He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

The banquet was held in a quiet side hall of the Taoist temple.

That jar of "Burning Clouds" wine truly lived up to its name; the strong aroma of the wine, once swallowed, instantly ignited the entire body.

The Dowager Empress was clearly in a very good mood today; even her weathered face was flushed with a hint of wine.

"Little girl, come here."

The Dowager Empress personally took the pot, filled an ancient bronze wine cup, and pushed it in front of her.

"This cup is for you, old woman."

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of both Ji Yunhan and Ji Ling.

Jiang Bingning calmly picked up the wine pot, poured wine into the empty cup in front of her, and held it up with both hands.

"I dare not accept such praise."

"This cup is a toast from your junior to you."

She tilted her head back and drank the strong liquor in one gulp.

Setting down her wine glass, she sensed that the Dowager Empress's gaze had softened considerably, as if she were looking at her own exceptionally promising grandchild.

Jiang Bingning's heart stirred slightly.

In her past life, Jiang Yuerong had cried in her ear more than once, saying that the Dowager Princess Xin was such a mean, rigid, cold-blooded, and ruthless old hag.

But upon meeting him today, she sensed a true elder who had spent his life in the military and possessed genuine character.

The meal ended in a harmonious yet subtly tense atmosphere.

The Dowager Empress stood up and glanced at Ji Yunhan indifferently.

"You, come with me to the inner palace."

Ji Yunhan stiffened and respectfully replied "Yes," then followed suit.

Ji Ling stretched and said he wanted to go admire the moonlight over Xiufeng Mountain.

Liu Jingyi took Jiang Bingning's hand, and the mother and daughter walked into the courtyard.

Looking at her mother's slightly haggard profile, Jiang Bingning asked softly, "Mother, what exactly happened to the Liu family?"

Liu Jingyi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

She stopped and turned around.

"Bing Ning, it's all in the past."

Her voice was very soft.

"Let's not talk about those things anymore. All I want is to be with you peacefully."

Seeing her mother like this, Jiang Bingning felt as if something was blocking her chest, causing a dull ache.

All the questions that were on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down with a sigh.

That's it.

In this life, she has all the time and means to uncover the whole truth.

Just then, a figure emerged from behind the moon gate.

It's Ji Ling.

When Liu Jingyi saw him, a hint of relief flashed in her eyes.

As if she had found an excuse to leave, she hurriedly said to Jiang Bingning, "It's late, Mother is a little tired, I'll go back to my room to rest first."

After saying that, she walked away quickly, not even glancing at Ji Ling as she passed by.

Jiang Bingning's sharp eyes caught a detail.

In the instant he passed his mother, Ji Ling's fingers moved swiftly at the cuff of his sleeve, as if he were hiding something inside.

It was a folded piece of paper.

Ji Ling walked slowly to Jiang Bingning and his gaze swept over her.

"I have just received some news; would you like to know it?"

Jiang Bingning frowned: "Your Highness, please speak plainly."

Ji Ling reached into his sleeve, pulled out the note, and waved it, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"The Zhou Kingdom is quite swift. Before I even returned to the capital, their envoy had already set off. Can you guess who it is?"

Jiang Bingning naturally knew who it was.

During the banquet just now, a soldier came looking for Ji Ling. He had left once, and when he returned, although his expression was normal, his movements were obviously a little stiff, and he gave his mother a deep look.

Jiang Bingning calculated the days. Based on her experience from her previous life, her father, younger brother, and younger sister should have set off yesterday to Beidi as envoys.

"He is my father," Jiang Bingning said calmly.

Ji Ling was surprised: "You are indeed quick-witted. It seems you are a woman skilled in both literature and martial arts. By the way, your kung fu is quite good. Who taught you?"

Jiang Bingning didn't want to pay attention to him. Her mind was racing, trying to recall how, in her previous life, she and her father went to the capital but never saw her mother.

Jiang Yuerong was so frightened that she was completely disoriented. She thought she was going to be executed by Bei Di and that she and her father were still trying to rescue her. Now it seems that this was not the case at all!

Seeing that Jiang Bingning's expression was different, Ji Ling slowly continued.

"The waters of Prince Xin's mansion run much deeper than you imagine."

"Don't you want to know why your mother was kidnapped back then, and why...you haven't heard from her for twenty years?"

Jiang Bingning slowly turned around and looked at him coldly.

"My martial arts were taught to me by my father, Jiang Chengxuan. Does Your Highness have any further questions?"

To everyone's surprise, Ji Ling burst out laughing after hearing this.

"Jiang Chengxuan?"

"His skills are good at maintaining the status quo, but not at breaking through it. He can't teach you to have the same sharpness."

Ji Ling took a step closer to her and lowered his voice.

"Your marksmanship is wide and powerful yet conceals deadly intent; it is clearly the result of being trained by a master in life-or-death battles."

Jiang Bingning remained silent.

Seeing that she didn't answer, Ji Ling stopped asking and changed the subject.

"Do you know that my royal uncle is a hopeless romantic?"

"He has remained single and refused to marry since your mother 'disappeared'."

Jiang Bingning's heart sank.

"The late emperor could not bear to see it any longer and forcibly issued an edict to arrange a marriage for him."

"The principal wife was the legitimate daughter of the Minister of War at the time. She gave birth to a crown prince, a second son, and a princess for Prince Xin before passing away due to illness."

Ji Ling looked at her.

"They're all younger than you."

Jiang Bingning remained silent, but her hands, hanging at her sides, unconsciously clenched.

According to Ji Ling, Prince Xin repeatedly expressed his longing for his mother, yet he married and had children. How much of this affection was genuine?

"Besides that," Ji Ling changed the subject, "there is another concubine in the Prince Xin's mansion, Lady Lin."

The moment the words "concubine" entered her ears, Jiang Bingning's body temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

The Lin family!

In her past life, it was this woman who drove her mother to her death step by step!

Ji Ling keenly noticed her change, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

"It seems you are not entirely ignorant about this Consort Lin."

He continued, "This marriage was not of my uncle's own volition either. It was a marriage forcibly arranged by His Majesty in order to win over the Lin family and to help my uncle emerge from the shadows of the past."

"The Imperial Uncle has always treated this Consort Lin with utmost respect. Although they have been married for several years, they have never been truly intimate, and naturally, they have no children."

People in the capital privately call her "Lady Wangyue".

A meaningful smile appeared on Ji Ling's lips.

Even after hearing this, Jiang Bingning's chill did not lessen in the slightest.

Lady Wangyue? Does she have someone else in her heart?

Memories of her past life kept churning in her mind.

She was about to speak, to ask for more details about the Lin family.

A joyful voice suddenly came from the direction of the inner hall, breaking the silence of the courtyard.

The palace doors were suddenly pushed open from the inside, and Ji Yunhan strode out.

His face was filled with barely suppressed ecstasy, completely devoid of the composure that Prince Xin usually possessed.

He rushed up to the two of them.

"Mother has agreed to come back to the capital with us tomorrow!"