The Emperor gazed at the Grand Princess with turbid eyes that revealed his arrogant dominance. “What His Majesty means is that if you don’t let the Emperor ascend that Nine-Tiered Platform, the Emperor would rather abandon the imperial throne and empire, determined to fight to mutual destruction.” The Grand Princess raised her chin, the corners of her lips curving into a smile, her brows and eyes filled with shrewd amusement. “If His Majesty harbors such intentions, this old woman thinks His Majesty can put aside such thoughts…”

Before the Grand Princess could finish speaking, the Emperor was already walking with a cold laugh toward the screen standing between two twenty-three-branched flowering lanterns: “Then let’s see… whether it’s I who should put aside such thoughts, or that treacherous rebel Bai Qingyan. Aunt, don’t forget… once Bai Qingyan enters the city, everything will be beyond your control. At least within this Luohong City, I, the Emperor, still have the final say!”

The Grand Princess glanced at the Emperor from the corner of her eye, surprisingly showing no sign of the expected fury. Instead, her expression gradually returned to normal.

Although the Grand Princess had been observing Buddhist practices and reciting scriptures for so many years, her brows and eyes seemed to carry compassion, but having been born into the imperial family and grown up safely… even establishing a firm foothold in the treacherous palace chambers… as an imperial princess of direct lineage, how could she be someone soft-hearted?

The Grand Princess dared to let Bai Qingyan enter the city naturally because she dared to guarantee her granddaughter’s life. That Yanwo Prefect Shen Tianzhi, whom Bai Qingyan had assigned to Yanwo, had long since fallen under her granddaughter Bai Qingyan’s command. Otherwise… without being able to ensure her granddaughter’s safety, how would the Grand Princess dare to let her granddaughter enter the city?

Originally, the Grand Princess truly wanted to make one more effort for the Great Jin imperial family, but now… it wasn’t that she wouldn’t help this Great Jin imperial family, but rather that the Great Jin imperial family had already decayed beyond salvation. Even if she spent every ounce of her old bones’ strength, she couldn’t prop it up anymore!

The Grand Princess closed her eyes. She could only fail to live up to her late father’s entrustment.

Come to think of it, A’Bao carried her bloodline and could also be considered… a descendant of the imperial clan. But her A’Bao could never learn what it meant for an emperor to be ruthless. What was to be done about this?

A maidservant entered with small steps and bowed to the Grand Princess: “Grand Princess, Princess Zhenguo has already followed Eunuch Gao toward Luohong Tower.”

The maidservant bowed properly. Though not in the standard posture of palace maidservants, she was still quite well-trained.

The Grand Princess didn’t even lift her eyelids, leisurely picking up the hot tea before her: “Understood. You may go…”

After a long while, an extremely low voice came from behind the screen: “I hope Aunt can persuade Bai Qingyan. Don’t make me… intervene personally to persuade her. That would not look good.”

The Grand Princess’s expression appeared dim and unclear under the lamplight, revealing no emotion. She only continued drinking her tea leisurely, as if she no longer regarded the Emperor as worth her attention.

Outside the carved flower window lattice behind the Grand Princess, half the moon had already been hidden among the clouds. Soon, the hazy moonlight was completely obscured, leaving the surroundings quiet and silent, with only twinkling stars and the low chirping of night insects.

Soon, the Grand Princess heard footsteps. The exquisitely carved wooden door was pushed open, causing the candlelight inside to suddenly dim before swaying left and right and brightening again.

The Grand Princess raised her eyes, looking at Bai Qingyan, who was entering from the main hall’s entrance.

She wore no sword and had removed her boots. Her white inner socks stepped on the polished wooden floor. Her silver armor gleamed brilliantly under the resplendent lights of Luohong Tower.

The Grand Princess, perhaps due to her age, could no longer remember how long it had been since she and her granddaughter had last met. It felt like just a moment’s distraction, yet A’Bao was still the same as before. Her refined features showed no change whatsoever; her skin was pale and translucent, appearing frail and delicate. But those eyes… revealed undisguised depth and darkness, noble and powerful, resilient yet composed, completely unlike the little A’Bao who once lay against her lap, smiling and joking with her.

Perhaps it was because she had once been A’Bao’s closest grandmother, so… even though A’Bao was extremely precocious, she would still show childishness in her presence.

But now, the two grandmothers and granddaughter finally stood on opposing sides.

Or perhaps, after the Bai Family suffered catastrophe… A’Bao had to support the Bai Family and had long since, without her notice, shed her tender years and soft heart, becoming a daughter capable of supporting the Bai Family… even supporting an entire nation.

The Grand Princess’s eyes grew hot with moisture, mist blurring her vision so she could only see the outline of Bai Qingyan’s tall, slender frame. The Grand Princess had always been proud and high-spirited, unwilling to show weakness by wiping tears in front of her granddaughter. She only supported herself with one elbow on the hidden pouch, smiling faintly at Bai Qingyan.

She remembered that after a palace banquet, Great Liang’s Fourth Prince had once evaluated Bai Qingyan, saying she possessed both beauty and strength – he hadn’t been wrong in the slightest.

How could she not know that Bai Qingyan had entered Luohong City to give their grandmother-granddaughter relationship a proper conclusion? Her granddaughter was just like Bai Weiting… for any family member they held dear in their hearts, they could pay any price and fear no danger.

In comparison, she, as a grandmother, was truly… too inadequate.

Behind the screen, the Emperor also looked in Bai Qingyan’s direction. Through the gauze screen… the Emperor could only vaguely see Bai Qingyan’s upright, tall figure as she entered Luohong Tower under Gao Demao’s respectful guidance, her steps steady. Where was there any sign of someone about to die…

What dying? It was nothing more than… a smokescreen to deceive him and the Crown Prince.

If she were truly dying, what was the point of claiming imperial status?

Quan Yu stood right beside the Emperor, holding a black lacquered and gold-decorated square tray containing a jade wine cup filled with poisoned wine. Quan Yu’s hands kept trembling.

From when the Emperor had sent someone to summon him until now, he had been under constant surveillance with no opportunity to send word to Bai Qingyan. He had wanted to tell Bai Qingyan never to come to this Hongmen Banquet, but Bai Qingyan had still come…

Quan Yu lowered his eyes to look at the poisoned wine in the jade cup. No matter what, he could not let Princess Zhenguo drink this cup. He still had to find an opportunity to tell Princess Zhenguo about the ambush surrounding them, so she could be mentally prepared – even if it meant… taking the Emperor hostage!

Thinking of this, Quan Yu stole a glance at the Emperor from the corner of his eye, his heart filled with fear, his hands trembling even more violently.

He had been a servant his entire life, never harboring even the slightest disrespect toward the Emperor, Crown Prince, and other imperial family members, not even in the deepest recesses of his heart. Yet today he was so audaciously bold as to think of having Princess Zhenguo take the Emperor hostage.

This thought alone was enough to make Quan Yu break out in cold sweat.

“Grandmother…” Bai Qingyan bowed to the Grand Princess.

“A’Bao… come!” The Grand Princess smiled and beckoned to Bai Qingyan. “Come to Grandmother’s side.”

Bai Qingyan stood in the center of Luohong Tower, the polished floor reflecting the slightly swaying flames. Her deep, dark eyes, calm as a still pond, swept around the room, deliberately avoiding the screen: “Eunuch Gao mentioned that His Majesty is also here…”