Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

As dusk fell, the setting sun shone through the windows, illuminating the thick carpets inside the Tianqi Palace.

Ultimately, Jun Yunxin was somewhat soft-hearted and did not directly force the emperor to abdicate. Instead, she quietly knelt before the sickbed in the inner room.

Her posture was not upright, and almost all of her weight was on her calves, which was much more comfortable than kneeling properly.

One step behind her, Lin Li also knelt on the ground. Unlike Jun Yunxin's crooked posture, Lin Li knelt upright with her head down.

Taking another step back, Mu An stood casually, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his gaze never leaving the old eunuchs for a moment.

What Jun Yunxin does is her own business. Whether she admits her mistakes or forces a resignation, it's all her family matter.

It's just a formality, meant to make the old emperor feel a little better.

But if the old emperor wants to take action, he'll have to ask first if his sword is sharp enough.

The presence of the renowned painter sitting behind him, drinking tea, gave him ample confidence.

If you dare to touch him, he'll chop you up!

Having come this far, even if Jun Yunxin herself wanted to give up, they would never agree!

The old emperor lay on his sickbed pretending to be asleep, while his master and servant knelt on the carpet. Four old eunuchs glared at Mu An, and Mu An glared back at the old eunuchs.

The atmosphere inside the Tianqi Palace was incredibly strange, as if a fight was about to break out at any moment, yet it also seemed like a harmonious scene of fatherly love and filial piety.

"You've always been frail; kneeling like this will surely make you sick. Get up first."

Finally, the old emperor on his sickbed broke the silence. Ignoring his earlier act of pretending to be asleep, he looked at his swaying little daughter and spoke up.

Jun Yunxin did not get up, but instead lowered her head and recounted what she had just done in a calm, almost frightening tone.

"I just killed my second brother, and I feel ashamed to face my father. It is right for my father to scold and punish me."

As she recounted the murder of her own brother, Jun Yunxin's expression remained unchanged, as if she were stating an ordinary matter.

On the hospital bed, Jun Yuanqi's body stiffened slightly.

He's already swaying like this and he's still kneeling. He should stop pretending!

You've already led your men into the palace, and the people standing behind you have drawn their swords, yet you're still putting on airs.

And that painting master, you're just drinking tea, what's the meaning of picking up a paintbrush?

He didn't care at all what Jun Yunxin was thinking; all he knew was that Jun Yunxin was already too weak to kneel and could faint at any moment.

If he really kneels until he faints, who knows if a bolt of lightning will strike him dead on the spot.

He hadn't had enough of being emperor and wanted to live a few more years.

Thinking it over, Jun Yuanqi's tone softened a bit more.

"I already know about the Second Prince's affair. He took advantage of my illness to kill the Seventh Prince, plunging the capital into chaos. Even if you, Xiao Yunxin, don't do anything, I will personally execute him."

"Don't dwell on it anymore. This isn't your fault. Just get up, be good, sit next to your father and let him take a good look at you."

Whether she believed the old emperor's words or knew that she was about to be forced to kneel, Jun Yunxin did not choose to remain stubborn to the end.

From Mu An's perspective, Jun Yunxin slowly stood up. Perhaps her legs were stiff, because she couldn't even stand steadily at first. Her calf trembled and she almost fell.

Lin Li reacted quickly and caught her, preventing her from falling to the ground.

As soon as she sat down on the edge of the bed, the wooden carving on the headboard, filled with memories, came into Jun Yunxin's eyes, and also silenced all the words she wanted to say next.

Her eyes reddened, and she held the wooden carving in her hands, her voice trembling.

"It's so ugly, Father, why did you keep it?"

Jun Yuanqi struggled to sit up. The moment he sat up, he coughed twice, and bloody phlegm fell onto the bedding, a shocking sight.

Ignoring the wooden carving in her hands, Jun Yunxin, overcome with emotion, immediately supported her father, gently patting his back while murmuring unintelligible words.

These actions relieved the old emperor, as everything went as he had expected.

He waved his hand to stop Jun Yunxin's actions, and then slowly reached out his hand towards her cheek.

Confused, Jun Yunxin paused for a moment, then simply closed her eyes.

"Are you going to get slapped? Well, you killed your own brother, so it's only right that you get beaten and scolded."

With this thought in mind, Jun Yunxin gripped the bedding tightly.

After a long while, his rough hands gently stroked her cheeks, pinched her face, and finally reached up to her hair to tidy up her messy hair.

"You've lost weight in the two years you've been away from Father. Is there something wrong with your life, or have you suffered some injustice...?"

After a pause, Jun Yuanqi added another sentence in his aged voice.

"If you ever feel wronged, come back and stay here. This will always be your home..."

With just two simple sentences, Jun Yunxin's suppressed emotions finally broke down completely.

She bent down, buried her head in Jun Yuanqi's arms, and burst into tears.

She's almost twenty years old, but she's crying like a child.

Jun Yuanqi didn't say anything to her, playing the role of a loving father to the fullest, gently stroking her head.

He would pat her head, then her back, and occasionally offer words of comfort, as if coaxing a child, completely oblivious to the stares of others.

At this point, both Lin Li and Mu An felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

Oh no! How are we supposed to start now?!

To their surprise, once Jun Yunxin's emotions had calmed down a bit, the old emperor said the words they had been most eager to hear.

"I am old and in poor health, and I no longer have the heart to handle state affairs. Although your actions this time were somewhat excessive, they were not without reason."

Thinking about it carefully, Yunhua is indeed a good successor. Although he is still lacking in ability, he can be trusted with more training.

The one thing I worry about most in my life is you, Xiaoyun. With me here, you can use all the resources in the palace as you wish, but I can't guarantee that your other brothers will love you as much as I do.

If Yunhua were to succeed to the throne, there would be no need to worry about these things.

The old emperor's voice paused for a moment, then rang out again amidst Jun Yunxin's intermittent sobs.

"I've thought it through. I'll let Yunhua rule as regent for a month. If there aren't any major problems, I'll abdicate and retire to enjoy my old age, allowing Yunhua to inherit the throne. That way, I can be completely at ease and won't have to worry about who will take care of you..."

……

"Miss Lin, we're out already? Can His Majesty's words really be trusted? It feels like things are going a little too smoothly."

Standing in front of Yongning Palace, Lin Li remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh.

"They should be able to believe it. Even if they can't, the princess believed it."

"Are you really not going to try to persuade them anymore?"

"Alright, let's leave it at that. You don't need to worry about your safety. Everyone in the palace saw what happened at the Vermilion Bird Gate."

With immortals and gods absent, no one would be willing to provoke a celestial martial saint who disregards the cost.

If you are worried about your family, I will suggest to the princess that we give you a legitimate identity that allows you to control the army. Then you can recruit soldiers and horses on your own.

The world is in chaos, and the court has many enemies. As long as you have troops, no one will risk their life against you.