Empress Mo and Luo Xue quietly went into Princess Zhao Yang’s sleeping chamber. To their surprise, the royal chamber was deserted and cold, with no one on guard.
Empress Mo felt a pang of sorrow and instructed Luo Xue to guard outside of the hall. She herself rushed to Princess Zhao Yang’s couch.
"Zhao Yang... Yuyu..."
Seeing her daughter, who was barely alive on the couch, the Empress Mo felt as if her heart was being wrenched out. She swallowed her tears, grabbed her daughter’s shoulders, and gently swayed her.
"Yuyu, wake up, we don’t have much time..."
"Yuyu, Jin Guifei is probably on her way to Zhao Yang Palace now, if we don’t speak now, it will be too late..."
Zhao Yang slowly opened her eyes, weakly gazing at the haggard mother in front of her, opened her mouth, and whispered, "Imperial Mother..."
Immediately, two lines of tears flowed down her face like torrents.
Empress Mo wrapped her in a hug and choked, "My sweet girl, you have suffered. I failed to protect you..."
Princess Zhao Yang struggled to shake her head, "It’s not your fault, mother. It’s my own foolishness and stubbornness that has hurt both me and you. I fear even my brother has been dragged down by me. I deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
"Yuyu, this is not the time for such words. Listen to me, you must set off to Liaodan with Saknu after daybreak..."
Before Empress Mo could finish her words, Princess Zhao Yang stiffened instinctively. Fear surfaced on her face, and she started trembling, gripping Empress Mo’s hand tightly...
"Imperial Mother... Imperial Mother..."
Empress Mo patted her daughter’s shoulder, soothing her softly.
"Yuyu, don’t be afraid. I’ve made arrangements. On the way to Liaodan, your uncle will rescue you and hide you with your elder brother. When your brother succeeds in the future, we can be a family again. Now, you must promise me that you will not be tempted by death and fight to live."
"Really? Will Uncle really come to save me?" Zhao Yang asked, her teary eyes full of disbelief as she stared at her mother.
"Absolutely, your maternal grandfather and I have arranged it. We will definitely rescue you safely. But remember, you mustn’t provoke Saknu during your journey. You’ve already gravely offended him by poisoning An Le. If you mess with him again, I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to escape even if you wished to. So, never risk your life just for the sake of venting your anger."
Empress Mo repeatedly urged her. Her daughter was about to embark on a long journey, and in such a precarious manner. Moreover, her daughter had always been pampered and had no cunning, how could she let her go to a foreign land, thousand of miles away, all by herself?
Zhao Yang sobbingly said, "Imperial Mother, rest assured. I will protect myself and live well, waiting for the day when I can return to your side to honor you!"
Empress Mo hesitated a moment before saying sadly, "When you see your brother, if he gets angry with you over An Le, you must not argue with him. Regardless of what he accuses you of, you must listen quietly. And regardless of how he punishes you, you must bear it. Who let you be influenced by others to hurt the one he loved most..."
"Yes, Imperial Mother, I understand."
Princess Zhao Yang gave a solemn nod, "No matter how my brother punishes me, it’s deserved. I not only harmed the woman my brother loved most, but I also harmed myself, and caused trouble for you and my brother. I suspect that even the family of my maternal grandfather will be implicated by me. My crimes are indeed of the worst kind, and if my brother were to beat me to death, it would not be too harsh."