heng’s heart skipped a beat.
An intense sense of unease surged up inside her, but no matter how she questioned him, Kang Yun would not say another word.
