After sending Nanmen Rong on her way, Feng Jiu did not leave the Imperial Palace. A young eunuch from the Yuxiao Hall had been waiting for some time, positioned along the route she would have to pass on her way from the rear palace to the Yuxiao Hall.

The young eunuch said nothing, but Feng Jiu understood — she could not leave just yet.

As expected, half an hour later, another young eunuch came rushing over.

After the two young eunuchs conferred briefly, the first one fixed his gaze on Feng Jiu: “Sir, His Majesty requests your presence.”

Feng Jiu said nothing and followed the two of them into the Yuxiao Hall.

When she entered, the people from the Nanmen family were already gone, including Nanmen Xu.

The side chamber of the Yuxiao Hall, however, now held several additional figures — an elderly female attendant, four or five young palace maids, and a row of guards.

The array was imposing in a way that defied description, yet Feng Jiu remained, as always, impassive — neither cold nor warm.

Coming before Emperor Qiwen, she inclined her body slightly: “Reporting to Your Majesty: this subordinate has delivered Consort Rong to where she ought to be.”

Emperor Qiwen said nothing. He simply stared at her, his gaze carrying a probing quality — nakedly, intrusively searching, the kind that made a person deeply uncomfortable.

Yet Feng Jiu had long since grown accustomed to weathering great storms. Emperor Qiwen’s gaze now produced not the slightest change in her expression.

She even lifted her head, meeting his line of sight directly, with an air of complete openness.

“We once heard an elder say that sometimes, the more candid a person appears on the surface, the more secrets may be concealed within.”

At these words from Emperor Qiwen, everyone around held their breath, falling utterly silent.

His Majesty seemed somehow different of late — compared to the ruler from before, who had appeared… who had appeared somewhat irresolute, the difference was like that between heaven and earth.

Perhaps only the Head Eunuch, who had attended Emperor Qiwen’s side through all these years, truly knew — His Majesty had always been holding himself in restraint, precisely because the weight pressing down upon him from above had been far too heavy.

Tonight, he had toppled the great mountain that was the Nanmen Clan. The days ahead would certainly be lived with a great deal more ease.

Yet there were certain doubts His Majesty still had to resolve.

Feng Jiu said mildly: “This subordinate does not understand what Your Majesty means.”

Emperor Qiwen had no patience to continue trading veiled words with her. His eyes turned cold, and he asked in a low voice: “Who are you, exactly?”

“This subordinate is Feng Jiu of the Tianjitang.” The answer came without a moment’s hesitation.

“You know A’Jiu?”

“Your Majesty, please pardon this subordinate — this subordinate does not know who A’Jiu is, as Your Majesty speaks of him.”

Emperor Qiwen narrowed his eyes, and said with a cold laugh: “The Ninth Imperial Uncle, the War God of Bei Mu whom all the people revere.”

“This subordinate has naturally heard of the Ninth Prince’s great renown. When His Highness the Crown Prince was once ambushed, and was sent to this subordinate’s Tianjitang, this subordinate had the privilege of seeing the Ninth Prince’s true face with her own eyes.”

Feng Jiu’s expression did not shift by so much as a fraction, and she still met his gaze with steady calm: “I wonder — does that count as knowing him?”

“What a sharp tongue!” Emperor Qiwen gave a cold snort. “We suspect you are in fact the Feng Jiu’er who vanished from the battlefield. Someone, verify this person’s true identity.”

“Yes!” The elderly female attendant at one side had been standing by for precisely this moment. She stepped forward with several palace maids.

Feng Jiu had already known — the presence of these people here tonight was most likely for this very matter.

She stepped back, evading the touch of the young palace maid. Emperor Qiwen’s fury rose immediately: “Your evasion proves your guilt. We should have seen it sooner — you are Feng Jiu’er.”

At the time, there had already been something familiar about this young person’s silhouette, though it had not occurred to him then. But now it seemed that Feng Jiu’er, who had disappeared for half a year, had been lurking right here in the Imperial City — even frequently coming and going at his own side.

She had changed her appearance entirely, presenting herself as a man to enter the palace. What had she come here to do? Could Zhan Qingcheng have sent her as a spy, meaning to have her lurk at his side?

If that were truly the case, and Feng Jiu’er knew this much, he absolutely could not allow her to remain alive in this world.

“Your Majesty is not the first to have suspected this subordinate. Earlier, when Consort Rong encountered this subordinate outside the hall, she also said this subordinate was Ninth Miss Feng, and she wanted to have this subordinate killed.”

Feng Jiu remained composed, showing not the slightest trace of fear — it was remarkable how calm and collected she still was.

She continued: “Even Noble Consort Qingyin within the palace once deliberately threw herself at this subordinate on purpose, precisely to see whether this subordinate was the person she was looking for.”

“She—”

“Your Majesty need not be concerned. She also believed this subordinate to be a woman, which was why she dared to act so improperly toward this subordinate. But Your Majesty may see for yourself — has Noble Consort Qingyin ever pursued any entanglement with this subordinate since?”

Since there had been no entanglement, it meant Feng Qingyin had already ceased to suspect her.

Yet Emperor Qiwen still did not trust her identity. The Head Eunuch also said: “Since you claim not to be Feng Jiu’er, what objection could there be to having the female attendant verify your identity?”

One was a young woman; the other was a man. If he truly was a man, all suspicion would naturally dissolve.

“If Your Majesty wishes to verify this subordinate’s identity, there is no need for anyone else to do it. Your Majesty may verify it personally.”

With that, Feng Jiu actually reached up herself and began to undo her own robes.

The Head Eunuch and everyone present were stunned. Even in Emperor Qiwen’s eyes there was astonishment — she actually dared to undress in public! Surely… surely this truly was a misidentification?

If she were Feng Jiu’er, what young lady of good family would undress before so many people and still be able to go on living?

No — she dared to undress, which meant she was certainly not a young lady. Once these clothes came off, could anyone still be in doubt about whether this was a man or a woman?

While everyone was still exchanging uncertain glances, Feng Jiu had already unfastened her robes and yanked them sharply downward.

Though not having stripped herself entirely, she had pulled the robes down to her forearms, leaving her chest completely exposed without any concealment — no binding cloth, no covering garment of any kind. The chest laid bare was not particularly muscular, the skin rather fair.

It was, unmistakably, a male physique.

“I wonder whether Your Majesty has seen clearly?” Feng Jiu’s gaze remained candid.

Emperor Qiwen let out a faint sigh and waved his hand: “Put your robes back on.”

Only then did Feng Jiu slowly pull her clothing back up, as gracefully as before — with not the slightest trace of self-consciousness in her manner.

Then again, since she was in truth a man, and being a man, the candor was entirely warranted.

The Head Eunuch glanced at Emperor Qiwen, then back at Feng Jiu. This was nothing like anything he had imagined. For a moment he did not know what to say.

As for Feng Jiu, she looked directly at Emperor Qiwen: “Your Majesty suspects that this subordinate has some connection to the Ninth Prince. Could it be because the Ninth Prince’s forces also went to the Nanmen Household tonight? Your Majesty naturally would not believe the Ninth Prince acted to assist Your Majesty — Your Majesty believes the Ninth Prince was helping this subordinate, is that it?”

Emperor Qiwen said nothing. Yet from the brooding depth in his eyes, that was evidently his meaning.

Feng Jiu said calmly: “I have long heard it said that the mother-consort of the Seventh Prince — Consort Jing — was in all likelihood driven to her death by Consort Rong, was she not?”

Emperor Qiwen still said nothing. The tangled affairs of his rear palace were not something he wished outsiders to know.

Feng Jiu continued: “It is commonly known that the Seventh Prince and the Ninth Prince are on close terms. Now that the Seventh Prince has had the Nanmen Household surrounded, and the Ninth Prince has sent men to assist — this subordinate sees nothing in that arrangement that does not make sense.”