My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

...

Fengshuiyuan, a villa area.

In the late autumn evening, the setting sun was slowly sinking below the horizon.

Maple Garden is located by the river, and the entire villa area is surrounded by fiery red maple forests.

The last rays of the setting sun pierced through the gaps in the maple leaves, turning the entire driveway a golden-red hue.

Lin Ye sat in the back seat, and Xiao Douzi was pressed against the car window next to him, her face almost touching the glass, her eyes wide open.

"Godfather! So many red leaves! So beautiful! Is Little Douzi's birthday party in here?" Her voice was crisp and clear, filled with barely suppressed anticipation and excitement.

Lin Ye smiled and replied, "Yes, they're in here. These are maple leaves; they turn red in autumn."

Lin Ye glanced down at his phone.

Zhou Ran's last message was sent five minutes ago: "President Lin, all preparations are complete."

He looked up and gazed out the car window.

In the distance, a detached three-story villa with white walls and red tiles can be seen, nestled among the fiery red maple leaves.

It's about time to begin.

Lin Ye silently said in his mind, "System, start the live stream."

[Ding—Live stream has started.]

……

In the Great Flame Kingdom, dusk had completely faded, and thick clouds covered the sky, not even a single star in sight.

Beneath the thick clouds, something is slowly gathering—

[Live stream countdown begins: Three minutes...]

Inside the Imperial Palace in the capital city.

At this moment, the West Garden was as bright as day.

Hundreds of palace lanterns hung under the corridors, on the treetops, and floated in the pond, illuminating the entire garden with dazzling light.

The melodious sounds of string and wind instruments drifted from the garden, mingling with the clinking of glasses and the deliberately hushed laughter of the guests.

Chen Youfang sat alone in a corner, a table full of dishes in front of him. While the other ministers were enjoying their meals, he hadn't touched a single bite.

His official robe was crimson, the color of a first-rank minister, but the cuffs were frayed, making it stand out from the magnificent robes that filled the hall.

He looked at everyone's laughter and toasts, and then at the delicacies on the table in front of him, which alone cost over a hundred taels of silver.

He felt a pang of desolation.

This meal is enough to cover the soldiers' pay for half a year.

This meal is enough to feed the refugees outside the capital for a year.

This meal could even be described as being squeezed from the mouths of ordinary people.

Chen Youfang picked up his wine glass, his hand trembling.

He recalled that morning in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Shu Jingwei's murderous gaze, the teacup that was thrown at him, and her repeated shouts of "Add 50%!" and "I have a million-strong army, what do I have to fear from a popular uprising?"

Every word, every sentence, was like a whip, lashing his heart.

The wound on my forehead from being hit by a teacup and the subsequent bumps have stopped bleeding and the broken areas have scabbed over, but they are still bruised and hurt when touched.

He is a veteran official of three dynasties, having served Emperor Taizu, Emperor Xian, and now Shu Jingwei.

Although Emperor Taizu was not considered brilliant, he at least knew how to cherish the people's strength.

Although the late emperor was strict, he at least knew how to exercise restraint.

As for Shu Jingwei—without Ye Fan's assistance, she was ignorant, incompetent, and only cared about herself, appearances, and pleasure.

Chen Youfang slowly put down his wine glass, having made a decision in his heart.

After the Lantern Festival, he submitted a petition to retire.

Otherwise, sooner or later, his head will be chopped off and used as a football.

The fact that I was able to get out alive this morning is already a blessing from my ancestors.

Since the arrival of the Heavenly Curtain, His Majesty's already not-so-good temper has become even more unpredictable.

He's getting old and doesn't want to live in constant fear anymore.

As for the Great Flame Kingdom...

He couldn't care less; his life was more important.

Shu Jingwei was unaware that some ministers had already completely lost faith in her.

She sat high in the main seat, her dragon robe embroidered with nine five-clawed golden dragons that seemed to be baring their fangs and claws under the lamplight, and her collar and cuffs were adorned with thumb-sized pearls.

She wore a gilded crown, inlaid with red and blue crystals, with strings of beads dangling down that gently tinkled in the wind.

A smile played on her lips as she glanced down at the assembled envoys from various countries, feeling extremely pleased with herself.

Look, this is her great flame.

All nations come to pay tribute, bowing their heads in submission.

Such a grand display, such a magnificent presence, is something Lin Ye could only dream of.

Her short-sighted daughter will regret it if she leaves her!

"Your Majesty." Yao Jingyuan sat to her left, wearing a crimson brocade robe with silver auspicious clouds embroidered on the collar and a white jade belt around his waist.

He raised his wine glass, leaned close to Shu Jingwei, and said in a low, gentle voice, "Your Majesty, I toast you. May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life."

Shu Jingwei picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and her smile deepened. "Jingyuan seems to be in good spirits today."

"Thanks to His Majesty's blessing." Yao Jingyuan's smile was gentle and refined, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.

He glanced at the ministers below, mentally calculating which ones he could win over and which ones he could replace...

However, she showed no sign of it on her face, maintaining a gentle and considerate demeanor.

Shu Rou sat to Shu Jingwei's right, wearing a bright red brocade jacket with a collar trimmed with white fox fur, a gold-threaded eight-treasure beaded bun on her head, and a white jade lock around her neck.

She picked up a new music box and twisted it repeatedly. The tinkling sounds were jarring and chaotic amidst the orderly string and wind instruments.

The entire West Garden was filled with laughter, joy, singing, and dancing.

And just then, the sky—

It lit up again!

It was as if someone had suddenly lit a lamp in the sky, and the light poured down from above, covering the entire world.

The music from the West Garden abruptly stopped.

Hundreds of palace lanterns paled in comparison to the white light, like fireflies encountering the blazing sun.

In the sky, the autumn wind was bleak, and maple leaves fell in profusion. Lin Ye and Xiao Douzi were still sitting in that spacious car.

Lin Ye was fiddling with a black box in his hand, and no one knew what was inside, only that his slender fingers were moving back and forth on it.

Little Douzi was captivated by the vast maple forest outside the window, staring at it intently.

Further away, a three-story white building, partially hidden by maple trees, resembles a giant white beast crouching among the red leaves.

Shu Jingwei's wine glass stopped in mid-air, her gaze fixed on the sky.

Her pupils reflected the burning maple forest, the building that was getting closer and closer, and the little girl sitting in the car, pressed against the window.

"Here we go again..." Her voice was squeezed out from between her teeth, each word like a poisoned needle.

Yao Jingyuan put down his wine glass, a dark glint in his eyes.

He thought for a moment, then leaned closer to Shu Jingwei and said in a very low voice, "Your Majesty, look, the sunset in the sky is evening. But here, it's already pitch black."

Shu Jingwei frowned.

She recalled the sky before it appeared—it was pitch black, without a single star.

Looking up at the sky again—it was sunset, and the maple leaves were like fire.

The time and even the climate on the two sides are completely different.

She summoned the Director of the Imperial Observatory.

"Take a look for me right now." Shu Jingwei pointed to the sky. "Can you tell what's inside the sky? Is the climate there different from here?"

Zhou Xuan reported, "Your Majesty, I have looked carefully. In that place in the sky, the maple leaves are turning red, clearly a scene of late autumn."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, before continuing, "And in the Great Flame Kingdom, it's already the twelfth lunar month. Heavy snow has blocked the mountains in the north, and the capital has already had two snowfalls. The seasons in these two places are so different, and they're separated by more than ten thousand miles. I'm afraid..."

Zhou Xuan swallowed hard, lowering his voice even further, "I'm afraid it's still near the South China Sea."

"Near the South China Sea?" Shu Jingwei's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing in her pupils.

"The climate near the South China Sea is warm, and it's not as cold as the capital in winter. Moreover—" Zhou Xuan lowered his head even further, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead onto the stone slab.

"There are many island nations in the South China Sea that are not within the Great Flame's territory. That demon is very likely hiding among these islands, thus evading His Majesty's previous investigation of the South China Sea."

Shu Jingwei gripped the wine glass tightly with her fingers.

"Dispatch the troops! Find the location of the Sky Curtain!"

"Your Majesty! No! There are so many islands in the South China Sea; we cannot deploy a large number of troops!"

Squeak—creak—

That was the mournful sound of the porcelain cup in her palm.

Shu Jingwei's knuckles were white, and the veins on the back of her hands bulged.

Manpower is a problem, not to mention that those island nations wouldn't want her to send too many troops there.

Damn it!

Shu Jingwei clenched her teeth so tightly they made a grinding sound.

They finally got a clue as to where Lin Ye was.

Are we just going to give up like this?