That night, Jiang Ruan eventually managed to extract the truth from Xiao Shao’s mouth. Originally, when Xiao Shao first took over the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he had ventured deep into Southern Xinjiang to deal with the remaining Southern Xinjiang forces. The Southern Xinjiang leader at that time was the brother of the king from before Southern Xinjiang was destroyed. Southern Xinjiang’s terrain was complex, with many poisonous insects and plants – one careless step could land you in prison. It wasn’t suitable for large-scale frontal confrontation. Xiao Shao at that time was in his heroic youth, fearless, directly venturing alone into Southern Xinjiang and beheading that Southern Xinjiang leader. This naturally came at dangerous costs, but Xiao Shao was someone who focused on results, and the result was that he succeeded.

A young teenager who had just emerged and possessed such great ability was already quite terrifying in the Southern Xinjiang people’s mouths. And Xiao Shao himself was incomparably handsome, with a cold and mysterious temperament, naturally attracting one person – the Saintess of Southern Xinjiang: Dan Zhen.

Dan Zhen was Southern Xinjiang’s Saintess. Xiao Shao was probably only fourteen or fifteen then, and Dan Zhen was even younger. Though the two were clearly in opposing positions, Dan Zhen developed other feelings for Xiao Shao. This would have been an ordinary matter – among his peers, Xiao Shao really stood out too much. Dan Zhen, as the Saintess, lived a life of few desires. Suddenly seeing a heroic and handsome youth, she would naturally develop feelings of admiration. However, Southern Xinjiang had always protected their Saintess very well. Unlike Qi Man, who was a royal princess – the Southern Xinjiang people’s protection of her maintained the entire nation’s dignity – protecting the Saintess maintained Southern Xinjiang’s entire faith.

But a Saintess could never marry or bear children in her lifetime, destined to be a lonely existence. And Dan Zhen’s way of expressing her affection for Xiao Shao was: pursuing him to the death with everything she had. This seemed very similar to Southern Xinjiang people’s extremely strong possessiveness. When Xiao Shao returned to the capital with the Southern Xinjiang leader’s head, Dan Zhen had sent dozens of experts together to surround and kill Xiao Shao, trying to bring him back – even as a puppet or a favorite would be good. That day Xiao Shao killed those dozens of experts one by one, and while severely injured on his way back to the capital, this was the first time he met Jiang Ruan.

When Xiao Shao spoke of this matter, he incidentally also mentioned his connection with Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan was also somewhat surprised – when Xiao Shao had spoken of repaying kindness earlier, she hadn’t really taken it to heart, probably not being able to remember. But now learning of that past from Xiao Shao’s words, Jiang Ruan herself was quite moved.

But in the end, everything circled back to Dan Zhen. Jiang Ruan glared at him. Though Yao Niannian hadn’t shown any particular feelings toward Xiao Shao before, because of the Emperor’s intentions, she was always in the position of a love rival. Moreover, when first meeting the real Yao Niannian, Jiang Ruan had sensed waves in that woman’s heart – she might not have been without thoughts toward Xiao Shao. Now Yao Niannian was dead, but another Dan Zhen had appeared, going back many years. Thinking that Xiao Shao had been coveted by a woman for so many years, Jiang Ruan’s mood was indeed not very pleasant. She said, “You truly are a disaster that attracts bees and butterflies.”

Xiao Shao was slightly stunned, his expression becoming somewhat helpless. How could this be blamed on him? He was cold-hearted and aloof, never having noticed Dan Zhen’s feelings. Even after noticing Dan Zhen’s feelings, in his eyes they were nothing. Life was probably very wonderful – Xiao Shao himself hadn’t expected that one day he would have feelings of lifelong protection toward a woman. Xiao Shao himself hadn’t expected it, so Dan Zhen couldn’t have expected it even less. Women’s jealousy had always been terrifying. If Xiao Shao was cold to everyone, Dan Zhen hitting a wall with Xiao Shao might not matter much. But if one day a woman appeared who gained Xiao Shao’s favor, and Dan Zhen discovered that Xiao Shao hadn’t always only known how to treat people coldly, she would definitely be unable to bear the collapse in her heart.

“No wonder she kept calling me Princess Hong’an…” Without waiting for Xiao Shao to answer, Jiang Ruan continued talking to herself, “So she minds my status as Princess Consort. From this we can see this person isn’t good at endurance, at least not in emotional matters. Though she’s also very skilled at using human psychology – for example, that day using Lu Zhu and Jin Er to achieve her purpose – she still has extreme difficulty controlling her own emotions. This might be related to her own position. As a lofty Saintess with everyone around her obeying her every wish, where would she encounter setbacks?” Jiang Ruan analyzed thus.

In the process of gaming, an opponent who could endure was obviously more terrifying. Jiang Ruan and Xuan Pei could be considered enduring people, because they had the bloody lessons of their previous lives, and had experienced the pain of being ignored in their youth. Xuan Li’s endurance was also very good, especially difficult for someone who was heaven’s favored. This Dan Zhen was the same – as a woman, being unable to control her emotions was her greatest weakness. Comparing this way, that Qi Man was much more terrifying. Qi Man was Southern Xinjiang’s princess, naturally having lived a pampered life before. Yet she had hidden her identity, changed her appearance, and hidden in the Minister’s mansion as an unfavored concubine for so many years without any flaws. And her lack of flaws was her greatest flaw – even Jiang Ruan couldn’t help but feel somewhat alarmed at this point.

She was carefully thinking about Qi Man’s matter here, but Xiao Shao saw her constantly frowning without speaking, thinking Jiang Ruan was bothered by Dan Zhen. No matter how steady Xiao Shao usually was, when facing Jiang Ruan he always felt somewhat helpless. He wasn’t as skilled as Jin Er at coaxing people to happiness. Seeing Jiang Ruan unhappy made his heart somewhat nervous. After thinking briefly, he reached out to press Jiang Ruan’s shoulder, saying, “How about I kill her?”

Jiang Ruan: “…” This was too quick – she hadn’t said anything yet. If Dan Zhen knew of Xiao Shao’s words now, she would probably go mad with jealousy again.

She didn’t speak, so Xiao Shao took it as her agreement. Without another word, he leaned close and pinched her chin. Jiang Ruan was stunned, not expecting him to do this, when Xiao Shao kissed her.

Butler Lin had said that women were always soft-hearted. If sweet words couldn’t coax them, then you could only kiss them – the more forcefully you kissed, the better it probably was.

Xiao Shao’s forceful offensive blocked all of Jiang Ruan’s words. The instigator was quite satisfied seeing this. Indeed, Butler Lin hadn’t lied – this method was really good.

…

In an inconspicuous residence somewhere in the capital, it currently looked no different from usual. Servants carefully swept outside the courtyard, those doing embroidery did embroidery – it looked as comfortable as some small wealthy family’s life. But if there were experts here observing carefully, they would notice these servants didn’t seem so simple.

Inside the room were three people. The woman sitting in the high seat looked somewhat haggard, with only ordinary features. But even with ordinary features, she now looked somehow different. This person was none other than the Minister’s mansion’s Great Aunt Yi Shuang, or rather, the former Southern Xinjiang princess, Qi Man.

If anyone from the Minister’s mansion saw Qi Man now, they would be greatly shocked. Her appearance was still the same as before, but her temperament seemed to have completely changed. An ordinary face, but the expression on it seemed bewitching. Every movement was seductive, yet within the seduction was an indescribable coldness – completely different from the formerly gentle, quiet Yi Shuang.

“Aunt, what should we do next?” asked the woman sitting at Qi Man’s lower right. This woman’s voice was obviously younger, and the pair of eyes showing above her veil were extremely lively – one look seemed so charming it could drip water. She wore red clothes, naturally possessing a mysterious beauty, but this beauty made one feel much more dangerous.

“No need to be anxious,” Qi Man said slowly.

“Aunt speaks correctly, but Aunt is accustomed to enduring, staying in the Great Jin Dynasty’s capital day after day for over ten years. I fear you’ve forgotten your identity as Southern Xinjiang’s princess. But now we’ve returned for revenge. How can we be chased around in panic like rats crossing the street? Where does Southern Xinjiang’s dignity go?” These words seemed to say nothing, but listening carefully, one could detect the barbs within.

Qi Man said nothing. Yuan Chuan, the masked man sitting below Dan Zhen, couldn’t help himself. He looked uneasily at Qi Man before slowly saying, “Does the Princess have a strategy?”

What Southern Xinjiang thought of Qi Man – though the Great Jin Dynasty was their enemy and the original culprit who destroyed Southern Xinjiang, tracing to the root, everything was caused by Qi Man. If she hadn’t provoked Prince Hongxi, or hadn’t been so ruthless to Xiang Xiaoyuan, how would Southern Xinjiang be in this state now? When the Great Jin Dynasty’s emperor ordered Southern Xinjiang’s destruction, it was certainly to expand territory, but the more important reason was probably to avenge Prince Hongxi.

For Southern Xinjiang, Qi Man could be called a disaster. The Southern Xinjiang people had many complaints about her, but all these years Qi Man had disappeared, so naturally there was nothing to say. Dan Zhen was Qi Man’s niece. If not for Qi Man, she would still be enjoying royal treatment now. But now that Southern Xinjiang was destroyed, she could only be a lifelong unmarried Saintess. Though her status was high, her days were monotonous and boring. How could Dan Zhen not harbor resentment toward Qi Man?

More importantly, now that both were in the capital, it was equivalent to Southern Xinjiang having two masters. How subordinates should be deployed and who was the leader would inevitably cause disputes. By seniority, naturally Qi Man should be Southern Xinjiang’s current master. But all these years, subordinates had followed Dan Zhen’s orders. If they just handed this over to Qi Man, how could Dan Zhen be willing?

Yuan Chuan saw clearly – Qi Man was unfathomable while Dan Zhen was absolutely unyielding. But now wasn’t the time for internal strife, so he spoke to ease the hidden tensions between them, asking about Qi Man’s deployment. Unlike Dan Zhen, who was ultimately too casual in temperament – though she spoke of making the Great Jin Dynasty pay a bloody price this time in the capital, her thoughts were always on that person. But Qi Man’s original purpose had never changed – that terrifying purpose of making the entire Great Jin Dynasty pay a bloody price.

“Jin Dynasty people are rash-minded and habitually think themselves clever. Some days ago you were used as pawns, hurting your own position,” Qi Man said slowly. Dan Zhen’s expression changed – Yao Niannian’s identity being exposed and fleeing everywhere in the capital was her humiliation. Qi Man was ruthlessly humiliating her. Qi Man continued, “This time, we’ll use others as pawns.” She smiled slightly, her eyes seeming very pleased, “No, it should be said: when the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits.”

After saying this, Qi Man got up and walked out of the room. After Qi Man left, Dan Zhen clenched her fists tightly, saying through gritted teeth, “What thing!”

“Saintess, watch your words,” Yuan Chuan said, “At crucial moments, try to restrain everything.” He spoke briefly, believing Dan Zhen could understand.

Dan Zhen snorted coldly. Though her expression still showed some unwillingness, she followed his words, “Naturally.”

…

At the same time, in the Eighth Prince’s mansion, Xuan Li quietly played with the thumb ring on his finger. Unlike the anxiety of previous days, he now looked completely at ease, indescribably leisurely, as if already having complete confidence. The advisor beside him sat quietly until a guard quickly reported, “Your Highness, the letter has been delivered to the palace.”

Xuan Li’s movement suddenly stopped. He immediately sat up straight, only calling out “Good.” His gaze suddenly became somewhat excited – this appeared extremely rarely on the usually restrained Xuan Li, as if something he had planned for a long time had finally been completed.

“Congratulations, Your Highness,” the advisor stood and bowed, “This move will definitely catch them off guard. With continuous battles, great success is within sight.”

Xuan Li waved his hand, his face returning to calm, but even so, his eyes and brows couldn’t help but show some smugness, “Being in a passive position, letting opponents become careless, then attacking when unprepared with full preparation – what can Prince Jinying do? He’s still helpless.”

“Your Highness is wise, early on severing ties with those Southern Xinjiang people. Now using them to distract Prince Jinying’s mansion’s attention – Prince Jinying is now focused on Southern Xinjiang and has no time to care about the Thirteenth Prince. Your Highness can act freely,” the advisor praised appropriately.

Xuan Li shook his head, “Southern Xinjiang people have great ambitions, also wanting to share half the kingdom with me. If Southern Xinjiang isn’t eliminated, it will definitely become a major threat later. Better to use them as bait to attract Prince Jinying’s mansion’s attention. This way, when two tigers fight, both suffer losses, which is beneficial to me.”

“But Your Highness,” the advisor hesitated slightly, “In the palace, the Thirteenth Prince probably has backup plans. The Thirteenth Prince is naturally cunning – he might not be so easily deceived.”

Xuan Li smiled slightly, “This is natural. If I didn’t have complete confidence, how would I dare go this far? Now things are proceeding step by step according to my plan, which proves he hasn’t discovered anything. Focusing on external matters and winning over ministers is foolish to begin with. This bloody struggle must ultimately be resolved in the palace, and only Father Emperor can make the final decision. Abandoning the root for the branch – Xuan Pei has committed a great taboo.” Xuan Li even had the leisure to criticize Xuan Pei’s flaws here. With his cautious nature, he probably now had complete confidence and was extremely self-assured.

“Now, we just wait for results,” Xuan Li said.

…

This day, the Emperor held court as usual. These days, the Emperor attended court for shorter and shorter periods, spending longer and longer reviewing memorials. More and more memorials accumulated in the imperial study, and some ministers began to feel frustrated, speculating about what problems the Emperor might have. But when people tried to get information from Dong Xiuyi, who was close to the Emperor, they learned that the Emperor was perfectly fine without any problems.

Mu Xirou, the other favored consort who could get close to the Emperor, was a cold beauty who naturally couldn’t be expected to reveal any information. But the more Dong Xiuyi said this, the more rampant the ministers’ speculation became. However, at least on the surface, the court remained calm. Only veteran ministers who had weathered many storms in the political sea could keenly sense something different and foresee that a huge storm was about to sweep through the entire Great Jin Dynasty.

So this day, the Great Jin Dynasty’s storm suddenly arrived, disrupting decades of peaceful days and immediately stirring up huge waves.

The Emperor, the ruler of a nation, while listening to the Minister of Rites present a memorial during court, suddenly collapsed from the dragon throne, unconscious and still not awakened. All the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy mobilized, but were now helpless.

The court was in uproar. At this time when the succession struggle was nearly white-hot and Southern Xinjiang people had infiltrated the capital – with internal and external troubles – the ruler had actually collapsed. What made people even more fearful was that no one knew when this ruler would wake up. Seeing the heavy expressions on the Imperial Medical Academy physicians’ faces, all ministers had the same terrible thought flash through their minds: What if… he couldn’t wake up?

Then the Great Jin Dynasty’s kingdom would probably be thrown into chaos.

Ministers dared not speak of this matter anywhere. Even close family couldn’t be told. Any possibility of causing the slightest panic among the people, letting them know the precarious state of the Great Jin Dynasty’s royal family, could bring infinite hidden dangers. All ministers returned to their mansions that day and began seriously considering how to proceed. If the Emperor never woke up, there would inevitably be a fierce battle between the Eighth Prince and Thirteenth Prince. In this battle, they were betting their status to gain endless wealth and honor. The bureaucrats in the capital began discussing and planning, while the palace showed subtle chaos beneath its low atmosphere. This chaos and panic was forcibly suppressed by various palace rules, but even so, fearful emotions spread rapidly. The Emperor’s collapse meant an era might end, and a new era might need to begin anew.

But the Crown Prince hadn’t been established, and the heir was unknown.

This was the source of all panic. Every succession struggle ultimately stepped on countless corpses with rivers of blood. Though common people might not see it, palace people knew it well – those terrible scenes would be deeply planted in every palace person’s heart.

The Imperial Medical Academy physicians were helpless. Empress Dowager Yide was furious, issuing death orders to no avail. At the crucial moment, Xuan Pei learned of this and suggested to Empress Dowager Yide that perhaps they could find Xia Qing, the Golden Mausoleum Divine Hand. Xia Qing and Xiao Shao were fellow disciples. Empress Dowager Yide had people invite Xia Qing, who came quickly. After examining the Emperor’s condition, under Empress Dowager Yide’s expectant gaze, he shook his head and said only eight words: “Deeply poisoned, medicine and stone ineffective.”

Medicine and stone ineffective – these words announced that the Emperor’s remaining life might not be long. Poisoned? Empress Dowager Yide grasped the key point. Where had the Emperor been poisoned? After having the entire palace searched inside and out, they couldn’t find where the poison came from. Even someone as knowledgeable as Xia Qing couldn’t determine what this poison was. The poisoning was too deep, the toxicity too fierce. He had neither time nor means to save him. Before he could figure out what the poison was, the Emperor would probably lose his life. Now they were barely sustaining him with medicine, but that was only a temporary solution – ultimately there was no real remedy.

Empress Dowager Yide was furious. In front of all the Imperial Medical Academy physicians, she declared that if the Emperor died, all the women in the harem would be buried with him. This was the royal family’s cruelty. Though these women might have lived luxurious lives that others envied, in fact they were just the Emperor’s accessories. When the Emperor died, their lives had no necessity to continue.

Though Empress Dowager Yide spoke before the physicians, the palace women still sensed something. They weren’t new to the palace – previous dynasties had rules of consorts being buried with emperors. With the Emperor suddenly collapsing, the harem immediately filled with fearful atmosphere. Everyone was anxious, almost for the first time so united in praying for the Emperor’s swift recovery.

Among these panicked palace women, two were different. One was Mu Xirou, naturally a cold beauty who usually cared about nothing – even the Emperor’s favor couldn’t improve her expression. The other was Dong Ying’er, who had been gentle and steady since entering the palace, somewhat too mature. These two not being as panicked as others was understandable.

But how long could current calm be maintained? Everyone knew: storm clouds gather before the storm.

At this time in Nanyuan, Xuan Pei sat at his desk practicing calligraphy stroke by stroke. Even at this moment, he still had the mood to practice calligraphy – if others saw this, they would surely be very surprised. But what was surprising wasn’t just this. Judging a person by their handwriting, Xuan Pei’s writing was very steady. Obviously, he wasn’t affected at all by the Emperor’s collapse. He remained as calm as always – so calm it seemed he had already anticipated this would happen.

“Your Highness, the Eighth Prince is now restless,” Ming Yue said, “This matter is a trap he set. Now that the game has just begun, he will definitely start his offensive. How will Your Highness respond?”

The Emperor’s poisoning was done by Xuan Li – this was almost unquestionable. Xuan Pei knew this well. Regarding this brother, with his previous life’s understanding, he could be said to understand Xuan Li even better than the Emperor did. This gentle and calm elder brother was just so cruel at heart, casually using the move of patricide. The Emperor’s collapse was sudden, but this poison had been administered long ago.

Xuan Li thought this way he controlled the initiative, achieving victory amid chaos before the Emperor clearly established a Crown Prince. Perhaps this was Xuan Li’s tactic, but for Xuan Pei, going with the flow was also his tactic. Xuan Li was ruthless, but Xuan Pei’s heart wasn’t soft either. For example, in this life, he had watched with his own eyes as the Emperor was poisoned by Xuan Li to this point.