Long spears stood erect, like a forest glimmering with bloody light, swarming and trampling through this vast palace.

Chaotic soldiers were everywhere, sword tips stirring up blood mist. The tightly closed gates of the Lianyi Palace were soon breached, and the small vanguard of cavalry quickly rushed in, while the main force remained behind. These vanguard troops were all trusted guards personally selected by Mingde, like the sharpest tip of an arrow, deeply piercing into the heart of the imperial palace's inner hall.

If Mingde were a general familiar with the terrain and formation, or had a better understanding of palace coups, he would know that although the current situation seemed to be in his favor, it was actually very unfavorable for him.

No army that had just returned victorious and was waiting to be rewarded for their merits would risk having their entire clan exterminated by rebelling in the imperial palace, let alone an army that had always been well-treated. When other armies were still waiting for winter clothes, they had already equipped everyone with fur garments. Even in terms of military pay, what they received was several times that of neighboring armies.

Such an army would not have much dissatisfaction with the court. If they were instigated to rebel, at most it would be a momentary delusion. Once they came to their senses, the morale would dissipate. Except for the truly loyal soldiers who only listened to the general and not the emperor's orders, most ordinary soldiers would not dare to continue being unruly.

At this time, if the palace gates connecting the Lianyi Palace to the Zhengtai Palace were closed, the army would be forcibly divided into two segments. The vanguard troops, being few in number and unable to receive support, would quickly be annihilated. Although this palace coup was dangerous, it was definitely not at the point of being on the verge of doom.

Inside the Zhengtai Palace, the Qianwan Emperor waved his hand to dismiss the secret guard who had delivered the urgent report. Who knows what he was thinking, but after a while, he let out a light, cold laugh: "...This child is not that foolish, it seems he has been blinded by anger."

Zhang Kuo took the opportunity to say with a smile: "How could the little noble consort truly oppose you? Your Majesty's favor, even a clay figurine could feel it."

The Qianwan Emperor laughed, with a hint of indescribable cruelty amidst his casual demeanor.

He had thought this little thing would not so easily lose his head. Now it seemed the little one had been angered and recklessly started playing the act of leading troops to force the palace.

So be it. That breath of resentment stuck in his throat, unable to be swallowed or spat out, would make him sick if held in. It would be good for the little one to vent it out through this experience.

That little one, with a bit of military power in his hands, had become restless, always secretly plotting but lacking the courage to act rashly. The Qianwan Emperor felt distressed just watching him. It was just the right opportunity, using the chance of him leading troops back to the capital, to send a few trusted men from the army to incite and deceive him.

As long as they took the late Empress' old belongings from the Fengxian Palace to provoke him, that little thing would surely be unable to resist and come to force the palace.

He truly regarded his relatives and blood ties as more important than the heavens. He only thought about how to avenge his few useless waste-like kin, how to vent the resentment in his heart. He never considered that if it weren't for someone secretly colluding and imperial edicts ordering the army to follow his deployment, how could he so conveniently bring the troops to the palace?

A child in his teens, taking the heads of thousands on the battlefield once or twice was fine, but mobilizing the army to force the palace? Who would listen to him?

Zhang Kuo stood there waiting for orders. He had been standing with his hands down for a while, only to see the Qianwan Emperor pondering over something, even with a relaxed expression on his face. Probably after a cup of tea's time, the sound of horse hooves could already be vaguely heard outside the door.

Only then did the Qianwan Emperor slowly say: "...This child acting so recklessly, he will definitely suffer in the future after being let out."

Zhang Kuo smiled in agreement: "Isn't that so? Just Minister Ding alone would never let our little noble consort off."

"After this matter is over, it will be just right that he can no longer have a foothold in the court. He can hide here. That Ding Huang is too greedy, I will eventually take care of his entire family!"

Zhang Kuo bowed: "Your Majesty is wise."

The Qianwan Emperor let out a cold laugh and looked towards the hall's entrance. The sound of horse hooves approached, and with a loud bang, the palace gates of the Zhengtai Palace were opened by the palace servants who had received prior orders.

Archers and hidden guards instantly stood in formation, figures looming on the high walls of the palace. The chaotic soldiers who had rushed in earlier fell under the rain of arrows, the first blood flowing down the jade steps like a small river.

Everyone was screaming, flames leaping, and in the distance, billowing smoke shrouded the sky above the pinnacle of this hundred-year-old palace.

The sound of the Imperial Guards' assault came like rolling thunder amidst all kinds of chaotic noises. Buckets of water were dumped into the flames, timid palace maids scattered in fright, and the usually poised concubines and mistresses screamed, desperately fleeing this human hell rolling with blades and flames...

Everything was in chaos.

Just as that little thing had always hoped, always struggling, always restless. Those little claws, so fragile that a light grasp would injure and break them, yet he still couldn't help but reach out and scratch around a bit. Otherwise, he would be filled with resentment and unable to find peace...

Mingde pushed open the door to the inner hall. The tall and unimaginably spacious chamber was quiet, with no sound other than his own footsteps heavily treading on the carpet.

He had come here many times. Long ago, that man had told him that this palace belonged to him, even this entire world belonged to him. As long as he wanted, he could freely enjoy the best years here.

It sounded like very indulgent and doting words, but in reality, it was a cage for him, making him cautious and fearful here. Every day, there would be people who became rich overnight with an imperial decree, and also people whose families were ruined under the Emperor's casual words.

He seemed to have truly been placed on a pedestal, yet so many people coveted him with hostility, wishing to scrape him with a knife, stab him. If he was not careful, he would be pulled down and shattered into pieces.

Only the Empress would secretly come to see him and coax him. When he angered the Qianwan Emperor and was ordered to be locked alone in this tall and cold palace, at night, when the palace servants wouldn't light lamps for him, in that dark and terrifying night, only the Empress would risk infuriating the Qianwan Emperor, tiptoe over to bring him food, and only leave after seeing him fall asleep.

The royal family can devour people. Everyone seems like the Emperor's puppet on a string, yet they all wish to dismantle the other puppets and become the only one. The person who is nice to you and smiles at you today may turn around and stab you tomorrow, or even swarm together to put you to death, going crazy and foolish for a bit of illusory glory.

He trusted no one and was on guard against everyone. Only the Empress had always considered him, suffering herself for a lifetime, and in the end died so lonely and unjustly.

Mingde felt his nose getting a bit sour. He knew that facing Li Ji and crying at this moment would be too foolish. But he couldn't control it. Those familiar scenes all reminded him of how the Empress drank the poison here, how she collapsed here, how she was still wholeheartedly thinking of the Crown Prince and him when the shadow of death loomed.

He stood in the center of the great hall, looking back in a daze. A hand reached out from behind him and gently wiped away his tears.

"What are you crying about? What's there to cry about? Be careful or your throat will hurt again."

Mingde abruptly turned his hand back, only to be grabbed by the Qianwan Emperor's palm. The silent struggle only lasted a few seconds before a dull thud was heard. Mingde was pressed down on his back onto the marble floor, knocking over the tea table, scattering precious decorations all over the ground.

The Qianwan Emperor pressed a knee on his waist, holding down his two wrists, not knowing if he used too much force causing Mingde to cry so badly. Tears slid down from his temples one drop at a time. His whole body curled up, like a severely injured, extremely frightened little beast, always wanting to bury its vulnerable belly in a body of little spikes for protection.

The Qianwan Emperor easily forced him to stretch out and asked sternly, "Why are you crying? Huh? How have I let you down that you think about running away every day! Look at yourself, and you want to seize the palace! Those court officials outside could eat you alive with one bite each! What will you do without me protecting you? Just wait to die?!"

"It would be better if you didn't exist!" Perhaps because he struggled too intensely, Mingde's voice carried the hoarseness of crying, almost changing pitch, "—If it weren't for you, the Empress wouldn't have died! My mother wouldn't have died either! Everyone would be fine, it's all you! It's all because of you that things turned out this way!"

He always felt very afraid, taking each step with trepidation. If he took one wrong step, countless people were waiting to pounce and devour him. He was just an ordinary, unvalued illegitimate son of a noble family. He would have been very content living a muddled life, but just because of the Emperor's momentary interest, he was pushed to the forefront of all struggles.

A teenage boy, falling into the hands of a man older, more powerful, and more brutal and cruel than him, living or dying at his command. There were obviously so many people watching, but not one person could reach out to save him. On the contrary, they all envied and even jealous, thinking it was glory and fortune, thinking he was ungrateful.

This kind of terror had been deeply engraved in his bones since his youth. At first, it was a simple abhorrence of this palace. Later it developed into palpitations upon entering the palace gates. Even though he was so afraid, he still had to pretend to be nonchalant.

Others said he was deeply favored, but they didn't see that fifteen-year-old child, hiding deep in the dragon bed, crying softly all night long, even breathing cautiously, not daring to make a sound.

That fear and disgust had been deeply planted into his bones. This little one was sensitive and suspicious. Once pricked lightly by a needle tip, he would remember it for a long time, let alone the huge shadow from the royal family, practically strangling his neck at all times, making it hard for him to breathe.

He cried so miserably, not at all like a general who was trying to seize power. The Qianwan Emperor wanted to reach out and wipe away his tears, wanting to calm him down, but as soon as he reached out, his finger was bitten.

This little one bit very hard. Blood spurted out. The pain instantly stimulated his mind. The Qianwan Emperor swung his hand and gave him a heavy slap.

"It would be better without me? Without me, you would have been killed ten thousand times over! Without me, how could those armies possibly listen to you? Even that Crown Prince would have long been overthrown! I thought coaxing you would make you behave, but now it seems you're just an untamable little ingrate!"

Mingde was slapped so hard he couldn't breathe. He only heard a buzzing in his ears. He struggled unconsciously, sobbing and screaming shrilly, "Let me go! Let go! Let go!..."

The Qianwan Emperor swung back with another slap. That slap directly made Mingde go completely limp, choking on his breath and unable to get it back.

"If I had known earlier, I would have locked you to the bed with a chain and not let you go anywhere! Then where would all these troubles come from! It's all because of you, this ungrateful little thing, stirring up so much mess!"

He dragged Mingde up in one pull, not caring that the child went limp in his hands, and stumblingly dragged him out of the inner hall. Outside, the battle had ceased. Sporadic sounds of fighting came from afar, but that was already the last-ditch effort not to be feared.

The great hall was a mess. Zhang Kuo stepped on blood and shattered body parts and ran over. The Qianwan Emperor held Mingde with one hand and said sternly, "The Crown Prince instigated a palace rebellion, with the delusional intent to usurp the throne. Lacking virtue and ability, unworthy of the great task of the nation! Someone come! Drag the Crown Prince up and grant him death!"

Mingde struggled violently, his shrill voice seeming to snap his vocal cords, "No!"

The Qianwan Emperor didn't let go. He fell to his knees, desperately clutching the sleeves of the bright yellow dragon robe, his voice shrill and miserable with tears and fear: "No! I beg you! It has nothing to do with the Crown Prince! I beg you not to kill him! No!"

The Qianwan Emperor was getting impatient with his grasping. He held Mingde tightly in his arms with one hand, forcing him to raise his head, and gripped his chin with the other hand, asking close to his ear: "Do you see that door? Do you see it? It's too late to say no now. If you behave, I'll let the Crown Prince suffer less. Otherwise, I'll make you watch him being tortured right here, for three days and three nights, cut down bit by bit, slowly stripped to nothing but a skeleton..."

Mingde struggled desperately. He tried to pry the Qianwan Emperor's hands away, kicking with his feet, crying out and shouting in despair. Those meaningless words couldn't shake the Emperor's will. Even his struggles were weak and insignificant. He watched helplessly as a person wearing the Crown Prince's white and gold robes was pushed forward with disheveled hair, and then the imperial guards raised their swords.

In that instant, it was as if his entire heart had shattered. The head, the blood, the scattered limbs on the ground, the blood-red palace, the distant flames and smoke swirling above the tall palace roof, like a dirge floating from an ancient battlefield.

All of this was deeply engraved in his mind, becoming the valve that shut off everything in his memory.

What followed was darkness. Everything spun away from him rapidly. The Qianwan Emperor seemed to be shouting something in his ear, shaking his body desperately, but he couldn't feel anything anymore.

At this point, the Qianwan Emperor was truly a little horrified. However, he only saw Mingde cough violently a couple times, coughing up a mouthful of blackened blood, and then he collapsed limply into his arms.

"Mingde! Mingde!" The Qianwan Emperor shook him heavily, suddenly standing up and roaring hoarsely: "Hurry and summon the imperial physician!"