After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

"What?!"

Chu Mingzhu was struck dumb, and she suddenly raised her head, her face turning deathly pale.

Xie Dai, standing to the side, also had his pupils shrink, looking incredulously at the late emperor, then at the swaying Chu Mingzhu.

The late emperor seemed oblivious to their shock, continuing to speak with a calm yet cruel tone:

"A destiny like that of a phoenix reincarnation is both an auspicious omen and a death warrant."

His chapped lips moved, each word like an icicle, piercing the heart:

"If it falls into the hands of a true member of the imperial family, it is a blessing that adds to their glory. But if it falls into the eyes of those with ulterior motives, into the hands of those ambitious individuals who covet imperial power, it becomes a perfect weapon to stir up trouble and overthrow the dynasty!"

The late emperor took a few difficult breaths, his eyes revealing the coldness of an emperor and the struggle of a father:

"As a father, I have no choice but to do everything in my power to protect my true child."

He finally turned his gaze back to Chu Mingzhu, his eyes filled with both guilt and cruelty:

"Therefore, not long after Hong'an predicted her phoenix destiny, I secretly sent my real daughter out of the palace and entrusted her to an absolutely reliable confidant to raise, so that she would stay away from this place of trouble."

"And you..." His gaze lingered on Chu Mingzhu's deathly pale face with a complex expression, "You are an orphan whom I sent people to find from outside the palace, whose birth date and time match, and whose appearance is somewhat similar."

"I have brought you into the palace, bestowed upon you the honor of a princess, and will let you replace the true jewel, living in the light and attracting all attention and scheming."

As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Mingzhu trembled violently. She shook her head, trying to deny it, but deep in her heart, the doubts that had been lingering for many years surged forth like a tidal wave.

Her father seemed to dote on her and showered her with gifts, but there was always an insurmountable distance between them.

The complex and unfathomable look in her father's eyes when he occasionally looked at her.

I see... I see!

All the questions that were previously unanswerable now have an answer.

She wasn't a princess; she was merely a carefully chosen stand-in to attract all the open and hidden attacks.

Her honor is false, her bloodline and name are false, and all the pain, humiliation and struggle she endured were a scheme to preserve the true bloodline.

A tremendous sense of absurdity and chill swept over her, and she almost lost her balance.

Xie Dai was the first to recover from his shock. He rushed forward and tightly embraced Chu Mingzhu, who was trembling with cold all over.

He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, his voice resolute:

"Achu, look at me! No matter who you are, a princess or a commoner, you will always be my wife! That will never change!"

Xie Dai's warm and strong embrace calmed Chu Mingzhu's mind, which was on the verge of collapse.

She buried her face in his chest, her tears silently soaking his clothes, but her body no longer trembled so violently.

The late emperor looked at the two embracing, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, which was then replaced by deeper worry.

He laboriously raised his hand, gesturing for Xie Dai to come forward.

Xie Dai gently patted Chu Mingzhu's back, helped her to a cushioned chair next to him, tidied her slightly disheveled hair, and whispered, "Wait for me."

Then, he turned around, walked to the dragon bed, knelt on one knee, bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty."

The late emperor grabbed Xie Dai's arm with his withered hand, his strength astonishing, not at all like a dying man.

A final glimmer of light shone in his cloudy eyes—the last vestige of an emperor's devotion to his country and its people.

"The Crown Prince..." he gasped, each word seemingly squeezed from his very heart, "He is wicked and obsessed, harboring immense malice towards Mingzhu... towards you."

"He has the talent to govern a country, but lacks the magnanimity to tolerate others, and even more so, the virtue of a benevolent ruler... After I leave, he will ascend the throne and hold great power; he will certainly not be content with his lot!"

The late emperor coughed violently a few times, staring intently at Xie Dai, "I only ask one thing of you: if one day it truly comes to the point where things are set right..."

He practically spat out those words through gritted teeth, "You too must be patient and wait until the next crown prince comes of age and has sufficient ability to stabilize the court and bring peace to the realm!"

"We must never act on a matter that threatens the very foundation of the nation out of momentary anger! We must never allow the Chu family's empire to ultimately be handed over to others! Xie Dai, will you agree to my request?!"

Xie Dai fell silent.

He recalled the harm Chu Yan had done to A Chu, the endless assassinations, and the possibility that this beast might become even more insane in the future.

"Say yes to me!"

The late emperor gripped Xie Dai's hand even tighter, his nails almost digging into Xie Dai's flesh, his eyes filled with pleading.

The bedchamber was deathly silent, save for the late emperor's heavy breathing and Chu Mingzhu's soft sobs.

After a long silence, Xie Dai finally nodded slowly, squeezing out a single word from his throat:

"…yes."

The late emperor seemed to have finally unloaded a heavy burden, let out a long sigh of relief, and let go of Xie Dai's hand.

A weary smile appeared on his face as he mustered his last strength to raise his voice:

"Someone, summon everyone in..."

The palace doors opened, and Crown Prince Chu Yan led the way, followed by members of the royal family and high-ranking officials who filed in and knelt on the ground in order of rank.

Xie Dai retreated to Chu Mingzhu's side, held her cold hand tightly, and knelt down with her.

A trembling eunuch unfurled two pre-prepared imperial edicts, his shrill voice echoing in the silent bedchamber:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: 1. Crown Prince Chu Yan, being benevolent, filial, intelligent, and capable of inheriting the ancestral line, is hereby appointed to ascend the throne, to continue the grand plan, and to rule the world. This proclamation is made known throughout the land."

"Secondly, Princess Chu Mingzhu is gentle and virtuous, while her husband, Xie Dai, the Imperial Son-in-Law and Duke of Zhenguo, is loyal, brave, and diligent. The couple are as one."

"Imperial Edict: During the reign of the new emperor, except for the serious crime of treason, the eldest princess shall not be allowed to divorce the Duke of Zhenguo, the Xie family shall not be stripped of their Duke of Zhenguo title, and Xie Dai shall not be taken to death for any reason. So be it."

This imperial decree was not only the late emperor's final compensation to Chu Mingzhu, but also a protective charm for Xie Dai and the entire Xie family.

A shackle hanging over the head of the new emperor, Chu Yan, forced him, at least openly, not to completely eliminate Xie Dai.

After the imperial edict was read, its echoes seemed to still reverberate in the hall.

On the dragon throne, the late emperor gazed into the void, his eyes completely unfocused, and his last breath dissipated.

A eunuch's shrill, mournful voice rang out: "His Majesty... has passed away!"

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The heavy, slow funeral bells tolled from the highest point of the palace, one after another, penetrating the palace walls and echoing throughout Changling.

Chu Mingzhu, kneeling in the crowd, could no longer hold on under the blow of her past. Her vision went black, and she collapsed softly into Xie Dai's arms.