Under the same night sky, on the ridge of Xianyang Palace’s main hall, a youth in green robes sat upright, gazing at the northwest starry sky. Winter’s piercing cold wind bit to the bone, but his spine remained straight, as if completely unaffected by such cold.

A sudden gust of wind made his sleeves snap loudly in the wind. The youth moved his ears, fearing this sound might be detected by sharp-eared guards, and wound his long sleeves several times around his arms.

He did this extremely slowly and carefully, as if waiting for something.

After a long while, Yaoying beside him finally sighed regretfully. “Can’t see that person. I kept watching the dense forest around Yong Palace, but no one walked out from there.”

“The Empress Dowager has died. Someone definitely moved their hand.” The green-robed youth rolled up his left sleeve, using one hand to bind the cuff with thin cord. As he spoke, he thought through the entire matter’s causes and effects.

Because of the cold, he and Ying still slept together. Tonight, just as he lay down, he heard Chaofeng’s broken-gong-like calls. At this moment, he regretted why in all of Xianyang Palace, only he could hear Chaofeng’s voice. But displeased or not, he also knew Chaofeng wasn’t one who didn’t know priorities. Calling him over this late must mean something happened. So after Ying fell asleep, he evaded Caiwei keeping watch next door, dodged palace guards on duty, and directly climbed onto Xianyang Palace main hall’s ridge, only then learning something major indeed occurred.

The Empress Dowager who’d been obediently secluded actually died suddenly!

If there wasn’t some hidden story here, even fools wouldn’t believe it.

Suicide? Ridiculous. If Zhao Ji had courage to die, she’d have died ten years ago. Why suffer ten years of confinement?

Though Yaoying didn’t see what happened that night, from the remaining scene it could deduce only Zhao Ji was in the sleeping hall. She’d dismissed palace maids, alone appreciating Zhao war spoils presented to her. For some unknown reason—perhaps seeing her homeland’s fine wine—momentarily inspired, she casually used the nearby square sky gu to drink one gu, actually got poisoned and died suddenly!

Someone definitely did something in the middle. But Yaoying watched around Yong Palace most of the night without seeing even a ghost shadow. This made the green-robed youth think of that bamboo strip that called for his rescue. Also something done by someone Chaofeng couldn’t see clearly. Though the two seemed unrelated, people even ridge beasts couldn’t see were sufficient to arouse vigilance.

“You’re still too young. Why choose a gu to send over? Thinking you could put down the Empress Dowager’s face, but not thinking she’s the King of Qin’s mother. Hitting her face is equivalent to hitting the King of Qin’s face?” Fearing to interfere with Yaoying’s attention, Chaofeng had held back all night. Now finally couldn’t resist starting to nag.

“I did it deliberately.” The green-robed youth said flatly.

“What?” Chaofeng and Yaoying in chorus both felt the youth’s brain must be broken.

“The eldest prince blatantly sent a gu to the Empress Dowager. This matter would sooner or later be tattled to the King of Qin by loose-lipped people. I’d say I chose it. This way, after being disliked by Fu Su, the King of Qin would also feel my talent was wasted on such rear-palace trivial matters, feeling wronged for me, and might as well assign me somewhere suitable.” The youth began rolling his right sleeve. Being unaccustomed to doing things with his left hand, his movements were even slower.

Both ridge beasts were speechless. The youth had indeed determined to leave Fu Su, using this opportunity to handle matters cleanly. But unexpectedly, that Zhao Ji actually died like this—instead becoming thorny!

“What to do now? Though King Zheng of Qin obtained the legendary He Shi Bi from Zhao this time, no matter how good his mood, he can’t possibly tolerate his mother queen dying unjustly.” Chaofeng grew irritable. The King of Qin would return tomorrow. And given his habit of frequently changing itineraries due to suspicion to prevent assassination, maybe tonight he’d already entered Xianyang City. No matter how they concealed this matter, Yong Palace was twenty li outside Xianyang City—too late no matter what. Perhaps whoever orchestrated all this deliberately grabbed this timing.

“Can’t do anything about the wine either. That wine was sent by the King of Qin. How could they possibly say the King of Qin wanted harming his own mother queen?”

“This matter arose because of me. Naturally, I bear it alone.” The youth’s left hand couldn’t bind his sleeve no matter what. Simply no longer bothered, directly untying the right sleeve already bound. He flipped down from the ridge, completely ignoring the two ridge beasts’ calls behind him.

Sure enough, before dawn broke, a eunuch came to Luming Residence requesting the young Superior Minister go to the warm pavilion.

Gently and quietly peeling still-sleeping Ying off himself, the green-robed youth who hadn’t slept all night quickly rose. After briefly checking his appearance, he followed that eunuch.

On the road, he happened to encounter a confused-faced Fu Su. Though the latter’s Gaoquan Palace was farther from the warm pavilion than Luming Residence, travel had carriage transport, usually faster. But Fu Su temporarily called up probably also wasted some time, so the two happened to meet outside. Receiving Fu Su’s confused gaze, the green-robed youth’s expression became even more serious. Fu Su shuddered, his still-sleepy pupils immediately becoming clear. Though not knowing what happened, seeing his young attendant reader’s expression, it definitely wasn’t minor.

The two walked into the warm pavilion one after another, immediately feeling like falling into an ice cave. The air permeating here was actually colder than outside winter morning fog. Here was like being swept by a violent storm—everywhere on the ground were bamboo scrolls smashed by someone, or various pottery already turned to fragments.

The King of Qin sat expressionlessly behind a desk. Before him was placed an extremely familiar square sky gu.

Fu Su froze, then his face paled. Only now did he realize where he got the authority to slap his grandmother’s face. Must be these days wielding great power, the scenery from high places was too beautiful, so he lost reason.

Just wanting to rush to admit fault, he heard a servant of unclear features in the corner coldly say without inflection, “Last night, the Empress Dowager used this object to drink imperially bestowed osmanthus wine, then got poisoned. Rescue came too late. She died.”

This sentence like muffled thunder exploded above Fu Su’s head, directly blasting his brain completely blank. He subconsciously wanted to defend, but the other spoke very skillfully—that was imperially bestowed osmanthus wine. How could there possibly be problems?

Then the problem could only be the square sky gu he sent over.

This was blatant framing.

Fu Su didn’t believe his brilliant and martial Father King couldn’t see this point. But what meaning did seeing or not seeing have now?

Regardless of whether he made the move, the Empress Dowager had died.

Having been beside Father King so many years, Fu Su naturally knew this state where Father King didn’t speak meant anger reached the extreme. Regardless of right or wrong, first must vent.

So someone definitely had to come out and take the blame.

And Father King only summoned him and Superior Minister Gan.

In an instant, countless choices weighing pros and cons flashed through Fu Su’s mind. Dense fine sweat seeped from his forehead.

The green-robed youth stood half a step behind him, head lowered watching Fu Su’s trembling body.

Actually, Fu Su wasn’t much older than him—only fourteen. Encountering such calamitous disaster yet still forcibly supporting himself standing here without losing composure already counted as good.

They encountered each other once. Though not understanding each other well, at least master and servant once. Him bearing this guilt for him also counted as settling accounts.

Though the King of Qin was thunderously furious, he still had reason. Impossible to air dirty laundry—at minimum, first summoning them privately for audience. The worst result would probably be his official rank stripped, returning to commoner status, going home for closed-door reflection several years, waiting until this matter faded or whenever the King of Qin himself didn’t mind before reusing him.

This was also punishment for his willful actions.

Punishing his arrogance, thinking he could turn clouds with one hand and rain with the other.

This was the decision the green-robed youth made after thinking all night. So after only slight hesitation, he planned to kneel and admit guilt.

But just as he barely bent his waist, Fu Su—as if growing eyes behind his back—directly reached out and accurately grasped his wrist, insisting he not kneel.

The green-robed youth looked up in surprise, just in time to see before him the eldest prince殿下 only two years older, kneeling down straight.

His knees solidly knocked on the bluestone bricks, making a muffled sound.

His breathing had become somewhat rapid from fear, yet he still resolutely opened his mouth.

“Father King, everything is this son’s fault. Unrelated to others.”