Inner Court, Imperial Palace, Jade Capital. “Leave us.” Xie Wei’s voice was cold and sharp, her frosty gaze cutting across the physician bowing deeply before her. Every line in her expression screamed useless trash. The physician wiped the sweat from his forehead, nodding rapidly before scurrying out like a mouse chased by a hawk. “Next.” Xie Wei’s tone was like winter frost, her Empress’s authority radiating outward in invisible waves. The surrounding guards and palace maids froze, silent as cicadas in the cold. Not daring to breathe too loudly, they rushed to summon the next physician waiting outside. Meanwhile, Xie Wei sat by the imperial bed, her beautiful face shadowed with worry as she looked at the Emperor lying weakly before her. It had been days since the Emperor had returned from his inspection tour of the Jade Capital, where he had accidentally entered the Apparel Atelier ghost domain and suffered grievous injuries from an attack by the atelier ghost. In these days, the Empress spent her mornings managing endless palace affairs, stabilizing the recently rebuilt court. But whenever she found a moment of rest, or when night fell, she would come here without fail, staying by the Emperor’s side. Now, exhaustion had reddened her eyes, but when she gazed at Li Yuan, her voice softened like silk. “Your Majesty, please rest well. As long as I am here, everything else is taken care of.” Li Yuan weakly opened his eyes, lids heavy, his pale face glistening faintly with sweat. His breathing was shallow and faint, his whole appearance suggesting that he was far closer to the Yellow Springs than to the living. Even so, he managed to gently pat the back of Xie Wei’s hand, his voice hoarse and frail, “This…cursed ailment…how could mere physicians hope to cure it? Empress…do not make it hard on them.” Xie Wei nodded softly, biting back the turmoil in her chest. Just then, the clatter of metal rang out from the distance. It was the sharp, deliberate clash of armor scales. Heavy boots approached rapidly until a booming voice erupted at the doorway. “I am Dugu Qiu, Great General of Swallowcloud Province’s army! Who dares block my path?!” Xie Wei’s expression shifted, her clear, worried gaze instantly turning deep and calculating. A storm gathered behind her elegant composure, a flash of cold lightning dancing in her eyes. Her lips curved slightly, though there was no warmth in her smile as she spoke, each word like a drawn blade: “How daring… Someone would disregard His Majesty’s safety and insist on barging in?!” The surrounding maids lowered their heads in unison, afraid to even breathe. Xie Wei withdrew her hand from Li Yuan’s and rose to her feet. She was not merely an Empress. She was the leader of Ocean Province’s shadow guard, the secret blade hidden beneath the Empire’s veneer of stability. In the darkness, her power was sharper and deadlier than any cavalry charge. For this trip to the capital, she had naturally brought her strongest operatives. Some of her shadow guards had already infiltrated the Jade Capital long before, others had arrived weeks earlier to seize control of small sects and information networks. Some were disguised as palace maids or guards, while others quietly burrowed into the forces of rival military provincial governors. They were her hidden eyes and ears, which meant she had already been watching Dugu Qiu long before today. The man was defiant by nature, unwilling to accept the growing closeness between the Emperor and the Xie Clan. He was the loudest voice of dissent, and the most diligent in sending portraits of beautiful women to the Emperor in hopes of gaining favor. And if he dared storm the palace today, it was only because he had the backing of the eight other powerful  provincial governors. Xie Wei understood this perfectly. After a quick calculation of her next steps, she strode calmly toward the entrance to face the Dugu Qiu. In the distance, a heated argument soon erupted. From his couch, Li Yuan could faintly hear fragments of their exchange drifting through the hall. “His Majesty requires rest.” “And who’s to say the Xie Clan isn’t scheming to seize control of the throne, using the Emperor as their puppet and deceiving the realm?” “General Dugu, I advise you not to cross this line.” “Oh? Then perhaps you’d like to test whether the hundreds of thousands of troops behind me would dare to cross it instead?” The voices rose, sharp as drawn steel. The tension in the imperial palace had reached a breaking point. The arguing outside grew louder, voices rising and tension thickening with the sound of drawn blades. Li Yuan let out a quiet sigh. Such was the way of imperial affairs. Everyone wanted to cling to the Emperor, to lay claim to righteousness. And the surest way to secure power? That was to get a woman from your own clan to bear the Emperor’s child. Only then would one have a real shot at seizing the throne. Right now, only the Xie Clan held that advantage. How could the others not be desperate? Originally, they could have waited for the Emperor to take more consorts. But instead, the Emperor had gone to that damn Apparel Atelier and ended up seriously injured, bedridden for days. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝕟𝕖𝕥 Now that he was confined to his chambers, the provincial governors could no longer afford to sit and wait. After all, what if the Emperor suddenly died? Then wouldn’t the Xie Clan be the ones dictating the contents of his final edict? At times , every minute of delay risked the collapse of an entire faction. None of them were fools. None would stand by idly. And Dugu Qiu was the first to move. From afar, his cold voice rang out across the palace grounds. “Who’s to say the Emperor’s injury at the Apparel Atelier wasn’t orchestrated by the Xie Clan itself? Hmph…! What a ruthless and cunning plan, cloaked in loyalty and devotion! But you won’t fool the world, not this time. I will see the emperor today. If the Empress tries to stop me now, then next time I come, I won’t come alone!” Finally, Xie Wei could no longer hold the general back. Dugu Qiu stormed into the inner palace, but the moment he entered the chamber, he reined in his fury and lowered himself to one knee before Li Yuan. “Dugu Qiu, paying respects to Your Majesty. I have come uninvited, not out of disrespect but out of concern. Concern for Your Majesty’s wounds…and concern that small-minded traitors might keep Your Majesty hidden from the truth.” “You!” Xie Wei arrived just behind him, eyes blazing with fury. However, Dugu Qiu ignored the Empress’s glare completely. He kept his gaze fixed firmly on Li Yuan and spoke with unwavering conviction. “Your Majesty, there are things I must say. I beg your forgiveness for my boldness.” Then, without waiting, he continued, “The Xie Clan already has a crown prince. Do they truly still care for Your Majesty’s health? “Just look, it’s been days, and not a single physician has managed to treat you properly. Meanwhile, we of the other other provinces—Swallowcloud, Stellar Sea, Hidden Dragon, Wildsouth, Harmony, Silkfloss, Hidden River, and Cloudpeak—we all long for Your Majesty’s swift recovery and return to power, to restore order across the land! “Therefore, I beseech Your Majesty. Grant us, the generals of the other eight provinces, entry to the palace to protect our sovereign! I know I have sinned by coming here unbidden. But my heart is loyal, loyal beyond doubt, loyal as the sun and moon bear witness. Please, Your Majesty… forgive this offense!” With that, Dugu Qiu dropped both hands to the ground and gave a heavy kowtow before the Emperor. “You! When has my Xie Clan ever acted as you claim!” Xie Wei’s voice trembled with rage, her glare so intense it seemed she might set the general aflame where he knelt. But deep inside, she knew the truth. The situation had already become a blade pressed to the throat, a clash with no room for retreat. Civil war could erupt at any moment. Just then, a weak voice sounded from the bed. “Your Majesty!” Dugu Qiu immediately straightened, eyes full of urgency. Li Yuan exhaled slowly. “The Xie Clan…is not as you claim. I…see things clearly.” Dugu Qiu remained silent, saying nothing, but his meaning was plain. So what if you see clearly? So what if the Xie Clan is truly loyal? We asked for something, and you didn’t give it. That means you still don’t understand. You’re the Emperor. You should know what we mean. So? What now? “I may be weak,” Li Yuan said coldly, “but I’m not dead.” Dugu Qiu’s voice turned sharp as a blade. “The entire palace is filled with Xie Clan members. Your Majesty truly sees no danger for yourself?!” Li Yuan gave a light cough, then said, “General Gao.” The moment the words left his mouth, the sound of hooves exploded outside the palace. It was fast and thunderous like wind and rain crashing down. Within moments, the pounding drew near. Then, before anyone could react, a towering figure in silver armor and holding a red spear, face hidden beneath a battle helm, pushed open the doors and strode inside. He walked directly to Li Yuan’s side, ignoring the stunned look in Xie Wei’s eyes. With a heavy thud, he planted his long spear onto the floor. The sound echoed like a war drum, striking straight into the hearts of everyone present. “I am ready to die for His Majesty,” Gao Kaiping boomed. Outside, the warhorse still snorted restlessly. Dugu Qiu’s eyes flicked up, meeting Gao Kaiping’s gaze and found himself staring down an immovable mountain. Gao Kaiping. What kind of man was he? He was a loyal soul, a warrior unmatched in life and even stronger in death. The most formidable of all fourth ranks. Even a shaky half-step third rank like Qing Hancheng wouldn’t last a moment against him. Such a man was worth 8,000 elite soldiers by himself. Now, he stood like a monolith, eyes icy, aura crushing. And it was Dugu Qiu, battle-hardened as he was, who felt as though a great weight pressed down on his shoulders, making his very breath slow and heavy. He forced himself to glance sideways…only to see that Xie Wei, too, had involuntarily taken two steps back, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure Gao Kaiping exuded. Just then, Li Yuan spoke again, voice low but commanding, “Stand down.” Without hesitation, Gao Kaiping bowed his head and stepped silently aside. The pressure in the room lightened instantly. Dugu Qiu felt himself exhale, chest loosening. And beside him, Xie Wei’s breathing also began to settle. Li Yuan fixed his gaze on Dugu Qiu. “The entire palace belongs to the Xie Clan, does it?” Dugu Qiu quickly lowered his head. “Your Majesty, forgive me…” Li Yuan turned to Xie Wei next. “Is the entire palace yours?” Xie Wei immediately dropped to her knees. “The palace will always be Your Majesty’s palace. The Xie Clan will always be Your Majesty’s loyal subjects!” “Did you hear that? Did you hear that!!” Li Yuan pointed at Dugu Qiu, his voice suddenly roaring with anger. “The Lotus rebels have just been crushed, the nation is only beginning to recover, and everything lies in ruin. Yet all you people think about is power and seizing the throne! I am not dead!” Dugu Qiu quickly lowered his head, repeatedly apologizing. But the outburst left Li Yuan coughing violently. It took a long moment before he could catch his breath again, voice hoarse and faint, “Enough…you may rise.” Only then did Dugu Qiu and Xie Wei get to their feet. Li Yuan continued, “The eight provincial governors who came to support the throne shall all be rewarded. While I still draw breath, you may set your hearts at ease.” Dugu Qiu bowed. “Your subject understands…but those portraits?” “Once I’ve recovered, we’ll choose,” Li Yuan said after another bout of coughing. With that, he waved his hand. Dugu Qiu glanced once more at Gao Kaiping, then slowly withdrew. After he left, Gao Kaiping gave Li Yuan a long, searching look. Then he turned, saluted Xie Wei, and strode out, spear in hand, mounting his horse and riding off into the cold wind.