Ning Yi gazed at her from afar.

On the high ridge, beneath the beautiful sun and long wind, that person’s dark hair and garments danced together. Standing at a height didn’t make one feel her imposing authority; standing at a low place didn’t make one feel her cowering inferiority. Forever serene in expression, behind the serenity, surging tides.

Such an immovably steadfast woman.

The two people’s gazes met, both now carrying a meaning different from previous days.

From the initial complete passivity, her life and death controlled in his hands, to today’s distant facing, each with their own calculations in a smile.

He knew that everything about him she knew, just as she knew that he knew what she knew.

Ning Yi suddenly had a strange premonition—from now on, she would gradually approach him in an increasingly unfathomable manner.

He suddenly wanted to go over and say a few words. As for what to say, he hadn’t yet thought it through, but he felt that this approaching distance would be enough for him to figure out what to say.

Just as he was about to step forward, she suddenly turned her head away.

Distantly, upon the green grass, beside her, rose a faint heavenly water blue. That jade-carved person, still not looking at anyone, yet stood very close to her, raising his head to meet that trace of newborn sunlight.

The thin and transparent sunlight struck the half-exposed lower jaw beneath his veil, giving that curved line a jade-like texture. The sunlight immediately slid away as smoothly as spring water, splashing onto the green grass. The air seemed to have brilliant halos dancing.

She withdrew her gaze, turned to smile at that man, saying something unknown. That man still appeared to ignore everything, focused and slightly raising his head, eyes closed in the sunlight, smelling the fragrance of grass and trees. She bent down to search around, finding a sweet-tasting grass. Carefully removing the grass leaves, she folded it in half—one half she slowly sucked on herself, the other half she handed to him, using eyes full of smiling intent to teach the youth opposite.

That jade-carved youth looked at the grass for a long time, finally also learning by example and placing the grass stalk in his mouth.

The high ridge warm wind and sunlight like incense, she peacefully and lightly smiled at that person.

This was another her, one he had never seen.

What she gave him was cunning, ruthlessness, scheming depths—to be avoided at all costs.

He suddenly felt somewhat irritably hot.

The sunlight seemed a bit thin, the sound of wind no longer leisurely and comfortable. Those seven-colored beautiful halos scattered on the grass tips. The weather was unbearably hot.

Ning Yi raised his hand, pointing from afar at Feng Zhiwei.

Feng Zhiwei turned back, seeing that in the distance Prince Chu somehow had once again darkened his expression, thin lips tightly pressed, his expression very unkind. In her heart arose considerable resentment—You seemed quite peaceful just now, how could you change faces in the blink of an eye like June weather?

He pointed at her, pointed at the Imperial City, then flicked his sleeves and left.

“Do as you see fit.”

She bowed slightly, smiled, watching him resolutely depart.

“As you wish.”

Mid-morning, Yan Huaishi brought people to deliver snacks to Feng Zhiwei—mainly prepared for Gu Nanyi, of course. Feng Zhiwei took the opportunity to arrange for him to “encounter” several prime ministers, first leaving an impression.

Yan Huaishi brought news from the capital. As expected, the Crown Prince and the Emperor’s confrontation could best be described in four words: throwing eggs against rocks.

“The Crown Prince has truly lost his mind.” Yan Huaishi shook his head vigorously. “Though the Emperor seems to not manage much these years, he has never relaxed his grasp on court politics and military affairs. Did he think that controlling nearly half the capital guard forces meant he could control victory? Tsk tsk…”

Feng Zhiwei clasped her hands behind her back, gazing distantly at the horizon, as if burned by the blood and fire of the Imperial City, squinting her eyes. After a long while, she slowly said: “The greatest difference between the Crown Prince and Prince Chu is that the latter has never underestimated Emperor Tiansheng.”

Assessing the situation, following the momentum—Ning Yi’s steadiness was truly beyond ordinary people. Even Feng Zhiwei hadn’t initially guessed that Ning Yi would spend ten years laying plans to deal with such a mediocre Crown Prince whom everyone thought could be toppled at any time.

Because toppling the Crown Prince was easy; toppling the Crown Prince without arousing the Emperor’s suspicion was difficult.

If she hadn’t guessed wrong, those soldiers on the night before the assassination—what they really needed to do was ensure the assassin could smoothly enter the inner hall, and control those important ministers’ children studying at the academy.

Qingming was a major part of this plan. Through this academy, the romantic Prince Chu of the Imperial Capital had actually long ago grasped the lifelines of many ministers’ families.

When did this plan begin? The founding of the nation? Or even earlier?

When everyone saw Qingming’s importance, Ning Yi immediately withdrew, “loyally and devotedly” “handing it over” to the Crown Prince.

The romantic Prince Chu led a batch of Imperial Capital’s imperial relatives and young masters, with a dissolute appearance of having no heart for court politics, playing through all the capital’s flowers, appreciating all the dusty willows.

Just like the two times Feng Zhiwei encountered him at the brothel and on the street—very obviously, those young masters followed his lead.

Intentionally or unintentionally, slowly infiltrating. Over many years, these noble offspring must have already formed inseparable interest relationships privately with Prince Chu’s mansion. Whether private life or the public academy, all manner of compromising evidence was firmly controlled in Xin Ziyan’s and his hands.

What Ning Yi needed to do wasn’t merely toppling the Crown Prince, but in the process of toppling the Crown Prince, gaining the Emperor’s trust, and after toppling the Crown Prince, obtaining more support.

He had never underestimated that founding emperor who single-handedly established the Tiansheng Imperial Dynasty, even though these years he had grown old, weary of governance, with no achievements.

And that Crown Prince in the palace would never know that his right and left arms harbored such sinister intentions. He had already been forced by the heavily surrounding Huwei Army and overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation to lose his normal composure, approaching madness.

After his failed attempt to force entry to the palace, he was continuously compelled to contract within the Eastern Palace range. Emperor Tiansheng wanted to keep all strife resolved within the Eastern Palace. Blood could stain the Eastern Palace, but must not stain the main hall Chaohua.

The Emperor seemed very calm, playing chess with Feng Zhiwei under the great tent. Feng Zhiwei lost two games then must win one game. The Emperor was very satisfied.

Military reports were sent over from time to time. Emperor Tiansheng impassively read them. Under the candlelight, his eyes were calm, every wrinkle wrinkled with vicissitude and tightness.

Feng Zhiwei’s heart was also like these cold jade chess pieces—slightly cool.

This profoundly deep imperial family.

The chess game continued until midnight. A fast horse broke through the night coming, faintly announcing names all the way in. Emperor Tiansheng sat unmoved, placing a piece with a snap. The movement seemed excessively forceful—the candle flame trembled, about to extinguish.

Feng Zhiwei silently sighed, rising and claiming fatigue: “This subject cannot match your chess strength, Your Majesty spare me!”

Emperor Tiansheng laughed, sweeping the chess pieces into disorder. Feng Zhiwei immediately took her leave. Walking to the door, she heard the Emperor sigh: “Listen together.”

Her heart tightened, yet she dared not decline. She lowered her brows and eyes: “Yes.”

Raising her eyes, she saw the Emperor’s gaze was weary. In a trance, she recalled that day behind the screen when the princes attacked Ning Yi—he had also shown such a gaze.

The military report sealed with fire wax was presented. After Emperor Tiansheng read it, his brow suddenly twitched, then he angrily slapped the table.

“Outrageous!”

The Crown Prince, not knowing what insane fit had seized him, brazenly used fire cannons to level the Eastern Palace’s outer walls. The Eastern Palace’s Mingyi Palace was originally part of the imperial palace. Later, a wall symbolically separated a single area. With this bombardment, instead of retreating he advanced, directly entering the imperial palace. That batch of guards and remaining garrison camp soldiers, forced into a dead end knowing they had no fortune, erupted in viciousness, burning and killing wantonly in the palace, and took the Tenth Prince and Princess Shaoning hostage, repeatedly demanding Emperor Tiansheng give them justice.

The lamp candle on the table was knocked over. The military report blazed up. In the smoke, Emperor Tiansheng’s expression was furious—he understood the Crown Prince, knew this son’s courage was ordinary, supposedly unable to stir up great waves. He had hoped that Shaoning, who was on good terms with the Crown Prince, could persuade her elder brother, which was why he hadn’t taken his children away. He never expected the Crown Prince to be so deranged as to not even spare his own sister!

Several old ministers arrived upon hearing the news, their expressions shocked. Regarding the Crown Prince’s confoundingly bold actions, not one person sought reasons for him. All said human hearts were difficult to fathom, that the Crown Prince had too many petty people at his side. They also said the Crown Prince was crazed when facing trouble—His Majesty had shown such heavy grace, yet he could betray it thus!

Feng Zhiwei watched coldly, recalling that the Eastern Pavilion Grand Secretary’s son was precisely that Young Master Yao whose finger had been broken by Gu Nanyi. Several times previously, she had seen him beside Ning Yi.

After Emperor Tiansheng’s outburst, he slowly calmed down, suddenly saying in a deep voice: “Master Wei.”

Here it comes… Feng Zhiwei inwardly lamented. Still couldn’t escape it. Quickly leaving Qingming, following the Emperor to shelter in the main camp, with ten thousand troops at hand surely they wouldn’t need her? Yet this matter occurred.

Young Master Gu shouldn’t have shown that skill that day. Now they were truly being targeted.

A quarter hour later, one thousand Huwei troops waited outside the tent. Feng Zhiwei helplessly climbed onto a horse, coaxing Gu Nanyi: “Let’s go drink.”

Young Master Gu originally didn’t like getting up in the middle of the night. Hearing this sentence, he immediately demanded: “That kind from that day.”

Feng Zhiwei continued coaxing: “Chunyu Meng has it, I’ll take you to find him.”

Young Master Gu seemed very happy, casually picking a grass blade, folding it in half, presenting it to her as reward.

Feng Zhiwei bit it—bitter.

Holding the bitter grass in her teeth, Feng Zhiwei bounced and bounced on the horse. In her heart, she recalled Emperor Tiansheng’s parting words. That profound emperor’s gaze had been worried, earnestly instructing her: “You must rescue the Princess.”

Never would she have thought that Emperor Tiansheng toward Shaoning truly had some measure of paternal affection. This was perhaps the Ning imperial family’s only remaining familial love?

The fast horse returned to the city. The Imperial Capital was already under martial law. All offices within the Imperial City had Huwei troops stationed. This military force, Emperor Tiansheng had already controlled when he was still an external relative of the Great Cheng Dynasty. The army’s commander Xu Yuanliang and vice commander Chunyu Hong were both descendants of meritorious founding ministers who had followed the dragon.

At Xihua Gate, smoke and dust rolled, battle cries shook the heavens. Ning Yi, following the decree with Xu Yuanliang, was fiercely attacking the Crown Prince’s remnant army. The Crown Prince was surrounded in the South Palace Tianbo Tower. Shaoning and the Tenth Prince were with him.

Feng Zhiwei sat on her horse with sleeves drawn together, gazing distantly at a corner of the Imperial City amidst bloody firelight. Dark red shadows projected on her cheeks and eyes, with a kind of water-colored lustrous brilliance.

She didn’t throw those one thousand Huwei troops into battle, nor did she bring Gu Nanyi to storm the army and rescue people. Rather, she quietly waited.

After a while, Ning Yi indeed rode over on horseback, silently stopping beside her.

A pair of man and woman, silently stationed on horses, watching distantly that corner of bloodshed and slaughter.

“Some people cannot live.” After a long while, Ning Yi spoke lightly.

“Some people are also unsuitable for death.” Feng Zhiwei smiled at him. “For example, hostages.”

“You rescue Ning Ji.” Ning Yi’s long brows furrowed. “That would also sufficiently explain to His Majesty.” He paused, saying calmly: “I will protect you.”

Feng Zhiwei believed this sentence, yet remained silently wordless. This was her first time conducting interest exchange negotiations with Ning Yi. In her heart arose some faint coolness.

A few sparse words decided people’s lives. Ning Yi acting as if nothing happened was appropriate, but herself—why was she also so calm and peaceful?

The old Emperor was callous, Prince Chu was profound. Having already entered this circle of strife, what she must first protect could only be herself.

So she too was naturally callous by nature.

“Don’t let me down.” In the leaping firelight, that person’s smile was brilliantly gorgeous. “Otherwise, you will despair.”

That smile was meaningful. In the dark jade eyes floated something even Feng Zhiwei couldn’t understand.

Feng Zhiwei turned her horse’s head.

“Don’t let me despair,” she smiled back.

“Otherwise, I will go mad.”