The letter couldn’t be delivered to the Empress Dowager too early. It had to wait until Shen Xihe was certain the Emperor’s days were numbered and the Empress Dowager could no longer contain herself. Delivering it too early would give them too much time to strategize, preventing Shen Xihe from achieving her desired effect.

During this period, Xue Jinqiao’s unusual behavior caught Xue Heng’s attention. He had noticed her melancholy earlier, but at that time she had still tried to conceal it, even leading Xue Heng to misunderstand it as mere marital discord.

Now Xue Jinqiao not only stopped hiding it but was also secretly conducting clandestine activities. None of this escaped the notice of Xue Heng, a grandfather concerned for his granddaughter. When he discovered through subtle clues that Xue Jinqiao was stealing and transmitting information about the Northwest, he caught her in the act.

Taking Xue Jinqiao to a private location, Xue Heng couldn’t help but ask, “Qiaoqiao, what are you doing!”

Xue Jinqiao’s face was full of panic and hesitation.

“When did this begin? Who’s forcing you? Is it His Majesty!” Thinking of how the Emperor had already used the Xue family to threaten himself, Xue Heng couldn’t help but wonder if his delayed response had caused the Emperor to grow impatient and threaten Xue Jinqiao instead.

But Xue Jinqiao had no attachment to the Xue family, so why would she betray Shen Yunan for their sake?

Her feelings for Shen Yunan couldn’t possibly be fake!

At Xue Heng’s question, Xue Jinqiao knew that Shen Xihe’s prediction was correct—the Emperor had indeed approached her grandfather. Her eyes reddened: “Grandfather, don’t concern yourself with my affairs. Leave the Northwest soon.”

“How can I not concern myself? Do you understand what you’re doing?” Xue Heng was furious. Fortunately, he had discovered this first. If Shen’s father and son discovered it first, how would she face them? What would they do to her?

“I…” Xue Jinqiao knew her grandfather truly cared for her. She didn’t want to manipulate him, but this battle needed a victor. Only by using her grandfather could they break the deadlock quickly and minimize casualties in the Northwest, a land she had grown to love deeply.

“What difficulties are you facing? Tell me, and grandfather will find a way!” Xue Heng pressed anxiously.

Xue Jinqiao lowered her eyes, afraid her grandfather would see the guilt within them. Her grandfather hadn’t considered siding with the Emperor yet. He didn’t want to become a traitor to the Xue family, but he also feared his actions would lead to their family’s destruction. It was an impossible choice.

But, she, this piece of his heart, weighed heavier than all the Xue family members in his grandfather’s heart. She was making herself the final straw that would break her grandfather’s resistance.

Hesitantly, she pulled a map from her sleeve and handed it to Xue Heng: “Grandfather, I’m not acting under His Majesty’s orders. The Empress Dowager has controlled me for a long time…”

Xue Heng didn’t understand soul-controlling techniques. Whatever Xue Jinqiao said about this, he believed, because, in Xue Heng’s eyes, Xue Jinqiao would never deceive her grandfather. When he heard that if she didn’t comply, she would lose control and go mad like in her childhood, Xue Heng’s eyes bulged with rage.

He recalled Xue Jinqiao’s tragic, frenzied state from her childhood: “This is outrageous!”

At this moment, Xue Heng felt deep hatred for the Empress Dowager and the imperial family. He strode forward, intending to find Shen Yueshan and reveal everything. Xue Jinqiao, guessing his thoughts, immediately threw herself forward to hold him back: “Grandfather, no! This evil technique has already been used on Manman. Qiaoqiao might not care about living or dying, but what about Manman?”

Xue Heng froze, his face full of fury with nowhere to direct it.

Seeing this, Xue Jinqiao could only repeatedly apologize to her grandfather in her heart.

Shen Yunan had suggested they could be honest with Xue Heng, letting him act out a play to deceive the Emperor’s people, but this was too risky. If Xue Heng showed even the slightest flaw, the Emperor’s people might silence him.

Better to let Xue Heng become a thoroughly self-interested person under her influence.

Only if Xue Heng sincerely sided with the Emperor would his every action be believed by the other side.

After all, the Emperor had sent Wang Zheng to liaison with Xue Heng. Having associated with their grandfather for many years, Wang Zheng should be able to determine whether his grandfather’s defection was sincere.

“Do you know what will happen to you if the Northwest falls and the Crown Princess loses power?” Xue Heng turned around, his expression both tender and pained.

Eyes stinging, Xue Jinqiao’s heart was also full of anxiety and guilt, though this anxiety and guilt were for deceiving and using her grandfather. Large tears fell: “Grandfather… Grandfather, Qiaoqiao… Qiaoqiao can’t turn back now…”

Xue Heng assumed Xue Jinqiao was heartbroken because she had chosen to betray Shen Xihe and Shen Yunan, which made him even more distressed.

“Grandfather… I… have already revealed everything about the Northwest to the Empress Dowager…” Xue Jinqiao chokingly told Xue Heng about all the things she had done to wrong the Shen family. To prevent Xue Heng’s suspicion, she attributed everything to actions taken while unknowingly under the soul-controlling technique.

Later, she gradually noticed something was wrong and, staying alert, tricked the truth about being under the technique from her contact.

Xue Heng’s mind was instantly in chaos. The Empress Dowager had hidden her true nature so deeply—if she succeeded, would she spare Xue Jinqiao?

Not!

They couldn’t let the Empress Dowager succeed, but given everything Xue Jinqiao had done against the Northwest and the Shen family, would there still be hope if they went to confess to the Shen family now?

Xue Heng wavered between the Shen family and the Emperor, troubled by how much Northwest information Xue Jinqiao had leaked.

In his heart, Xue Heng still leaned toward being honest with the Shen family. Given Shen Yunan and Shen Yueshan’s character, even if the marriage bond was broken, they wouldn’t take their lives.

“Qiaoqiao, let’s go find the Prince and the Young Master…”

“No, Grandfather, we can’t.” Xue Jinqiao refused, “The Empress Dowager has people around Anan. She will immediately take Manman’s life.”

“You—” Xue Heng looked at the resistant and terrified Xue Jinqiao. Though he knew this was the wrong path, he couldn’t bear to force her. That left only one path.

Xue Heng yielded to the Emperor, immediately sending him information, revealing the Empress Dowager’s true face and what she had done to Xue Jinqiao. The Emperor had always been lenient toward those who recognized the situation and didn’t cling to power.

Perhaps if the Emperor won, he could protect Xue Jinqiao and Manman.

However, regarding the Shen family, Xue Heng felt extremely ashamed.

The Empress Dowager received Xue Jinqiao’s message on the sixth day of the third month. Two days later, Yu Sangning was rescued.

Emperor Youning received Xue Heng’s message on the tenth day of the third month. That night, he coughed up blood. The information in Xue Heng’s letter was extensive, including details about the soul-controlling technique, which led to many unsettling associations. After Shen Xihe’s true Seven Sons strategy, Emperor Youning had already begun to suspect the Empress Dowager. This letter gave him a deeper look at her true face, leading to tonight’s scheme of faking death with the death bell to hear for himself.

“Lord Xue has indeed sincerely turned to His Majesty. Only because of this could his information make His Majesty believe in his sincerity,” Shen Xihe placed another piece.