Gentle and refined like jade, perfect like the bright moon, all the beautiful words in the world cannot describe even a fraction of him.

Now her whole world has been turned upside down.

Pei Yanzhi was never what she imagined...

What she admired was always her imagination.

“Cousin… I want to go back to my hometown with Grandma. I don’t want to stay in Beijing anymore… I didn’t hear anything about what happened today, I won’t say anything…”

"Bring me the document authorizing the release of the concubine."

Staring at her, Pei Yanzhi spoke without the slightest hesitation, and then added, "Give her the antidote too."

"..."

Liu Yunyan was stunned for a moment. The poison in her body was given by the Fourth Prince. She did not expect that Pei Yanzhi had always had the antidote and had not given it to her.

So he was always wary of her?

"I will definitely keep my promise to you. As long as I am here, the Liu family will not fall."

"..."

Liu Yunyan and the old Marquis were sent away.

The second master was beheaded and his body displayed to the public, leaving only the second aunt and a few orphans and widows. They shouldn't have stayed in the Marquis's mansion. No sooner had the second master's body been disposed of than the second uncle returned to his maternal home.

He never came to the Marquis's residence.

Everything was the same as in my previous life.

Everything has changed, yet nothing seems to have changed at all.

Everything converged and began to move forward, following the footsteps of the previous life.

The old emperor is seriously ill, the other princes are young, the crown prince is about to ascend the throne, Pei Yanzhi is mobilizing troops, and Li Chengyun is also mobilizing troops.

Everything is beyond anyone's control.

All she can do is wait for that moment to come.

Staring at the moon outside the window, Jiang Shuwan realized her own insignificance for the first time.

She did a lot, but still couldn't stop it from happening.

Pei Yanzhi said, "I won't make the same mistake twice..."

Last time, because he chose Li Chengyun, the entire Great Jing Kingdom suffered a decline in strength, war broke out in the surrounding areas, and countless civilians were killed or injured.

Therefore, no one can stop him this time.

Li Chengyun said, "Wanwan, stand beside me. With you here, I can win..."

Li Chengyun wanted revenge, and he wouldn't allow anyone to stop him.

Finally, on New Year's Eve, the royal family held a grand banquet for their officials. Li Chengyun smashed a cup as a signal and imprisoned the royal family members, along with court officials and members of aristocratic families, in the inner palace.

Pei Yanzhi, with the help of the Imperial Guards and the city defense soldiers, surrounded Li Chengyun.

The old emperor had already died of anger when Li Chengyun captured him. Especially when he heard that Li Chengyun wanted to clear the name of the Zhennan Prince's Mansion, his eyes were wide open, and he couldn't even close them when he died.

The crown prince was so terrified that he wet himself, looking like a clown, that he never expected Li Chengyun to rebel.

Crown Princess Ye Jingyi, with tears streaming down her face, hid behind the Crown Prince.

The remaining imperial concubines, princes, princesses, and scions of officials and noble families were all killed or injured in the chaos.

However, things are not yet beyond repair.

"The princess has arrived."

The moment Jiang Shuwan appeared at the palace gate, everyone made way.

They made way for him, and at the end of that road was Li Chengyun, who was besieged, and Pei Yanzhi, who was besieging Li Chengyun.

Pei Yanzhi waited outside for three days, but Li Chengyun still wouldn't let him go. The man hadn't washed for three days, but his face showed no signs of fatigue.

He was still dressed in white, as white as snow, and even though the hem of his clothes was slightly messy, his charm remained undiminished.

When he saw Jiang Shuwan, he smiled gently, like the bright moon.

But Jiang Shuwan knew that behind his serene and dignified facade lay a deep darkness.

He was resolute and would not tolerate anyone trampling on his will.

On the day I stood in the ancestral hall, the snow was falling very heavily, just like it is now.

He said to her with a smile that was more like a grimace:

"Not to boast, but I have been exceptionally intelligent since childhood and am able to handle all the people and things around me properly."

“My father saw me as the future clan leader, and my teachers and classmates were all proud of me.”

"I am proficient in both calligraphy and painting, and I am also skilled in poetry and prose. However, whether it is the lessons of the Imperial Academy or the ability to judge people, they are all extremely simple matters for me."

"I know when to keep a low profile and when to take office. The troubles of ordinary people are nothing but fleeting clouds to me."

"Even in the struggle for the throne, I have my own plans. The fourth prince is weak and no one is optimistic about him. I can help him ascend to the throne. I don't feel it's hard work. In fact, I even feel a sense of superiority."

"After all, as long as I follow His Majesty's arrangements like my father, we can preserve the Pei clan's glory for another hundred years."

"But I didn't want to. I had my own ideals, and I was doing very well until I realized something was wrong, but it was too late."

"I am a sinner to the whole world!"

"Therefore, in this life, I will not repeat the same mistakes."

Pei Yanzhi, who said these words, was both calm and violent; he was as reserved and aloof as an ice sculpture.

The blood flowing from his chest was filled with murderous intent.

Just like now, he held a sword in his right hand, his murderous aura undeterred by the cold wind and snow.

Even the wind and snow seemed to avoid him because of his unwavering will.

Standing at the foot of the steps of the Golden Palace, Jiang Shuwan looked at him quietly.

As night deepened, a heavy snow fell, and darkness, like a giant curtain, enveloped the majestic palace, making its walls appear even more austere and solemn in the night.

Snowflakes fell softly, and soon a thick layer of white snow accumulated on the glazed tile roof of the palace.

Along the long palace path, the ground was covered with snow, and soldiers left messy footprints and bright red bloodstains as they trod.

The entire palace passageway resembled a piece of stained Xuan paper.

The cold air froze in the darkness, and the snow fell silently. In the quiet and oppressive atmosphere, the palace lanterns swayed in the wind, and their dim light shone through the swirling snowflakes, casting a faint glow, as if they might be swallowed up by the darkness and the heavy snow at any moment.

"You've arrived."

She handed the sword in her hand to General Fei Hong, and Pei Yanzhi stared at her.

"Yes, I'm here."

Jiang Shuwan took a few steps forward as she spoke.

Behind her, several plum trees stood proudly in the snow, their red blossoms standing out vividly against the white backdrop. The girl, dressed in a pink winter dress, walked forward step by step.

No one dared to stop her wherever she went.

However, General Fei Hong seemed hesitant to speak, after all, Jiang Shuwan and Li Chengyun...

"Why didn't you bring a hand warmer?" Pei Yanzhi asked softly.

"We're all in the wind and snow, why should I crave that little bit of warmth?"

Jiang Shuwan smiled faintly, but the smile was also tragic.

Upon hearing her words, General Fei Hong's lips immediately curled into a smile. Jiang Shuwan's words meant she had given up on killing the Crown Princess.

Looking at Pei Yanzhi again, the man who should have been happy had no smile on his face.

"Miss Jiang..."

His lips moved, but he only uttered three words.

"Actually, it wasn't too difficult. After all, my relationship with Jiang Yao wasn't very good. It's just that it might be hard to explain to my parents. After all, when they left, I said I would avenge Jiang Yao."