Chapter 87 Gods Do Not Save Mortals

Chapter 87: Gods Don't Save People

Xiao Yuzi entered the room, several candied hawthorn sticks in hand, his face etched with panic.

"What happened?" Chu Jiubian asked.

Xiao Yuzi swallowed hard, quickly replying, "My lord, just now, downstairs, while watching the procession, I encountered a mysterious girl dressed as a man."

"The crowd then moved towards the West Market district, but I didn’t follow. I went to the outer part of the main street to buy candied hawthorn. That girl didn’t follow either; instead, she headed towards the East Market."

"But just now, as I returned after buying the candied hawthorn, I passed by a carriage. The curtain was raised for a moment, and I happened to see that girl inside."

"She appeared unconscious, and her hat had fallen off. I couldn’t see her face clearly, but—" Xiao Yuzi’s face paled further as he looked at Chu Jiubian, "that girl had a head of white hair."

Chu Jiubian narrowed his eyes.

Qin Xiao gently rubbed the thumb ring on his finger, his expression unreadable.

Baili Hong frowned, unsure of what was happening, but he could tell that both his uncle and his teacher looked troubled.

Qin Chuan, who had been indifferent until then, also turned slightly to look at Xiao Yuzi.

"Which direction did the carriage go?" Chu Jiubian asked calmly.

"It headed out of the street. The driver seemed to be a covert guard. I didn’t dare follow, so I informed the nearest Imperial Guards. They should have followed it."

As soon as Xiao Yuzi finished speaking, there was another knock on the door.

"Enter," Chu Jiubian responded.

The door opened, and in walked a rather unremarkable-looking man—the type you'd forget instantly.

He was a covert guard, though not the type who remained hidden in the shadows. Instead, he was disguised as an ordinary person blending into the marketplace.

He happened to be the "street vendor" selling candied hawthorn.

The door closed behind him, and he immediately bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, my lord, I’ve already sent someone to follow that carriage. I told the Imperial Guards not to go."

The Imperial Guards were too conspicuous. If they followed, the target would certainly not proceed to their intended destination.

So, after seeing Xiao Yuzi speak with the Imperial Guards and leave, this covert guard intercepted the two Imperial Guards and sent his own men to follow instead.

"Did you leave markers?" Qin Xiao asked.

The covert guard confirmed.

Qin Chuan looked at Qin Xiao, then stood up and said, "I’ll follow."

Qin Xiao nodded and said to Xiao Yuzi, "Get the carriage ready. We’ll return to the palace shortly."

"Yes," Xiao Yuzi acknowledged.

In an instant, half the people in the room had left, leaving only Chu Jiubian, Qin Xiao, and Baili Hong.

Baili Hong quietly looked at the two men on either side of him and remained silent.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were also quiet for a moment.

"Prince Jiannan again," Chu Jiubian said first.

Qin Xiao’s gaze slowly swept over the silver hair cascading over Chu Jiubian’s shoulders.

"He's getting bolder every day," he remarked coolly.

Chu Jiubian also glanced down at his own long hair, lifting a strand with his fingertips, deep in thought.

Prince Jiannan had always been bold. The shady dealings in his residence were too numerous to count.

However, he had always acted with caution, leaving no evidence behind.

For instance, regarding the child named Xiao Tian who had been abducted earlier, Qin Xiao had sent people to investigate but found no traces left behind. Moreover, if he guessed correctly, Prince Jiannan likely still possessed that child’s indenture contract.

In this era, servants who had signed lifelong contracts were considered the property of their masters. Their lives and deaths were entirely up to their masters.

That said, Prince Jiannan had always been careful not to leave any evidence against him.

But today’s incident was anything but "cautious."

With nobles all around, and countless Imperial Guards, servants, and undercover guards mingling among the vendors and pedestrians, the area was tightly guarded.

So why would Prince Jiannan have someone kidnap someone so brazenly in such a public place? Was he truly unafraid of being discovered, or was he afraid others wouldn’t notice?

And furthermore...

Chu Jiubian looked toward the door.

How was it that Xiao Yuzi and the covert guard disguised as a candied hawthorn vendor happened to witness the scene inside the carriage?

Calling it a coincidence was laughable. It was more likely someone intentionally made sure they saw.

Chu Jiubian looked up at Qin Xiao and said, "It seems someone is stirring up trouble again. If I’m not mistaken, that girl must be the daughter of the merchant who sought Prince Zuiliang’s help."

A chilly smile tugged at Qin Xiao’s lips, his eyes cold and hard. "Since the knife has been handed to us, we should take it."

Whoever was trying to use them and Prince Zuiliang to target Prince Jiannan, an opportunity was an opportunity. There was no reason to waste it.

"Let’s return to the palace," Chu Jiubian said, standing up. "Prince Zuiliang will likely request an audience soon."

Qin Xiao also stood and casually scooped up Baili Hong from the chair beside him.

Baili Hong finally had a chance to speak. He looked up at the two adults and asked, "Uncle, Teacher, what do I need to do later?"

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao exchanged a glance.

How much they could accomplish depended entirely on how much concrete "evidence" the person behind this could provide.

After returning to the palace, sure enough, within less than fifteen minutes, Prince Zuiliang Baili Yan requested an audience.

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the three received him.

Baili Yan entered and immediately bowed. After Baili Hong told him to rise, he didn’t even take time to greet Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao before speaking directly: "Your Majesty, I beg you to grant me justice!"

"Royal Uncle, don’t rush," Baili Hong said gently. "Please sit down and have some water first."

Baili Yan took a seat next to Chu Jiubian, hastily drank some water, and then said, "Your Majesty, when I came to the capital this time, some merchants and young nobles from my fief followed to see the festivities."

"Just now, one of the merchants discovered his daughter had gone missing. After searching for a long time to no avail, he came to me for help."

Baili Yan’s worried and distressed expression seemed genuine. "Could Your Majesty send the Imperial Guards and the City Defense Force to help search? The missing child is only thirteen or fourteen years old, and she’s just a girl. This is..."

"So it's about this matter," Baili Hong said. "The missing girl... she has white hair?"

Baili Yan instinctively glanced at Chu Jiubian, only to meet his indifferent gaze.

Startled, he quickly averted his eyes and said, "Th-that's correct."

Earlier at the restaurant, the wealthy merchant surnamed Zhou had come to him immediately in tears, saying his daughter had gone missing.

Baili Yan had often received offerings from this merchant in his fiefdom, so naturally, he was willing to help where he could in such a situation.

While ordering his subordinates to search for the girl, he made his way to the palace.

As for how he knew Chu Jiubian and the others had returned to the palace, it was because he had seen their carriage.

"How convenient," Baili Hong said. "My men happened to come across the carriage that kidnapped the girl and have already given chase. They should bring her back soon."

Baili Yan breathed a sigh of relief, placing a hand over his chest. "That's excellent news. Now I can give an explanation to the people in my fiefdom."

"Prince Zuiliang truly cares for the people," Chu Jiubian remarked, turning to look at him.

Baili Yan quickly replied, "You flatter me. I am merely fulfilling my duties while governing the region on His Majesty's behalf."

Chu Jiubian curled his lips. "Just now, Your Highness mentioned that merchant—is he a local of Minzhe?"

"Indeed," Baili Yan said. "However, I only became acquainted with this merchant Zhou in the past two years. This is the first time he has come to me for help, and I had never heard before that he had a daughter like that."

A young girl with white hair—one has to wonder why.

"So that's how it is." Chu Jiubian took a leisurely sip of tea before continuing, "I just received word that Miss Zhou was abducted. I wonder who could be behind it. Does Prince Zuiliang have any clues?"

Baili Yan forced a dry laugh. "Well, I'm quite puzzled myself. Perhaps some villain took a liking to the young lady's looks."

"That is indeed possible, given how the nobility here in the capital have always had a taste for beautiful women," Qin Xiao remarked sarcastically.

Baili Yan lowered his eyes and did not respond, letting out another dry chuckle.

Qin Xiao also smiled, staring lazily at him as he asked, "What if whoever took Miss Zhou was a member of the capital's nobility, or perhaps..."

Baili Yan slowly raised his eyes to look at him, only to hear him continue, "Or perhaps it was the doing of one of the princes. What would Prince Zuiliang do then?"

Their eyes met, and the room fell into silence.

The communication between clever people often requires no explicit words for them to understand each other's unspoken thoughts.

Baili Yan straightened his expression and said, "Naturally, they must be dealt with according to the law. What those scholars at the palace exam today knew, I certainly know as well."

He was referring to Gu Fang, the criminal justice candidate, whose strict attitude was now being conveniently invoked.

"Whether it be nobility, high officials, princes, or aristocratic families," Baili Yan declared solemnly, "daring to kidnap a commoner's daughter in broad daylight is utterly audacious and must not be lightly forgiven. Moreover, since the perpetrator targeted someone from my domain, I certainly won’t back down."

The implication was clear: no matter who the culprit ends up being, he would become the "blade" aimed at them.

If Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian wanted the "culprit" dealt with according to the law, Baili Yan would lead the charge for them to achieve that goal.

This was his way of pledging loyalty to the court and the emperor's faction.

Chu Jiubian lowered his gaze and gently traced the rim of his teacup. The scalding heat of the cup tingled against his fingertips, yet a slight smile touched his lips.

How could a feudal prince who survived the struggle for the throne and obtained a wealthy domain like the Min-Zhe region truly be a fool solely devoted to pleasure?

The Prince Zuiliang had long known it was a trap—one that used both him and the emperor's faction to target someone.

But for him, wasn’t this also an opportunity to forge good relations with the imperial family?

Prince Zuiliang had no ambition; he cared even less about his descendants. All he wanted was to enjoy a carefree life on his domain for as long as he lived.

So, he had no intention of challenging authority.

Of course, he was also nearly the wisest among all the feudal princes.

Thus, he clearly perceived the situation early on: that the imperial power was now strong, and with Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao supporting him, Baili Hong would securely hold the throne for life.

Moreover, his domain bordered Southern Zhili but was quite distant from the central plains. Even if other feudal princes rebelled, the turmoil would not reach him.

Therefore, his goal now was to pledge allegiance to Chu Jiubian and his allies in exchange for a peaceful rest of his life.

Qin Xiao smiled more broadly, his words laced with meaning: "The Grand Tutor Sir is right. Prince Zuiliang truly is a benevolent prince who loves his people as his own children."

Baili Yan gave an awkward chuckle a couple of times but neither responded nor refuted the remark.

Everything went without saying.

Time passed minute by minute as Baili Hong quietly reviewed reports.

He was now capable of handling many reports independently, and this scene evoked mixed feelings in Baili Yan.

Such a young child—in his own mansion, one would still have to chase after him to feed him—yet the Emperor sat as steadily as an adult, seriously reviewing those reports.

It dawned on him that with an emperor like this, even if Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were to withdraw from governance in the future, the Emperor would still be able to stabilize the court and the realm.

The burden on his shoulders seemed lighter, and Baili Yan grew even more convinced that his decision was correct.

The emperor's faction, from top to bottom—from Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian to An Wuji and Hong Fu, and even the students of the Imperial College—was truly teeming with capable people.

Finally, noise emanated from outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Qin Zhaoyang arrived in person, accompanied by a young lady who followed closely behind, and Prince Jiannan Baili Hai, who looked even weaker than the girl.

Behind them were two Imperial Guards escorting a bound man—the undercover guard who had driven the carriage.

The moment the young lady stepped into the hall, everyone’s gaze turned toward her.

With almond-shaped eyes and red lips, she was indeed striking, but what drew the most attention was her head of white hair.

It was white hair—the kind that occurs naturally in humans.

Seen alone, it might not be noticeable, but when compared side by side, it was clear that this white hair was distinctly different from the silver-white hair Chu Jiubian dyed.

Chu Jiubian’s hair had a glossy, slightly grayish sheen, while Miss Zhou’s white hair resembled the pure white often seen in some elderly people.

Qin Xiao gave her only a brief glance before turning his attention to the pale-faced Baili Hai.

Chu Jiubian, however, stared fixedly at the young lady. Sensing his gaze, she looked up at him, momentarily dazed, then quickly lowered her eyes, shrinking back as if frightened.

Chu Jiubian smirked.

In his mind, the system was frantically flashing red warnings: "Alert! Alert! Detected presence of gu poison in the host’s vicinity! Highly toxic! Proceed with caution! Proceed with caution!"

"Tag it," Chu Jiubian said in his mind.

The system demanded: "Ten Faith Points."

"Five Faith Points," Chu Jiubian countered.

The system replied: "Eight of your Faith Points have been deducted from the host."

A glimmer of pale white light flashed in Chu Jiubian's pupils. When he looked again, he saw five or six flickering green lights glowing on Miss Zhou's abdomen.

These green lights stayed quietly on her body without moving around.

Qin Zhaoyang had already reported what had happened earlier. It turned out that after Qin Chuan left the tavern, he had followed the carriage that abducted Miss Zhou.

The carriage circled around the market streets before arriving at the rear side gate of Prince Jiannan's manor.

A manservant opened the gate, and the guard who was driving carried Miss Zhou into the manor.

Such incidents occurred almost daily, so none of the guards or servants in the manor found it unusual. They simply let them in, allowing the driver to carry Miss Zhou all the way to Baili Hai's courtyard.

Then the driver turned Miss Zhou over to the guards in the courtyard and left the manor.

Qin Chuan captured the driving guard, dislocated his jaw to prevent him from committing suicide, and handed him over to Qin Zhaoyang, who arrived shortly after.

"So it was you!" Baili Yan immediately stood up, pointing angrily at Baili Hai. "Prince Jiannan, how dare you! How dare you abduct a common woman in broad daylight? Do you have no regard for the laws of the court?"

Baili Hai trembled as if frightened by him.

His legs gave way, and he knelt down, kowtowing toward the young emperor. "Your Majesty! Your subject is wronged! I truly have no idea what happened. Someone must be framing me deliberately."

Baili Hai looked at Miss Zhou, who had remained silent all along. "Miss, please explain on my behalf. I really don’t know what’s going on. After seeing you, I immediately planned to send you out of the manor. I haven’t even touched a single strand of your hair!"

Earlier, Baili Hai had also gone to watch the official procession, but after watching, he returned to his manor. It was only after entering his courtyard that he discovered there was an extra woman there.

When he asked the servants, he learned that someone had sent her over while he was away.

But such things had happened too many times before. Since Baili Hai wasn’t in the manor at the time, the servants assumed he had taken a liking to Miss Zhou outside the palace and had specifically sent her back to the manor first.

However, seeing Baili Hai’s completely clueless expression, the servants immediately realized something was wrong.

Baili Hai thought he might have been set up, so he hurriedly apologized to the young woman politely and prepared to secretly send her away.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they stepped out of the manor, they were stopped by Qin Zhaoyang, who brought both of them into the palace.

He looked at Miss Zhou urgently.

But Miss Zhou seemed frightened by him and stammered, "I... I don’t know..."

As she spoke, she also knelt on the ground, weeping continuously but unable to utter another word.

Baili Hai’s eyes darkened slightly.

Miss Zhou was originally part of the plan, so of course she wouldn’t speak in his defense. He hadn’t held out hope anyway.

But during this morning’s palace examination, the questions in the criminal justice assessment were aimed at something no one needed to spell out—Baili Hai understood better than anyone.

If he were convicted of publicly abducting a common woman, not only would his reputation be ruined, but even his current title might be revoked. He could end up as an ordinary prince without any title or fief, his status even lower than that of his two useless imperial brothers in the palace.

He couldn’t let himself end up like that.

So his dawdling now was actually to wait for the person who could truly save him.

Who he was waiting for was naturally the high-ranking officials of the Xiao family and Grand Empress Dowager Xiao Ruohan.

Chu Jiubian and the others were aware of his thoughts but weren’t in a hurry.

No matter who showed up today, Prince Jiannan’s status would be lost. They would no longer grant him the right to contend for the throne.

"Don’t be afraid, child." Baili Yan walked over and helped Miss Zhou up, shielding her behind him. He pointed at Baili Hai and said, "You, Prince Jiannan! What else is there to say at this point? Your behavior is a disgrace to our imperial family! How are you fit to hold the title of prince?"

Baili Yan seemed truly furious. He turned and bowed toward Baili Hong. "Your Majesty, Prince Jiannan has committed such a grave mistake. If word spreads, it will damage the prestige of the imperial family. I request that Your Majesty strip Prince Jiannan of his title and remove him from the imperial lineage!"

Baili Hai suddenly looked up at him, the feigned weakness on his face twisting momentarily.

Stripping his title was one thing, but now they wanted to remove him from the lineage? Prince Zuiliang was certainly playing a clever game!

Could it be that today’s entire incident was a scheme orchestrated by him?

"Who dares to remove Prince Jiannan from the imperial lineage?" An authoritative female voice sounded from outside the hall.

Xiao Ruohan ignored the attempts to stop her from the palace attendants outside and forced her way in.

As soon as she entered, even Baili Hong had to rise to show filial piety. Everyone in the room bowed to her, and Qin Xiao also nodded slightly.

Only Chu Jiubian didn’t even rise from his chair, sitting calmly in his seat and drinking tea.

He could bow to Baili Hong because he felt like it, but toward the Grand Empress Dowager, he simply didn’t want to.

No one commented on it though; everyone was used to it.

Xiao Ruohan first helped Baili Hai up, patting his hand reassuringly, then walked over to Qin Xiao. Qin Xiao moved aside, yielding the position immediately below the emperor to her.

Xiao Ruohan sat down, directly facing Chu Jiubian, her expression haughty.

Baili Hong sat back down, and only then did the others gradually resume their seats.

"I just heard something about the imperial lineage." Xiao Ruohan’s icy gaze fell on Prince Zuiliang, sharp as a knife. "Prince Zuiliang, who were you planning to remove?"

Baili Yan acted as if he didn’t see the threat in her eyes and frowned. "Grand Empress Dowager, you are unaware—this..."

He recounted everything that had happened earlier, down to the last detail.

Baili Hai hurriedly refuted, "Grandmother, I didn’t do it!"

The term "grandmother" made Xiao Ruohan’s heart ache even more, and her gaze toward Prince Zuiliang grew even darker. "This series of events seems full of hidden details to me. Someone must be pulling strings behind the scenes. Prince Zuiliang, why are you in such a hurry to convict Prince Jiannan? Could it be that you orchestrated this whole thing?"

"Grand Empress Dowager, you jest," Baili Yan said, appearing agitated. "The evidence is conclusive. Besides, Prince Jiannan’s... preferences might be unknown to outsiders, but who among us isn’t aware? So many children have been harmed by him. Corpses are almost secretly carried out of Prince Jiannan’s manor daily—"

"Enough!" Xiao Ruohan snapped angrily. "So what if a few servants die? Don’t ten or eight people die in the capital every day? Why can’t there be deaths in Prince Jiannan’s manor?"

As Baili Yan was about to say more, Xiao Ruohan turned to Baili Hong. "Your Majesty. There must be more to this matter. I believe a thorough investigation is necessary to uncover the mastermind behind it."

"When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits. We must not become weapons in someone else’s hands."

Baili Hong frowned, somewhat unsure how to proceed, and instinctively looked toward Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.

Yet, neither of them spoke. Instead, they turned their gazes toward Miss Zhou, who was shielded behind Prince Zuiliang.

Since the person behind this wants to get rid of Prince Jiannan, they certainly won't give up halfway.

Sure enough, the next moment, Miss Zhou, who had been crying nonstop, suddenly stepped out from behind Prince Zuiliang, dropped to her knees with a thud, and looked at Baili Hong with tears streaming down her face, saying, "Your Majesty, I beg you to grant me justice!"

Outside the palace.

In the main courtyard of the Xiao family.

The head of the family, Xiao Yao, sat in the main seat of the hall. The teacup in his hand shattered with a crash, and the porcelain shards cut his palm, but he seemed not to notice. He simply took out a handkerchief and wiped away the seeping blood.

His advisor sat in the seat below him, frowning as he looked at him, holding his tongue.

"Fool," Xiao Yao said calmly. "I told him repeatedly to be careful, but he never listened."

Only then did the advisor speak up: "Should we still try to shield him?"

By asking this, he was already implying that he did not wish for the Xiao family to sink any more resources into this Prince Jiannan.

Previously, for the sake of this fool, they had already cost Xiao Wendao his ministerial post, causing the Xiao family to suddenly be put at a disadvantage.

If they were to protect him again now, it was uncertain what further losses they might suffer.

Xiao Yao discarded the handkerchief in his hand and coldly glanced outside: "Our Xiao family doesn’t depend on the imperial bloodline to establish itself."

Previously, they had been too ambitious, wanting to reach for that position.

Now it seemed that the ancestral teachings should not be violated. The Xiao family ought to rely on their women to secure marriage alliances, thus stabilizing their standing.

After all, with the Grand Empress Dowager still in the palace, the glory of the Xiao family remained for now. However, they should also begin grooming the next empress and the next emperor.

Naturally, this emperor could not be Baili Hong.

The advisor felt relieved.

Everyone has the ambition to climb higher, but not everyone has the capability.

The Xiao family simply weren’t cut out for it, and cutting their losses early was wise.

"But this matter of Prince Jiannan—I wonder if it will drag us down," the advisor said with a frown. "And now that we are in a weakened position, if the emperor's faction decides to make a move against us..."

He cautiously watched Xiao Yao's expression, his voice gradually trailing off.

Xiao Yao looked him up and down, then suddenly smiled: "Sir, where do you think the Xiao family should go from here?"

The advisor's face turned pale, and he fell to his knees with a thud: "I’ve spoken out of turn."

Xiao Yao gazed at him indifferently for a long moment before finally saying: "Enough. Fetch me ink and paper."

"Yes," the advisor replied tremulously, cautiously withdrawing. Shortly after, he returned with paper and a brush.

Xiao Yao dipped the brush in ink and wrote two letters, instructing someone to deliver them to Prince Huguang and Prince Dongjiang.

These two feudal princes were powerful, ambitious, and both had taken Xiao family women as wives, making them the most suitable potential allies.

After everyone had left.

Xiao Yao closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

The Xiao family must only grow stronger under his leadership; it absolutely could not decline.

In the palace, Xiao Ruohan waited and waited, but Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan never entered the palace, and no other news came from the Xiao family. Her expression gradually darkened.

She had thought that with her stalling for time, the Xiao family would find evidence of Prince Jiannan's innocence.

But unexpectedly, after more than half an hour, there was still no news.

Her heart sank as she finally guessed the family head's decision.

They intended to abandon Baili Hai.

In other words, they also intended to abandon her, their Grand Empress Dowager, and instead focus on cultivating the next Xiao family woman.

The once powerful ruler of the inner court, who had played both the Xiao family and the royal court, once again felt the isolation and helplessness. But she no longer had the ability to turn the tide. Her well-maintained face instantly showed signs of fatigue.

While she waited for news from the Xiao family, Chu Jiubian and the others were also waiting.

By now, everyone had naturally realized the Xiao family's choice, and there was no further discussion needed regarding Baili Hai's punishment.

Qin Xiao turned to Qin Zhaoyang and said, "Show the evidence to the Grand Empress Dowager."

From the time Qin Feng and Xiao Ruohan began their power struggles in the palace, Qin Xiao had been collecting proof of the crimes committed by the Xiao family and Prince Jiannan. Now that the moment was right, this evidence could finally be used.

Qin Zhaoyang took a thin stack of papers from his sleeve and handed them to Xiao Ruohan.

Xiao Ruohan read through them one by one, her expression growing increasingly grim. By the end, she looked up, visibly shaken, staring intently at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao smiled at her: "Your Majesty is merciful. Out of respect for you as his grandmother, he is allowing you to keep your dignity one last time."

Xiao Ruohan's face was extremely dark.

These papers did not contain evidence of Prince Jiannan's crimes; he had indeed been cautious and covered his tracks.

Instead, they documented all of Xiao Ruohan's past crimes during the reigns of Emperor Cheng and Emperor Yingzong, including the harm done to royal heirs and consorts in the palace.

Even more terrifying, Qin Xiao had also framed her for the deaths of Emperor Yingzong and Qin Feng.

By slipping this lie in among a series of facts, he made everyone believe that she was responsible—that because she had no blood relation to Emperor Yingzong, she wanted to put her own grandson, Baili Hai, on the throne, and thus killed Emperor Yingzong and Qin Feng.

This was, of course, false. Emperor Yingzong had clearly been killed by Qin Feng.

But she could not prove her innocence!

Qin Xiao was threatening her: if she continued to protect Baili Hai, this evidence and these rumors would become public knowledge. Then, her position as Grand Empress Dowager would undoubtedly be forfeit.

For now, Qin Xiao was willing to offer her this courtesy—only Baili Hai would be lost, and she herself would certainly not be able to remain in the palace.

But her name would remain untarnished, and thus the reputation of the Xiao family women would also remain.

In the future, whenever the Xiao family backed a claimant to the throne, a Xiao family woman would still have the chance to become empress and rule the inner palace.

Xiao Ruohan closed her eyes.

The papers in her hand were crushed into a ball.

Baili Hai looked up, and seeing her expression, his face fell. He said, "Grandmother—"

Xiao Ruohan suddenly stood up. Her expression cold and resolute, she looked at Baili Hong and said, "Your Majesty has come into your own. There is nothing more for this grandmother to say. I shall take my leave now."

With that, she turned and walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Baili Hai finally grew frantic, frantically grabbing the hem of her robe. "Grandmother! Grandmother, where are you going? You can’t just abandon me!"

Xiao Ruohan’s eyes stung with tears, a glimmer of moisture visible, but she forcefully pulled her hand away and walked out the door without looking back.

From the moment Baili Hai was born, he was privileged. His father was a vassal prince, and his mother was a daughter of the Xiao Family.

Later, his father ascended the throne, his mother became the First of the Four Consorts, and he became the most favored prince in the palace, the most likely candidate to succeed as the next emperor.

Relying on his status and position, he committed many outrageous acts.

Because he knew someone would clean up his mess.

And even more so because he knew he was the Xiao Family’s sole support.

But deep down, he was also afraid, because only he knew that he was different from other men—he could not know the pleasures ordinary people had, nor could he ever have offspring.

How could a prince incapable of having children ever become emperor?

So he pretended to be ill, making himself appear weaker to conceal his inadequacies. He would also sexually torment numerous men and women to maintain the pretense that he was like any other man.

But he feared these people might reveal his secret, so he never left anyone alive.

He always acted dutiful and well-behaved in front of his elders, but only he knew how twisted and dark his heart truly was.

He wavered between the belief that he would one day become emperor and the fear that his secret would be exposed, torn between ambition and self-loathing.

Then, his father died, his mother died, and the throne that should have been his was taken by Baili Hong.

He felt a sense of relief, yet grew increasingly resentful. With no outlet for his pent-up anger, he took it out on innocent men and women.

Watching them beg and struggle brought him immense satisfaction, but he never imagined he would be brought down by it.

And worse, framed by others.

He had committed such acts so many times, tortured and killed so many people, yet it was when he was at his most "innocent" that retribution finally caught up with him.

How laughable was that?

Baili Hai laughed, crazily and morbidly, shedding the gentle and hypocritical facade he usually wore.

He knew that once he stepped out of the palace gates today, he would no longer be the lofty Prince Jiannan. He would be lower than the lowliest commoner, scorned and ridiculed by all.

Rather than face that fate, he would rather die with his glory intact.

He stood up, cursing wildly at everyone in the hall, venting his rage like a madman. Yet they all watched him calmly.

Even Baili Hong, seated on the throne, looked on with indifference, his expression mirroring that of Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.

He turned his gaze to the "divine being" who remained seated aloft, whose eyes held neither sorrow nor joy—cold and distant, like the countless statues in temples.

"Oh, gods," he laughed until tears streamed down his face, "God does not save people, does not save me. What a useless god!"

More foul language was about to pour forth, but Qin Xiao made a gesture. The words caught in Baili Hai’s throat, replaced by a fatal cut across his throat.

Chu Jiubian calmly watched as Baili Hai’s eyes remained wide open in death.

He did not know what kind of upbringing Baili Hai had, what unspeakable secrets he held, or how much sorrow and joy he had experienced.

He only knew one thing: God saves people, but not evil-doers.

"The first day of the third month, the second year of Jingrui.

Prince Jiannan, Baili Hai, was found guilty of dozens of cases of abduction, murder, and plunder of commoners. His title was stripped, and he was removed from the imperial registry, demoted to a commoner.

Prince Jiannan committed suicide to atone for his crimes."

"Grand Empress Dowager Xiao Ruohan, overwhelmed with grief, moved to the royal villa to recuperate and never returned to the capital for the rest of her life."