"Since you don't agree, the negotiation is not going to work. I'll leave now. Think it over and let me know."

Chang Lili stood up with a straight face, speaking as she did so. She had only taken two steps when her mother-in-law called her back and tried to persuade her, saying, "Aunt Lu saved my life. The soft armor is very important. This is my request to you. Whether I should leave or not is a decision I should make."

Chang Lili exclaimed in frustration, "Mother-in-law!"

The mother-in-law gently patted the back of her hand to comfort her, and looked at Aunt Lu and said, "Xin'er, I've said it before, Ali doesn't belong to the Three Pages Sect."

There was another meaning behind these words. Aunt Lu's face darkened: "If she agrees, I won't bother her anymore."

In the end, Chang Lili agreed, only saying that she would meet someone later.

"Mother-in-law, I'm always at home. If you need anything, just come to me."

Chang Lili waved goodbye to her mother-in-law and ran back to the mansion, panting heavily as she inhaled the cold air from her lungs. She heard voices coming from the front hall.

It was Meng Yuxiu talking to the guard.

"You're back so early today?"

Meng Yuxiu beckoned to her, and Chang Lili slipped forward. Meng Yuxiu said, "The person who plotted against His Majesty has been found to be Consort Lan."

Chang Lili clicked her tongue in astonishment: "Consort Lan is really... Her crime of plotting against the Emperor is no small matter. No matter how much the Emperor likes her, he can't possibly let her go, right?"

Meng Yuxiu shook his head. Chang Lili opened her eyes wide in surprise. Meng Yuxiu explained, "Before His Majesty could punish her, she committed suicide out of fear of punishment. His Majesty ordered her to be thrown out of the palace and returned to her clan. His Majesty's anger has not subsided, and her family will never have a chance to rise again."

"If only I had known then what I know now."

Meng Yuxiu frowned, deep in thought, showing no sign of relaxation after uncovering the truth. Chang Lili asked doubtfully, "Are there any more questions?"

“She committed suicide by jumping into a well before the matter was even fully investigated,” Meng Yuxiu said. “It’s too suspicious. I don’t think it’s as simple as it seems on the surface.”

Consort Lan's embroidered shoes were placed beside the well. Meng Yuxiu still remembered that when Consort Lan was pulled out of the water, her face was ferocious, and she did not seem willing to die.

He sent men to Huilan Palace, where they found poison and her confession. The eunuchs also identified her as the one who gave the order. The emperor was furious, and the matter was thus settled.

Chang Lili was making soft armor. She took out a rare material from the iron bestowed by the emperor, and Aunt Lu followed her to learn the manufacturing techniques.

Fiery red lava, clear water, and the sound of hammering.

"Hey." Chang Lili approached the stove, her back to Aunt Lu, and called out, "I'm asking you, in your Three Pages Sect, isn't there a woman from the northern frontier named Bolan?"

Aunt Lu's expression turned cold: "Why are you asking this?"

Chang Lili said, "Do you remember our request? I wanted to see someone, and that was her."

Aunt Lu stared at her, but Chang Lili had nothing to hide and calmly let her scrutinize her.

“Okay!” Aunt Lu agreed. “Baiyue Restaurant in the south of the city, I’ll bring her to see you tomorrow afternoon at Shenshi (3-5 PM).

Chang Lili breathed a sigh of relief and continued to teach her the techniques and strength required for forging. Aunt Lu could master the techniques after being taught only once, and Chang Lili couldn't help but admire Aunt Lu's exceptional talent in forging.

The next day, Chang Lili counted on her fingers and finally waited until Shenshi (3-5 PM). She took the weapon wrapped in white cloth and excitedly ran to Baiyuelou. After looking around, she noticed Aunt Lu and a woman sitting in the corner.

"Aunt Lu!" Chang Lili called out to her, turning to look at the woman sitting opposite her, wearing a bamboo hat. "You're Boerlan?"

Bollland said coldly, "What do you want with me?"

"Here, take this." Chang Lili handed her the weapon she had brought.

Aunt Lu nodded almost imperceptibly. Bollland reached out and took the white cloth, slowly tearing it open to reveal the very familiar curved knife inside.

"This...this is my brother's knife. No, my brother's knife isn't this small; it's more suitable for men."

"These are the manufacturing drawings he gave me. I promised him I would give you the scimitar. What do you think? I made some minor modifications to make it more suitable for you."

Chang Lili recounted how she met Burji, how Burji had been searching for her, even going so far as to infiltrate the Central Plains, just to make sure she was safe and sound.

Bohrland stared intently at her.

Aunt Lu broke the tense atmosphere with an unfriendly tone: "I've said what I needed to say and taken what I needed. If there's nothing else, Bolan, you can go back now."

Bolllan obediently got up, but Chang Lili quickly grabbed her sleeve: "Aren't you going back to the grasslands?"

Bollland gave a mocking smile: "I've gone through so much trouble to get to the capital, and I swear I won't return to my clan until I kill that dog emperor!"

Boulland turned and left, leaving behind a cold and aloof figure.

Aunt Lu said, "You have a kind heart, but unfortunately, everyone has their own choices, and you can't force anyone. Don't bring up this kind of thing again."

Aunt Lu left too, and Chang Lili remained silent.

With the emperor's ancestral worship ceremony approaching, Meng Yuxiu was still in the capital. He should have accompanied the emperor to protect his safety, but the emperor assigned him to guard the capital and ordered him to capture the Three Pages Gate as soon as possible to eliminate the threat.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Meng Yuxiu clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, then turned and withdrew.

To ensure that no accidents occurred during the ancestral worship ceremony, the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War were on high alert. Guards were responsible for clearing the way and controlling the people on both sides of the street. If any signs of trouble appeared, the person would be dragged away immediately.

When the emperor went on his journey, the crown prince and the eldest princess accompanied him, guards held long spears, and the people of the capital knelt down to respectfully see the emperor off as he climbed the mountain to worship his ancestors.

On the mountain, the Minister of Rites reported: "Your Highness, all preparations are complete."

Xiao Lingshou dismounted and came to the front of the imperial carriage: "Respectfully requesting permission from Father Emperor."

As the accompanying eunuchs lifted the embroidered carriage curtain, the emperor was about to alight when, with a loud bang, dozens of large craters suddenly appeared on the ground. The eunuchs and palace maids screamed in agony, and some were even torn to pieces, their flesh scattered all over the ground.

The ground shook violently. Xiao Lingshou quickly caught the emperor and fired a signal flare into the sky, sending a message to the soldiers stationed below the mountain.

"Protect the Emperor!"

Xiao Lingshou shouted, and the guards who had managed to escape surrounded the imperial carriage. They all had some wounds and dust on their bodies.

"Kill the dog emperor!"

A woman's loud shout rang out, and immediately, some guards betrayed them, slashing at those around them. Dozens of figures rushed out from all sides, acting as if they had no regard for their lives, their moves extremely fierce!

"Brother, save me!" Xiao Shu'er, who was a little further away, dodged left and right, fell heavily off the carriage, and rushed towards the emperor, begging for a way to live.

The one who led the troops this time was Aunt Lu. She had been preparing for this for a long time, making soft armor, all for the purpose of eliminating the dog emperor in one fell swoop.

As her companions fell one after another to the brutal deaths of the guards, Aunt Lu let out a loud shout, her whip gleaming fiercely as she charged straight at the emperor.

The guards desperately tried to stop her, but Aunt Lu was furious. She whipped up a long sword from the ground, kicked it, and the swift, cold sword pierced through the crowd, heading straight for the emperor.

"Father, be careful!"

Xiao Ling stood in front of the emperor, a sharp sword piercing through his chest.