On the other side, Jiaojiao and her group had arrived in front of the Yuchao Palace.

Unlike other places where there were cries for help, the Yuchao Palace was very quiet and not even candles were lit on the palace road.

Qiao Bo was the first to step forward and knocked heavily on the gate of Yuchao Palace. It turned out that the gate was not locked at all and opened with a creak.

Qiao Bo turned his head to ask Qiao Tianjing, and Qiao Tianjing nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Qiao Bo pushed open the door of the palace with force, and the four of them walked in together.

What comes into view is a quiet large courtyard, and a rich fragrance hits you in the face.

Jiaojiao looked around and saw that the courtyard was full of flowers in full bloom, glowing with a gentle purple light under the moonlight.

Walk further in, and there is a magnificent palace right in front of you. There is a plaque hanging on the door - Yuchao Palace.

At this time, candles were lit in the hall, and a figure was reflected on the door of the hall.

Since the three people around her knew her specialness, Jiaojiao no longer pretended and called out, "Shen Yuanbai?"

A childish voice rang out, breaking the tranquility of the courtyard.

The figure in the hall moved, steady footsteps were heard, and a black figure walked step by step to the hall door.

Squeak——

The palace door slowly opened from the inside, revealing a familiar face, it was Shen Yuanbai.

He was dressed in white, his posture was straight, his brows and eyes were still cold and clear, but he seemed to be thinner than the last time they met in the canyon.

He raised his hand and opened the door completely, revealing the scene inside the hall.

There were two chairs in the hall opposite the palace door, with a person tied up on each chair. At this moment, both of them had their heads down and their faces could not be seen clearly.

But the man on the left is wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, and the man on the right is wearing a dark blue official uniform, so their identities are already obvious.

The moment Shen Yuanling saw Shen Yuanbai, he moved forward, but Shen Yuanbai raised his hand and said calmly:

"Xiao Si, you don't have to come over."

He just stood at the threshold of the hall without taking a step forward, as if he had completely drawn a line between himself and the people outside the hall.

"What do you want?"

Jiaojiao asked him loudly, her brows furrowed in worry.

Shen Yuanbai looked at Shen Yuanling deeply, and then shifted his gaze away to Jiaojiao's face.

"Can I talk to you alone?"

Upon hearing this, Jiaojiao looked up at her elder brother.

Seeing this, Shen Yuanbai also looked at Qiao Tianjing.

Before knowing the truth, he had always regarded Qiao Tianjing as the strongest enemy in the entire Qiao family.

Qiao Zhongguo is upright, but his loyalty is precisely his weakness. Qiao Diyi is brave but has not yet grown up. Only Qiao Tianjing is surprisingly upright and not pedantic enough to be able to use the tactics of a strategist.

Qiao Tianjing should have known the truth about this world a long time ago, right?

Qiao Jiaojiao naturally wouldn't tell him on her own initiative, but they lived under the same roof, with so many clues, and Qiao Tianjing was so perceptive that he would surely not miss any of them.

How did Qiao Tianjing convince himself? Was Qiao Tianjing also as miserable as he was because of this absurd truth?

Shen Yuanbai would not ask.

He needs to complete this journey of self-salvation step by step on his own.

At this time, Qiao Tianjing had already put Jiaojiao down. He leaned over and gently touched Jiaojiao's head without saying a word.

Shen Yuanling looked at Shen Yuanbai steadily, and finally followed Qiao Tianjing and Qiao Bo out without saying a word.

Only Jiaojiao was left in the courtyard.

Shen Yuanbai took the initiative to speak, his tone was casual, as if he was just chatting with old friends.

"This is the bedroom of my mother before her marriage. Look, Qiao Jiaojiao, after all these years, it is still as magnificent as ever."

"Yinzhu said that this place hasn't changed at all. It's still the same as in her nightmare."

When Jiaojiao heard this, she looked into the hall again. Even though the light was dim, she could still see the extreme wealth and opulence.

"Qiao Jiaojiao, tell me, is my mother's experience made up word for word by it?"

"Will it also write down word for word where every brick and tile in the Yuchao Palace has cracks or where it has fallen into disrepair?"

As Shen Yuanbai continued to speak, Jiaojiao raised her eyes and looked at him in surprise.

The corners of Shen Yuanbai's mouth slightly raised, as if he had already understood.

"So you see, it has limited energy. Maybe it will write more about me, but for most people, it will only write a few words. What really frames all of us is actually only choice and life and death."

"For example, your Qiao family, since I am the final winner and you support my brother, then the end of your Qiao family will be - extermination? Tragic death?"

"But now everything has changed. The emperor relies on your father. He is a kind-hearted man and will not let down the loyalty of the Qiao family. Therefore, you have overturned the deadlock and escaped its control."

"As for Meng Guxue, she was destined to be with me, but now she has become the wife of the Lord of Nanli State. This choice completely deviates from the fate that was written for Meng Guxue, so she is also 'alive'."

"My brother and Xiao Si also changed the deadlock, and my father is the same as Meng Guxue."

"If I'm not mistaken, according to the established trajectory, my father should pass the throne to me, right?"

"But this time, he left an imperial edict to pass the throne to his brother. This choice also made father completely deviate from his plan."

"Qiao Jiaojiao, I look back on the past again and again, and think carefully about everyone's 'changes'. Most of them are about life and death and choices."

"As for me? Have I made choices that are powerful enough to break free from my predetermined fate?"

Shen Yuanbai tilted his head, with a self-deprecating smile on his lips.

"No."

"I have been busy running around until now, from Yong Dynasty to Nanli and now to the Northern Kingdom, and I am still doing my best to fulfill my mother's last wish."

“And this is indeed my choice.”

"Not only because Uncle Zhou had deeply ingrained this choice into my mind since I was three years old, but also because of the dedication and sacrifice of everyone around me, it made me more determined to take this path."

"So Qiao Jiaojiao, you see, even though my situation is far different from the original winner, I still haven't fought against this so-called fate."

"Now, the choice is before me again."

At this point, Shen Yuanbai turned his head to look at Prince Jin Yu and Wu Geng in the hall, and said with a chuckle:

"My mother's last wish was that, in addition to allowing me to conquer the Northern Kingdom, she also wanted to make sure that Prince Jin Yu and his accomplices all died a miserable death."

"I know my own character, so in the predetermined destiny, I will definitely avenge my mother thoroughly."

"Today, the destruction of the Northern Kingdom is a foregone conclusion, and my mother's last wish is for the lives of the two people who are left behind."

"So, if I choose to let Prince Jin Yu and Wu Geng go now, help them survive, and let them live, it would be completely against my mother's last wish."

"In this way, I have made a choice that is completely different from my predetermined destiny."

When Jiaojiao heard this, her guess all along was finally confirmed.

She opened her mouth and had a lot to say.

But when he met Shen Yuanbai's calm look and saw the determination and relief on his face, everything he wanted to say came to a halt.

Jiaojiao exhaled slightly and said softly: "But you won't."

Shen Yuanbai noticed the change in Jiaojiao's expression, and knew her struggle and compromise. The smile on his lips suddenly widened.

"Qiao Jiaojiao, there is a priceless bed inside, but on the edge of the bed and under the quilt, there are countless scratches made by fingernails."

"One tragedy after another was born in this royal court, and many lives were buried under the hands of King Jinyu."

"I admit that I am despicable and never talk about justice, but this King Jin Yu is really guilty of death!"

"I can't go against my conscience and let him live, so 'choosing' this path is not feasible for me."

Jiaojiao sighed softly, looked at the person opposite her with burning eyes, and slowly uttered out Shen Yuanbai's unfinished words.

"So, the only option left is 'life or death'."

"According to the original novel, you are alive and well. Not only that, you have Sister Meng by your side, the country, and the prosperous power."

"If you want to get rid of it, you can only do the opposite, such as asking for death."

When Shen Yuanbai heard this, he could no longer hide the admiration in his eyes when he looked at Qiao Jiaojiao.

He raised his lips, smiled and said:

"So today, I invite you to come and witness my death."