What if this misfortune had fallen on them?

The Queen closed her eyes, clutching tightly onto her husband's big, bony hand.

Yes, although it would be hard, like comparing the lightning in the skies and swords.

But, she would.

"We are in enemy countries," The King of Dong Lin said.

"Yes."

"In positions directly opposing each other."

"Yes."

"For an entire lifetime?"

The Queen was silent for a long time.

But she still spat out the one word, "Yes."

The King of Dong Lin sucked in a deep breath. Winter was almost over, and the air brought a scent of Spring. Its coldness pleasantly swelled in his chest.

Yes, she would.

He closed his eyes.

A blessed smile played on his lips.

Several days later, Ruohan's messenger had arrived at the Songsen Mountains again.

The snow on the ground had already melted,while small green buds of grass had popped out from the earth. Winter had not yet fully come, but everyone's hearts were full of joyful longing.

The messenger not only brought the finest herbs Ruohan had collected from everywhere but also brought greetings from the King of Bei Mo.

"This millennium old ginger is a gift from the King."

Ze Yin accepted it gratefully as he bowed in the direction to the distant Royal Residence.

The messenger was also one of Ze Yin's former subordinates. Once he had conveyed his message and finished his gift delivery, he couldn't help asking with concern. "Main General, is Missus...feeling better?"

Ze Yin shook his head slightly, his expression sad. "If there was just a little sign of improvement, then I would be much less worried. This is a sickness of the heart, meaning it's not easy to cure."

After Pingting was buried, Yangfeng held the luminous jade hairpin as she stood at the grave for a whole night, getting sick soon after.

The hairpin had flashed in the darkness as the undertakers covered it with yellow mud.

"Pingting's death started with me."

Pingting was such a clever person and clearly broke free, leaving He Xia and Chu Beijie. She had ridden a horse, alone, to reach Bei Mo. She wanted to look for her, to forget her previous misfortunes. Yet she herself had just kneeled, said a few words and swept Pingting between the gaps of the Bei Mo army and Chu Beijie.

The two armies had confronted each other, angry and ready to murder. Everything had started from there.

It had then spread to the dense forest of a hundred acres, to the Royal Residence of Dong Lin, to the secluded residence, to the Prince Consort Residence of Yun Chang, and finally in the snowy terrain of the Songsen Mountains.

Why did such a leisure and cheerful person like Pingting meet with such fate that even her bones were missing?

Yangfeng couldn't forgive herself.

All sorts of misfortunes she was the cause yet Pingting was the effect.

"Yangfeng, my beloved wife, do you still remember our child?" Ze Yin carefully supported her upwards. "You can't leave Qing'er. You promised me that you will always be with me in our lifetime. Cheer up and drink this medicine."

"Qing'er..." Yangfeng's eyes turned slightly.

"He keeps on crying for his mother. Yangfeng, don't blame yourself any more. Even if you ruin your own life, what can it do to bring her back? She will definitely disapprove of your actions up in heaven. Come, drink some medicine and get better soon." Ze Yin held the bowl of warm medicine in his hands and tested it first before giving bring it to Yangfeng's lips, "Drink, just think of it for Qing'er."

Yangfeng's chest felt empty. The image of Pingting's remains and her loney grave in the snow floated in her mind, not stopping for a single moment. After Ze Yin's words, a glimmer of sanity due to motherhood returned to her eyes at the mention of Qing'er.

She slowly raised her eyes and looked at her husband.

This person was once the Main General of Bei Mo. His face seemed distressed. It was heartbreaking.

It was all because of her.

She sadly sighed and opened her lips.

Ze Yin heard her drink down the medicine and was delighted. "This is a prescription that Ruohan sent to search for. It's been boiling for a long time now, so drink slowly and don't choke." He supported Yangfeng with one hand, the other holding the bowl. When he saw that Yangfeng had indeed drank the entire bowl of medicine, half of his worries were put to rest. He finally softened his voice, "Ruohan also said that this prescription needs to be given for a whole week..."

His words had yet finished, when Yangfeng shook in his arms. She suddenly straightened up, as she gurged out on the side of the bed. All of the black soup that just entered her stomach was spilled all over the floor. Yangfeng seemed to have spit out all of her internal organs too. Her face was very pale.When she finally managed to raise her head, she began to fall straight down towards the bed.

"Yangfeng!" Ze Yin hurriedly grabbed onto her. He saw her eyes were tightly closed in his arms and her usual warm face had no trace of colour. His heart ached so much he had no idea to do, almost bringing him to tears. "My wife, what was that for? Does your heart only have Bai Pingting and not have Qing'er and me?"

Yangfeng had difficulty breathing. Hearing Ze Yin's voice, she opened her eyes slightly. She bitterly smiled, "Of course I do. However, this sickness of the heart is too deep and can no longer be saved by medicine. We were brought up together and are like sisters, yet I...I killed her."

"Don't cry, don't cry any more. Already so sick, such grief will cause..." Ze Yin's large rough hand gently wiped away the tears on her face but ended up wiping much more than expected.

His heart was both anxious and upset. His tiger-like eyes couldn't help become red.

Yangfeng burst into tears and wheezed for a long time. She lifted her head again, looking at Ze Yin bitterly, "It's not that I don't feel bad about father and son, but just look at me. It seems that I'm about to accompany Pingting soon. The royal courts are just as dangerous as the battlefields, I don't want Qing'er to follow the same road Pingting and Chu Beijie took. You have to promise to stay in this secluded forest and keep it, so that you will never leave this mountain and Qing'er will never come across such things. ...Promise me."

Ze Yin listened to her words, which sounded ominously like her dying will. His entire body broke into a cold sweat and he could only hug Yangfeng tightly. He urged, "What rubbish are you sprouting? I won't promise, I won't promise anything!"

"Husband, I won't last until spring."

"Rubbish!"

"I can't accompany you to admire the flowers or sew clothes for Qing'er..."

"Rubbish!"

"I am going to see Pingting and beg for her forgiveness..."

"Rubbish! Rubbish! Don't say anymore!"