How Dare You!? (This is Ridiculous)

Twenty miles outside the capital, at the Right Army camp.

The "Sleeve Crossbows" had been secretly distributed to a thousand soldiers. These were all elites personally trained by Lin Xuanying, fiercely loyal to him. After intensive emergency drills, they could wield their spears to take on a hundred foes each. They were well aware of the power of the weapons in their hands, yet none knew who these weapons were meant to target.

Of course, judging by the circumstances along the way, they had some inkling—these weapons... were likely meant for rebellion.

Thus, the overall mood was rather tense.

Until this final night, when Lin Xuanying gathered them in an open clearing and said coldly, "Not a sound."

He then stepped aside to reveal a man and a woman standing behind him.

The elite unit: "..." Who?

Lin Xuanying: "Congratulations, all of you. You are about to earn the merit of supporting the true ruler."

A few seconds later, a thousand men knelt in unison without making a single unnecessary sound, their excitement expressed only through the muscles of their faces.

Lin Xuanying, pleased with the display, turned and said, "Your Majesty, please give your orders."

Xiahou Dan nodded and spoke unhurriedly, "Tomorrow's objective is to capture Prince Duan alive. The remaining leaders are to be executed without exception. Aside from the leaders, any soldiers from both armies who surrender will be spared. With such powerful weapons in your hands, you must swiftly control the situation and minimize casualties. The blood of our Great Xia warriors should be shed on the frontiers."

The cultural literacy of military officers being limited, he kept his words simple and direct. Yet every sentence resonated deeply with the men. Several young officers who had been conflicted along the way now had tears in their eyes, looking as though they had finally found their true lord. The morale of the entire unit soared.

Satisfied, Lin Xuanying reviewed the plan for the next day once more before dismissing everyone to their tents.

Back in their own tent, Yu Wanyin whispered, "Let's disguise ourselves now, to be prepared."

Xiahou Dan naturally had no objections and offered his face for her to work on freely.

As she applied a fake beard to his face, Yu Wanyin chuckled and said, "If all goes well, we'll have a proper bed to sleep in by this time tomorrow. Later, we can send someone to bring Uncle Bei back. With A Bai here now, our little hotpot group of four can reunite."

She deliberately avoided mentioning the possibility of Bei Zhou being in danger. Xiahou Dan understood she was trying to lighten the mood to comfort him and simply replied, "Mm."

Yu Wanyin added, "Xiao Tiancai is still in the palace. Before I left, I suggested a 'fighting poison with poison' approach to him, and he said it was feasible. Maybe his research has already made breakthroughs by now."

Xiahou Dan: "Mm."

Yu Wanyin: "It's a shame we can't kill Prince Duan—the world might collapse if he dies. But I've thought up a few creative ways to torment him. Want to hear them...?"

Xiahou Dan seemed to sense something. "Wan Yin," he said, taking her hand. "Don't be afraid. It will go smoothly."

His palm wasn't particularly warm, but it was dry and steady.

Yu Wanyin took a deep breath and, miraculously, felt a wave of calm wash over her. In the coldest, darkest hour before dawn, they held each other and managed to doze for a while.

The next morning, the three armies assembled in formation outside the capital.

This city hadn't faced the threat of an army at its gates for centuries. The Central Army alone had mobilized fifty thousand men, fighting their way from the border. Though they had suffered losses along the way, their numbers now, combined with the Left and Right Armies, still totaled over eighty thousand.

A vast and silent force stood motionless beyond the city walls. From the gates, the view stretched endlessly, like a black tide.

After a brief wait, the city gates swung open, and a small contingent emerged to meet them.The first person to emerge was not Xiahou Bo, but a middle-aged man sitting upright on horseback. As soon as he exited the city gates, he dismounted and cheerfully saluted the three commanders.

The leaders of the left and right armies were deputy generals, but the Central Army had been personally led by General Luo, clearly demonstrating the highest sincerity toward Prince Duan. Precisely because of this, General Luo’s dissatisfaction was all the more evident. “Huang Zhonglang, why hasn’t Prince Duan shown himself? Where is he?”

Huang Zhonglang smiled apologetically. “His Highness has been waiting for you all in the palace for some time. Please follow me inside, Generals.”

General Luo frowned, then turned and signaled a small squad of guards to step forward and accompany him toward the city gates. Lin Xuanying watched coldly and followed suit.

But Huang Zhonglang raised a hand to stop them. “Ah, well… I must ask you all to disarm before entering the city.”

The faces of the commanders darkened. General Luo scoffed. “I’ve led my troops thousands of miles to come to your aid, and this is the courtesy Prince Duan offers?”

Huang Zhonglang flustered, hastily offering placating words. Seeing that General Luo remained unmoved, he glanced around nervously before leaning in and whispering, “General, you must understand… there may be a traitor in the army…” He lowered his voice even further. “It seems to be related to His Majesty’s remains.”

As he spoke, he studied General Luo’s reaction.

General Luo’s expression shifted, as if struck by a sudden realization, his eyes widening in shock.

Lin Xuanying struggled to keep his face neutral, feigning ignorance of the cryptic exchange, though inwardly, he found it all quite strange.

They had always assumed that the fake corpse of “Xiahou Dan” in the palace had been prepared by Prince Duan himself. But now, it seemed there was more to the story—and it involved the Central Army.

What exactly was going on?

Lin Xuanying lifted his chin defiantly. “Well, I’ve got nothing to hide. Bring on the search.” With that, he casually unbuckled his sword and flung it at Huang Zhonglang’s feet before striding through the gates with a cold snort. His squad of guards followed closely behind, all of them discarding their weapons without hesitation.

General Luo, however, hesitated before moving. He turned his head slightly and made a discreet gesture to his trusted subordinate left outside the city.

He didn’t understand why Prince Duan’s attitude toward him had changed so drastically. He didn’t doubt Prince Duan himself, but he suspected the men under him of stirring up trouble. The gesture was an order for his subordinate to act as the situation demanded—to fight if necessary.

At the far end of the procession, inside a supply cart, Yu Wanyin peered through a gap in the window covering, watching the commotion at the city gates.

She let out a long breath and turned to Xiahou Dan. “We’ll wait for A Bai’s signal.”

From the city gates to the palace hall, the entire route was lined with ambushers.

With a warrior’s keen instincts, they quickly sensed the danger. General Luo’s face darkened like a storm cloud.

Lin Xuanying, meanwhile, subtly checked the weapon hidden in his sleeve as he walked, ready to strike at any moment.

Whatever the truth behind the situation, the fact that Prince Duan had grown suspicious was bad news for them—it had just made their plan to storm the enemy’s stronghold a little more difficult.

Outside the city, a sudden disturbance rippled through the ranks.

Yu Wanyin felt it from inside the cart and lifted a corner of the curtain. “What’s happening?”

The Shadow Guard driving the cart had sharp eyes. “The Imperial Guards commander has arrived. They’re searching the three armies one by one, pulling people out of the ranks—probably looking for suspicious individuals. And a squad is heading this way. They might search the supply carts.”

Yu Wanyin’s heart sank. Prince Duan was still Prince Duan—he trusted no one.The firearms in the carriage had already been distributed, leaving only some spare gunpowder hidden beneath a layer of grain as cover. However, if someone was determined to search thoroughly, they would eventually find it.

Yu Wanyin's heart raced as she leaned out of the carriage window. She saw the Imperial Guards herding the selected individuals from the three armies to the base of the city wall, gathering them in one place, seemingly for collective interrogation.

Yu Wanyin: "They must be looking for the two of us. What criteria are they using to pick people?"

The Shadow Guard strained his eyes to observe further: "It seems... they're targeting those who are short or thin." The thin ones might be Xiahou Dan, and the short ones might be Yu Wanyin.

A thought struck Yu Wanyin. The thousand elite soldiers carrying firearms were all tall and burly, so they wouldn’t fall into this category and wouldn’t be inspected immediately.

The Shadow Guard suddenly spoke faster: "Your Highness, they're coming!"

"Fine, let’s act early." Xiahou Dan raised his gun.

Yu Wanyin pulled her head back in and took a deep breath. "Wait, I have an idea."

Xiahou Dan: "What?"

Yu Wanyin quickly explained her plan. Xiahou Dan barely had time to shake his head before the approaching men reached their carriage and barked, "Open it up."

The Shadow Guard lifted the carriage curtain. Yu Wanyin exchanged a glance with Xiahou Dan and stepped out first.

The man looked her up and down, then immediately declared, "Take her away."

Yu Wanyin lowered her head and was led off.

Xiahou Dan: "..."

The man then turned his gaze to Xiahou Dan, who had followed her out.

The night before, Yu Wanyin had disguised him as a burly man with a thick beard. To match the facial hair, she had stuffed scraps of cloth into his clothes to bulk him up.

After scrutinizing him for a long moment, the man jerked his chin toward the supply cart. "What’s in there?"

The man didn’t recognize Xiahou Dan, but Xiahou Dan recognized him—a minor officer of the Imperial Guards who had defected to Prince Duan at the foot of Bei Mountain. Two intimidating subordinates flanked him.

Xiahou Dan blinked. "Grain, ya see."

The officer: "..."

The officer couldn’t make sense of his rustic accent. "What?"

"Grain, ya see." Xiahou Dan turned and hauled down a crate of grain, opening it for inspection. "Grain."

"Enough, enough." The officer waved impatiently. "You, unload all the goods and spread them out."

Xiahou Dan slowly climbed back into the carriage to move the crates, shooting the Shadow Guard a reassuring look.

Yu Wanyin was escorted to the base of the city wall, where, as expected, she spotted the deaf-mute girl among the group of "suspicious individuals" who had been singled out.

A few days earlier, after Xiahou Dan’s appearance, Yu Wanyin had stopped allowing the deaf-mute girl to serve her closely to maintain strict secrecy. Unwilling to leave, the girl had disguised herself as a man and followed the army, living off their provisions. Now, her short stature had inexplicably landed her in trouble, and she huddled fearfully among the crowd.

The entire group was restless, with the bolder ones outright demanding why the Imperial Guards were detaining them. These border troops had always despised the spineless Imperial Guards, and after being treated coldly from the start, their resentment had reached a boiling point.

Commander Wen of the Imperial Guards strolled over. "Enough chatter! Search them one by one!"

Amid the chaos, Yu Wanyin subtly moved closer to the deaf-mute girl and whispered, "It’s me."

Recognizing her voice, the girl whirled around.

"Listen," Yu Wanyin quietly grasped her hand and pressed an object into her palm. "You know how to steal—can you do the opposite?"The deaf-mute girl: "?"

Yu Wanyin subtly gestured with her eyes toward a burly man standing ahead of them. He was wearing the cloth armor of the Central Army.

Xiahou Dan had made several trips carrying items when he suddenly stopped moving after ducking back into the carriage.

The squad leader grew impatient: "Why aren't you coming out?"

Xiahou Dan: "Too swollen."

"What?" The squad leader peered inside to see Xiahou Dan presenting his backside, seemingly fumbling with something.

Xiahou Dan: "Way too swollen, can't move it."

"Don't try any tricks! Get out now!" The squad leader drew his sword and squeezed into the carriage. "I'll have you know my men are waiting outside—"

His words cut off abruptly.

Xiahou Dan turned around, the muzzle of his gun pointed directly at him.

The squad leader nearly wet himself on the spot: "Y-Your M-M-Majesty..."

"Quiet." Xiahou Dan tilted his head slightly. "You recognize this, don't you? Then you must know what it can do?"

The squad leader trembled as he nodded, his desperate gaze flickering toward the carriage curtain.

"Make one sound for help, and I'll personally send you to meet your ancestors—with full honors." Xiahou Dan said calmly.

The squad leader immediately shook his head like a rattle drum: "Y-Your Majesty, just give the order, this lowly one will obey."

Moments later, the squad leader's voice rang out from the carriage: "This chest really is too heavy! You two, come help!"

The two subordinates he'd left outside obediently climbed into the carriage.

Shortly after, Xiahou Dan and the Shadow Guard emerged with three sets of Imperial Guards uniforms, which they handed to three elite Right Army soldiers along with whispered instructions.

Meanwhile, a startled cry came from the base of the city wall: "Found it!"

The Imperial Guards had pinned down a Central Army soldier, with one guard holding up a strange-looking object—identical to the weapon Xiahou Dan had revealed at the foot of Bei Mountain. "We found this on him!"

Imperial Guards who knew the weapon's power recoiled in fear. Commander Wen took the gun and examined it, his voice shaking: "Go... report this to Prince Duan." He pointed his sword at the man on the ground as he cautiously approached, signaling his men to check for a disguise.

The Central Army soldier protested angrily: "What is that? I've never seen it before! You're framing me!"

After extensive face-pulling yielded no results—confirming this wasn't Xiahou Dan—the Imperial Guards prepared to take him away for interrogation.

The Central Army ranks erupted in protest. A trusted lieutenant left behind by General Luo stepped forward: "Commander Wen, wait. What is the meaning of this?"

Commander Wen tightened his grip on his sword and said coldly, "We're following Prince Duan's orders to search for spies in the army. We expect your full cooperation to avoid compromising this important mission."

The lieutenant wasn't having it and took another threatening step forward: "That man you're holding happens to be my cousin. I know him inside out. Surely there's been some mistake?"

The lieutenant commanded considerable respect. His movement prompted the entire Central Army contingent to advance in unison, their blades sliding an inch from their scabbards.

Commander Wen looked up sharply, his expression a mix of shock and suspicion.

Among the Central Army ranks, three Imperial Guards conducting searches subtly raised their heads.

One of them casually positioned himself behind the soldier he was inspecting, one hand disappearing into his sleeve.

Uncertain of the Central Army's stance, Commander Wen made several covert hand signals behind his back, warning his men to stay alert. Forcing a laugh, he prepared to smooth things over with some diplomatic words—

A gunshot rang out.

A bloody hole appeared in Commander Wen's forehead. He swayed momentarily before collapsing where he stood.The air froze for two seconds.

The Imperial Guards on either side were instantly terrified out of their wits, scattering in panic.

Someone screamed hoarsely, "It's the Central Army! The Central Army fired that shot!"

In the blink of an eye, countless ambushers appeared on the city walls, drawing their bows and aiming arrows at the army below.

The Central Army ranks immediately fell into chaos. The trusted subordinate retreated in horror into the formation, while the front-line soldiers, not yet understanding what had happened, instinctively raised their shields and adjusted their formation, entering a battle-ready stance. Those in the rear looked around frantically but couldn't locate the source of the explosion—they didn't even know what had made that sound.

The trusted subordinate roared, "Our Central Army is utterly loyal to Prince Duan! How dare you petty schemers frame us like this!"

The Imperial Guards were paralyzed with fear.

Commander Wen was already dead, and the deputy commander standing on the city wall trembled from head to toe.

With fifty thousand Central Army soldiers rebelling, armed with those outrageous weapons, how many men did they have to resist? How many days could the capital hold? And how would they explain this to Prince Duan?

The deputy commander shouted, "Fire... fire the arrows! Have the left and right armies reinforce us immediately!"

Meanwhile, the Central Army yelled, "Fall back! Fall back! General Luo is still in their hands!"

The Left Army: "?"

The leaders of the Right Army had long been prepared. At their command, they eagerly led their troops to attack the Central Army from the flanks.

Lin Xuanying and the others were stopped again outside the palace gates.

A group of palace attendants approached with apologetic smiles. "We beg the generals' forgiveness, but entry into the palace now requires another search."

Lin Xuanying knew exactly what Prince Duan was afraid of and smirked inwardly. The other two generals, however, flew into a rage. General Luo bellowed, "Tell Prince Duan to come out here and say that to my face!"

The attendant's smile didn't waver. "His Highness instructed this servant to relay a message: if nothing is found during the search, he will personally apologize to the generals."

General Luo wavered between anger and restraint for several seconds.

Lin Xuanying seized the moment to fan the flames. "Prince Duan still refuses to show himself—has he been taken hostage by you people?"

The attendant, as if prepared for this, narrowed his eyes. "The generals are magnanimous. Please don't make things difficult for this servant." With a wave of his hand, a group of guards emerged from the shadows, surrounding the party.

The border army wasn't made of pushovers either. Seeing their generals being harassed, they immediately assumed hand-to-hand combat stances, even unarmed.

As the standoff continued, a distant cry suddenly rang out: "Report—! The Central Army has rebelled—!"

From the moment the disturbance began, the group of "suspicious individuals" at the base of the city wall had already dispersed. Taking advantage of the Imperial Guards' lax defense, they fled back to their original units.

Amid the chaos, Yu Wanyin tightly gripped the Deaf-mute girl's hand, pulling her behind the Right Army's shields. The arrows from the Imperial Guards on the wall were all aimed at the Central Army, giving them a brief respite.

In fact, this was the ultimate goal of her impromptu plan.

While the Imperial Guards and the Central Army were locked in conflict, the elite riflemen of the Right Army had quietly approached the city wall. Under the guise of formation adjustments, they aimed their guns at the defenders above—who remained completely unaware.

"Your Majesty," a familiar giant of a man approached, recognizing her by her silhouette, and shielded them as they retreated toward the rear of the formation.

Yu Wanyin asked, "Where's His Majesty?"

"Here." Xiahou Dan pushed through the crowd with a grim expression, reaching out to her. "Stop running off."

Yu Wanyin smiled and took his hand.

Xiahou Dan pulled her behind him and nodded at the giant.

The giant raised his rifle and roared, "Attack!"Outside the palace gates at this moment, General Luo's men were locked in a desperate struggle with the guards sent by Prince Duan.

They hadn't come unprepared—perhaps suspicions had arisen even before entering the city, for each of them carried concealed weapons. Combined with their exceptional martial skills, they managed to hold their own against Prince Duan's forces for a time, even forcing numerous hidden ambushers into the open.

But their numbers were too few, and one by one they fell, until only General Luo remained, fighting on stubbornly.

Lin Xuanying, observing coldly from the sidelines, had noted all the ambushers' positions and assessed the combat strength of both sides. Now, he finally moved.

With a raised hand, he shot the eunuch dead: "Now!"

For all those present that day, it was a day they would never forget.

Yet most of them, to their dying breath, could never explain what had truly happened.

If forced to describe it in words, only "divine punishment" would suffice.

One moment, the Central Army was under attack from three sides. Imperial Guards on the city walls rained arrows like locusts, the Right Army eagerly joined the assault, and the bewildered Left Army, hearing the Imperial Guards' shouts, belatedly followed suit.

But the three attacking forces fought independently, uncoordinated, none able to command the others. The Central Army, battle-hardened veterans, initially panicked at the sudden ambush but quickly formed ranks and counterattacked decisively. Their numbers gave them overwhelming superiority, and their flanking cavalry moved with deadly coordination, charging through the ranks of the Left and Right Armies. They even brought scaling ladders from their supplies, mounting them against the walls with a do-or-die determination.

The Imperial Guards, terrified by this ferocity, unleashed volley after volley of arrows in a desperate attempt to stop the Central Army's advance.

The battle remained deadlocked—until that single cry of "Kill!" rose from the Right Army's ranks.

The next instant, the world turned upside down.

What was that sound? Not the age-old clamor of war drums echoing over the battlefield, but like countless thunderclaps, carrying the wrath of the heavens, striking both the city walls and the Central Army simultaneously.

Soldiers outside the walls looked up in horror to see blood mist erupting where the thunder passed.

No known weapon could wreak such devastation.

The first row of Imperial Guards, along with their deputy commander, were sacrificed to the heavens in mere moments.

Several leading deputy generals of the Central Army, valiant warriors all, fell from their horses and became ghosts without ever understanding what had struck them.

The survivors stood frozen in terror, but the divine punishment showed no mercy, raining down upon them again.

No known defense could withstand it.

Shields and armor designed to block swords and spears suddenly seemed as fragile as tofu. The heavenly thunder raged unchecked, shattering flesh and bone, grinding the will to fight into dust.

At last, someone cried out in a trembling voice, "The Right Army... it's the Right Army!"

The "suspicious individuals" they had so warily guarded against revealed their true nature—not one or two, but an entire army.

The Central Army soldiers General Luo had brought to the capital were elites, hardened by years of conquest, invincible and unyielding.

But now, the front lines broke.

What they faced was not war, but one-sided slaughter—as if the gates of the underworld had opened, and the Ten Yama Kings themselves had descended.

Once the retreat began, there was no stopping it. The formation collapsed into chaos like scattered sand. Soldiers fled in panic, while those in the rear, unaware of the situation, pressed forward. The crowd collided, trampling over each other like a swarm of ants gone mad.If even the Central Army has become like this, how much worse must the Imperial Guards be.

The attacks from the city walls lost all momentum, as terrified soldiers only wanted to retreat behind the walls and flee for their lives.

There were indeed some fearless Imperial Guards who, taking advantage of the terrain, still attempted to shoot arrows downward. There were also remnants of the Left Army who had finally grasped the situation but, unable to clearly see the Right Army’s weapons through the Central Army’s ranks, now charged forward recklessly.

Yet, the tide of people surging forward was soon scattered like waves upon the shore.

The Right Army had prepared for this moment for a long time, their ammunition seemingly endless. The few trusted giants Lin Xuanying had left behind commanded with precision, not losing a single soldier from the moment they drew their weapons.

One of the giants seized the moment and waved his massive hand: “Deploy the scaling ladders!”

Inside the city, Lin Xuanying fired shot after shot, effortlessly taking down the eunuch and two generals with three bullets, swiftly eliminating the leaders of several factions before turning his sights on the rest.

The squad he had brought with him were all peerless experts, moving with lightning speed. Against Prince Duan’s ambush forces, they hardly wasted a single bullet.

Though more men continued to pour out from the palace, their morale was visibly low. Many lacked the courage to even step within firing range, circling at a distance and occasionally launching arrows or hidden weapons.

Lin Xuanying took cover behind a barrier, recognizing their strategy to exhaust his ammunition. He scoffed, “Wishful thinking.”

Listening to the distant thunderous booms at the city gates, he mused, “How long do you think they’ll take to breach the walls?”

That day, both inside and outside the city bore witness to the baptism of technology.

In truth, after the first wave of indiscriminate slaughter, the Right Army focused solely on breaching the city walls, ceasing fire on the Left and Central Armies.

Yet, even after catching their breath, the Left and Central Armies hesitated to advance.

With a deafening crash, the city gates were shattered.

The Right Army began sweeping through the city, crushing the Imperial Guards like a storm.

Among the Central Army, some, ashamed to flee, struggled to raise their halberds against the Right Army. But their feet felt as heavy as lead, unable to take a single step forward.

With a clang, a soldier’s halberd slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

The young soldier seemed oblivious, murmuring, “Is this heaven’s will to destroy us?”

At that moment, a banner unfurled from the city gate tower. Against an inky black background, golden threads embroidered the image of intertwined dragons, nine tassels fluttering in the biting wind.

The Nine-Tasseled Dragon Banner—the standard of the Son of Heaven.

Xiahou Dan, hand in hand with Yu Wanyin, ascended the city walls. Their disguises had been completely discarded as they stood atop the heights, gazing down silently at the rebel forces below.

Beside them, the giant’s voice boomed like thunder, carrying far and wide: “The Emperor stands before you! Will you not surrender?”

The rebels were stunned.

Before this day, these soldiers had at most guessed they were acting on Prince Duan’s behalf, dealing with the remnants of the pro-emperor faction.

No one had told them they were fighting against the Emperor.

What crime was that?

One surviving deputy general of the Left Army, driven to madness by despair, shrieked hoarsely, “The Emperor has perished! This must be an imposter sent by the Right Army! The Right Army… the Right Army are the true traitors!”

The giant turned to Xiahou Dan. This was the moment for the Emperor himself to assert his divine authority.

Xiahou Dan nodded, gathering his thoughts.

Xiahou Dan: “A broken-backed cur, still daring to yap before my army’s formation! Never have I seen someone so shameless!”

The Right Army roared in approval, their battle cries shaking the heavens.

Yu Wanyin: “…”

Yu Wanyin: “……”

Xiahou Dan seemed to sense her stunned disbelief and chuckled softly, “I’ve been holding onto that line for ten years.”

The giant: “?”Xiahou Dan raised his voice once more: "The traitor Xiahou Bo forged an imperial decree to summon external troops to the capital, plotting to murder the Emperor and Empress—a crime most heinous! Now that his deeds have been exposed, all men must rise to punish him!"

The sheer murderous aura radiating from him was something no imposter could ever replicate.

The deputy commander knew this all too well in his heart. His legs gave way as he was the first to kneel, his face ashen: "This humble official... deserves ten thousand deaths!"

Xiahou Dan deliberately paused for a calculated moment before continuing: "But Her Majesty, in her mercy, has decreed that those coerced into following without knowing the truth shall be spared if they surrender today."

The rebel army surrendered.

The Right Army surged into the city with unstoppable momentum, joining forces with Lin Xuanying to swiftly eliminate the resisting Imperial Guards before rushing toward the imperial palace.

The citizens huddled in their homes, trembling as they heard the thunderous march of troops outside their windows, wondering how many days they would need to hide this time—unaware that the upheaval had already concluded.

Xiahou Dan remained stationed outside the city. Soon after, Lin Xuanying's trusted subordinate arrived to report: "Prince Duan is hiding in his bedchamber and refuses to come out. He has taken the Crown Prince and the elderly and young members of the State Preceptor's household as hostages. General Lin dares not force his way in and has sent this subordinate to seek His Majesty's instructions..." The man seemed puzzled but relayed the message faithfully, "...to ask whether 'we can take that shortcut.'"

Xiahou Dan: "..."

Xiahou Dan: "Take it."

Lin Xuanying, familiar with the route, led his men around to the Secluded Palace, pried open the lock, removed a pile of concealing coverings, and crawled into the entrance of the secret tunnel.

When they emerged from the other end of the tunnel, a farce was unfolding in the bedchamber.

A eunuch, seeing the situation deteriorating rapidly outside, had desperately urged Prince Duan to "live to fight another day," pretending to push his wheelchair to help him escape. But in an instant, the eunuch drew a dagger, intending to kill Prince Duan as a bargaining chip to save his own life.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. No matter how desperate Xiahou Bo appeared, he still had a few loyal assassins hidden in the shadows for protection. The assassins leaped out and seized the eunuch, while Xiahou Bo, in a fit of rage, personally twisted the eunuch's neck until it snapped.

By now, Xiahou Bo teetered on the brink of madness. He maneuvered his wheelchair toward the group of hostages, pointed at a woman, and ordered the assassins: "Kill her. Cut off her head and throw it out for Xiahou Dan to see."

At that moment, Lin Xuanying and his men burst out from under the bed, swiftly and accurately shooting down all the assassins.

Xiahou Bo turned to look at them, seemingly smiling, his eyes gleaming with cold satisfaction as he raised an object in his hand toward Lin Xuanying.

It was the gun Yu Wanyin had framed the Central Army with—later confiscated by the Imperial Guards and delivered to him.

Lin Xuanying's pupils contracted sharply as he dodged to the side—

But Xiahou Bo reversed the gun, pressed it against his own temple, and fumbled to pull the trigger—

Nothing happened.

Yu Wanyin had removed the ammunition from the gun back when they were planning in the supply cart.

Lin Xuanying's men immediately pounced on Prince Duan, binding his limbs and stuffing a cloth gag into his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue.

Lin Xuanying, his heartbeat still racing, patted his chest as he walked back to face the prince, offering a malicious smile: "Did Your Highness Prince Duan wish to die? How... heartbroken His Majesty would be if he knew."

Lin Xuanying then led his men to purge the city of Prince Duan's remaining followers.

Fearing that the cunning prince might have left assassins as a contingency, Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin refrained from entering the city immediately. Instead, they remained atop the city walls, delivering impassioned speeches to the troops outside.After confiscating all the weapons from the rebel forces, Yu Wanyin directed the efforts to treat the wounded, while Xiahou Dan temporarily appointed a few enthusiastic defectors among the minor leaders to help maintain order.

As they were halfway through cleaning up the aftermath, Lin Xuanying personally came out, looking rather grim, and signaled Xiahou Dan to step aside for a private conversation.

"We found the corpse that Prince Duan used to impersonate you," Lin Xuanying said. Inside the city wall, he led Xiahou Dan to a coffin and gestured for his subordinates to open the lid, revealing the body within.

Xiahou Dan stepped closer, looking down at the lifeless, pale face of the counterfeit version of himself—eyes wide open in death, so convincing it was almost indistinguishable.

It was uncanny.

So much so that even those who knew him best would struggle to spot the difference.

To mimic him to this degree required not only exceptional skill but also an intimate, profound understanding of him...

When Yu Wanyin caught up, she saw Xiahou Dan standing motionless by the coffin, as if suddenly frozen in place.

Lin Xuanying spoke in a low voice, "I initially thought to carry the body out and publicly expose the disguise to prevent any future rumors about authenticity. But I noticed the mask had already been partially peeled off, so I took a look first..."

He touched the thin layer of mask on the corpse's face and gently lifted a corner.

Bei Zhou lay quietly before them.

Yu Wanyin's legs weakened, and she staggered but managed to steady herself.

Xiahou Dan remained silent, head bowed, showing no reaction for a long time.

Lin Xuanying thought back to the time he had spent with this nominal senior brother of his, and seeing Bei Zhou in such a state twisted his heart. But having lived by the blade for so many years, he had witnessed all manner of gruesome deaths. After a few deep breaths, he composed himself. "I had someone investigate and brought over a physician from the Imperial Hospital who claims to know some details. Would His Majesty like to see him?"

Xiao Tiancai was brought forward.

He bowed nervously, and when he glanced up and saw Yu Wanyin, he subtly nodded in greeting. Yu Wanyin froze for a moment, remembering that he still didn't know about Xie Yong'er's death. The thought felt like another knife to her heart, and she mustered all her strength to keep her expression neutral.

Xiao Tiancai began, "Your Majesty, this person... Nanny Bei... Bei, Bei—" He stumbled over the title, cautiously eyeing Xiahou Dan's expression.

Xiahou Dan said simply, "Speak."

Xiao Tiancai had to choose his own term. "Mr. Bei was brought into the palace for Prince Duan by the Central Army. At the time, he was impersonating Your Majesty—not just in appearance but also in speech and mannerisms. No one in the palace noticed anything amiss, and Prince Duan himself remained unsuspecting.

"Prince Duan likely intended to keep Your Majesty under house arrest, so he summoned physicians to treat... Mr. Bei's injuries. As an apprentice, I also assisted. Mr. Bei was severely wounded, barely breathing, his pulse faint—his condition was dire. Yet he remained conscious, and when speaking to others, he perfectly emulated Your Majesty. My mentor noticed some discrepancies in his pulse compared to Your Majesty's but wasn't entirely certain. Out of fear of Prince Duan, he didn't voice his suspicions immediately.

"After returning to the Imperial Hospital, my mentor deliberated at length before confiding in me about the pulse readings. I... harbored deep resentment toward Prince Duan, so I urged my mentor to keep it quiet and let Prince Duan remain deceived.""Until a few days later, when Uncle Bei's condition worsened—he vomited blood and fell unconscious. While the palace maids were cleaning the bloodstains, they accidentally discovered the disguise on his face. I happened to be delivering medicine at the time and saw the servants frantically rushing to report to Prince Duan. Sensing trouble, I used an intoxicant to knock out the guards at the door, slipped inside, and pricked Uncle Bei’s major acupoints with a needle to wake him. I told him Prince Duan was about to find out.

"It was only then that I realized he was actually Uncle Bei, the one by His Majesty’s side.

"He recognized me too, showing no panic on his face, and only asked if Prince Duan had captured the real His Majesty. I said no. He then urged me to cure His Majesty’s poisoning, and I replied… that I would do my best. He smiled in gratitude and added that he had been trying for days to find an opportunity to kill Prince Duan, but the prince never left any openings, and he himself was too severely injured. Now, with only one last chance left, he asked for my help."

Xiao Tiancai’s voice trembled slightly here, as if recalling the scene.

"I knew he was preparing for a final, desperate attempt, so I performed acupuncture on him again, forcing out the last of his inner strength. He told me to hide far away and not be discovered, then lay back down, pretending to be unconscious, waiting for Prince Duan to arrive.

"Later, hiding too far away, I only saw Prince Duan enter with a group of his men. Shortly after, one of their corpses was carried out. So I guessed that Prince Duan, being cunning, didn’t dare approach himself and instead sent his men to check on Uncle Bei. With no other choice, Uncle Bei could only take down one lackey in the end…"

Xiahou Dan seemed determined to stand there like a statue until the end of time.

Yu Wanyin waited a moment before softly instructing Lin Xuanying to take Xiao Tiancai away. She then walked to Xiahou Dan’s side and took his hand. Both were as cold as ice.

Xiahou Dan: "I already told him I wasn’t the child of his old friend."

Yu Wanyin: "...When?"

"Before we parted for the last time."

Yu Wanyin sighed inwardly. "Uncle Bei had too few things to hold onto in life. Perhaps in his heart, you had already become his child. So… he was willing."

After an unknown length of time, Lin Xuanying returned. Seeing the two still standing by the coffin, he shook his head and stepped forward to push the lid shut. "Enough looking. By my calculations, my master should be emerging from seclusion soon. I’ll send him a letter. He and Senior Brother Bei were close friends—we should hear his opinion on where to bury this coffin."

He patted Xiahou Dan’s shoulder. "My master is formidable. He’s predicted many things correctly, and perhaps he has a solution for your poisoning as well. Come on, stop standing here. Do you want me to find you a quiet place to have a good cry?"

Xiahou Dan turned away, his eyes dry. "Keep a close watch on Xiahou Bo. Don’t let him die. I need to plan how to… properly entertain him."

Xiahou Bo was locked in the deepest cell of the Heavenly Prison, enjoying the luxurious treatment of being personally guarded by the royal Shadow Guards.

In the original story, these Shadow Guards had followed Xiahou Dan to the bitter end, only to be slaughtered by Prince Duan. This time, with fate reversed, they survived. Yet each of them had been personally trained by Bei Zhou, and their hatred for Xiahou Bo was palpable. Naturally, they wouldn’t let him off easy.The secret chamber had no windows, nor were any lamps lit, plunging it into a darkness so thick one couldn’t see their own hand before their face, making it impossible to gauge the passage of time.

A foul stench hung in the air.

Xiahou Bo’s wheelchair had long been taken away, and his hands were bound, leaving him to lie on the damp straw. Perhaps due to the high fever, the excruciating pain in his legs had gradually faded from his awareness.

Beyond the stench of excrement, he could detect another persistent odor of decay—his own body rotting from within.

Drenched in sweat and barely clinging to life, he stared wide-eyed into the void. A sense of disorientation haunted him, as if his life should not have taken this path or reached this end.

At some point, he slipped into a delusional dream.

It was a vivid dream. In it, he stood out as a brilliant strategist, meticulously orchestrating the deaths of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. When drought struck, the nation was plagued by famine and suffering; the Yan Kingdom seized the opportunity to invade, burning, killing, and pillaging. But he, the regent king of both civil and martial prowess, repelled the enemy in one decisive strike. With his supreme reputation, he led the people of Daxia through the hardships, until finally, the Crown Prince abdicated the throne to him, and he became a wise and benevolent ruler.

Proudly surveying the world, he seemed to stand beside a slender, graceful figure. He thought it was Yu Wanyin, but when he turned to look, he couldn’t make out the person’s face.

Just as he puzzled over this, a bucket of ice-cold water drenched him, jolting him back to the prison floor.

Xiahou Bo squinted as he turned his head.

Yu Wanyin stood silently outside the iron bars, holding a candlestick. The crimson candlelight cast an eerie glow from below onto her delicate face, lending her an inexplicably sinister air.

After a few seconds of silence, Xiahou Bo rasped, “I dreamed of the vision you once prophesied. I stood atop the highest peak, revered by all.”

Yu Wanyin gazed at him with something akin to pity.

The look immediately infuriated Xiahou Bo, though only sorrow showed on the unmarred half of his face. “Wan Yin, now that it’s all over, tell me the truth—was your ‘Heavenly Eye’ real, or just a ruse?”

Yu Wanyin smiled. “Of course it was real. What you just dreamed was your original fate. Beautiful, wasn’t it? If you’d told me you were having this dream, I could’ve waited a little longer before dousing you.”

Xiahou Bo: “?”

Yu Wanyin: “So sorry to interrupt your lovely dream. Let me fill in some details for you.”

She obligingly described how he had triumphed in battle, how the Central Army soldiers had fought alongside him, the harmony between ruler and subjects...

Xiahou Bo’s strained composure finally cracked. “Enough. The victor is king, the loser a bandit. As a mere mortal, I fought against the likes of you and lost—I have nothing more to say. But you, with your Heavenly Eye, schemed in secret to turn the armies against me. That is hardly the act of a noble person.”

Yu Wanyin nearly laughed at Xiahou Bo’s attempt to define nobility. “I forgot to tell you—the Central Army never betrayed you. When they went to great lengths to capture His Majesty for you, they didn’t even know that ‘His Majesty’ was a fake.”

She and Xiahou Dan had already pieced it together: after Bei Zhou helped them escape from Beishan, he had left alone due to his severe injuries—heading north, the very direction from which the Central Army was approaching.From Bei Zhou's current perspective, it's easy to analyze his plan at the time. Pretending to be Xiahou Dan was to divert attention for him; deliberately getting captured and sent to the palace was to assassinate Prince Duan; and choosing the Central Army was to sow discord. Since he was captured by the Central Army, even if he failed and was exposed, he could at least plant a seed of suspicion in Prince Duan's mind.

And as he predicted, this seed indeed drew nourishment from Prince Duan's cold cruelty, took root, sprouted, grew robustly, and ultimately bore the fruit of evil karma.

Bei Zhou understood everything.

But when he devised this plan, he had just learned Xiahou Dan's true identity. What thoughts passed through his mind in that moment, they would never know.

Just as she would never know whether Xie Yong'er, when she stepped out of the carriage to delay Mu Yun for her, had any inkling she was walking toward her death.

The more pain Yu Wanyin felt in her heart, the brighter her smile became: "Do you know? General Luo believed until his dying breath that you were being held hostage by the Imperial Guards and that he was rescuing you. Tsk, if the spirits of the Central Army soldiers in heaven knew that you repaid kindness with enmity and discarded allies after use based on mere vague suspicions... what would they think?"

"I didn't—" Xiahou Bo's features twisted, "That was your doing!"

Yu Wanyin ignored him: "Truthfully, by that point, regardless of the Central Army's actions, the outcome was already decided. Even if His Majesty and I both died, the Right Army would have arrived to send you off with fireworks."

Xiahou Bo thought of the unnatural, terrifying things they possessed, and jealousy darkened his vision.

How could the heavens be so partial, making him struggle like an ant his entire life while showering Xiahou Dan with such favor?

Yu Wanyin seemed to read his thoughts: "Actually, you once had a chance to turn the tables. Heaven sent you a person, someone who could have defeated us. And she was deeply in love with you, ready to stand by your side as your equal, in perfect harmony."

Xiahou Bo's mind suddenly flashed to that indistinct figure from his dreams. A lively voice whispered in his ear: "Yong'er will accompany Your Highness to the highest peak..."

"Shut up," he rasped.

He wanted only the best, the very best—

So much so that he could no longer even remember her face clearly.

Yu Wanyin gazed at him impassively: "Long, long ago, you personally buried your only chance at victory."

Xiahou Bo suddenly erupted: "Shut up! If not for you... if not for you..."

He couldn't continue, because a mocking sneer had appeared on Yu Wanyin's lips.

Xiahou Bo took a deep breath: "I am utterly defeated. I beg Her Majesty to maintain her dignity and grant me a swift end."

"A swift end?" Yu Wanyin shook her head, "I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to save you."

She turned and signaled the Shadow Guard to open the cell door and light the lamps.

A group of palace attendants and imperial physicians entered the iron bars with grim expressions, holding their noses as they began washing the floor and disinfecting him.

Yu Wanyin: "Those legs of yours are beyond saving. Amputate them now, and you might actually survive."

Recalling her limited modern medical knowledge, Yu Wanyin gave the physicians some additional instructions about disinfection and stopping the bleeding. Then she had the attendants stuff a cloth into Xiahou Bo's mouth: "Prince Duan, whatever you do, don't die. As long as you're alive, there's still hope for a comeback, isn't there?"She gave a malicious smile and turned to walk away. As she passed through the long corridor of the Heavenly Prison, muffled, piercing screams echoed behind her.

When the outcome of the amputation surgery reached the imperial presence, Xiahou Dan was in a meeting with Li Yunxi and others.

Naturally, the sight of him moved them to tears, overwhelming with emotion. Xiahou Dan restrained Li Yunxi from any extreme actions and was in the midst of briefing them on important matters when the imperial physician arrived, trembling as he reported, "Duan—Xiahou Bo survived, but he still needs to break the fever and regain consciousness before we can say he’s out of danger."

Xiahou Dan raised an eyebrow. "He survived? Truly unyielding, isn’t he?"

The words sounded like genuine praise, even carrying a hint of heartfelt joy. The old imperial physician was so terrified that he knelt on the ground, not daring to lift his head, and began to question whether saving Xiahou Bo had been the right decision.

Then came Xiahou Dan’s order: "Take the two severed legs, throw them into a pot, and stew them until they’re mushy. Serve them to him when he wakes up. Aside from that, don’t give him any food for three days."

By the time the physician retreated, he could barely walk straight.

Li Yunxi’s face also paled. He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing whether to offer some advice on the proper conduct of a ruler. But when he met Xiahou Dan’s gaze, an inexplicable fear seized him, and his already parted lips clamped shut again.

In that instant, he felt that the emperor before him… was truly losing his mind.

The capital was in ruins, awaiting reconstruction.

Lin Xuanying was still leading patrols to root out and eliminate the remaining rebel forces.

The ultimate victor, Xiahou Dan, seemed uninterested in proceeding cautiously. No sooner had he returned to the throne than he eagerly began his great purge.

The Prince Duan faction was completely erased from history.

Some senior members of the Empress Dowager faction, who had bet on Xiahou Dan after her downfall, had barely begun celebrating their correct gamble when they were met with dismissals or demotions.

Entrenched powers were uprooted, and officials who had survived three dynasties were stripped of their ranks overnight. Countless mansions were sealed, and countless private treasuries were pried open.

Meanwhile, the civil officials who had opposed Prince Duan—some imprisoned, some hiding in their homes, and others already on their way back to their hometowns—were summoned one by one to be reinstated. Beyond that, the emperor promoted a group of long-suffering low-ranking officials to fill the vacancies in the court.

Li Yunxi and others were catapulted to high positions at an astonishing speed.

The emperor had just miraculously eliminated Prince Duan, and that eerie "miracle" was still patrolling the capital, unstoppable and at the peak of its prestige. Everyone was too stunned to react. At this point, even if Xiahou Dan had ordered his army to move Mount Bei to fill the sea, no one would have dared to question him—let alone the reshuffling of the court.

Of course, this wasn’t the only reason for his haste.

Such a brutal transfer of power was indeed overly rushed. And given his methods of dealing with Prince Duan’s remnants, he was bound to earn the title of Tyrant once more.

But there were some things he didn’t want to leave for Yu Wanyin to handle.

Yu Wanyin was studying a map.

They had managed to minimize casualties, but the three-army rebellion and subsequent battles with regional garrisons had still caused significant damage. The ruined cities and roads awaited repairs, and the newly appointed Minister of Works had just submitted a memorial.

Remembering Xie Yong’er’s plans for courier and food delivery services before her death, Yu Wanyin requested the map and began marking key routes. This was the perfect opportunity to plan transportation networks.

She didn’t know how much she could change this world in her lifetime with her limited abilities. But now that the internal and external threats from the original story had been resolved one by one, and talented individuals were flocking to their cause, at least in the foreseeable future, everything was moving in a positive direction.

A rustling sound came from beside her as the deaf-mute girl brought over a teapot to refill her cup.

Clothes make the man. The once scrawny, disheveled thief now looked somewhat presentable after being cleaned up and dressed in a palace maid’s attire, even showing a hint of youthful charm. Only her sallow complexion betrayed years of malnutrition.Yu Wanyin was grateful for the Deaf-mute girl's efforts during their journey and worried she might be bullied in the palace, so she took her under her wing. The girl was clever by nature and quickly adapted to her new role.

Noticing her thoughtful glance at the map on the table, Yu Wanyin beckoned her over. "Come take a look. Can you find your hometown?"

The girl studied it for a while, then shook her head—whether she meant "can't find it" or "don't remember" was unclear.

She then pointed at Yu Wanyin.

"Me?" Yu Wanyin pondered. Her own origins weren't even in this dimension. She searched the map for Yu Shaoqing's residence but couldn't pinpoint it either. Finally, she just said, "I don't remember either."

The Deaf-mute girl: "?"

"But it's alright. I have a new home now. You'll find yours too, someday."

Yu Wanyin recalled Xiahou Dan's words—"You are my homeland"—and a faint smile flickered across her face before fading into melancholy.

Everything was getting better... except for one thing.

After order was restored in the capital, she immediately summoned Xiao Tiancai.

During their absence from the palace, Xiao Tiancai had never abandoned his "fighting poison with poison" approach, burying himself in medical texts day after day.

Xiao Tiancai: "I've found remnants of ancient formulas for the two Qiang Kingdom poisons that afflicted His Majesty. But the formulas are incomplete, and some of the ingredient names are extremely obscure. Further research only revealed they're written in Qiang script—what they actually refer to and whether they exist within our borders remains unknown." He presented a transcribed copy of the formula. "Could Your Majesty dispatch someone to the Qiang Kingdom to investigate?"

The Qiang Kingdom, having harbored Yan Wang Zha Luo Wa Han, was currently being ravaged by Tuer's military campaign, reduced to scorched earth.

Even if she sent word for Tuer to interrogate prisoners; even if by some miracle they extracted useful information; even if Tuer immediately gathered the ingredients and sent them back—the round trip would take at least three months.

But it had already been ten days since Xiahou Dan's last life-threatening episode. Yu Wanyin didn't know when the poison might claim him, but three months was likely too long to wait.

Yu Wanyin: "Could you hypothesize the effects of these ingredients and find substitutes within our borders?"

Xiao Tiancai: "...Given time, perhaps."

"Given time?"

"At least three years." Xiao Tiancai knelt in apology.

What could Yu Wanyin say? "Rise. This isn't your fault."

Now, their only hope was to send word to Tuer and pray for a miracle.

During her prolonged silence, Xiao Tiancai hesitated several times before finally speaking up: "Might I ask... did Consort Xie's journey go smoothly?"

Yu Wanyin: "..."

She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. "We lost contact after she left the palace."

Xiao Tiancai froze, concern washing over his face. "Ah."

"I'll send people to search for her." Yu Wanyin clenched her fists.

Should she tell him?

How could she tell him?

Before her death, Xie Yong'er had specifically asked them to keep it from Xiao Tiancai, saying, "If he knows I'm dead, he might stop working." But perhaps her true intention was to spare him the grief.

If he simply thought she'd vanished without a trace, at least he could cling to hope...

As Yu Wanyin wrestled with her thoughts, Xiao Tiancai bowed and prepared to leave.

"Wait." Yu Wanyin retrieved a letter from her sleeve and handed it to him.This was the letter Xie Yong'er had entrusted to her to deliver on the eve of her departure from the palace. Through all the hardships and turmoil of the journey, she had kept it close to her person, finally bringing it back intact.

Xiao Tiancai couldn't wait another moment—he even opened and read it right in front of her.

Yu Wanyin had no idea what Xie Yong'er might have written and anxiously watched his expression.

As Xiao Tiancai read, his cheeks actually flushed red. He hastily folded the letter, nearly tripping over his own feet as he took his leave, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes.

Yu Wanyin stood motionless, watching him go.

Everything was getting better... except that in that bright future, there was no place for them.

Two days later, Lin Xuanying suddenly reported, "My master has arrived and awaits His Majesty's summons outside the palace."

Xiahou Dan went personally to greet him, and Yu Wanyin, perking up, followed along.

The Nameless Traveler had an immortal's bearing.

Clad in simple robes with white hair and beard, his face betrayed no age. His upturned fox-like eyes swept over each of them with a smile, yet seemed to pierce right through their bodies into the void beyond.

In short, he looked exactly like a quest-giving NPC.

When their eyes met, it was Xiahou Dan who bowed first. "We have long admired your reputation, sir."

This man had sent them both Bei Zhou and Lin Xuanying—he certainly deserved the courtesy.

Unlike the eccentric recluses of legend, the Nameless Traveler returned the bow gently. "Your Majesty, Your Grace, you've endured much."

Yu Wanyin was taken aback. His all-knowing words of comfort also carried the air of a guiding immortal.

A gust of wind brushed past them as Lin Xuanying darted forward with a running leap. "Master—!"

The Nameless Traveler raised a single finger as if erecting an invisible barrier, stopping him mid-air. "A Bai, after years away from training, why have you made so little progress?"

Lin Xuanying cried injustice. "Do you know how hard it's been? Training troops, fighting battles, searching everywhere for the antidote..."

At the mention of the antidote, Yu Wanyin quickly looked to the Nameless Traveler, but he showed no reaction, only smiling. "You've done well."

Lin Xuanying immediately puffed up. "Indeed."

The Nameless Traveler: "?"

Soon after, they stood before Bei Zhou's coffin.

The Nameless Traveler solemnly lit a stick of incense and said softly, "Years ago, on a stormy night atop a mountain, I witnessed the transformations of heaven and earth, the shifts of yin and yang. That divination consumed half my cultivation, forcing me into seclusion for years. Travelers from another world arriving here was an unexpected turning point for this realm. Yet the hidden dragon bides its time—when Your Majesty first arrived, your fate was rewritten, bearing a great calamity."

He sighed faintly. "To cross great rivers, one needs the right path. Bei Zhou accompanied Your Majesty through this trial, achieving what he sought."

Yu Wanyin only half-understood and couldn't help asking, "When you advised Uncle Bei to come to the capital to find His Majesty, did you already know he would... die shielding him?"

The Nameless Traveler remained silent, his face sorrowful.

Yu Wanyin struggled to accept this.

Those who glimpse heaven's secrets cannot save lives—instead, they must push events toward their destined ends. If so, what meaning is there in seeing the future?

The Nameless Traveler turned to Xiahou Dan. "Bei Zhou once told me that after his death, he wished to be buried beside an old friend, to remain with her forever. I hope Your Majesty will grant this."

Xiahou Dan nodded in agreement.

Countless questions swirled in Yu Wanyin's heart.Can the Nameless Guest calculate the fate of everyone? Does he know Xiahou Dan's future? How long does that future last? Can it be changed?

After deciphering the secrets of heaven, he sent Lin Xuanying. Yet after all these years of seeking solutions everywhere, Lin Xuanying remains powerless against Xiahou Dan's poison. Does this mean the Nameless Guest is also helpless?

Or perhaps Xiahou Dan's purpose is to bring renewal to this world, only to vanish like a shooting star?

Yet they had reached a dead end, with their last hope right before them.

Yu Wanyin opened her mouth to ask, but Xiahou Dan spoke first: "In your esteemed opinion, how should Xiahou Bo be dealt with?"

Nameless Guest: "Before the Emperor Star regains its brilliance, the nation's fortune has been suspended between the Martial and Greedy Wolf Stars. Now that the Greedy Wolf has fallen and the Martial Star dims, the fortune has yet to fully consolidate. If he were to die an unnatural death now, the Martial Star would extinguish, potentially harming the nation's destiny. I implore Your Majesty to reconsider."

Xiahou Dan: "So for the world to continue functioning normally, we must keep him alive until his natural end?"

"Nothing is absolute. Once the Emperor Star returns to its rightful place—"

Xiahou Dan raised a hand: "Just delay his death?"

Nameless Guest: "."

Nameless Guest: "That is the idea."

He narrowed his eyes and stroked his snow-white beard: "Man follows earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Way, the Way follows nature. Between heaven and earth, there is a grand momentum, like a mighty river, unstoppable in its flow. To go against it is often like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—impossible to break the situation."

Yu Wanyin felt he was hinting at something.

The question she had held back all this time was on the tip of her tongue, yet she dared not voice it now. She feared the answer would be "let it be."

At that moment, the Nameless Guest said: "To follow the direction of heaven's will—this is what is called understanding the Way."

Yu Wanyin's heart sank—as he spoke these words, his eyes fixed directly on her, carrying a cryptic smile.

The Nameless Guest asked softly: "Do you remember the twenty-four words I sent you years ago?"

The imperial mandate shifts, the Emperor Star brightens anew. Mars lingers at the heart, fortune and calamity hang by a thread. Five stars aligned, extreme adversity turns to prosperity.

Perhaps because she had heard too much of the Nameless Guest's mystical riddles, that night Yu Wanyin had a dream.

She was walking through a narrow, long corridor, passing palace maids who all wore expressions of anxiety, as if a great disaster loomed. They were so frantic that their bows to her were perfunctory, and none stopped to ask why she was there.

Her hands trembled in her sleeves, her palms damp with cold sweat, forcing her to grip the object in her hand tighter.

What was she about to do?—Kill someone.

Why kill him?—She couldn't remember, but she had to go, immediately.

"Imperial Concubine Yu, His Majesty is waiting for you." An Xian pushed open the door and bowed to her.

An Xian? Wasn't An Xian the one whose neck Prince Duan had snapped? And when had she become Imperial Concubine Yu again?

Yu Wanyin faintly realized this was a dream, yet her limbs in the dream moved beyond her control, step by step toward the Dragon Bed.

Don't go, stop now!

She lifted the bed curtain and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty."

The emaciated figure on the bed stirred, and a pair of sunken, gloomy eyes turned toward her—

Yu Wanyin gasped and jolted upright.

"Wan Yin?" Xiahou Dan, sleeping beside her, groggily opened his eyes.

Yu Wanyin remained rigid, unable to speak.

Xiahou Dan propped himself up, had the night attendants light the candles, then dismissed them. Turning to her, he asked: "Why do you look so pale? Did you have a nightmare?""Do you remember..." Yu Wanyin found her voice hoarse, "when we first met, I told you that the Tyrant in Demon Consort was assassinated at the end of the book?"

"Yes, but you couldn't recall who the assassin was at the time."

Yu Wanyin opened her mouth with difficulty, then closed it again.

She had just remembered who it was.

In the original story, she had been deeply devoted to Prince Duan, yet was constantly overshadowed by Xie Yong'er, never winning his affection. After several failed attempts to gain his favor, Prince Duan grew disgusted with her, openly declaring he never wanted to see her again.

In despair, she gave Prince Duan the ultimate gift.

She stabbed Xiahou Dan with a poisoned dagger, giving Prince Duan a legitimate reason to enter the palace as a Loyalist.

The Tyrant succumbed to his wounds, but the demon consort met no better fate. Prince Duan, unwilling to tarnish his glorious reign with the stain of rebellion, granted her three feet of white silk to accompany the Tyrant in death.

Yes, it was all the doing of a venomous woman—the great savior had no choice but to ascend the throne with tears in his eyes.

Though she knew this plot belonged only to the original story, Yu Wanyin was still sickened by the dream's content and timing.

Xiahou Dan: "What did you dream about? Want to tell me?"

"...Nothing." Yu Wanyin couldn't bring herself to say it, muttering under her breath, "It's just strange... why today, right after meeting that nameless guest..." Having just encountered a charlatan, only to dream of long-forgotten plot details—it was hard not to see it as some kind of omen.

Since she refused to elaborate, Xiahou Dan didn't press further: "It's fine. Dreams aren't real. You've just been in a bad mood lately."

His tone was utterly matter-of-fact, as if her "bad mood" stemmed from nothing more serious than an unsatisfactory dinner, rather than the fact that she was dying.

Yu Wanyin exhaled: "Let's sleep."

As he said, that plotline could never happen now. Xie Yong'er was dead, Xiahou Bo crippled, and every calamity from the original story had been nipped in the bud. They had changed their fate—even the so-called "five stars aligned" in the sky had passed...

Yu Wanyin stiffened and sat bolt upright.

Without waiting for Xiahou Dan to ask, she leapt out of bed and dashed to the window, throwing open the shutters to peer outside.

Xiahou Dan: "You didn't even put on shoes?"

The window's view was limited. After failing to spot anything, she rushed out the back door.

Xiahou Dan chased after her, hair disheveled, draping a cloak over her shoulders: "For heaven's sake, wear shoes."

Yu Wanyin stood frozen on the icy stone tiles of the courtyard, a statue gazing skyward.

Xiahou Dan followed her gaze: "...Ah."

In their familiar positions, five bright stars gleamed coldly, forming a flawless straight line.

The last time they'd checked, the tail of this line had still been curved. Back then, she'd thought the stars no longer aligned, signaling the crisis had passed. But it turned out—it simply hadn't arrived yet.

Xiahou Dan narrowed his eyes: "If I recall correctly, this portends the assassination of a ruler."

Yu Wanyin shuddered, her mind racing through every memory related to the nameless guest.

Unbidden, Lin Xuanying's words to Xiahou Dan echoed in her ears: "My master entrusted me with one more message: your meeting may not have been a blessing."

Her heart plummeted, sinking into an unfathomable abyss.The nameless guest told them to follow the guidance of destiny—could this "destiny" refer to the original plot?

Did that charlatan specifically instruct her to kill Xiahou Dan?

Yu Wanyin was furious.

She looked around, considering the feasibility of summoning the nameless guest in the middle of the night.

Xiahou Dan glanced at the sky, then at her, as if he had already understood something. He chuckled softly.

In the darkness, he looked as pale as a wandering ghost, yet his expression was calm. "The five stars aligned—when misfortune reaches its limit, prosperity follows. For this world, losing a mad king and gaining an empress is indeed a turn from adversity to prosperity."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Yu Wanyin snapped. "Only if you live will it be a turn from adversity to prosperity!"

Xiahou Dan placated her, "Alright, you have the final say. Put your shoes on."

Yu Wanyin: "..."

Since their reunion, Xiahou Dan had always acted... remarkably composed in front of her.

He behaved like a lovesick young man, clinging to her whenever possible, eating and drinking as usual, enjoying the peaceful days and living in the moment.

He seemed determined to ignore the impending death looming over them. Whenever Yu Wanyin was downcast, he would crack jokes to divert the conversation.

Yu Wanyin finally put on her shoes.

"It's freezing. Let's go back." Xiahou Dan pulled her inside and tucked her back into bed. "If you really can't sleep, why not do something to warm up?"

Yu Wanyin: "?"

Yu Wanyin: "Don’t you want to talk about this?"

"Talk about what? The assassination?" Xiahou Dan lay comfortably beside her. "I was thinking that when the time comes, rather than howling in madness for days before dying, I’d prefer a quick end. Maybe I’ll even beg you to do it."

His casual tone stabbed at Yu Wanyin’s heart like a knife. "Do you really think I could kill you?"

Xiahou Dan pondered for a moment. "It would be hard for you. But it’s fine. I’ll accept whatever you choose."

Something inside Yu Wanyin snapped.

"Whatever I choose," she repeated softly.

Xiahou Dan froze, then tried to backtrack. "That’s not what I meant..."

"You’re asking whether I’d prefer to kill you myself or watch you die slowly?"

Xiahou Dan panicked.

He stared at her stiffly for a moment before fumbling for a handkerchief.

"If you really meant to let me choose, you should have banished me from the palace on the first day, or waited until after your death to bring me back! I didn’t want to meet you, didn’t want to eat hotpot with you, didn’t want to fall for your tricks, didn’t want to read your letters..."

Xiahou Dan finally found an embroidered handkerchief and awkwardly offered it, but Yu Wanyin refused to take it.

She had held it in for too long, and now it all came pouring out. She trembled as she sobbed, "How could you be so cruel to me?"

Xiahou Dan fell silent for a moment before pulling her into his arms. Gently, he said, "Fortunately, the empress is magnanimous and will surely repay cruelty with kindness, complying with heaven and the people, reigning for millennia."

"I can’t!"

"You already can. A Bai reported that before I returned, you handled everything on your own. It’ll only get better from here." He patted her back soothingly. "Don’t cry. Let me make it up to you, alright? If this world has reincarnation, I’ll repay you in the next life."

"I don’t want the next life. I want this one." Yu Wanyin didn’t know who she was pleading with, nor did she care that she sounded unreasonable, like a child begging for the moon. "I want you to stay with me—"

Xiahou Dan: "..."

Xiahou Dan whispered, "No one wants to stay more than I do."Yu Wanyin sobbed slightly, vaguely noticing the unusual tone in his voice, and broke free from his embrace to look at him. Xiahou Dan's eyes were brimming with tears as he gazed at her tenderly yet helplessly.

"But I can't help it either."

Yu Wanyin suddenly realized she shouldn’t let Xiahou Dan’s efforts go to waste.

He had tried so hard to leave her with a memory of laughter, something to comfort her in the days to come. Yet she had made him cry.

She slowly steadied her breathing, took the silk handkerchief, and blew her nose. “Fine, then you’d better make it up to me.”

After the coldest days of winter passed, the weather gradually warmed.

There was still no reply to the secret letter sent to Tuer. The war in the Qiang Kingdom was chaotic, and they couldn’t even be sure if Tuer had received it.

Whenever the Emperor wasn’t attending court, he seized every opportunity to spend time with the Empress—boating under the moon, walking through snow to admire plum blossoms, or warming themselves by embroidered quilts and incense burners, delighting in each other’s company.

Xiahou Dan’s condition visibly worsened. He ate and slept less each day, his eye sockets sinking deeper, looking more and more like the Tyrant from her nightmares. Yu Wanyin knew his headaches were nearing their breaking point.

But he never showed a hint of pain in front of her. When it became unbearable, he would disappear for a while. Yu Wanyin pretended not to notice.

She had already cried once—there would never be a second time in this life.

At the Emperor’s behest, the Imperial Observatory selected an auspicious date for the Grand Ceremony of the Empress’s coronation.

From the preparation stage, this unprecedented ceremony shocked the court. The Emperor seemed determined to display his majesty, celebrate his long-delayed grasp of power, and proclaim the Empress’s exalted status to the world, cleansing her of the taint of being labeled an enchantress empress and accused of adultery.

This Grand Ceremony marked the dawn of a new era, so it had to be magnificent and innovative—not solemn and rigid, but elegant and radiant.

The newly reorganized Six Ministries faced their first major test, working tirelessly to coordinate everything.

Carriages laden with gold and jade ceremonial objects, brocade banners, and rare winter flowers from across the nation streamed through the palace gates, transforming the entire palace into a dazzling spectacle of crimson and emerald, fragrant and shimmering.

Three days before the ceremony, the great halls were already filled with a delicate, refreshing aroma. The Emperor led his officials in fasting and purification rites, offering prayers to heaven and earth.

On the day of the ceremony, music swelled in layers, flowers carpeted the path, and woven rugs stretched from the palace gates to the ceremonial hall. The resplendently adorned Empress walked gracefully forward, the glittering treasures on her Phoenix Crown cascading like a river of stars.

Yu Wanyin held her noble head high as she passed through the prostrate crowd, the long train of her Sacrificial Robe sweeping the ground like a swirling dream.

Lin Xuanying, in charge of security, watched her with a complicated expression as she strode proudly toward solitude.

After the elaborate rituals, the Empress knelt before the incense altar, performing the six solemnities, three kneelings, and three prostrations. The Emperor helped her rise, then stood hand in hand with her to receive the court’s homage.

The eight-year-old Little Crown Prince stepped forward with downcast eyes to pay his respects.

Since the Empress Dowager’s death, perhaps under the guidance of a wise mentor, he had suddenly become obedient. Not only had he tearfully repented before Xiahou Dan, but he had also sent gifts to Yu Wanyin’s palace, addressing her as “Empress Mother” with utmost deference, as if determined to prove himself a dutiful little puppet—making it difficult for anyone to find grounds to depose him for now.

The ministers echoed with cries of “Long live the Empress,” their bowed faces revealing mixed expressions—some wary, others reverent. The Yu Shaoqing family, who had narrowly escaped death, wept with emotion, while younger officials who had interacted with the Empress personally looked on with satisfaction.

Traditionally, the Grand Ceremony would have concluded here, perfectly fulfilled.But Xiahou Dan was clearly not satisfied with this. With a smile, he said, "On such a rare and auspicious day, the Empress and I have prepared a palace banquet to celebrate with all our beloved ministers."

Thus, the banquet continued from noon until night, with delicacies, Golden Nectar and Jade Dew, and sweet Tribute Fruits chilled in snow water flowing endlessly onto the tables.

This reckless extravagance made Li Yunxi frown deeply, exclaiming how improper it all was.

As night fell, Xiahou Dan, half-drunk, suddenly grinned and said, "Empress, watch me perform a magic trick for you."

With a grand wave of his hand, thousands of radiant streams of light rose from the flower shadows around them, blooming in clusters across the sky.

The temporarily enhanced fireworks displayed ingenious designs, with silver blossoms layered upon fiery trees, wave after wave, outshining even the stars and moon above.

The ministers gasped in awe, some laughing drunkenly, others composing impromptu poetry.

Li Yunxi, with Yang Duojie's arm slung over his shoulder as he loudly urged him to drink, had long since lost his temper.

Forget it… let them enjoy themselves for once. He could admonish them tomorrow.

Yu Wanyin had also been toasted many times. Though it was only Fruit Wine, after drinking for so long, her head was tilted, and her vision had grown blurry.

In her hazy sight, the flickering light of the fireworks played across Xiahou Dan’s flushed cheeks, and the surrounding clamor seemed to fade into silence. High above, the clear, dustless crescent moon hung in the sky, casting its compassionate gaze upon this dazzling, firework-lit world.

"Are you pleased, Empress?" Xiahou Dan leaned close to her ear and asked with a laugh.

It was both compensation and a gift—something to warm themselves with in the ashes when the storms of the future cut like knives.

Yu Wanyin felt the warmth of the wine she had drunk sear through her, slow-roasting her very insides.

Before she could answer, Xiahou Dan took her hand. "Let them drink. We’ll slip away first."

Once they left the clamor behind, her ears, unaccustomed to the sudden quiet, still rang faintly.

The Emperor and Empress dismissed their attendants to follow at a distance as they strolled leisurely along the corridor, walking off their meal. The fireworks had faded, and the deep blue moonlight reclaimed its dominion, transforming the Imperial Garden into a world of pristine crystal.

Yu Wanyin knew that in such a scene, they ought to whisper sweet nothings and hurry back to their chambers for a few hundred rounds of passion.

But the alcohol amplified the greed in her heart and loosened her tongue. What escaped her lips instead was: "If we weren’t in this book…"

She was still unsatisfied, still craving more.

The prophecy of the nameless wanderer and the nightmare of being trapped by fate had reawakened her existential crisis. If everything was predestined, were they merely playing roles? How much of their affection was tainted by "fate"?

From the moment Yu Wanyin arrived in this world, she had been thrust into hell mode, forced to fight for survival. Xiahou Dan was her only kindred spirit, her natural ally. Their coming together had seemed like the most logical thing in the world.

Now, at last, she had the luxury of overthinking—of obsessing over frustrating little details.

Like whether their mutual understanding and love were as inevitable for Xiahou Dan as they had been for her.

If they had never come to this world, if there had been others like them, would he still have loved her without distraction?

It was far too late to be pondering such questions. She didn’t know why she suddenly craved an answer so desperately, nor who could possibly provide one.

Before she could even organize her thoughts, Xiahou Dan picked up the thread of conversation: "If we weren’t in this book, by 2026, I’d have been working for a few years. We might have met on the subway or something."

Yu Wanyin: "?"Xiahou Dan gazed leisurely at the moonlight in the courtyard, his tone wistful: "That day, the subway was especially crowded. I was standing there scrolling through my phone when I suddenly noticed a girl sitting in front of me, also reading a novel on hers. Whatever she was reading must have been hilarious—she was grinning from ear to ear. I couldn’t help stealing a few more glances and realized she was really cute."

Yu Wanyin laughed and played along: "She probably wouldn’t like being stared at and might glare up at you. But then she’d see a handsome guy and silently forgive you."

Xiahou Dan: "Then I’d push my luck and ask for her WeChat. Would she give it to me?"

"...Hard to say."

"Please? I’m not a creep."

Yu Wanyin couldn’t hold back her amusement: "Fine, fine."

"Perfect. I’d chat with her about novels, invite her to movies, and take her to try all the top ten hotpot spots in the city. Every time we met, she’d seem even more interesting. Each day, we’d click better than the last. Then, if she didn’t seem to dislike me, I’d start sending her flowers—bouquet after bouquet, lots and lots of them."

Xiahou Dan stared at her unblinkingly, as if painting a sweet fantasy with his words: "How long could I hold out? Three months? Four? Maybe half a year? One day, on our way home, I’d clutch the ring box in my pocket and tell her, ‘I can’t imagine the rest of my life without you.’ I’d sneak a glance at her reaction, and if she didn’t respond... I’d wait a little longer."

Yu Wanyin burst out laughing: "No way. Are you really that much of a coward?"

"I’d be afraid she’d say no."

Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps the enchantment of the night, but Yu Wanyin’s heart raced wildly, and the fading blush crept back onto her cheeks.

Suddenly unable to bear the intensity of his gaze beside her, she turned her head slightly away: "Too bad there’s no subway here. Or movies."

"But there are still rings."

Xiahou Dan slowly knelt on one knee and presented a ring.

At first glance, Yu Wanyin saw the outstretched feathers of a phoenix poised for flight. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the sparse branches of a parasol tree woven between its wings.