With legs weak, the sickly stable boy became a mad regent.

"Later, Yun Zhao woke up in the fire." Xiao Yunting chuckled softly, but there was no trace of relief in his laughter.

"He was young then and didn't know what had happened; he only saw that her face was covered in blood."

"When she has an attack, she never allows anyone to touch her. Only this child dares to crawl over, hug her, and keep calling her 'Mother'."

Xiao Yunzhao has little memory of that night.

Poisoning, drugs, and repeated training had long since worn away many of his childhood memories, leaving only blurry fragments.

But Xiao Yunting remembered,

"When the palace beams were about to collapse, she suddenly changed her mind."

"She told me to carry you out."

"That old road is the same road I led you on that night."

No one spoke for a long time in the main hall.

Xiao Yunzhao lowered his eyes to look at the palace map on the table. "She saved me because I'm still useful."

"Perhaps." Xiao Yunting did not defend Yu Fei.

"But at that moment, she hadn't even considered letting you hold the knife, nor had she considered using a curse on you."

That's all.

That moment of warmth was too short-lived. As fleeting as a spark in a raging fire, it was quickly buried by the ruins of the Chen Kingdom and the scars on Consort Yu's face.

When she brought Xiao Yunzhao back to her devastated homeland, all that remained in her heart was hatred.

She began to train him, forcing him to kill, and then, while he was still young, she planted a Gu poison in his body.

She wanted him to be heartless and loveless.

He was to become a blade that only knew how to kill.

But no matter what Consort Yu did afterward, she ultimately did not let her child die in the fire that night.

Shen Nannan held Xiao Yunzhao's hand, transferring her warmth to him little by little.

She neither advised him to forgive her nor told him that Consort Yu must have loved him.

One act of leniency cannot outweigh the real harm that followed in the years to come.

But that little bit of warmth that once existed doesn't need to be completely erased because of hatred.

Xiao Yunzhao remained silent for a long time before finally looking up at Xiao Yunting. "Where is the path you've shown me?"

He did not continue talking about Consort Yu.

Xiao Yunting did not force him to face it.

He walked back to the table, flipped the palace map to the back, where a thin, faded line was drawn.

"There is a dry well in the backyard of the former Prince Rui's Mansion."

"The well was originally connected to a drainage culvert left by the previous dynasty. Later, when the palace was built, most of it was sealed off, leaving only a section leading to the abandoned library in the palace."

"That night, I took you out of the palace from there."

Xiao Yunting's fingers moved slowly along the thin thread.

"After leaving the library, to the east is the emperor's bedroom, and to the west is the abandoned garden behind the Cining Palace."

"We don't need to go through Chengtian Gate, nor will we alert the Imperial Guards outside."

This road must not be allowed for the army to enter.

Only a maximum of a few people can pass through at a time.

But for Xiao Yunzhao, that was enough.

What he needed was never to lead thousands of soldiers into the palace.

What he needed was to appear silently in the place where he should be, while everyone thought he was still in the North.

"No one has walked through the culvert for many years."

Xiao Yunting continued, "A section inside has collapsed, and I will have someone clear a path tomorrow. But you won't be able to bring in too many people."

"That's enough." Xiao Yunzhao looked at the two exits on the map.

One path leads to the Emperor. The other leads to Shen Nian and the Sixth Prince.

"Which side do you want to go in from?" Xiao Yunting asked.

Xiao Yunzhao did not answer.

He turned to look at Shen Nannan. If they rescued the child from Cining Palace first, the emperor's side might fall into the hands of the crown prince first.

If they went straight to the Empress Dowager's bedchamber, Shen Nian and the Sixth Prince would remain in her care.

In his previous life, Xiao Yunzhao would have chosen the emperor's bedroom.

Because an insignificant child is not worth him giving up the best opportunity to quell the rebellion.

In this life, Shen Nian is Shen Nannan's younger sister.

"Save Niannian first."

Shen Nannan shook her head.

Xiao Yunzhao's eyes darkened. "She has already risked her life to send a message for us from the palace."

"I know." Shen Nannan held his hand. "So we can't let what she did go to waste."

"Ah Chao, it's not a question of who to save first."

"We need to make sure there are people on both sides."

Xiao Yunzhao entered the emperor's bedroom.

The palace guards went to Cining Palace and took away the two children.

As long as both sides move simultaneously, there is no need to abandon anyone.

Xiao Yunzhao looked at her, and after a moment, the coldness in his eyes gradually faded.

"I'll listen to you."

Xiao Yunting leaned against the table, watching the two make a decision in just a few words, and suddenly chuckled, "The old you would never ask for other people's opinions."

"I didn't have a wife before," Xiao Yunzhao replied calmly.

Xiao Yunting seemed to choke on those words.

He turned to look at Shen Nannan, "Can you stand him?"

"I'm used to it," Shen Nannan smiled. "Besides, he's much easier to coax than before."

"I didn't see that."

"Because I am not the Third Imperial Uncle."

Xiao Yunzhao adjusted her fox fur coat, his tone now urging her, "We've got the road, it's time to go back."

Xiao Yunting glanced at the sky outside. "Wait a minute."

He reopened the folding fan and took out a smaller piece of paper from the folding ribs. "There's one more thing."

Xiao Yunzhao didn't reach out. "What?"

"If you see her in the palace, spare her life."

Xiao Yunting finally stated his conditions.

"I'll help you avoid Chengtian Gate and clear that old road for you. In exchange, whatever she's done, let me take her away first."

The look that had just softened in Xiao Yunzhao's eyes turned cold again. "What if she hurts Nannan?"

Xiao Yunting fell silent.

"If she dares to touch Nannan again, I will not hand her over to anyone."

Xiao Yunzhao's voice was not loud, but it left no room for negotiation.

"Including you!"

The two men stared at each other across the table.

After a long while, Xiao Yunting slowly closed the folding fan.

"it is good."

He has no right to demand that Xiao Yunzhao forgive Consort Yu.

All he could ask for was one last chance to stand before her before everything ended.

When Shen Nannan was carried out of the main hall by Xiao Yunzhao, the wind outside had picked up even more.

Mo Bai went to the backyard to check on the dry well first.

Just as Xiao Yunzhao was about to lead her into the carriage, Xiao Yunting chased after them from behind.

"Yun Zhao".

He handed over the piece of paper that he hadn't given away earlier.

"This old road may allow you to avoid Chengtian Gate, but it cannot prove that you are not committing treason."

"Since the Empress Dowager has already prepared the edict, you need someone she hasn't taken into account."

Xiao Yunzhao took the paper.

There is only one name on it.

Xiao Yunheng.

The third prince, who had been ill and weak for many years and had long neglected state affairs.

When Shen Nannan saw that name, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"The Third Prince?"

"The Empress thought he was dying, and the Empress Dowager never considered him in the struggle for the throne."

Standing in the lamplight of the abandoned palace, Xiao Yunting slowly opened his folding fan.

"But a person who has been sick for so many years should wait until the day when they no longer need to be sick."