A piece of Japanese incense

Feng Jinqi became agitated, suppressing the grievances and anger he had held for three years, and stabbed Zhi Yihe directly:

"Zhi Yihe! Look at me!" he shouted. "Three years ago! The night before you left Beijing! On that night of pouring rain! I found you in the burnt-out Yun Mansion, huddled in a corner, soaking wet. It was me! I pulled you out of there!"

His chest heaved violently, filled with incomprehensible pain:

"Right there! I tell you, that fire was not an accident! But it was definitely not my father's doing! I swear! I swear on my life! I will find out the truth! I will give you an explanation! I will make the real murderer pay with blood!

I thought you believed it! I thought that flash of light in your eyes was trust! It was hope! I thought that after that night, we were at least no longer enemies…"

Feng Jinqi's voice lowered:

"I've spent three years, three years, secretly pursuing clues to the fire. I've avoided the Emperor's eyes and ears, even at the risk of... at the risk of touching upon secrets that terrify even me. Every day I wonder, when I've uncovered the truth, when I can lay the irrefutable evidence before you, will you smile at me, even the slightest hint of relief?

But it turns out that all this was just wishful thinking on my part! It turns out that in your heart, I, Feng Jinqi, am no different from the murderous father you believed me to be! It turns out that the oath I made three years ago was just another lie I made up to keep you steady and to continue using you in the future? It turns out that you... have been holding a grudge against me for three years..."

The only sounds in the room were Zhiyi and suppressed sobs.

Feng Jinqi looked at the man who was still holding Yu Nian and turned a deaf ear to his accusations, as if all his words were just sophistry. He was completely overwhelmed by the feeling of powerlessness and despair.

He thought that the oath they made on that rainy night was a weak bond between them, but he didn't know that in Zhiyi's mind and heart, that bond had long been burned to ashes by the flames of hatred.

Zhi Yihe's heart was not without ripples as he listened to Feng Jinqi's painful accusation.

Three years ago in Yun Mansion, he did give her comfort on a rainy night, but at that time she was immersed in great grief and hatred for the destruction of her family. The whole world was gray and she could not hear any words.

She only remembered the devastating fire and all the evidence and suspicion pointing to the Feng family. Feng Jinqi's oath, to her heartbroken at the time, sounded more like a winner's handout or a way to paralyze her.

At this moment, listening to his accusations at the top of his lungs, feeling the pain and grievance that could not be faked in his words, she felt confused and disoriented. The hatred was still deep-rooted, but there was also a wavering feeling that she herself was unwilling to admit.

Could it be... that he really isn't his father?

Could it be... that he really had been investigating for three years?

That fire...is there something else behind it?

"What's the point of talking about the past now?" Zhi Yihe placed his hand on Yu Nian's burning forehead. "I just want to ask you, what happened to Brother Nian? Was he poisoned? Can you cure it?"

Feng Jinqi looked at her attitude of isolating herself from the outside world and only caring about Yu Nian's life and death. All her grievances and desires for explanation turned to ashes.

"He was trying to save you when he was struck by an assassin's poison dart. The doctor only temporarily suppressed the poison. Only by obtaining the antidote can his life be saved."

He is so tired, he wants to rest.

A burst of hurried footsteps came from afar and stopped at the door.

Feng Yan saw Zhi Yihe kneeling beside the bed, with bloodstains on his neck: "Zhi Yihe."

Feng Yan's voice still carried her usual impatience, but it lacked the sharpness and harshness from before: "You... who is this person?"

"His name is Yu Nian. He's my brother. He was hit by a poison dart while trying to save me."

"Brother? You still have a brother?" Feng Yan was a little surprised. She took a few steps closer, looked at Yu Nian's condition, and frowned: "Tsk... This wound, the poison is not ordinary!"

She suddenly shouted outside: "Agu! Come in and take a look!"

A skinny old man in a brightly colored robe embroidered with strange totems hurried in. He had a dark complexion and was the accompanying witch doctor Feng Yan had brought with him from Wangchao City.

A Gu bowed respectfully to Feng Yan before squatting down beside Yu Nian. He stretched out his skinny fingers to look at Yu Nian's eyelids, then sniffed a little pus and blood from the wound, even picking up a little and tasting it on his tongue. Feng Yan frowned at the sight.

"Madam, this person's wounds are festering and oozing pus, and the heat and poison are attacking his heart. The rotting flesh tastes sweet and bitter. It must be made from the venom of the extremely rare 'Sand Scorpion King' deep in the western desert, mixed with several accompanying poisonous herbs. This poison corrodes the flesh, blood, and bone marrow, and is known in the West as 'Bone-Eroding Sand'. Without a unique antidote, even a god cannot save him!"

"The desert to the west? 'Bone-eroding sand'?" Feng Yan turned his gaze to Zhi Yihe.

West! West again!

"Feng Yan." Zhi Yihe's voice was calm. "I promised you that I would cooperate with you and meet the 'Lord'. Now, I will fulfill this promise."

She wanted to verify for herself whether the so-called "honorable master" was the prime minister Xi Gan.

Feng Yan slammed the table and said, "Great! This is exactly what I've been waiting for!"

She ordered Agu, "Hold him until we get the antidote!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Agu agreed.

After separating from Feng Yan and returning to the guest room, Zhi Yihe sat on the edge of the bed, unconsciously stroking the bandaged wound on his neck, his mind full of thoughts.

In the previous life, the arrogant and domineering Feng Yan was executed for "disturbing the crown prince" shortly after Feng Jin was appointed as the crown prince.

But what about this life?

She actually managed to escape from the capital, not only alive, but also secretly planned with her brother to borrow troops to return to the imperial city. Her ending was completely rewritten.

Feng Qi, who was cowardly and timid in her previous life and eventually became a palace maid, is still a noble princess in this life, staying safely in the imperial city?

And the sealing...

In his previous life, he was decisive and ruthless, and ascended the throne by stepping on the corpse of his biological father, becoming the ultimate winner.

In this life, he also killed his own father, but the outcome was very different. Due to his own intervention and that of the Yan family army, Emperor Zhaoding regained power, and Feng Jinqi was only given the empty title of "Prince of Feng" and was imprisoned in the capital.

Where does all this change come from?

Zhi Yihe's heart skipped a beat. It was her! She was the variable that would bring about her "rebirth"!

She saved Xiaohan and changed the trajectory of her fate.

She saved Aban, and he did not die in the East Palace like in his previous life.

She joined forces with the Yan family army to enter the capital, which directly led to the restoration of Emperor Zhaoding and the fall of Feng Jinqi.

She also invisibly influenced the fate of the sisters Feng Yan and Feng Qi.

So what about the hunt he was facing?

In her previous life, as Yunhe, she had always lived in the deep palace and among the powerful. Although every step was thrilling and full of intrigue, she had never encountered such a naked and relentless assassination.

And this life...

She was attacked at the post station just after she left Sanchuan.

During the Lantern Festival, in the prosperous capital, as soon as they left the protection of Yuzhu and others, they were in danger.

It was as if there were a pair of invisible eyes staring at her. As soon as she escaped from the "protection circle", murderous intent would descend immediately!

Could it be that the person who wants to kill her is right next to her?

The thought made her shudder. Yuzhu? Someone close to her father? Or someone in the palace?

What did she know that made her such a thorn in someone's side that they had to get rid of her as soon as possible?

Yu Nian's words echoed in his ears: "...Emperor Zhaoding has long intended to take Sansheng Hall for himself. Because my grandfather refused to hand it over, he began to murder me..."

So, what about the raging fire in Yun Mansion that burned everything?

Is it also related to Emperor Zhaoding? !

If it was really Emperor Zhaoding, did he kill himself to leave no survivors?!

What secret do I know that makes him so fearful and that makes him go to such great lengths to lead all the clues to the west and put the blame on Prime Minister Chigan?

Putting the blame on someone else… The thought horrified her. What if the one chasing her wasn't Prime Minister Chigan, but Emperor Zhaoding's men? He'd deliberately left clues to Xizhe, like pirates or a poison unique to Xizhe, in order to provoke conflict between her and Xizhe, or even spark a conflict between the two countries, so he could reap the benefits?

Chaos! Such chaos!

Sanshengtang!

Yes! After Feng Jinqi and his son captured the imperial city, they confiscated Sanshengtang. What about now? Whose hands does it hold it? Has Emperor Zhaoding reclaimed it for the imperial treasury?

Feng Jinqi! He must know!