The heavy palace gates closed silently behind Xiao Chengjing, shutting out the last ray of sunlight. Inside the Zichen Palace, the scent of ambergris was so strong it was almost imperceptible, its wisps clinging to the bright yellow gauze curtains hanging between the pillars. The Empress sat regally on her phoenix throne atop the steps, her hair piled high, the pearl beads hanging from her golden phoenix hairpin motionless. Only her fingertips lightly brushed against an open list of tribute goods from Jiangnan, the tips of her nails making a soft scratching sound on the smooth mulberry paper.

The air inside the hall was as still as lead. Xiao Chengjing stepped onto the imperial steps, the hem of his black dragon-embroidered robe brushing against the cold, hard gold bricks with a dull thud. He stopped before the phoenix throne, not bowing as usual, his tall figure bearing the oppressive weight of an impending storm, landing heavily on the Empress.

"Jing'er has arrived?" The Empress smiled and raised her eyes, her tone as loving as ever, but her gaze was sharp as needles, instantly piercing through his calm exterior. "Look, this is prepared for your Miss Shen from Jiangnan and An'an. Jiangnan may be nice, but it is still outside, and we cannot disregard etiquette and propriety. An'an is of royal blood, a golden branch and jade leaf. What kind of decorum would it be if she were left outside? I have already ordered the Inner Palace to draft an edict to bring An'an back to the capital for education, so that she and her daughter... can enjoy the wealth and honor of the imperial family."

"Mother," his voice was not loud, but it was like a blade tempered with ice, clearly cleaving through the suffocating silence in the hall, "I have read the report sent from Jiangnan." He paused, his gaze sharp as a hawk, piercing the Empress's beautiful but expressionless face, "What exactly is the purpose of your 'favors' bestowed upon Yuewei and An'an?"

The Empress paused slightly, raising her eyes to reveal a deep, calm depth in her phoenix gaze: "Your Highness is mistaken. Lady Shen has rendered meritorious service in giving birth to the imperial heir. Although she lacks the title of Crown Princess, she is still the mother of the royal bloodline. Bestowing upon her some provisions from Jiangnan is my way of showing consideration for her and her daughter, and it is also a matter of royal dignity. As for summoning An'an to the capital..." A faint smile played on her lips, a half-smile, "As her grandmother, I miss my grandchildren and wish to see my own granddaughter. Chengjing, what is wrong with that?"

“Compassion?” A suppressed, chilling laugh escaped Xiao Chengjing’s throat, echoing faintly in the empty hall, carrying a piercing sarcasm. “The Empress Dowager knows perfectly well that Yuewei’s only desire is ‘freedom’! She would rather take An’an far away in Jiangnan than step into this palace! Is this imperial decree, these ‘respectable’ rewards, compassion or shackles? You summoned An’an to the capital to use my daughter to force her mother to submit?!”

"Insolence!" The Empress's face suddenly darkened, her phoenix eyes flashing with power, and her voice abruptly rose, "Xiao Chengjing! Mind your place! I am the Empress, your mother! I have my reasons for doing things, why should I explain them to you? And it is not your place to make unfounded speculations and speak rudely!"

"Identity?" The anger in Xiao Chengjing's eyes finally flared up completely, the flames almost burning away his last shred of reason. "What an identity! What a reason!" He took a sudden step forward, his gaze like lightning sweeping across the imperial desk. On the desk, a flawless, priceless mutton-fat jade ruyi lay quietly on the brocade, the object the Empress had just been playing with.

Without any warning, Xiao Chengjing suddenly swung his wide sleeves, bringing with him a sharp gust of wind!

"Clang—crash!"

The jade ruyi was violently swept to the ground, striking the hard gold bricks with a piercing, cracking sound! The smooth jade shattered instantly, countless fragments carrying immense force, shooting in all directions like shattered stars! A sharp piece of jade grazed the Empress's embroidered phoenix skirt, narrowly embedding itself in the nanmu screen behind her with a muffled thud. The Empress's face paled slightly in shock, and she instinctively leaned back, her nail guards gripping the armrests of the phoenix throne tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Xiao Chengjing didn't even glance at the shattered jade scattered on the ground. His chest heaved violently, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred and determination: "Mother's so-called reasoning is nothing more than turning what you consider good into a cage and imposing it on others time and time again! Father has imprisoned you your whole life, imprisoned countless people in this harem your whole life, and now, even the last precious thing I have left in this world, you want to use your 'reasoning' to touch and control it?!"

He stared at the Empress's suddenly pale face, and spoke each word with unwavering resolve, as if declaring: "An'an will not enter the capital! Yuewei will not be trapped by you! My words are clear!"

"As for the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree..." He paused, each word sharp as ice, "Mother need not worry about him anymore. My men have surely 'properly' sent him on his way, and he is probably nearing the Yellow Springs Ferry by now."

Before he finished speaking, he turned around abruptly, his black robes drawing a sharp arc behind him, carrying a chilling aura. He strode towards the outside of the palace, and the heavy palace doors slammed shut behind him again, shutting out the deathly silence inside and also the Empress's face, which instantly turned extremely ugly.