61 Daxing

The Taiji Palace was the imperial palace of the Sui dynasty, construction of which began in the second year of the Kaihuang reign under Emperor Wen of Sui. After the Tang dynasty conquered the Sui, the main imperial inner court was also established here, remaining in use until the Daming Palace was built and gradually superseded it. However, having been completed only eighteen years ago, it was still the power center of the imperial court. Even its name was not the one later modified by the Tang dynasty, but rather its original designation—the Daxing Palace.

At this very moment, Shi Nian was walking through the Daxing Palace.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, yet the palace was already bustling with activity. Guards holding long halberds patrolled in formation. This was the outer court, where the presence of women was rare; occasionally, a few palace maids passed by carrying fruit and tea.

Shi Nian wore a light pink, chest-high ruqun dress, her long hair coiled into double buns, dressed precisely like an authentic little palace maid. She walked along the covered corridor, appearing composed and dignified. Yet, the moment she rounded a corner, she immediately plastered herself against a pillar, peeking left and right with a stealthy air. A moment later, she turned back and whispered, "The coast is clear, hurry over!"

A tall figure darted out from the wall on cue, stepping right beside her. The moment Shi Nian caught sight of that face, her expression contorted slightly. She tried hard to hold it in for a long time, but ultimately failed and burst out laughing. The other person looked speechless. "You've been laughing the entire way here. Have you still not had enough?"

Shi Nian chuckled, "Can you really blame me? Your look right now is honestly just too hilarious, ha-ha-ha!"

Yang Guang rubbed the thick beard on his face, then looked at the girl laughing so hard her stomach hurt. For the first time, he wondered if his decision had truly been wrong, and perhaps he should have chosen a different method to deal with his eldest brother.

Since he had decided to storm the court assembly, the first step naturally required entering the palace, which was not an overly difficult task for Yang Guang. The Crown Princess had informed the Grand Inspector, Zhang Heng, of his return. As one of Yang Guang's trusted and favored ministers, Zhang Heng had previously believed his master had no hope of survival and that his own political siding had failed. Feeling that life had lost its meaning, he was abruptly struck by this monumental piece of good news, and was so overwhelmed with excitement he almost cried on the spot.

Of course, good news did not come for free. At Yang Guang's behest, Zhang Heng shouldered the heavy responsibility of smuggling them into the palace. Proving himself worthy of Yang Guang's high regard, Zhang Heng possessed formidable operational capabilities and quickly made all the arrangements. Thus, at dawn today, during the shift change of the palace gate guards, Shi Nian and Yang Guang disguised themselves as water-cart servants and slipped into the imperial palace via the eastern ChangLe Gate, shielded by guards whom Zhang Heng had bribed.

Replacement clothing had long been prepared for them within the palace, but another problem soon arose. Shi Nian could easily pass as a palace maid; after all, no one knew her, so she would not be exposed right away. Yang Guang, however, could not. As the reigning crown prince and the future master of the Daxing Palace, far too many people here were familiar with him. Even after changing into guard attire and pasting a thick circle of coarse beard onto his face, he still could not set his mind at ease, remaining hidden and cautious the entire way. Yet, Shi Nian acted as though she were completely oblivious to the danger of their situation, bursting into suppressed giggles every time she looked at his face, almost getting them discovered at one point.

He had never realized she was so fond of laughing before!

"Fine, go ahead and laugh," Yang Guang suddenly leaned against a pillar, wearing an expression of absolute resignation. "If you get spotted by my eldest brother's men and hacked to pieces as rebels later, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Do you find me a hindrance now? Last night, when I said I wouldn't come, who was the one who insisted I had to?" Shi Nian retorted. "I told you, I can't carry heavy loads with my shoulders nor lift them with my hands, and my combat strength is the absolute lowest in the entire group. Nie Cheng, Bruce, and Zhang Ke are each a hundred times stronger than me. What kind of mindset possessed you to cast aside perfectly capable helpers and insist on dragging along dead weight like me?"

Thinking of this infuriated her.

Yang Guang could not enter the palace alone. For certain reasons, one of Shi Nian's group had to accompany him. Nie Cheng's original plan was to personally make this trip with Yang Guang. To his surprise, when he brought it up, Yang Guang looked directly at Shi Nian and said, "I don't want any of you. I only want her."

Shi Nian: "..."

She was tired. She was truly tired.

From the Han dynasty to the Ming, and now to the Sui and Tang, every single trip required her to infiltrate an imperial palace, and every time it was through smuggling. She was practically developing psychological trauma. She had foolishly thought this trip to the Sui imperial palace would offer a chance to slack off. After all, with three men present, the tasks demanded high physical prowess (while she considered her forte to be intellect), so surely the lot would not fall to her.

Yet a single sentence from Yang Guang shattered her illusions. Consequently, she had to abandon her sweet dream of a relaxing vacation in the Sui dynasty—waiting idly for her colleagues to finish the work so she could pack up and go home—and once again plunge herself onto the perilous front lines.

So filled with grief and indignation was she that before setting off at dawn, she had grabbed Nie Cheng by the neck and threatened, "Remember this, I am on two business trips! Two trips! When we get back, my bonus must be calculated in double!"

Sensing the girl's resentment, Yang Guang smiled softly, "I don't trust others; I only trust you." After a pause, he added, "It doesn't matter if you're a hindrance. I'm more than happy to be hindered by you. I will protect you."

Shi Nian: "..."

She shivered slightly and resolved not to utter a single complaint about this issue ever again!

The two walked a bit further. This path was quite secluded, devoid of people along the way. Yang Guang asked, "Is your friend certain to be in the palace? How come we haven't seen her yet?"

Shi Nian closed her eyes to sense for a moment. "Positive. She's right ahead, we're almost there..."

Before her voice faded, a familiar figure appeared in the pavilion ahead. Shi Nian waved excitedly in greeting, "Xiaxia! Xiaxia, it's me, Shi Nian! We finally found you!"

Yes, the newcomer was none other than Meng Xia, whom they had not laid eyes on since the mission began.

Zhang Ke had told them that after he and Meng Xia arrived in the Sui dynasty, they split into two routes. He went to approach the Crown Princess, Lady Xiao, while Meng Xia upheld the traditional tenet of Section 7—that "all women must become spies"—and chose a task of even higher difficulty. She penetrated deep into enemy territory and won the trust of the deposed crown prince, Yang Yong.

Shi Nian did not know how she had managed it, but considering she herself had already conquered several emperors, Meng Xia, as a senior agent who was both strikingly beautiful and talented in song and dance, subduing a deposed crown prince was hardly surprising. However, because she stayed by Yang Yong's side and had been living with him in the Daxing Palace over the past two days, she had been unable to rendezvous with them. Yet, after hearing Yang Guang's plan, Zhang Ke suggested they could find a way to meet Meng Xia.

"You have to enter the palace anyway. She has been by Yang Yong's side for so long; perhaps she possesses something that can help you."

This was the very reason Shi Nian had to be the one to come. Since they had no way to transmit messages to Meng Xia, they could only rely on the resonance between the spiritual strings of their teammates. Shi Nian had initially worried that the imperial palace was so vast that even if she knew Meng Xia's coordinates, she would be discovered before she had time to find her. Nie Cheng, however, had reassured her, "Xiaxia is highly experienced and sharp-witted. By now, she must have already sensed our strings and knows we have regrouped. Therefore, as long as someone enters the palace, she will perceive it and naturally find a way to meet up with you. Don't worry."

His evaluation of Meng Xia was quite high as well.

True to Nie Cheng's prediction, the moment Meng Xia laid eyes on Shi Nian, she blurted out, "Why are you the one who came in? I thought it would be the team leader. He came too, right? And Bruce as well. When I sensed your strings a few days ago, I breathed a massive sigh of relief. You're finally here; if you hadn't come soon, I really would have been out of ideas!"

Dressed in a peacock-blue ruqun with overlapping collars, hairpins swaying, and bright, expressive eyes, Meng Xia was not actually all that familiar to Shi Nian. Yet she showed no trace of distance, grabbing Shi Nian's hands and rattling off a stream of words.

Then, she glanced at Yang Guang standing beside them. Just as Shi Nian was about to introduce him, Meng Xia raised an eyebrow and asked, "This must be His Highness the Crown Prince, right?"

"You knew?"

"I guessed," Meng Xia replied. "Since you guys didn't show up in the Sui dynasty and Yang Guang had vanished, Zhang Ke and I analyzed at the time that you must have gone to look for him. Now that you've returned, at this timing, appearing in the palace alongside you—apart from the principal master you brought back, I couldn't think of anyone else. What are your plans next? Are you going to crash the court assembly and wreck the show?"

To think she had guessed with such pinpoint accuracy!

"My lady's conjecture is spot on." Yang Guang had been listening to their conversation and raised no objection to Meng Xia calling him directly by his name. Only then did he suddenly speak up, "We indeed intend to crash the court assembly and wreck the show."

A smile flickered across Meng Xia's face. "Since that is the case, I also have some items I wish to hand over to His Highness."

With that, she drew an envelope from her bosom and handed it over. Yang Guang opened it, flipped through the contents, and his eyes instantly lit up. "This is..."

"With Your Highness's intelligence, risking an intrusion into the palace can't simply be for the sake of announcing your return, right? If I guessed correctly, these materials can serve precisely to assist the Crown Prince in achieving your goal."

The two exchanged glances. A moment later, Yang Guang also curled his lips into a smile. "I'm beginning to understand why the eldest brother took a fancy to my lady."

Shi Nian was bewildered by this sudden meeting of minds. "You two, my IQ isn't high enough for this. What are you talking about? Would someone please be so kind as to explain?"

Yang Guang asked, "Do you remember what I asked Third Lady that night? When she concealed the news of my disappearance, after it was discovered, didn't Father and Mother punish her?"

Of course she remembered. What had the Crown Princess said at the time?

"Mother was furious at first, interrogating me about my intentions, and even suspecting I harbored ill intentions toward His Highness. Later... later, I confessed my worries to Mother, saying I feared that if the news of His Highness's disappearance spread, it would prove even more detrimental to him. Upon hearing that, Mother suddenly calmed her rage. However, she still ordered me to undergo self-reflection behind closed doors. Today, it was only because Master Zhang sent someone with a message that I managed to sneak out..."

"Concealing the news of the Crown Prince's disappearance and lying to deceive the Emperor and Empress—for a matter this grave, she was merely sentenced to confinement. Do you think that is reasonable?" Yang Guang said.

Shi Nian pondered for a moment before cautiously replying, "It doesn't seem very reasonable. Could it be because Her Majesty the Empress has a relatively good temper?"

"Mother's temper has never been good. The only reason she pardoned Third Lady is because she understood her."

Meng Xia remarked, "It seems Her Majesty the Empress also harbors suspicions toward the Eldest Prince."

At this point, seeing Shi Nian still wearing a dazed expression, Yang Guang's patience finally wore thin. He irritably poked her forehead and said, "When I suddenly vanished, from an outsider's perspective, who benefited the most?"

"Of course it was Yang Yong..." Shi Nian suddenly caught on. "Oh, oh, oh! You mean Empress Dugu suspects that your disappearance was orchestrated by Yang Yong?!"

That made it entirely reasonable!

After all, with a crown prince mysteriously vanishing, the imperial couple would inevitably investigate. Since they had no idea Yang Guang had actually gone on vacation to the Tang dynasty, they would naturally suspect a conspiracy, casting suspicion on anyone linked to the incident.

"Mother likely lacks concrete evidence, which is why she has endured in silence. But the seed of doubt has already been sown. Tell me, if I suddenly charge out during the investiture of the new crown prince and declare that my disappearance was all my eldest brother's doing, the scene is bound to be quite entertaining, wouldn't you say?"

So this was his plan all along?

Shi Nian looked blankly at the envelope in his hand. "Then, this is..."

"Boom—"

A sudden sound of drums made the three of them turn their heads. In the distance ahead, solemn beats of drums rolled across the sky, rumbling with such force that the glazed chiwen dragons on the roof ridges of the Taiji Palace seemed ready to spread their wings and fly.

Meng Xia said, "The civil and military officials are entering the court."

Indeed. The morning sun was rising, the palace gates opened, and today's court assembly was about to begin.

In other words, very soon, Yang Guang would be officially declared dead by the empire, while Yang Yong would once again ascend to the Eastern Palace.

As Shi Nian drifted off in thought, another voice rang out from her ear, "Who goes there!"

Several patrolling imperial guards stood outside the pavilion, eyeing them with guarded vigilance. Shi Nian had not expected to be discovered and was at a loss for what to do when Meng Xia stepped forward. "It's me. Don't you recognize me?"

The leading guard was startled at first, but upon recognizing her face, he immediately cupped his hands in a salute. "So it is Lady Meng. Why are you here? Does the Eldest Prince have any instructions?"

...

"Why I am here—do I need to report that to you?"

Her arrogant tone was such that the guard did not dare to act out, leaving Shi Nian marveling inwardly. Meng Xia's demeanor was even more overbearing than her own had been back when she was Emperor Wu of Han's favored concubine; it appeared she truly held a position of high status by Yang Yong's side.

Having silenced the guard with a few words, Meng Xia intended to lead Shi Nian and the others away. However, another guard on the right spoke up, "Wait."

The three of them stopped. The guard ignored Meng Xia and stared fixedly at Yang Guang beside her, his gaze sharp. "Who are you?"

Meng Xia replied, "This is my personal guard. What, is there a problem?"

"To inform my lady, the rest of us just received orders to step up patrols and vigilance today, taking strict precautions against suspicious individuals sneaking into the palace to disrupt the grand court assembly. This is the Eldest Prince's directive; surely my lady was not unaware?"

Meng Xia choked on her words. The guard continued, "As for this little brother by my lady's side, he looks rather unfamiliar. Where was he stationed previously?"

Before Yang Guang could answer, another guard chimed in, "No, wait. I find him somewhat familiar, and his build also looks like someone I've seen before... Raise your head and let me take a clear look."

We're done for.

Done for, done for, done for.

Shi Nian's mental alarm bells blared furiously. These men clearly showed absolute loyalty to Yang Yong. If they recognized Yang Guang, would they even make it alive to the Taiji Palace?!

The man stepped closer as he spoke, attempting to see Yang Guang's face clearly. Faster than thought, a flash of white light cut through the air. Yang Guang drew his saber and plunged it straight into the man's abdomen without a moment's hesitation. Caught completely off guard, the guard gasped as Yang Guang wrenched the blade free and swept it backward in a counter-stroke, slitting the throats of the other two!

The entire sequence happened far too quickly. By the time Shi Nian reacted, three corpses were already lying on the ground. Yang Guang turned back and grabbed her hand—acting as though this very hand had not just snuffed out three lives a split second ago—and dragged her away while saying, "The eldest brother is on guard; we must hurry."

Shi Nian: "..."

"What's wrong with you?" Seeing her complexion turn sour, he lowered his head and asked with concern.

Shi Nian grabbed his arm, speaking in a weak, collapsing tone, as if she could no longer bear the strain: "...Next time you're going to kill someone, could you please give me a heads-up in advance?!"

If this kept up, she feared she would need a psychological counselor the moment she returned!

Seeing those men dead, Shi Nian knew their movements would likely be exposed very soon, for the news of three dead bodies within the imperial palace could not be kept under wraps for long, and there was no suitable place to conceal the corpses there. Sure enough, chaotic clamor soon echoed from the surrounding area, accompanied by the disordered footsteps of soldiers who sounded precisely as though they were searching for something.

"What are we going to do now?" she asked nervously.

Yang Guang did not answer, but instead looked ahead and said, "We've arrived."

Only then did Shi Nian notice that a towering hall stood before them, fronted by a vast plaza. Compared to the Hanyuan Hall of the Daming Palace, it was naturally far inferior, yet it still radiated boundless magnificence.

Especially with the layers of imperial guards standing in armed garrison outside the hall at this moment, giving the place an inviolable, stern solemnity.

The central court of the Daxing Palace—the Taiji Palace, where today's court assembly was being held.

Shi Nian swallowed hard. "We've arrived? Are we... going inside? Do you guys have a way to get in?"

This was what she had been wondering just now: even if they successfully reached the Taiji Palace, what were they supposed to do? Under the gaze of a crowd, could they possibly just stroll in?

"What else can we do? We walk right in, of course."

With those words, Yang Guang stepped directly out from behind a large pillar. Shi Nian was startled and lunged to grab him, but grasped only empty air, watching helplessly as he walked straight to the edge of the plaza.

The outermost guards spotted him first and exchanged perplexed looks. Someone demanded, "Where are you stationed? Don't you know unauthorized approach is forbidden here? Step back."

Hearing this, Yang Guang halted his steps, yet made no move to retreat. The crowd grew even more suspicious, and some gripped the hilts of their sabers in alertness. Acting as though he hadn't noticed, Yang Guang smiled faintly, "I request an audience. Crown Prince Yang Guang has urgent matters and seeks an audience with His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress."

A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the ranks.

Someone angrily rebuked, "What nonsense are you spouting? His Highness the Crown Prince has long since... Today is the Eldest Prince's investiture grand ceremony. If you dare cause trouble here again, you shall be charged with the crime of great disrespect!"

"Wait, look at his face..." Another man pressed down his comrade's hand and muttered in a low voice, "Why does he look somewhat like..."

The first speaker gritted his teeth upon hearing this. He had recognized Yang Guang at first glance, but as a trusted loyalist of Yang Yong, he had pulled strings to get himself stationed outside the Taiji Palace precisely to guard against this exact scenario. Turning the matter over in his mind, he made a swift decision, "Regardless, the grand ceremony takes precedence. Subdue this person first, and report to His Majesty after the ceremony is concluded!"

As long as the Eldest Prince was successfully invested, even if Yang Guang returned, staging a comeback would not be so easy!

At his command, the surrounding soldiers closed in around Yang Guang. Yang Yong had replaced the majority of the personnel stationed outside the Taiji Palace, but the remaining guards were not all familiar with Yang Guang, nor did all of them possess such sharp eyes. Even if they felt suspicious, the gravity of the situation deterred them from acting rashly, causing them to draw their sabers with hesitation.

Yang Guang let out a soft sigh, as if anticipating this outcome all along, and kicked out, squarely hitting the chest of the foremost guard! That man crashed backward, knocking over two more guards in the process. The crowd was shocked and rushed forward. Amidst the chaos, Yang Guang did not forget to look back and flash a smile, "I gave you a heads-up this time!"

Shi Nian: "..."

While Shi Nian and the others experienced a heart-pounding ordeal outside the Taiji Palace, inside the hall, another person's inner world was surging with turbulent waves.

Today, all the civil and military officials had gathered, densely packing the entire Taiji Palace from end to end. Holding a jade tablet of authority, Yang Yong stood at the very front, gazing up toward the dais of nine steps. The emperor had fallen ill and had not held court for some days, but today he had forced himself to attend, sitting upright upon the imperial throne in full court robes and crown. Beside him sat Empress Dugu in official court attire. As Yang Yong gazed at his mother's beautiful yet entirely expressionless face, his heart trembled imperceptibly.

Although the current ruler of the great Sui was his father, in Yang Yong's heart, the person he feared and revered the most had always been this noble-born, iron-fisted mother of his.

After all, even his demotion back then had been masterminded single-handedly by his mother...

At this thought, a surge of grievance and resentment welled up within Yang Yong. Yes, he admitted he had made mistakes in the past— pampering concubines and indulging in luxury. The former had touched upon his mother's ultimate taboo, while the latter had displeased his father. But regardless, his crimes did not warrant being stripped of his position! The sole reason his mother had been so resolute in deposing him was none other than the instigation of Erlang!

Erlang.

Yang Yong's heart tightened. The events of this past period flickered across his mind. A year after being reduced to a commoner, he had already given up hope, yet somehow, Erlang had inexplicably vanished! An opportunity for a comeback had unexpectedly fallen into his lap!

His advisors had told him this was a blessing bestowed by the heavens and deities, one that he must grasp firmly. And grasp it he had. Over these past few months, he had reined in his past temper, served his imperial father and mother with filial piety, curried favor with his mother, and learned to cater to their preferences just as Erlang used to do, ultimately shifting their impression of him bit by bit.

Yet lingering worries remained—what if Erlang suddenly returned? Consequently, he had quietly replaced many of the palace and city guards with his own men, stepping up patrols to ensure that should Erlang appear, he could capture him before his imperial parents ever learned of it.

Yet until now, Erlang had not reappeared.

"Kneel!"

At the ceremonial officer's chant, Yang Yong snapped abruptly back to reality. On the dais of nine steps, the chief imperial eunuch held a tray bearing an imperial decree. The white jade scroll and bright yellow damask were adorned with auspicious clouds, soaring cranes, and golden dragons dancing—the highest-spec edict of the imperial dynasty, historically reserved for announcing earth-shattering affairs. Yang Yong had seen two such edicts before: once twenty years ago when he was invested as crown prince, and the other last year when he was stripped of his position in the Eastern Palace.

Now, a third awaited him.

Today was his reinstatement ceremony.

Stepping forward from the crowd, Yang Yong knelt in the center of the grand hall. Minister of Works Yang Su picked up the imperial decree and unrolled it under the gaze of the officials and the imperial couple. He was the chief promulgator of the decree today, but Yang Yong knew he was actually one of Yang Guang's men. Back then, Yang Su and Yang Guang had plotted together to drive him from his position as crown prince, yet now, Yang Su was forced to personally read aloud his investiture decree.

A sense of security finally washed over him.

Erlang would never return.

Perhaps he had already perished in some unknown corner, while he himself was destined to become the future master of the Great Sui...

"Ah—"

A sudden clamor erupted from outside, sounding jarringly abrupt in such a setting. Startled, the crowd turned back to look, and Empress Dugu even rose directly to her feet, demanding, "What is going on?"

A eunuch trembled as he stammered, "R-Reporting to Your Majesties, the Emperor and Empress, two assassins suddenly broke in outside the hall. The imperial guards are engaged in subduing them with all their might, and they will certainly not allow this to... to disrupt the grand ceremony..."

Even the eunuch knew how laughable those words sounded. The crown prince's reinstatement ceremony had been gatecrashed by assassins who were currently brawling right outside the Taiji Palace; the ritual had already been disrupted, and every single guard stationed outside the hall today was guilty of a capital offense with no excuse to offer!

Empress Dugu already possessed a volatile temper, and today she felt especially vexed. Upon hearing this, anger flared within her, but a sudden sense of discord struck her mind. What assassins would storm the palace on this specific day, of all days, and cause a scene right outside the Taiji Palace? With so many garrison troops stationed about, could any assassin possibly believe they could force their way in?

This looked far more like a deliberate attempt to lure them out...

"Jialuo," Yang Jian called out softly.

Empress Dugu gave a cold smile. "Your Majesty, since someone wants us to step outside, let's go out and take a look."

At the Empress's command, no one dared to disobey, and the assembly filed out of the Taiji Palace. Upon emerging, they beheld a chaotic scene on the expansive plaza: numerous imperial guards had surrounded a man and a woman who were locked in fierce combat. Although the guards outnumbered the pair a hundredfold, they repeatedly failed to subdue them. Upon closer inspection, the officials realized it wasn't because the duo possessed truly supernatural martial prowess, but rather because the guards seemed restrained by some misgiving, none daring to strike a fatal blow first.

Yang Yong had been annoyed by the interruption of the grand ceremony, but as his gaze brushed against the blue-robed figure among them, he cried out in stunned disbelief, "Xiaxia!"

The woman was precisely Meng Xia, whom he had taken in by his side two months ago! Why was she here?!

...

Only after shouting her name did he snap back to reality, casting a terrified glance toward Empress Dugu. The incident involving Lady Yunzhaoxun was still fresh in his memory, and terrified of repeating past mistakes, he had refrained from officially taking this woman as a concubine despite his favor, keeping her around merely in the capacity of a maid, and had never once mentioned her in front of his mother.

He had been far too startled just now, completely forgetting the occasion!

To his surprise, however, his mother acted as though she hadn't heard his cry at all, her eyes fixed solely on those two figures... No, she was not looking at Meng Xia; the sole focus of her gaze was the man standing beside her.

Yang Yong abruptly realized that the man's build also looked deeply familiar. Frowning tighter and tighter, his eyes finally widened in sheer disbelief.

That was...

"Stop!" Empress Dugu suddenly bellowed.

Almost simultaneously with her shout, a long blade struck the man, carving a long, deep gash from his chest downwards. The man staggered and fell, his chest rapidly staining crimson with blood. The surrounding guards could have swarmed him, but Empress Dugu's command froze them in place, hesitation staying their blades.

Empress Dugu strode rapidly forward, shoving aside the people in her way, and stared down at him. "Erlang? Erlang, is that you? Is it really you? You're still alive? You didn't die?!"

Under the sunlight, the man lifted his head. Wielding a long blade in one hand to barely support his body, he used his other hand to tear away the false beard piece by piece, revealing that clean, handsome, and utterly familiar face. "Yes, Mother. Erlang is still alive. I have returned."

The assembled officials erupted in uproar.

Following months of searching, almost everyone had concluded that Yang Guang was dead. To witness his sudden reappearance now provoked an initial, instinctive doubt that their eyes were playing tricks on them. Yet upon closer inspection, those brows, those eyes—it was indisputably the crown prince who had vanished for months.

He had returned!

"I saw from afar that it was you; I couldn't possibly be mistaken. Where have you gone? Mother never believed you were dead. A son of mine, Dugu Jialuo, would never vanish so silently..."

Empress Dugu had always favored this second son the most. Now, confronted with his miraculous return from the dead, even her iron will could not stem the tears welling in her eyes.

Opposite her, Yang Guang struggled to his knees, gripping his mother's hand. As he lifted his face slightly, his own eyes were red-rimmed. "Erlang cheated death, never expecting to behold Mother once more. Erlang is unfilial, causing Mother worry and making Father fall ill with anxiety. I truly deserve a thousand deaths..."

Yang Jian had remained silent this entire time, merely observing his two sons mutual accusations. While Empress Dugu's emotions remained transparent, no one could fathom what the emperor was thinking.

Yet Yang Guang knew the critical moment had arrived.

Retrieving a blood-stained envelope from his sleeve, he shuffled forward on his knees to kneel before Yang Jian. Holding the envelope high above his head with both hands, he declared in a voice loud enough for all to hear: "Your son is here to accuse the deposed crown prince, Yang Yong, of rebellion and defying human relations. Taking advantage of the Emperor's illness, he conspired with Prime Minister Gao Jiong to seize control of the imperial palace with nine armies the moment the dragon ascends to heaven—an act of supreme disrespect! I hold personal secret letters written in their own hands as proof, and pray that Father will thoroughly investigate this!"