This was a rightful remark, and the reasoning behind it was made clear.

The Prince Mansion of Jing must uphold the reputation of the pure stream while avoiding direct confrontation with the palace. If the memorial submission is successful, it would bring universal satisfaction; if unsuccessful, it would bear little consequence.

As for those who stand up for justice, if the situation turns unfavorable, they will simply be treated as pawns. And the treason of Chen Qianhu—that is hardly significant...

"No!"

The Prince of Jing declared with resolute force:

"I will personally strike the drum of petition."

Minister Xu was taken aback.

His gaze, worn smooth by years of tolerance, turned sharply to the Prince of Jing with an expression of disbelief.

The suppressed anger, longstanding discontent, longing to reshape the governance, and deep-seated resentment toward the palace—all of these emotions, Minister Xu had seen before. But now, there was an additional trace of youthful fervor.

His words rang out, one by one, forceful and clear:

"The drum of petition is not struck for the demon empress to hear. It is struck for the world to witness."

...............

The imperial palace.

The Lantern Festival had passed long ago, yet winter still lingered, its chill hanging over the land. The vermillion palace walls exuded an oppressive coldness.

When Consort An was brought back to the palace, her face was pale to the point of fright.

She had leapt from the cliff as if seeking death. Xique Pavilion searched day and night for her, and finally discovered her amidst the sea of trees.

She remained unconscious for several days, and upon awakening, her head throbbed and ached.

Two or three days later, seated in Jingren Hall, Consort An was startled to realize she had forgotten much.

Like something shaken loose from the cliff's impact, memories that had once been etched into her heart faded white, like paper.

"Did... my clan perish at the hands of the Western Jin Chen Family?"

Consort An asked hoarsely.

Su Xin was slightly startled, unsure if this was a probing by the ruler or a genuine confusion. She deliberated for a long time before responding:

"Madam, do you not remember?"

"…I don't remember."

Consort An uttered four words, her memories of the fall of the fortress now blurry beyond recognition. She only vaguely remembered that something had happened, that many lives were lost—but who were they? What did they look like? She could no longer recall. They were as lifeless as scribbles on military reports from the border.

When one forgets their memories, hatred loses its foundation. Those events were too distant; on reflection, they had occurred over ten years ago.

Consort An coughed twice, recalling someone, and raised her voice:

"Where is he? What happened to him?"

"Madam, he fought with the three masters and seized an opportunity to escape into the cliffs. Since then, Xique Pavilion has searched day and night, but has found no trace of him. No one knows if he's dead or alive..."

"Then he's alive," Consort An rasped.

At the mention of that name, her fingertips began to tremble.

Her chest tightened, and pent-up hatred surged instantaneously. Consort An coughed violently, her phoenix eyes flickering with countless emotions.

"He hasn't died," Consort An said coldly.

Su Xin involuntarily lowered her head, hearing in her words a hatred cut deep into the bone.

As someone who had served for years, Su Xin suddenly found this profoundly ironic. Consort An had forgotten her hatred toward the Western Jin Chen Family, yet her animosity toward Chen Yi remained intact.

It was as though one could forget how flowers had bloomed in the past, but the moment they wither is sharply remembered.

And hidden somewhere behind this hatred, there seemed to be something more...

Gradually, Consort An regained clarity. After all, she was the mother of the state who had held court for years, and her thoughts soon untangled.

Su Xin dutifully reported everything to her.

The nameless old woman also returned from pursuing the Sword Armor but had equally found nothing.

The palace was plunged into a heavy silence. The death of the three masters at Xique Pavilion and the relentless pursuit had drained countless resources and manpower.

Jingren Hall was unusually cold without the underfloor heating lit. Su Xin shivered in the draft, while the phoenix-robed woman sat motionless at the head of the room.

"How is Dong Gong Ruoshu?" she asked.

Su Xin quickly replied: "Dong Gong Ruoshu is well. She has been obediently staying in the palace and hasn't left in recent days. Madam, do you wish to summon her?"

"Summon her? Summon her for what?" The phoenix-robed woman's voice was slightly hoarse.

Su Xin stammered nervously: "Summon Dong Gong Ruoshu to... instruct her regarding the annihilation of the Western Jin Chen Family."

Before her words could finish.

The phoenix-robed woman's expression visibly darkened before the book desk.

Su Xin heard the sound of paper tearing beside her ear. She looked closely and found it was intelligence reports concerning the Western Jin Chen Family.

Suppressing her grief, the phoenix-robed woman said, "It's all ruined. Three masters died in vain. How can we confront the Western Jin Chen Family? He escaped, and there will never be such an opportunity again. It's all ruined!"

Su Xin couldn't help but shiver.

She knew how long Consort An had waited for revenge, and how much she had schemed.

But years of plotting had crumbled before success could be achieved.

"Issue the order. Don't search anymore."

Consort An's voice passed down from above, layered with complexity,

"If he finds a path to life, then so be it. Let him have it."

"Yes..." Su Xin acknowledged, then hesitated before asking: "So what of those women... Madam, what will you do with them?"

The "women" Su Xin referred to were naturally Dong Gong Ruoshu, Lin Wanxiao, and Dong Guifei, all of whom had ties to Chen Yi.

However, when Chen Yi left, he didn't take them along—perhaps because he didn't truly care much for them?

Jingren Hall fell silent.

After a long while, a voice finally emerged: "Let each return to her place."

After Su Xin departed, the phoenix-robed woman slowly rose.

The nameless old woman emerged from the shadows at this time. Lowering her head, she said with boundless guilt:

"Madam, I ultimately failed to catch them."

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