The guards received the order and stepped forward to seize Li Cheng and Song Zhi.

Neither of them struggled.

Li Cheng looked at Li Qiao with eyes full of bewilderment and disbelief, his brow tightly furrowed, asking in a cautious and probing tone: “Why?”

Li Qiao’s expression was stern. He didn’t answer.

He only gestured toward Song Zhi with his chin.

Instructing his men: “Take him away first and detain him.”

“Yes!”

Actually, Song Zhi still hadn’t figured things out and was completely confused about his current predicament.

Completely baffled, he looked toward Li Cheng and called out: “Young Master Cheng?”

His tone held no fear, only puzzlement.

After Song Zhi was taken away, Li Qiao signaled the guards to release Li Cheng, speaking in a warning tone: “Acheng, tonight’s events have nothing to do with you. Leave the palace immediately now and don’t concern yourself with anything.”

Li Cheng glared at him: “Why are you doing this?”

Fixated on the reason.

Li Qiao didn’t want to say more: “I told you to leave the palace, so leave. Don’t ask questions!”

“I’m asking you why?” Li Cheng roared, then emotionally grabbed Li Qiao’s collar, his face flushed red as he demanded, “Do you even know what you’re doing?”

Facing this interrogation, Li Qiao remained calm. His composed gaze met Li Cheng’s eyes burning with fury as he said, “I’ll say it one more time. Leave the palace immediately. Treat what just happened as if it never occurred.”

“Do you think I’m a three-year-old child? Or do you think I’m deaf? Blind?”

“…”

Li Cheng restrained his impulsive emotions, forcing himself to calm down quickly. He took a deep breath and tried to persuade: “Brother, I don’t care what your reasons are, but while there’s still time, pull back quickly.”

“No one can stop any of this!” Li Qiao told him.

“That’s treason and regicide—a capital crime!”

“Enough!” Li Qiao pushed him away, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes as he said, “Everything inside and outside the palace has already been thoroughly deployed. When the time comes, we’ll act according to plan. You need not say more or try to persuade me. I’ll say it again—leave the palace right now.”

Surrounding the palace to commit regicide—his mind was made up.

He absolutely wouldn’t stop because of this.

Hearing these words, Li Cheng staggered back two steps. Suddenly understanding, he laughed coldly: “I finally know why Father insisted I join the Metropolitan Magistracy back then. So from beginning to end, you had already planned everything. You’ve been using me all along.”

At this moment, he couldn’t even speak of anger anymore.

He only felt extremely cold inside!

What family bonds?

What blood thicker than water?

To achieve their goals, they didn’t hesitate to deceive and exploit!

He had wanted to persuade Li Qiao to pull back in time, but now it seemed that when power and ambition completely consumed a person, so-called “turning back from the precipice” and “returning from the wrong path” were nothing but huge jokes!

As for Li Cheng’s “accusation,” though Li Qiao felt a small stirring in his heart, at this moment, he simply couldn’t concern himself with family feelings and Li Cheng’s emotions.

He had to prioritize the bigger picture.

Moreover, in all these plans, he only had the authority to execute!

Not the authority to terminate!

“Acheng, I don’t have time to explain so much to you. Leave quickly.”

“Then if I don’t leave, will you kill me?”

“…” Li Qiao clenched his fists.

Li Cheng laughed coldly: “Back then, to break up Sister and Du Mubai, you and Father knew he was wrongly accused but said nothing! You caused Sister to live these past six years neither like a person nor a ghost. Now you’re using me again. How ironic!”

A flash of guilt appeared in Li Qiao’s eyes.

But it vanished in an instant!

He turned his gaze away, forcing himself to be more heartless, ordering: “Someone, escort the Young Master out of the palace and watch him carefully.”

“Yes!”

The guards seized Li Cheng again.

Li Cheng struggled fruitlessly, his heart cold with despair, looking with complete disappointment at the older brother he had always admired.

He felt like a puppet!

A stepping stone, a sacrifice for them to climb to the center of power.

Only when he understood all this, it was already too late…

Marquis Nanguo’s Manor.

An urgent secret letter was delivered to the manor.

After reading it, Marquis Nanguo was extremely excited.

He immediately assembled his men and gathered them outside the manor.

Preparing to depart.

At this time, Ji Yunshu was standing in the ancestral hall.

Before her were the spirit tablets of the Late Prince and Late Princess Consort.

She was supposed to be waiting at the bamboo house outside the city, but three days ago she had already secretly entered the city with Jingrong and the others.

Arriving at the marquis’s manor.

All to wait for today’s year sacrifice.

After a moment, footsteps sounded behind her. She turned to look and saw Jingrong entering from outside the ancestral hall, standing in the courtyard.

He wore black armor, his posture upright, a long sword at his waist. That handsome face with defined features, illuminated by candlelight, appeared overwhelmingly heroic, his sword-like brows and starry eyes even more dashing and spirited!

He was still that war god who commanded awe on the battlefield!

At this moment, snowflakes in the night descended with the cold wind, falling on his head and shoulders…

Such a man seemed as if he had walked out of a painting.

He walked through the snow-covered ground into the ancestral hall.

Standing before Ji Yunshu.

He told her: “The year sacrifice is about to begin.”

Ji Yunshu raised her eyes to look at him, pressed her lips together, and said: “Actually, you don’t have to go.”

“Since this is your matter, I cannot ignore it.”

He could ignore anything else, but anything involving Ji Yunshu, he wouldn’t ignore.

And only this woman could make him willingly brave any danger.

Ji Yunshu reached out her hand, touching the armor on his body, her fingertips sliding across the hard and cold scales.

She only felt the cold penetrate to her bones.

How she wished she could warm it.

She looked into Jingrong’s eyes and said: “Promise me, be extremely careful in everything. If things take an unexpected turn, you must protect yourself first.”

“I will.” Jingrong grasped her hand resting on his chest, smiled slightly, then bent down and kissed Ji Yunshu’s forehead.

At this moment, fireworks bloomed magnificently in Gaoding City!

Colorful lights burst forth in the snow-filled black night.

Painting the entire sky.

The scene was incomparably beautiful.

Jingrong couldn’t help but grip Ji Yunshu’s hand tighter.

He said: “After today, everything will turn for the better, and we can also peacefully live our own lives.”

Ji Yunshu’s eyes reddened.

She nodded firmly.

Someone came to report: “Young Master Jing, the Marquis says it’s time.”

“Alright.” He responded.

Ji Yunshu grasped his hand, urging again: “Please, please be careful.”

He touched Ji Yunshu’s cold face: “I said before, wherever you are, I will be. So wait obediently here for me. Before dawn, I will definitely return.”

Wherever you are, I will be!

What precious words.

She slowly released his hand, watching Jingrong leave.

Snowflakes blocked her vision, and that receding figure grew increasingly blurred…

As long as they got through tonight, everything would turn for the better.

She turned around in the ancestral hall and lit a stick of incense.

She kowtowed three times, clasped her hands together, and prayed: “Father, Mother, may you bless them with safety and peace.”