The Purple Glory Hall had become an earthly purgatory.

Dozens of palace maids and eunuchs’ corpses lay sprawled on the ground, fine wine spilled, mixing with blood that trickled down.

Amidst shouts of “Protect the Emperor!”, screams rang out continuously. People surrounded the Emperor, fighting while retreating, but there was nowhere to retreat.

The Purple Glory Hall had already been surrounded by the Crown Prince’s ragtag forces.

Yu Yuan’s official robe was stained with blood as he led the remaining palace guards at the forefront, emanating an imposing presence like a single warrior guarding a pass against ten thousand.

Yu Xinyi and Ning Zizhuo protected the court ladies behind them. Besides these few, hardly any civil or military officials dared to stand up to block the rebellious troops forcing their way into the palace.

Yu Xinyi held a curved-blade knife against a pillar, while Ning Zizhuo panted heavily, holding a bow and arrow snatched from the rebels, the quiver at his waist already empty.

The Emperor probably never imagined that in the end, those fighting to the death before him, besides a few personal guards, would be only a spoiled young noble and the father and daughter of the Yu family whom he had suspected and suppressed.

Only at this moment did he realize who was truly trustworthy and forthright.

They had resisted for two-quarters of an hour, just two-quarters of an hour.

After a round of fighting, the dead and wounded lay everywhere.

All the personal guards had been killed, while Yu Xinyi and Ning Zizhuo were also seriously wounded, their weapons confiscated by the rebels.

“You… hmph!”

The Crown Prince grabbed Yu Xinyi’s high-tied ponytail and, looking at her unwilling, spirited eyes, snarled viciously, “Once I ascend the throne, I’ll deal with you properly!”

The Emperor sat behind the dragon table with his crown and hair in disarray, his graying hair scattered from his temples as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

These people were all from illustrious families, many being relatives of military generals. In Ning Tan’s hands, they could easily become leverage to threaten and turn the military.

The situation was extremely unfavorable.

Ning Tan grabbed two hostages, one male and one female, from among the captives and said to the Emperor: “Father Emperor, the situation is lost. Why stubbornly resist? Pass the throne to your son, and I will let you live out your years in peace… If you refuse, they will suffer the consequences!”

With that, he drew his sword and killed the two well-dressed hostages on the spot.

The cowering people in the hall wailed even louder. Yu Xinyi watched helplessly as the two were slaughtered and gnashed her teeth: “Beast!”

Ning Zizhuo dragged his broken leg over quietly and held Yu Xinyi’s hand to stop her bleeding.

Ning Tan paced irritably around the hall, his disheveled hair dancing wildly in the northern wind, making his entire appearance as terrifying as a ghost.

“Father Emperor, with your brilliant wisdom and benevolent kindness, don’t you want to save your subjects?”

He gave a “Ha!”, almost screaming hoarsely, “Why don’t you act like a true sovereign and stand up to protect your subjects! They’re almost all killed by me!”

Behind the dragon table, the Emperor’s jaw tensed several times, but he ultimately chose silence.

Between abdication and his subjects, he still chose the former.

Despair enveloped everyone in the hall; their expressions haggard, still waiting for the palace guards to come to the rescue.

But Yu Xinyi knew that without the military token from all three authorities, even if the palace guards were stationed outside the palace gates, they couldn’t act.

Moreover, the relatives of the palace guard commanders were held hostage by Ning Yin, and with the uncertain location of the hostages, they dared not make rash moves for fear of endangering them.

Time passed minute by minute. After the fierce battle, nearly half of the rebels following the Crown Prince had perished.

Yu Yuan and the others hadn’t fared much better, already exhausted.

The sky gradually darkened, and the hall filled with an indescribable bloody smell.

The Crown Prince went out for a while, and upon returning, killed several more people.

With swords at their throats, the Emperor still refused to abdicate.

He was like an aging wolf, desperately clinging to the meat in his mouth to maintain his last dignity as an emperor.

Ning Tan kept pulling at his hair, shouting hoarsely to the Military Deputy: “Find the Imperial Seal and force him to write an abdication decree!”

“Your Majesty, forgive me.”

The Military Deputy raised his long sword, its tip reflecting a cold, harsh light.

At this critical moment, a knife blade pierced through the Military Deputy’s back and out through his chest. The sword dropped as the rebel spat blood and collapsed, revealing the elegant and handsome young man in purple at the hall entrance.

Ning Yin hadn’t even worn armor, still in his usual attire, his ink-black hair half loose, half tied. If not for the blood splattered on his face and the dark-stained sleeves, Ning Tan would have thought he merely came for an impromptu stroll.

“You… how did you get in?”

Ning Tan’s eyes widened, and then he shouted furiously, “Seize him! Kill him!”

The rebels guarding outside the hall did not react.

Ning Tan didn’t understand why his forces suddenly had no movement, retreating while shouting in rage: “Where are the archers? Where is Li Mao?!”

No one answered him.

“Those thousand rebels outside the hall, Elder Brother, I’m afraid you’ll never see them again.”

Ning Yin brought only a few subordinates, walking through the winding rivers of blood on the floor. Corpses fell one by one before him, blooming into crimson flowers.

“Your son is late in coming to the rescue, please forgive me, Father Emperor.”

He spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, his eyes like black pools without a ripple.

The Emperor’s expression was extremely complex.

He had spent most of his life using schemes and methods, only to be rescued in the end by the son he viewed as a disgrace.

Was he truly here to save him? The Emperor wasn’t certain.

But in this dire situation, the Seventh Prince was indeed the last straw he could grasp.

The Emperor’s chest heaved as he rasped: “My son, help me capture these traitors, and I will grant you the title of Prince Jing, with ten thousand households!”

Ning Yin’s lips twitched slightly.

At this moment, he was willing to acknowledge this son.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Wang Lingqing, guarding the rear hall door, saw the Crown Prince’s situation turning against him and was scared witless. He hurriedly threw down his knife and fled.

The Crown Prince, with eyes bulging in rage, was protected by several guards as they fought while retreating, still desperately shouting: “Mother Empress! Mother Empress, help your son! Have you forgotten how this son of yours came to be?”

He yearned for a miracle, hoping the Empress would help him, if only for her interests: “Mother Empress! If your son is defeated, your secret cannot be kept! We are in the same boat… Ugh!”

A short blade flew over, piercing Ning Tan’s chest.

His eyes widened as he stiffly looked down, incredulous at the line of blood on his heart.

Ning Tan’s heavy body fell forward, a dark red pool slowly spreading beneath him.

His eyes remained wide open, blood bubbling from his mouth as he gasped: “Mother… why… why…”

He tremblingly reached toward a figure in the corner, as if trying to grasp something, but ultimately in vain.

The Emperor watched the suddenly deceased Crown Prince, his dry lips moving for a long time before finally slumping back into the dragon chair, allowing the scattered rebels to trample over the Crown Prince’s corpse.

Ning Yin began to laugh.

The blood-stained smile against his cold, pale complexion had a kind of grotesque, maddening beauty.

The game of mother and son destroying each other six years ago had finally been repaid, stroke by stroke.

How marvelous.

“Zheji, Chenfeng.”

Ning Yin called for his subordinates embedded in the palace guards, raising his eyes to say, “Quickly, on behalf of His Majesty, execute all the ‘rebels’.”

Outside the Purple Glory Hall.

Yu Huanchen led his guards to surround Ning Tan’s thousand surrendered rebels, confiscating their weapons. He then ordered Qingxiao, Qinglan, and others to rescue his trapped father, Yu Xinyi, and the others from the hall.

Just as they rescued them, screams louder than before came from within the hall.

Yu Yuan showed a surprised expression and instinctively tried to go back but was stopped by Yu Huanchen.

Military flags fluttered, and the cold wind swirled, bringing down the first broken snow of the year’s end.

……

“It’s snowing, so cold!”

Hutao rubbed her hands and closed the door, turning to see the phoenix crown and wedding dress still untouched on the table, and sighed quietly.

Hutao took a small hand warmer and placed it in Yu Lingxi’s slightly cold hands, coaxing: “The most skilled embroiderers in the capital worked for three months to finish this wedding dress! It’s so beautiful, won’t Miss try it on?”

“No need,” Yu Lingxi was still waiting for news from the palace and replied indifferently.

“Please try it, Miss will certainly look beautiful in these clothes! If it doesn’t fit, this servant can have the embroiderers alter it.”

Hutao’s thoughts were simple—she wanted the young miss to cheer up a little. Generally, girls are happy when they see beautiful clothes and jewelry.

Yu Lingxi couldn’t refuse and said: “You go out first, I’ll try it myself.”

Hutao responded cheerfully and went to wait outside.

Yu Lingxi sat for a while before getting up, removing her fox fur shawl and outer garment, then walked with her hair down to the neatly folded wedding dress, extending her fingers to touch it.

Yu Lingxi stood before the full-length bronze mirror, looking at herself in the fire-red dress, momentarily dazed.

The wedding dress was beautiful, with pearls and gold thread, the layers of skirts cascading to the ground like blooming flowers, as if all the brilliance in the world was gathered in one garment. Yet she felt only heaviness and unfamiliarity.

After wearing it for less than half a cup of tea’s time, she was already impatient to take it off and throw it aside.

Just as her fingers touched the waistband, she heard Hutao’s sudden scream from outside the door.

Yu Lingxi turned around to see someone breaking in.

Then she felt a sharp pain on the side of her neck, her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.

Two-quarters of an hour later.

Yu Lingxi was awakened by voices.

She was bound hand and foot, thrown on the cold ground, a black cloth bag over her head with only a small hole for breathing.

Beside her, a sly voice mournfully said: “This criminal official Wang Lingqing, forced by the Crown Prince, reluctantly committed offenses against the imperial dignity. I deeply regret my actions and have come to beg Your Highness for punishment!”

Wang Lingqing?

Under the black cloth bag, Yu Lingxi was slightly startled.

She had thought someone had instructed Wang Lingqing to kidnap her to force her father to submit. Now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Something had happened to the Crown Prince, and the “Your Highness” whom Wang Lingqing was humbly begging could only be…

Yu Lingxi stopped struggling, suddenly becoming quiet.

Wang Lingqing pushed Yu Lingxi forward, continuing fawningly: “This is a small token of my sincerity.”

Yu Lingxi was pushed to the ground, mentally cursing Wang Lingqing thoroughly.

If he wanted to beg for forgiveness, what did it have to do with her?

Wang Lingqing said: “I’ve heard that when Your Highness was in exile, you once fell into hardship and became this woman’s servant, suffering great humiliation. Today I offer this woman as a gift of allegiance to Your Highness.”

“…” Well then.

After two lifetimes, she couldn’t escape the fate of being a “gift.”

The silent person in front of her finally moved. Yu Lingxi heard the steady approaching footsteps, the wind rustling his heavy robes, mixed with the familiar cold, snow-like woody fragrance.

Then a sudden brightness as someone removed her black cloth bag.

The horizon was dark as ink, the courtyard bright with torches, and broken snow fell from the sky, gilded into a beautiful light gold by the firelight in the courtyard.

The swirling snow fell like flowers onto Ning Yin’s pitch-black cloak and into Yu Lingxi’s crystal-clear eyes, instantly melting into glistening tears.

A mass of people knelt in the courtyard, all bowing toward Ning Yin.

He stroked his chin and bent down, looking at the red-clothed beauty with her black hair loose.

His gaze swept inch by inch over Yu Lingxi’s soft, beautiful face, falling on her gold-threaded, pearl-embroidered wedding dress.

In Ning Yin’s pitch-black eyes, something like red flames seemed to ignite, exquisite yet cold.

He half-closed his eyes, suddenly giving a light laugh.

Yu Lingxi did not doubt that the vengeful little madman, upon seeing her in such a pathetic state, must be extremely pleased and satisfied.

“How did you manage to get yourself into such a mess, hmm?”

Ning Yin scoffed, his gaze moving downward, stopping at her wrists.

The young woman’s skin was fair and delicate; the rough ropes were tied tightly, already leaving several red, broken marks that looked quite pitiful.

His willful gaze settled, staring at those red, swollen wounds for a long time.

A flash of cold light from a short blade, and the rough ropes on Yu Lingxi’s wrists fell apart.

Seeing that Ning Yin didn’t reject this “gift,” Wang Lingqing was delighted, hurriedly pledging his loyalty: “Minister Wang Lingqing is willing to abandon darkness for light, to serve Your Highness with my life!”

Hearing these familiar words, Yu Lingxi’s lips twitched.

Alas, even the gods couldn’t save him now.

“Oh?”

Ning Yin narrowed his eyes, smiling lightly, “Then I shall grant your wish.”

The next moment, Yu Lingxi was drawn into a cold, broad embrace.

“Kill them all.”

Ning Yin spoke calmly, raising the edge of his cloak to shield her from the spattering blood.