Shang Xian followed behind Dugu Lianbai. Just as he stepped across the threshold, Shang Xian turned his head and gave Dugu Qianchen a strange smile: "This time it's really serious. It's either you or me."

Dugu Lianbai's body suddenly trembled, and Dugu Qianchen, who was teetering on the edge of rage, suddenly became furious. When had he ever been spoken to like that by a woman?

"Ning Jiu'er, you're going to die."

Shang Xian acted as if he hadn't heard, completely ignoring Dugu Lianbai, and said coldly, "Aren't you leaving yet?"

After walking for a while, Dugu Lianbai asked, "What did you mean by what you just said?"

Fearing he wouldn't understand the literal meaning, she added, "I really find this kind of man disgusting. It's his skill to scheme against people in court, which only shows that he's capable, but he uses these schemes on me, the empress. Don't you think he's disgusting?"

"You shouldn't say that. You're barely able to protect yourself now," Dugu Lianbai sighed softly. This woman was too strong-willed.

"So what?" Shang Xian scoffed. "Didn't I say that whether he dies or I die will soon be decided?"

Where does your confidence come from?

"He's bound to lose. I'll hold onto this position and make him furious." Shang Xian patted Dugu Lianbai on the shoulder. "I advise you to think this through carefully. After all, the Empress Dowager's selection of me for the palace wasn't just some random expert's wild guess."

That charlatan was right; if she wanted to, she could be queen.

Shang Xian looked around the dark and damp dungeon. Bloodstains seeped through the walls, and an aura of death emanated from it.

Each cage contained disheveled people with chains on their hands, which made a rattling sound when they moved, which was quite eerie.

Shang Xian found a relatively clean cage, locked herself inside, and locked it up. She also held the key in her hand, so she was safe. The lock on this dungeon was made of black iron, and no one could get in without the key.

"What are you doing?" Dugu Lianbai was completely bewildered by her bizarre actions.

"Don't bother me, I'm safest in the dungeon," she said, sitting cross-legged on the straw mat.

"Shouldn't you try to get your brother to release you? Your mother will help you too."

"Your mother survived the cannibalistic harem to the very end. She is more cunning than anyone else. If she hadn't been a traditional woman who had no ambition for the throne and believed that a mother's status depended on her son becoming emperor, your brother would never have been able to ascend the throne." The Empress Dowager was traditional, but she was not. She had no son and just wanted Dugu Qianchen's throne.

"What you said is really strange, I didn't understand a word of it." Dugu Lianbai felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He just felt that Ning Jiu'er was very hostile to his brother. Hmm... that's really strange.

"Let's go, I'm sleepy." Shang Xian yawned and lay down. This place was really dirty and messy. She would need Mo Xi's help later.

She heard no sound from Dugu Lianbai for a long time, but she knew he hadn't left. She opened her eyes and saw that he was still standing there, seemingly lost in thought.

Suddenly I heard him ask, "What do you want to eat tonight?"

"Hey!" Shang Xian sat up abruptly. "I'm a prisoner now, a prisoner!"

“Prisoners need to eat too,” Dugu Lianbai said as he approached the iron cell door, placing his left hand on it.

"You want to poison me?" Shang Xian asked jokingly.

Dugu Lianbai shook his head: "There's no need, I'm just a little worried about you."

Are you worried?

What are you worried about?

He didn't know.