After the arranged marriage, I pampered the sickly regent.

Led by the nanny, Ye Qingwu arrived at Shou Kang Palace.

"Your Majesty, the Regent's Consort has arrived."

The old nanny went in first and reported to the Empress Dowager inside.

"Let her in."

Upon entering Shou Kang Palace, Ye Qingwu clearly sensed something amiss nearby – black energy.

Furthermore, there were guards lying in ambush in the surrounding shadows.

It seems the other party anticipated her arrival and specifically sent someone to wait for her here.

This is precisely why Ye Qingwu is even more certain that Zhan Sijing is here.

Upon entering Shou Kang Palace, the Empress Dowager dismissed everyone around her and looked at Ye Qingwu with scrutiny.

"Regent's Consort, I heard that it was you who awoke me from my coma?"

"Yes." Ye Qingwu replied calmly, her eyes showing no emotion.

"I wonder what the Empress Dowager's intention is in having people wait at the palace gate?"

Ye Qingwu looked at the Empress Dowager and asked her a question.

"What do you mean?" the Empress Dowager sneered.

"Princess Regent, I thought you should have known this long ago. You are a smart person and should know what you can and cannot do."

"I don't understand," Ye Qingwu interrupted the Empress Dowager.

"Your Majesty, I have come to the palace for only one thing: the whereabouts of the Prince."

"Please, Your Majesty, release them."

"Ah."

The Empress Dowager's tone grew increasingly disdainful, "Ye Qingwu, you are not qualified to talk to me about releasing people."

"If you know what's good for you, pretend you know nothing. Meddling will only get you into trouble too."

The Empress Dowager spoke in a deep voice, her tone carrying a strong warning.

"Your Majesty, the Prince has never been a trivial matter to me."

Ye Qingwu looked around and, following the guidance of the tracking talisman, knew that Zhan Sijing should be here.

But why has it disappeared without a trace? Unless...

Ye Qingwu suddenly remembered the dungeon she had discovered at the Imperial Preceptor's residence; it was very likely that a similar tunnel was hidden in the Shou Kang Palace.

She had already wasted a lot of time on her way here, and she needed to find Zhan Sijing as soon as possible.

"Ye Qingwu, how much do you know about the Regent?"

The Empress Dowager's gaze was fixed on Ye Qingwu, filled with wariness towards her.

"What the Empress Dowager was talking about was exchanging one's life for another."

After Ye Qingwu said these words, the Empress Dowager's expression changed, and her gaze became even more gloomy.

"So you did know."

"Since you are determined to interfere, I will not let you stay today."

"Somebody come!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a number of guards rushed out and surrounded her.

Seeing this, Ye Qingwu narrowed her eyes slightly. She realized that something was wrong when she arrived, and it turned out that they were all hiding nearby.

In the past, she would not have needed to have an open conflict with the Empress Dowager.

But now...

Ye Qingwu took out a sleeping powder from her spatial storage. Dealing with so many people was beyond her capabilities on her own.

The moment she used the sleeping gas, all the guards surrounding her collapsed to the ground.

The Empress Dowager was so shocked by this scene that she staggered back, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"How...how is it possible?"

"Your Majesty, please tell me the whereabouts of the Prince."

Ye Qingwu approached the Empress Dowager.

"Don't think about it!"

"If it weren't for your misdeeds, Zhan Sijing would have been dead long ago, but now!"

The Empress Dowager's face was contorted with rage as she gritted her teeth and said, "Back then, I went to great lengths to plan that whole thing, Ye Qingwu, do you even know that everything was ruined because of your appearance!"

She would never allow anyone to sabotage the plans from back then.

"Your Majesty, that destiny originally belonged to the Prince."

Ye Qingwu said coldly.

"so what."

The Empress Dowager scoffed, "Ye Qingwu, in another incense stick's time, Zhan Sijing will have no chance of survival, and the matter of his destiny will never be discovered."

"I want you to know that everything you've done is meaningless."

Ye Qingwu ignored the Empress Dowager and used the power of the bead to investigate her surroundings. When she saw the vase in the corner, black energy was constantly emerging from it.

That place must be the entrance to the tunnel.

Without hesitation, Ye Qingwu headed towards the vase in the corner.

When the Empress Dowager saw Ye Qingwu's actions, her eyes were filled with shock.

"No! Ye Qingwu, you can't go there."

The Empress Dowager rushed forward and grabbed Ye Qingwu, refusing to let her go any further.

In that instant, the malevolent energy within the Shou Kang Palace gathered together.

Ye Qingwu's eyes were cold, and with just a wave of her hand, the power she used seemed to transform into countless serpents that bound the Empress Dowager.

Even with the help of this dark energy, the Empress Dowager was unable to exert any power under the suppression of Ye Qingwu's strength.

Ye Qingwu then went to the corner, moved the vase aside, and a tunnel appeared in front of her.

As she entered the tunnel, the Empress Dowager's angry voice followed behind her.

Ye Qingwu continued down the tunnel, and the deeper he went, the denser the surrounding black energy became, eventually transforming into malevolent energy.

Under these circumstances, Ye Qingwu had no choice but to take out the bead.

The moment the bead appeared, the surrounding area was instantly illuminated.

The malevolent energy vanished without a trace. When Ye Qingwu reached the corner, she found a stone door in front of her.

The stone gate was protected by a restriction, and an array was set up around it. In other words, to open the stone gate, one must enter the array and break the array.

However, this formation was extremely strange; even from the outside, she could feel a murderous intent surging forth.

Not to mention getting into the formation.

Ye Qingwu frowned. The Empress Dowager said there was still an incense stick's time left. If she couldn't find Zhan Sijing soon, it might be too late.

No!

Thinking of this, Ye Qingwu's gaze hardened again. No matter what tricks were hidden in this formation, she had to enter.

Ye Qingwu walked forward, and the scene before her changed the moment she touched the stone gate.

What she saw...was the Duke's mansion?

The scenes depict the original owner's childhood, the harshness and ruthlessness of her family, and the hardships she faced along the way.

Ye Qingwu frowned, feeling a strong sense of resentment and pain deep in her heart.

Indeed, emotions are the most destructive thing to do to people.

It seems that the other party has gone to great lengths to deal with me, and even knows about the affairs of the Duke's mansion.

If it were in the past, it might have had some effect, but she was never the original owner of this body, and even this world was a book.

If there's one thing that could cause her any worry here, it's Zhan Sijing.

Trying to deal with yourself in this way is completely ineffective!

Ye Qingwu closed her eyes, gradually calming herself down. As she chanted the incantation, a light enveloped her.

All that could be heard was the sound of something breaking in the air.

The formation is broken.

But the next second, Ye Qingwu felt those forces continuously entering her body.