The Empress's cold and authoritative voice, like a final verdict, crashed into the deathly silent Chonghua Palace.

The guards showed no mercy in restraining the crying and struggling Princess Yongjia, dragging her out like a dead dog.

Her meticulously styled hair was disheveled, her magnificent palace dress was covered in dust, and she let out a shrill, desperate scream: "Aunt! Aunt, spare me! I'm innocent! It was that vile woman Xin Jiuwei who framed me! Let me go!"

However, her cries seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the empress's icy expression and the guards' merciless actions.

Liu Yiyi, on the other hand, seemed to have lost all her bones; her face was ashen, her legs limp, and she was practically dragged away by two guards. Her lips trembled, her eyes were unfocused, and she didn't even have the strength to beg for mercy; only endless fear overwhelmed her. The little eunuch and the maid who spilled tea, who had been used as scapegoats, were even more terrified, trembling like leaves.

The hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop. Only the fading cries of Princess Yongjia echoed in the empty hall like a ghostly whisper, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

All eyes were focused on the eye of the storm—Xin Jiuwei. She stood there, her back ramrod straight, her pale face accentuated by her white mourning clothes, and her hand, scalded from the burn, throbbed faintly beneath her sleeve. Yet, her clear eyes, as if washed by a cold spring, were clear, calm, and even carried a hint of weariness from surviving a catastrophe, but devoid of any joy of victory.

The Empress wearily rubbed her temples, her gaze sweeping over Xin Jiuwei with an indescribable complexity. There was a helpless confirmation of the truth, a calm scrutiny of Xin Jiuwei, and utter disgust for the mess before her. "Xin, you've been frightened. I will have the Imperial Clan Court investigate this matter thoroughly and give you an explanation. Today's palace banquet is over. Disperse." She waved her hand, her voice deeply weary, unwilling to look at the chaotic scene any longer.

"Your subject (or concubine) takes her leave." The crowd, as if granted a pardon, bowed and filed out of Chonghua Palace. The air seemed to begin to flow again, yet it carried the oppressive feeling of surviving a catastrophe.

Xin Jiuwei followed the crowd out of the main hall. The chill of the autumn night hit her face, making her shiver. The bravado she had just maintained dissipated, and a great sense of exhaustion swept over her. The stinging pain on the back of her hand became even more pronounced. She subconsciously used her other hand to pull her clothes tighter.

Just then, a figure in black appeared silently half a step away from her. It was Xiao Xun. He didn't look at her, his steps were steady, and his gaze was straight ahead, as if he were simply walking with her. However, the invisible pressure emanating from his tall figure, as well as the familiar, cold, and aura of Songmo emanating from him, made Xin Jiuwei's tense nerves tremble slightly.

She followed silently behind him. The palace path was long and brightly lit, casting long, long shadows of the two of them walking silently ahead of each other.

"Qi Huaiyu." Xiao Xun's deep voice broke the suffocating silence in the quiet palace corridor without warning. He didn't turn around; his voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Xin Jiuwei's ears, carrying a cold, unquestionable inquiry, "Is he colluding with Liu Yiyi?"

Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat! He really hadn't let that name go! In the chaos just now, she had used Qi Huaiyu's name as a weapon of retaliation, but in doing so, she had once again exposed this dangerous name to Xiao Xun's view. He astutely noticed the forged "Qi Huaiyu love letter" in Liu Yiyi and Yongjia's scheme to frame her, instantly connecting the two.

She forced herself to keep her breathing steady, her mind racing. Deny it? That would only increase his suspicion. Admit it? But how could she explain the connection between Qi Huaiyu and Liu Yiyi? She couldn't reveal the information she had foreseen through her rebirth.

"This humble woman dares not make a hasty judgment." Xin Jiuwei's voice carried a perfectly measured hoarseness and weariness, as if she were utterly exhausted. "However... this man is treacherous and cunning, and omnipresent. When I was in Yingzhou, he was adept at using bribery and framing. The methods Miss Liu used today—framing, forging tokens—are exactly the same as Qi Huaiyu's past actions..." She steered the conversation towards Qi Huaiyu's consistent style of doing things, implying that Liu Yiyi might only be imitating him or influenced by his methods, without directly admitting to collusion.

Xiao Xun seemed to pause slightly before resuming his pace. He didn't press further, simply continuing on his way in silence. This silence, however, put more pressure on Xin Jiuwei than any question. She knew her answer hadn't completely dispelled his doubts. Qi Huaiyu had become, in Xiao Xun's eyes, a hidden danger deeply intertwined with her, someone who needed to be "eliminated."

Outside the palace gates, Xiao Xun's carriage waited quietly. Chen Qing stood to the side, and upon seeing the two emerge, he immediately bowed in greeting. His gaze lingered for a moment on Xin Jiuwei's pale face, carrying a hint of complex emotion that was difficult to detect.

Xiao Xun walked to the carriage, but did not get in as usual. He stopped, turned to the side, and his gaze finally fell on Xin Jiuwei's face. The light from the palace lanterns outlined his cold, hard features, and his deep, pool-like eyes appeared even more unfathomable in the night. He looked at her for a moment, his gaze sweeping over her slightly furrowed brows and tightly pursed lips, finally settling on her hand that was gathering her sleeves.

"Hands." He uttered a single word, concise and commanding.

Xin Jiuwei was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously pulled her injured hand back into her sleeve.

"Stretch it out." Xiao Xun's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

Xin Jiuwei hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended her right hand from her sleeve. On the back of her fair hand, several areas scalded by boiling water were noticeably red and swollen, with even a few small blisters, which looked particularly glaring under the dim light.

Xiao Xun's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He reached out, not to touch her wound, but to take out a simple porcelain bottle from his robes—the very medicine that Xin Jiuwei had presented as evidence in the palace, the medicine Lin Wanyi had given her. He uncorked the bottle, and a refreshing medicinal fragrance filled the air.

He didn't speak, but simply handed the porcelain bottle to Xin Jiuwei, his movements stiff and businesslike.

Xin Jiuwei looked at the familiar porcelain vase, then glanced at Xiao Xun's expressionless face. A faint warmth, which even she herself found absurd, swept through her heart, only to be suppressed by deeper vigilance and self-mockery.

He was merely fulfilling the contract, protecting himself as a "useful" pawn. She silently accepted the porcelain bottle and whispered, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Xiao Xun said no more and turned to get into the carriage. Xin Kui, who had been anxiously waiting by the carriage in Jingyuan, immediately stepped forward to help Xin Jiuwei.

"Miss! Are you alright?" Xin Kui's voice was filled with lingering fear and worry as her gaze fell on Xin Jiuwei's swollen hand. "Your hand..."

"It's nothing, just a minor burn." Xin Jiuwei shook her head and handed the medicine bottle Xiao Xun had given her to Xin Kui. "You can apply the medicine when you get back."

On the way back to Jingyuan, the carriage was silent. Xin Kui watched Xin Jiuwei close her eyes wearily to rest, not daring to disturb her. In Xin Jiuwei's mind, however, the thrilling events in the main hall earlier that day kept replaying, as did Xiao Xun's cold, hard movements and eyes when he handed her the medicine, and his questioning about Qi Huaiyu.

Back at Jingyuan, Lin Wanyi was already waiting for him. She was still dressed in a simple blue dress and carrying a medicine box, clearly having been invited by Xin Kui in advance.

"Miss Lin." Xin Jiuwei was somewhat surprised, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.