In the battle of Niu Mang Mountain, Chen Shiyu was seriously injured and Chen Xiao also died; Jiao Da lost most of his brothers before he was able to escort Chen Shiyu and Chen Xiao back to the capital.

Meanwhile, other forces in Kyoto, including Emperor Shang Xiche, also learned of Chen Shiyu's actions at Niu Mang Mountain.

Chen Shiyu and the Chen family's arrogance and audacity;

The oppression and fear brought about by the fact that the Ninth Prince was still alive led them to unanimously direct their anger and anger towards the Duke of Chen's mansion.

For a time, the Chen State Duke's Mansion became the target of public criticism. Almost every morning at court, someone openly impeached the Chen State Duke and his son, and they were all about trivial old matters.

Shang Xiche also reprimanded the Duke of Chen and his son in court for several days, and brought up the old grievances of the Duke of Chen and his son's defeat in the northwest. He used the excuse that the Ninth Prince had handed over half of the beast tally and that he should be punished accordingly, and forcibly confiscated the Duke of Chen's half of the beast tally.

Lady Chen, overwhelmed by the devastation of the Chen family's treasury and secret vaults, the death of Chen Xiao, and the isolation of the Chen family, was consumed by self-blame and collapsed, her life hanging by a thread.

Duke Chen also vomited blood several times, and his hair and beard turned white overnight. He was on the verge of death.

The Chen State Duke's Mansion, which was attacked by the masses, almost collapsed.

Since returning from Niu Mang Mountain, Chen Shiyu, feeling lost and disoriented, had been experiencing chest tightness, shortness of breath, and recurring nightmares. He attributed it to his injury and didn't take it seriously.

The Chen family's downfall was entirely due to the sudden departure of those masked men in black.

Chen Shiyu wanted to ask Shang Beiyu if something had happened to him, which was why he had urgently summoned those men in black back.

He went to the palace to look for Shang Beiyu several times, but he couldn't find Shang Beiyu.

Unwilling to give up, he waited outside Shang Beiyu's palace for several days before discovering that Shang Beiyu's so-called busyness was actually going to the Ninth Prince's mansion every few days to meet with Song Huiru in secret.

That day, Chen Shiyu followed Shang Beiyu into the Huixiang Pavilion.

Seeing Song Huiru nestled intimately beside Shang Beiyu, making tea and playing music for him, the two seemed to be a perfect match.

Chen Shiyu felt as if his heart had plummeted into an abyss, and he could no longer hold back as he rushed in: "Your Highness!"

Seeing Chen Shiyu's appearance, Song Huiru recalled the rumors of the "Third Prince's homosexuality" and was surprised:

Could it be that the person who made the Third Prince give up his future and the throne was Chen Shiyu?

She thought that man was some kind of celestial beauty, worthy of the Third Prince's sacrifice.

So the Third Prince's judgment is really that bad?

Shang Beiyu already knew he had followed her, and calmly looked up at him, asking, "What are you doing here?"

"Your Highness, you...you and her..." Chen Shiyu was filled with emotions, but he could not express them.

"It's none of your business," Shang Beiyu said with an extremely cold expression.

Chen Shiyu felt her heart ache even more from his unprecedented coldness, and said sadly and helplessly, "Your Highness, why are you suddenly like this? She is already the Ninth Prince's woman!"

"So what?" Shang Beiyu's elegant and aloof tone, cold to the point of being almost domineering, sent chills down Song Huiru's spine and inexplicably moved her heart.

"Your Highness, I..." Chen Shiyu clutched his chest tightly, his eyes reddening, "Have you forgotten... us..."

"You're going to die," Shang Beiyu replied, his tone cold and ruthless, "If you don't want your Chen family to be wiped out, hurry back and make your final arrangements while you still have some time left."

"What!" Chen Shiyu took two steps back, unable to believe it.

Shang Beiyu calmly twirled the teacup in his hand without tasting it: "Do not cause me any trouble, otherwise no one in your Chen family will survive."