In the gloomy, dark prison, the deeper one went, the farther apart the torches were spaced. The firelight on both sides cast dim shadows, and everywhere was filled with the smell of mold and filth, with occasional hollow sounds of wind.

Seeing Qin Shangzhi still sitting under the lamp reading, the deposed crown prince gazed at the flickering candlelight, his eyes falling on the bright moonlight streaming through the tiny high window, deeply worried about his future.

Before long, the deposed crown prince suddenly heard voices calling “Your Majesty” from outside, growing from distant to near. Startled, he stood up and looked toward Qin Shangzhi: “Is Bai Qingyan coming?!”

Qin Shangzhi nodded and said to the deposed crown prince: “Your Highness need not be overly tense. Just maintain dignity without arrogance.”

The deposed crown prince’s fists clenched at his sides. For the sake of staying alive, he had even wagged his tail and begged Prince Liang. What dignity without arrogance! As long as Bai Qingyan would let him live, he was willing to kneel and kowtow to her.

Qin Shangzhi stood beside the deposed crown prince. He knew that, given Bai Qingyan’s character, since the crown prince had already surrendered, she wouldn’t put him to death at this time.

The Imperial Guards in armor held torches high, their boots marching in unison as they ran to stop before the cell door of the deposed crown prince and Qin Shangzhi. The chaotic dancing torchlight made the deposed crown prince instinctively step back.

The deposed crown prince first saw Xie Yuchang and Fu Ruoxi, and immediately felt his face burning with shame.

Back then, to beg for his life, he had thrown away his dignity, kowtowing and pleading with Prince Liang in front of the officials who had fought desperately to protect him. At that time, Xie Yuchang and Fu Ruoxi had also been there.

The deposed crown prince felt as if he had returned to that day, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. He lowered his eyes to avoid their gaze, afraid of seeing disdain on the faces of Xie Yuchang and Fu Ruoxi. These people who had once submitted at his feet—if they were now in lofty positions looking down on him with contempt and pity, he couldn’t bear it.

Qin Shangzhi’s fists clenched tightly at his sides as he saw Bai Qingyan, wrapped in a black cloak, walking slowly to the prison with an expression that was calm and indifferent as she looked into the cell.

The deposed crown prince’s ears burned hot as he bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan, his lips moving but ultimately saying nothing.

Perhaps… it was because the deposed crown prince clearly understood in his heart that Bai Qingyan was different from Prince Liang, not a treacherous villain like him. Even if he didn’t need to beg her like a dog, as long as he didn’t harbor thoughts of opposing her, she wouldn’t kill him.

The deposed crown prince closed his eyes in humiliation. Once… his subject Bai Qingyan had stood outside the prison door, and this wasn’t the first time he had bowed deeply to her. But this time… he was a prisoner, his status having plummeted while Bai Qingyan’s had risen, their positions completely reversed. His state of mind still couldn’t achieve true tranquility.

Xie Yuchang stood to Bai Qingyan’s right, his left hand gripping the sword at his waist. From the corner of his eye, he saw a subordinate nearby who seemed to have something urgent to report, anxiously looking toward him. He glanced at Bai Qingyan, signaled Fu Ruoxi to protect her well, and stepped toward the subordinate.

“What is it?” Xie Yuchang quickly walked to his subordinate and asked in a low voice.

“General, the five vassal princes have made their move…”

Upon hearing this, Xie Yuchang raised an eyebrow, released his grip on the sword, and pulled the subordinate into the shadows where the firelight couldn’t reach. After looking around, he said: “Speak…”

“Following the General’s instructions, I sent several men to pretend they were dissatisfied with His Majesty being a woman ascending the throne, occasionally revealing some information. Sure enough, Prince Baishui approached to get close to them. I instructed the brothers to handle it carefully. Just now… Prince Baishui sent extremely generous gifts to several Imperial Guard centurions who will be stationed inside the great hall during the coronation ceremony, asking them to plant Prince Baishui’s men in the hall, intending to act against His Majesty… to harm His Majesty on the day of ascension!”

Xie Yuchang’s eyes deepened, his expression coldly stern: “Assassinate His Majesty?”

The Imperial Guard commander nodded: “They said the people being placed are all experts, just waiting for His Majesty to enter the great hall before they’ll act! Prince Baishui also promised high positions to all the brothers! Prince Baishui also said… he is from the direct bloodline of Jin’s Emperor Gaozu, making his inheritance of the imperial throne completely legitimate. If he could ascend the throne, all loyal and righteous men would become generals and such.”

Xie Yuchang grasped the sword hilt again, his fingers rubbing it as he asked in a low voice: “Did you hear what preparations Prince Baishui himself will make tomorrow?”

“Prince Baishui didn’t elaborate, but from what the brothers gathered, Prince Baishui will claim illness tomorrow and not attend the ceremony. He’s preparing ceremonial robes and crown in advance, just waiting for His Majesty to die… then he’ll appear in ceremonial dress and crown to ascend the throne.” The Imperial Guard commander asked quietly, “Should we control Prince Baishui in advance?”

Xie Yuchang thought quietly for a moment and shook his head: “This still needs to be asked of His Majesty’s opinion! You go first… and await orders! Don’t reveal our hand with Prince Baishui.”

“Yes!” The Imperial Guard commander clasped his hands and quickly departed.

Inside the cell, Qin Shangzhi, wearing clean blue-gray robes, didn’t act pretentiously. He lifted his hem and knelt before Bai Qingyan, kowtowing: “I greet the Great Zhou Empress.”

“Qin Shangzhi… you were responsible for the Guanghe Canal construction project. I’ve come now to ask you… Are you willing to see it through to completion and continue overseeing the canal construction?” Bai Qingyan’s brows and eyes were clear, her voice steady.

Qin Shangzhi’s fingers trembled as he raised his eyes to look at Bai Qingyan. The bright, dancing torches illuminated Bai Qingyan’s exquisitely beautiful features, her eyes profound, so unfathomable that one couldn’t discern any of her emotions.

The canal construction was something Qin Shangzhi had proposed and overseen. Naturally, he wanted to complete it perfectly, but thinking of the deposed crown prince, Qin Shangzhi hesitated.

“You may consider this. If you’re unwilling to oversee the canal construction, I’ll go to the trouble of inviting the descendants of the hydraulic engineering master, Master Sima Sheng, back from Western Liang. You need not compromise for the people’s livelihood…” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she looked toward the deposed crown prince: “Crown Prince…”

Hearing Bai Qingyan address him as Crown Prince, he quickly knelt and said: “Your Majesty, please just call me… call me Prince Qi! Since I have already surrendered to the Great Zhou, I am no longer Your Highness the Crown Prince. I only ask that Your Majesty, considering that I have no grand ambitions and pose no threat to Great Zhou, let me be like Great Liang’s Third Prince—just let me be Prince Qi… and live out my remaining days!”

Xie Yuchang and Fu Ruoxi had long witnessed this deposed crown prince of Jin groveling before Prince Liang. That this prince could now speak these words steadily without being frightened out of his wits was already beyond their expectations.

Since the deposed crown prince didn’t require her to waste words, she nodded: “If you can think this way, I’ll have someone escort your family of three to a place with clear mountains and beautiful waters in Great Liang, and care for you for the rest of your lives. But… you must not reveal your identities to the Jin Dynasty’s young imperial grandson, lest it bring mortal danger to that child.”

Upon hearing these words, the deposed crown prince suddenly raised his head. He stared wide-eyed at Bai Qingyan—this meant… his child was still alive!

The deposed crown prince was dazzled by the glaring, dancing torches until his eyes grew sore, thinking this must be just a dream.