At dawn’s first light, civil and military officials had already gathered in great numbers outside Qianqing Hall, with imperial guards standing like a forest.

The imperial family’s ceremonial procession was magnificent and imposing, with precious canopies and ornate fans extending from deep within the palace all the way to the palace gates. Brocade-clad palace attendants prostrated themselves along the roadside while eunuchs stood at attention holding various ceremonial implements.

The phoenix sedan for welcoming the bride had fetched the new empress from the Nie residence, and at the auspicious hour, it wound its way directly into the palace grounds. A long red carpet stretched from the palace gates all the way to Qianqing Hall.

The phoenix sedan proceeded all the way to the palace entrance before coming to a stop. Huangfu Wushuang, dressed in auspicious ceremonial robes, helped the phoenix crown-wearing empress down from the sedan. The two held hands and walked slowly step by step along the magnificent red carpet toward Qianqing Hall.

For this grand imperial wedding, envoys from various nations had also been invited to attend. The young prince of Yue Shi watched as the new emperor escorted the empress up the stone steps, then turned and slowly walked away. Before long he returned, now accompanied by his attendant Yue Po. Everyone was focused on watching the imperial couple on the high platform, so no one paid attention to the movements on this side.

At the end of the red carpet stood Qianqing Hall, where the imperial couple knelt and paid respects before Empress Dowager Nie, who was surrounded by attending ladies. Officials from the Ministry of Rites had already set up the incense altar, and Head Eunuch Ji Xiang emerged carrying an imperial edict, proclaiming in a loud voice: “By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Nie Yiren, daughter of Minister Nie, is gentle and proper in conduct, possessing both virtue and talent, serving the ruler with utmost sincerity. Today we hold this grand ceremony to enthrone her as Empress. So it is decreed!”

As Ji Xiang’s words fell, he held up the edict and gestured for the new empress kneeling on the ground to rise and receive the decree. The scattered jade and pearls hanging in front of her phoenix crown completely obscured her face. Dan Hong felt extremely nervous – she didn’t know why the general still hadn’t come. Did she really intend for her to marry the emperor in her place?

While she was still hesitating in her heart, Huangfu Wushuang bent down to help her up and placed the golden册 from Ji Xiang’s hands into hers. Taking her hand, he stood with her on the high steps and whispered in her ear: “To rule over all under heaven – what joy could compare? But what brings me even greater comfort is having you by my side, little Bao’er.”

Hearing these words, Dan Hong’s heart trembled slightly. She wasn’t the general – if it had been the general, would she have been moved upon hearing such words? Now that things had reached this point and the general still hadn’t returned, did this mean she would have to continue substituting throughout the entire ceremony?

Just then, a young eunuch at the hall entrance came forward to report: “Emperor Xiao Yin of the Northern Dynasty has come bearing gifts to congratulate our emperor’s wedding ceremony.”

The Northern Dynasty Emperor?!

Among the assembled ministers, some who were less well-informed couldn’t help but feel shocked, never having expected that the Northern Dynasty emperor would have already arrived in the Southern Dynasty. Huangfu Wushuang had actually already received intelligence about the Northern Emperor’s presence in the capital from his spies, but he hadn’t anticipated that the Northern Emperor would come to attend his wedding.

“If that is so, then summon the Northern Emperor for an audience,” Huangfu Wushuang said with a smile.

An attendant went to relay the decree, and before long, the attendant’s drawn-out voice rang out:

“The Northern Emperor requests an audience!”

As the final notes faded, a proud and towering figure appeared before everyone outside the palace gates.

Northern Emperor Xiao Yin strode forward across the red carpet, wearing a purple brocade robe embroidered with coiling dragon patterns that fluttered dramatically in the wind. He walked with domineering presence, his steps generating their own momentum, with his four personal guards following behind.

He continued walking until he stopped at a distance of ten paces from Huangfu Wushuang. The Southern Dynasty’s imperial guards, seeing this, nearly stepped forward with their swords to block him.

“So this is how the Southern Dynasty treats its guests?” Xiao Yin raised his eyes in a cold sweep. Wherever his gaze fell, those imperial guards felt an inexplicable chill penetrate through them, as if their entire beings had fallen into an ice cave.

“Stand down!” Huangfu Wushuang shouted coldly.

“The Northern Emperor has traveled far to come here, and we failed to properly receive you – truly remiss of us!” Huangfu Wushuang turned and said with a smile.

“Your Majesty is too courteous. I have come specifically to congratulate Your Majesty and the Empress on your harmonious union and wish you a lifetime of happiness together,” Xiao Yin slowly raised his head, his thin lips curving slightly to reveal a benevolent smile, his expression relaxed and gentle. “Present the congratulatory gifts.”

Hui Xue and Liu Feng, who had been following behind, hurriedly stepped forward to present the gifts.

Huangfu Wushuang gestured for the attendants behind him to accept them, then slowly descended the steps to invite the Northern Emperor inside the hall to participate in the subsequent banquet. Xiao Yin laughed heartily, then suddenly shifted his gaze to focus on the new empress beside Huangfu Wushuang. “When I came here, I did not know Your Majesty was getting married, so the gifts were prepared rather hastily. However, I do have one congratulatory gift I wish to present specifically to the Empress.”

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Wushuang’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, and he said with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile: “I never expected the Northern Emperor would also prepare a congratulatory gift for the Empress. Empress, why don’t you thank the Northern Emperor.”

Through the pearl strings hanging in front of her face, Dan Hong quietly studied Xiao Yin. The general had asked her to substitute in the marriage and said that someone would take her away. Could it be that this person was the Northern Emperor? Why would he take her away? She took a gentle breath and smiled, saying: “Thank you, Northern Emperor!”

“Won’t the Empress look to see what the congratulatory gift is?” came a low voice tinged with a hint of dominance.

Dan Hong’s heart trembled slightly as she slowly lifted the pearl strings from before her eyes.

At this moment, Ji Fengli felt extremely nervous. He was once again disguised as the young prince of Yue Shi, while the real Nalan Xue had now removed his mask and was disguised as the attendant Yue Po.

His phoenix eyes narrowed as he stared unblinkingly at the empress in her phoenix crown and ceremonial robes, his heart already suspended high with tension, so nervous it had nowhere to settle. Earlier, that woman in phoenix crown and ceremonial robes had fled back, and calculating the time, she should have caught Huangfu Wushuang’s bridal sedan, which was why he had insisted on entering the palace – to get another look at this woman.

As the pearl strings were lifted, a delicate and beautiful face appeared before everyone – bright eyes and white teeth, beautifully charming and radiant. However, she was Song Qiluo, Emperor Kang’s former concubine.

With a snap, his heart that had been suspended high seemed to instantly fall from a great height and shatter on the ground.

The brilliant sunlight blazed intensely, illuminating the red-decorated square where gorgeous red silk fluttered in the wind. Everything seemed festive, yet his dark eyes alone seemed to carry an eternal coldness.

Xiao Yin was stunned when he saw Dan Hong’s face.

When he was seven years old, his mother passed away, and since then, her appearance had grown increasingly blurred in his memory. That day, when Hua Zhuyu unrolled Dan Hong’s portrait before him, in that instant, all memories of his mother seemed to return. Now, seeing Dan Hong in person, he was still stunned.

In this moment, he thought his young mother had returned.

Huangfu Wushuang was equally stunned. Nie Yuanqiao had kept news extremely well contained, so Huangfu Wushuang had not yet received word of Hua Zhuyu’s abduction. Suddenly seeing that the empress had been replaced by someone else, how could he not be shocked?

He slowly turned his head, and at an angle the crowd couldn’t see, his incomparably handsome face darkened, radiating intense murderous intent. Those dark eyes that had originally been filled with joy became as sharp as those of an eagle.

He took a deep breath, and when he turned his face again, the smile at the corners of his lips bloomed brilliantly like peach blossoms in early spring. He stepped forward and grasped Dan Hong’s delicate jade hand, then turned back to Xiao Yin and said slowly: “I wonder what congratulatory gift the Northern Dynasty Emperor wishes to present to the Empress?”

The assembled ministers were equally shocked. What they couldn’t understand was how the former Emperor Kang’s concubine had become Minister Nie’s daughter and then become the new empress. Many were puzzled, but seeing Huangfu Wushuang’s calm demeanor, no one spoke for the moment.

Dan Hong gazed at the imposing and domineering man, seeing his purple eyes that seemed to burn like fire, her heart surging with tumultuous waves.

Xiao Yin gestured with his hand, and Hui Xue stepped forward carrying a jade dish with a painted silk scroll placed upon it.

Ji Xiang walked forward and held the jade dish before Dan Hong. She reached out to take it and slowly unrolled the silk scroll. Huangfu Wushuang leaned forward with great interest. As the scroll gradually opened, Dan Hong’s face showed surprise, and even Huangfu Wushuang’s complexion instantly turned pale.

In the distance: grasslands, tents, high sky, a lone eagle.

Up close: a tree of red plum blossoms blooming quietly, with strong branches and abundant flowers, as if their subtle fragrance emerged from the paper.

Under the tree, on a chair, sat a woman dressed in foreign clothing who appeared beautiful and serene. She held a small female child in her arms, while a seven or eight-year-old boy stood beside the woman, holding a piece of candy to amuse the little girl.

This painting was obviously done by a man’s hand. The composition was clean and decisive, not like a meticulous brush painting, but the warm feeling in the picture was still something Dan Hong could sense immediately – clearly the artist had painted this with his heart.

When Dan Hong saw the woman’s appearance, her heart began to tremble uncontrollably, because the woman’s features were so similar to her own.

“This… who is this?” Dan Hong asked, her eyelashes trembling lightly.

Huangfu Wushuang saw the painting clearly, and his dark eyes suddenly narrowed slightly as he smiled faintly: “This painting is quite good. Empress, put it away and invite the Northern Emperor to sit inside the hall. There will be an evening banquet tonight – we hope the Northern Emperor will honor us with his presence!”

“Since Your Majesty has married my imperial sister, I naturally should attend,” Xiao Yin said with a smile, his gaze passing tenderly over Dan Hong’s face.

“Hahahaha!” Huangfu Wushuang threw back his head and laughed heartily. “You jest too much! Please, enter the hall!”

Xiao Yin stood motionless at the bottom of the steps, a cold smile playing at the corners of his lips as he looked at Huangfu Wushuang: “She is my imperial sister Princess Zhuo Ya, who has been missing for many years. The woman in this painting is my mother empress, and the female child she holds in her arms is my imperial sister – and your empress. I am the mighty Northern Emperor – how could I mistake my own imperial sister? How could I joke about such a matter!”

The moment Dan Hong learned she was a Northern Dynasty princess, her heart could no longer remain calm. She had always thought herself a helpless orphan, but suddenly she had become a Northern Dynasty princess. This domineering and imposing Northern Emperor was actually her elder brother.

Everything today felt like a dream.

The general had said someone would take her away. This meant the general had known about this matter all along. She was determined to extricate herself from this whirlpool, but what about her?

Dan Hong stood frozen on the steps like a wooden puppet, not knowing what to do next. A flash of annoyance crossed Huangfu Wushuang’s eyes, gone in an instant, before his face broke into a broad smile: “I had no idea she was your imperial sister. I thought she was Minister Nie’s daughter. Allow me to investigate this matter thoroughly – perhaps you’ve mistaken her identity. There are people in this world with similar appearances.”

The assembled ministers below began to whisper among themselves. One minister quickly stepped forward and said: “If the new empress is indeed the Northern Emperor’s imperial sister, then the lady the Left Minister intended to marry some days ago was definitely not the Northern Emperor’s imperial sister. Please, Your Majesty, quickly clarify this matter to clear the Left Minister’s name.”

“There is no need for further investigation. I have only one imperial sister, and she is currently Your Majesty’s new empress. Speaking of which, Ji Fengli died quite unjustly – Your Majesty should restore his good name!” Xiao Yin said with feeling.

“Your Majesty, please restore the Left Minister’s good name!”

Voices rose and fell like a tide.

What had begun as a solemn and joyous wedding ceremony had, because of the Northern Dynasty Emperor’s interference, transformed into a call to clear Ji Fengli’s name. Huangfu Wushuang stood on the steps with his hands behind his back, his expression dark. He had never expected that even though Ji Fengli had been dead for many days, the ministers at court would still support him so strongly. He turned and said coldly: “Today is my wedding day. All other matters will be handled later.” With that, he grasped Dan Hong’s hand and led her quickly toward the hall.

Nalan Xue said puzzledly in Ji Fengli’s ear: “What is going on? Did you really collude with the Northern Emperor? Why is he clearing your name?”

Ji Fengli frowned in silence, a trace of confusion flashing in his dark eyes beneath the golden mask. Setting aside why the Northern Emperor would clear his name, what puzzled him was: where was that Nie Yiren?

Night fell. Huangfu Wushuang hosted an evening banquet in Qianqing Hall.

The transformation of the new emperor’s empress from Minister Nie’s daughter into a Northern Dynasty princess was an extremely shocking turn of events for the court ministers. However, since both the Southern and Northern Dynasty emperors acted as if nothing had happened, these ministers felt it inappropriate to say anything.

Dan Hong sat beside Huangfu Wushuang, feeling constantly uneasy. Though Huangfu Wushuang beside her wore a smile, she could sense the cold aura emanating from his entire being. Suddenly her hand felt warm – she looked up to see Huangfu Wushuang tilting back his head to drain a cup of wine, then giving her a doting smile. That smile was gentle and brilliant, and even knowing his ruthlessness, she almost became lost in that clear, bright smile. He slowly leaned closer, drawing near her ear to ask softly: “Where… is she? Tell me!”

Dan Hong’s heart stuttered, and she smiled at him: “She has already left. You will never see her again.” Dan Hong understood in her heart that the general actually didn’t want to marry the emperor, which was why she had willingly gone with those who abducted her. She wondered if the general had managed to escape from those people by now.

“Left?” Huangfu Wushuang raised an eyebrow, a cold smile playing at his lips. “I will find her!”

When civil and military officials came to offer toasts, Huangfu Wushuang only took small sips. When Right Minister Nie Yuanqiao came to offer a toast, he knelt in obeisance: “This humble subject is filled with trepidation. I previously had no knowledge that Yiren was a Northern Dynasty princess – this is truly a grave error. Please, Your Majesty, forgive my offense!”

Huangfu Wushuang lifted his wine cup and drained it completely, smiling: “Right Minister, what fault could you possibly have? You found the Northern Dynasty princess – this could be called a great merit. I should reward you handsomely for this! Someone, bring wine!”

An attendant carrying a wine cup slowly approached Nie Yuanqiao. Just as Nie Yuanqiao reached out to accept the cup and drained it completely, the attendant suddenly flicked his wrist, and from under the tray a sharp blade appeared, gleaming coldly as it struck toward Huangfu Wushuang.

This sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard – no one had been prepared for this attendant to suddenly turn violent and attempt murder.

The blade flashed like snow, arriving in an instant.

Everyone cried out in alarm, some shouting for the emperor’s protection.

The banquet erupted into chaos. Nie Yuanqiao suddenly leaped up and grappled with the attendant. Today’s events had included many unexpected developments, and things had already far exceeded anyone’s control.

All these years, Nie Yuanqiao had kept a low profile while secretly supporting Huangfu Wushuang, hoping that one day when this young man ascended to the throne, his daughter could enter the central palace as empress and he could control the government. However, his daughter was still too young, so he had reluctantly acknowledged this woman he favored. But he had never expected this woman to actually be Ying Shuxie under Hua Mu’s command. Now, this empress could never serve as his daughter.

Watching that assassin’s dagger strike toward Huangfu Wushuang, Nie Yuanqiao felt joy in his heart and pretended to rise to the rescue. If during his struggle with this assassin, Huangfu Wushuang were to accidentally die, it would save him from having to rebel and force his way to power. Just as he was calculating his scheme, he suddenly felt his entire body go weak – the internal energy in his dantian was blocked, and he could no longer summon even the slightest bit of strength. At that moment, a flash of snowy light dazzled before his eyes. The assassin’s sword point arrived, and he watched helplessly as that blade entered his chest. A sharp, piercing pain shot through him, and blood immediately gushed forth, staining his clothing red.

“Right Minister!” Huangfu Wushuang cried out in shock, catching Nie Yuanqiao’s falling body from behind and urgently calling: “Right Minister, how are you? Quickly summon the imperial physicians!”

Imperial guards had already swarmed forward to subdue the assassin.

Hearing Huangfu Wushuang’s shocked voice in his ear, Nie Yuanqiao slowly turned his head and stared at Huangfu Wushuang in disbelief, gasping as he asked: “You… it was you?”

That cup of wine was what he had bestowed – there was poison in the wine.

This assassin was also his arrangement, meant to eliminate him while the poison took effect.

This assassination was fundamentally a trap, but the target wasn’t Huangfu Wushuang – it was him!

“Yes, Uncle. How could I not know what you were thinking in your heart? However, I have always remembered your great contributions and never intended to do anything to you. But you shouldn’t have lost my little Bao’er, and you especially shouldn’t have attempted to force your way to power.” The extremely cold voice pressed against Nie Yuanqiao’s ear, slow and low like a demon’s whisper.

Nie Yuanqiao’s eyes widened as a low gurgling sound emerged from his throat, as if lamenting that in the struggle between kings, the victor would not be him.

Huangfu Wushuang slowly placed Nie Yuanqiao on the ground, emerged slowly from the circle of guards surrounding him, and declared loudly: “The Right Minister sacrificed himself to protect the throne. I am moved by his loyalty and courage, and grant him burial with state honors. The Right Minister’s dying concern was for his eldest son – I now bestow upon Nie Ning the title of Prince Zhongyong. So it is decreed!”

Huangfu Wushuang’s voice was filled with deep grief and lamentation, moving all who heard it.

The assembled ministers were stunned. Since Huangfu Wushuang’s ascension and the death of Left Minister Ji Fengli, the most powerful and influential figure at court had been none other than Nie Yuanqiao. Today, with his daughter crowned as empress, the Nie family’s wealth and honor seemed limitless. Yet no one had expected that in a single evening, all of this would turn to nothing.

Everyone had personally witnessed the process of Minister Nie dying while protecting the emperor, and couldn’t help but sigh with regret. To think that a mere assassin had claimed the Right Minister’s life.

Ji Fengli sat at the banquet, narrowing his eyes as he watched this dramatic scene unfold, a faint smile curving his lips. He had originally intended to incite conflict between Nie Yuanqiao and Hua Mu, but had never expected Huangfu Wushuang to personally eliminate Nie Yuanqiao.

An assassination plot that played the opponent like a puppet in the palm of one’s hand, only revealing the truth at the moment of death. A move to lure the enemy into a trap, making him offer himself up voluntarily. And even in death, it preserved for Nie Yuanqiao a good name of protecting the emperor and dying for the country.

Huangfu Wushuang was truly ruthless to the extreme.

After Nie Yuanqiao was carried away by the imperial guards, Huangfu Wushuang said quietly: “Such an incident has occurred, and I deeply regret it. However, today’s banquet is for my wedding ceremony – everyone need not feel constrained.”

The great hall fell silent. Huangfu Wushuang ordered the singing girls to come forward and play the qin, which finally dispelled the cold atmosphere in the hall.

“Your Majesty, should the scheduled song and dance performances continue?” Ji Xiang asked quietly beside Huangfu Wushuang.

Huangfu Wushuang frowned: “Proceed!”

Ji Xiang reported again: “This dancer requests that several lamps in the hall be extinguished. Does Your Majesty think this appropriate?”

“Oh?” Huangfu Wushuang raised an eyebrow: “Proceed! I would like to see what kind of dance this is.”

Ji Xiang went to relay the message. Soon attendants walked to various parts of the great hall and extinguished the brightest glass lamps. Darkness immediately pressed down like twilight, and the remaining light took on a grayish-white metallic luster, enveloping the faces of everyone at the banquet in shadowy, indistinct halos.

Just then, in the dim light, a clear note rang out from the qin.

A ethereal figure descended from above. Her skirts swayed gracefully as she floated lightly to the ground, then immediately prostrated herself. Her red skirts spread out like a brilliant flower.

Everyone could only see a silhouette – slender waist, soft form, graceful posture. Such an elegant and alluring figure couldn’t help but stir the imagination. With a gentle turn in the qin melody, she slowly rose from the ground, then suddenly arched backward, bending into an incredible curve like a crescent moon hanging in the air. Her elegantly lined neck dropped back vertically while her delicate jade arms raised upward.

The dim lamplight faintly enveloped her, and the thin veil couldn’t hide the elegant curve of her profile. Just as everyone wanted to glimpse her face, she began to dance gracefully.

Her beautiful head swayed lightly, flowers in her hair fluttered down, and her dark hair hung loose.

Her form spun gently, wide skirts dancing in the wind like an elegant red lotus slowly blooming.

Her toes touched lightly, red skirts flowing, long sleeves fluttering.

Accompanied by the music, she danced sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. When slow, she was like a flower bathing in sunlight, gently opening petal after petal, making viewers hold their breath to watch every detail of her dance. When quick, her wide sleeves swept wildly, her sash flew in the wind, her dance passionate yet tender – her entire being like a blazing fire scorching everyone’s hearts.

Every graceful turn drew countless mesmerized gazes. Yet no one could see clearly the face beneath her veil. They could only see a pair of eyes clear as water, like burning starlight, seemingly able to illuminate the darkness of night.

This was a dance that reached directly into the depths of one’s soul. The clear, flowing qin notes suddenly stopped, and she turned in a beautiful pose, spinning lightly as the light veil on her face was suddenly blown away by the wind, revealing her face to everyone.

Her features were flawlessly perfect, beautiful and otherworldly like she didn’t belong to this mortal world. Her clear eyes seemed to encompass all the radiance between heaven and earth – the clarity of water, the brightness of moon, the brilliance of stars, the lightness of wind, the intensity of sun…

Ji Fengli sat at the banquet, his soul-stirring phoenix eyes staring directly at the woman’s face. That face blazed like flame, so dazzling he could barely keep his eyes open.

Was it him?

It was him!

He wasn’t dead!

In this instant, Ji Fengli felt an unprecedented tremor. Even if mountains collapsed and earth split, he wouldn’t be this shaken. Even if seas became mulberry fields, he wouldn’t be this nervous. Even if everything in the world was destroyed, he wouldn’t be this astonished.

In this instant, his mind went blank, without any thoughts – even being struck by five thunderbolts couldn’t compare to this.

In this instant, he felt everything had changed, like Zhuangzi’s butterfly dream – what night was this?

In his wide sleeves, his slender hands trembled violently beyond control. When he tried to clench them, they shook terribly. When he tried to relax them, they shook terribly. When he placed them on his legs, his legs shook too. When he placed them on the table, the table shook too.

His entire heart – one moment it was like a river frozen in winter, the next moment it became a summer river pounded by waterfalls, the solid ice cracking and disintegrating, churning up turbulent waves.

Was this a dream?

“Nalan, pinch me,” Ji Fengli said tremblingly to Nalan Xue beside him – he who wouldn’t change expression even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

But Nalan Xue didn’t hear Ji Fengli’s words at all, staring straight ahead, his teacup tilting without him noticing. Clearly, Nalan Xue was also stunned.

Ji Fengli could only reach out himself and pinch his wrist hard. It hurt! He pinched again – very painful! Once more – still painful!

It didn’t seem to be a dream.

After the brief blankness in his mind, all the shock, questions, amazement, and even wild joy suddenly stuffed into his heart like a tangled mess. He couldn’t think anything, couldn’t say anything – his mind just repeated over and over two words: “Bao’er… Bao’er… Bao’er…”

Each call transformed into wild waves of shouting, surging like tides into his mind.

He felt the world was empty, only he was real, his heart filled with indescribable joy. Bao’er was still alive. The only thing he wanted to do now was rush forward, embrace him, kiss him, love him, hold him, cherish him…

In fact, he was already preparing to do so. But just as he stood up from his seat, Nalan Xue beside him suddenly seemed to wake up and pressed him back into his chair, saying slowly: “Young Prince, where are you going?” Then he leaned close to his ear and whispered: “Don’t forget where you are now and what your identity is. And how did he suddenly become a woman? Who is she? What is she trying to do?”

Bao’er! A woman!

Only now did Ji Fengli become somewhat clearheaded.

Yes, he… she – who exactly was she?

He forcibly suppressed the surging impulse in his heart and looked up at her. The golden mask gleamed under the lamplight, the jawline exposed outside the mask was delicate and elegant, and a pair of ink-dark phoenix eyes surged with tumultuous emotions, like piercing light, like burning fire.

In the center of the great hall, that former Bao who had worn battle robes charging across battlefields, who had worn yellow eunuch clothing as Eunuch Bao, had now removed both battle robes and eunuch garments to wear a water-red cloud silk dance dress, with flowing cloud hair ornaments, phoenix hairpins, lightly painted eyebrows, lightly touched vermillion lips, a touch of rouge – her waist so slender, truly and completely a woman, an absolute woman.

Meeting at the execution ground, palace intrigue, close combat at the traveling palace, facing each other naked at the hot springs, feeding blood in Xuzhou, playing “Weak Water” together on qin and flute, fighting enemies side by side on the battlefield, the bloodthirsty kiss at the execution ground…

Every scene with her flashed through his mind like pictures.

She rescued him from the execution ground, she fought on battlefields, she boiled medicine for plague-stricken people, she led Tiger Roar Camp deep behind enemy lines, she…

She had done so many things that even men couldn’t accomplish.

His heart ached uncontrollably, again and again.

He felt heartbroken for her!

She was the person he loved most in this life – Bao’er! And she wasn’t a man, but a woman. So he wasn’t a cut-sleeve after all!

Originally he thought she disdained him, rejected him, perhaps because he truly wasn’t cut-sleeve, which was why she repelled him. But now, knowing she was a woman, then she had never, from beginning to end, liked him even the slightest bit.

She was the person he loved most in this life, while he was probably the person she hated most or found most detestable in her life.

Bao’er, no matter who your true identity is, no matter what you want to do, and no matter whether you love me or not, as long as you’re alive, that’s enough! And I only need to look at you once more, just once more, and that will be enough!

The dance ended, and Hua Zhuyu turned back with a charming smile, all kinds of allure radiating from her.

Her gaze swept over the faces of everyone at the banquet, seeing pairs of astonished eyes. Obviously, among these people, some hadn’t recognized that she was Yuan Bao, but some sharp-eyed ones saw her resemblance to Yuan Bao, though they still didn’t dare believe it.

Huangfu Wushuang stared at her fiercely with his dark eyes, the color in their depths dark as night with hidden anger. Yes, how could Huangfu Wushuang not be angry? He had originally thought he was marrying her, only to discover it was Dan Hong instead. And now she appeared as a dancer – how could he not be angry?

Xiao Yin sat beside Huangfu Wushuang, his purple eyes looking at her like a thousand-foot abyss, carrying the power to subdue hearts, as if she could sink into them at any moment.

She smiled slightly and bowed to Huangfu Wushuang: “Your Majesty, this humble performer has another piece to offer Your Majesty.”

Huangfu Wushuang’s expression darkened slightly as he smiled wickedly: “Proceed!”

Hua Zhuyu took a pipa from a palace maid nearby, smiled and curtsied, then her ten slender fingers quickly swept over the strings. In an instant, pipa music flowed forth.

At first gentle and soft, like fine rain and light wind, flowers blooming and withering. Suddenly the music became violent – iron cavalry charging, silver bottles pouring, thunderous sounds shaking heaven and earth, swords clashing, men and horses crisscrossing, like thunder and lightning.

Everyone in the hall felt their hearts racing, almost wanting to rise and flee.

In a split second, Hua Zhuyu suddenly spread her five fingers wide, grasped the pipa strings, pressed and pulled – four strings snapped, and the pipa music stopped abruptly. Those four strings, like four long arrows gleaming with sharp cold light, shot toward Huangfu Wushuang on his throne.

This strike was a killing move.

Hua Zhuyu’s music first attacked the heart, secretly channeling internal energy into the strings. The music she played stole away everyone’s concentration, then caught them off guard by snapping the strings.

The four strings transformed into four long arrows, spreading in the air into four directions, each striking toward a vital point on Huangfu Wushuang’s body, completely sealing off all his escape routes. The thin strings flashed like lightning before everyone’s eyes, illuminated by the glass lamps like four rainbows spanning the sky, striking toward Huangfu Wushuang on the main seat at unimaginable speed.

In this instant, the sharp killing intent emanating from her filled the entire palace hall.

No one had expected that a pipa could serve as an assassination weapon, much less that an unarmed, delicate musician would harbor such murderous intent.

This move was fast, ruthless, and precise.

“Your Majesty, be careful!” The guards standing in the hall wanted to leap to the rescue, but it was already too late.

Huangfu Wushuang smiled wickedly at the corners of his lips, watching coldly as the four strings arrived before his eyes in an instant, then suddenly threw the wine cup in his hand.

The wine cup mixed with transparent liquor met the fierce strings. In that moment, only the sound of jade shattering could be heard as the porcelain cup instantly shattered. The second, third, and fourth strings arrived simultaneously – one aimed at his forehead, one at his left chest, one at his throat.

He suddenly turned his head, dodging the string aimed at his forehead, extended his fingers to catch the string aimed at his throat, but couldn’t avoid the one aimed at his chest. He could only quickly turn sideways, avoiding the vital point in his chest as the string silently pierced his ribs.

Each of these four strings was a killing blow. An ordinary person would have died four times over. Yet Huangfu Wushuang easily dodged three of them, and though he couldn’t avoid the last one, he avoided the vital point and only suffered a minor injury.

Hua Zhuyu’s assassination and Huangfu Wushuang’s evasion all happened in the blink of an eye. Everyone at the banquet watched dumbstruck, hardly believing their eyes.

One feast, two assassinations.

What shocked people most was that Huangfu Wushuang, who in their eyes had previously been a good-for-nothing only interested in training hawks and fighting dogs, actually possessed such high martial arts skills – how could this not shock them tremendously?

“Protect the Emperor! Capture the assassin!” Huangfu Wushuang’s guards rushed forward, surrounding him protectively while several others charged toward Hua Zhuyu.

“Wait!” Huangfu Wushuang commanded coldly, turning to look at Hua Zhuyu standing in the center of the great hall, a brilliant smile curving his lips. “Come here, my Empress.”

The originally dumbstruck crowd was now even more stunned. No one had expected Huangfu Wushuang to address this dancer as Empress. Was the Southern Dynasty going to have two empresses?

Hearing this, Hua Zhuyu smiled faintly at the corners of her lips – beautiful to the extreme, yet also cold and frigid to the extreme.

“Empress? Huangfu Wushuang, you should look at your wound first,” she said lazily.

Huangfu Wushuang looked down and pulled out the string that had pierced his ribs.

The string, thin as a silver needle, would indeed have killed him if it had struck his forehead or throat. But piercing his ribs posed no real threat – even the blood was just a few drops seeping out.

However, when Huangfu Wushuang pulled the string out, his dark eyes suddenly narrowed, because the string was covered with black blood. He held the string, staring at it for a long time. He remembered that she had clearly lost her internal energy – why had it suddenly returned? And what made it even more unbelievable was that she had actually used poison!

“You… actually used poison?” Huangfu Wushuang held up the thin string covered with black blood, raising an eyebrow at her.

Hua Zhuyu held the stringless pipa, standing quietly in the great hall, a smile that wasn’t quite a smile playing at her lips. “I knew it would be difficult to kill you, so while playing I coated the strings with poison. You’ve already used your internal energy – this poison has entered your bloodstream. If you exert yourself again, it will likely penetrate your vital organs.”

The guards behind him were greatly alarmed and hurriedly supported Huangfu Wushuang. He felt a wave of dizziness and frowned: “Take her to my bedchamber and quickly summon Imperial Physician Ye.”

Dan Hong rushed forward quickly, shouting coldly at the imperial guards: “You cannot arrest her!”

Hua Zhuyu smiled and turned back to Dan Hong: “I’ll be fine. You must quickly leave here with your elder brother!” She glanced at Xiao Yin who had walked nearby and said gently: “I’m entrusting her to you.”

This pair of siblings had finally reunited – she had fulfilled one of her wishes. She had let Dan Hong substitute in the marriage precisely so that Xiao Yin could acknowledge Dan Hong before all the ministers and clear Ji Fengli’s name. Now that this matter was concluded, she knew Xiao Yin would take Dan Hong away.

“I won’t leave!” Dan Hong said stubbornly.

Hua Zhuyu smiled and raised an eyebrow: “Didn’t you hear His Majesty say he’s taking me to his bedchamber? It’s not a prison cell – I’ll be fine.”

Several attendants stepped forward. Hua Zhuyu smiled coldly, looking down at them disdainfully as she slowly followed them out of the hall.

A light laugh rang out from the banquet as a figure suddenly stepped out slowly from among the seats. “This prince doesn’t understand Southern Dynasty law, but shouldn’t such an assassin be taken to prison? Why take her to His Majesty’s bedchamber?” The tone was light, but clearly accompanied by a wave of icy cold.

Hua Zhuyu turned her head to see the speaker was the young prince of Yue Shi. This young prince spoke very little, and now hearing him speak, his voice was unfamiliar to her, though something about his tone felt inexplicably familiar.

Huangfu Wushuang weakly waved his hand, breathing heavily: “Prince Nalan, you don’t understand. She’s not an assassin – she’s my Empress. My Empress has a playful nature and had a little quarrel with me before, so she had the Northern Emperor’s sister substitute in the marriage. Now she’s playing around with me – how could I put my own Empress in prison?”

“I see!” The young prince of Yue Shi narrowed his cold eyes, sweeping over Huangfu Wushuang without expression, the depths of his eyes clearly containing killing intent, wrapped in icy blades, bone-chillingly cold. “His Majesty’s deep affection for the Empress is truly enviable. Nalan wishes His Majesty and the Empress eternal love.” He lightly brushed the hem of his robes and slowly sat down, a faint smile appearing again at his lips. His jade-like slender fingers lifted the cup before him and raised it elegantly toward the imperial throne. He tilted back his head and drained it in one gulp, his movements flowing like clouds and water, yet sharp and graceful.

“Please continue enjoying yourselves. I must go expel the poison first,” Huangfu Wushuang said slowly.

Several guards surrounded Huangfu Wushuang as they slowly departed. Music and dance resumed, and gentle strings and woodwinds immediately echoed melodiously throughout the hall.

Watching Huangfu Wushuang’s figure slowly disappear, Ji Fengli slowly tightened his grip on the jade cup. Suddenly there was a crisp sound as the wine cup shattered.

“…Are you alright?” Nalan Xue asked quietly in his ear.

“Nalan, do you think they’re just playing around?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes narrowed, filled with shock and pain.

Nalan Xue shook his head. “It doesn’t look like it, but I don’t understand why she willingly let herself be taken away.”

“I don’t understand either!” Ji Fengli slowly opened his hand – his slender palm was dripping with blood. But this small pain was nothing compared to even one ten-thousandth of the pain in his heart.

“Nalan, we need to act ahead of schedule!” he said quietly, flames dancing in the depths of his long eyes.