In the dimly lit hall, the pearls and jade he wore emitted a soft glow, making this worldly handsome young master look as beautiful as a figure in a painting, even when sighing.

  The queen had always regarded him as a humble gentleman, but now that she had stumbled upon this scene, her heart was shocked.

  She held her breath and remained still, continuing to peer out from this fingernail-sized hole.

  The empress dowager placed the pair of jade balls in the sandalwood box, and after hearing these words, she didn't respond. Instead, she picked up the rose ice drink from the table and slowly savored it.

  After a while, she finally spoke up: "The Emperor did this for your own good - if he really gave you the fief of Youzhou, I'm afraid it would be detrimental to your life!"

  The King sighed and said, "Empress Dowager, you don't need to comfort me - everyone in the world says that my brother is worried about his brothers, but they don't know that I am speechless... If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have dared to think about Youzhou!"

  The empress heard this, and placed the crystal tea cup heavily on the table, a cold anger rising between her eyebrows: "It was my idea to send you to Youzhou, which insignificant person dares to speak out against it!"

  The queen was shocked by the words, she had also heard some rumors in the palace, saying that Jing Wang Yong took on a heavy responsibility and was almost assassinated by Tartar assassins, and there were also rumors that several imperial relatives jointly petitioned for rewards for Jing Wang, which led to this disaster. Now it seems that this is actually the will of the empress dowager!

  The Empress Dowager let out a gentle sigh and said, "I originally thought you would be stationed in Youzhou, where you could coordinate matters between the imperial court and Prince Xiang. Also, you could keep an eye on your uncle, Prince Xiang - he has always been proud and aloof, and apart from you and the Emperor, who else can restrain him?"

  The Empress Dowager spoke sincerely and earnestly, but the Empress knew at once that she was afraid that the Emperor would not treat Xiang Wang kindly, and at some critical moment, let him "die on the battlefield", and also feared that Xiang Wang would harbor treasonous intentions and regard the imperial court as nothing.

  The queen thought to herself, deeply admiring the empress dowager's profound wisdom and foresight. She couldn't help but think that she would also have to exhaust her mind and thoughts in the future, and a sense of trepidation arose in her heart.

  Is this the fate of the ruler of the Lin family?

  The King sighed: "It's a pity that my imperial brother suspected me too deeply. If I had known this earlier, I would have gone south to Jiangnan early on to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Suzhou and Hangzhou, and with a beauty, play the flute on the Twenty-Four Bridges, wouldn't it be delightful?"

  The empress dowager smiled and glanced at him: "You are still so reckless... earlier, there was an imperial censor who impeached you for being dissolute and having private dealings with the ladies of the capital. If you don't change this habit, how can people consider you virtuous?"

  The still king smiled slightly and said indifferently: "It's a true scholar who is carefree... I'm not the emperor, every day being serious and steady, having to have the air of a son of heaven - I'll just be my own carefree King!"

  The empress dowager listened to this and her eyes sparkled with amusement, but she smiled and said: "You two brothers are really a perfect match, one is steady and meticulous in thought, no one can see through him, while the other is carefree and uninhibited, acting on impulse!"

  She seemed to have thought of something else, her expression somewhat melancholy: "To say, the emperor is my own child, but I've never understood what he's thinking since childhood. On the other hand, you're always teasing and playing with me, others don't know, they think you're also born from my ten-month pregnancy."

  The King of Jing seemed unable to contain his inner excitement, he stepped down from his seat and paced back and forth in the hall.

  The wick of the candle suddenly jumped, and the light burst forth, illuminating the queen's gaze through a hole the size of a fingernail, directly into his eyes.

  In Jing Wang's eyes, there was a fiercely burning cold resentment!

  She was shocked and her hands and feet were numb with cold, wanting to retreat, but unable to move!

  Only then did Jing Wang turn his head back, facing the Empress Dowager, and knelt down solemnly.

  "What are you doing?!"

  The Empress Dowager said strangely.

  The King's eyes were slightly red: "I lost my mother at a young age, and I relied on you to raise me. As long as the Empress gives an order, I will go through fire and water with a willing heart. However, now that the Emperor is deeply suspicious of me, there are many unbearable things between us, and I really can't help you share your worries!"

  "What an unbearable thing to say?!"

  The empress was taken aback, far beyond her expectations. She had thought that the emperor would have doubts after hearing a few casual remarks, but now she heard this and felt angry - could there be some other inside story?

  "Empress Dowager, did you know that on the day of the imperial court gathering, a certain Minister of Rites who was once close to me had hidden an assassin in his home with the intention of taking my life?"

  Seeing the Empress Dowager nod, he continued: "He Daoren spoke out of turn in court, saying that his assistance was for the true ruler, not a treacherous minister or son. Your Majesty, think carefully, isn't this statement too shocking? What he meant to say..."

  He excitedly couldn't continue speaking, the empress quietly listened and then said: "Is it referring to you?"

  "When I heard this sentence, I was shocked and felt that something was fishy. At the time, I thought it was suspicious, and after investigating carefully, I finally got to the bottom of it!"

  He pulled out an object from his sleeve, and it was a short-bladed saw with bright silk threads wrapped around it, its sharp edges gleaming.

  "This was found at the scene of the minister's assassination!"

  The empress dowager took over the short blade, concentrated on it for a moment, and her face turned pale.

  "This was during the previous emperor's time..."

  She didn't want to say anything more, her voice choked with emotion.

  "This is the secret imperial guard's standard weapon from the previous emperor's time!"

  The king said solemnly.

  "The so-called assassins are not from any foreign country, but from within the Celestial Empire itself. The only ones who can control them are..."

  He seemed unable to say another word, as if he was choked with emotion.

  "Needless to say!"

  The empress's face turned iron-gray, her eyes narrowing slightly——

  "I've given birth to a good son!"

  She gritted her teeth and coldly laughed, no longer able to restrain the furious anger in her heart, and flung the sandalwood box containing the emerald balls to the ground.

  "This series of assassinations started with me being poisoned and on the brink of death! I really have a good son!"

  All that could be heard was a crisp cracking sound, and the jade crashed to the ground, shattering into over ten pieces.

  This pair of jade balls, the whole body is round and transparent, with a pool-like emerald green color. Just by looking at it, you can tell that it's very valuable. Even if it were to be broken into pieces, the phoenix carvings on top would still be clearly visible.

  The empress dowager bent down, gently picked up a piece and placed it in front of her eyes, gazing at it quietly.

  The hall fell into a long silence.

  The candle flame of the wax dragon lantern flickered slightly, casting a dim and uncertain light on her face.

  "This is also what your imperial brother has offered..."

  After a long while, the Empress Dowager slowly said...

  "He has always been a filial child!"

  Her voice burst forth from the dimness, seeming mysterious and profound.

  The king sat quietly and listened, but did not respond.

  "He has always been a filial child... but I have never understood his thoughts - this time is no exception."

  The empress's voice was neither furious nor sorrowful, but a faint tiredness and desolation.

  "That day, after I woke up from poisoning, I felt a growing unease - that pill had only passed through two people's hands, one was Yu Xuan Zhen Ren, and the other was Tai Yi's medical officer - he was originally just a doctor, but was personally promoted by the Emperor."

  The Empress Dowager sneered, "Yu Xū is a Daoist who knows the times. He belongs to the Dragon and Tiger Mountain sect, which has never been favored by the Emperor. If it weren't for my protection, he wouldn't be able to stand in the capital. Therefore, the murderer won't be him."

  The queen peered out from the hole and listened, her whole heart sank at this time.

  That day she lost control and was frantic, her words also full of doubts about the emperor. Now that the nightmare had come true, she could no longer suppress her trembling. In her mind, there was only Mei Guibao's sentence, echoing repeatedly.

  Do you want to end up like Empress Han, demoted and confined to the Cold Palace?

  No!

  She let out a scream from the bottom of her heart——

  Absolutely not!

  The queen's fingers were stuck between the bars of the window frame, almost breaking.

  She forced herself to calm down, got up shakily, and almost kicked the gravel by accident. She grabbed onto a peach tree in time, preventing herself from falling over, but her dark green silk skirt with a phoenix pattern was stained with a large patch of mud.

  She became increasingly flustered, feeling as if there were two sharp gazes behind her back, staring at her like a burning fire.

  At one end of the vermilion wall, several black crows flew over, making a harsh and ominous cry. Behind the temple, the peach forest was deserted, with an eerie and deathly silence.

  The queen felt afraid in her heart and didn't dare stay for long. She had no choice but to lift up the hem of her skirt and leave hastily.

  She rushed forward, not daring to look back, but unaware that behind her, two figures jumped down from the eaves of the hall.

  "Even Empress herself has her own plans now, this game of chess is likely to end in a complete mess!"

  Morning dew slightly furrowed her brow, gazing up at the flock of crows in the sky, as if she felt the aura that harbored death and ominousness.

  "No matter how chaotic it is, we will be the ultimate winners!"

  Yu Yun comforted him by his side.