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At midnight, the crescent moon hung high in the sky, casting its pale light over the serene and silent Renshou Palace.

"JiaoJiao—"

On the phoenix bed, Empress Dowager Zhuang suddenly jolted awake from her slumber, her body trembling as though startled by something in her dream.

She opened her eyes, her gaze falling on the familiar canopy above. For a brief moment, she was disoriented.

"Your Majesty, what’s the matter?" Eunuch Qin, standing guard outside, rushed in upon hearing the commotion. He quickly approached the phoenix bed.

Pulling back the bed curtains, he used the hanging hooks to secure them in place.

This summer was not as stiflingly hot as in previous years, and with ice basins placed in the chamber, the room felt refreshingly cool. Yet, Empress Dowager Zhuang was drenched in sweat.

She panted heavily, her breath still uneven from the lingering fear of her dream.

Eunuch Qin looked at her with deep concern. "Your Majesty, did you have another nightmare? Was it about Young Miss Gu again? Just now, this servant thought he heard you calling her name."

Empress Dowager Zhuang pushed aside the thin silk blanket covering her. Seeing her intention to get out of bed, Eunuch Qin hurriedly reached out to assist her.

Empress Dowager Zhuang sat up with the support of his hand, and Eunuch Qin, ready to kneel and assist her in putting on her shoes, was stopped by her casual wave of the hand. "It's fine."

In Bishui Alley, no one served her like this. She had to do everything herself and had long since grown accustomed to it.

Slipping on her shoes, Empress Dowager Zhuang walked over to the window.

Eunuch Qin let the bed curtains fall back into place, then went to open the lattice window and lit a stick of incense prepared earlier by Gu Jiao before her departure.

Standing by the window, Empress Dowager Zhuang gazed at the vast expanse of stars and the solitary crescent moon. With a sigh, she murmured, "It’s been so long since they left. Aijia wonders how things are on their side. Did that child, Gu Yan, manage to survive?"

Eunuch Qin smiled reassuringly. "Young Master Gu is blessed with great fortune and will surely turn misfortune into fortune. Besides, he has Young Miss Gu and Lord Xiao by his side. With their abilities, how could you not feel assured, Your Majesty?"

Empress Dowager Zhuang’s gaze grew distant. "The State of Yan is an unshakable mountain. Individual abilities are insignificant and laughable in the face of such a behemoth. Yet, even so, those two children won’t give up, will they?"

What was the Empress Dowager talking about? Eunuch Qin found himself puzzled by her words.

Empress Dowager Zhuang spoke softly, almost to herself, "A mayfly shaking a tree—how laughable."

Eunuch Qin’s confusion deepened.

Looking toward the direction of the State of Yan, Empress Dowager Zhuang sighed. "Aijia has been having ominous dreams these past few days."

Eunuch Qin respectfully asked, "What…what kind of dreams, Your Majesty?"

Still shaken, Empress Dowager Zhuang replied, "Aijia dreamt of JiaoJiao lying in a pool of blood, on the soil of the State of Yan, never able to return to Aijia’s side."

Eunuch Qin quickly reassured her, "You must be overly worried about Young Miss Gu, thinking about her during the day and dreaming of her at night. Besides, dreams are always the opposite of reality. Blood in dreams means good fortune in waking life!"

Empress Dowager Zhuang seemed thoughtful, nodding slightly. "There is such a saying, isn’t there?"

Eunuch Qin beamed. "How could this servant dare deceive you, Your Majesty?"

Empress Dowager Zhuang continued to gaze into the distance, her expression contemplative. "Aijia remembers telling you that before the age of sixteen, Aijia was the legitimate daughter of the Zhuang Family. At sixteen, Aijia became the Empress of the State of Zhao. At forty, Aijia became the Regent Empress Dowager. My entire life has been dedicated to the Zhuang Family, the imperial court, and the nation. Now, at this age, with only a few years left to live, Aijia wants to live for herself."

Eunuch Qin was so startled by her words that he shuddered. He hastily said, "Your Majesty, you are destined to live a hundred years old!"

Empress Dowager Zhuang replied calmly, her voice unwavering, "I don’t want to live to a hundred. All I want is to have my JiaoJiao back."

……

In Bishui Alley.

Old Chief placed the final memorandum he had written onto the table and secured it with a paperweight.

Letting out a long breath, he muttered, "That should be everything. I’ve explained all that needed explaining… Though even if I missed something, it shouldn’t matter much. The imperial court has never been dependent solely on me."

He was adept at navigating the murky waters of politics.

When it came to scheming and handling affairs, he was more capable than a thousand soldiers, but when it came to assisting the Emperor in governing the country, it was talents like Grand Secretary Yuan who were truly needed.

"If I’ve overlooked anything, Old Yuan will naturally take care of it for His Majesty. There’s no need for me to worry about it here."

As he spoke, Old Chief retrieved a pre-packed bundle from the cabinet.

Finally, he picked up the forged document that had taken over a month to complete. Holding it with a sense of finality, he declared, "Ah Heng, your master is coming to find you!"

He slung the travel bag over his shoulder and stepped out of the house.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and it seemed like rain was about to fall.

He needed to hurry to the post station, where the carriage and horses were already prepared for his journey.

Carefully removing the wooden latch, he cautiously pulled open the courtyard gate.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning came down, illuminating the doorway and casting a chilling, eerie shadow of an old woman.

Old Chief nearly jumped out of his skin, his soul almost departing to meet the late Emperor!

With a swift motion, Old Chief gathered his wits, pulling his scattered thoughts back into his body, and snapped, his temper flaring, "Zhuang Jinse! What are you doing?!"

Zhuang Jinse’s expression remained cold and indifferent as she replied, “I’m going too.”

The Old Chief’s eyes flickered with unease as he tried to hide the bundle in his hands behind his back. “G-g-going? Going where? What are you talking about in the middle of the night? I can’t make sense of it!"”

Zhuang Jinse, carrying her own bundle over one shoulder, suddenly raised a kitchen knife in her other hand, her gaze sharp and menacing. “Are you taking me or not? If not, I’ll kill you.”

Old Chief: “...”

…..

In the State of Yan, at the Imperial Advisor’s Hall.

The Emperor was greatly angered by the Crown Prince, and his headache worsened with each passing moment. The Imperial Advisor instructed his disciples to prepare a calming and pain-relieving decoction. After drinking it, the Emperor succumbed to the medicine’s effects and drifted into a hazy sleep.

Having washed away his disguise, Gu Chengfeng paced anxiously in the corridor outside the secret chamber.

Though he said nothing, his nervousness was evident; he had even started biting his nails.

Xiao Heng stood quietly across from the secret chamber. Everyone in the Imperial Advisor’s Hall had already left, including the two death warriors who usually stood watch outside the chamber. They had retreated to the gates of the Qilin Hall.

Though outwardly calm, Xiao Heng was no less worried about Gu Changqing’s condition.

The Emperor had arrived earlier than expected, which had forced them to begin the rescue operation for Gu Changqing ahead of schedule. This timing might improve his chances of survival, right?

“My elder brother will be fine, won’t he?” Gu Chengfeng finally broke the silence.

It was the thirty-seventh time he had asked the same question.

Xiao Heng, as patient as ever, gave the same answer as before. “Trust your elder brother, and trust her.”

Gu Chengfeng bit his fingers and muttered to himself, “Right… That girl may be hopeless in other things, but her medical skills are decent. She’ll definitely save my elder brother. My elder brother will pull through… He has to… He hasn’t even gotten married yet… He can’t just die like this…”

Xiao Heng did not interrupt his muttering.

Instead, he looked up at the dark clouds gathering in the sky.

The path they were on was unimaginably perilous, filled with countless unknown dangers. Each of them faced the constant risk of sacrifice.

Their forces were already fragile, and Gu Changqing’s mishap had only worsened their precarious position.

The price they had paid to bring down the Crown Prince was already so steep. It was clear that the road ahead would only grow more treacherous.

And yet, even knowing this, they had no choice but to press on without hesitation.

Three hours passed before Gu Jiao finally emerged from the secret chamber.

The iron door creaked open, and Gu Chengfeng dashed inside like an arrow. “How is my elder brother?”

Xiao Heng followed closely behind.

Gu Jiao, carrying her little medicine chest, shut the dimensional portal behind her. At first glance, the secret chamber appeared as empty as it had always been.

Yet both Xiao Heng and Gu Chengfeng had seen the operating room when they brought Gu Changqing in.

It was real and existed.

And now, it had vanished just as tangibly.

For the first time, they felt the weight of Gu Jiao’s secrets so palpably.

Gu Jiao said calmly, “He’s in the intensive care unit. He’s still in critical condition.”

It was strange. Up until now, when she entered, she could only see the operating room. Although there were several doors inside the operating room, she had only ever been able to open the one leading back to the secret chamber.

Today, however, another door had opened, revealing an intensive care unit beyond.

She suspected that as her strength gradually returned, the damage to her brainwaves was also being repaired to some extent. This allowed her to connect more deeply with the little medicine chest and unlock additional dimensional spaces with it.

“My elder brother will recover, right?” Gu Chengfeng looked at Gu Jiao with an unprecedentedly pleading gaze.

Gu Jiao replied firmly, “I will do everything I can to save him.”

Even if there was only the slightest chance, she would never give up.

So, Gu Changqing, don’t give up on yourself either.

I don’t want you to become the stepping stone beneath my feet. I want to fight alongside you.

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…

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