My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

Shu Jingwei's chest heaved violently, her fingers trembling as she pointed at the sky, her fingertips turning white from the force, her voice distorted by extreme emotions.

"Absurd! Utterly absurd! You actually watched this sorcery, which is designed to deceive and mislead the masses, without blinking?!"

She seemed to be questioning her ministers, or perhaps trying to convince herself, her voice rising higher and higher, carrying a kind of fierce yet cowardly madness.

"Fake! All fake! Just magic tricks and illusions! Used to bewitch the ignorant masses, to sow discord among my people, and to undermine my rule! That Lin Ye harbors evil intentions; his crime deserves death!"

"And Shu Ling'er! That wretched child! Associating with demons and committing such outrageous and unconventional acts, she has utterly disgraced our royal family!"

She refused to understand, refused to acknowledge that everything displayed on the sky might contain a power beyond her comprehension.

She could only use the most vehement denials and the most malicious speculations to cover up the panic and helplessness in her heart that was almost consuming her.

To admit that it was real, to admit that such supernatural powers truly existed, to admit that everything she possessed and relied on was insignificant in the face of that power—this was more painful than killing her.

"Issue my decree!"

Shu Jingwei turned around abruptly, her back to the sky, as if looking at her for even a moment would defile her eyes. Her voice was icy cold and carried an unquestionable arrogance.

"From this day forward, all prefectural and county governments are to rigorously investigate anyone discussing the Sky Curtain! I know you've become lax in your arrests after all this time, but from this moment on—"

"Arrest anyone who dares to discuss it! Arrest them severely!"

She paused, took a deep breath, and almost shouted it out.

"Tell those fools! What appears in the sky is merely a phantom of the demon Lin Ye, a scheme by remnants of the previous dynasty and spies from enemy states to disrupt our Great Flame! Anyone who dares to believe it, anyone who dares to spread it, is a traitor, and their entire family will be executed!"

The cold, ruthless commands echoed across the square, carrying a sense of madness.

She tried to use the most brutal method to cover everyone's eyes and mouths, forcibly defining "truth" as a "lie" that she was willing to believe.

Shu Jingwei's decree, filled with rage and fear, swept through the capital like a winter's wind and spread to all the prefectures and counties of the Great Flame Kingdom.

The capital city was the fastest to act, with various teahouses and taverns participating.

The storyteller who was telling his story around the sky was taken away by the officials, and the onlookers were warned that if they dared to talk nonsense about the sky again, they would also be taken away.

The man nodded and begged for mercy.

The audience dispersed in a panic, and soon the teahouse and tavern were mostly empty.

However, when ordinary people occasionally made eye contact with each other, they all understood each other without saying a word.

The sound of the iron bird cutting through the air, the shadow of it soaring through the water, are deeply etched in my mind. How could a few words of intimidation erase them?

At the corner of the alley, a hushed voice still whispered: "You believe what the officials say, that it's an illusion?"

"Illusion? Have you ever seen illusion that can carry hundreds of people thousands of miles in a day, from winter to summer? Have you ever seen illusion that can lift people up into the sky with water?"

"I think it's probably true. How could ordinary people understand such divine methods? The imperial court... hey, they're probably panicking too."

"Shh... Keep your voice down! Are you crazy?!"

……

As the imperial decree was issued, people in various places found themselves being driven away, scolded, and even arrested by fierce soldiers.

Under the threat of knives and guns, everyone outwardly remained silent, no longer daring to discuss the matter openly.

But when they lowered their heads, avoiding the gaze of the soldiers, and exchanged glances with their families and neighbors, their eyes were filled with understanding: the current ruler was becoming increasingly anxious...

……

The court assembly in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony ended unhappily.

After issuing that crazy decree, Shu Jingwei seemed to have exhausted all her strength, or perhaps she could no longer bear the blinding sight in the sky.

She abruptly waved her sleeve, her face ashen, and uttered the words "Dismiss the court." Surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids, she left the Hall of Supreme Harmony with slightly unsteady steps and returned directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The ministers, each with their own thoughts, gradually left the square in twos and threes.

Yao Jingyuan stood quietly with his head down for a moment, concealing all emotions in his eyes, and then silently withdrew with the flow of people.

His face was calm and composed, but the slightly pursed corners of his lips and the fingers unconsciously rubbing together in his sleeves betrayed his chaotic thoughts.

The more frantic Shu Jingwei became, the more it showed that she had lost her composure. For him, this was both a crisis and an opportunity.

He needs to carefully plan how to seize the greatest benefit in this turbulent situation.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the fragrance of incense wafted, yet it could not dispel the unease in Shu Jingwei's heart.

A table was set out for lunch, filled with delicacies meticulously prepared by the imperial chefs, but she had no appetite. She only ate a few bites haphazardly before waving her hand to have the food removed.

She lay on the soft dragon bed, closed her eyes, and tried to banish the images on the sky from her mind.

Iron birds, blue sea, white sand, terrifying speed, soaring through the air on water... and Xiao Douzi's carefree smiling face!

All of this intertwined into a bizarre and dazzling web, tightly binding her and almost suffocating her.

Fake!all fake!

She kept telling herself this, as if chanting a spell.

It's Lin Ye's sorcery, a bewitching illusion!

She, Shu Jingwei, is the true Son of Heaven, possessing a vast empire. How could she let these illusory things disturb her mind?

However, even with my eyes closed, the image seemed to be imprinted on the inside of my eyelids, becoming even clearer.

Especially when the little dumpling was lifted up by the water column and soared between the sea and the sky, its cry of pure joy, "Wow—!!!", was truly breathtaking.

Like a demonic chant, it lingered in her mind.

Frustrated, Shu Jingwei turned over and suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards the window.

Because charcoal was still burning inside, the windows were not completely closed, leaving a crack, and through that crack, the high-hanging sky still emitted a soft light.

As if possessed, Shu Jingwei did not look away again.

As if drawn by something invisible, she quietly sat up, moved to the window, and peeked out through the crack.

……

After having a great time in the sky, Lin Ye took Xiao Douzi, who was soaking wet but extremely excited, back to the villa for a quick shower and to change into dry clothes. Then they went to a beautiful seaside restaurant for a meal.

Looking at the colorful and exquisitely presented food they had never seen before, and at the satisfied look on Xiao Douzi's face as he ate with his eyes squinted, the people of the Great Flame Kingdom once again swallowed hard and sighed with envy.

In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly, and a gentle sea breeze blew.

After resting, Xiao Douzi was full of energy again.

She changed into a clean and refreshing floral dress, wore a large straw hat, and was now squatting on the beach, holding a small red plastic bucket and a small shovel, intently digging in the sand.

Beside her, three children of similar age, both boys and girls, gathered around, each carrying their own tools.

The children didn't say much, but they worked together in perfect unison: some dug sandpits, some carried sand, and some built city walls.

A little girl with pigtails picked up a few intact seashells and carefully embedded them into the "city wall" as decoration; another chubby little boy contributed the pretty seaweed he had found and laid it in front of the "castle" as a carpet.

They laughed and joked, occasionally letting out small gasps when a corner of the "city wall" collapsed, and then hurriedly tried to fix it.

They would also cheer together when they found a particularly round seashell.

Lin Ye sat under a parasol not far away. He did not participate in the children's "project" but just watched with a gentle smile, occasionally taking a few photos with his phone.

This scene is warm, peaceful, and full of childlike innocence and simple joy.

However, to many people in the Great Flame Kingdom, it stirred up completely different emotions.