The King''s eyes were wide, and his mouth was slightly open as if he had something important to say.


    Zhou Huaijin withdrew his hand, it was covered in blood, panting heavily.


    However, Zhou Huaijin''s actions were triggered by the King''s mention of the Queen. He would not have acted this way if the King had not brought her up.


    The King''s ignorance and forgetfulness regarding his mistreatment of the Queen rendered him unfit to speak about her in any capacity.


    The mere mention had clearly irritated Zhou Huaijin.


    Throughout his life, his mother Chaoyan and Xunyang had been his weaknesses, and anyone who touched upon them would pay the price.


    But…


    Zhou Huaijin panted slightly, fist clenched.


    Despite this…


    Gu Chaoyan stepped forward and took his hand.


    Just as she was about to speak, De Fu approached and turned his attention to the King lying on the floor, then to Zhou Huaijin. With a reassuring smile, he spoke up. "Lord Huai, please don''t feel guilty or dwell on this."


    " "…"


    "He deserved this stab from you."


    " "…"


    "The Queen is your mother and even if she is still alive, it doesn''t remove what the King did to her. Also…"


    "…."


    "General Jiang did not die of natural causes, but was in fact murdered by the King."


    "…."


    "The King harbored a deep hatred for General Jiang and was responsible for his death. However, he still had some attachment to the Queen, which is why he spared Madame Jiang and you. Nevertheless, this was an enormous wrongdoing."


    "…"


    "Only a handful of individuals were privy to this information. The King, yourself, and those who were directly involved have all passed away, leaving the truth buried with them."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "…."


    "I have been in the King''s service since I was young, and now, after many years, the King has grown old and gray. Despite my unwavering loyalty to him, I must reveal the truth about what happened to General Jiang."


    "…."


    "With the secret finally revealed, I have nothing left to hide." De Fu''s smile was bittersweet as he picked up the dagger that had been lodged in the King''s chest. Without hesitation, he used it to slit his own throat.


    Then he copsed.


    Gu Chaoyan''s hand halted in mid-air, frozen in ce. Despite her intention to act, she had not been able to do anything.


    She let out a sigh.


    De Fu had never changed.


    De Fu had been loyal to the King until the moment he revealed the truth about General Jiang''s death. In an act of ultimate sacrifice, he paid for this betrayal with his own life.


    Or…


    He had already nned to die with the King from the beginning.


    But just as what he said at the beginning, Huaijin should not feel any guilt.


    Gu Chaoyan gripped Zhou Huaijin''s hands. "Are you alright?"


    "Yes, but I suspected as much," Zhou Huaijin said as he reached out to touch Gu Chaoyan''s head. "I had even asked the Shadow Door to investigate it before, but my mother''s influence prevented me from pursuing it further. De Fu''s words simply confirmed my suspicions."


    "…."


    "My grandfather has been gone for years," Zhou Huaijin said. "It''s time for me to focus on the present and cherish those who are with me now, rather than dwelling on the past."


    Zhou Huaijin and Gu Chaoyan conversed calmly with one another, but their peace was interrupted by a sudden burst of excitedughter from Lord Yan.


    "He''s dead, he''s really dead! Finally!" Lord Yan eximed, feeling the King''s breath leave his body.


    Zhou Huaijin turned his attention to the Eldest Prince.