Shen Guiya had become so emaciated she was unrecognizable, covered in filth from head to toe, her hair white, her cheeks sunken deeply. Though she was clearly still only a teenage girl, she already looked as aged as a hunched elderly person in their twilight years.

Even so, Bao Shi could still recognize her, because after all, she was her own biological daughter. She had once loved her so much, willing to bear the burden of taking a life and committing grave sins for her sake, only wanting her to have a lifetime of glory, wealth, stability, and freedom from worry.

Yet now, Shen Guiya pointed at her and said, “It was her who, on the morning of your wedding day, summoned Concubine Qin to the eastern courtyard and made her eat pastries laced with arsenic. This caused Concubine Qin to die suddenly, preventing you from marrying, allowing me, who was pregnant, to take your place as a matter of course!”

Bao Shi touched her forehead—her temperature was normal. Why would she say such things?

Shen Guiya struggled to push her hand away, crawled to the side, looking at Shen Guiyan with both hatred and fear.

On the way here, Shen Guiyan had said, “If you can help this palace investigate the truth of how Concubine Qin died back then, this palace can spare you.”

Throughout the journey, she had been considering: Shen Guiyan had already ascended to the position of Empress and held the power of life and death. If she didn’t comply, what would her fate be?

To continue being confined in that sunless tomb until she died of old age? No! She refused. Bao Shi was Shen Guiya’s biological mother, not hers. She still wanted to transmigrate back to the modern era. Better a dead fellow Taoist than a dead poor Taoist—whoever committed the sins should bear them. What did it have to do with her?

“Can this palace trust what Fifth Sister personally says?” Shen Guiyan looked at Bao Shi and asked.

Bao Shi felt as if struck by lightning. She looked at Shen Guiya for a long time, unable to speak. She pointed at her for a long while, and finally, unable to hold back, she broke down crying.

“You wretched creature! Mother did all this—wasn’t it all for you? Yet you say such things…”

“For me?” Shen Guiya snorted coldly. “You’ve long disliked Qin Shi and didn’t like Shen Guiyan either. You wanted to use my glory and wealth to satisfy your own vanity, yet you claim it was for my good? If not for you, I wouldn’t have married Gu Chaodong!”

Bao Shi was furious to the point of dying. Who was it that was willing to sacrifice her own reputation to marry Gu Chaodong back then? Now she blamed others—wasn’t that laughable? How did she give birth to such a daughter?

“You were always whispering in my ear, saying Qin Shi was a seductress who bewitched Father, and that her daughter was a little vixen too, telling me I absolutely couldn’t lose to her.” Shen Guiya held nothing back, selling out Bao Shi completely. “The matter of my fake pregnancy and substitute marriage—didn’t you help come up with that idea too? You even specifically prohibited Qin Shi from being buried in the ancestral tomb, to prevent the poison from later being discovered by some expert to have been mixed in the pastries. How frightening ignorance is—the ancients’ technology couldn’t detect such things. You worried for nothing.”

Bao Shi’s breathing became rapid, her face deathly pale. Shen Guiwen at the side couldn’t help but feel some compassion and wanted to reach out to help her, but was held back by Shen Guiwu.

The sins one committed—no one could pull her out of that abyss.

“Have you… said enough?” Bao Shi asked in a trembling voice.

Shen Guiya shifted to the side, snorting coldly as she looked at Shen Guiyan. “Not a single word I’ve said is false. Take it to close the case and release me!”

Anyone looking at her cowardly appearance would be infuriated. Even Shen Shiqing couldn’t help but tremble with rage, his legs going weak as he sat down in a nearby chair. Looking at Shen Guiya, then at Bao Shilan, he said angrily, “You two truly can be so ruthlessly vicious to this extent!”

“My lord!” Bao Shi looked up at him. “This wife was only momentarily possessed by evil. Considering that this wife has served you for so many years, please spare this wife!”

Old Master Shen was too angry to speak. Shen Guiwu at the side snorted lightly. “You’re begging the wrong person. Father can’t save you now. This is a matter the Emperor has ordered investigated. The power of life and death is in the Empress’s hands.”

Bao Shilan didn’t care and continued kowtowing to Shen Shiqing, because she knew Shen Shiqing would soften, but Shen Guiyan would not.

That girl already hated her thoroughly.

“This case appears to require no investigation—the truth has already come to light.” Looking at the miserable appearance of Bao Shi and Shen Guiya, thinking of Concubine Qin’s tragic death years ago, Shen Guiyan’s eyes reddened slightly. “The new laws decree that murder is punishable by death. Though Bao Shi is an official’s wife bestowed by the court, she cannot be exempted. Someone come—arrest Bao Shi and imprison her in the imperial prison.”

“Yes.” The imperial guards outside entered and seized Bao Shilan from both sides. Shen Shiqing made no move, only turning his head away.

“What right do you have! The Shen family has merit—why can’t merit offset crimes? Why must I be executed for a murder case from so many years ago!” Bao Shilan lost all the dignity of a great lady, sprawled on the ground refusing to leave. “My lord, my lord, I am your first wife!”

Several concubines surrounded Shen Shiqing, each young and beautiful, dignified and graceful with supple waists. Looking at Bao Shilan’s wretched appearance, they all covered their mouths and averted their eyes.

If previously Old Master Shen had still had feelings for Bao Shi, today he certainly would have intervened. But so many years of wealth had also dissipated genuine affection. Old Master Shen only felt that Bao Shi was trouble. Now that Yan’er had come to deal with it, as long as it didn’t implicate the Shen family, all was well.

Bao Shi wailed, her voice hoarse. Shen Guiyan drew the imperial sword of authority before her, saying in a low voice, “If you feel unwilling, then this palace can personally send you off—that’s no problem either.”

The crying stopped. Bao Shilan looked at Shen Guiyan in terror. This woman was simply a madwoman.

The imperial guards dragged her away. The people in the room all remained silent, saying nothing.

After all, they were one Shen family. Her actions today would inevitably hurt her father’s and Shen Guiwen’s hearts.

After a long while, Shen Guiya, who had been curled up on the floor, asked quietly, “Am I free now?”

“The matter here is settled.” Shen Guiyan stood up, looking at Shen Guiya. “You still need to accompany me to the Gu residence.”

Shen Guiya looked at her in terror. “You liar!”

Hadn’t it been agreed that if she helped investigate the truth of Concubine Qin’s death, she would be spared? Why go to the Gu residence?

When the Gu family had left the capital, the entire household had departed. Now they had all returned, not a single maid fewer.

Among them was Yushu, who had always attended Shen Guiya.

Times had changed, and Yushu no longer recognized Shen Guiya at all, but everything her young mistress had done back then, she, as her personal maid, knew completely.

“Miss used an aphrodisiac at the inn and had this servant use Her Majesty’s name at the time to invite the eldest young master Gu. After their liaison, because the eldest young master Gu refused to marry her, she told Madam Shen that Third Miss must not be allowed to marry.”

“Although this violated mourning customs for a mother, getting married when one’s birth mother had just died was also a great taboo. Thus Miss very smoothly snatched away the eldest young master Gu. Afterward, Miss took a fancy to the fourth young master Gu. When her attempted seduction failed, she harmed the child in Concubine Xu’s belly, wanting to frame Her Majesty, but who knew Concubine Xu bore no grudge at all.”

Rambling on from Shen Guiya’s initial schemes to her later feigned death, Shen Guiyan brought Shen Guiya to listen for a full hour before it was finished.

“You lowly servant.”

Shen Guiya, who had just been so smooth in selling out Bao Shi, was now also stabbed by the person who had once been closest to her.

Yushu’s eyes were full of resentment. “When Miss left back then, she said that when glory came, she would return to fetch this servant. This servant waited all these years but never saw Miss return, and was kept by Concubine Xu in the south courtyard doing menial work. If Miss finds this servant lowly, this servant has nothing to say, but this servant’s disloyalty to Miss—that is Miss’s own doing.”

Shen Guiya stood stunned.

When she had feigned death and left, she seemed to have indeed told Yushu she would return for her. Later, fearing her identity would be exposed, she had never contacted her.

No wonder she now bore such great resentment.

“Committing evil deeds in abundance—truly someone who deserves to go to hell.” Shen Guiyan looked at Shen Guiya and smiled.

Shen Guiya shivered and stepped back. “You promised to spare me. You can’t go back on your word.”

“Mm.” Shen Guiyan nodded. “This palace won’t go back on my word. I won’t take your life.”

Shen Guiya had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the second half of the sentence. “I will have Lord Gu send you back to the tomb again.”

Screaming, Shen Guiya nearly collapsed and lunged forward to strangle Shen Guiyan.

Gu Chaodong blocked her from the front, standing like wood, looking at her with disgust. “That is where you belong.”

“Why? Why does she have no special qualities yet live so much better than me?” Shen Guiya was extremely unwilling, her eyes bloodshot as she looked at Shen Guiyan. “Someone like you should have died long ago.”

Shen Guiwu stepped forward and deftly stuffed a cloth into Shen Guiya’s mouth, ordering people to bind her.

“Living poorly is not others’ fault.” Shen Guiyan looked at her. “When others live well, that’s due to their efforts or their luck. You can envy them, but you have no right to curse them. If there were a mirror, you could see—your face is very ugly and extremely ferocious.”

Life was one’s own. Whatever one made of it was the result of one’s own actions and consequences. Envying others was fine, but if one walked the wrong path and lived the wrong way, one couldn’t blame others.

Everyone lived for themselves.

Shen Guiya was led away unwillingly. Gu Chaodong’s expression was somewhat dazed as he looked at Shen Guiyan. “This subject wishes to take his leave and find some quiet.”

“Lord Gu has worked hard.” Shen Guiyan nodded.

For so many years, Gu Chaodong had helped her with various matters—it could be considered atonement. Now thinking back on those past events, there were no longer any ripples in her heart.

All the vengeance that needed to be taken had been taken. Some doubts had also been resolved. The knots in her heart that had been hidden for so many years should also be released.

Bao Shi was executed, and Shen Guiya also received her deserved retribution. When Shen Guiyan returned to the palace, she suddenly felt completely hollow inside.

“Mistress, the letter has been delivered to Lord Shen.” Baoshan said in a low voice.

Shen Guiyan nodded. Now her only concern was hoping that Father Shen would know when to advance and retreat, withdrawing from this center of power early to enjoy his remaining years in peace.

But it didn’t seem that easy. Father Shen didn’t seem very willing to listen to her.

More than unwilling—when the letter reached Shen Shiqing’s hands, he only glanced at it twice before tearing it up.

“Absurd! Now Wen’er is young yet an official, his reputation shaking the court. Wu’er commands troops, his power overwhelming the realm. Our Shen family has only been this glorious once in a hundred years—how could we easily give it up?”

Shen Guiwen stood to the side, saying softly, “What Third Sister said may not be wrong. The Shen family’s power being too great is not a good thing.”

Old Master Shen frowned, glancing at him. “You’re still young—you don’t understand. No one would be willing to give up at such a time. If your father truly listened to your third sister, what face would I have to meet our ancestors? The Emperor deeply loves your third sister—that is our bargaining chip. He won’t bear to move against the Shen family. Moreover, your father has no ambitions—just bringing glory to our ancestors. What’s wrong with that?”

People from aristocratic families all placed great importance on honor. Shen Guiwen felt he couldn’t persuade his father, so he said no more. After all, the realm had just stabilized—it was still early days.

“Yan’er?”

The person sleeping at the table showed no response. Gu Chaobei chuckled softly and scooped her up in his arms, walking toward the bed.

“Mm.” Shen Guiyan woke up. Opening her eyes to see it was him, she murmured and burrowed into his neck. “So cold.”

“If you know it’s cold, why were you sleeping there?” Frowning, he lightly scolded as he lay on the bed holding her. “You looked very tired today. Have you finished everything you wanted to do?”

Shen Guiyan nodded with her eyes closed, sighing. “I’ve finished, but my heart feels somewhat empty—I don’t know why.”

She had lived too long sustained by that initial hatred, hadn’t she? Now without hate, she instead felt somewhat at a loss, like water grass torn from its roots, not knowing where it would drift in the future.

“Since it’s empty, then let me fill it.” Gu Chaobei’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he lowered his head to nuzzle her nose. “I’m handsome and dashing, and incomparably domineering. Placed in your heart, I can serve to stabilize it.”

Shen Guiyan was startled and opened her eyes to look at this shameless person before her.

Without hate, there was still love—was that what he meant?

Seeing the watery light flowing in her eyes, Gu Chaobei’s breathing grew heavier. His fingers caressed her neck as he murmured in a low voice, “Let me in.”

Shen Guiyan’s face turned bright red. She very much wanted to know what kind of life Gu Chaobei had lived these three years. It had only been three days since she became Empress, and she was already nearly worn out by him.

Duanwen had once said that in Huainan there was a beauty who could topple cities and kingdoms, but even when stripped naked and sent to the Imperial Brother’s bed, Imperial Brother had refused her.

Originally there had been some doubt in her heart, but after these three days, Shen Guiyan finally understood.

Duanwen was an honest child who didn’t lie.

Breath warm and soft, garments gradually falling, Gu Chaobei used practical action to express what “one day apart feels like three autumns” meant.

Baoshan pushed the little prince out to look at the stars, keeping as far from Yonghe Palace as possible—absolutely couldn’t corrupt the child.

Amorous turmoil in the phoenix bed, the lotus curtains warm. Shen Guiyan was too tired to think. Gu Chaobei washed her body, wrapped her up, and carried her out through the palace gates.

Where was he going so late? Shen Guiyan very much wanted to ask, but she was truly exhausted. He had wrapped her tightly and held her securely, causing her to fall asleep again before long.

When she woke, opening her eyes, she saw the brilliant starry sky above the imperial palace.

“Your Majesty?”

Gu Chaobei held her, his arms already numb. Their location was the palace’s highest tower, the Star-Plucking Tower.

“Awake?” As if relieved, Gu Chaobei whistled.

Curious about what he was doing, suddenly from the distance came the thunderous sound of fireworks. Fireworks of myriad purples and crimsons suddenly exploded in the sky, incomparably magnificent.