Nie Ran did not break his word after all—he safely escorted me into the Imperial City.

As soon as we reached the city gates, we encountered soldiers the Crown Prince had sent to search for me. After boarding the carriage, Nie Ran also mounted a horse and accompanied the large convoy escorting me.

At the palace gates, he respectfully bowed to me from outside the carriage, saying that the time for Imperial Academy classes had arrived and he regretted not being able to accompany me into the palace.

No matter how I thought about it, he seemed like he was going back to pack his belongings and flee.

Yet I still agreed.

In truth, I was utterly exhausted. I forced myself to hold on until reaching the Crown Prince’s palace before relaxing my tense body—unsurprisingly falling into unconsciousness.

This wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened, and given this frequency, it probably wouldn’t be the last.

Last time I was unconscious for three days over Lu Lingjun’s case. Fortunately, though I was covered in wounds this time, I only slept for a short half-day before being awakened by my own pain.

The reason I called this fortunate… was truly because in the current political situation, any moment of negligence could lead to unknown consequences.

When I regained consciousness, I saw the Crown Prince leaning against the bedside. Thick stacks of memorials were placed by the couch, and he held one in his hands, a hand warmer in his arms, his head drooping as he dozed.

My heart warmed, and I suddenly felt like crying.

So many times when I awakened from the edge of danger, it was always this Crown Prince brother who remained by my side.

Actually, he had been neglected since childhood due to his frail constitution. Among all the brothers and sisters, he was neither clever nor particularly bright. Ever since I could remember, he liked to cling to me and follow behind me—so small, so clumsy, and with such poor health that he always held a hand warmer even when it wasn’t the dead of winter.

Later when he grew up and was unexpectedly placed in the position of heir apparent, I thought he could mature, but he still liked to act spoiled with me. Every time I saw him, I wanted to pinch him to vent my frustration.

But now, in this world, he was the only one who remained by my side through thick and thin.

Yet I wondered how many more times I could see him.

Thinking this way, watching him, my eyes became blurred with mist that turned to water, and as the tears slid down, I saw the Crown Prince open his eyes and quietly look at me.

He didn’t scold me for my wrongs with his usual temper, nor did he comfort my emotions by joking to divert my attention. In the dim, flickering candlelight of the room, I looked back at him, watching his pupils change from light to deep.

I don’t know why, but the Crown Prince’s tranquil gaze made me somewhat nervous.

After an unknown length of time, he spoke: “Imperial Sister, from now on, don’t take on those burdens that should rightfully be mine to bear.”

“Crown Prince…”

“Yes, I am the Crown Prince. But Imperial Sister, you always forget that I am the Crown Prince, which is why you repeatedly put yourself in danger.” His voice was heavy. “I absolutely, absolutely will not let Imperial Sister suffer even the slightest harm again.”

I forced a smile. “Making a big fuss over nothing. I only suffered some superficial wounds…”

“What if it were me!” the Crown Prince interrupted. “If the injured one were me, if the one who jumped from a cliff to protect the military tally were me, if the one poisoned with Soul-Forgetting Pills and near death were me—dare I ask Imperial Sister… what would you think?”

My heart jumped, and then the Crown Prince’s lips moved: “If Imperial Sister were to leave like this, have you considered my feelings?” The Crown Prince looked at me deeply, neither smiling nor angry. “From this moment on, no matter what Imperial Sister says, Jingyan must save your life!”

His words carried an undertone of desperate determination. I understood too well the power of Soul-Forgetting Pills. When Xu Fang was poisoned years ago, I witnessed Qinggu’s efforts to save him. Qinggu had said that unless the poisoner was willing to reveal the antidote formula, hope was slim. And now, to still hope for survival, one could only submit to the poisoner’s manipulation.

For a moment I couldn’t think to ask how he learned of this, and couldn’t help but strike the bed board, scolding: “You are Daqing’s heir apparent, the future emperor! If you abandon the foundation of the state for such trivial matters, how can you face Father Emperor’s trust and high expectations!”

The Crown Prince said: “Is the supervising princess just a sacrificial pawn to stabilize the court situation? Do you think your personal involvement and self-sacrifice is good for me, good for Father Emperor? Do you know why Father Emperor fell gravely ill and bedridden two years ago? It was because of you! Because he learned you had fallen from a cliff and died, his grief triggered a relapse of old ailments, and he has never recovered since!”

My breathing stopped for a moment.

Father Emperor fell gravely ill… because of me…

Because of me…

I never knew!

The Crown Prince immediately regretted his words. Seeing me trembling slightly, his face changed and he quickly grasped my hands. “Imperial Sister, I spoke rashly in my urgency. Father Emperor has always had health issues—it’s not your fault…”

I bit my teeth tightly, feeling my whole body shaking involuntarily. I heard the Crown Prince say: “When I saw Imperial Sister return to the palace and heard the imperial physicians say you were gravely poisoned, in my anger I summoned Nie Ran for questioning. He revealed everything from beginning to end. I also found the suicide letter you wrote to me in your residence. I was truly terrified to the extreme. Imperial Sister, if not for me—it’s my uselessness that has burdened you to this point, I…”

I slowly closed my eyes, letting my heart sink into an even darker abyss, then spread and corrode.

“Imperial Sister?” the Crown Prince asked carefully.

I raised my head, looking at the starry sky outside the window. After a long silence, I said: “I want to see Father Emperor.”

Palace lanterns blazed like daylight, candle flames swaying, burning brightly.

Father Emperor remained in deep sleep.

I sat by his bedside, quietly watching him. Only then did I notice when so many more wrinkles had appeared on Father Emperor’s face. Even lying motionless in unconscious slumber, time still mercilessly carved traces on the emperor’s face.

Father Emperor had spent his life in military campaigns, galloping across battlefields. His youthful heroic bearing had captivated countless beautiful women. As a child, I loved sneaking into corners to watch Father Emperor hold court. That imposing natural majesty—whenever I thought this emperor was my father, I couldn’t help but feel secretly proud.

Father Emperor had always doted on me greatly.

The first time learning to write, the first time learning to ride, even the first time learning archery—he was my first “teacher” for all of these.

Big Brother Xiao Jinglan had once enviously said to me: “Little Sister, Father Emperor is the father of all subjects in the realm, yet he gave you the most ordinary paternal love of common families.”

Thinking back now, it truly was fate’s mockery.

Father Emperor’s illness was known even to the Crown Prince, yet I had been completely absorbed in my world of trying to win back Song Langsheng.

If I hadn’t been unable to abandon my obsession, how could I have been fed poison on Ling Mountain and chosen desperate suicide?

If Father Emperor were healthy and could still preside over court affairs, how could those conspiracies and schemes hidden in darkness succeed so easily?

In the mysterious workings of fate, if all things began because of me, because of emotions, then before leaving, I should personally sever emotions and righteousness to restore the original tranquility.

When I opened my eyes again, my heart had already calmed, just as a cool breeze stirred the bed curtains, seeping chilly air into my body.

Leaving Father Emperor’s bedchamber, I walked leisurely toward the Crown Prince’s study. From afar I saw several officials hurriedly departing. After a moment’s thought, I entered the study and, as expected, the Crown Prince was still burning the midnight oil reviewing memorials.

Duke Cheng beside him bowed to me. “Princess.”

I nodded, and Duke Cheng signaled the attending palace maids to withdraw, then tactfully left the room himself, closing the door behind him.

The Crown Prince looked up. Seeing it was me, his weary eyes mixed with a trace of sadness. “Imperial Sister…”

I smiled lightly. “After seeing Father Emperor, the tangled mess in my heart has been smoothed out, and I don’t feel so troubled anymore.”

The Crown Prince opened his mouth as if to speak but stopped, finally saying: “The secret treasury of the former dynasty that Imperial Sister opened—I’ve ordered the Ministries of Personnel, Works, and Revenue to coordinate. The gold, silver, and treasures will replenish the national treasury’s needs, while the weapons will be incorporated into the Ministry of War’s military supplies.” He paused. “As for the books on forging divine weapons from the former dynasty, I will study them carefully first before discussing with the Ministry of War…”

“Was it Nie Ran who told you the location of the secret place?” I interrupted to ask.

The Crown Prince nodded slightly.

“He can be considered true to his word.” I lowered my head and saw several military tallies placed on the Crown Prince’s desk—the ones I had brought back. The Crown Prince had evidently studied them carefully and should have decided in his heart whether to keep or destroy them. “How do you plan to deal with him?”

“Whether Nie Ran’s surrender is genuine or feigned, we cannot know for certain right now. I had him return to the Imperial Academy first while secretly ordering Wei Qingheng to monitor him and report any suspicious activities immediately. After all, Marquis Xia Yang Nie Guang commands heavy troops. If we rashly move against Nie Ran, wouldn’t that be telling the rebels we’ve become aware? This… might not be a wise move. We can wait until Nie Guang makes some move before capturing Nie Ran.”

I sat down and casually picked up tea, hearing the Crown Prince continue: “The current court situation is perilous. Nie Guang’s own fief contains one hundred thousand elite troops. The secret agents I sent report that over these years he has also frequently moved between the Lingnan and northern Shaanxi feudal domains, clearly gathering forces and waiting for the right moment to rebel. Father Emperor once warned me to constantly monitor Marquis Xia Yang’s every move. What I can do, besides cultivating and promoting my own generals, is to prevent the marriage alliance between the Nie and Zhao families…”

“You prevented the marriage between the Nie and Zhao families?” I was stunned. “How did you prevent it?”

The Crown Prince was stumped by my question. After a long silence, he said quietly: “I told Chief Minister Zhao that I wanted to marry his daughter as a consort.”

My heart jumped, and I set down my teacup heavily. “What did you say? You want to marry Zhao Yanran?”

“Why else would Zhao Gengnian cooperate with the Nie family, if not because he fears I’ll weaken his family’s power after ascending the throne? Between the same marriage alliance, becoming the future emperor’s legitimate father-in-law—who do you think he’d choose?”

I stood up, staring at him. “How can marriage be treated as child’s play? Zhao Yanran likes Nie Ran. You marrying someone who doesn’t like you—how could there be any happiness?”

“Imperial Sister, you married someone you liked—how many peaceful days did you have? When everyone in the world can choose their beloved, only imperial family members cannot. How is it that you still don’t understand this principle today?”

The Crown Prince’s voice was like a sharp sword piercing my heart. I lowered my head and asked: “Did Chief Minister Zhao agree?”

“He agreed, but using Father Emperor’s grave illness as an excuse, he’s delaying for time. He’s waiting and watching to see who has better odds between Nie Guang and me.” The Crown Prince said: “But after tonight, he should make his decision.”

“What do you mean by this?”

“Since Nie Guang has chosen the path of restoring the former dynasty, he must necessarily promote a former dynasty imperial heir as emperor. This person being Song Langsheng, how could he be willing to be a puppet emperor? Even you and I can see the subtleties in this—can Zhao Gengnian not see it?” The Crown Prince looked at me. “With the full support of Chief Minister Zhao and Uncle Li’s two forces, we’ll have the entire cabinet in our hands. Thus, we’ll have several more chances of victory, won’t we?”

I didn’t say yes.

If other brothers or uncles were now attempting to seize the throne, the Crown Prince would indeed have a sure victory.

But with old dynasty forces planning rebellion, how could that be so easily dealt with?

Marquis Xia Yang only controlled one corner of territory. I had thought that even if they wanted to raise troops, they could only adopt internal warfare, breaking through by attacking pass counties north of the capital. If so, the court would still have absolute military superiority, but…

Nie Ran had said that Divine Engine Battalion Commander Wan Yi and Transport Governor Qi Zhiyu had both been recruited by Song Langsheng.

The Divine Engine Battalion was one of the three major camps of the capital’s imperial guards, specifically in charge of firearms and cannons, bearing the heavy responsibility of “internal defense of the capital, external preparation for campaigns.” Transport operations moved military grain along the Yellow River valley to Guanzhong. If these right and left arms turned their cannons directly at the imperial city, the rebel forces could very likely exploit this vulnerability to strike directly at the imperial city.

Soldiers obeyed generals, generals obeyed rulers, and only then could rulers be called emperors.

Under Nie Guang’s command were four battle-hardened generals, plus the sinister and cunning strategist Feng Li, and Song Langsheng who had been by the Crown Prince’s and my side for years, knowing everything.

But what about the Crown Prince? Military power in the capital was not yet fully in hand, I was dying and couldn’t afford delays or waiting. How could we win this battle?

I stood up and pushed open the window, gazing at the moon high in the sky, night winds howling.

Duke Wei’s voice came from outside the door: “Reporting to the Crown Prince, we just received a carrier pigeon message from Jinmen courier station.”

The Crown Prince quickly said: “Come in.”

When I turned around, the Crown Prince had already opened the wooden tube and read through the silk strip. He frowned slightly, glanced at me hesitantly, and tucked the strip into his sleeve. I asked: “What’s wrong?”

He said: “Imperial Sister, yesterday at the hour of Shen, the Pri— oh no, Song Langsheng appeared at the courier station.”

My heart shook. He appeared?

All this time, hadn’t his disappearance been precisely to catch us off guard? Why would he suddenly appear at such a critical juncture?

The Crown Prince’s tone remained cold as iron: “Imperial Sister, we need to immediately order the imperial guards to pursue and capture Song Langsheng! To catch the thief, first catch the king—if Song Langsheng is captured, it won’t be so easy for Nie Guang to rebel!”

I remained silent.

The Crown Prince said: “Imperial Sister! This is not the time to prioritize romance!”

I glanced at him sideways. “Am I such a person without proper judgment?”

The Crown Prince stared blankly. “Isn’t that so?” He turned to ask Duke Cheng, “Tiezhong, what do you think?”

Duke Cheng had a choked expression, coughed, and looked up at the sky without answering.

I tried to make a speechless expression by tugging at the corner of my mouth, but my eyes blurred.

Seeing that I wasn’t amused as usual, the Crown Prince’s eyes showed sorrow. “Sister…”

I wiped away the tear from the corner of my eye. “I was just seeing Duke Cheng accompanying you like this and thinking of my two shadow guards. Usually, they would be teased by me in the same way…”

“Tao Yuan has already handed the Bureau of Illumination token to me. He said that this time someone infiltrated the shadow guards to harm you, and he bears full responsibility, willing to accept any punishment.” The Crown Prince said softly: “Ji Nanyou’s remains will be properly buried. Imperial Sister, don’t be too sorrowful.”

So the Crown Prince… knew everything.

He knew Father Emperor had given me authority over the Bureau of Illumination, knew the deputy director of the Bureau of Illumination had always been my shadow guard.

I looked up at the Crown Prince. I don’t know when, but this imperial brother’s face had long since shed its childishness, with distinct features and calm eyes that seemed to contain resilient strength.

Outside, the night wind grew stronger, making the leaves rustle. I took a long breath and said: “If we send troops to pursue Song Langsheng now, what would be our justification? He is the upright and strict Minister of Justice. Not to mention that the Crown Prince’s troop deployment bypassing the cabinet would displease Chief Minister Zhao—I fear the Metropolitan Military Commission already has Nie Guang’s spies, and alarming them would be counterproductive.”

The Crown Prince countered: “Then we just let him conspire with Nie Guang and wait for the right moment to rebel?”

I pondered for a moment and asked him: “I have a plan that kills three birds with one stone. Do you want to hear it?”

When I returned to the Princess’s residence, it was already a day later.

The weather was excellent, with gentle breezes and pleasant air. The residence was filled with fragrant flowers and verdant bamboo, beautiful beyond measure.

In my leisure time, I would usually sit quietly at the water pavilion, sometimes gazing at a bay of water, a strand of silk, a ray of light, all of which I would savor for a long time.

I sat motionless not because I was lazy, but because walking too much would make me feel tired.

The severe poison made it difficult for me to eat or sleep. Every night I suffered heartache like being cut by knives, and even vomiting blood had become commonplace.

Zhou Wenyu said my end was near and the pain would increase daily.

He could only prescribe some pain-relieving medicine for me to take, even suggesting I try his newly developed poison called “Dream Return West,” which would let me pass away comfortably in beautiful dreams.

I firmly refused. I also instructed Butler Fu to tell the kitchen not to prepare dinner for Zhou Wenyu.

Only then did I realize how much I feared death.

I sighed again and again.

At this moment, the maid Mengdie serving tea beside me couldn’t help but speak: “Princess, this is already the seventy-seventh time you’ve sighed.”

I looked at the sky and said: “This Princess is merely contemplating the profound principle that ‘life is short, treasure it while you can.'”

Mengdie looked confused: “?”

I shook my head and asked casually: “Little Die, suppose you could foresee that you would die from a venomous snake bite in the mountains on a certain day next year—what would you do?”

Would you treasure the present, experience this vast world in your limited days, and treat well those who love you?

Mengdie blinked: “I just wouldn’t go to the mountains.”

“…”

I held my forehead. “Never mind, how could you understand this Princess’s inner thoughts? Time passes like a white colt through a crack. What may be day after day, year after year to you is like a flash in the pan to this Princess. Perhaps you still expect long days ahead, while this Princess can only cherish each dawn and dusk. Do you understand when I put it this way?”

Mengdie nodded: “I don’t understand.”

I looked at the gradually darkening sky and sighed again: “Just like you accompanying this Princess at this water pavilion until now—before we knew it, the sky has darkened. You must have been sitting on pins and needles, while for this Princess this day passed quickly, as if only one hour had gone by…”

“But we really have only been sitting here for one hour…” Mengdie pointed at the sky. “It’s dark because of thick clouds—it’s going to rain, Princess…”

Me: “…”

“Princess, stop teasing this servant. It’s almost time for the noon meal. If we’re late, Butler Liu will nag again…”

Indeed, my return to the residence this time naturally wasn’t to waste time—though I did many things that appeared to waste time.

Everyone in the entire residence didn’t know my days were numbered. They all thought I was ill from missing my Prince Consort.

To the point where Butler Liu, while serving me soup during meals, advised: “Princess should eat more to nourish your body, otherwise when the Prince Consort returns, he’ll blame this old servant.”

I chewed meat and said: “I’ll eat well so I have energy to wait for the Prince Consort’s return.”

Butler Liu was extremely pleased and turned to order the kitchen to add more fine dishes for the evening meal. He naturally didn’t notice that I kept my head down because I didn’t dare let him see my blurred eyes.

Back in my bedroom, I had Mengdie and the others help me change into a turquoise smoke-colored robe. I spun around gracefully twice and asked if this Princess looked elegant, ethereal, and beautiful.

The several maids covered their mouths and laughed for a while. I sat at the table where the wooden qin was placed and casually plucked the strings, playing the instrument.

Actually, long ago, the nanmu wood qin in this room had been like decoration—I rarely played it, and Song Langsheng never touched it either.

Until later when we confessed our feelings in Chen Family Village and returned to this residence, when I was bedridden with illness, he played a musical piece for me once.

Though his musical skills were mediocre and he couldn’t play that simple tune smoothly, to me it was simply heavenly music.

After he finished that piece and turned around, seeing me grinning nonstop, he blushed and snorted: “I already said I’m not good with music.”

At that time, what I wanted to tell him was that I smiled because I was too joyful and happy.

Now I tried to play that simple musical piece myself. Listening to my own performance, I couldn’t help but sigh—truly there are always higher mountains and more talented people. There’s no such thing as the least musically gifted person, only worse ones.

After listening to the music for a while, several personal maids looked ready to flee. I waved my hand to dismiss them. Before I could finish speaking, they ran away in a flash, leaving only little Mengdie. Seeing her hesitation, I said softly: “Little Die, go to the back garden and pick some crabapple flowers. This Princess wants to take a flower petal bath tonight.”

She immediately beamed with joy: “Alright.”

Mengdie was young and innocent, naturally not noticing I was deliberately sending her away.

Not long after she closed the door, the bed board on the sleeping couch was suddenly lifted by someone. I didn’t stop playing the qin or turn my head, only asking: “Is everything prepared?”

“Everything is ready, Princess. This place is not suitable for lingering.”

When I turned around, I saw two people.

One was Duke Cheng Tiezhong from beside the Crown Prince, and the other was a woman dressed and adorned exactly like me.

That woman’s figure was similar to mine, but her face was covered with countless scars, making it impossible to see her original appearance.

When I stood up from the table, she quickly knelt in worship.

My heart darkened.

I had asked the Crown Prince to randomly find a death row prisoner to die in my place, but unexpectedly, it was just a young girl.

I bent down and asked her: “Do you… know what you’ve come here to do today?”

She nodded slightly.

I sighed and looked at Duke Cheng, asking: “What was her crime?”

Duke Cheng said concisely: “Murder of her husband. Originally scheduled for execution next month.”

My heart turned cold, and I asked her again: “Why did you commit such a vicious act at such a young age?”

The girl’s shoulders trembled imperceptibly. After silent moments, she didn’t answer my question but said: “I only ask Your Highness to take care of this commoner’s daughter. This commoner is willing to die for Your Highness.”

I ultimately didn’t ask her anything more.

I only looked back at her sitting quietly at the table before entering the secret passage, listening to her turn the tuning pegs and pluck the strings, each string muffled, each sound filled with longing, as if narrating a lifetime of painful separation and hatred.

How many times do things go as people wish?

When bitterness ends, sweetness should come, but sweetness never arrives.

The long steps wound upward. The secret passage’s exit was at the Princess residence’s scenic high pavilion.

This secret passage was dug when the Princess residence was built. Father Emperor said that if there was danger, I could escape through the secret passage.

Who could have thought the escape passage would be hidden beneath the Princess’s sleeping couch?

However… what I could never understand from childhood to adulthood was: what was the point of an escape passage that, after all that running, still kept you circling within the Princess residence? Couldn’t Father Emperor have dug a few more feet?

I held my forehead and muttered: “It’s really because the land prices across the street were too high, so to save expenses Father Emperor…”

Duke Cheng looked back: “Princess?”

“Nothing.” I followed him up to the high part of the pavilion and pushed open the window. The entire Princess residence’s scenery came into view—winding corridors and soaring eaves, especially the sleeping palace directly opposite which was completely visible. I could faintly hear the melancholy qin music.

Duke Cheng asked: “Princess, may we proceed?”

I stared blankly at the lotus pond outside the sleeping palace, remembering how after our wedding I had forcibly dragged Song Langsheng to lie on the grass by that lotus pond to watch the stars, and how on a certain night after my amnesia returned, Song Langsheng had pulled me there to reminisce about the past. Those memories were vivid before my eyes, and I couldn’t help saying: “I want to look one more time.”

If I didn’t look now, I’d never see it again.

Last night the Crown Prince asked me: “What three-birds-with-one-stone method? Imperial Sister, why don’t you tell me?”

I said lightly: “That is, to let me die in full view of everyone, in my own residence, killed by explosives.”

The Crown Prince was so shocked he dropped his hand warmer to the ground: “Imperial Sister! What, what nonsense are you saying?”

“Crown Prince, who currently controls all the gunpowder in the capital?”

The Crown Prince said: “The Divine Engine Battalion.”

“If something happens at the Princess residence, who would be the first to be investigated?”

“Divine Engine Battalion Commander Wan Yi…” The Crown Prince stammered: “Imperial Sister, you want to frame…”

“Exactly, to frame him.”

“But, but if we don’t alert the Divine Engine Battalion, where would we get gunpowder…”

“How could the Crown Prince forget? In Prince Jun Jinzhi’s secret passage from the former dynasty, there is gunpowder.”

The Crown Prince suddenly understood, then frowned again: “At that time, Wan Yi could very likely claim the gunpowder came from civilians…”

“According to Daqing law, private transportation and storage of sulfur, saltpeter, and other explosives and artillery are forbidden. If it’s proven the gunpowder didn’t come from the Divine Engine Battalion, then the capital’s imperial guards, gate guards, and transport operations would inevitably be implicated, wouldn’t they?”

“Imperial Sister means to take this opportunity to replace the Divine Engine Battalion and transport operations with our people?”

“What do you think?”

The Crown Prince showed a look of understanding: “Then the meaning of killing three birds with one stone is…”

“Who could lay explosives in the Princess residence and happen to disappear without a trace before the incident—who do you think the prime suspect would be?”

Outside the window, red and white petals were lifted by the wind, floating and swirling in the air.

At this moment, the residence guards were patrolling in orderly fashion, and the maids were busily coming and going. Duke Cheng reminded me: “Any later and we might be discovered.”

I closed my eyes and turned away.

Duke Cheng closed the window, reached into his robes and pulled out a bamboo whistle, softly blowing bird calls.

Until “BOOM—”

Accompanied by a wave of scorching air bursting into the pavilion, Duke Cheng quickly supported me as we retreated several steps. The windows and doors of the scenic pavilion were pelted with fragments of wood and stone in crackling impacts. The tremendous roar made my ears ring with a long buzzing sound, and I could barely open my eyes.

I don’t know how long the silence lasted before a maid’s scream broke the deathly quiet, and then the entire residence fell into panicked terror.

Only then did I come to my senses, impatiently opening the window crack. Rolling thick smoke rose into the sky, vision blocked by smoke and fire, the air mixed with the smell of saltpeter.

In the chaos, anguished screams came from all directions. The horrific scene made my heart turn cold, my hands trembling, almost pushing open the entire window to see clearly. Duke Cheng quickly stopped my movement, lowering his voice: “Now the residence guards must be on highest alert with strict inspections. If we’re exposed and people discover the Princess is here, all our efforts will be wasted.”

Wailing and groaning rose and fell. Through the window crack, I could see maids collapsed on the ground, blood flowing from their arms and legs. Cold sweat poured down me. Though I had confirmed everyone in the residence was in safe positions before ordering the ignition, how could setting off explosives not anticipate the current situation of innocent injuries?

At the root of it, fearing that dismissing everyone beforehand would arouse suspicion, I could only deceive myself into thinking that some sacrifice for the greater good was inevitable.

Heavy pain surged through my heart. I clutched my chest, gasping heavily to try to calm myself.

Indeed, over these years of wielding power at court, my hands were inevitably stained with blood. But witnessing it firsthand still filled me with overwhelming guilt, wishing I could die from the poison immediately.

Duke Cheng moved to another window and looked out for a while, saying gravely: “Several people are injured, but it appears none are in mortal danger. Princess, please don’t worry.”

The violent commotion continued incessantly. Suddenly a maid shrieked: “Princess, Princess is inside! Princess is inside!”

I immediately recognized Mengdie’s voice, then heard Butler Liu’s panicked voice: “You, what are you saying…”

Mengdie was obviously terrified, crying breathlessly: “Princess said she wanted, wanted a flower petal bath. She had this servant pick flowers, then…”

“Yes, yes, Butler Liu, Little Cui and I passed by earlier and heard the Princess playing qin. How, how could this happen…”

“Butler Liu, what should we do? Could the Princess already be…”

The maids’ crying voices were full of vigor—they apparently hadn’t suffered any internal organ injuries.

I breathed a slight sigh of relief, but this relief made me somewhat unsteady, my hands braced against the window sill.

The collapsed sleeping palace burst into flames, frightening several people pale. For a moment, everyone in the residence lost their anchor, not knowing what to do. Butler Liu tremblingly ordered everyone to fetch water and save people. Everyone was in a panic—their attitude was less like fighting desperately with all their might and more like they had already fallen into despair.

After all, with such swift and fierce explosive power that even maids in distant corridors were injured, how much more so for “me” who was inside the room?

No one dared imagine what kind of turmoil the death of Princess Xiangyi in her own residence would cause.

I sighed darkly, looking up at the sky, feeling dark clouds pressing down with storms approaching.

Duke Cheng reminded: “Princess, it’s time to leave this place.”

I naturally understood there was no time to delay. Just as I turned around, I suddenly heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching the residence in the distance, followed by a long mournful neigh—clearly someone had forcefully pulled tight the reins.

Who had come?

I couldn’t help but lean my head to look, but due to the limited angle of the scenic window, I could only hear footsteps without seeing the person. I saw everyone in the residence holding their breath and looking toward the main gate, especially Butler Liu whose expression changed several times. My heart sank, and I had a premonition that I found hard to believe. The next moment, a familiar voice entered my ears: “What… has happened in the residence?”

——End of Chapter——

Author’s Note: Though the second update is coming soon, please leave comments for this Yi Shou Zhe Tian Yi Shou Chui Di – Chapter too!