I fell into great panic.

The real Crown Prince suffered from chronic insomnia and always had servants burn herbs like atractylodes and mugwort in incense burners when he went to bed. Over time, his entire body carried the scent of these medicines. I remembered that when I saw Jingyan before leaving the palace in the evening, he had this familiar fragrance about him.

But when that Crown Prince just now came close to me, I couldn’t detect even the slightest trace of this scent.

No matter how absurd or unbelievable it seemed, the fact that the Crown Prince had been replaced was happening right before my eyes.

Less than two hours had passed.

This person impersonating the Crown Prince was convincing enough in both speech and behavior to fool anyone. To avoid arousing my suspicion, he specifically kept the appointment, which meant he had heard my conversation with Jingyan in the Eastern Palace this evening. It appeared someone had been deliberately observing Jingyan for some time, waiting for an opportunity to replace him.

This person was very likely one of the eunuchs serving the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace.

However, this person had still revealed several flaws, suggesting he hadn’t been by the Crown Prince’s side for very long.

Thinking this way, where was Eunuch Cheng, who never left Jingyan’s side? Could it be that the mastermind behind this was worried Eunuch Cheng would see through the deception and had already secretly eliminated him?

My heart pounded like thunder. I knew that at such a critical moment I absolutely couldn’t lose my composure, yet my hands and feet wouldn’t stop trembling uncontrollably. The trembling was so severe that even the palace maid beside me became alarmed, her beautiful eyes filling with pitiful tears as she said: “Prin-, Princess, please don’t frighten this servant. Tonight is cold, but surely not enough to make you shake like a sieve. This servant will go add more charcoal to the fire…”

“…”

I glanced at the palace maids outside who kept stealing glances inside, figuring that there must be someone among them monitoring me. If I rushed to get help, someone would certainly catch wind of it and obstruct me.

Exposing a fake Crown Prince wouldn’t be difficult – the problem was that the real Crown Prince was undoubtedly in their hands. One wrong move and Jingyan’s life would be in danger.

I wondered who had sent this fake Crown Prince. What was the purpose of this move? Where was the real Crown Prince?

I knew that the urgent matter was to inform Song Langsheng and Zhao Gengnian. The Heaven Worship Ceremony was in two days – there was no time for lengthy deliberation. One step too late and everything would be too late.

With this thought, I put on my sable fur cloak. The palace maids all asked in confusion: “Your Highness, it’s already late at night and the snow hasn’t stopped. If you’re going out, why not prepare a sedan chair?”

“No need. His Highness the Crown Prince left in such haste that he dropped something important. This palace will make a trip to the Eastern Palace and return.” I said lightly: “You need not follow.”

I certainly wasn’t deceiving them.

Rather than sneaking away in disguise, it would be better to go openly to the Eastern Palace. Princess Xiangyi going to the Eastern Palace to find the Crown Prince was such an ordinary matter – who would be suspicious? Without suspicion, there would be no need to report anything.

The Eastern Palace was only a hundred paces from Changle Palace. As soon as I appeared outside the Eastern Palace gates, the palace guards recognized me and bowed in unison: “We pay our respects to the Princess.”

I glanced around briefly and asked coldly: “Why is everyone standing guard outside tonight?”

One of the guard leaders answered: “Reporting to the Princess, His Highness the Crown Prince said he wanted to rest as soon as he returned and ordered everyone to patrol the outer courtyard without disturbance.”

I nodded. “The Crown Prince just dined with this palace at Changle Palace and left behind something important, so this palace has personally come to deliver it. Since the Crown Prince wants to rest, you needn’t trouble yourselves with announcements – this palace will go in directly.”

The two guard leaders exchanged glances. After all, it wasn’t the first or second time I had gone to find the Crown Prince without announcement. They didn’t dare obstruct me and quickly made way: “Princess, please proceed.”

From the Eastern Palace exterior into the inner courtyard, the path was completely unobstructed. The closer I got to the Crown Prince’s bedchamber, the fewer eunuchs and palace maids I saw. I estimated that the fake Crown Prince felt guilty and had dismissed everyone.

After passing through the corridor, I could see lights in the room from afar, with two figures’ silhouettes projected on the carved windows. One appeared to be that fake Crown Prince, while the other wore eunuch clothing. Strangely, the eunuch was sitting while the Crown Prince was standing. He nodded slightly from time to time, seeming to speak with the eunuch. I would need to get close to the stone wall under the window to hear what they were saying.

I looked around in all directions. Although there was temporarily no one around, if I walked along the corridor, it would be easy for those in the room to notice me when I turned the corner. Originally, the area outside that window faced a flower garden – stepping on grass would have been fine, but with the snowfall of recent days, the ground was already covered with a layer of snow. Boots would make crunching sounds on it – unless the people in the room were deaf, they would hear footsteps.

I looked down at my long boots and, after a moment’s consideration, circled around to the north rear side of the bedchamber. That window was blocked by several pine trees, so even if someone looked from inside, they wouldn’t necessarily see any figures.

I carefully climbed over the wooden railing, hid my fur-lined long boots under the corridor, then bent low and stepped extremely slowly into the snow.

The snow water seeped through my socks, bone-chillingly cold. Each step had to be coordinated with the sound of the wind. Though it was only a short distance of ten steps, it seemed to consume most of my strength. In the end, my whole body was stiff and shaking. I muttered to myself, wondering if this would leave me with some chronic condition like rheumatism in the future.

With great difficulty I reached the stone wall. Just as I moved two steps, I faintly heard a voice saying leisurely: “Did the Princess truly not notice anything?”

My mind rang with a loud buzz – this voice was indeed Feng Li!

“These past days I’ve been serving by the Crown Prince’s side, and everything I said to the Princess was done according to Young Master’s instructions… From her appearance, she doesn’t seem to have noticed anything amiss…” This person spoke in a voice very similar to Jingyan’s, but much deeper. From what he said, he should have infiltrated the Eastern Palace disguised as a eunuch, or perhaps was simply a newly arrived eunuch.

“Her appearance?” Feng Li gave a cold laugh. “The Princess is most skilled at adapting to circumstances and improvising in dangerous situations. She can remain completely composed even when pressed by the greatest matters. Do you think you could see through any clues?”

Hearing Feng Li’s assessment of me, while I was currently doing exactly what he described, I wondered who was truly prescient.

The fake Crown Prince repeatedly agreed: “Since the Crown Prince has been successfully sent out of the palace, what does Young Master want me to do next?”

Feng Li said indifferently: “You remain in the Eastern Palace as this Crown Prince and must not reveal any flaws. At the Heaven Worship Ceremony in two days, all officials will attend. This heaven worship is entirely managed by the Crown Prince’s trusted subordinates. During the ‘Welcoming the Imperial Spirits’ ritual, you will discover errors, then make a mountain out of a molehill, fly into a rage, and order the immediate execution of the responsible Censors and Grand Astrologer. When all officials inevitably advise the Crown Prince to continue the ceremony, you’ll use this as an excuse to arrest all those who speak up, charging them with insubordination, until everyone falls silent before continuing the heaven worship.”

The fake Crown Prince hesitated: “In doing so… won’t I offend all the court officials?”

“Wrong.” Feng Li said: “It’s not you who offends the officials. What I want is for Xiao Jingyan to completely lose the people’s hearts.”

I frowned slightly, hearing Feng Li’s voice drift leisurely: “Also, you must find where the previous dynasty’s military talismans are hidden within two days…”

“But I’ve searched the Crown Prince’s study and bedchamber thoroughly and saw no military talismans. Even the current dynasty’s tiger talismans and imperial seals are nowhere to be found…”

Feng Li said: “If you truly cannot find them, then we’ll work on Princess Xiangyi.”

The fake Crown Prince asked: “How could Princess Xiangyi possibly tell me? If I ask her, she’ll likely become suspicious.”

Feng Li chuckled: “What if she becomes suspicious? She’s already been poisoned with bone-softening powder. In two hours she’ll gradually feel weakness in her limbs and lose her voice… By the way, did she touch that wine earlier?”

The fake Crown Prince said proudly: “She drank several cups. I’m afraid she won’t even be able to stand steadily before two hours are up.”

Feng Li said: “If you still can’t find the military talismans tomorrow, go to Changle Palace and tell her directly that the Crown Prince is in our hands. Exchange the Crown Prince’s life for the military talismans – she’ll have to compromise even if she doesn’t want to.”

The wind howled in my ears. I gratefully patted my chest – fortunately I had been prepared and used those ancient bronze cups beforehand. When the mechanism was triggered, the wine flowed into the bottom of the cups. As long as I made it look like I was drinking it all down and then casually let it flow into my sleeves, I could deceive onlookers.

“The three thousand troops guarding outside the altar during the heaven worship are my men, while inside are the Feathered Forest Guards. Nie Guang intends to lead rebel forces to attack the imperial palace during the heaven worship that day, having the three thousand troops capture the Feathered Forest Guards.” Feng Li laughed again and asked rhetorically: “Why would I help others achieve their goals?”

“Young Master speaks truly.”

Feng Li said: “He Pingzhao, the General Commander of the Imperial Guard Command, is loyal to Xiao Jingyan. This man absolutely cannot be left alive. Since that’s the case, you’ll have him stay to guard the imperial palace and let them fight each other with the rebel forces. After the heaven worship, you’ll deploy the Regional Military Commissioners’ forces from various places to fully suppress the rebels. As for He Pingzhao, it’s best if he dies. If he’s still alive, charge him with failing to protect his master and execute him.”

The fake Crown Prince pondered: “However, if the Princess hands over the military talismans, won’t we have to return the real Crown Prince?”

Feng Li sneered: “We can return a real Crown Prince to the Princess, but we never said that after returning him… we couldn’t kill him?” After saying this, he burst into laughter, and the fake Crown Prince joined in: “Young Master’s plan is truly brilliant! Who could imagine that the Crown Prince is now imprisoned in an inconspicuous village fortress in the suburbs of the capital?”

Could it be Changkong Stronghold?

My heart leaped to my throat, then settled somewhat. With Zhang Xianyang at Changkong Stronghold, Jingyan should be temporarily safe from mortal danger.

Though I wanted to continue eavesdropping for more information, after just this short while my legs were already shaking uncontrollably. If I stood any longer, I might truly become a human ice sculpture. With this thought, I immediately supported myself against the tree and turned back the way I came.

After climbing back onto the corridor and putting my boots back on after removing my socks, I finally felt some warmth returning to my body. I knew that the Eastern Palace, and even the imperial palace itself, was no longer safe to linger in. Feng Li’s words echoed in my mind – the urgent matter was to take the military talismans and quickly leave the palace, first find a way to notify Song Langsheng, then rush to the Zhao mansion overnight. If I could make them aware of everything, Feng Li’s treacherous plot would fail.

I leisurely walked back to the Eastern Palace exterior. The guard leader saw me come out and bowed again. I nodded, then suddenly remembered something and quietly asked him a question.

After hearing it, he shook his head repeatedly, as if afraid I wouldn’t believe him: “No, we guards have been watching here all day and have never seen such a situation occur.”

I smiled: “That’s good. The Crown Prince has now gone to bed, so this palace will return to the palace as well.”

“We respectfully send off Her Highness the Princess.”

This was destined to be a sleepless night.

I naturally didn’t return to Changle Palace to sleep peacefully, but instead went to Father Emperor’s library.

I knew where Jingyan would hide the military talismans.

Hiding important items behind one of thousands of books was Jingyan’s longtime habit, and mine as well.

The night was deep, the library was locked and unguarded. I entered the library and, by the light from the lanterns outside the window, climbed up the tall bookshelves, searching through several books that Jingyan most loved and most detested. Soon I found that familiar wooden box.

This was the military talisman that Feng Li dreamed of obtaining.

But I couldn’t understand what identity he had that would allow him to command the previous dynasty’s remnants with just a few military talismans. Song Langsheng had suspected that Feng Li was Imperial Elder Brother, but Imperial Elder Brother was a prince of the current dynasty – how could he be qualified to use the previous dynasty’s military talismans?

I wrote a note and summoned a flying eagle, hoping as I released it that it would reach Song Langsheng’s side one step ahead.

Then everything would be saved.

After leaving the library, I headed north. I thought that if I remembered correctly, the military commander on night patrol today should be Sun Xuan – the imperial guard who had dropped his sword and knelt before me in the great hall during Prince Kang’s case. He was a trustworthy person.

If I were Feng Li, I would have already had that fake Crown Prince issue an order forbidding the Princess from leaving the palace. To successfully exit the palace, I would need to disguise myself.

After all, heaven never seals off all exits. Passing through the imperial garden, I soon spotted Sun Xuan leading several imperial guards on night patrol. Knowing time was of the essence, I immediately approached them. Due to the dim night, they couldn’t see who was coming and drew their swords: “Who goes there?!”

“This palace is Princess Xiangyi.” I walked steadily to Sun Xuan. “Sun Xuan, long time no see.”

Sun Xuan was slightly startled and immediately knelt on one knee along with the other guards: “We pay our respects to Her Highness the Princess.” He frowned: “In the middle of the night, why is the Princess here?”

I let out a long sigh and couldn’t help but smile bitterly: “This palace has come to ask you for a favor.”

I naturally didn’t dare tell Sun Xuan too much.

The connections involved were intricate and complex – not something that a few small imperial guards could resolve. If they rashly entered the Eastern Palace, one careless move could cost these men their lives in an instant.

But he trusted me after all.

When I said I needed to leave the palace, he immediately had his smaller subordinate remove his armor for me to change into. It happened to be time for the changing of the guard, so the gate guards didn’t become suspicious, and I successfully mixed in with them to exit the imperial palace.

Sun Xuan had arranged for a carriage to be ready outside the palace gates. He carefully helped me into the carriage and instructed the driver to head to Chief Minister Zhao’s mansion.

Only when the driver slowly urged the carriage forward did I feel the reality of temporarily escaping danger. My whole body relaxed as I nodded to Sun Xuan in gratitude: “Fortunately you were here.”

Sun Xuan smiled slightly: “The Princess should rest in the carriage. This subordinate will keep watch outside at all times.” After speaking, he stood up and lifted the curtain, sitting in the driver’s seat alongside the coachman to guide the horses.

My frozen feet ached painfully. Recalling the events of this night, I couldn’t help but still feel some lingering fear. If I had been caught in the act while eavesdropping, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

When the cold wind blew, the moist chill penetrated to my bones. I rubbed my hands and breathed on them, trying to warm myself up, but no matter how much I rubbed, I couldn’t get warm. I only felt my body temperature getting lower and lower, and my hands becoming increasingly weak.

It was as if my consciousness was filled with a very bad premonition.

I slowly spread my ten fingers, then tried to clench them into fists. My fists couldn’t close properly at all, and it was quite difficult even to straighten my legs, as if all the strength in my body was unknowingly draining away.

This didn’t seem like a reaction to freezing.

At this moment, the carriage rushed past the main gate of Chief Minister Zhao’s mansion without stopping for a moment.

“Stop…” I instinctively wanted to have Sun Xuan stop the carriage, but when I opened my mouth, what I heard was a hoarse voice.

Feng Li’s words suddenly echoed in my ears: In two hours she’ll gradually feel weakness in her limbs and lose her voice.

It had been exactly two hours since drinking the wine.

I was still poisoned after all. But I hadn’t drunk that wine.

Why would Feng Li say the poison was in the wine?

Unless his words were meant for me to hear from the beginning—

Cold wind penetrated through the gaps in the curtain. I shivered from the cold and suddenly turned my head. The curtain was also floating quietly in the darkness.

Fear pressed down layer upon layer. I slowly drew the sword at my waist, but only halfway through drawing it, I heard someone outside the carriage say lightly: “Princess, that sword is too heavy. You’ve been poisoned with bone-softening toxin – you should save your strength.”

Feng Li’s voice was like a hand gripping my throat, rendering me speechless.

How could I not have thought that everything from meeting Sun Xuan to leaving the imperial palace had gone too smoothly to be normal?

When I left the Eastern Palace, he had already gotten there ahead of me. He knew I could only turn to Sun Xuan for help, so he quickly disguised himself as Sun Xuan and appeared at just the right moment when I left the library.

His target was the box of previous dynasty military talismans in my bosom.

He knew that threats and inducements would be useless, so he drew the snake from its hole, luring me to the Eastern Palace to eavesdrop on their conversation, enticing me to flee with the military talismans.

So all those flaws the fake Crown Prince showed when keeping the appointment were also part of his calculated first move.

This situation was all too familiar. That day I thought Wu Pingting was Feng Li in disguise, only to realize after opening the secret passage that the loyal “A’Zuo” was the real Feng Li.

My scattered thoughts concentrated. I struggled to draw my sword with both hands, trembling as I thrust it toward the back of the driver outside the curtain. Naturally I missed. The next instant, the curtain suddenly flew up and someone extended two fingers to catch the sword tip, flicking it lightly. The tremendous recoil force shook the sword from my hands onto the carriage floor.

Then I saw the driver’s face clearly.

Handsome yet cold, familiar yet strange.

It was Nie Ran.

Wild wind blew past my ears, snowflakes pelted my face diagonally – cold as this, dangerous as this – and only now did I know.

Nie Ran didn’t avoid my gaze. He casually tossed the reins to Feng Li, then bent down and stepped into the carriage.

I instinctively stepped back and fell onto the soft cushions.

“Princess.” His voice was low and unlike his usual tone. He sat down in front of me and said: “Are you surprised at how I escaped from the surveillance at the Imperial Academy?”

I was naturally surprised. To ensure absolute certainty, the Crown Prince had deployed nearly half the capital’s shadow guards to watch Nie Ran.

I heard my hoarse voice say intermittently: “It was Feng Li… who saved you, so you’re… cooperating with him again.”

Nie Ran curved his lips: “Young Master Feng’s disguise techniques are unparalleled under heaven. If I don’t cooperate with him, I can only be killed by you, Princess. What choice do you think I should make?”

“Feng Li won’t let your father rule alone,” I said with difficulty in my hoarse voice. “Cooperating with him leads only to a dead end.”

Feng Li outside the curtain chuckled upon hearing this but said nothing. Nie Ran saw me covered in cold sweat and reached out to help me. I quickly dodged away, watching him warily. His hand froze in mid-air for a moment, then he sneered: “My deal with Young Master Feng is not about territory.”

Then what was it?

The carriage had traveled to some unknown location. Dawn light filtered through the curtain gaps, and I heard the sparse voices of pedestrians. My heart clenched – the city gates had opened and the carriage had reached the capital’s checkpoint.

This might be an opportunity.

As long as I could let the gate guards see me, there might be a thread of hope.

I moved slightly, but Nie Ran read my intention and gripped my wrist tightly. With just this grip, not to mention that I was poisoned and powerless, even on normal days it would be difficult to break free.

Determined to take a desperate gamble, as long as I could throw the wooden box from my bosom out the carriage window at the gate guards, it would draw their attention.

Then, just as I lifted the window curtain, I saw a figure from behind.

That person wore a black bamboo hat, head lowered, following the crowd into the capital.

His clothing, his silhouette, the way he walked, and the sword in his hand – though I couldn’t see his face, I could recognize at a glance that it was Song Langsheng!

I could almost hear my heart about to leap out.

“Song Langsheng!” I gathered all my strength to call to him, but my voice was thin as a thread, drowned in the crowd. Yet he seemed to sense something, slowly pausing and turning his head. Before I could make a sound, my body suddenly lost balance. The hand gripping me pulled me into an embrace, and ice-cold fingers firmly covered my mouth.

I instinctively struggled, but my arms were firmly twisted behind my back by Nie Ran. At this moment, Feng Li outside the carriage, in Sun Xuan’s identity, quickly obtained permission to leave the city. As the carriage started moving again, my heart sank halfway. Unable to move my hands, I could only use my feet to kick hard against the carriage wall, trying to create more noise to attract attention.

Just then, the hands restraining me suddenly loosened. My vision swayed violently as Nie Ran spun around and pressed me beneath him, my left and right wrists caught and pinned to either side, my knees held immobile by his knees. I opened my mouth to cry out, but the next second, my mouth was sealed by his lips in an invasive manner.

My mind exploded with a thunderous crash as I stared in disbelief with wide eyes.

The carriage galloped out of the city gates without stopping, my mind completely blank.

I never could have imagined that Nie Ran would do such a thing to me.

His tongue unhesitatingly tried to pry open my lips. I felt myself trembling slightly as anger and humiliation instantly occupied my entire thoughts. Without time to think, I used all my strength to bite down.

I tasted blood. Not only did Nie Ran not retreat when his tongue was bitten, but he bit me back even more fiercely and ruthlessly. He mercilessly sucked on my numb and painful tongue, crushing me with an almost destructive entanglement of lips and teeth.

I finally couldn’t control the tears that welled up. In this moment, I had missed my chance with Song Langsheng.

Nie Ran slowly released me.

He raised his sleeve to wipe the blood from his lips, then took out an embroidered handkerchief to wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes.

I turned my head away to avoid him, asking in a trembling voice: “What exactly do you want to do?”

His slender fingers inadvertently brushed past the hair at my right temple, stroking down to my chin. He applied slight pressure with his knuckles, gripping my face and forcing me to meet his gaze.

His eyes held unfathomable light, then he slowly covered my mouth and nose with that handkerchief soaked in intoxicating fragrance.

“Mmm…” Knowing that struggling was useless, powerful drowsiness pressed down layer upon layer, and my vision gradually became unbearably blurred.

I don’t know how long I slept.

When I slowly regained consciousness, I saw thin curtains hanging high above. I was lying flat in brocade quilts on a bed. Supporting myself on my elbows, I sat up and lifted the curtains to see that I was in an extremely elegant bedchamber. The room was empty, with tea service on the table, a small stove boiling water making soft sounds, and several bright candles burning on the candlestick. I turned to look out the half-open window – the sky was pitch black. It seemed that during my unconsciousness, time had passed from dawn to evening again.

I wondered where this place was. Had Feng Li and Nie Ran brought me here as captives, or had Song Langsheng caught up and rescued me?

Noticing that my undergarments were thin, while a set of blue silk jacket and skirt lay at the foot of the bed as if prepared for me, I casually put on a blue robe and tried to go out to investigate. But when my bare feet touched the ground, my weak and powerless legs couldn’t support my body weight at all. Gritting my teeth, I supported myself against the bed post and struggled to stand, but after only half a step, my legs gave out and I fell heavily onto the cold floor.

I groaned softly. Before I could get up, the door was pushed open. Seeing me fallen on the ground, the person said: “The medicinal effects of the bone-softening powder last at least ten days and nights. Don’t waste your energy.”

After speaking, he slowly walked to the round table and sat down, methodically brewing a pot of tea, smiling slightly: “Haven’t you figured out when you were poisoned?”

Unable to get up, I could only sit leaning against the ground. Feng Li had removed Sun Xuan’s disguise mask and changed to another unfamiliar man’s appearance, but I knew this was still just a human skin mask. His unwillingness to reveal his true face before me at least proved he wouldn’t kill me immediately.

“Oh, I forgot – you can’t speak now,” he raised a jade porcelain teacup and took a sip, saying: “The poison wasn’t in the cup, but in the food. What was in the wine was the antidote. I only needed to let the ‘Crown Prince’ show a few flaws, and you would naturally think of a way not to drink the wine. But you acted too convincingly – even the ‘Crown Prince’ thought you had swallowed the antidote. Looking back now, it’s quite amusing.”

Feng Li tilted his head to look at me: “You’re so clever, you should have already guessed that my conversation with the ‘Crown Prince’ in the Eastern Palace was all meant for you to hear…”

I tried to calm myself and opened my lips to speak: “You…” Just this one word felt like a blade lightly slicing across my throat, painfully unbearable. “Already obtained… the military…” But the pain made it impossible to continue.

Feng Li was momentarily stunned, then understood my words: “You want to ask why I brought you here after already obtaining the military talismans?” He smiled again: “Xiao Qitang, throughout this journey, you have been an opponent I, Feng Li, greatly respect. Now that we’ve reached this point, I can tell you one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”

Seeing me purse my lips and remain silent, he slowly smiled: “Then let’s start with the bad news—”

“From the beginning, His Highness the Crown Prince never left the imperial palace, didn’t even leave the Eastern Palace. I merely had someone add some intoxicating incense to the burner, letting him naturally fall into deep sleep, then hid him in a cabinet while having one of his attending eunuchs dress as him to meet you.”

My whole body stiffened. He continued: “I believe the Crown Prince should have awakened by now. Perhaps he doesn’t even understand what happened. With you disappeared from Changle Palace, he might not even notice.”

“The Eastern Palace is heavily guarded. Disguising myself to enter was already difficult enough – how could I possibly bring an unconscious Crown Prince out of the palace? Moreover, I never intended to let the Crown Prince leave the palace.”

“I’ve already buried gunpowder beneath the watching platform at the altar…” He curved his lips: “After the Crown Prince completes the three kneelings and nine prostrations, he will step onto the watching platform to observe the burning of the sacrificial offerings…”

“I want the Crown Prince to participate properly in tomorrow’s Heaven Worship Ceremony,” Feng Li’s dark eyes showed no discernible emotion, “and then die during the ceremony before everyone’s eyes.”

Like a thunderbolt from clear skies, my chest constricted as I stared at him in shock. His laughter was so terrifying in this night: “Do you know why I deliberately made you think I would use a fake Crown Prince for the Heaven Worship Ceremony? As long as you heard it, you would find a way to get this message to Song Langsheng. If he learned the Crown Prince was an imposter, what would he do?”

Cold wind blew in, making the candle flames flicker rapidly, the room alternating between bright and dim.

“He would order people to attack Changkong Stronghold to rescue the ‘real Crown Prince,’ would personally lead troops to storm the altar to stop the ‘fake Crown Prince’s’ heaven worship,” Feng Li’s laughter was low and deep. “For the former, Changkong Stronghold has been set with ambushes everywhere, with countless explosives buried underground. For the latter, it would be genuine treason and rebellion. At that time, everyone would believe the Crown Prince’s death was caused by Song Langsheng, this former dynasty rebel, and would certainly execute him on the spot to eliminate future troubles.”

Earlier I had thought the worst outcome would be death, but I never imagined Feng Li could be so calculating, silently dismantling all his obstacles. I struggled to say hoarsely: “If he… dies, the former dynasty… has no heirs… Nie Guang… has no legitimate claim…”

“You’re wrong – there’s still one heir.” Feng Li smiled: “Back then, when your father emperor slaughtered the entire former dynasty’s royal family, one favored consort managed to escape to Luoyang and was saved by Luoyang Prefect Nie Guang. That consort was seven months pregnant, carrying the emperor’s bloodline. Nie Guang was utterly loyal to the former dynasty’s ruler. Knowing the country was destroyed and the family ruined, even with a hundred thousand troops he couldn’t turn the tide. He could only endure humiliation, surrender to your father emperor, and wait for the right moment to restore the kingdom. After the baby was born, he claimed publicly that it was his own eldest son…”

“So, can’t you guess who that last bloodline of the former dynasty emperor is?”

So that was it.

So Song Langsheng was merely a decoy used by Nie Guang to mislead others.

How could I not have remembered that Qinggu had also called Nie Ran “Young Master” in front of Nie Guang?

Feng Li put down his teacup and turned toward the door: “Young Master, how long will you keep standing outside the door?”

The lights flickered bright and dim. When Nie Ran stepped through the door and looked down at me quietly, I wished this was all just a nightmare.

I never could have imagined this was only the beginning of the nightmare.

Seeing us staring at each other in silence, Feng Li looked at me with interest: “Didn’t Your Highness ask why I brought you here after obtaining the military talismans? I’ve heard you once loved Young Master Nie and went to great lengths to sabotage his wedding with the Zhao family’s young lady.” The corners of his mouth curved into an extremely cold smile: “Since that’s the case, why not let you get your wish tonight and become a true married couple with Young Master Nie? Are you satisfied with this good news?”

I looked at them in a daze. The moment I understood his meaning, chills spread from my spine throughout my body as I shook my head in disbelief: “No…”

Feng Li smiled again, his eyes carrying infinite murderous coldness: “I’ve wanted to kill you, Princess, but the Young Master can’t bear to let you die. If you live, you’ll be an endless source of trouble for me. Since I can’t kill you, I can only destroy you.”

The giant shadow of the candlelight slowly moved closer. I looked at Nie Ran: “You… won’t…”

With each step Nie Ran took closer, he made dull sounds on the wooden floor. I wanted to move backward in fear, but my body felt like it was filled with lead and couldn’t move. His gaze fell directly on me, his expression like ice in the depths of winter: “I told you, my deal with Young Master Feng is not about territory.”

He slowly crouched down in front of me, his breath close at hand as he said: “What I want is you.”

My heart sank to the bottom. Thousands of schemes flashed through my mind, but none could free me from this predicament. Remembering his frivolous actions in the carriage, my body trembled even more violently. Only now did I understand what Feng Li meant by “destroy.” I could face death calmly at the end, but I absolutely could not accept such a dark thing happening to me.

Feng Li stood up and leisurely walked to the door, tossing something over. Nie Ran caught it without looking back – it was a small white porcelain bottle. Feng Li said casually: “This medicine aids passion and pleasure. Young Master Nie, take your time enjoying it. I won’t disturb you two’s refined interest.”

After speaking, he closed the door behind him. The bang of the closing door was like a heavy hammer striking my heart. The cold wind made the windows creak mournfully like ghostly wails.

The room was extremely quiet. Nie Ran’s body slowly moved closer to me. I used all my remaining strength to move backward until my back hit the wall, curled up in the corner with nowhere to retreat. I opened my lips in despair, saying words that had breath but no sound: “You can’t cooperate with Feng Li. He has wolfish ambitions, he…”

Nie Ran reached out to caress my ear, his eyes deep as an ancient pool with turbulent undercurrents, seeming to want to say something, but he said nothing. His cold fingers moved to the back of my neck, applying slight pressure as he suddenly leaned down to capture my lips.

The wet, cold sensation made me instinctively shrink to the side. I unconsciously tried to block with my arms, but he pressed down my hands, his other hand gripping the back of my head so I couldn’t move. Seeing me clenching my teeth tightly, he chuckled lowly, his tongue lightly sweeping across my teeth. My trembling lips were alternately sucked in and released, all my whimpers blocked in my mouth.

Tears kept sliding down. This was unprecedented strangeness and fear. Before he kissed me, I still held a slim hope that this person was the Prince Consort in disguise, but he wasn’t. The faint scent on his body was unique to Xu Fang. The Prince Consort would never bear to make me cry like this – even Xu Fang had never crossed any boundaries with me.

Kill him. I wanted him to die immediately before my eyes.

Whether it was fear or anger, for the first time in my life I felt such a strong desire to kill.

I tremblingly removed the silver hairpin that bound my hair. Just as my hair cascaded down, I thrust it forcefully toward his heart.

That day Zhao Yanran asked me if the He Feng of the past, knowing she would use any means necessary to achieve her goals in the future, could still feel no guilt. I think if He Feng had known early on that saving Nie Ran would lead to today’s consequences, she definitely wouldn’t have blocked that arrow for him.

But there’s no medicine for regret in this world. A small silver hairpin isn’t a sharpened dagger – even though I aimed precisely, it only penetrated his flesh about an inch.

He released me in pain. I frantically pushed him away and escaped his restraint, turning around to crawl forward urgently. He grabbed my ankle and dragged me back. He twisted my shoulders, forcing my back against the cold ground. I flailed my arms in panic, trying to grasp something like a dying person seeking life, but was immediately pressed down, giving me no chance to break free.

“You want to kill me?” He said coldly, pulling the hairpin from his chest and throwing it on the ground. “Who was it that begged me to remember you that day?”

I no longer dared look at him, biting my lips tightly, struggling to suppress the sobs about to burst from my throat, saying word by word with difficulty: “I… only regret… saving you…”

“Regret?” His fingers touched my brow, then my cheek, sliding down along my neck and stopping at my waist. He grasped my sash and slowly untied it. Realizing what he intended to do, tremors climbed from my spine throughout my body. He said in a low voice: “Then let me give the Princess lifelong regret.” Before I could react, he pulled forcefully, and the white silk undergarment slipped from my shoulders. Except for the brocade binding across my chest, all my skin was exposed before him.

Excessive fear and shock were about to drown me completely. I kept trembling without stopping for a moment. Unwilling to show weakness before him, tears still uncontrollably slid from the corners of my eyes. I had always thought women who sought death over chastity were too foolish, but now I only wished I could die on the spot rather than endure this torment and anguish.

People are like this – when things don’t happen to themselves, they can always speak of detached principles, but when they occur, one only follows the heart.

I moved my lips, letting him see me say: “If you treat me this way tonight, the Prince Consort will surely avenge me…”

“Revenge?” He smiled coldly, his eyes without a trace of warmth. Suddenly feeling my body lighten, he lifted me by the waist and threw me onto the bed. Caught off guard, he pressed down on me, pinning my hands above my head. I struggled to break free, but saw Nie Ran untie his belt, quickly pulling it out to bind my hands to the carved post at the head of the bed.

I had no strength left to resist, completely unable to understand why he was doing this. Such actions seemed to herald something even more terrifying than I could imagine, making goosebumps rise all over my body.

Then I saw the white porcelain bottle in his hand and remembered Feng Li’s words. Almost all my blood turned ice cold instantly.

He propped one hand beside the pillow and leaned close: “My subordinate just told me that Song Langsheng is still searching everywhere for you… But you can rest assured, I’ve already ordered someone to bring him news at dawn tomorrow, telling him you’re trapped here. Guess – will he go save the Crown Prince, or come save you?” Nie Ran’s eyes flashed with cruel bloodiness: “If he prioritizes the kingdom and goes to rescue the Crown Prince first, then you’ll be taken away by me, and every day by my side will be as painful and unbearable as this moment. But if he ignores everything to rush here to save you…”

Nie Ran pinched open my lips, just staring directly at my frightened, tear-filled eyes: “He’ll see with his own eyes how you and I made love… Either way, it’s… too late…” After saying this, he held up the bottle and poured it entirely into my mouth. I struggled with all my might, only able to helplessly feel that ice-cold liquid slide from my throat into my abdomen.

The wind blew the curtains up, the candles immediately extinguished, and everything sank into darkness.

The chill rising from the depths of my heart, accompanied by desperate screams, swallowed me whole. I suddenly remembered the day I parted from Song Langsheng, when he said with a red face, “I want to consummate the marriage with A’Tang,” and I stuck out my tongue calling him a lecher. Those joys and sweetness had happened just days ago, but now felt like worlds apart.

Nie Ran didn’t untie the bindings restraining me. He leaned down again to gently sip at my lips, my ears, then traveled downward, causing tremors all along the way, until he suddenly sucked hard at my neck. I wanted to struggle, wanted to scream, but could only make faint sobbing sounds. He raised his head to lick away my tears: “Even Song Langsheng doesn’t know about your weakness here…”

As he spoke, one hand slowly slipped into the brocade undergarment, his callused fingertips slowly teasing, while the other hand explored downward. Those movements were saturated with naked desire, an indescribable disgust and sensation that made all my hair stand on end and my stomach churn.

Extreme humiliation and endless purgatory finally broke me. Everything I had barely supported until now came crashing down. I couldn’t help but start crying and begging him: “Please let me go, or kill me, just stop…”

I think I had never cried so wretchedly before anyone in my life, never begged so pitifully.

Hearing this, his movements stiffened slightly, but only for an instant. He leaned down, breathing moistly into my ear: “Princess, do you know that the way you look right now would make it impossible for any man to stop…”

I stared in despair: “No, you can’t…”

The next moment, accompanied by the pain of tearing flesh, I heard my own tragic cry.

(End of Chapter)

Author’s Note:

The pot lid is ready – please don’t throw things too hard… As a pure romance author, I occasionally make mistakes… But please rest assured, although the Princess has been taken advantage of by Nie Ran, as a loving author mother, I won’t let the tragedy become too devastating…

Actually, this Yi Shou Zhe Tian Yi Shou Chui Di – Chapter has many foreshadowing elements and the Princess isn’t as helpless as she seems – she’s actually close to winning, if not for Nie Ran appearing as a wild card… But you probably don’t have the heart to listen to me explain what conspiracy is happening this chapter…

So the question is, are there still any Nie Ran supporters left…

Well, please exercise restraint and use euphemistic language to express your reactions…