"It failed?!" Imperial Concubine Ai was shocked when she got the report about that Bitch Ger. She was expecting some good news, such as the news of that Bitch Ger's head rolling on the ground. 

But what she got was the report on how that Bitch Ger was able to defeat eleven assassins simultaneously. 

"Are you telling me that Bitch Ger has defeated eleven people!?"

"Y—Yes, Milady. He is powerful enough to do that. We can't even scathe him, and we're unable to kill him after he fainted because Seventh Prince, Huang Shu could decapitate the Barbarian leader quickly and returned to the courtyard to save him—"

The sound of bronze cutlery falling from the table silenced the informer. He didn't know if he should continue reporting because Imperial Concubine Ai looked so angry. 

It was already late at night, and the Imperial Concubine told the guards around to rest, so their secret meeting wouldn't get heard. Imperial Concubine Ai was waiting for the excellent news, not this news about a failed assassination attempt. 

"Go find another assassin. I want that Bitch Ger to drop dead! He has been poisoning my son's mind for so long, he might never return to the Imperial Palace at this point!"

"Yes, Milady, I will—Urk!"

The informant's eyes widened before he dropped dead in front of Imperial Concubine Ai. There was a dagger sticking on his back, stabbing right behind his heart. 

Imperial Concubine Ai was surprised. She looked up and saw two assassins standing at the door, wearing all black except their eyes and holding a bottle of suspicious liquid. 

"W—Who are you?!" Concubine Ai tried to escape by using the back door. But the men jumped in front of Concubine Ai and grabbed her hands. 

One man held her arm from behind to prevent her from escaping, while the other muffled her mouth, so she wouldn't be able to scream. 

"Mffff! Mmmfff!" Imperial Concubine Ai tried to struggle as hard as she could, but she was just a regular noblewoman. She had no strength to fight against these people. 

"Imperial Concubine, we know what you did to Bai Yunyu. You're devious enough to orchestrate an invasion with the Barbarians and also ambushed Master Bai Yunyu with eleven assassins," one of the men said. 

"That's why we are here to deliver the punishment you deserve," the other one added. "You must've wondered who dares to send the assassins to kill you, right?" 

"Mmfff!"

"Ah, too bad we can't take off the muffler. Let's just say the one who sends us is a person worthy of heaven and earth's blessing. The one who should be the next Emperor, but he decided to follow his beloved to the garrison in the border," the assassin said. "And this is how we support him, our true Master."

Imperial Concubine Ai seemed to have a wild guess about the identity of the one who sent these people. But she didn't want to believe it. 

She thought, as evil as she could be, everything she did was for the future of her son! If that Bitch Ger was dead, her son would return to the Imperial Palace and resume his position. Then the wealth and glory as the second strongest Prince would give them all a prosperous life in the future. 

The assassin opened the bottle lid, and a putrid smell immediately stung Concubine Ai's nose. It was the strong smell that gave her an immediate headache, so it must've been filled with many dangerous substances. 

"This bottle is filled with poisonous acid that will slowly corrode your inside. You will be writing in pain for the next six hours, succumbing to death with extreme pain in your guts. Your skin will turn blue, and you might enjoy puking your own guts."

"This is the worst poison we ever have, and the one who administered us to kill you with this poison is your beloved son."

Imperial Concubine Ai's eyes widened. Her face paled as she had lost all her strength after knowing that her son wanted to assassinate her. 

There was a long pause before the assassin delivered the message, "Seventh Prince Huang Shu and Master Bai Yunyu send their regards for you, Imperial Concubine Ai, you devious old witch.."

The assassin held Imperial Concubine Ai's jaw, and then…

CRACK!

"MFFFFH!!!"

He dislocated it, so Concubine Ai couldn't close her jaw. He took out the muffler and then chugged the whole bottle of poisonous acid inside Concubine Ai's mouth. 

She was forced to drink everything, and after the whole bottle was empty, she had lost her strength and slumped on the ground. Her eyes were empty, but her tears streamed down on her cheeks as she lamented about her fate.

All she wanted was just to have her son, Huang Shu to be useful for them. Because he was the only ticket for Concubine Ai to have a prosperous life when she got old.

So she had to kill the Bitch Ger who dared to seduce him.

Who would've expected Huang Shu not to kill his birth mother because of that Bitch Ger?

In the end, the assassins cut some hair as it was proof that they had killed the Imperial Concubine. They would send this to their Master, Huang Shu. 

But before they left, they took the informant's body. They threw the body in the river while leaving the Imperial Concubine, dying alone in her majestic Palace. 

**

Emperor Jing was sitting alone in his chamber, with his beloved Ger was already sleeping in the bed beside the desk. He was reading some manuscript when the window was knocked in a certain pattern.

Thus, Emperor Jing opened the window, and the assassins he was familiar with were kneeling under the window.

"Why are you here? Did my son send you?" The Emperor asked. 

"Yes, Your Majesty. Our Master wants us to report about what we've done and the message he wants us to deliver for you."

"What is it?"

"… we've successfully assassinated Imperial Concubine Ai as revenge for her heinous deed, because she had orchestrated the invasion of the barbarians by sharing some information to the leader, and also ambushed Bai Yunyu with eleven assassins."

"Eleven assassins?!" 

"Yes, Your Majesty. But Bai Yunyu is a skillful martial artist. He defeated them all in expend of exhausting his body," the assassin reported. "That is the reason why Seventh Prince sent us to kill his mother."

"So the day had already come," Imperial Jing mumbled. Imperial Concubine Ai hated Gers so much. She was the one who tried to poison his beloved Ger many times, but Emperor Jing couldn't do anything because she had a strong backup, and there was not enough evidence to punish her. 

It seemed that karma bit her in the worst possible way, getting assassinated by her own son.

Emperor Jing looked down on the assassins. These people were cultivated by him to help the Seventh Prince, his most favorite son, in the future. 

Truthfully, although he disliked Concubine Ai, Huang Shu was still his most favorite, even more than Crown Prince Huang Bei.

But he couldn't show his favoritism in the Imperial Palace, or Huang Shu would be targeted. 

So by providing Huang Shu with as many resources as possible was the only thing he could do. 

At least, Huang Shu was now living happily with his choice, that Ger, Bai Yunyu. 

Emperor Jing nodded, "I will cover about this assassination. Send my regards to my son, and tell him that I blessed his marriage with Bai Yunyu, even though I couldn't attend."

"Yes, Your Majesty, we will leave now."

The assassins disappeared, and Emperor Jing closed the window. 

He walked to his beloved Ger, who was still sleeping right now and then kissed his forehead. 

"My beloved, we're old now, and I don't want to spend so much time as an Emperor because everyone has been targeting you. I will always protect you, but sometimes… I just want a peaceful life for us together."

"I've been thinking about this. I think this is the right time for me to abdicate. Huang Bei is strong and wise enough to rule, and the poisonous Imperial Concubine Ai is dead."

"I believe this is our chance to experience a peaceful life, my beautiful Ger."

Emperor Jing kissed his lover's forehead and then started writing some edicts before he decided to abdicate.