Xue Liulan rushed out. A maid was standing in the courtyard, her face pale. Nearby, Murong Jin was bent over, one hand clutching a pillar, her back to him. A shattered teacup lay at her feet.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"My lord, I… I bumped into Her Highness. This servant deserves death," the maid babbled, dropping to her knees.
"Then apologize to Her Highness at once!" Die Man snapped, emerging from her own rooms.
Xue Liulan ignored her. "You, go," he said to the maid, already moving toward Murong Jin.
"The one who should apologize isn't her," Murong Jin said, her voice dangerously low. She straightened up, her soft sword already in her hand. Her eyes were crimson, filled with a world-ending rage.
Xue Liulan stepped in front of her. "It's cold out. Let's go back."
"I knew you would come here. I knew you would go to her." She wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was locked on Die Man. "From the moment she said Liu had 'almost ruined her plans,' I knew she was involved."
She had understood his heart, his pain, and so she had said nothing, not wanting to add to his burdens.
"She didn't mean for Liu to die," he said, his hands on her shoulders. "Go back, alright?"
"She didn't kill him, but she set the trap that drove him to his death!" Murong Jin shoved his hands away.
"If you really think your father had nothing to do with it, if you're just looking for someone to blame, then let me tell you, Murong Jin—the one who killed him was you." Die Man sneered, walking toward them.
"Die Man," Xue Liulan warned, his voice low.
"Me?" Murong Jin's eyes were vacant.
"Yes, you. If you hadn't shown up, if you hadn't married him, he never would have distanced himself from me." Die Man's voice rose, sharp and furious. "You say I forced Liu to his death? Fine. Then you were the one who held the knife. And you stand here, pretending to be the victim?"
"Die Man, that's enough!" he snapped, a flicker of panic in his eyes.
He knew how much guilt she carried over Liu. He knew she was standing on a knife's edge. Die Man's words were a confirmation of her deepest fears.
Murong Jin's face was ashen. The sharp light in her eyes dimmed. "You're right," she whispered. "I killed him. It was me."
"No, Jin, it wasn't your fault." He pulled her into his arms. "Don't listen to her. Don't think about it."
"I… I asked him to come. I knew he wanted revenge. I… I even joked that if he died, I'd be the one to collect his body." Her tears fell, hot and silent. "I never thought…" Her hand, holding the sword, went slack.
Die Man watched, a cold smile spreading across her face. I was right. She's eaten by the guilt.
"Your arrival stole the man I love. My plan was just to make him see how important I was. Liu was an accident. But he took the fall for your husband, for you. Your family sacrificed him to save their king."
"Die Man, go back to your room," Xue Liulan said, his voice tight with an anger he was struggling to control.
"I didn't kill him, but he died because of me." Murong Jin pushed Xue Liulan away, her face a mask of sudden, terrible clarity. "But you, Die Man, you were the one who pushed him. And for that, I will never forgive you."
Her sword was a blur.
The attack was so sudden, even Xue Liulan was a half-second too late. But Die Man, a master of the martial world, twisted, dodging the fatal blow, and struck Murong Jin on the shoulder.
Murong Jin stumbled back, but didn't stop. Her second attack was already in motion, a wall of cold, flawless steel. Die Man was driven back, back, until the tip of the blade was at her throat.
"Murong Jin, stop!"
Xue Liulan's voice. A force struck her sword arm, deflecting the blade. The impact sent her slamming into a pillar.
"Ah!" she cried out, her hand instinctively flying to her stomach.
"Liulan!" Die Man called, her voice full of relief.
He didn't look at her. He rushed to Murong Jin. "Are you alright?"
She just shook her head, her face pale, cold sweat beading on her forehead. Her sword clattered to the ground.
He swept her into his arms.
"Let go of me."
"Are you trying to lose our child?" he roared, his voice cold.
"You think I'm just throwing a tantrum?" she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"Aren't you? You're pregnant, and you're starting fights? I don't care how important Liu was to you. He is dead. But our child is alive."
His words, his rage, stunned her into silence. "If I had tried to kill her," she whispered, "would you have stopped me?"
"Yes," he said, the answer sharp and immediate. "I am not a man who forgets his debts."
He wouldn't look at her. "And even if I hadn't, you are no match for me. So you might as well give up the idea."
"I'm not that kind of person," she said, her voice barely a whisper as the pain finally overwhelmed her.
Xue Liulan sat in silence, waiting, as the physician checked her pulse. Ning Bi and Little Dingzi huddled in the corner.
Finally, the old man stood. "Your Highness may rest assured. The Princess Consort and the young prince are both safe. But she has been under great stress, and the agitation has destabilized the fetus. It was only because of her strong constitution that no great harm was done."
"That's good," Xue Liulan said, the words dry.
"But she must be careful from now on. A pregnant woman is sensitive. Any more shocks like this…"
"I understand. Thank you." He turned to Little Dingzi. "See the physician out."
He dismissed the rest of the servants and closed the door.
He walked to the bed. "I know you're awake."
"Mm," she answered, her voice muffled as she turned to face the wall. "If there's nothing else, please leave. I want to be alone."
His hand, resting on his knee, clenched. "So you can go find another sword and go after her again?"
"That has nothing to do with you."
"Murong Jin, you knew I would go to her. Why say such things now?" he sighed, his back to her.
"From the moment you chose to stand in front of her, you should have known I would."
He turned around. "So you hate me for it?"
She was silent, but her shoulders were shaking. Tears soaked the embroidered pillow.
"Fine," he said, his voice flat. "If you're going to hate me, then hate me completely." He strode to the door. "Ning Bi!"
"My lord?"
"From this moment on, the Princess Consort is not to leave this courtyard. And no one is to enter. If anyone disobeys, I will deal with them myself."
What? Ning Bi stared. He's confining her?
"Do you understand?" His voice was low, and heavy.
He didn't want her to lose their child. He didn't want to see her in that kind of pain again. And if this was the only way to keep her safe, so be it.