With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I'll take my leave now!" Nangong Wu curtsied to him and left the Imperial Study.

Bei Chenyan waited outside, leaning against a small artificial hill, gazing idly at the sky.

Nangong Wu walked over and said, "Let's go back."

Bei Chenyan straightened up abruptly. "Is the matter settled?"

"Yes, we've finished talking." Nangong Wu said as she walked towards the palace gate, recounting her conversation with Emperor Mingde.

Bei Chenyan was taken aback by her words. "You want to give the title to your father?"

"Hmm." Nangong Wu glanced at him. "Father was originally the Prince of Zhenyuan. I had no choice but to take the throne before. Now that Father has been found, I am unwilling to take on that heavy responsibility."

Once I find my brother again and return my son's title of heir apparent to him, I can leave the palace with my three children.

"You...you really think so?" Bei Chenyan hadn't expected her to be planning for the future in this way, and a hint of secret joy flickered in his heart. "Are you really willing to take the three children away from the palace?"

"You think I was joking?" Nangong Wu rolled her eyes at him again.

"What's so good about Kyoto? Everyone here is wicked and scheming against each other."

"Once I find my brother, I'll ask His Majesty for a fiefdom. If that doesn't work, I'll find a secluded paradise and build my own kingdom, so I won't have to be beholden to the emperor anymore."

As Nangong Wu spoke, she began to yearn for that kind of life.

She felt that this time travel was worthwhile, even though it came at the cost of her death in her previous life, it was still better than being in that apocalyptic world.

At that time, everything in her space can be taken out and used, including cars of all sizes, yachts, televisions, and other high-tech items, all of which can be given to the children to use.

"Alright, leave the matter of finding your brother to me." A strange light flashed in Bei Chenyan's eyes. "If I find him, you have to take me with you."

"Alright, if you can help me find my brother, I'll take you with me." Nangong Wu nodded in agreement.

She felt that Xiao Lin had a wide network of connections in the martial arts world, which was better than her searching blindly on her own. Perhaps he could really help her find her brother.

The two left the palace and saw that the soldiers were already carrying away the corpses at the palace gate.

Bei Chenyan escorted Nangong Wu to the gate of the Prince's Mansion and then left again, saying that he was going to contact his friends in the martial arts world to help her find her brother.

As Nangong Wu watched his departing figure, a complex mix of emotions welled up within her.

I feel mostly grateful to him.

During today's battle, she was almost controlled by Xuan Qingzi's soul bell. Seeing how anxious and fiercely he fought, she was genuinely worried about her.

"Your Highness, you're back." The guards at the gate greeted her.

"Hmm." Nangong Wu nodded slightly to them and stepped into the mansion.

Today, since she brought Bei Chenyan to the palace banquet, the Feiyu Guards and the guards in the palace have been on high alert, just in case something uncontrollable happens in the palace and they have to make preparations to evacuate.

Huo Jing sat in the Jade Courtyard, having his three children brought over. Hearing the explosion coming from the direction of the palace outside, his heart was pounding.

When Li Zhan returned to collect the silver, he brought back good news: the rebels had been defeated!

Everyone in the Prince's mansion breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Highness, you're back." Li Cheng greeted him.

He returned to the palace a quarter of an hour before Nangong Wu and waited in the front yard.

"We'll talk about it at the Jade Courtyard." Nangong Wu could tell from his expression that he had something to say to her.

"Yes."

Li Cheng followed her to the Jade Courtyard.

Huo Jing was holding a child and a rattle drum in his hand, trying to amuse the child.

Nangong Wu entered the room and called out, "Father."

"You're back. Are you both alright?" Huo Jing looked up and sized up the two of them.

His hair was disheveled, and his clothes were stained with blood. He walked in with a strong smell of blood.

"Are you injured?"

"No, the blood is someone else's. We're all fine," Nangong Wu shook her head.

The blood on her body belonged to that fake Empress Dowager.

As for Li Cheng, he beheaded so many rebels, it's no wonder he's covered in blood.

"I'll go back and change my clothes first." Li Cheng didn't know that Nangong Wu would bring him to the Jade Courtyard. If he had known, he would have gone back to change his clothes first.

"Since you're here, let's get started."

Huo Jing knew they had something to say to him, so he handed the child in his arms to the wet nurse standing beside him, saying, "Take the child away!"

"Yes."

The three wet nurses responded and took the three children away.

Nangong Wu sat down in the chair opposite him and recounted the events of the day to him in general terms, "Father, apart from the Empress Dowager, I killed all my enemies today..."

However, she did not reveal that she had almost been controlled by Xuan Qingzi's Soul-Capturing Bell.

"Father, the deaths of Mother and the assassination attempt on you by Nangong Xun were all orchestrated by the Empress Dowager. I will not let her live much longer." Nangong Wu's eyes were filled with hatred as she spoke of the Empress Dowager!

"That old hag really deserves to die." Huo Jing felt that he hoped his daughter would be safe from harm more than seeking revenge.

"The Empress Dowager is, after all, His Majesty's birth mother. Killing her won't be so easy! Now that she's under house arrest and can no longer cause trouble, you shouldn't take any more risks."

"We understand." Nangong Wu pretended to be obedient, afraid that he would worry.

She changed the subject, asking Li Cheng, who was standing to the side, "What did the Empress Dowager say to His Majesty before she was imprisoned?"

"I told you, His Majesty dismissed everyone. Because I was wearing the Imperial Guard uniform, I was able to stand guard outside the door and overheard His Majesty and the Empress Dowager arguing. They discussed many secrets..."

Li Cheng recounted to them everything that the Empress Dowager and Emperor Mingde had said in the Hall of State Affairs.

Nangong Wu and Huo Jing were both shocked when they heard this.

"The Crown Prince's death was actually caused by poisoning by the Empress Dowager and Ming Mengqing?"

"His Majesty also told the Empress Dowager that he had never touched Ming Mengqing, and that Nangong Xun and Nangong Lingling were not His Majesty's biological children..." Li Cheng dropped an even bigger bombshell on them.

Nangong Wu couldn't help but exchange a glance with Huo Jing.

This plot about finding someone to consummate the marriage is just like the one in my grandfather's story.

"I never expected this! Do you know who their biological father is?" Nangong Wu asked again.

"His Majesty said that he was a cousin of Ming Mengqing, a man that Ming Mengqing herself sought out. His Majesty killed that man long ago, and also secretly gave Ming Mengqing's mother and her two children an infertile drug," Li Cheng said.

"This mother and son are both ruthless in their methods," Nangong Wu said with a mocking expression.

"His Majesty has been feigning friendship with the Empress Dowager for so many years in order to eliminate the Ming family; it must have been quite difficult for him," Li Cheng said.

Huo Jing's gaze turned cold. "What else did they say?"

"His Majesty told the Empress Dowager that after the Crown Prince died young, the Empress gave birth to another son born of the Empress, but he did not say which prince it was." Li Cheng was shocked when he heard this.