Yes, he was their enemy!

It was their own uncle who personally severed their father’s head.

And threw it into the wilderness!

Allowing jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards to bite at will.

Truly vicious.

Without any regard for familial affection.

Power had blinded a person’s eyes and blackened a person’s heart. Marquis Nanguo nodded, his entire body’s blood vessels dilating, his eyes filled with fury: “Yes! The person now sitting on the throne is your father-killing enemy! And among those who besieged the palace and killed the King back then were also Grand Councilor Gongzuo, Marquis Pingyang, as well as those well-dressed high officials now standing in the court! It was they who led troops and killed their way into the palace layer by layer, burning the entire Jiaofang Palace until almost nothing remained, leaving corpses everywhere!”

His voice was like a great bell.

Every word was mixed with thick bloody scent!

Such hatred!

Ji Yinshu’s ten fingers clenched tightly, her body swaying as if about to collapse. Fortunately, Jingrong held her shoulders in time.

Letting her lean against his chest.

And she kept her gaze lowered throughout.

After hearing all this, her eyes had already moistened,

Full of tears.

She felt a ball of fire in her chest, burning her entire body hot.

Bai Yin stood there calmly.

But—

He was still somewhat skeptical.

He turned his gaze toward Third Master and asked, “Is all this true?”

Third Master nodded: “You and Yinshu are indeed the orphans of the former King and former Queen. The palace siege matter is also indeed true.”

Bai Yin froze for a moment.

His fist clenched as he struck forcefully at the pillar of the pavilion beside him.

With a “thud.”

The pillar dented inward.

His knuckles also bled.

Even though he had forgotten everything from back then, the hatred surging up in his heart was no less than Marquis Nanguo’s.

The enmity of killing one’s father—irreconcilable!

Jingrong suddenly asked, “Then the assassins who attacked Second Prince tonight, are they also related to this matter?” Marquis Nanguo nodded: “The King of Huyi is gravely ill, and the political situation at court is inevitably unstable. What he worries about most is that forces from the former dynasty will spread from various places to Gaoding! So, to eliminate future troubles, he secretly sent people to issue kill orders, wanting to silence those court officials who were demoted from Gaoding back then, and some people who refused to submit to him one by one! The assassin who attacked Second Prince tonight was Lin Si, the son of the former General of Cavalry. His father was recently secretly ordered killed by the King of Huyi. Fortunately, he escaped by luck and contacted me. I knew he would go find Second Prince tonight. After all, a son paying for his father’s debt is natural and right. But I was afraid something would happen to him, so I sent people to rescue him. I’m afraid this time we’ve alerted the enemy. Soon they’ll investigate Marquis Nanguo’s residence.”

Worried.

Jingrong and the others also suddenly understood: “Does this mean that the people you rescued at the ruined temple were former dynasty officials that the King of Huyi planned to silence?”

“Exactly! Those dark guards didn’t silence them on the spot but brought them all the way to Gaoding. Presumably… the King of Huyi still wanted to extract something from their mouths to completely sever the former dynasty’s forces.”

Court factional struggles, power struggles, rampant killings—these were inevitable in every dynasty.

So it was in Dalin!

So it was in Huyi too!

That night.

Marquis Nanguo, Ji Yinshu, and Bai Yin—the three spoke behind closed doors.

Faint light flickered in the room.

Reflecting on each of their thoughtful faces.

Ji Yinshu and Bai Yin exchanged a glance, then took out the square wooden plaques they wore.

Along with an old portrait.

They handed them all to Marquis Nanguo.

Marquis Nanguo held the two plaques in his hands, along with the portrait painted of his younger sister, and immediately shed tears again.

“Heaven’s will, it’s all Heaven’s will! What was lost and found again is Heaven’s will.”

Excited.

He gripped the plaques and portrait tightly, wiped his tears, and looked at Bai Yin happily and lovingly. “Back when you fled with your mother, you were still just a child! In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown so big. Good, truly good!”

But Bai Yin said, “However, the memories from back then… I don’t remember any of them! I only know that I woke up in a forest with just these two items on me.” “It’s fine not to remember! Those scenes that happened in the palace—who would want to recall them? As long as you’re still alive, that’s good.” He gripped Bai Yin’s solid arm, then looked at Ji Yinshu. “At that time, you were still in your mother’s womb, not yet formed. I thought the odds would be against you, but fortunately Heaven protected you! You survived. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this day. Over twenty years, thinking about it day and night!”

Again crying streams of tears.

Outside.

Lang Bo stood outside the pavilion.

Jingrong and Third Master sat inside.

“I really didn’t expect you would come, Third Master.”

“I also felt the timing was about right.”

Hm?

Jingrong asked, “The timing you’re referring to is?” Third Master said, “These years, although I’ve been in Houliao, I’ve been keeping attention on the situation in Huyi. However, to avoid drawing attention, I didn’t contact Marquis Nanguo. After all, he’s in the tiger’s den, with countless eyes watching him. The King of Huyi only spared his life because he’s been properly conducting business for many years. I couldn’t implicate him. But now, the King of Huyi is gravely ill, bedridden, and his two sons are fighting openly and secretly, stirring the entire court into chaos. The King of Huyi, to eliminate future troubles, has begun massacring former dynasty officials on a large scale. As the saying goes, when things reach an extreme, they reverse! Over these twenty-plus years, the various forces of the former dynasty have long since secretly risen. Now, we’re just waiting for the right moment.”

Jingrong heard something in this.

Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “You mean… you’re going to seize the palace?”

“Not seize, but take back.”

“You’re going to support Bai Yin?”

“Exactly!” Third Master said, “The blood flowing in him is that of Huyi’s royal family. The throne should rightfully be his. Taking it back now is only proper and right.”

Jingrong frowned.

Third Master perceived his worry. “I know you’re worried about Yinshu.”

He had concerns: “Previously, during Dalin’s factional struggles, those who died died, those who were injured were injured. I had originally planned to take her away from all this after investigating the mystery of her origins, but I didn’t expect to fall into this current dispute.”

“Many times, some things are fated and cannot be escaped!”

“Yes! What’s meant to come will always come.” Jingrong suddenly felt his mouth dry.

He poured a mouthful of tea into his mouth.

In a moment, Third Master noticed a figure in the distance.

He saw that person holding a sword, his gaze looking toward the room where Marquis Nanguo was.

From entering until now, he hadn’t said a single word.

His mood was very complex.

Third Master called to him, “Lian Que?”

Hearing this, his gaze shifted to look at Third Master, and he walked over.

“Uncle Tang.”

“I never thought I’d hear you call me Uncle Tang again in this lifetime.” Third Master smiled, then glanced at the room where Marquis Nanguo was. Understanding Lian Que’s thoughts, he said, “You’ve waited for A’Jin for so many years. You’ve finally met.”

A trace of bitterness and sorrow flashed across Lian Que’s face. His gaze stared into the distance: “But… he’s even forgotten me!”