Xu Mengdie’s whole body tensed. She raised her head, her eyes tinged with blood red.

It was still her. Indeed, fate was hard to change. In her previous life, the Emperor had pointed at her, and in this life he would still point at her. Before her eyes, she seemed to already see the dragon throne and phoenix seat being blown apart. Xu Mengdie rose trembling, her expression extremely ugly.

“Your Majesty, please forgive this subject’s wife. She is unwell today and is not suitable to touch divine objects, lest she offend the divine spirits.”

“Hm?” Gu Chaobei looked at her, frowning slightly. The Empress beside him helped by saying: “Lady Xu’s complexion truly doesn’t look well. Your Majesty should let someone else do it.”

After a moment of silence, the Emperor said helplessly: “Very well.”

Xu Mengdie froze. The surrounding sense of familiarity all dispersed with the Emperor’s two words. The mistakes of her previous life—in this life, she had already corrected them all.

Her body collapsed powerlessly, just in time to be caught by Gu Chaonan.

“Are you all right?” Gu Chaonan looked at her with concern: “If you’re really not feeling well, I’ll take you back first.”

Xu Mengdie shook her head, leaning on her husband’s shoulder. She closed her eyes briefly and said: “How can we leave now? Has my lord forgotten what this wife said?”

Gu Chaonan pressed his lips together. Naturally he hadn’t forgotten. Three years of scheming—wasn’t this the moment they’d been waiting for? It’s just that seeing her looking so weak, he felt somewhat… heartbroken.

Being Grand Marshal was already enough. At the very beginning, he had only wanted to establish himself at court and do a bit better than his elder brother. With Mengdie helping him all along the way, he had already obtained far more than he’d imagined. He was actually satisfied.

He didn’t know what Mengdie was worried about or what she was hiding in her heart, but if possible, he truly wished she could rest properly for a while.

“Since Lady Xu cannot light it, then let General Gu do it.” The Emperor said with a smile: “General Gu and Lady Xu have both rendered outstanding service to our dynasty. Since this is a blessing from the heavenly gods, why not give it to Lady Xu, wishing her good health?”

As soon as the Emperor spoke these words, the court officials erupted in commotion. Empress Dowager Nian was also somewhat puzzled. The honors given to Gu Chaonan were already plentiful enough—now he also wanted to give this rare tribute from the foreign nation to Lady Xu? Lady Xu was merely a noble wife, not even an official.

The yellow-haired ambassador’s face turned green: “Your Majesty, the blessing of the heavenly gods can only be given to emperors. Giving it to ministers and noble ladies—they cannot withstand it.”

“Your heavenly gods distinguish between people when giving blessings? Only for emperors?” Gu Chaobei looked at the yellow-haired ambassador’s face and chuckled lightly: “That seems unreliable. I want General Gu to light it for Lady Xu. I’d like to see what kind of blessing would be too much for people to withstand.”

A Western cannon blast—indeed not something ordinary people could withstand. Xu Mengdie’s complexion became even worse. She stood up and said: “Your Majesty, please reconsider!”

How could it turn out like this? When the Emperor heard about the blessing of the heavenly gods, shouldn’t he have been eagerly wanting to try it himself immediately? How could he think of bestowing it upon her and Chaonan?

“I have reconsidered. Lady Xu, you need not decline.” The Emperor waved his hand, and Zhuiyun went down to invite Gu Chaonan out, placing a torch in his hand.

Xu Mengdie almost collapsed to the ground, watching as the cannon’s mouth turned toward her. Her lips trembled, and she vigorously shook her head at Gu Chaonan: “Don’t!”

Gu Chaonan was somewhat bewildered. He didn’t know what this thing was for, but this was an imperial decree—how could he possibly defy it at court?

Holding the torch, slowly approaching that iron contraption, Gu Chaonan wasn’t thinking of anything else. He only thought that if this blessing could let her sleep peacefully afterward and no longer have constant nightmares, that would be good.

Xu Mengdie shook her head vigorously. Her body was so stiff she couldn’t move. Tears came down. A wave of strange discussion arose at the banquet—such a good thing, why was Lady Xu so terrified?

The smile on Gu Chaobei’s face gradually faded. Shen Guiyan also closed her eyes.

Xu Mengdie also knew this thing would kill people. That Lady Xu who would never harm her—why had she never warned her even half a sentence?

What exactly were her intentions?

“I don’t want it!” Seeing that Gu Chaonan was about to light the fuse, Xu Mengdie screamed and rushed out, standing behind Gu Chaonan, her body trembling violently: “Don’t point this thing at me.”

No matter how the yellow-haired ambassador signaled her with his eyes, it was useless. Xu Mengdie was already so frightened she couldn’t maintain her disguise, clearly and plainly displaying her fear of death.

The court hall became somewhat quiet. Gu Chaonan supported Xu Mengdie, also looking bewildered. Shen Guiyan sighed and, sitting above, said: “Ambassador, you should still bestow blessings upon the common people. Turn this opening toward outside the hall. This way, sharing fortune with the people also displays His Majesty’s benevolence.”

The yellow-haired ambassador dared not speak up, much less go light it. Gu Chaonan, fearless in his ignorance, obediently turned the cannon’s mouth outward and then lit the fuse.

“BOOM—”

A thunderous explosion frightened many officials present into dropping their cups and plates. A huge fireball wrapped in thick smoke flew outward, blasting an enormous crater in the open ground before Juhuan Pavilion.

Everyone erupted in chaos. Empress Dowager Nian also stood up in shock. Both Gu Chaobei and Shen Guiyan’s expressions were very grave. Only the Imperial Astrologer alone below was drinking wine and eating meat, not even glancing in this direction.

Chaos, he knew it. He knew heavenly fate would be reversed. The outcome was already changed, life and death already altered, nothing could be done about it.

Since it had already gone in another direction, let things develop as they would. Plant a certain cause, reap a certain effect—a person’s fate couldn’t be so easily twisted around.

Those scared senseless hadn’t yet reacted when the yellow-haired ambassador seized the opportunity to turn and try to flee.

“Seize him.” The Emperor ordered flatly.

Zhuiyun moved extremely fast, immediately stepping forward to restrain the yellow-haired man. Gu Chaonan turned at once and knelt toward the Emperor, saying: “Fortunately Your Majesty didn’t try it personally. If such a thing were lit facing Your Majesty, certainly… The foreign nation harbors treacherous intentions!”

Xu Mengdie also knelt down, her emotions not yet calmed.

Gu Chaobei looked at the two of them and chuckled lightly: “This can also be considered General Gu rendering meritorious service in protecting the sovereign. Imprison this ambassador in the imperial prison. The state banquet is suspended. The Minister of War, along with all generals holding military tallies, please move with me to the Imperial Study.”

“Yes.”

The palace courtyard was destroyed by this cannonball and needed people to repair it. Everyone walked around that pitch-black giant crater. Yet Shen Guiyan pulled Xu Mengdie’s hand, coming curiously to look.

“Mengdie, do you know what this thing is?” Shen Guiyan asked with a smile.

“In response to Your Majesty the Empress… this wife does not know. It’s just that this wife instinctively feared this thing, so I dared not have it point at me.” Xu Mengdie steadied her breathing and said in a low voice: “I never imagined it wasn’t a blessing from the heavenly gods but rather heavenly punishment.”

“I see…” Shen Guiyan nodded, leading her toward Yonghe Palace: “You look quite tired too. First go wait in my palace for your husband.”

Xu Mengdie nodded, raising her eyes to study Shen Guiyan twice. Her smile hadn’t faded—she seemed not to suspect her at all.