Yuanyu walked against the sunlight, with a hint of fatigue in his eyes. The twelve pendants on his crown, adorned with jade, hung before his forehead, casting a divine glow, yet he looked somewhat worn out.

  He gazed at the morning dew, a joyful yet complex light flashing in his eyes, and remained silent for a long time.

  Gu Yun watched as the two men stood there, frozen in a stalemate, and tactfully got up to take his leave.

  "How...are you recovering?"

  Yuan Qi didn't sit down, but quietly looked at her, hesitated and asked. "This injury looks serious, but actually it's not a big deal..."

  Morning dew lowers its head, admiring the nine-twisted lotus cloud patterned square plate beside the bed, speaking in a calm and polite tone.

  Yuan Qi walked to the bedside and was suddenly grabbed by someone holding her wrist----

  "Why were you so impulsive that day?!"

  His palms clenched, his eyes flashing with a fierce and terrifying light. Chen 'Lu' didn't struggle, looking at the bruise on her wrist, she just smiled faintly. The smile was melancholic and gentle, yet it shone with an unshakeable firmness.

  "A blood feud as deep as the sea cannot be left unavenged!"

  Yuan Qigong suddenly realized and asked: "Did someone in your family also die in the chaos of Jingyue's change?"

  He recalled the scene described in history books, where tens of thousands of people wailed and the entire city was dressed in mourning attire. Unconsciously, a pang of pain struck his heart. Slowly, he loosened his grip: "Why didn't you tell me directly, yet did such a dangerous thing!"

  "In front of thousands of soldiers, take that man's head, this is what I have been thinking in my heart..."

  "Morning dew" replied in a low voice, as if thinking of something, with a flash of "wave" light in her eyes. She didn't want to entangle this topic anymore, so she asked instead: "Is the Emperor very worried, is it because of Empress Qi's matter?"

  The emperor's eyes narrowed, his gaze as cold as a deep abyss, making people tremble. He smiled faintly: "After barely escaping death in Liangchuan, I didn't expect to return to the capital and receive such a surprise!"

  "Does the Emperor really think this was done by Consort Zhou?"

  The sound of 'dew' is like a cold spring, seeping into the heart, Yuan Qi only feels a refreshing coolness, and the heat in his body. All unknowingly, it dissipated completely.

  "I naturally know that there are complexities in this matter, but currently the evidence is overwhelming. If we don't take action, it will chill the hearts of all the officials in the court."

  He smiled bitterly and continued: "The man behind the scenes is really capable, he can actually force me to this point!"

  "His Majesty is also generous and lenient"

  Her eyes narrowed slightly as she smiled with gentle confidence. In the depths of her pupils, a hint of cunning flickered out.

  "Let me help you with your worries!"

  "Who?"

  The Emperor's face lit up, and his eyes shone with uncontainable joy. He laughed heartily and said: "You must have some wonderful idea!"

  Morning 'dew' was about to answer, only to feel a sharp pain in her chest. A coughing fit rose up. Suddenly she couldn't catch her breath.

  "Go lie down and rest!"

  The Emperor saw him and hastily became angry, saying: "You don't treasure your own body..."

  He choked. Staring at Chen's pale face, he couldn't bear to blame her anymore, and only said softly: "Go to sleep for now..."

  "I couldn't sleep..."

  Morning dew lies quietly, with a faint and distant voice, as if coming from the edge of the sky, ethereal and fleeting.

  "I'll recite a few passages of elegant and refined Chinese literature for you, and soon you'll be able to fall asleep peacefully."

  The Emperor ordered someone to bring a copy of "Zhuangzi" and read aloud: "In the Northern Ocean, there is a fish whose name is Kun. The size of Kun is unknown, it's several thousand miles... It transformed into a bird, its name is Peng..."

  His voice was clear and steady, neither fast nor slow, until he read to "In the mountain of 'Gao' 'She', there is a divine person living; his skin is like ice and snow, his waist is like a young lady, he does not eat five grains, absorbs wind and drinks dew, rides cloud gas and mounts flying dragon..." At this time, he couldn't help but steal a glance at the person beside him, only to see that Chen had already fallen asleep lightly, with her crystal-like jade face, her long black hair tangled around her, just like a fairy in a book.

  He gazed at her innocent sleeping face, feeling joyful and peaceful in his heart, not needing to think of anything else, just wanting to stay by her side forever, and drift off into a sweet sleep.

  A wave of drowsiness surged up, he put down the book, leaned against the bed and fell fast asleep.

  Chen 'Lu' listened to the even breathing sound beside her ear, and her long and dense eyelashes fluttered slightly like butterfly wings as she opened her eyes.

  She turned her head sideways, gazing at Yuan Qi's completely defenseless sleeping face, and a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes.

  This is a wily, eerie and sinister smile full of resentment.

  On this crystal-clear face, this one cold smile, will bring endless dark clouds, making the room emit a chill.

  She stretched out her hand and admired her slender fingers under the sunlight.

  Like crystal, her ten fingernails were not very long, but had already been trimmed to a sharp and elegant shape by the maid.

  She stretched out her hand, her fingertips precisely aimed, and swept across the emperor's throat.

  That blue-green vein, visible under her pale skin, she exerted a slight force, feeling the skin's slight coolness and elasticity, yet suspended in mid-air, no longer sinking down.

  In the void, she whispered silently: "Yuān Xǔ... I will destroy everything you cherish... She turned her head and took a glance at Yuān Qí's sleeping face, and for some reason, her heart ached faintly.

  It's your parents' fault...

  She said in her heart, retracted the sharp and lethal fingernails, and lay back on the couch.

  The room was silent, with no sound at all, only two people who were physically and mentally exhausted, fast asleep. Various rumors spread wildly in the palace, and many high-ranking officials in the court were old friends or acquaintances of Qi Rong, even if they had never met before, they had a deep friendship that spanned many years, so they submitted memorials one after another, demanding severe punishment for the murderer.

  The emperor's response was uniform, all were detained and not released. He was calm and composed, seemingly not worried about the matter at all, as if everything was under his control.

  In the midst of the great commotion in front of the court, a corner of the Cold Palace was as calm as a dead water, without any ripples.

  Zhou Guifei sat in a dimly lit small room, quietly combing her hair with the faint light coming from the iron bars.

  Her face, due to many days of imprisonment, was completely pale, yet still beautiful and refreshing.

  Her calm and serene expression didn't change in the slightest, even when she was imprisoned, she still maintained her usual demeanor, looking down on the world with pride.

  "Your Ladyship, there is an adult visitor here to see you..."

  The eunuch's voice came from outside the door. Consort Zhou was slightly surprised, and after a moment of contemplation, she said: "Please let her in!"

  The footsteps of the approaching person were very light and cautious, yet they also had a strange heaviness to them. Consort Zhou could tell that this person must be carrying an injury on their body.

  As the iron gate opened, she narrowed her eyes and finally made out who was on the other side----

  "It's you!"

  She let out a faint sigh, as if it wasn't unexpected.