The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

Thirty miles from Linyuan City, the scenery along the official road was completely different from when we left the capital a month ago.

The bleakness of late autumn was replaced by an almost boiling passion.

It was not a festival, but it was more festive than one. In the villages and towns along the way, whenever news of Princess Jingguo's triumphant return was heard, people of all ages, with food and drink in hand, spontaneously flocked to the official road, just to catch a glimpse of the legendary heroine who "saved the nation from collapse and guarded the country's gates from destruction."

At the heart of the group was the blue horse-drawn carriage that had traveled back and forth between the Yangtze and Huai River regions and endured the wind and snow of northern Xinjiang, which was now wiped clean.

On the supports around the carriage, in addition to the dozens of "umbrellas of ten thousand people" symbolizing the supreme will of the people, there were more than ten captured flags of various shapes from the Northern Di tribes, as well as several tattered banners of the Canglang Royal Court.

The most conspicuous thing was a "Blood Wolf Rider" battle flag, still stained with blood and riddled with bullet holes, held high on a long pole in front of the carriage shaft. It was a "trophy" that Zhao Jianing had personally seized during the pursuit and specially sent back.

Yun Jin did not take a carriage, but instead chose a docile white warhorse, and rode with Zhou Bo, Night Owl and dozens of guards.

She changed out of her battlefield silver armor and into a specially made riding and archery outfit, which was black with simple cloud patterns embroidered in silver thread on the cuffs and lapels. She wore a plain brocade cloak over it, and her long hair was tied back with a simple jade ring.

His face still bore the marks of a long journey, and his skin was roughened by the wind and snow of the north. But the calm, perseverance, and subtle majesty between his brows, forged through life and death, were more striking than any makeup or fine clothes.

She deliberately slowed her horse down, nodding occasionally to the cheering crowds by the roadside. When elderly people or children offered her water and simple food, she would dismount and accept it personally, expressing her gratitude gently.

"Long live Princess Yasukuni!"

"Her Highness the Princess is our great benefactor!"

"Your Highness, please try some of the fruit we grew ourselves!"

"Your Highness, have the Northern Barbarians truly been driven away?"

Cheers, expressions of gratitude, and questions merged into a surging wave that nearly engulfed the procession.

Many people had tears in their eyes, a mixture of relief at surviving a catastrophe and heartfelt respect for those who brought about this victory.

The accompanying guards had to slightly expand the perimeter to ensure the group could move forward.

Zhou Bo rode his horse behind Yun Jin, looking at the scene of thousands of people following him, his feelings were complicated and hard to describe.

There was pride, excitement, and a hint of worry.

Her Highness's prestige was at its zenith, but the tallest tree catches the most wind... He recalled the Marquis of Weiyuan's private instructions before his departure: "After returning to the capital, observe more, listen more, and speak less. But there are some things you shouldn't ask too many questions about. The winds of change are about to blow in the court."

The wind is indeed changing. And it will change faster and more violently than anyone could have imagined.

On the third day after they left Iron Wall Pass, the first wave of news from Lin Yuan was delivered to Yun Jin through the channel of "Di Ting".

The letter was written by Su Che himself; it was still concise, yet every word was startling.

"The eldest prince, like a cornered beast, still struggles, attempting a palace coup, but the plot has been exposed. His Majesty is shocked and furious, and has ordered his confinement and a thorough investigation of his associates. The third prince is making frequent moves, contacting court officials. The undercurrents in the capital are more intense than the snowstorm in the northern frontier. The day Your Highness returns in triumph will be the day the storm begins. The umbrella of ten thousand people can demonstrate the Emperor's favor, and the banner of the barbarians can display military prowess, but the chess game in the court is the real issue. Upon returning to the capital, first meet with His Majesty, then with the third prince. As for the rest, I have made arrangements. Burn this after reading."

A palace coup! Imprisonment!

Although she had expected it, Yun Jin still felt a chill run down her spine when those two bloody words appeared vividly before her eyes, and her hand holding the reins tightened slightly.

Eldest brother, in the end, it has come to this.

Was it the Emperor's secret memorial and the Marquis of Weiyuan's endorsement that had the effect? ​​Or was it Mr. Su's instigation in the capital that drove him to desperation?

Or perhaps... what role did the Third Prince play in all of this?

Without making a sound, she brought the letter close to the tinderbox beside the saddle, watching it turn to ashes and drift away in the wind.

His gaze was fixed on the distant, faintly visible, majestic outline of Lin Yuan City, his eyes calm and deep.

No matter how turbulent the situation in the capital, she has now returned with the prestige of a great victory, the merit of saving the country, and the hopes of the people, and is now in an invincible position.

The next step is how to take this final and crucial step well in front of the emperor, the court officials, and even the people of the world.

"Your Highness, Yongding Gate is just ahead," Night Owl urged his horse forward and whispered a reminder.

He changed into a brand-new imperial guard uniform, his demeanor calm and composed, his sharp gaze sweeping over the increasingly dense crowd ahead and the noticeably larger number of banners and ceremonial guards on the city tower.

Yun Jin looked up.

Sure enough, outside Yongding Gate, banners fluttered, armor gleamed, and the imperial guard was in full force!

The sheer number of people and the high level of protocol far exceeded the usual etiquette for welcoming meritorious officials; in fact, it even seemed to resemble an imperial procession.

On the city gate tower, one can still see what appears to be a bright yellow parasol.

Father Emperor... personally went out of the city to welcome us?

This thought startled Yun Jin.

Even if she had made unparalleled contributions, for the emperor, given her current physical condition, to be personally welcomed for thirty miles was an extremely rare and almost honorable treatment.

Is this something to show the world, or... to push her to the very top of the media spotlight?

The procession slowly approached. A large area in the wide open space in front of the city gate had already been cleared.

Civil and military officials stood solemnly on both sides according to their rank, extending all the way into the city gate.

At the very front, the imperial carriage was clearly visible!

Although curtains were drawn, the unique imperial majesty enveloped the entire place.

On the side of the imperial carriage, dressed in the crown and robes of a prince, with a gentle smile on his face, he was talking quietly with several important ministers. This was none other than the Third Prince, Yun Huan.

He seemed to have dressed up deliberately today, exuding an air of elegance and charm. Upon seeing Yun Jin's group, his smile became even more sincere, and he stepped forward to greet them.

"Your humble servants warmly welcome Princess Jingguo's triumphant return!"

As the officials from the Ministry of Rites chanted in unison, officials inside and outside the city gates bowed deeply, shouting a deafening roar: "Welcome back, Princess Jingguo! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!"

The sound was deafening, soaring straight into the sky.

Yun Jin reined in his warhorse, dismounted ten zhang away from the imperial carriage, handed the reins to Night Owl, and walked alone with steady steps toward the imperial carriage that symbolized supreme imperial power.

Zhou Bo, Ye Xiao, and all their entourage stopped ten paces behind her and knelt on the ground.

"Your subject Yun Jin pays respects to Father Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" Yun Jin stood three zhang away from the dragon carriage, pushed aside the golden mountain and the jade pillar, and performed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows. His voice was clear and melodious, piercing through the noise of the scene.

The curtains of the imperial carriage were slowly lifted by the eunuchs.

Emperor Yun Hong appeared before everyone.

He leaned back on the throne covered with thick cushions, covered with a bright yellow brocade quilt. His face was a sickly pale, his eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones were high. He looked much older and more haggard than when Yun Jin left the capital!

Only those eyes, though cloudy, flashed with an unusually complex light the moment they saw Yun Jin.

There was relief, excitement, a hint of barely perceptible guilt, and even more so, a deep scrutiny and calculation characteristic of imperial cunning.

"Rise... rise." The emperor's voice was hoarse and weak, but he tried to straighten his back and reached out his hand to Yun Jin. "My Jingguo... my good daughter... come here and let me take a good look at you."

"Thank you, Father Emperor." Yun Jin stood up and stepped forward as instructed. She stopped a few steps in front of the throne, curtsied again, and then raised her head slightly so that the Emperor could see her face clearly.

The emperor's gaze lingered on her face and body, as if confirming that the woman before him, weathered and with a fierce and ruthless air in her eyes yet still possessing a delicate and beautiful appearance, was indeed his third daughter, whom he remembered as weak and timid, almost forgotten.

After a long while, he finally exhaled a long breath and a genuine smile appeared on his face, though the smile looked somewhat strange on his withered face.

"Good...good! You've lost weight and gotten darker, but you look much more energetic! You look just like your mother when she was young..."

The emperor murmured, a trace of reminiscence and pain flashing in his eyes, which was then replaced by an even stronger light.

"I have read your report on the matters concerning the northern frontier. Excellent! Well done! Well done! You have enhanced our national prestige and my reputation! I am deeply gratified! I am truly gratified!"

He kept talking, and in his excitement, he started coughing.

The head eunuch standing nearby quickly stepped forward, patted his back, and handed him ginseng soup.

Yun Jin lowered his head: "This is all thanks to the Emperor's great fortune and the heroic efforts of Marquis Weiyuan and the soldiers of the Northern Frontier. Your son has only done his bit and dares not take credit."

"Oh, my daughter, there's no need for such modesty!"

The emperor caught his breath, waved his hand, and glanced at the dozens of "Umbrellas of Ten Thousand People" and the captured Di flags behind Yun Jin. His smile deepened, revealing an almost morbid excitement.

"Look! This is the will of the people! This is military merit! I'll see who dares to say my daughter can't participate in politics or be a general in the future!"

These words, carrying a hidden meaning, instantly turned the faces of many officials present, especially those who had opposed Yun Jin's interference in politics or had close ties with the Crown Prince, pale, and caused them to lower their heads.