The moat water was icy cold, and Xin Jiuwei gritted her teeth as she swam forward. She gripped the bronze whistle tightly in her palm; its sharp edge cut her skin, and blood seeped into the water. The sounds of hurried footsteps and shouts echoed overhead, and the sky above the palace was ablaze with the glow of fire.

The "earthquake reversal" has already begun.

The riverbank was just a stone's throw away, and Xin Jiuwei was about to climb up when she suddenly heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves. She immediately ducked back into the water, leaving only her eyes above the surface to observe. A troop of Imperial Guard cavalry galloped past, the leading general shouting orders:

"Quick! To Xihua Gate! The underground mechanism has been activated!"

Once the sound of horses' hooves had faded into the distance, Xin Jiuwei climbed ashore, soaking wet. The palace map that Lao Zhou had given her clearly appeared in her mind—the shortest route from here to the Hall of Supreme Harmony was through the small door behind the Imperial Kitchen.

She had only run a few steps when the ground suddenly shook violently. Xin Jiuwei staggered and grabbed the palace wall for support. In the distance, a watchtower collapsed with a deafening roar, raising a cloud of dust. Immediately afterward, a muffled thunderous rumble came from the ground, as if a giant dragon were truly turning over.

Is this what Xiao Xun called "the earth dragon turning over"?

Without a second thought, Xin Jiuwei took off running. The small door to the imperial kitchen was indeed unguarded, and she slipped inside easily. Passing through the warehouse piled high with ingredients, the rear corridor of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was now in sight.

Chaos reigned within the palace. Ministers fled in all directions, while palace maids and eunuchs screamed as they dodged the falling rubble. Xin Jiuwei searched for Xiao Xun's figure in the crowd, but instead spotted the Second Prince first—he stood beside the dragon throne, holding a blood-stained longsword, with two guards lying at his feet.

"Find him! Find Xiao Xun for me!" The Second Prince's face was contorted with rage. "He can't have gone far!"

Xin Jiuwei's heart tightened. Xiao Xun was gone? Had the plan changed?

Just as she was about to turn around to look elsewhere, someone suddenly covered her mouth from behind and pulled her into the shadows. The familiar scent of medicine mixed with the stench of blood filled her nostrils, and Xin Jiuwei instantly relaxed—it was Xiao Xun!

"Whistle," he whispered in her ear, his voice weak but firm.

Xin Jiuwei turned around, and Xiao Xun looked even worse than she had imagined. His face was ashen, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his right hand hung limply at his sides, clearly dislocated. Only his eyes remained bright as stars.

"You used snow lotus?" she asked softly.

Xiao Xun nodded: "We bought some time, but the poison has already..." A violent cough interrupted him, and blood seeped from between his fingers.

Xin Jiuwei's heart was breaking, but she knew this was not the time to be weak. She handed him the brass whistle: "Shall we blow it now?"

"No, you come." Xiao Xun grasped her hand. "It has to be you."

The sound of guards searching could be heard in the distance, growing ever closer. Xiao Xun pulled Xin Jiuwei behind a large pillar and took a folded piece of silk from his robes: "Look at this first."

The silk fabric depicts the detailed underground structure of the imperial city—a network of waterways crisscrossing the capital like a spider web, with the central hub located beneath the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"To prevent flooding, the late emperor ordered the construction of this underground river system," Xiao Xun explained quickly. "I installed sluice gates and mechanisms at key points. A red light signal activates the first gate, and the sound wave from the copper whistle triggers the core mechanism."

Xin Jiuwei suddenly realized. So the tremors and roars were the sound of the underground river sluice gates opening! Those watchtowers and barracks that had been washed away must have been where the Second Prince had ambushed his troops.

Why does it have to be me who blows it?

Xiao Xun looked intently at her: "Because the mechanism is designed to respond to a specific frequency. The tone of this whistle... was designed based on your voice."

These words, like a drop of hot water falling into an icy lake, stirred countless ripples in Xin Jiuwei's heart. Xiao Xun had begun his scheme years ago, and the core of the operation was somehow connected to her...

"Found it! It's here!"

A sharp shout interrupted their conversation. Qi Huaiyu, accompanied by more than ten guards, surrounded the pillar, his long sword pointed directly at Xiao Xun: "Sixth Prince, the Second Prince requests your presence for a talk."

Xiao Xun stepped in front of Xin Jiuwei and chuckled, "Young Master Qi's speed in switching allegiances to a new master is truly admirable."

A flash of anger crossed Qi Huaiyu's eyes: "Still being stubborn even when death is imminent." His gaze shifted to Xin Jiuwei, and a sinister smile immediately appeared on his face. "Perfect, let's take down this pair of scoundrels together!"

The guards swarmed forward. Although Xiao Xun was seriously injured, he was still agile. He snatched a sword from one of the guards and instantly felled two of them. Xin Jiuwei also drew her short sword and engaged Qi Huaiyu in battle.

"You wretch!" Qi Huaiyu's attacks were vicious. "Today I'll make you watch your entire family die!"

Xin Jiuwei remained silent, focusing entirely on countering his attacks. The enemy who had caused her family's destruction in her past life was right before her eyes, and hatred burned like fire against her reason. But she had to stay calm—Xiao Xun's plan was not yet complete.

In the chaos of battle, she caught a glimpse of the Second Prince leading more guards towards them. The situation was critical, and she made a snap decision: she put the bronze whistle in her mouth and blew it forcefully.

A sharp whistle pierced the noise and echoed throughout the hall. At first, nothing happened; Qi Huaiyu even scoffed, "Is this your death throes?"

The next second, however, the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony began to shake violently. A deafening roar came from underground, as if thousands of horses were galloping past. Suddenly, the ground in the center of the hall cracked open, and a column of water shot into the sky, knocking nearby guards off their feet.

"What's going on?!" the second prince cried out in terror. "Stop them!"

But it was too late. The cracks in the ground spread outwards like a spider web, and more jets of water gushed out. Xin Jiuwei was pulled by Xiao Xun and ran out of the hall, behind them came the loud crash of buildings collapsing.

"My sister is still outside!" Xin Jiuwei suddenly remembered.

"Don't worry, Qi Huaihe should already be..." Xiao Xun's words were cut short when his expression suddenly changed drastically, "Be careful!"

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