Hearing the sound outside the door, Qing'er's heart tightened, and a panicked look appeared on her face. She quickly whispered, "Miss, it sounds like His Majesty's voice..."

"Then why don't you hurry up and open the door?" Jin Changge said, looking at the door.

"Oh, right, I'll go right now." With that, Qing'er hurriedly stood up, quickly tidied her slightly messy hair, and straightened her wrinkled clothes before walking quickly to the door and opening it.

Sure enough, Qin Ze, dressed in civilian clothes, appeared before her with his hands behind his back, followed by two imposing men in military uniforms.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Qing'er quickly bowed, but Qin Ze pulled her up before she could pay her respects. He looked at Jin Changge, who was about to stand up, and said indifferently, "No need for such formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," the two women said in unison.

As they were talking, Qin Ze stepped into the room. Dian Wei and Xu Chu did not enter the room but stood outside. Qing'er followed Qin Ze somewhat helplessly. Jin Changge struggled to sit up from the bed and stared blankly as Qin Ze walked to the bedside.

When they reached the bedside, Qin Ze looked Jin Changge up and down. Qing'er lowered her head, secretly watching Qin Ze's expression, her hands clenching together helplessly.

They looked at each other in silence, the room falling into stillness, with only the occasional sounds of ordinary people drifting in from outside the window.

After a long pause, Jin Changge finally spoke first: "Your Majesty, have you come to visit me, or to interrogate me?"

Upon hearing this, Qing'er's expression changed, and she hurriedly said:

“Miss, His Majesty has pardoned you, and he said it himself in front of the people.”

Jin Changge looked at Qin Ze, who remained silent, and said in a low voice, "It is precisely because the people are all here that you have to say that, Your Majesty, is that right?"

"Yes." Qin Ze looked into Jin Changge's clear eyes, nodded slightly, and then slowly uttered a single word.

Qing'er immediately panicked and was about to speak when she heard Qin Ze continue:

"However, just as you said, the emperor cannot deceive the people, so whatever I say is what it is, and I will not fabricate anything."

Upon hearing this, Qing'er's expression softened, and her anxious heart was relieved. Jin Changge lowered her eyes, looking at the thin blue quilt.

“However, you’re wrong about one thing.” Qin Ze looked at Jin Changge.

Jin Changge frowned slightly and looked up at Qin Ze: "Where?"

"You are both the Princess of Yongning, who has been bestowed the title, and the daughter of Prince Qing. Do you even qualify as a commoner?" Qin Ze pulled up a chair and sat down leisurely.

Upon hearing this, Jin Changge's face paled slightly, and he silently lowered his head.

"Go outside and wait there," Qin Ze said to Qing'er, who immediately replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

As she spoke, she walked to the door, turning back every few steps, and then reached out to close it.

But the door wasn't closed, and Qin Ze spoke up to stop Qing'er:

"Don't close the door, just leave it open."

"I'm afraid your young lady might suddenly attack. I've heard her kung fu is very powerful. She killed so many foreigners with just a sword. I might not be able to handle her." Qin Ze looked at Jin Changge, who was looking down, with a leisurely expression.

Qing'er looked surprised and went outside to wait.

"hehe."

As soon as she stepped out, a faint laugh rang out from Jin Changge's mouth.

Qin Ze also laughed, and Dian Wei, who was outside the door, laughed as well when he saw Qing'er standing anxiously to one side after she came out.

They clearly understood that Qin Ze was joking.

The laughter subsided, and Qin Ze turned to look at the setting sun outside the window. Wisps of smoke from the chimneys of ordinary families preparing dinner drifted in the crimson sunlight. He said softly:

“However, from this moment on, you are no longer Princess Yongning.”

"You no longer belong to the Kim family."

"It is what I said."

He turned his face and looked at Jin Changge solemnly.

Jin Changge kept her head down, but she was biting her lip and digging her fingertips into her palms. Her thin body trembled slightly.

Looking at her, Qin Ze remained silent for a few moments before continuing:

“When I decided to raise an army in rebellion, I said that I would kill all members of the Kim family. In the course of this campaign, I have killed many people, such as your elder brother Kim Geon-in, whom I killed personally.”

"On New Year's Eve, I led my troops into Jinling and stormed the palace. He fought me in his dragon robe, and even on his deathbed, he still wanted to be emperor," Qin Ze sighed.

Jin Changge remained silent, only clutching the blanket tightly.

Qin Ze hesitated for a moment, then continued,

"However, what he said before he died was unexpected."

Upon hearing this, Jin Changge raised her head, her reddened eyes staring blankly at Qin Ze.

"He said that if I really wanted to become emperor, the first thing I would do was to exterminate his entire family." Qin Ze looked at Jin Changge with a solemn expression.

Jin Changge was shocked, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"After annihilating the nine clans and unifying the world, we will expand our army and prepare for war to attack Fusang and destroy Fusang. Starting from Xijing and Beiku Grassland, we will simultaneously send troops to conquer Tuyuan."

"These are the words he spoke on his deathbed, and the things he wanted to do," Qin Ze said in a deep voice, arms crossed.

“If I hadn’t started the rebellion, he probably would have done so within the last two years. After ascending the throne, he would have spent the rest of his life doing these things. I don’t think he would lie to me about what he said on his deathbed.”

“I don’t know if the Jin family has anyone like that, but when the foreigners came this time, I only saw you standing up alone.”

"So, as we set off for Nanze tomorrow, I want to ask you, do you think I should kill everyone? Like your elder brother said?" Qin Ze looked at Jin Changge and asked with a solemn expression.

"want."

To Qin Ze's surprise, Jin Changge answered without hesitation, almost immediately after he asked the question.

She wiped away the tears on her cheeks and said it with such unwavering resolve.

Qin Ze gave her a deep look, then stood up from his chair and said coldly:

"You're ruthless."

"Can you really be so ruthless towards your former family members?"

Jin Changge looked at Qin Ze's face, which had turned cold, and said without fear:

"Does Your Majesty intend to show leniency and grant leniency to any children you have in the future who commit heinous crimes?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Ze shook his head, pursed his lips, and sat back down in his chair.

He didn't answer the question, but just looked at Jin Changge's face, which had hardened. Jin Changge also stared at Qin Ze with wide eyes.

The two stared at each other silently for a while, until Qin Ze finally gave in and asked again:

"Does that mean if you have children who commit crimes, you'll also have them executed?"

Jin Changge remained expressionless and coldly said, "You can't escape punishment, and you can't escape death."