The Snake Demon flinched at her shout. Such a large demon actually coiled back its upper body aggrievedly, shut its mouth, and turned to look at Chou Xinwei as if asking for help.

The smile on the silver-haired man's lips vanished, and a cold scoff escaped his throat.

Chi Lian: "...Could you have a little bit of backbone."

He carefully observed the Snake Demon from head to tail again. This time, in broad daylight, he finally saw clearly what kind of creature it was. His heart stirred, and he muttered to himself, "A Ran Dragon?"

Chou Xinwei said bluntly, "The Empress may refuse to admit it, but it seems you are old acquaintances—you even know which mountain it came from with such clarity."

He extended his hand, and the enormous green creature obediently retracted its fangs, approaching him dejectedly and allowing him to place his hand on its head. Chou Xinwei patted its head, showing surprising patience with the ferocious-looking giant serpent. "Although it resembles a giant python, it is not a true Snake Demon, but a member of the Ran Dragon clan."

"The Ran Dragon is one of the Eight Great Ancient Mythical Beasts. It resembles a dragon but has no mane or whiskers, with four claws on its belly. It is ferocious by nature, and its scales are highly poisonous. This clan used to live in Lizhou of the North Sea, and their ancestor was a great general under the continent's lord. However, for committing a grave mistake, they were banished to the Mortal Realm by a certain venerable deity of the Heavenly Court." Chou Xinwei gave Chi Lian a meaningful look. "Since then, they have lived in the Great Marsh of Mount Yao, surrounded by miasma and difficult for mortals to approach, which is why there are no strange tales about them passed down in the Mortal Realm. It is not surprising that The Emperor does not recognize it. The Empress, however, is so knowledgeable and well-read, which is truly admirable."

The Empress sneered, "What a coincidence. I happen to be from Yao Prefecture and live near Mount Yao. I heard some legends about snake demons when I was a child, which is why I made that guess. To condemn me based on a few mere words is far too contrived."

"The Empress's understanding of it is not so 'mere.' The aggrieved party has come right before you, are you still going to argue?" With a casual wave of his hand, Chou Xinwei's sleeve instantly shot out three feet, directly sweeping up the Empress's father, Marquis Cheng'en, Zheng Jin, who was standing on the east side of the Sweet Dew Terrace.

With a crisp snap of his fingers, he dispelled the illusion on Zheng Jin. "As for the cause and effect of all this, let's have Marquis Cheng'en explain it in detail."

Zheng Jin had just awoken from a dazed stupor. The moment he opened his eyes, he was met with the Ran Dragon's yellow eyes, which were larger than eggs. He let out a yelp and fell to the ground in fright, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat. Looking at his surroundings, his blood ran cold, and he stammered, "W-What is happening?"

"Greetings, Marquis." Chou Xinwei bent down and leaned close to him with a smile, but his words were colder than ice. "Isn't this precisely the result you and The Empress wanted? You father and daughter are both so high and mighty, and so forgetful."

"Shut your mouth!" Zheng Jin, filled with terror and panic, didn't even care that others were watching. He lunged forward to cover his mouth. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

How could Chou Xinwei let him get close so easily? With a light flick of his arm that looked like a simple gesture, he instantly sent Zheng Jin flying, tumbling until he rolled to the feet of Emperor Qiansheng.

"You evil Daoist..."

"Zheng Jin!" Emperor Qiansheng finally lost his patience and roared, "Explain to Us clearly, what in the world is going on!"

"Your Majesty!"

The moment Zheng Jin heard his voice, he scrambled up from the ground and crawled on his knees to Emperor Qiansheng's feet, crying out mournfully, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! It was this subject who was foolish, deceived by this evil Daoist's glib words. In a moment of confusion, I... I..."

"Tsk, Marquis Cheng'en is quite good at turning his back on people." Chou Xinwei took advantage of his choked sobs to interject, "Back then, the Marquis asked me to help His Highness, the Crown Prince, pray for rain on the Shangyang Festival. Both you and the Empress have witnessed and approved of my abilities. Besides, the prayer for rain was successful today, so how can you have the gall to say I deceived you with glib words?"

With things laid out so clearly, Emperor Qiansheng would have to be a fool not to understand.

It was obvious that the Empress and the Crown Prince's faction, knowing his strong belief in occult arts, had seen the Hengfang Delegation's illusions at the night banquet. Thus, they secretly contacted the Hengfang people through Marquis Cheng'en, Zheng Jin, to find an illusionist to build momentum for the Crown Prince during the prayer for rain at the Shangyang Festival's spring rites. If this plan had succeeded, not only would Emperor Qiansheng see him in a new light, but the civil and military officials and the common people present would also be convinced and revere him upon witnessing such a miraculous scene. In that way, his position as the Crown Prince would be even more secure.

But who knew that at the critical moment, they would be outmaneuvered. The situation they had meticulously planned was merely bait thrown out by someone else. Not only did they fail to invite a true master, they invited a real demon instead.

Emperor Qiansheng was so furious with these fools he felt his soul was about to leave his body. "I ask you, is what he said true?"

"Your Majesty!" Zheng Jin kowtowed, pleading tearfully, "It was all this old subject's folly! I was possessed and presumptuously came up with this plan on my own! The Empress and His Highness, the Crown Prince, did not know about it beforehand. They only believed this subject's words, which led to the current situation..."

"Did not know?" Emperor Qiansheng sneered, turning to stare at the Empress and pressing her, "Empress, you tell me, did you know about this matter or not?"

The Empress had already left her seat to kneel and beg for forgiveness when Zheng Jin was pleading. At this moment, countless thoughts swirled in her mind. Caught in a dilemma, she stammered, "Your Majesty, my father... he was deluded by a villain and, in a moment of confusion, committed such a grave mistake... I beg Your Majesty to quell your anger..."

"We cannot quell Our anger!" Emperor Qiansheng said sternly. "Open your eyes and look at the fine mess you've made!"

"You, father and daughter, conspired to bring this demon into the palace! You not only wanted to harm Us, but also to harm the other princes and the people of the Capital! Do you think We don't know what you are scheming?"

Zheng Jin faced Emperor Qiansheng's fury, kowtowing and begging for forgiveness repeatedly. The Empress didn't dare to argue either, merely prostrating herself on the ground and weeping silently.

After a long stalemate with no one daring to step forward to mediate, Emperor Qiansheng gradually recovered from his towering rage. He let out a long sigh and managed to compose himself. He said to Chou Xinwei, "We now understand the ins and outs of this matter. We truly did not expect the Crown Prince...Sigh, that the Crown Prince would take such a wrong step. It is all thanks to your warning, sir, that We were not deceived by the imperial relatives."

Chou Xinwei bowed to him but showed no intention of concluding the matter. Emperor Qiansheng then said hesitantly, "After We return to the palace, We will surely punish these people severely. I ask you, sir, for the sake of the innocent commoners, to let this matter rest for today."

Standing not far away, Chi Lian's brow twitched twice. He felt that this matter was not over, a sense of unease growing in his heart.

Chou Xinwei suddenly smiled. His misty gaze slowly fell upon the Empress as he asked softly, "The Empress, do you think this matter can end here?"

No one answered. He continued on his own, "Pushing the blame onto your own father to protect more people... It is human nature to have such thoughts, but why should others cooperate with your self-deception?"

As if struck by lightning, the kneeling Empress's body suddenly stiffened, then began to tremble so violently that everyone could see.

Emperor Qiansheng looked at her in surprise and confusion. Zheng Jin seemed to have suddenly understood something. In his urgency, he forgot all about the difference in their statuses and blurted out to stop her, "Lady Zhi!"

But the Empress just knelt there in a daze, her head bowed. After a long while, she gave a low, bitter laugh. "Father, it's useless."

"I knew it... I should have known long ago." The dignified composure she had maintained for decades, which had almost become instinct, finally collapsed. Her body slumped to one side, and she sat kneeling askew on the ground, slowly looking back at Chou Xinwei. "You are here to help it get revenge, aren't you?"

The hem of her magnificent brocade robes spread messily around her like a blooming flower, yet it carried a startling and soul-stirring meaning.

Chou Xinwei neither confirmed nor denied it, taking it as a tacit admission.

The Empress raised a hand and removed the pearl earring from her ear, tossing it aside. The gem fell onto the stone tiles, creating a series of crisp clinks. Amidst this sound of shattering, she slowly began to speak, "This one's family lived in Meitang Town, Gaoyang County of Yao Prefecture. My ancestor was a jade prospector from Mount Yao. About a hundred years ago, as a mortal, he mistakenly entered the Great Marsh of Mount Yao. He was struck blind by the miasma. Fortunately, the guardian spirit of the mountain, the Ran Dragon, gifted him a secret medicine that cured his eyes and sent him back down the mountain to his home."

"Grateful for the mountain god's benevolence, our ancestor enshrined a spirit tablet for it at home, and the incense and offerings have continued for generations without fail. Perhaps it was truly due to the deity's protection that the Zheng Family, once a family of jade artisans barely making ends meet, gradually prospered. By my father's generation, we had become one of the wealthiest households in Meitang Town."

"In the twenty-eighth year of Shangde, this servant and my mother were returning home from a spring outing when our carriage horses were suddenly spooked at the city gate. A wandering Daoist priest helped to rein in the horses and told my mother that the girl in the carriage would one day attain an indescribably noble status."

That year, the eldest daughter of the Zheng Family, Zheng Huaizhi, was thirteen years old. Rumors of her beauty, intelligence, and noble fate had already begun to circulate in Meitang Town. Zheng Jin believed this encounter was a sign from the heavens, so he meticulously planned and prepared for his daughter's future, hiring tutors to teach her the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, and other skills.

The following spring, news came from the Jade Capital that concubines were being selected for the princes. Zheng Jin was overjoyed and resolved to use all his family's resources to send Zheng Huaizhi into the palace. But on the eve of the imperial envoy's arrival in Yao Prefecture, Zheng Huaizhi suddenly fell gravely ill. After a high fever, she lost her sight and could no longer see.

The Zheng Family did not dare let this matter get out, secretly spending a great sum to invite famous doctors from all the apothecaries in Yao Prefecture. All of them said her condition was incurable and advised them to seek another renowned physician. Zheng Jin had no choice but to accept that all his hard work had gone to waste. In his dejection, he took his anger out on his daughter. From then on, he ignored her completely, let alone sought medical treatment for her. He simply kept her in the rear courtyard, planning to marry her off to a family of similar standing in the future and be done with it.

From a treasured pearl in the palm to being cast aside like a worn-out shoe—it was all just a matter of a pair of eyes.

In those few short days, Zheng Huaizhi tasted the full bitterness of falling from the clouds into the mire. She even contemplated death at one point, thinking that rather than eking out a miserable existence, it would be better to end the pain and start over.

She silently prepared to take her own life. Almost no one in the entire household noticed anything unusual about her, not Lord and Madam Zheng, nor the maids who had grown up with her—or perhaps they had noticed but remained silent, feeling that out of sympathy, they should let her have the chance to end it herself.

Fortunately, there was an old matron who had been with her for many years, a servant who had served three generations of the Zheng Family. On the very night that Zheng Huaizhi resolved to swallow gold, the old matron burst in and grabbed her hand. The matron's cloudy eyes met the girl's dim, listless ones, and she asked in a trembling, low voice, "Eldest Miss, do you still remember that little ancestral hall in our home?"