Chapter 30: Concubine Qin Murdered by Song Shilan

In order to kill Concubine Qin and ensure her own survival, she focused her attacks specifically on the woman's eyes.

She clawed at Concubine Qin’s eyes until they bled, forcing them shut and stripping her of any chance to fight back.

"Song Shilan, I am your own mother who birthed and raised you!" Concubine Qin shrieked in a mixture of fury and despair. "You beast, how could you do this to your own flesh and blood!"

A few spatters of blood landed on Song Shilan’s face; coupled with her sinister expression, she looked as terrifying as a demon. Without a word, she pressed Concubine Qin’s head down and slammed it repeatedly against the ground.

*Die!*
*Die!*
*Just die already!*

Only if the concubine died could she survive.

In the end, Concubine Qin was neither as ruthless nor as strong as her daughter. Before long, her resistance began to fade. Yet, Song Shilan did not lower her guard. She picked up a rock from the ground and, with every ounce of strength she possessed, brought it down on the back of Concubine Qin’s head with a sickening thud.

Blood splattered instantly.

"Ah..." Concubine Qin’s scream was cut short, silenced forever.

But Song Shilan continued to bash her head with the rock, strike after strike, letting the blood spray all over her body. Song Shiyue and the others were horrified, scurrying behind Father Song and whispering amongst themselves.

"My god, I only just realized how terrifying Song Shilan truly is."
"She is monstrous. Not only did she kill her own mother, but she kept smashing her head afterward."
"We must keep our distance from her from now on, lest we be killed by her without even knowing why."

Song Shi narrowed her eyes, watching Song Shilan. The girl’s cruelty exceeded anything she could have imagined. Concubine Qin had doted on Song Shilan for over a decade, protecting her at every turn and even helping her scheme. Yet, in the end, Song Shilan had murdered her own mother just to save her own skin.

At that moment, Song Shilan walked toward the group, holding the blood-stained rock.

"Father, I killed the concubine. Will you let me live now?" Her eyes were wide with frantic ecstasy, her face twisted. "You promised—you said you would let one of us live."

Song Shi raised a hand to stop Song Mingting and Song Mingyu. She looked Song Shilan up and down, covered as she was in blood, and said, "You may live."

"However..." She gestured toward the corpse with her chin. "How do you intend to dispose of your mother's body?"

Concubine Qin could never have imagined that her final end would be death at the hands of her own daughter, and a miserable death on the road of exile at that.

Song Shilan followed her gaze. When she saw Concubine Qin lying there, eyes still wide open in death, she suddenly collapsed onto the ground.

"It wasn't me! It wasn't me!" She shook her head frantically, backing away. "She hit her head and died on her own. It has nothing to do with me, it really doesn't!"

She seemed to convince herself with this excuse. "Big Sister, Concubine Qin was so wicked; we don't need to worry about her body. Let's just go."

She had done this to survive; surely, her mother would not blame her from the grave.

Song Shi gave her a meaningful look before leading the family on their way. Song Mingyu pulled his second brother, dragging him forward. "Second brother, it's unnecessary—at least for now, it's unnecessary."

Their eldest sister was keeping Song Shilan not out of kindness, but to use her as a pawn. Now that Concubine Qin was dead, Song Shilan was truly isolated and helpless. To survive and achieve her own ends, she would exhaust every means to reach out to anyone she could. In some ways, that would work to their advantage.

***

Meanwhile, just as Cui Jing returned to the Cui estate, he saw Princess Anning standing at the main gate. She held a short whip, staring at him with such gloom that she looked ready to tear him to pieces at any second.

"Cui Jing!"

She truly had not expected this dog to dare go behind her back to find that wretch, Song Shi. It was just as she thought: Song Shi was an unruly, base creature who dared to seduce her man.

Cui Jing ignored her. He walked inside, his face bloodless and his eyes hollow, like a shell stripped of all life and spirit.

*Shi would not have him.*
*She really did not want him anymore.*
*He had lost his chance to be with her.*

He felt regret. Had he known it would end like this, he would never have let himself be coerced by Princess Anning. He would have rather died with Shi than become what he was now.

"Cui Jing!" Incensed, Princess Anning lashed out with her whip, striking him hard across the body. "You dare not kneel when you see me? You have such gall!"

To her, these base and foolish ancients were truly audacious for not kneeling before their future Empress.

Cui Jing seemed unable to feel the pain; he didn't even pause. "Shi..."

He wanted to be with her, to never be separated from her again.

Hearing this, Princess Anning’s fury exploded. "Cui Jing, you are truly something!"

She whipped him repeatedly, yet she was unwilling to kill him. "Since you are so obsessed with Song Shi, I shall make sure that wretch dies a miserable death."

The man she had chosen—even if she didn't want him anymore, she would not allow another woman to occupy his thoughts.

Perhaps it was this statement that triggered him. Cui Jing suddenly lunged at Princess Anning, his hands clamping tightly around her throat. "It's all you! It's all because of you!"

"If not for you, if you didn't exist, Shi and I would be fine. I would be marrying her soon."

The more he spoke, the tighter his grip became. "Yes, you must die."

"Once you are dead, I can be with Shi again."

Princess Anning gasped for air, nearly suffocating. The shadow of death loomed over her, extinguishing her rage and desire to kill, leaving only terror in its wake. "No... don't!"

She slapped at his hands, trying to force him to let go. "Cui Jing, I—I am the most favored princess, how dare you... ah!"

Cui Jing’s face was distorted as he squeezed harder. "Just die!"

"Only if you die can I be with Shi again."

At this moment, Cui Jing’s mind held only one thought: if he killed Princess Anning, he could be with Song Shi once more.

Princess Anning clawed and kicked, using every method to make him release her, but to no avail. "No..."

She didn't want to die. She hadn't yet become Empress; she hadn't yet enjoyed the true glory of a life of honor. She could not die.

Just as Princess Anning was on the verge of being strangled to death, Old Master Cui and the others finally rushed over.

"Quick! Quickly pull the young master away!" Old Master Cui felt his breath hitch, his vision darkening. "Do not harm Princess Anning!"

He truly had not expected Cui Jing to commit such a foolish act. Several servants hurriedly stepped forward to pull him away.

But—