For over a decade, the Empress Dowager had been the mother figure of the empire, commanding supreme respect. Although Mo Jingqi harbored resentment toward her, he had always maintained outward reverence. Never had anyone dared to point at her face and tell her to get out. Her expression cycled through various colors, as complex and unsightly as a painter’s palette.

“My son!” the Empress Dowager gritted her teeth. She had come here to discuss the matter of succession and naturally wouldn’t leave so easily.

Mo Jingqi, however, cared for nothing now, pointing at the Empress Dowager: “Get out of my sight, did you hear me?! As long as I live one more day, I am the Emperor! Get out… don’t even think… don’t think you’ll get your way!”

The Empress Dowager suppressed her anger and stepped forward: “I know Your Majesty is upset now, and you may vent your anger. But please consider what comes after. Your Majesty should think of the princes and princesses.”

Mo Jingqi burst into uncontrollable laughter, but it was mixed with crying, and even his eyes leaked bloody tears. The Empress Dowager was startled at the sight, stepping back repeatedly. “Your Majesty… Your Majesty, you…”

Mo Jingqi spoke with hatred: “Go tell that precious son of yours to give up this notion. Even if the Da Chu empire falls to ruin, I won’t hand it to him. And that precious son of his… let him accompany me in death. If he can seize the throne, let him try… I’ll watch from heaven as his… line… ends… forever!”

Those final four words were filled with such venomous hatred that even the Empress Dowager felt a chill in her heart. She didn’t know that Mo Jingxu could never have children again, taking the words as merely a curse born of extreme hatred. Even so, seeing Mo Jingqi covered in blood, with bloody tears in his eyes and a face as fierce as a demon’s, the Empress Dowager was thoroughly frightened. With no choice left, she stumbled out of the imperial bedroom. The guards outside rushed to enter, but they heard Mo Jingqi’s voice: “Get out! I need silence!” Hearing his voice still strong, they assumed nothing serious had happened and returned to their posts outside.

In the imperial chambers, Mo Jingqi let out a harsh laugh. The earlier outburst had strained his internal organs, and as soon as the Empress Dowager left, his already poor condition visibly deteriorated even faster.

“Hehe…” A deep, pleasant laugh suddenly echoed through the chamber, followed by slow, approaching footsteps. Mo Jingqi forced his eyes open, and the man before him instantly cleared his foggy mind considerably. He strained to stare at the man standing before him. White robes, white hair, handsome features, elegant eyebrows, and an imposing presence. The snow-white sleeves were embroidered with silver dragon and auspicious cloud patterns, and a faint agarwood fragrance lingered in the air, clearing Mo Jingqi’s mind that had been clouded by the smell of blood.

“Mo Xiuyao!” Mo Jingqi said in a deep voice.

“Hehe…” Mo Xiuyao chuckled softly: “Your Majesty, in just half a year you’ve become like this. It truly surprises this prince.”

Beside Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li wore cyan robes and held a jade-white doll dressed in black brocade. The child was only five or six years old, beautiful and adorable, with bright black eyes that rolled around looking at Mo Jingqi with unprecedented liveliness. Seeing Mo Jingqi’s bloody and disheveled state, the child showed no fear. Instead, he craned his neck from Ye Li’s arms, trying to get a better look.

“Is this your son?” Mo Jingqi asked.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, lifting the child from Ye Li’s arms into his own: “Indeed, my son. Mo Yuzhen.” Little Mo, formally named Yuzhen, looked curiously at the bloody man. His princely father had never called him by his formal name. Who was this person that made him break this habit? “Father… is this the husband of that lady in white?” Mo Xiuyao rubbed his son’s little head and smiled: “That’s right, the husband of that lady, and Wuyou sister’s father.”

When he first heard the name Mo Yuzhen, Mo Jingqi’s expression changed slightly. But after hearing about the lady in white and sister Wuyou, Mo Jingqi ultimately let out a long sigh, closed his eyes, and swallowed what he was about to say, asking instead: “How is Langle doing in the northwest?” Ye Li replied calmly: “Wuyou has taken the Divine Physician as her master and plans to practice medicine to help people.”

Mo Jingqi was surprised, making a difficult gesture with his hand: “Very well, I know you will take good care of her. Hehe… I never thought you would come back to see me.” Mo Jingqi looked at Mo Xiuyao, his eyes showing unprecedented calmness. In the past, even when Mo Xiuyao was at his lowest and Mo Jingqi at his most vigorous, Mo Jingqi’s gaze toward Mo Xiuyao always carried vigilance and hatred. Such calm, seemingly empty eyes were a first in his life.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled: “This prince naturally would come to see you. Otherwise, how could I face our father, brothers, and the tens of thousands of innocent souls from the Ding Wang Manor? To make time to bid you farewell, this prince had to work for half a year last year to free up this moment.”

“You…” Mo Jingqi was slightly stunned. Mo Xiuyao nodded: “That’s right, this prince knew this would happen. Because back in Nanjiang… when Mo Jingxu bought the poison, this prince was watching from nearby. For this matter, this prince specially asked Master Shen to study the nature of this poison.” As he spoke, Mo Xiuyao took out a small porcelain bottle and threw it onto Mo Jingqi’s bed. Mo Jingqi picked up the bottle with trembling hands and opened it. Inside were small medicinal pills, smaller than soybeans. Looking at these tiny pills, Mo Jingqi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry – these were what had reduced him to this state, harmed by his brother. He had guarded against the Ding Wang Manor and Mo Xiuyao his whole life, only to die at the hands of his own younger brother. It was the greatest irony.

Seeing Mo Jingqi’s state, Mo Xiuyao was in a good mood: “Speaking of which… even after being poisoned with this supposedly incurable toxin, you originally had one chance to survive. This prince remembers, you originally had a Biluo Flower, didn’t you?”

Mo Jingqi’s face changed slightly, his voice hoarse: “The Biluo Flower… did you take it?”

Mo Xiuyao admitted frankly, “Indeed. You must have guessed yourself, right? How else could this prince have fully recovered without your Biluo Flower?”

Mo Jingqi remained silent for a long while, then suddenly burst into wild laughter: “Haha… karma! This is truly karma…” Back then, he had caused Mo Xiuyao to be poisoned and disabled, but Mo Xiuyao had stolen his Biluo Flower to cure himself. Now when he was fatally poisoned, there was no Biluo Flower left to use. Was this not karma…

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow: “Whether it’s karma or not, this prince has no interest in knowing. However, seeing you in this state now… brings great satisfaction to my heart. Why don’t you ask if this prince has an antidote? You don’t want to live anymore, do you? As long as you’re alive, every moment, everyone around you reminds you of how much you’ve failed. Do you know… your actions didn’t destroy the Ding Wang Manor, but completely freed it from hundreds of years of constraints. It’s a pity… you won’t live much longer, otherwise this prince would like to show you what consequences your actions against the Mo Family Army will bring. Let you see… between your so-called Da Chu imperial direct line and my Ding Wang Manor, who truly deserves to endure in this chaotic world…”

“Stop!” Mo Jingqi suddenly shouted. Finding strength from somewhere, he reached out and grabbed Mo Xiuyao’s sleeve: “Kill me… kill me now to atone for what I did to your Ding Wang Manor. Kill me!”

Mo Xiuyao stepped back, easily freeing his sleeve from Mo Jingqi’s grasp. He looked down at him calmly: “This prince has no interest in your life now. If you want to die, die by yourself. However… this prince advises you to take it slow, Mo Jingxu is still eagerly waiting.”

Mo Jingqi panted, looking at him: “Help me… help me kill Mo Jingxu and the Liu family.”

As if hearing something strange, Mo Xiuyao asked: “What benefit would this prince get from helping you?” Mo Jingqi said: “I will decree that the Empress Dowager and all princes and princesses except the new emperor shall be buried with me. To commemorate your Mo Family Army’s spirits. Is that enough?!”

“Your Majesty is truly ruthless,” Ye Li sighed softly.

Mo Jingqi stared fixedly at Mo Xiuyao and asked: “Do you agree? I can also issue an imperial edict of self-blame, revealing the truth of past events to the world.”

The chamber was silent for a long while before Mo Xiuyao slowly began to laugh. Holding Little Mo, he shook his head: “The Ding Wang Manor has no more ties with Da Chu. Your Majesty should fend for yourself. Ah Li, let’s go back.” Ye Li nodded, turning to follow Mo Xiuyao back the way they came. On the bed, Mo Jingqi tried to rise but was completely powerless. From a corner of the chamber came Mo Xiuyao’s voice: “Though that small bottle contains poison, it can extend life by several days. Whether to use it is up to Your Majesty.”

On the dragon bed, Mo Jingqi stared blankly at the small bottle in his hand.

In the winding secret passage, Ye Li walked side by side with Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao carried Little Mo, who was blinking sleepily, and looked at Ye Li with a soft laugh: “Is Ah Li wondering why I gave him the medicine?”

Ye Li nodded. The medicine in that small bottle was indeed what she and Mo Xiuyao had taken from Lei Tengfeng. It was the same as what Mo Jingxu had bought on the sacred grounds of Nanjiang. After Shen Yang’s special refinement, though it couldn’t save Mo Jingqi’s life, it could extend it by several days if he took it. Both Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had some medical knowledge and could naturally see that Mo Jingqi was like a lamp running out of oil, unlikely to survive past tomorrow.

Mo Xiuyao smiled: “Mo Jingqi is a peculiar man who never lets go of a grudge. These past two days, he’s been pushed hard by the Empress Dowager, Mo Jingxu, and the Liu family. If we give him a chance to strike back now, he’ll surely give us a pleasant surprise.” Ye Li smiled softly: “Let’s hope it’s not an unpleasant one.” Regarding people like Mo Jingqi, Ye Li truly felt some apprehension—better to have them dead and done with. Mo Xiuyao laughed: “Let’s wait and see.”

Early the next morning, good news indeed came from the palace: the Emperor had summoned all officials for morning court.

Learning this news, the noble officials in the imperial city were all startled. They had heard that the Emperor was certainly beyond recovery, lying sick in bed these days with Prince Li handling state affairs. This sudden summons for morning court naturally frightened them considerably. The more timid ones’ legs had already gone weak. They wondered if the Emperor had been using some trick to deceive them, secretly observing their loyalty. If so, they might truly be facing death.

Mo Jingxu was both shocked and angry upon receiving this news. His first reaction was disbelief—before using the poison on Mo Jingqi, he had tested it on others, and it was incurable. Moreover, when Mother Empress visited yesterday, Mo Jingqi had appeared near death, yet this morning he could hold court. How was this possible?!

The summons for morning court also reached elderly officials like Old Duke Hua who had retired to live quietly at home. After Mo Jingqi’s ascension, he had been wary of these officials from the previous emperor’s time and had found ways to make them retire or demote them. Though few remained, their influence at court was not small, and this time they too were summoned to the palace.

At the palace gates, the gathered officials and nobles showed varying expressions. Old Duke Hua, his hair and beard completely white, walked slowly supported by his son and grandson, with officials coming forward to greet him along the way.

“Duke Hua.” Mo Jingxu wore the magnificent robes of the Regent Prince.

Old Duke Hua squinted his aged eyes, stroking his snow-white beard while smiling at Mo Jingxu: “Ah, it’s Prince Li. We haven’t met in several years, and your authority has grown considerably. We old folks have truly become obsolete.” Old Duke Hua had been resting at home these years, rarely going out, and indeed hadn’t seen Mo Jingxu in four or five years. Though now high in position and power, Mo Jingxu didn’t want to easily offend Duke Hua. He clasped his hands and smiled: “The Duke jests. How could my minor abilities be worthy of your notice?” Old Duke Hua smiled while looking at Mo Jingxu: “Prince Li has become even more diplomatic.”

Walking with Duke Hua toward Qinzheng Hall for morning court, Mo Jingxu chatted casually: “Prince Ding has also returned to the capital these past days. Has the Duke met with him?”

Duke Hua shook his head: “This old man is aged now, and news doesn’t reach me as quickly. I must thank Your Highness for informing me of Prince Ding’s return. If Prince Ding still remembers this old man’s friendship with the Ding Prince Manor, we should be able to meet in the coming days. Prince Ding has just returned to the capital and must have many matters to attend to. We shouldn’t disturb him.” Mo Jingxu smiled faintly: “The Duke speaks wisely. Today, His Majesty summoning the Duke to the palace…”

Duke Hua smiled: “Must be because His Majesty has recovered and, in his joy, wants us old folks to celebrate with him.”

“Is that so?” Mo Jingxu didn’t contradict him, looking somewhat apologetically at Duke Hua: “Duke Hua, I…” Duke Hua didn’t make things difficult for him, smiling: “Prince Li is young and shouldn’t walk with us old folks. Please go ahead.” Mo Jingxu bowed and smiled: “In that case, Duke, please walk slowly. I’ll take my leave first.”

“No need to see me off,” Duke Hua said.

Watching Mo Jingxu stride away like a dragon or tiger, Duke Hua’s smile gradually faded. His son who supported him worriedly said: “Father, His Majesty hasn’t summoned us to the palace for several years. This time… it can’t be simple.” Duke Hua sighed helplessly: “When the emperor demands a minister’s death, the minister must die. This is merely a summons to the palace, and we’re not the only ones called. Well… remember when we’re in the hall: speak less to err less, speak nothing to err nothing. If anything happens, this old man can still shield you.”

“Father, it’s all because of our incompetence…” The eldest son of the Hua family, already over fifty, supported Duke Hua with a face full of shame. If not for their descendants’ inadequacy, why would their nearly eighty-year-old father need to personally appear at court to shield them from potential royal schemes?

Duke Hua waved his hand: “I don’t know how much longer I can protect you, we’ll take it one day at a time. I suspect today’s matter has some connection to Prince Ding.”

“How so?” The eldest son was startled but dared not show it on his face, only lowering his voice to ask.

Duke Hua said: “We just heard Prince Li say that Prince Ding returned these past days. The Emperor recovered right after Prince Ding’s return—do you think this is a coincidence?”

“But… given Prince Ding’s temperament, he would never save the Emperor.” They had all watched Prince Ding grow up, and even though they hadn’t seen him for many years, his fundamental nature couldn’t have changed. Prince Ding wasn’t gentle or generous in his youth, and these dozen or so years couldn’t have cultivated a nature of returning evil with kindness.

Duke Hua sighed: “I fear… His Majesty truly hasn’t long to live.”

“Father, you mean His Majesty called us to the palace to…” To entrust the succession.

Duke Hua waved his hand: “Let’s go, we’ll see when we get there.”

Today’s Qinzheng Hall was packed full, with many more people than usual morning courts. Many young officials discovered several elderly ministers they didn’t even recognize standing in front, along with royal clan princes. They all vaguely knew something significant would happen today. The more timid ones shrank to the back, not daring to say a word. Those standing closer to the front whispered, exchanging opinions. Just from their positions, one could see the officials had split into two factions. One group gathered around Mo Jingxu, another around Chancellor Liu, looking at each other with ill will. There was another faction independent of these groups, but their numbers were extremely few—all elderly men over sixty and those without much power or influence.

“His Majesty arrives!” The eunuch’s sharp voice rang through the great hall.

The hall instantly fell silent, all eyes fixed on the empty dragon throne above. Soon, footsteps sounded from behind the throne, and Mo Jingqi, unseen for so long, emerged in imperial robes supported by eunuchs. Having been ill for some time, Mo Jingqi had become emaciated, his dragon robes hanging loosely on his frame, creating an eerily discordant effect. His face remained waxy yellow, but his lips were a striking dark red, and his eyes were startlingly bright and sharp.

“We pay our respects to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!”

Mo Jingqi looked down from above, his voice calm and steady: “All ministers rise. Bring forth the imperial edict.”