The night was too cold, too chilling.
Since stepping into the Imperial Palace at the age of twenty-three, she had never left its confines, had not seen her parents, nor any relatives.
All she knew was that, apart from her mother, no one would think of her.
Alive or dead, besides her mother, no one would care.
In this dilapidated, cold palace, she had long since lost her former beauty, her once-black hair had dried up, turning white as frost.
The door creaked open, allowing a gust of cold air to rush in.
Yun Jinnian shivered from the cold, hazily looking toward the doorway, only to see a woman leading a child, around ten years old, very thin, with large, listless eyes that seemed unable to perceive anything.
And the woman's face became clear, "Ah…" Yun Jinnian opened her mouth to scream, but she was toothless, her tongue had been cut out.
"Ah, ah…"
That was her Momo, the child was her Momo, whom she had carried for ten months.
"Ah…"
Yun Jinnian tried to crawl over, only to find her limbs had been chopped off, leaving nothing but her torso; opening her mouth, all that came out was an anguished, sharp "ah," no other sound.
Tears fell as her heart twisted like it was being cut with knives.
A sword lay across the child's neck, but he showed no reaction, standing numb as the blade cut through his throat, blood dripping down the sword onto the floor.
"Ah!"
Yun Jinnian shook her head, tears falling rapidly.
She also saw the person wielding the sword, a stunningly beautiful woman, who had once been known alongside her as one of Capital City's twin jewels, Zhu Yan.
A mere concubine's daughter, yet she had clung to her, the Empress and cousin, step by step bringing her to this state of misery.
"Hand it over, or your son dies today!"
Hand over what?
What did she have that Zhu Yan hadn't taken?
Yun Jinnian lay prostrate on the ground, begging like a dog, pleading with Zhu Yan not to harm the child.
Zhu Yan looked down at Yun Jinnian with supreme satisfaction, kicked Momo aside, and gestured for her henchmen to come forward, each holding a wooden bucket steaming with heat.
A bucket of boiling water was poured over Yun Jinnian's head, scalding her so badly that her skin blistered and peeled, the pain so intense she couldn't even cry out, and she lost consciousness.
Her worn clothes were stripped off.
"How could there be nothing?" Zhu Yan screamed in frustration, "Flay her skin, peel it off right in front of her son!"
Yun Jinnian felt only pain, intense pain.
And those eyes, once bright, just watched the child seated on the ground.
She cared for nothing else, only him, only him now.
"My lady, the Emperor has sent word to ask if you have found the Treasure Map?" a eunuch whispered from beyond the door.
Zhu Yan glanced at Yun Jinnian, a bloody, barely breathing mess, "Slice her flesh off, feed it to that fool!"
Yun Jinnian's eyes widened.
Zhu Yan, Zhu Yan, I, Yun Jinnian, curse you, may you die a terrible death, may you suffer as I have today, forced to eat the flesh of your own children, may you never find peace in any lifetime.
But, thankfully, Zhu Yan ordered Momo to eat her flesh, not the other way around; at least Momo was still alive.
Yun Jinnian looked down at her son sitting on the floor.
Momo, oh Momo.
I failed you, I failed you. Had I known I could not protect you, I should not have brought you into this world.
Yun Jinnian could see nothing else but someone bringing over a plate of raw flesh and setting it before Momo. He reached for the meat, shoved it into his mouth, chewing voraciously, his mouth filled with blood, filled with blood…