Twenty li outside the capital, at the Right Army camp.

The “sleeve crossbows” had already been secretly distributed to one thousand soldiers. These men were all elites personally trained by Lin Xuanying, utterly loyal to him. After intensive training, they could fight one against a hundred. They understood well the power of the weapons in their hands, yet still didn’t know who these weapons would be aimed at.

Of course, observing the situation along the way, they had more or less guessed that these weapons… were likely meant for rebellion.

Thus, the overall mood was rather tense.

Until this final night, Lin Xuanying gathered them in an open space and coldly said, “Do not make a sound.”

He then stepped aside to reveal a man and a woman behind him.

The elite team: “…” Who?

Lin Xuanying: “Congratulations to you all, you’re about to establish the merit of following the true dragon.”

Seconds later, one thousand men knelt in perfect unison, not making a single unnecessary sound, expressing their excitement only through facial muscles.

Lin Xuanying felt proud. He turned and said, “Please, Your Majesty, give your orders.”

Xia Hou Dan nodded and spoke calmly, “Tomorrow’s objective is to capture Prince Duan alive. The remaining leaders are to be killed without exception. Apart from the leaders, soldiers who surrender will be spared. With the powerful weapons in your hands, you must quickly take control of the situation and reduce casualties. The hot blood of our Great Xia’s soldiers should be spilled at the borders.”

The military generals had limited cultural education, so he spoke particularly clearly and directly. But these words touched everyone’s hearts. Several young officers who had been conflicted throughout the journey had tears in their eyes, appearing as if they had finally met an enlightened ruler. The entire troop’s morale was instantly lifted.

Lin Xuanying was satisfied and went over tomorrow’s plan once more before letting everyone return to their camps.

Back in the tent, Yu Wanyin said in a low voice, “Let’s disguise ourselves now and get prepared.”

Xia Hou Dan naturally had no objection, offering his face for her to work on freely.

While attaching a beard to him, Yu Wanyin smiled and said, “If all goes well, by this time tomorrow we’ll have a bed to sleep in. Then we’ll send someone to bring Bei Shu back, and with Bai here now, our four-person hotpot can reopen.”

She deliberately avoided mentioning the possibility of Bei Zhou being in danger. Xia Hou Dan understood she was forcing cheerfulness to comfort him, so he simply responded with a “Mm.”

Yu Wanyin continued, “Xiao Tiancai is still in the palace. Before I left, I suggested an approach of fighting poison with poison. He said it was feasible, and perhaps by now his research has had a breakthrough.”

Xia Hou Dan: “Mm.”

Yu Wanyin: “It’s a pity Prince Duan can’t be killed. If he dies, the world might collapse. But I’ve thought of several creative ways to torment him, let me share them with you…”

Xia Hou Dan sensed something: “Wanyin.” He grasped her hand, “Don’t be afraid, everything will go smoothly.”

His palm wasn’t particularly warm, but it was dry and steady.

Yu Wanyin took a deep breath, and miraculously, her heart calmed down. On the cold night before dawn, during the darkest hours, they held each other and dozed off for a while.

The next morning, the three armies formed neat ranks outside the capital.

This capital had not faced the spectacle of troops at its gates for hundreds of years. The Central Army alone deployed a full fifty thousand men, cutting their way from the border. Although they lost some troops along the way, now joining with the Left and Right Armies, the total still reached eighty thousand strong.

The massive and silent troops stood outside the city walls. Looking out from the city gate, one couldn’t see the end, like a black flood.

After waiting briefly, the gates opened wide, and a small contingent came out to meet them.

The lead figure wasn’t Xia Hou Bo, but a middle-aged man sitting upright on horseback. As soon as he exited the gate, he dismounted and cheerfully bowed to the three commanders.

The Left and Right Armies were led by deputy generals, but the Central Army was personally led by General Luo, clearly showing the highest sincerity toward Prince Duan. For this very reason, General Luo appeared more displeased: “Lang Officer Huang, why has Prince Duan not appeared? Where is he now?”

That Lang Officer Huang apologized with a smile: “His Highness has been waiting for you all in the palace for some time. Please, generals, follow me inside.”

General Luo frowned slightly and turned back to select a small squad of guards to follow him toward the city gate. Lin Xuanying watched coldly and did likewise.

However, Lang Officer Huang raised his hand to block them: “Ah, I must ask you all to remove your swords before entering the city.”

The commanders’ faces all darkened. General Luo sneered: “I’ve led my troops thousands of li to come to the rescue, and this is Prince Duan’s courtesy?”

Lang Officer Huang became flustered, continuously speaking kind words. Seeing General Luo unconvinced, he finally looked around and moved closer to whisper: “The general doesn’t know, but there may be traitors in the army…” He lowered his voice further, “It seems to be related to His Majesty’s remains.”

As he spoke, he kept glancing at General Luo.

General Luo’s expression changed, as if realizing something, his eyes showing shock.

Lin Xuanying controlled his expression with great effort, pretending not to understand the riddle, but found it quite strange in his heart.

They had always believed that the fake corpse of “Xia Hou Dan” in the palace was prepared by Prince Duan himself. But now it seemed there was more to the story, and it had connections to the Central Army.

What exactly was going on?

Lin Xuanying raised his head: “I’ve got nothing to hide, so I’m not afraid of any investigation.” He casually removed his sword and threw it heavily at Lang Officer Huang’s feet, snorting coldly as he entered the city gate. His squad of guards followed closely, readily discarding their swords as well.

But before moving, General Luo turned his head and made a gesture to his trusted subordinate who remained outside the city.

He didn’t understand why Prince Duan’s attitude toward him had changed so drastically. He didn’t doubt Prince Duan, but he was suspicious of the people under him, suspecting they were causing discord. That gesture meant his trusted subordinate should act according to the situation, and fight if necessary.

At the back of the formation, in a supply wagon, Yu Wanyin watched the activity at the city gate through a window crack.

She let out a long breath, turning to look at Xia Hou Dan: “Let’s wait for Bai’s signal.”

From the city gate to the imperial palace, the entire route was lined with ambushers.

With a warrior’s keen senses, they naturally detected this quickly. General Luo’s face had already turned black as a pot bottom.

Lin Xuanying, while walking, silently confirmed the weapon hidden in his sleeve, ready to fire at any moment.

Regardless of the internal situation, since Prince Duan had become suspicious, it wasn’t good for them—the difficulty of striking directly at the heart had increased a bit.

Outside the city, a sudden commotion arose in the ranks.

Yu Wanyin felt it in the carriage and lifted a corner of the curtain: “What’s happening?”

The coachman, a secret guard with excellent eyesight, reported: “The Imperial Guard Commander has arrived and is ordering searches of the three armies, pulling out some people from the formation, probably looking for… suspicious individuals. Another squad is heading this way, likely to search the supply wagons.”

Yu Wanyin’s heart sank. Prince Duan was still Prince Duan, trusting no one.

The guns in the carriage had already been distributed, leaving only some spare gunpowder hidden under a layer of grain for concealment. But if someone was determined to search, they would eventually discover it.

Yu Wanyin’s heart raced wildly. She simply stuck her head out the window and saw the Imperial Guards driving the people pulled from the three armies to the foot of the city wall, gathering them in one place, apparently intending to interrogate them together.

Yu Wanyin: “They must be looking for the two of us. But what criteria are they using to select people?”

The secret guard strained his eyesight to observe for a while: “It seems… they’re all people of short stature or thin build.” The thin ones might be Xia Hou Dan, and the short ones might be Yu Wanyin.

Yu Wanyin had a sudden thought. The thousand elite troops carrying guns were all tall and strong, outside this category, and wouldn’t be checked first.

The secret guard suddenly spoke faster: “Your Highness, someone’s coming!”

“Let’s act early,” Xia Hou Dan raised his gun.

Yu Wanyin pulled her head back in, and took a deep breath: “Wait, I have an idea.”

Xia Hou Dan: “What?”

Yu Wanyin hurriedly explained a few words. Xia Hou Dan only had time to shake his head before the newcomers reached their carriage and called out: “Open this up and let’s have a look.”

The secret guard lifted the curtain. Yu Wanyin glanced at Xia Hou Dan, then stepped down first.

The newcomer looked her up and down, noting her height, and without hesitation ordered: “Take her away.”

Yu Wanyin lowered her head and was led away.

Xia Hou Dan: “…”

The newcomer then stared at Xia Hou Dan who followed down.

Last night, Yu Wanyin had disguised him as a burly man with a bushy beard. To match that facial hair, she had stuffed scraps of cloth into his clothing to create the appearance of a heavyset figure.

After examining him for a long while, the newcomer pointed his chin at the supply wagon: “What’s inside?”

This man hadn’t recognized Xia Hou Dan, but Xia Hou Dan recognized him—a small leader of the Imperial Guard who had defected to Prince Duan at the foot of Mount Bing. Two intimidating followers stood beside him.

Xia Hou Dan blinked: “Feedin’ stuff.”

The small leader: “…”

The small leader really couldn’t understand his extremely rustic accent: “What?”

“Feedin’ stuff.” Xia Hou Dan turned to bring down a box of grain, and opened it to show him, “Feedin’ stuff.”

“Alright, alright.” The small leader said impatiently, “You, unload all the goods and spread them out.”

Xia Hou Dan climbed back into the wagon to fetch boxes, while passing a reassuring glance to the secret guard.

Yu Wanyin was escorted to the foot of the city wall, and sure enough, spotted the mute woman among the “suspicious persons” who had been picked out.

After Xia Hou Dan appeared a few days ago, for strict confidentiality, Yu Wanyin stopped letting the mute woman attend to her. The mute woman, unwilling to leave, had changed into men’s clothing and followed the army, eating and drinking with them. Unexpectedly, today she suffered from her small stature, being pulled out for no apparent reason, and was now shrinking uncertainly in the crowd.

At this moment, the entire crowd was in turmoil, with the bolder ones openly shouting, asking by what right the Imperial Guards were arresting them. These border troops had always looked down on the spineless Imperial Guards, and now being met with such cold treatment immediately upon arrival, their dissatisfaction had reached its peak.

The Imperial Guard Commander Wen strode over: “Shut up! Search them one by one!”

Taking advantage of the chaos, Yu Wanyin inconspicuously approached the mute woman and said softly: “It’s me.”

The mute woman recognized her voice and turned sharply.

“Listen to me.” Yu Wanyin quietly took her hand, slipping something into her palm, “You know how to steal, so you should also know how to do the reverse, right?”

The mute woman: “?”

Yu Wanyin used her eyes to indicate a man standing in front of them. He was wearing the cloth armor of the Central Army.

Xia Hou Dan made several trips, but after entering the wagon again, he suddenly went silent.

The small leader grew impatient: “Why aren’t you coming out?”

Xia Hou Dan: “Too heavy.”

“What?” The small leader poked his head in and saw Xia Hou Dan with his back turned, fiddling with something.

Xia Hou Dan: “It’s too dang heavy, can’t move it.”

“Don’t try any tricks, come out now!” The small leader drew his sword and squeezed into the wagon, “I’m telling you, I have more men outside—”

His final words were cut short.

Xia Hou Dan turned around, his gun pointed directly at him.

The small leader nearly wet himself on the spot: “Y-Y-Your Ma-Ma-Ma…”

“Shut up.” Xia Hou Dan tilted his head slightly, “It seems you recognize what this is. Then you should also know its power, right?”

The small leader trembled and nodded, his gaze desperately glancing toward the curtain.

“Make one sound for help, and I will personally send you to the afterlife, with full honors.” Xia Hou Dan said calmly.

The small leader immediately shook his head like a rattling drum: “Your Majesty, just g-give your orders, this servant will certainly obey.”

A moment later, the small leader’s shout came from the wagon: “This box is indeed too heavy, you two come up and lend a hand!”

The two followers he had left outside obediently climbed into the wagon.

After another moment, Xia Hou Dan and the secret guard came down from the wagon with three sets of Imperial Guard uniforms, which they handed to three Right Army elite soldiers with specific instructions.

At the same time, a cry of alarm came from the foot of the city wall: “Found it!”

An Imperial Guard was seen firmly pinning a Central Army soldier to the ground, while another raised a strangely shaped object that was identical to the weapon Xia Hou Dan had revealed at the foot of Mount Bing: “Found on his body!”

The Imperial Guards who knew how dangerous this thing was backed away several steps in fear. Commander Wen took the gun, looked at it, and said tremblingly: “Go… report this to Prince Duan.” He pointed his sword at the man on the ground, approaching step by step, signaling his subordinates to tear off the man’s face covering.

The Central Army soldier angrily protested: “What thing? I have no idea what that object is! You’re framing me!”

The Imperial Guards tried tearing at his face for quite some time but found nothing unusual. Discovering this man wasn’t Xia Hou Dan, they prepared to take him away for questioning.

A wave of commotion swept through the Central Army ranks. The trusted subordinate left behind by General Luo stepped forward from the crowd: “Commander Wen, wait. What is the meaning of this?”

Commander Wen gripped his sword tightly and said coldly: “We’re following Prince Duan’s orders to search for traitors within the army. I hope you’ll all cooperate and not hinder this important matter.”

But that trusted subordinate wouldn’t be put off, taking another threatening step forward: “The man in Commander Wen’s custody is my younger cousin. I know him inside and out. Is there some misunderstanding here?”

This trusted subordinate had considerable prestige. As he moved, the main force of the Central Army moved with him, collectively stepping forward, their blades drawn an inch from their scabbards.

Commander Wen suddenly looked up, staring at him with uncertainty.

Within the Central Army formation, three Imperial Guards who were searching soldiers slightly raised their heads.

One of them walked to the soldier being inspected, with one hand slipping into his sleeve.

Commander Wen couldn’t be certain of the Central Army’s stance. He put his hand behind his back making several gestures, warning everyone to stay alert, while forcing a couple of laughs and preparing to say something to pacify the other side—

A deafening blast.

Commander Wen’s forehead acquired a bloody hole. He swayed in place, then fell.

The air froze for two seconds.

The Imperial Guards around him were terrified on the spot, scattering in all directions.

Someone screamed: “It’s the Central Army! The shot came from the Central Army!”

Countless ambushers suddenly appeared on the city wall, bows drawn and arrows aimed at the armies below.

The Central Army formation immediately fell into chaos. That trusted subordinate retreated in horror into the ranks. The front-row soldiers, not yet understanding what had happened, instinctively raised their shields, adjusted formation, and entered a battle-ready state. Those in the back rows looked around in panic but couldn’t find the source of the blast—they didn’t even know what kind of object had made that sound.

The trusted subordinate roared: “Our Central Army is loyal to Prince Duan! How dare you petty villains scheme to frame us!”

The Imperial Guards were scared out of their wits.

Commander Wen was dead, and his deputy standing on the city wall was trembling.

If the Central Army’s fifty thousand soldiers rebelled, with those outrageous weapons in hand, how many people could resist them? How long could the capital hold? How would they explain this to Prince Duan?

The deputy commander: “Loose arrows… loose arrows! Tell the Left and Right Armies to respond quickly!”

The Central Army shouted: “Retreat! Retreat! General Luo is still in their hands!”

The Left Army: “?”

Several Right Army leaders were already prepared. At a single command, they actively led their troops to attack the Central Army from the flanks.

Lin Xuanying and the others were stopped again at the palace gate.

A group of eunuchs came forward with apologetic smiles: “We beg the generals’ forgiveness, but entering the palace still requires another body search.”

Lin Xuanying knew what Prince Duan feared and secretly laughed coldly. The other two generals, however, flew into a rage. General Luo roared: “Get Prince Duan out here to tell me himself!”

The eunuch’s smile remained unchanged: “His Highness told this servant to relay that if nothing is found, he will personally apologize to the generals.”

General Luo wavered for a few seconds between exploding in anger and holding back.

Lin Xuanying spoke up at the right moment, adding fuel to the fire: “Prince Duan hasn’t shown his face yet. Has he been taken captive by you people?”

But the eunuch seemed prepared for this and narrowed his eyes: “The generals are magnanimous, please don’t make things difficult for this servant.” He waved his hand, and a group of guards emerged from the shadows, surrounding them completely.

The border troops were certainly not pushovers to be bullied. Seeing their generals treated poorly, they prepared for hand-to-hand combat even though they were unarmed.

As both sides were at a standoff, a distant shout suddenly came: “Report—! The Central Army has rebelled—!”

From the moment the unexpected incident began, the group of “suspicious persons” at the foot of the city wall had scattered. Taking advantage of the Imperial Guards’ relaxed vigilance, they all fled back to their original troops.

In the midst of chaos, Yu Wanyin tightly gripped the mute woman’s hand, pulling her back behind the Right Army’s shields. The arrows from the Imperial Guards on the wall were all flying toward the Central Army, giving them room to breathe.

In fact, this was the ultimate goal of her improvised plan.

While the Imperial Guards and Central Army were locked in internal conflict, the Right Army’s gun-wielding elite had already quietly approached the city wall. Under cover of adjusting their formation, they aimed their guns upward—and the Imperial Guards remained oblivious.

“Your Highness.” A familiar giant approached, recognizing her by her figure, and protected them as they retreated toward the back of the formation.

Yu Wanyin: “Where is His Majesty?”

“Here.” Xia Hou Dan squeezed through with an ashen face, reaching out his hand to her, “Don’t run off again.”

Yu Wanyin smiled as she took his hand.

Xia Hou Dan pulled her behind him, then turned to nod at the giant.

The giant raised his gun and roared: “Kill!”

Meanwhile, at the palace gate, General Luo’s men were engaged in a deadly struggle with the guards sent by Prince Duan.

They had not come unprepared. Perhaps suspecting something before entering the city, they had all concealed weapons on their bodies. Combined with their superior martial skills, they were actually holding their own against Prince Duan’s men, forcing many hidden soldiers out of ambush.

But being too few in number, they eventually fell one by one, leaving only General Luo still desperately fighting.

Lin Xuanying, who had been coldly observing from the side, now saw all the ambushers’ positions and judged the fighting strength of both sides, then finally made his move.

He raised his hand and shot the eunuch: “Attack!”

For everyone present that day, it was an unforgettable experience.

But the vast majority of them, until their deaths, could never clearly explain what happened.

If one had to describe it in words, perhaps only the term “divine punishment” would suffice.

One second before, the Central Army was still being attacked from three sides. Arrows from the Imperial Guards on the city wall fell like locusts, the Right Army actively participated in the encirclement, and the confused Left Army, hearing the Imperial Guards’ shouts, belatedly joined in.

But the three encircling forces fought independently, not coordinating with each other, and no one could command the others. The Central Army, battle-hardened veterans after all, panicked briefly at the sudden attack, but quickly formed into formation to face the battle decisively. Their numbers gave them an overwhelming advantage, and their well-coordinated cavalry wings charged forcefully, actually breaking through the formations of both the Left and Right Armies. They then brought scaling ladders from their supply wagons and set them against the city wall, showing a determination to finish what they’d started.

The Imperial Guards were terrified by this fierce intensity, sending wave after wave of arrows toward the Central Army, trying desperately to stop their assault on the city.

Until that shout of “Kill!” from within the Right Army’s ranks, the battle had been at a stalemate—

The next second, the world turned upside down.

What kind of sound was that? Not the drums and gongs that had echoed over battlefields for thousands of years, but like countless thunderclaps, carrying the wrath of the highest heavens, striking simultaneously at the city wall and the Central Army.

Soldiers outside the city raised their eyes in horror, only to see a mist of blood spray up where the thunder had passed.

No known weapon could cause such terrifying destruction.

The first row of Imperial Guards, including the deputy commander, were sacrificed to heaven in mere moments.

Several deputy generals leading the Central Army, brave all their lives, never understood what had struck them even as they fell from their horses and became ghosts.

The remaining people were still frozen in terror like wooden chickens when the divine punishment showed no sign of stopping, thundering toward them again.

No known defense could withstand it.

Those shields and armor designed to block swords, spears, and halberds suddenly seemed like tofu in brine. The heavenly thunder wantonly bombarded them, pulverizing the flesh of soldiers and horses, and trampling their fighting spirit into dust.

Finally, someone tremblingly shouted: “The Right Army… it’s the Right Army!”

The “suspicious persons” they had been so wary of revealed their true identities—not one, not two, but an entire army.

The Central Army soldiers brought to the capital by General Luo were all elites, invincible after years of campaigns, unyielding through a hundred setbacks.

But now, the armored soldiers at the front retreated.

What they faced was not war, but one-sided slaughter, as if the gates of the underworld had opened and the Ten Kings of Hell had arrived in person.

With this retreat, there was no stopping it. The intact formation instantly collapsed into scattered sand. People frantically fled backward, while troops in the rear, still unaware of the situation, pushed forward, causing the crowd to collide, fall, and pile up like an out-of-control ant colony.

If the Central Army was in such a state, the Imperial Guards were even worse.

The offensive on the city wall lost all momentum, as terrified soldiers only wanted to shrink back behind the wall to save their lives.

There were still fearless Imperial Guards who, relying on their advantageous position, tried to shoot arrows downward; and there was the Left Army, finally understanding what was happening, but unable to see the Right Army’s weapons clearly across the Central Army, now fearlessly charging forward.

However, the wave-like surge of people soon scattered like waves as well.

The Right Army had prepared for a long time, with abundant ammunition that seemed endless. The few giant trusted subordinates left by Lin Xuanying commanded effectively, not losing a single soldier since drawing their guns.

The giant saw his opportunity and waved his massive hand: “Set up the scaling ladders!”

Inside the city, Lin Xuanying fired one shot per person, taking down the eunuch and two generals with three shots, efficiently eliminating the leaders of several forces, then moving on to kill the rest.

The small squad he had brought in were all supreme masters who moved with exceptional speed. Against Prince Duan’s ambushers, almost every shot found its mark.

Although reinforcements continued to stream out from the palace, their morale was clearly low. They didn’t even have the courage to step within firing range, only daring to circle at a distance, occasionally sending arrows or hidden weapons flying over.

Lin Xuanying found cover to hide behind, realizing they were trying to exhaust his ammunition, and sneered: “Nice try.”

Listening to the muffled thunder sounds from the city gate in the distance, he said leisurely: “Guess how long it will take them to breach the city?”

On this day, both inside and outside the city experienced a baptism of technology.

In fact, after the first indiscriminate bombardment, the Right Army focused solely on attacking the city, no longer firing upon the Left and Central Armies.

However, even after catching their breath, the Left and Central Armies still hesitated to advance.

The city gate collapsed with a thunderous boom.

The Right Army began sweeping through the Imperial Guards inside the city like a storm flattening dried branches.

In the Central Army formation, someone ashamed of fleeing struggled to raise a halberd toward the Right Army. His feet tried to advance several times, but felt as heavy as a thousand catties, unable to take a single step forward.

With a clang, the halberd fell from his hands.

The small soldier seemed not to notice, murmuring: “Is this Heaven’s will to destroy us?”

Just then, a flag was hung from the city gate tower. On a pitch-black background, a golden dragon pattern was embroidered, with nine streamers fluttering in the biting wind.

The dragon banner with nine streamers, the standard of the Emperor.

Xia Hou Dan, holding Yu Wanyin’s hand, ascended the city wall. The disguises on their faces had been completely removed as they stood high, quietly looking down at the rebel army below.

The giant beside them had a voice like a bell that carried far: “Our Emperor is here! Submit now!”

The rebel army was stunned.

Before today, these soldiers had at most guessed they were coming to work for Prince Duan, to deal with the remaining pro-emperor faction.

No one had informed them they were fighting against the Emperor.

Fighting against the Emperor—what crime was that?

One deputy general of the Left Army was still alive, and in his desperation, he went mad, shouting hoarsely: “Our Emperor has passed away, this must be an imposter found by the Right Army! The Right Army… the Right Army are the real traitors!”

The giant turned to look at Xia Hou Dan. At a time like this, the Emperor himself should step forward to display his majestic authority.

Xia Hou Dan nodded and gathered himself.

Xia Hou Dan: “A broken-backed dog still dares to bark wildly before my army. Never have I seen someone so shamelessly brazen!”

The Right Army heard this excellent insult and raised their battle cries to shake the heavens.

Yu Wanyin: “…”

Yu Wanyin: “……”

Xia Hou Dan seemed to sense her pupils dilating in shock and chuckled softly: “I’ve been holding onto that line for ten years.”

The giant: “?”

Xia Hou Dan raised his voice again: “The traitor Xia Hou Bo forged an imperial edict, summoned outside troops to the capital, conspired to murder the Emperor and Empress, his crimes are heinous. Now that the truth is revealed, let all unite to execute him!”

The murderous aura about him was truly not something any imposter could imitate.

That deputy general knew this very clearly in his heart. His legs went weak, and he was the first to kneel, his face ashen as he said: “This humble servant… deserves ten thousand deaths!”

Xia Hou Dan deliberately paused for timing, then completed his statement: “But the Empress has shown mercy, considering that you were coerced and unaware of the truth. Those who surrender today will be spared.”

The rebel army surrendered.

The Right Army, with overwhelming momentum, stormed into the city, coordinating with Lin Xuanying to eliminate the stubborn Imperial Guards, then quickly advanced toward the imperial palace.

The city’s common people huddled in their homes, hearing only the earth-shaking tramping of the great army passing outside their windows. They still trembled in fear, not knowing how many days they would need to hide this time, unaware that the change of dynasty had already been completed.

Xia Hou Dan took command outside the city. A moment later, Lin Xuanying’s trusted subordinate came to report: “Prince Duan is hiding in the sleeping palace and refuses to come out. He’s taken the Crown Prince and the entire National Uncle’s household as hostages. General Lin doesn’t dare force his way in and sent me to ask for Your Majesty’s instructions…” He seemed somewhat confused but faithfully relayed, “He asks if Your Majesty ‘can take that shortcut.'”

Xia Hou Dan: “…”

Xia Hou Dan: “Take it.”

Lin Xuanying, thoroughly familiar with the palace, led his men to the Cold Palace, pried open the locks, lifted a pile of coverings meant to hide it, and climbed into the entrance of that tunnel.

When they emerged from the other end of the tunnel, a farce was playing out in the sleeping palace.

A eunuch, seeing the situation deteriorating rapidly outside, was trying to persuade Prince Duan that “as long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood,” and made a show of pushing his wheelchair to help him escape. Yet in an instant, he pulled out a dagger, intending to kill Prince Duan as proof of loyalty, hoping to save his own life.

Even a dying camel is larger than a horse. No matter how desperate Xia Hou Bo was, he still had several death guards hiding in the shadows to protect him. The guards leaped out to capture the eunuch, and Xia Hou Bo, in a fit of rage, twisted the eunuch’s neck with his bare hands.

Xia Hou Bo was now on the edge of mental collapse. He maneuvered his wheelchair to the group of hostages, pointed at a woman, and said to his death guard: “Kill her, cut off her head and throw it outside for Xia Hou Dan to see.”

It was at this moment that Lin Xuanying and his men jumped out from under the bed, swiftly and accurately shooting all the death guards.

Xia Hou Bo turned to look at them, seemingly smiling, with cold pleasure flashing in his eyes, and raised an object in his hand toward Lin Xuanying.

It was the very gun that Yu Wanyin had planted on the Central Army, which was then confiscated by the Imperial Guards and brought to him.

Lin Xuanying’s pupils contracted sharply as he dodged to the side—

But Xia Hou Bo turned the gun toward himself, fumbling to pull the trigger—

Nothing happened.

Back in the supply wagon, during their planning, Yu Wanyin had already removed the ammunition from this gun.

Lin Xuanying’s men immediately pounced on Prince Duan, binding his limbs and stuffing a cloth ball into his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue.

Lin Xuanying’s heartbeat had not yet steadied. He patted his chest as he walked back in front of Prince Duan, giving him a malicious smile: “Prince Duan actually wants to seek death? If His Majesty were to learn of this, he would be so—heartbroken.”

Lin Xuanying then led his men to eliminate Prince Duan’s remaining faction in the city.

Concerned that Prince Duan might have been cunning enough to leave death guards as a backup plan, Xia Hou Dan and Yu Wanyin temporarily did not enter the city. Instead, they remained on the city wall, delivering moving speeches to the army outside.

After confiscating all weapons from the rebel army, Yu Wanyin directed efforts to treat the wounded, while Xia Hou Dan temporarily appointed several small leaders who had actively surrendered to help maintain order.

When half the aftermath had been cleaned up, Lin Xuanying personally came out, looking somewhat troubled, and signaled Xia Hou Dan to speak privately.

“We found the corpse that Prince Duan used to impersonate you.” On the inside of the city wall, Lin Xuanying led Xia Hou Dan to a coffin and signaled his subordinates to push open the lid, revealing the body inside.

Xia Hou Dan approached, lowering his gaze to look at this blue-white faced, unrestful, convincingly fake version of himself.

Too similar.

So similar that even those most familiar with him would struggle to spot the differences.

To imitate to such a degree required not only extraordinary skill but also an extremely, extremely deep understanding of him…

When Yu Wanyin came over, she saw Xia Hou Dan standing motionless by the coffin, as if suddenly frozen.

Lin Xuanying spoke in a low voice: “I had intended to carry the body out and publicly reveal the disguise for everyone to see, to prevent any future rumors about true and false identities. But I noticed that the facial mask had already been lifted, so I took a look first…”

He felt the thin mask on the face of the corpse and gently lifted a corner.

Bei Zhou lay quietly before them.

Yu Wanyin’s legs weakened for a moment before she steadied herself.

Xia Hou Dan still kept his head lowered, with no reaction for a long time.

Lin Xuanying recalled the days spent with this unofficial senior brother, and seeing Bei Zhou in such a state, his heart also tightened. But having lived on the edge of death for so many years and seen all manner of corpses in terrible states, he took several deep breaths and composed himself: “I’ve had someone investigate and found a royal physician who claims to know some inside information. Would Your Majesty like to see him?”

Xiao Tiancai was brought over.

He nervously paid his respects, and upon seeing Yu Wanyin, secretly nodded to her in greeting. Yu Wanyin was momentarily stunned, remembering that he still didn’t know about Xie Yong’er’s death. It felt like another knife stabbed into her heart, and she maintained her composure only with the greatest effort.

Xiao Tiancai: “Reporting to Your Majesty, this person… Madam Bei… M-Master Bei?” He stumbled over the form of address, cautiously watching Xia Hou Dan’s expression.

Xia Hou Dan: “Speak.”

Xiao Tiancai had to choose an address himself: “Master Bei was delivered to Prince Duan by the Central Army. At that time, he was disguised as Your Majesty, not just in appearance but also in speech and mannerisms, so vivid that no one in the palace detected anything amiss, and Prince Duan did not suspect anything.

“Prince Duan likely intended to keep Your Majesty under house arrest, so he found royal physicians to treat… to treat Master Bei’s wounds. As a disciple, I also assisted. Master Bei was severely injured, barely breathing, with a weak pulse, in very poor condition. But his mind was still clear, and when speaking with others, he was completely like Your Majesty. Although my master noticed some differences in the pulse compared to Your Majesty’s, he wasn’t entirely certain, and fearing Prince Duan, he didn’t immediately speak up.

“After returning to the Imperial Medical Academy, my master pondered for a long time before telling me about the pulse anomaly. I harbored great hatred for Prince Duan, so I advised my master to keep this secret, allowing Prince Duan to continue being deceived.

“Days later, Master Bei’s condition worsened. He coughed blood and fell unconscious. While a palace maid was wiping away the blood, she accidentally discovered his facial disguise. I happened to be delivering medicine and witnessed the maids rushing in panic to report to Prince Duan. Sensing trouble, I used a sleeping drug to knock out the guards at the door, slipped in, and used acupuncture on Master Bei’s vital points to wake him, telling him that Prince Duan was about to discover the truth.

“It was only then that I learned he was actually Madam Bei from Your Majesty’s side.

“He recognized me as well and showed no panic, only asking if Prince Duan had captured the real Your Majesty. I said no. He then told me to make sure I cured Your Majesty’s poisoning, and I said… I would do my utmost. He smiled in gratitude and said that he had been looking for a chance to kill Prince Duan all this time, but Prince Duan was too cautious, and he himself was too weak from his injuries. Now only one chance remained, and he asked for my help.”

At this point, Xiao Tiancai seemed to recall the scene, his voice becoming somewhat choked.

“I knew he was preparing for a desperate fight, so I gave him another round of acupuncture to force out what little inner strength he had left. He told me to hide far away to avoid being discovered, then lay back down pretending to be unconscious, waiting for Prince Duan to come.

“Later, I hid too far away and only saw Prince Duan enter with a group of subordinates. Shortly after, one subordinate’s body was carried out. So I guess Prince Duan was too cunning to approach himself and ordered his men to check on Master Bei’s condition. Master Bei had no choice but to take down just one underling…”

Xia Hou Dan seemed determined to stand like a stone statue until the end of time.

Yu Wanyin waited for a moment, then softly asked Lin Xuanying to take Xiao Tiancai away. She walked to Xia Hou Dan’s side and took his hand. Both were cold as ice.

Xia Hou Dan: “I had already told him, I am not the son of his old friend.”

Yu Wanyin: “…When?”

“Before our last parting.”

Yu Wanyin inwardly sighed deeply: “Bei Shu had too few anchors in his life. Perhaps in his heart, you had already become his child. So… he was willing.”

After an unknown amount of time passed, Lin Xuanying returned. Seeing them still standing by the coffin, he shook his head and stepped forward to use his strength to push the lid back on: “Stop looking. By my calculations, my master should be emerging from seclusion soon. I’ll send him a letter. He and Senior Bei Zhou were close friends, so we should hear his thoughts on where to bury this coffin.”

He patted Xia Hou Dan: “My master is very formidable, he predicted many things, and perhaps he might have a good solution for the poison in your body. Come on, stop standing here. Should I find you a private place where you can have a good cry?”

Xia Hou Dan turned around, but his eye sockets were dry: “Watch Xia Hou Bo carefully, don’t let him die under any circumstances. I need to carefully plan how to entertain him.”

Xia Hou Bo was imprisoned in the deepest cell of the imperial prison, enjoying the luxurious treatment of being guarded by the imperial secret guards themselves.

These secret guards had, in the original story, followed Xia Hou Dan until the very end, until they were completely exterminated by Prince Duan. This time, with fate reversed, they survived. However, each of them had been personally trained by Bei Zhou, and upon seeing Xia Hou Bo, they gnashed their teeth with hatred, naturally making his life miserable.

The cell had no windows and no lamps, so dark that one couldn’t see one’s hand in front of one’s face, making it impossible to judge the passage of time.

A foul odor permeated the air.

Xia Hou Bo’s wheelchair had long been taken away, and with his hands bound, he could only lie on the damp straw pile. Perhaps due to his high fever, he had gradually ceased feeling the excruciating pain in his legs.

Besides the stench of excrement, he could also smell an inescapable rotting odor—his own body was beginning to decay from within.

He was sweating profusely, barely alive, staring blankly into the darkness. In the depths of his mind, he felt a sense of confusion, as if his life shouldn’t have taken this path, shouldn’t have ended this way.

At some point, he fell into a vivid dream.

It was a realistic dream. In it, he was brilliant and accomplished, killing the Empress Dowager and Emperor with flawless strategies. During a drought, countless people starved throughout the country, and life became unbearable; Yan took advantage of the weakness to invade, burning, killing, and looting. But he, the Regent skilled in both civil and military affairs, repelled the invaders in one stroke and, with his supreme prestige, led the people of Great Xia through difficult times, eventually receiving the throne from the Crown Prince to become a wise ruler.

He stood proudly surveying the world, seemingly with a slender, beautiful figure beside him. He thought it was Yu Wanyin, but when he turned to look, he couldn’t make out the person’s face clearly.

Just as he was puzzled, a bucket of ice water was dumped over his head, and he fell back onto the prison floor.

Xia Hou Bo squinted and turned to look.

Yu Wanyin stood outside the iron bars, holding a candlestick. The crimson candlelight illuminated her beautiful face from below, giving it an inexplicably eerie quality.

After a few seconds of silence, Xia Hou Bo rasped: “I dreamed of the scene you prophesied. I stood at the peak of ten thousand mountains, receiving homage from all directions.”

Yu Wanyin looked at him with something close to pity.

This look immediately angered Xia Hou Bo inwardly, but his intact half-face only showed sadness: “Wanyin, at the very end, tell me the truth. Is your ‘Heavenly Eye’ real, or just a ruse?”

Yu Wanyin smiled: “Of course it’s real. What you just dreamed was your original fate. Wonderful, wasn’t it? If only you’d mentioned you were having this dream, I could have waited to pour that water.”

Xia Hou Bo: “?”

Yu Wanyin: “I’m truly sorry for interrupting your beautiful dream. Let me fill in some details for you.”

She began to thoughtfully describe how he had achieved victory, how the Central Army soldiers under his command had fought alongside him, the harmony between ruler and ministers…

Xia Hou Bo’s barely maintained composure finally broke: “Say no more. The victor becomes king, the defeated becomes outlaw. As a mere mortal fighting against you all, I have nothing to say about my ultimate defeat. But you, using your Heavenly Eye to secretly plot and turn the three armies against me, that is not the conduct of a gentleman.”

Yu Wanyin nearly laughed when she heard Xia Hou Bo trying to define gentlemanly conduct: “I forgot to tell you, the Central Army never betrayed you. When the Central Army went through great hardship to capture His Majesty for you, they themselves didn’t know that Emperor was a fake.”

She and Xia Hou Dan had already reconstructed the events. After Bei Zhou helped them escape from Mount Bing, he left the group alone due to his severe injuries, choosing to head north—the direction from which the Central Army was coming.

Now, looking from Bei Zhou’s perspective, it wasn’t hard to analyze his plan at that time. Impersonating Xia Hou Dan was to divert attention away from him; deliberately getting captured and sent into the palace was to assassinate Prince Duan; and choosing the Central Army was to sow discord. He was captured by the Central Army, so even if he failed and was exposed, he would at least plant a seed of doubt in Prince Duan’s mind.

And he was not wrong. This seed indeed absorbed Prince Duan’s coldness and cruelty, took root, sprouted, grew strong, and finally bore the fruit of evil karma.

Bei Zhou understood everything.

But when he made this plan, he had just learned of Xia Hou Dan’s true identity. What thoughts passed through his mind at that moment, they would never know.

Just as she would never know whether Xie Yong’er, in that moment she stepped out of the carriage to delay Mu Yun, knew she was walking toward her death.

The more pain Yu Wanyin felt in her heart, the more brightly she smiled: “Do you know that General Luo, until his dying breath, believed you were being held hostage by the Imperial Guards, and he was trying to rescue you. Tsk, if the spirits of the Central Army soldiers could know that based on mere suspicion, you repaid kindness with enmity, discarding the bow once the birds were shot… how would they react?”

“I didn’t—” Xia Hou Bo’s features twisted, “That was your interference!”

Yu Wanyin ignored him: “To be honest, by that point, no matter what the Central Army did, the outcome was already decided. Even if His Majesty and I had both died, the Right Army would still have come to give you a fireworks show.”

Xia Hou Bo thought of those otherworldly demonic things in their hands, and his jealousy and hatred made his vision darken.

How could Heaven be so partial, letting him struggle like an ant his entire life, while showing such favor to Xia Hou Dan?

Yu Wanyin seemed to see through his thoughts: “Actually, you once had a chance to turn the tables. Heaven sent you a person, someone who might have defeated us. And she was deeply in love with you, ready to stand with you in the world, in perfect harmony.”

Before Xia Hou Bo’s eyes suddenly flashed that blurry figure from his dream. A lively voice echoed in his ears: “Yong’er will accompany Your Highness to the highest place…”

“Shut up,” he hissed.

He had wanted the best, only the best—

So, he couldn’t even remember what she looked like anymore.

Yu Wanyin gazed at him indifferently: “Long, long ago, you already destroyed your only chance of victory with your own hands.”

Xia Hou Bo suddenly exploded: “Shut up! If it weren’t for you… if it weren’t for you…”

He couldn’t continue because a cold, mocking smile appeared on Yu Wanyin’s lips.

Xia Hou Bo took a deep breath: “I am utterly defeated. I beg Your Highness to maintain dignity and grant me a quick end.”

“A quick end?” Yu Wanyin shook her head, “I’m not here to kill you. I’m here to save you.”

She turned and signaled the secret guard to open the cell door and light the lamps.

A group of palace servants and royal physicians entered the cell with sour expressions, pinching their noses as they began washing the floor and disinfecting his body.

Yu Wanyin: “Those two legs of yours are beyond saving. Better to saw them off soon; it might even save your life.”

Yu Wanyin recalled what little modern medical knowledge she had in her mind and gave the physicians some instructions about disinfection and stopping bleeding, then had the servants stuff a cloth ball into Xia Hou Bo’s mouth: “Prince Duan, please don’t die, alright? As long as you’re alive, there’s still hope for a comeback, isn’t there?”

She smiled maliciously, then turned to leave. As she walked through the long corridor of the imperial prison, sharp wails muffled by the cloth ball echoed behind her.

When the result of this amputation was reported to the imperial presence, Xia Hou Dan was in a meeting with Li Yunxi and others.

These men naturally had tears in their eyes and mixed emotions upon seeing him. Xia Hou Dan forcibly stopped Li Yunxi’s excessive display of emotion and was in the midst of giving them important instructions when the royal physician arrived, trembling as he reported: “Prince… Xia Hou Bo has pulled through, but still needs his fever to break and to regain consciousness before his life is out of danger.”

Xia Hou Dan raised his eyebrows: “He pulled through? He truly is resilient, isn’t he?”

These words sounded as if he were genuinely praising Xia Hou Bo, even conveying a hint of heartfelt joy. The old royal physician was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head, beginning to reflect on whether saving Xia Hou Bo had been right or wrong.

Then he heard Xia Hou Dan order: “Those two severed legs, throw them in a pot and stew them until they’re mushy, then present them before him when he wakes. Apart from that, give him no food for three days.”

The royal physician could barely walk straight as he retreated.

Li Yunxi’s face also paled. He hesitated for a moment, seeming to consider whether to offer advice on proper conduct for a ruler. However, when he met Xia Hou Dan’s gaze, he was seized by an inexplicable fear, and the lips that had already opened firmly closed again.

In that moment, he felt the Emperor before him… had truly gone mad.

The capital city was in need of extensive reconstruction.

Lin Xuanying was still leading men on patrols, eradicating the scattered rebel troops.

The ultimate victor, Xia Hou Dan, seemed unwilling to proceed cautiously and steadily. As soon as he returned to the dragon throne, he impatiently began a great purge.

Prince Duan’s faction completely exited the historical stage.

Some veteran members of the Empress Dowager’s faction, who had placed their bets on Xia Hou Dan when the Empress Dowager fell, hadn’t even had time to celebrate betting on the right person before they received dismissals or demotions.

Deeply entrenched power networks were uprooted completely, old ministers who had survived three reigns were stripped of everything. Countless mansions were sealed, countless private treasuries were broken open.

And those civil officials who had previously opposed Prince Duan—some imprisoned, some hiding in their mansions, some already on their way back to their hometowns—were one by one recalled and restored to their original positions. Besides this, the Emperor also promoted a batch of officials who had languished in the lower ranks for years, filling vacancies throughout the court.

Li Yunxi and others ascended to high positions at an incredible speed.

The Emperor had just descended like a divine soldier to eliminate Prince Duan, and those mystical “divine weapons” were still patrolling the capital, at the height of their momentum and prestige. Everyone was stunned with fear. At this point, not to mention a complete overhaul of the court, even if Xia Hou Dan wanted to lead troops to move Mount Bing to fill the sea, no one would dare question him.

Of course, this wasn’t the only reason for his haste.

Such a brutal transfer of power was indeed somewhat hasty. And given his methods in dealing with Prince Duan’s remaining faction, he would inevitably be labeled a tyrant.

But there were certain things he didn’t want to leave for Yu Wanyin to do.

Yu Wanyin was studying the imperial map.

They had tried their best to keep casualties to a minimum, but this military rebellion, fighting with regional garrisons along the way, had still caused some damage. Those destroyed cities and roads were waiting to be repaired, and the newly appointed Minister of Works had just submitted a memorial.

Yu Wanyin remembered Xie Yong’er’s plans for courier and food delivery services before her death, so she requested the map and began circling and marking the main roads. It was a good opportunity to plan transportation routes.

She didn’t know how much she could change this world in her lifetime with her limited abilities. But now that the internal troubles and external threats from the original story had been settled one by one, with talented individuals from across the land flocking to them, at least in the foreseeable future, everything would develop in a positive direction.

There was movement beside her as the mute woman brought a teapot to refill her tea.

Clothes make the person. The formerly skinny, disheveled little thief, now neat and tidy in palace maid attire, actually showed some of a young girl’s delicate beauty. Only her complexion remained sallow, clearly the result of long-term malnutrition.

Yu Wanyin appreciated her help along the way and, fearing she might be bullied in the palace, kept her by her side. The mute girl was naturally clever and quickly adapted to this new job.

Yu Wanyin noticed her thoughtfully glancing at the map on the table and beckoned her: “Come and take a look. Can you find where your hometown is?”

The mute girl looked for a while, then shook her head, though it wasn’t clear if she meant “can’t find it” or “don’t remember.”

She then pointed at Yu Wanyin.

“You’re asking about me?” Yu Wanyin thought for a moment; her origin wasn’t even in this dimension. She tried to locate the Yu family manor on the map but couldn’t point to where it was. Finally, she just said: “I don’t remember either.”

The mute girl: “?”

“But it doesn’t matter. Now I have a new home. In the future, you will find yours too.”

Yu Wanyin recalled Xia Hou Dan’s words, “You are my homeland,” and just as a smile appeared on her face, it immediately turned somber.

Everything was improving… except for one thing.

After the chaos in the capital subsided, she summoned Xiao Tiancai at the first opportunity.

During their absence from the palace, Xiao Tiancai had never abandoned the approach of “fighting poison with poison,” spending his days buried in medical texts.

Xiao Tiancai: “For the two rare Qiang poisons that His Majesty was afflicted with, I’ve found fragments of ancient prescriptions. But the prescriptions are incomplete, and several of the medicinal ingredients have extremely strange names. Further research revealed they’re in the Qiang language, but what specific herbs they refer to, and whether they exist within Great Xia’s borders, remains unknown.” He handed over the prescriptions he had copied, “Could Your Highness send someone to investigate in Qiang?”

Qiang was currently being ravaged by Tu’er’s army because they had sheltered the Yan King Zha Lue Wa Han, turning the land into scorched earth.

Even if she sent a message now asking Tu’er to interrogate each prisoner of war; even if they had extraordinary luck and could extract some information from the captives; even if Tu’er immediately gathered the herbs and sent them back—the round trip would take at least three months.

But it had been ten days since Xia Hou Dan’s last dangerous episode. Yu Wanyin didn’t know when he might die from the poison, but it was unlikely he could wait three months.

Yu Wanyin: “Can you guess the function of these herbs and find substitutes in Great Xia?”

Xiao Tiancai: “…Given enough time, perhaps.”

“Enough time?”

“At least three years.” Xiao Tiancai knelt down to apologize.

What else could Yu Wanyin say? She said: “Rise, this is not your fault.”

Now they could only send a message to Tu’er and hope for a miracle.

During her long silence, Xiao Tiancai hesitated several times before finally unable to hold back: “May I ask Your Highness, is Consort Xie… is her journey going well?”

Yu Wanyin: “…”

She didn’t dare look into his eyes: “We lost contact after leaving the palace.”

Xiao Tiancai was stunned, his face showing concern: “Ah.”

“I will send people to find her.” Yu Wanyin said, clenching her hand.

Should she tell him?

How should she tell him?

Before her death, Xie Yong’er had specifically asked them to keep it from Xiao Tiancai, saying at the time, “If he knows I’m dead, he might go on strike.” But perhaps her true thoughts were that she didn’t want him to be sad.

If he only believed she had lost contact and disappeared to the ends of the earth, at least some hope remained…

As Yu Wanyin was still struggling internally, Xiao Tiancai had already thanked her and was departing.

“Wait.” Yu Wanyin took a letter from her sleeve and handed it to him.

This was the letter Xie Yong’er had entrusted to her the night before leaving the palace. Throughout their tumultuous journey, she had kept it close, finally bringing it back intact.

Xiao Tiancai couldn’t wait even a moment, opening and reading it right in front of her.

Yu Wanyin didn’t know what Xie Yong’er had written, and anxiously watched his expression.

As Xiao Tiancai read, his face actually turned red. He hurriedly put away the letter, almost walking with his hands and feet in tandem as he left, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes.

Yu Wanyin stood motionless, watching him leave.

Everything was improving… except that in that beautiful future, there was no place for them.

Two days later, Lin Xuanying suddenly reported: “My master has arrived and is waiting outside the palace for an audience.”

Xia Hou Dan went personally to welcome him, and Yu Wanyin, her spirits lifting, followed.

Nameless Guest had an immortal, transcendent appearance.

Dressed in plain clothes with white hair and beard, yet his face showed no sign of age. A pair of upturned fox-like eyes, with a smiling gaze that swept over each of them, yet seemed to pass straight through their bodies, gazing into the void.

Simply put, he had the face of a quest-giving NPC.

As their eyes met, it was Xia Hou Dan who bowed first: “I have long admired your reputation, sir.”

The man before them had sent them both Bei Zhou and Lin Xuanying, truly deserving of this bow.

Nameless Guest was not like many legendary eccentric masters. He returned the bow gently: “Your Majesty, Your Highness, you have worked hard.”

Yu Wanyin was startled, feeling that his all-knowing words of comfort also carried the style of a guiding immortal.

A gust of strong wind swept past them as Lin Xuanying rushed forward, taking a running leap: “Master—!”

Nameless Guest raised a single finger, as if erecting a wall of air, blocking him mid-air without allowing him to advance an inch: “Bai, after years as my disciple, how has your skill not improved at all?”

Lin Xuanying cried out in injustice: “Is it easy for me? I have to train troops, fight wars, and search everywhere for an antidote…”

At the mention of an antidote, Yu Wanyin quickly looked toward Nameless Guest. However, he showed no reaction, only smiling as he said: “You’ve done very well.”

Lin Xuanying immediately became proud: “Indeed.”

Nameless Guest: “?”

A moment later, they stood before Bei Zhou’s coffin.

Nameless Guest properly lit an incense stick and said softly: “Several years ago, on a stormy night, I unexpectedly witnessed a change in heaven and earth, a transformation of yin and yang from the mountaintop. That divination exhausted half my lifetime’s cultivation, forcing me into seclusion for years. People from another world came from afar, which for this world, was an unexpected turning point. However, the hidden dragon must not yet act. Your Majesty, newly arrived, with your fate rewritten, faced a great deadly tribulation.”

He sighed slightly: “To cross the great river, one needs favorable guidance. Bei Zhou accompanied Your Majesty through this tribulation, and in seeking benevolence, he found it.”

Yu Wanyin partly understood, and couldn’t help asking: “When you urged Uncle Bei to find His Majesty in the capital, did you already know he would… die shielding him?”

Nameless Guest remained silent, his face showing compassion.

Yu Wanyin found this somewhat unacceptable.

One who could see through heaven’s mechanisms, yet couldn’t save people, and even had to push events along, guiding them toward a predetermined conclusion. If so, what was the point of seeing through it all?

Nameless Guest turned to look at Xia Hou Dan: “Bei Zhou once told me that after his death, he hoped to be buried beside his old friend, to accompany her forever. I hope Your Majesty will fulfill this wish.”

Xia Hou Dan nodded in agreement.

Countless questions welled up in Yu Wanyin’s heart.

Could Nameless Guest calculate everyone’s fate? If so, did he know Xia Hou Dan’s future? How much of that future remained? Could it be changed?

After seeing through heaven’s mechanisms, he had sent Lin Xuanying, who had spent years searching for a cure but remained powerless against Xia Hou Dan’s poison. Did this mean that Nameless Guest was also helpless?

Or perhaps Xia Hou Dan’s purpose was simply to bring new life to this realm, then vanish like a shooting star?

Yet they had nowhere else to turn, and their only remaining hope stood before them.

Yu Wanyin opened her mouth to ask, but Xia Hou Dan spoke first: “In your opinion, sir, how should Xia Hou Bo be dealt with?”

Nameless Guest: “Before the imperial star regains its brightness, the nation’s fortune has hung between Martial Star and Greedy Wolf. Now the Greedy Wolf has fallen, and the Martial Star dims. But the nation’s fortune has not yet fully gathered. If he were to die an unnatural death now, with the Martial Star extinguished, it might harm the national destiny. I implore Your Majesty to consider carefully.”

Xia Hou Dan: “You mean for the world to continue functioning normally, we must keep him alive until he dies of old age?”

“Nothing is absolute. Only after the imperial star returns to its position…”

Xia Hou Dan raised a hand: “So he just needs to die more slowly?”

Nameless Guest: “.”

Nameless Guest: “That’s the idea.”

He narrowed his eyes and stroked his snow-white beard: “Man follows earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature. Between heaven and earth, there is a greater momentum, like a flood, vast and irrepressible. If one goes against the current, it’s like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—there’s no way to break the impasse.”

Yu Wanyin felt he was implying something.

The question she had held back throughout their journey was on the tip of her tongue, but now she dared not ask it. She feared the answer would be “let nature take its course.”

At that moment, Nameless Guest said: “Following the direction of heaven’s will—this is what it means to hear the Dao.”

Yu Wanyin’s heart sank—as he said this, his eyes looked directly at her, seemingly with a mysterious smile.

Nameless Guest asked softly: “Do you remember the twenty-four characters I sent years ago?”

Imperial mandate shifts position, imperial star regains brightness. Mars guards the heart, fortune and misfortune balanced on a line. Five stars align, after extreme adversity comes great prosperity.

Perhaps it was because she had heard too much of Nameless Guest’s cryptic Zen koans, but that night, Yu Wanyin had a dream.

She was walking through a narrow corridor, and every palace servant she met looked anxious, as if facing imminent disaster. They were so hurried that their bows to her were perfunctory, and no one asked why she had come.

Her hand trembled in her sleeve, her palm wet with cold sweat, forcing her to grip the object in her hand even tighter.

What was she going to do?—Kill someone.

Why kill him?—She couldn’t remember, but she had to go, go immediately.

“Consort Yu, His Majesty is waiting,” An Xian opened the door and bowed to her.

An Xian? Hadn’t An Xian’s neck been twisted by Prince Duan? And when had she become Consort Yu again?

Yu Wanyin vaguely realized this was a dream, yet her limbs in the dream were beyond her control, stepping one by one toward that dragon bed.

Don’t go, stop!

She lifted the bed curtain and said tremulously: “Your Majesty.”

The withered figure on the bed stirred, a pair of gloomy eyes looking toward her—

Yu Wanyin sat up gasping for breath.

“Wanyin?” Xia Hou Dan, sleeping beside her, opened his eyes groggily.

Yu Wanyin remained rigid, unable to make a sound.

Xia Hou Dan propped himself up, had the waiting palace servants light lamps, then dismissed them, turning to look at her: “Why do you look so troubled? Had a nightmare?”

“Do you remember…” Yu Wanyin found her voice hoarse, “when we first met, I told you that in ‘The Devil’s Favored Consort,’ the tyrant was assassinated at the end of the book?”

“Yes, but you couldn’t remember who the assassin was then.”

Yu Wanyin struggled to open her mouth, then closed it again.

She had just remembered who it was.

In the original story, she had been deeply in love with Prince Duan, but Xie Yong’er always overshadowed her, and she could never gain the favor of the man she loved. After repeated self-destructive acts, Prince Duan grew to despise her, explicitly saying he never wanted to see her again.

In desperation, she gave Prince Duan an ultimate gift.

She stabbed Xia Hou Dan with a poisoned dagger, giving Prince Duan a legitimate opportunity to enter the palace to save the state.

The tyrant died from his severe wounds, but the evil consort did not meet a good end either. Prince Duan, unwilling to let a stain of treason mar his glorious life, gave her a white silk rope to accompany the tyrant in death.

Yes, it was all the poisonous woman’s fault, and the great savior had no choice but to ascend the throne with tears.

Although she knew this plot belonged only to the original story, Yu Wanyin was nauseated by the content and timing of this dream.

Xia Hou Dan: “What did you dream about? Tell me if you’d like.”

“…Nothing.” Yu Wanyin couldn’t say it, muttering in a low voice, “It just seems strange that it happened tonight, after meeting Nameless Guest…” Having just met a mystic, then dreaming of long-forgotten plot points made it hard not to see it as some kind of omen.

Since she wouldn’t say, Xia Hou Dan didn’t press further: “It’s alright, dreams are just dreams. You’re just in a bad mood lately.”

His assessment was extremely objective, as if her “bad mood” was merely because dinner wasn’t to her taste, rather than because he was dying.

Yu Wanyin sighed: “Let’s sleep.”

As he said, this plot would certainly never happen. Xie Yong’er was dead, Xia Hou Bo was crippled, and all the natural and man-made disasters from the original story had been strangled in their cradle. They had already changed their fate, and even the so-called “five stars alignment” in the sky had already passed…

Yu Wanyin’s whole body shook as she sat up again.

Before Xia Hou Dan could inquire, she jumped straight out of bed and ran to the window, pushing it open to look outside.

Xia Hou Dan: “Why aren’t you even wearing shoes?”

With limited view from the window, Yu Wanyin looked for a long time without finding what she sought, then rushed out the back door.

Xia Hou Dan, with disheveled hair, chased after her, draping a cloak over her: “Ancestor, put on your shoes.”

Yu Wanyin stood on the cold stone tiles of the courtyard, frozen like a statue looking up at the sky.

Xia Hou Dan looked up with her: “…Ah.”

In the familiar position in the night sky, five main stars glittered with cold light, forming a perfect straight line.

The last time they had checked, the tail of this line had still been bent. At that time, she thought the five stars were no longer aligning, indicating that tribulation had passed. She hadn’t expected that it was yet to come.

Xia Hou Dan narrowed his eyes: “If I remember correctly, this is an omen of a ruler’s assassination, right?”

Yu Wanyin shuddered, rapidly searching through all her memories related to Nameless Guest.

As if possessed, she heard Lin Xuanying’s words to Xia Hou Dan echoing in her ears: “My master also asked me to tell you: your meeting may not be a fortunate event.”

Her heart sank straight down, falling into an endless abyss.

Was Nameless Guest telling them to follow heaven’s will, and did this “heaven’s will” refer to the original plot?

Was that mystic specifically guiding her to kill Xia Hou Dan?

Yu Wanyin was furious.

She looked around, considering the feasibility of summoning Nameless Guest in the middle of the night.

Xia Hou Dan looked at the sky, then at her, seemingly understanding something, and laughed once.

In the darkness, he was as pale as a wandering ghost, yet his expression was very calm: “Five stars align, after extreme adversity comes great prosperity—for this world, losing a mad king and gaining an empress would indeed be great prosperity after extreme adversity.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Yu Wanyin said angrily, “Only your survival counts as prosperity after adversity!”

Xia Hou Dan placated her: “Alright, whatever you say. Put your shoes on.”

Yu Wanyin: “…”

Since their reunion, Xia Hou Dan had always acted… quite composed in front of her.

He was like a young man immersed in new love, sticking close to her whenever possible, eating and drinking freely, enjoying peaceful days and seizing the moment.

He seemed determined to ignore the imminent separation by death. Occasionally when Yu Wanyin felt down, he would even joke to change the subject.

Yu Wanyin finally put on her shoes.

“It’s freezing, let’s go back,” Xia Hou Dan pulled her inside, tucking her back into bed, “If you really can’t sleep, why not do something warming?”

Yu Wanyin: “?”

Yu Wanyin: “Don’t you want to talk about this?”

“Which thing? The assassination?” Xia Hou Dan lay comfortably beside her, “I’ve been thinking that when the time comes, rather than howling in madness for ten or fifteen days before dying, it would be better to seek a quick end. Perhaps I might even ask you to do it.”

Yu Wanyin’s heart twisted with pain at his casual tone: “Do you think I could bring myself to harm you?”

Xia Hou Dan pondered for a moment: “Indeed, it would be hard for you. Don’t worry, I’m fine with whatever happens. Whatever pleases you.”

Something snapped in Yu Wanyin’s mind.

“Pleases me,” she softly repeated.

Xia Hou Dan was taken aback, trying to fix his words: “I didn’t mean it that way…”

“You’re asking whether I’d be pleased to kill you with my own hands, or pleased to watch you slowly breathe your last?”

Xia Hou Dan panicked.

He looked at her stiffly for a moment before remembering to search for a handkerchief.

“If you truly want to please me, you should have banished me from the palace on the first day, or I should have come only after your death! I’m not pleased to have met you, not pleased to eat hotpot, not pleased to fall for your tricks, not pleased to read your letters…”

Xia Hou Dan finally found an embroidered handkerchief and sheepishly offered it, but Yu Wanyin wouldn’t take it.

She had held back for too long and finally exploded, crying so hard her whole body trembled: “How can you be so cruel to me?”

Xia Hou Dan was silent for a moment, then embraced her and said gently: “Fortunately, the Empress has a magnanimous heart and will surely repay enmity with virtue, following heaven’s will and the people’s desires, for thousands of years to come.”

“I cannot!”

“You already can. Bai reported that before I rejoined you, you were already capable of managing alone. You’ll only get better.” He patted her back gently, “Don’t cry. I’ll apologize, alright? If this world has reincarnation, I’ll repay what I owe you in the next life.”

“I don’t want the next life. I want this life, this world.” Yu Wanyin didn’t know who she was demanding from, and didn’t care that she sounded unreasonable, like a child asking for the moon, “I want you to stay, to be with me—”

Xia Hou Dan: “…”

Xia Hou Dan said softly: “I want to stay more than anyone else.”

Yu Wanyin sobbed, faintly hearing something unusual in his voice, and broke free from his embrace to look at him. Xia Hou Dan’s eyes were filled with tears as he gazed at her tenderly and helplessly.

“But I don’t have a choice either.”

Yu Wanyin suddenly realized she shouldn’t waste Xia Hou Dan’s efforts.

Xia Hou Dan was trying so hard to leave behind happy memories for her comfort. Yet she had made him cry.

She gradually calmed her breathing and took the silk handkerchief to blow her nose: “Fine, then you’d better make it up to me properly.”

After nine stretches of winter cold, the weather gradually began to warm.

The secret message sent to Tu’er still had no reply. With the chaotic war situation in Qiang, they couldn’t even be sure if Tu’er had received the letter.

Whenever the Emperor wasn’t attending court, he seized every opportunity to date the Empress. Boating on the lake, admiring the moon, searching for plum blossoms in the snow, warming the bed with incense burners—they enjoyed themselves immensely.

Xia Hou Dan’s condition visibly deteriorated. His food intake and sleep decreased day by day, his eye sockets becoming more sunken, increasingly resembling the tyrant from her nightmare. Yu Wanyin knew his headaches were intensifying toward that critical point.

But he never showed the slightest hint of pain in front of Yu Wanyin. When he truly couldn’t bear it, he would disappear for a while. Yu Wanyin pretended not to notice.

She had already cried once and would not do so again in this lifetime.

Under the Emperor’s direction, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau calculated an auspicious date for the Empress’s formal enthronement ceremony.

This unprecedented ceremony shocked the court from its preparation stage. The Emperor seemed intent on displaying his heavenly authority, celebrating his belated control, and demonstrating the Empress’s honored position to the world, completely washing away her reputation as an evil consort involved in illicit affairs.

This ceremony represented the beginning of a new era, so it had to be magnificent and innovative—not necessarily solemn and rigid, but elegant and splendid.

The newly reorganized Six Ministries faced the first test of their professional careers, working tirelessly to coordinate the urgent preparations.

Carriages loaded with gold and jade ceremonial vessels and embroidered ceremonial guards entered the palace gates, along with rare flowers and plants uncommon in winter, transported from across the country, decorating the entire palace with layers of red and green, their fragrant shadows swaying.

From three days before the ceremony, the great halls were filled with fresh fragrances. The Emperor personally led the civil and military officials in fasting and burning incense to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth.

On the day of the ceremony, music played from eight directions, flowers paved the roads, and carpets extended from the palace gate to the ceremonial hall. The Empress, in magnificent attire, walked gracefully forward, with golden light cascading down from her phoenix crown like the waters of the heavenly river.

Yu Wanyin held her noble head slightly high as she walked through the prostrating crowd, her ceremonial robe’s long train sweeping the ground like a rolling dream.

Lin Xuanying, responsible for security, watched her with a complex expression as she walked proudly toward solitude.

After the elaborate rituals, the Empress knelt before the incense altar, performing the ceremony of six respects and three kneelings and three bows. The Emperor raised her up, and they stood hand in hand to receive homage.

The eight-year-old Crown Prince, with lowered eyes, came forward to pay his respects.

Since the Empress Dowager’s death, he had apparently received guidance from someone wise and suddenly became well-behaved. Not only did he tearfully apologize before Xia Hou Dan, but he also sent many gifts to Yu Wanyin’s palace, addressing her respectfully as “Mother Empress,” seemingly determined to be a good puppet, giving them no reason to depose him for the time being.

The officials followed, hailing “Long live the Empress,” their lowered faces showing various expressions—some wary, some reverent. The Yu family, having escaped death, had tears in their eyes, while young officials who had interacted with the Empress personally looked gratified.

According to tradition, the ceremony would now be complete.

But Xia Hou Dan was clearly not satisfied with this and smiled: “On this auspicious day, We and the Empress have prepared a palace banquet. We invite all beloved ministers to celebrate together.”

So the palace banquet continued from noon until night, with exquisite delicacies, fine wines, and sweet fruits cooled in snow water presented like flowing streams.

This reckless extravagance made Li Yunxi frown deeply, muttering about impropriety.

As night fell, Xia Hou Dan, half-drunk, suddenly said with a grin: “Empress, watch me perform a magic trick for you.”

With a wave of his hand, thousands of streams of light suddenly rose from among the flower shadows, bursting open in clusters in the sky.

The temporarily improved fireworks displayed extraordinary patterns—silver flowers on fiery trees with layer upon layer of petals, one wave after another, making the stars and moon in the sky seem dim and lightless.

The officials exclaimed in surprise; some laughed drunkenly, while others composed impromptu poems.

Li Yunxi, with Yang Duojie’s arm around his shoulder loudly urging him to drink, had already lost his temper.

Let it be… let them be happy this once, and he would advise them tomorrow.

Yu Wanyin had also been toasted many times, and although she was only drinking fruit wine, after drinking for so long, she was already tilting her head with blurred vision.

In her hazy view, the lights of the fireworks flowed across Xia Hou Dan’s flushed face, all the surrounding noise becoming distant. High above, the crescent moon at the heart of the sky was clear and dustless, looking down kindly on this beautiful world of fireworks and people.

“Is the Empress satisfied?” Xia Hou Dan leaned close to her ear with a smile.

It was both compensation and a gift, something to warm her in the future when wind and snow cut like knives.

Yu Wanyin felt the warm wine she had drunk growing hot, roasting her internal organs like a slow fire.

Before she could answer, Xia Hou Dan took her hand: “Let them drink. Let’s slip away.”

After leaving the noisy scene, their ears couldn’t adapt to the sudden silence and continued to buzz.

The imperial couple had the palace servants follow far behind as they strolled slowly through the corridors, walking to aid digestion. The fireworks had dispersed, and the deep blue moonlight regained control, turning the imperial garden into a world of pure crystal.

Yu Wanyin knew that in such a romantic setting, they should be speaking of love before quickly returning to their chambers for three hundred rounds of passion.

But alcohol magnifies the greed in one’s heart and makes the tongue uncontrollable. When she opened her mouth, what came out was: “If we weren’t in this book…”

She wasn’t satisfied yet; she wanted more.

Nameless Guest’s prophecy and her involuntary nightmare had awakened her existential crisis. If everything was predetermined, were they just role-playing? How much of their relationship was mixed with “destiny”?

From the moment Yu Wanyin arrived in this world, she entered hell mode, forced to struggle for survival. Xia Hou Dan was her only kindred spirit, her natural ally. Their coming together seemed like a matter of course.

Now she finally had leisure for romantic overthinking, to worry about annoying details.

For instance, was their mutual understanding and love a matter of course for Xia Hou Dan, or did he have no other choice?

If they had never come to this world, if there were other people like them here, would he still have fallen in love with her without distraction?

At this point, pondering such questions was clearly too late. She didn’t know why she suddenly craved an answer so desperately, nor who could provide one.

Before she could organize her thoughts, Xia Hou Dan had already picked up her thread: “If we weren’t in this book, it would be 2026, and I’d have been working for a few years. Perhaps we could meet on the subway.”

Yu Wanyin: “?”

Xia Hou Dan gazed leisurely at the moonlight in the courtyard, his tone wistful: “That day, the subway would be especially crowded. I’d be standing, scrolling on my phone, when suddenly I’d notice a girl sitting in front of me, also reading a novel on her phone. I don’t know what content she’d be reading, but she’d be laughing uncontrollably. I couldn’t help but glance over and discover she was very cute.”

Yu Wanyin smiled and played along: “She definitely wouldn’t like being peeked at and might glare at you. But then, seeing you’re handsome, she’d silently forgive you.”

Xia Hou Dan: “Then I’d push my luck and ask for her WeChat. Would she give it to me?”

“…Hard to say.”

“Please, I’m not a weird person.”

Yu Wanyin couldn’t help but laugh: “Alright, alright.”

“Wonderful. I’d talk to her about novels, invite her to movies, take her to the top ten hotpot places in the city. With each meeting, she’d seem more interesting. Each day, we’d be more in sync than the day before. Then, if I saw she didn’t dislike me, I’d start sending her flowers—bouquet after bouquet, many, many flowers.”

Xia Hou Dan gazed at her intently, as if describing a sweet fantasy with his words: “How long could I endure? Three months, or four months, or perhaps half a year? One day, on the way home, I’d tightly grip the ring box in my pocket and say to her: ‘I can’t imagine the rest of my life without you.’ I’d secretly observe her reaction, and if she didn’t respond… I’d wait a bit longer.”

Yu Wanyin laughed: “Impossible, are you such a cowardly person?”

“I’d be afraid she wouldn’t accept.”

Perhaps due to the alcohol, or perhaps because the night was too enchanting, Yu Wanyin’s heart raced, and the blush that had receded now crept back onto her cheeks.

She suddenly couldn’t bear the direct gaze from beside her and turned her head slightly: “Unfortunately, there’s no subway here, no movies either.”

“But there is a ring.”

Xia Hou Dan slowly knelt on one knee and presented a ring.

Yu Wanyin immediately saw the phoenix with spread wings poised for flight upon it, and looking closer, discovered the sparse osmanthus branches and leaves among the phoenix feathers.