Suffocating, Shen Tangning disregarded everything else and ran away as fast as she could.

The fire started in the Empress's bedroom, but the fire had not yet spread to other areas. Strangely, she rushed in but found very few palace servants.

Without time to think, she arrived outside the bedchamber. Wenlan was kneeling in the snow, his face filled with despair. When he saw her, his eyes gradually regained their vitality, and he showed a hint of surprise: "...Young Miss?"

Shen Tangning's face was whiter than snow, with fine snowflakes still clinging to her eyelashes. Her cold eyes gave her a deep look, confirming her suspicions.

With the Empress's palace on fire, how could Aunt Wenlan possibly do nothing?

Unless... it's my aunt's own choice.

A pang of sorrow gripped her heart. Without uttering a word to the other party, she resolutely rushed into the burning bedroom.

"Young Miss, you can't go in!" Wenlan exclaimed in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief.

However, Shen Tangning's movements were too fast, and she didn't have time at all.

The palace doors were not closed. As soon as Shen Tangning stepped inside, a blast of scorching heat hit her face, creating a stark contrast with the icy and snowy landscape outside.

What first caught her attention was the person standing at the door, dressed in a spotless white robe, with a quiet and elegant demeanor, holding a long sword pointed at the seated empress, and slowly asking:

"Will you do it yourself, or should I do it?"

Her heart tightened suddenly, and she blurted out, "Stop!"

The other person turned around, his dark eyes coldly glancing at her, a playful smile curving his lips. It was none other than the Fourth Prince, Yan Jue.

Upon seeing Shen Tangning, who shouldn't be there, the Empress's straight back bent, her eyes widened, and she hurriedly shouted, "A-Ning, who let you come?! Leave now!"

Instead of retreating, Shen Tangning rushed in, lifting her wet skirt. Her hands and feet had been numb from the cold on the way there, but now she didn't know where the strength came from. She bypassed Yan Jue and went straight to the Empress, hugging her tightly, her eyes moist with tears.

"Aunt, I'll take you out."

Yan Jue watched this scene with composure, tilted her head slightly, and chuckled softly: "Did I let you leave?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Tangning's sharp gaze shot over, her clear black and white eyes filled with suppressed anger. She gritted her teeth and said, word by word, "Fourth Prince, do you know what crime it is to plot against the Queen Mother?"

The Empress's heart tightened instantly. She tugged at Yan Jue's sleeve and looked at her warily: "A-Ning..."

Perhaps it was the thick smoke that choked her, or perhaps her words were too naive, but Yan Jue coughed lightly a few times, pressed his lips to his, glanced at her with cold arrogance, and slightly curled his lips: "How can you call it murder? It was clearly an accidental fire in the Empress's palace, and the Empress and Young Madam Chi unfortunately perished in the fire..."

Shen Tangning's pupils constricted, shocked by his arrogance; she was somewhat certain that he was truly capable of doing it.

For some reason, the palace servants of Kunning Palace were sent away, and the Imperial Guards rushed to Yangxin Hall, so for the time being, no one really had time to pay attention to this place.

She had to find a way to get rid of this person; in a brief moment, many ideas flashed through her mind—

Why did Yan Jue insist on killing her aunt?

Even if he wanted to fight for the throne, he should have targeted the crown prince. What good would killing the empress do him?

He had been lying low for years, willing to risk exposure to kill the Empress. There was only one possibility: he hated the Empress to the core...

The fire was growing larger, and the overhead beams were on the verge of collapsing at any moment. Shen Tangning pursed her pale lips and said quickly in a negotiating tone, "Fourth Prince, you have endured for many years. Do you want to expose your ambitions because of today's actions? Even if you hate the Empress, there may be some misunderstanding here. Why can't we sit down and talk it over?"