That was a vine-like thing. It looked quite ordinary.

“This was also secretly torn from the assassin by my cousin who was once held hostage, after the assassination attempt in the imperial garden that day. He gave it to me, but I couldn’t see its purpose, so I casually put it in the pouch together with that bone carving.”

“There’s a saying about poisonous creatures—wherever they exist, antidotes must grow nearby. Your assassin carried such a deadly thing as parasitic insects, traveling thousands of miles to assassinate me. Could it be they weren’t afraid these insects might suddenly be stimulated and bring swarms to devour them? So the assassins must have carried something to suppress these parasitic insects from acting up—that would be this vine-like thing.”

“Because I always kept this thing in my pouch, the parasitic insect was constantly suppressed and never activated.”

“Until we had to leave the group and enter the deep mountains because of Murong Yi’s poisoning. On the night we encountered the insect swarm, we camped on the mountain peak. That night we lit quite a large fire.”

The scene from that night was still vivid in memory.

Remnant clouds hung on all four sides of the mountain peak, then scattered by the bitter mountain wind. They sat around bright red flames roasting rabbits, the fat rabbits sizzling with oil, while A’li Teng’s face across from them was illuminated by the firelight, beautiful as rosy clouds.

Everyone’s salt containers had been lost, only Tie Ci’s remained. She passed the salt container across the fire to Dan Shuang, and the pouch at her waist swung over the fire.

It was singed with a hole.

Then A’li Teng grabbed it.

In that instant, something seemed to fall into the fire.

It was that cloth-like vine strip.

At the time, no one paid attention. No one would reach into the fire to save something that seemed completely useless.

A quarter hour later.

Poisonous insects from throughout the mountains answered the call.

…

Now, looking back carefully, why were all the salt containers lost? Why was A’li Teng, with the weakest martial arts, the first to grab the pouch?

Because the vine strip needed to be disposed of, but the bone carving couldn’t fall into the fire. Only someone prepared in advance would grab the pouch in time.

A’li Teng’s forehead was cut by glass fragments, with a drop of bright red blood hanging there, like a captivating beauty mark between her brows.

Yet her expression was bewildered, as if she hadn’t understood what important task she had been carrying at the time. It was just that her husband had nudged her then, and she instinctively reached out.

Now slowly realizing this, her face gradually paled, yet she lowered her eyes.

Even if she had understood then, she would have done the same.

Just as she had endured an empty room for many years, not without resentment, but when her husband extended his hand, she unhesitatingly took it.

Tie Ci looked at Chi Qingbo and said, “You are very capable and courageous. If not for that night, perhaps I would truly consider keeping a talent like you now.”

Chi Qingbo smiled faintly, “Your Highness speaks kindly, but with someone like me, venomous as a snake coiled at your side, could Your Highness truly feel at ease?”

“Since I dared to save you originally, I would naturally dare to keep you. It’s just that now it won’t work.”

“Why?”

Tie Ci didn’t answer, but Murong Yi laughed with satisfaction.

Raising his chin, he said, “Because you nearly harmed me.”

Harming Tie Ci, Tie Ci might not necessarily mind, but harming Murong Yi—that wouldn’t do.

Footsteps sounded above. The collapse here had attracted attention from all sides, with countless people rushing over. Running at the front were Tie Ci’s guards.

Chi Qingbo showed no panic, only asking, “I’ll trade my subordinate forces and connections for my wife’s and my lives? I can swear a poisonous oath to serve Your Highness unto death from now on.”

Tie Ci gently but firmly shook her head.

Chi Qingbo sighed softly, “They say the Crown Princess has the world in her heart and prioritizes the greater good, yet it seems the rumors were mistaken…”

Tie Ci looked at him calmly.

“What a coincidence, neither am I.” Chi Qingbo suddenly looked up and smiled.

At the same time, faint sounds of commotion could be heard from the distance.

Then the people above became slightly agitated. Dan Shuang rushed in first, whispering a few words in Tie Ci’s ear. Tie Ci suddenly raised her eyes to look at Chi Qingbo.

Chi Qingbo smiled slightly, “Your Highness needn’t look at me like that. When people face life and death, they always must do some excessive things.”

“Withdrawing the Kunzhou garrison, removing city defenses, infiltrating the army, burning, killing, and plundering your own people all the way—you call this ‘some’ excessive acts?” Tie Ci’s tone was sarcastic.

Chi Qingbo said calmly, “Is that so? But the army entering the city wears naval armor and carries banners of quelling rebellion and protecting the imperial carriage. What does that have to do with me?”

With these words, everyone present changed expression.

Chi Qingbo was truly vicious.

The You father and son indeed had deep influence in Kunzhou. With You Jun’s protection and favor toward Chi Qingbo, this Yannan power broker privately controlled strength no weaker than his father’s, especially since he had always hidden behind the scenes while You Jun dealt with Tie Ci openly. Meanwhile, he found ways to withdraw the most capable Kunzhou garrison protecting Kunzhou, caused chaos with the Five Cities Military Commission, and somehow produced an army that actually wore Xiao Xueya’s naval armor, entering Kunzhou under the name of rescuing the emperor, massacring all the way, trying to pin this enormous disaster squarely on Tie Ci.

If there were heavy casualties in the city today, afterward, not only would the Yannan people blame Tie Ci and never submit to her, even the court would be impossible for Tie Ci to answer to.

In terms of ruthlessness, one Chi Qingbo probably equaled You Weinan times five, or You Jun times three.

“Your Highness, my demands aren’t high,” Chi Qingbo said softly. “You take your people and withdraw now, and I’ll escort you out of the city with courtesy. I’ll swear a poisonous oath not to attack you or your people before you leave Yannan territory. When you return to the capital, acknowledge my royal position, and I’ll petition the court expressing loyalty, voluntarily reducing my army by half. This way, you’ll be unharmed, your Yannan mission will be considered perfectly accomplished, and the golden crown for the heir’s succession can still add another ray of glory. How about it?”

Without waiting for Tie Ci’s answer, he smiled and said, “I’ll give you time to think. But before you decide, my people won’t stop. They’ll kill street by street, destroy mansion by mansion.”

He turned to look upward and sighed, “I wonder when the blood in the city will flow to the estate, and when the blood of those around Your Highness will merge with it.”

Dan Shuang could no longer contain herself and angrily said, “Stop your pretentious act! Killing your own father, slaughtering your people—are you even human? Even if we had saved a dog back then, we shouldn’t have saved you!”

A’li Teng’s expression changed slightly.

Chi Qingbo smiled and said, “My father was proud of me.”

Only then did everyone remember You Jun, who hadn’t spoken for a long time. When they turned to look, they discovered You Jun sitting on the ground, eyes open, lips curved in a faint smile, looking at Chi Qingbo.

Looking more carefully, he had long since breathed his last.

This Yannan Commissioner who had harbored resentment and endured since childhood, bided his time in youth, killed his brother and forced his nephew to usurp the throne in middle age, stirring up such great turmoil in Yannan, had quietly died in this dark underground place while everyone was unaware.

No matter how earth-shaking one’s life, at the moment of death, it’s merely the wind extinguishing a candle, mist hiding the moon, someone gently lowering a curtain hook before silk curtains—a silent final act.

You Weinan stood beside him, his face hidden in darkness, expressionless, showing a rare stern coldness.

Chi Qingbo looked at his father, finally showing a trace of pain and faint compassion on his face. He said softly, “Father, you always told me that what you truly cared about was never these things.”

“Not these honors, positions, acclaim, and admiration.”

“You never said what you truly cared about until death, but I think I know.”

“What you cared about, what you wanted, was simply freedom.”

“True freedom.”

“The freedom to refuse, to not be manipulated, to have everything you want, to master your own destiny.”

“When you discovered that only by mastering many people’s destinies could you truly master your own, you began without hesitation.”

“I think, even in death, you have no regrets.”

Suddenly, the sound of clashing weapons rang out above, growing closer. Chi Qingbo looked slightly surprised.

His secret army had arrived earlier than expected. Perhaps they too were unwilling to slaughter local compatriots and chose to cut straight through the city to the estate.

If so, it would be good to capture the Crown Princess’s guards early.

Many gray-clothed guards emerged from the darkness, silently clustering around him.

Chi Qingbo faced Tie Ci, embracing A’li Teng, slowly retreating under these people’s protection until he withdrew from the tunnel and walked into sunlight.

Tie Ci and Murong Yi also followed up. Tie Ci’s guards above, not having received orders from Tie Ci, also slowly retreated, surrounding but not attacking.

Chi Qingbo stood in sunlight and looked sideways to see beyond the collapsed wall, where a mass of black army was approaching. These people weren’t mounted but traveled on foot, yet their speed matched fine horses. They moved across sand, stones, and rubble as if on level ground—precisely his army secretly trained in Yannan’s deep mountains.

Tie Ci had quite a few guards, but compared to these approaching organized troops, they seemed insufficient. Wan Ji frowned as he stared at that black mass, his expression grave. “Where did this army come from? Looking at their armor, they don’t belong to any unit from Kunzhou garrison, Inspection Office, or Five Cities Military Commission. When did the You father and son hide such an army?”

He made a gesture upward, greeting Bu Qing who occupied the high ground, preparing coordination to protect His Highness when the army arrived.

Meanwhile, Tie Ci’s guards quickly changed formation under Dan Shuang’s command, preparing for battle.

But with such disparity in numbers, everyone’s heart was heavy.

Having come this far, who knew this true Young Master You still hid such a trump card. This suddenly appearing army’s overall bearing clearly showed they were formidable. Everyone prepared for a fight to the death.

The figures drew closer—each tall and robust, wearing rattan armor, with vigorous steps and snow-bright spear points that waved like snowy waves in sunlight.

Chi Qingbo breathed slightly easier and looked toward Tie Ci, “Your Highness, how is your consideration?”

Tie Ci looked at him indifferently, “When did I ever say I would consider?”

She added, “I never negotiate with rebellious traitors.”

Chi Qingbo’s snow-white face was cold as frost and frozen earth. This gentleman-like person laughed coldly for the first time, watching the army approach at indescribable speed, cutting through everything like a blade through bamboo, quickly surrounding the entire estate. The corner of his lips curved as he slowly raised his hand.

He said, “If so, then—”

At the same time, Tie Ci also raised her hand.

When she raised her hand, Chi Qingbo suddenly had a flash of insight, remembering a scene he had previously overlooked.

When Tie Ci exposed him, she had taken out a vine strip.

He raised troops in Yannan’s deep mountains. Because Ba tribe people also lived there, the area had always been full of poisonous insects and beasts. The only place without poisonous creatures was called Ten Thousand Vine Valley. That valley was filled with dense green leaves and yellow vines that completely covered the valley, and these yellow vines could emit a smell that poisonous creatures hated, making it a forbidden zone for venomous insects.

So his army was hidden there—safe and secret, with the surrounding mountains full of poisonous insects serving as natural barriers.

He trained private soldiers, cultivated assassins, forged weapons, and built his own true strength in Ten Thousand Vine Valley.

Assassins from Ten Thousand Vine Valley were sent to kill Tie Ci. The vine strips they carried for protection also fell into Tie Ci’s hands, protecting her all the way until he used strategy to burn them away, summoning the insect swarm.

So that vine strip had already fallen into the fire.

Then where did the vine strip Tie Ci presented as evidence come from?

In that mountain range’s depths, only Ten Thousand Vine Valley had such vine strips!

Realizing this, Chi Qingbo’s blood ran cold.

He suddenly reached out, grabbing A’li Teng with one hand and dragging over a guard who had just rushed to his side with the other, throwing that person behind him as he turned to flee.

As he turned, he heard Tie Ci say, “Let’s go!”