Inside the duty room, incense wafted softly, and the furnishings were simple and austere. Xiao Chengjing had just sat down behind the large rosewood desk when a servant brought him hot tea. He picked it up, and the rising steam blurred his cold and handsome features, but it could not dispel the forced weariness and...unspeakable tenderness deep in his eyes.

He dismissed everyone around him. He was left alone in the large duty room. He put down his teacup and finally took out the small object he had unconsciously been stroking the whole way from his sleeve.

It was a baby shoe, no bigger than an adult's thumb, made of extremely soft, lake-blue Hangzhou silk. The stitches were fine and dense, and a small, crooked "安" (An) character was embroidered on it with gold thread. The sole was already somewhat worn, showing signs of being repeatedly rubbed by its owner.

This was a small shoe that Shen Yuewei had sent to the capital by guards when An'an turned one year old. There wasn't a single word, only this tiny shoe. It became the only warm comfort in his cold, calculating world of power. Whenever he was exhausted from reviewing memorials late into the night, or like today, when he had to use ruthless methods to deter villains and his anger was surging, he would always take out this little shoe, hold it in his palm, as if he could touch his daughter's delicate little feet, and smell the faint fragrance of osmanthus and milk in the Jiangnan courtyard. Only when his fingertips gently traced the small character "An" would the ice in his eyes melt slightly, revealing a trace of the deep-seated tenderness and longing of a father.

As his fingertips lingered on the soft fabric, his mind seemed to briefly drift towards the misty, rainy Jiangnan region—

A very faint tapping sound, like the pecking of a night bird, came from the window frame.

Xiao Chengjing's eyes suddenly narrowed, all softness vanishing instantly, replaced by his usual sharpness and vigilance. He quickly tucked the small shoes into his sleeve and said in a deep voice, "Enter."

A dark figure, like water flowing into the shadows, silently slipped into the guardhouse. It was one of the Shadows sent to protect Shen Yuewei and her daughter in Jiangnan. He knelt on one knee, raised his hands above his head, and presented a leather pouch imbued with the moisture of Jiangnan.

"Your Highness, an urgent letter has arrived from Jiangnan. It is written by Miss Shen herself."

Xiao Chengjing's heart sank. An urgent letter? Handwritten? Yue Wei was a resolute woman; she would never easily resort to secret messengers unless faced with an extremely difficult situation! An ominous premonition instantly gripped him.

He quickly took the leather bag, pulled out the letter inside, and unfolded it.

Those familiar handwritings, now like burning flames, carried an overwhelming sense of shock, anger, despair, a chilling coldness, and... an undisguised hatred! Each word was like a red-hot iron, searing his heart!

---The Empress's decree has arrived! A golden lock and jade bracelet—a generous reward—are bestowed upon her, her longing for her grandson overflowing, and her desire to return to the capital with her daughter to "share the joys of family life!"

---This small courtyard in Jiangnan has become a plaything in the hands of you and your son? Who else but you knows the whereabouts of my daughter and me?!

---The promises of the past still ring in my ears! Since you have already decided to push An'an into that den of wolves and tigers, treating my daughter and me as pawns to be manipulated by others, why didn't you end it all back then, so as not to be hypocritical today and only incur hatred!

---What do you intend to do?!

boom--!

A surge of violent rage, mixed with the chilling pain of being misunderstood, exploded in Xiao Chengjing's chest like volcanic lava! His hand gripping the letter tightened abruptly, his hard knuckles cracking as he crumpled the thin paper! In his phoenix eyes, a cold light blazed, sharp as a drawn sword, almost piercing the air! The chilling killing intent emanating from him made the kneeling shadow feel a suffocating pressure, causing him to involuntarily bury his head even lower.

The Empress! How dare she! How did she know where Yuewei and her daughter were hiding?!

Shock and rage surged through Xiao Chengjing's mind! He had promised Yuewei he would never reveal their whereabouts! The shadows he sent out were all handpicked, absolutely loyal confidants! Could it be…? He suddenly recalled a highly secretive trip to Jiangnan a few months ago. Could it be that he had been followed by his mother's men then? Or perhaps… there were spies planted deep within the Eastern Palace by the Empress?!

"Mother..." These two words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with icy hatred and unbelievable pain. She knew Yuewei's inner turmoil, she knew his promise! Her actions were tantamount to ruthlessly ripping open the deepest wound in Yuewei's heart! She had also completely severed the fragile, spiderweb-like connection he had painstakingly maintained between himself and Yuewei!

The duty room was deathly silent; the air seemed to have frozen into ice, pressing heavily on Shadow's shoulders. He could clearly feel the tangible anger and chill emanating from above, almost freezing him in place.