The mad princess forces love upon him, and the aloof imperial advisor trembles every night.

"Get out...?" She repeated the word softly, the last syllable rising in her voice, carrying endless mockery and coldness.

"Si Chen, you're telling me to get out?"

She looked at his pale face, at the glaring red on his lips, and at the clear and unmistakable rejection in his eyes—the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The last faint light in his eyes went out.

All that remained was a bottomless, insane silence.

"Well done!"

"Since we've already torn off all pretense of civility to this extent, I... no longer need to show you any mercy."

Taking advantage of his disordered breathing, she struck with lightning speed, striking several of his major acupoints.

Si Chen's body stiffened, completely unable to move, and he could only stare at her with his broken eyes.

She slowly removed the purple robe she was wearing, which was stained with blood and starlight.

Then, she bent down and carefully wrapped his bare upper body with the robe that still held her body heat.

The movements were gentle, even carrying a hint of eerie pity.

Then, she picked up the gold chain from the ground and wrapped it around him again, more securely than before.

Then he picked up the cold man in his arms, carried him back to the soft couch, gently laid him down, and covered him with the brocade quilt.

Throughout the entire process, she remained eerily silent.

"Since A-Chen is unwilling to show me the divination that determines fate," she finally spoke, her voice calm and even.

"I will find it myself."

"I know about Ah Chen's habit of hiding things, where there are hidden compartments in this Star-Picking Tower, and how to open them..."

After all, this was her "home" for eight years.

He was the "sky" she looked up to during those eight years.

After saying that, she turned around and walked towards the quiet room where he was alone at the deepest part of the observatory.

She walked to the desk made of ancient jade, squatted down, and pressed her fingers lightly or heavily on a hidden pattern on the bottom of the desk with a unique technique.

A soft "click" sounded.

A well-hidden compartment popped open.

Inside lay two neatly folded divination papers.

Chu Qingyue's heart skipped a beat.

She reached out her slightly trembling hand and took out the first one.

The paper was yellowed and worn, but the ink was still as clear as if it had been carved with a knife.

She slowly unfolded—

"The Black Dragon fell from grace, murdering his brother and father, staining the imperial city with blood, and causing the downfall of the Great Chu."

Sixteen words, like sixteen poisoned ice picks, pierced her heart.

Clutching the divination paper, she walked step by step back to the soft couch, held it up to his eyes, and tears welled up unexpectedly, blurring her vision, yet stubbornly refusing to fall.

"So," her voice was both soft like a sigh and heavy like a curse, "I am that 'Black Dragon Fallen Demon,' the jinx destined to kill my brother and father, stain the imperial city with blood, and bring down the Great Chu, isn't that right?"

"So, in order to protect your Great Chu and your people, the Grand Preceptor personally pushed me out and sent me to Beiming for a marriage alliance, for a full seven years... my life and death were left to fate?"

"So, in your divine predictions, in the Heavenly Dao you protect, I, Chu Qingyue... am truly just an insignificant speck of dust, destined to be sacrificed?"

She had already guessed this would be the case, but seeing it with her own eyes still caused her great pain.

Si Chen looked at her tear-streaked yet still upright back, at those eyes that, washed by tears, only appeared more desperate and crazed. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he couldn't utter a single word.

But sometimes, silence hurts more than any sharp blade.

She stared at him for a long time, until her tears dried up and only a sheet of ice remained in her eyes.

Then, she picked up the second divination paper.

The paper is relatively new, and the ink is still moist.

She unfolded it and read it out clearly, word by word:

"Hexagram Name: Fire over Lake - Brightness and Lulling Dragon and Phoenix"

The hexagram is: Li (fire) above Kun (earth), with fire and earth mutually generating each other.

The changing line is in the ninth line of the fifth position, where yin interacts with yang.

The wind of Xun is hidden within the fire of Li, and the water of Kan is covered by the marsh of Dui.

Hexagram:

The phoenix's cry resounds through the nine heavens, its feathers are black.

Dragons fight in the wild, and their blood becomes the moon.

The setting sun illuminates the mountains and rivers, its light reflecting their shadows; the universe holds within it the soul of the sun and moon.

After she finished reading, she looked up, her gaze sharp and piercing through the starlight and tears, striking straight into his heart.

"So, Si Chen, you've concluded, based solely on this divination, that Chu Xuanche is the crown prince destined by heaven, is that right?"

Si Chen met her gaze, his voice returning to its icy indifference, as if reciting a divine decree:

"With fire above, its light shines everywhere, which corresponds to the character '彻' (che), signifying the eldest son inheriting the throne and the clear and unobstructed path."

"The phoenix's cry resounds through the nine heavens, signifying the mandate of heaven; its feathers are black, which is the color of the sky, subtly matching the name 'Xuanche,' indicating that it is the legitimate successor."

"The bright light illuminates the mountains and rivers, a metaphor for the prince who will rule the land."

"Earth below, with its profound virtue, sustains all things and ensures the stability of the nation. Fire and earth mutually generate each other, leading to the prosperity of the country."

"Although the phrase 'dragons fight in the wild' hints at war, the phrase 'their blood becomes the moon'—'the moon' is a divine pearl that can be used as a ritual object, symbolizing that the Great Chu uses force to stop war and ultimately returns to the rule of rites."

In conclusion, "This divination is very auspicious. Heaven's mandate rests on the legitimate heir, and Chu Xuanche should be established as the crown prince."

Chu Qingyue listened quietly until he finished speaking the last word.

Then, she suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with endless sorrow and mockery.

"Si Chen, the divination may never be wrong."

She walked slowly closer and placed the two divination papers side by side in front of him.

"What's wrong is your prejudice that I am a jinx, and your rigid understanding of so-called 'heavenly way' and 'orthodoxy'."

Her finger touched the yellowed "Black Dragon" divination text:

"You said I was the harbinger of destruction that would bring down the Great Chu."

Then he pointed to the newer "Dragon Hidden, Phoenix Clears" divination text: "You say that Chu Xuanche is destined by Heaven."

"But look, Si Chen, open your eyes wide and take a good look!"

Her voice suddenly rose, carrying a tearful intensity:

"That phoenix reborn from the ashes is me!"

"That dragon blood that 'turns the moon' and stains the battlefield red, is me!"

"That radiant flame that illuminates mountains and rivers, that is me!"

"That fertile earth that 'conceals the soul of the sun and moon' and bears everything, is also me!"

She leaned down, almost touching his nose, her breath hot:

"The divination never names anyone; it merely states a fact—and that fact is me!"

"It was I, Chu Qingyue, who crawled back inch by inch from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the Northern Underworld, fighting my way out with every sword, and personally reclaiming the empire and destiny for the Great Chu!"

"This isn't something Chu Xuanche can just wait for by sitting in the Eastern Palace!"

Si Chen frowned and said decisively, "Nonsense! That's just sophistry!"

"Soliciting nonsense?" Chu Qingyue straightened up and looked at him, her eyes gradually cooling until they became as calm as a deep pool. Beneath that calm lay an irreparable rift.

"Since the Imperial Advisor remains obstinate and immersed in his own fabricated dream of destiny... then I will use facts to make you understand."

"To show you who the true ruler of the world is!"

"Who can lead the Great Chu to true prosperity and glory!"

"Who can protect this vast land and the dawn of a new era?"

"Now that I have obtained the divination results, there is no need for me to stay here any longer."

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her hand and pulled out the white jade hairpin that she had casually picked up from her hair.

Without hesitation, he pointed the sharp end of the hairpin at his heart and stabbed it down hard!

"What are you doing?!"

Si Chen's pupils contracted sharply; he wanted to stop them, but he couldn't move!

A drop of crimson blood from her heart spilled from the tip of the hairpin and was caught by her fingertips.

He flicked his fingers.

That drop of heart's blood fell precisely at the most hidden core of the star chart—

Om-!

The entire observatory, no, the entire Star-Picking Tower, trembled slightly!

The vast star map suddenly shone brightly, and the trajectories of countless stars began to accelerate and change, emitting a deep hum.

The invisible yet incredibly strong protective barrier surrounding the Star-Picking Tower began to ripple like melting ice and snow, its light rapidly dimming and dissipating...

Si Chen watched all of this unfold, feeling the barrier's power crumble, and finally, an expression of disbelief appeared in his eyes.

"You...already knew...how to break this protective formation?"

Chu Qingyue turned around, her back to the fading star map light, and faced him.

There was no smugness on her face, only a cold silence.

"I am deeply grateful to the Imperial Preceptor," she said calmly, "for personally instructing me in astrological formations, Qimen Dunjia, and mechanical arts... for a full eight years."

"Moreover, you have praised me more than once for my extraordinary talent, calling me a once-in-a-century genius."

"If you can't even break this simple formation,"

Her voice grew colder, "And how could one possibly survive in the truly utterly irrational and hopeless hell of the Northern Underworld?"